Monday, June 16, 2008
Youth Fireside
Help! My husband and I were chosen by the youth to do a youth fireside at the end of the month. Apparently they think we are "cool." I'm flattered to be chosen, but quite afraid they're going to be disappointed. While my husband and I are very content with our little life, I don't consider us to have exeptionally exciting lives or life stories, nor are we necessarily especially hilarious or entertaining people. We're just...average! Anyway, we were told we could do the fireside on ANY topic. Ugh. I hate not having guidance! The YM president did say it might be nice to gear it towards dating since we were a couple. I know a lot of you have callings, or have had callings with the youth, and I am hoping you might have some ideas for topics that have been a hit with the youth, and on how I can make it a fun, interesting fireside-yet something they can benefit from! I don't just want to "talk" at them. I was trying to think of a game format, or a Q and A session, or something to switch it up a little! HELP! I have to uphold this uh,"cool" image!!! lol
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8 comments:
Scott and I have recently done a few different youth firesides... they are always so nerve-racking for me because I still feel like I should be in Young Womens, not teaching Young Womens.
My favourite of the topics that we've done recently was how the choices we made as youth brought us to where we are now... in the words of the guy who assigned us the topic, "a successful, happy family, married in the temple". We are happy, we are married in the temple, but I don't know that I'd call us successful... but it was a nice compliment. I enjoyed this topic because I was able to talk about experiences from my youth days and I think that made it easier for the youth to relate to me. Scott of course, was the hit of the night because he has cool police stories to share. That always gets the youth listening to him...
One spin you could take is each of you could talk about the qualities and attributes that are important in a strong dating and eventually married relationship. Talk about how you look for certain things in a spouse, but its important to remember that your future spouse is looking for similar things. Then talk about how even if they aren't old enough to date, or don't feel ready to be dating yet, they can always be preparing themselves to be the kind of person they themselves would want to marry...
Just a random thought! But Scott spoke at a YW camp fireside awhile back about a similar topic and it was a hit with the YW. They all loved him... :D Good luck! You guys will do great. I'm sure the youth see you as this gorgeous couple with an adorable baby and even though they don't realize why they find you to be "cool" I'm sure its because they see in your family what they ultimately hope to become.
I haven't been in charge of any firesides, but my husband and I have been asked to be on a panel at a dating fireside where the youth had written a bunch of questions on cards and stuff and then they had three newly-ish married couples who answered the questions. I think it went over well...but we just had to remember that some of them were still just 12 and so we had to gear a lot of our answers towards getting ready to date too. It's a hard topic to cover with all the youth b/c they're at such different stages...but the panel Q and A went pretty well I think. It probably would've been better with a little talk or something after to bring it all together and talk about what the general authorities have said and how everything really applies to them today. Anyway, that's my only experience with that kind of a thing. Good luck! I'm sure you'll do great!!
Maybe you should have a sex Q and A..... : )
But really....whatever you choose to speak on, PLEASE be honest with them about all aspects: ups and downs, highs and lows, so that they don't feel like they could never possibly achieve what you have when they leave.....be authentic, open and honest. Or have them write questions for you anonymously and you can always draw on those if you need fodder.
We were asked in our last ward because my friend who was in YW said we were "in the right place at the right time". We never got to do it because we moved, but I thought about what we'd talk about a lot and I agree with Kage. My friend thought our story was so cute because we met in the sealing room of the temple and got married there a year later but we had a rough year in between including almost not getting married and postponing our wedding so we could do it when we were really ready. I wanted to present that to them as well so they could realize that we weren't perfect.
There was a fantastic article in the church news a few weeks ago about President Monson and his comments about teaching the young men. He shared a great story from his experience as a mission president. One P-day the missionaries were out playing softball. As he was watching the game, one Elder yelled out to him to take a few swings at the ball. At first President Monson resisted, saying it had been a long time since he had played, but then he handed his suit coat to his wife and stepped up to the plate. The batter pitched, and he hit it right out of the park. The same thing happened three times. Then Pres. Monson set the bat down and started to walk back to his wife. One elder asked if he was going to run the bases and he said "no. I'm not in competition with you elders. I just wanted you to know I could hit the ball." He then explained, "What would happen if the following Thursday one of the elder's father had died? He would want a mission president, not just another ball player." He then went on to elaborate that the youth need leaders, not just buddies.
I really loved that story, and I thought about it as I read your concerns. I guess my advice would be not to worry about being fun and cool (you already are both... but don't stress over it!). Just do what Kage said, be honest, and seek to establish an environment with the spirit. Of course, you don't want to bore them (which I know you two wouldn't do!) but it's nice to know the pressure to be super "cool" is lessened :)
If you were to do a fireside on dating, I remember a fireside the McKenna's gave about dating and during part of their firesdie they took couples from the scriptures and disected their relationships. It not only taught us about dating, but about how to use the scriptures and apply them to everyday situations.
Q&A is always helpful too. I like the annon. question on a card idea. You could even have them prepare questions the Sunday before. I don't know when the fireside is, but I'm around now, and Michael is coming out in a few weeks if you'd like another couple for a panel. I'll be thinking of some more ideas and if I come up with anything, I'll pass it along.
I can't add anything to the great stuff that has already been said but just wanted to let you know that I think you and Mitch are very cool. Your presence alone will have a great impact on the kids. I remember this really fun, young couple in my ward when I was growing up and I seriously would always observe them and maybe even stare at them because I just thought they were so cool and hoped to have that kind of loving relationship in my future.
Thanks Linz! And thanks to everyone for the great tips. Jen, it's actually this Sunday, so Michael probably won't be here yet??? Let me know!
Oh, and just to clarify Jen...I probably shouldn't have acted like being cool was the most important thing. I guess I was thinking more along the lines of Linz, that I really looked up to certain young couples when I was a youth. I guess I felt like I could relate more to them, than I could to the ones in their forties with a ton of kids. I've learned from teaching Sunday School to the youth, that relating to them is huge. Otherwise they tend to tune you out. So I just wanted to find an approach that would be spiritual and have an impact on them, yet try to show them that getting married and having children isn't this boring, stuffy world that they probably imagine their parents to be in. They're not that much younger than us, but teens are in a totally different development stage where it's all about here and now, and it can be hard for them to plan for the future. Ok, sorry for the rambling, hope that made sense!
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