On to a new job!

I was officially released on Sunday as the Monrovia Ward Relief Society President. I had been doing double duty for a few weeks - but it really wasn't so bad - not much was going on and we had General Conference in there too.

I wasn't there for the event(we were in Malibu for Ella's baptism)- so it was kind of a non-event for me. But I had been meeting with Jennifer, the new President, several times, so I had a chance to reflect on the past almost 3 years that I have served.

As I went over things with Jennifer, I thought about what I hoped my legacy would be. I finally decided that there were 3 facets to my years of service that I hoped would continue.

One was the weekly newsletter. Harry likes to laugh at me about my obsession with newsletters, but they truly are a great tool. The idea is not original with me. When I served with Polly Bourgeous many years ago, she did one. And at the end of each R.S. meeting, she handed me a bundle with a list of names of women who weren't there that day and told me to deliver them and find out why they weren't there! And she asked for a report when we met each week for our presidency meeting!

The previous R.S. president asked me to do it about 6 months before I was called. So I now have a fat 3 ring binder full of newsletters - from July 2002 until the present - and it's like a ward history/life history combined. They have a great value - they keep women connected, they give you something to send to those who can't or don't come, and they provide a record of what you have done.

The next tradtion I valued was the implementation of birthday visits. My mom actually suggested this plan when I was a counselor to Polly and we did it with her. Once again, it's a way to connect. No one turns you away on their birthday - at least no one ever turned me away! I had wanted to meet every sister in the ward - but I missed about a dozen of them who just were never there when I called - but those I did meet were friendly - I could run into them at the street fair and feel comfortable saying hi! (Obviously I'm referring to less-active sisters - I had my counselors mostly take the active sisters.)

The final program I tried to implement was All Sister Sundays four times a year - March for the birthday, May for Mother's Day, September for a parenting lesson and December for the holiday. The Elder's Quorum would cover Primary for the last hour and a member of the bishopric would teach the Young Women. We just had our regular lesson - it was the getting together that was so great. In March, I had 9 former ward Relief Society Presidents each take 3 minutes to share something about their experience - that was a first Sunday lesson - and it was a spiritual feast. We are 2 wards that have been combined to make one, so we needed to connect - and this was a way to do so. When it wasn't Fast Sunday, we ended with muffins and juice in the cultural hall. Breaking bread together is always a good idea!!

So a chapter in my life closes - and a new one opens. We are doing a brunch on Saturday for the outgoing Stake Relief Society Presidency. And there is a Stake Leadership Meeting on the 19th. And we have a Women's Conference in January. And there are wards to visit.

And maybe I will figure out how to do a Stake Relief Society Newsletter!!