• CATCH THE VISION
  President Gordon B. Hinckley said: "Ask the Lord to lead you by his quiet voice in the things you ought to do as leaders in this Church. You have a great responsibility for the well-being, even the salvation of others. You are very important in this Church. The kind of help you really need won't come from the handbook, though you need to know the handbook; but you'll get the best help from private and thoughtful communion with the Lord. We all need to quietly and calmly reflect on the things of God."
  (Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley, p. 305).

• PLAN AHEAD
  Start planning for the upcoming year in October or November. Try and leave December open for family and holiday activities. Plan activities and programs around the theme received from General Board for Worldwide Celebration or General YW Broadcast held in March.
  
  Also hold a combined planning meeting with the Class Presidencies to present the focus for the upcoming year. Have a schedule of the Sunday lessons and ask for suggestions and ideas that would reinforce the principles taught on Sunday. (This is one meeting that would take more than an hour. Make allowances for that and let the Young Women know ahead of time that they will meet from ______to ______. This might be most effective if held on a Saturday. You could make this a Leadership Retreat.
  
  Meet again at the beginning of the year to make any adjustments and fine tuning.

• USE AN AGENDA & PLAN WITH A PURPOSE
  Begin and end with prayer.
  
  Make sure that the meeting was better than no meeting at all.
  
  Don't let meeting become a calendaring meeting.
  
  When Planning Activities, ask: (every time)
  .  What value are we trying to reinforce (centered around Sunday's lesson)
  .  What do we want to happen?
  .  What goals do we need to set to accomplish this?
  .  Does this activity strengthen testimonies
  .  Does it add to the program or detract
  .  Does it take time from something that might be more worthwhile?
  .  Does this activity put undo stress and pressure on the family? (of Leaders or YW)
  
  Using a written agenda prepared in advance. Start and end on time. Sometimes this is difficult, but helps keep the focus on the meeting and increases need to be well prepared.
  
  Make assignments, include dates for following up, and reporting back.  Keep a record of the assignments given and items to be followed up on. Report at next meeting.

• SCHEDULE
  Week 1 - Service/
  Week 2 - Individual Class Night
  Week 3 - Combined YMYW Activity Night
  Week 4 - Individual or Combined YW Activity Night with major focus on Personal Progress.

• PRESIDENCY MEETINGS
  
  Meet as a presidency at least every two weeks to finalize plans, handle any last minute details and discuss individual and class needs.  Discuss what needs to be address in Ward Council.
  
  Have 6 months planned on the calendar. This will help everyone stay focused.
  
  Hold leadership training meetings every three months and invite advisors to attend. Discuss the needs, concerns, and any questions they might have. Discuss new ideas, and have a leadership lesson.
  
  Advisors teach on Sunday. The counselor stays in the class with the advisor. The counselor teaches if the advisor can not.  It is important for the counselor to participate and be supportive during the Sunday lessons to better understand the needs of the Young women and to effectively direct the planning of activities to strengthen testimonies.

• CLASS PRESIDENCY & LEADERSHIP TRAINING MEETINGS
  Hold Class presidency meetings twice a month before YW on Mutual night, or when is best for your ward.  But try to schedule this meeting for the same time and place each month.
  
  The class president conducts and runs the meeting, assigns the spiritual thought and prayer, takes notes if the secretary is not there, and listens to advice from counselor, advisor, and other members of class presidency. 
  
  Use the first meeting of the month to discuss and plan future activities and prepare for BYC. Evaluate previous activities; stewardship accountability, goals accomplished, and is this a good activity to repeat in the future?
  
  Use the second meeting as a leadership training meeting. Discuss the individual needs of young women.  Discuss ways to fellowship, increase spirituality, and re-activate and serve others.

• FRIENDSHIPPING & REACTIVATION EFFORTS
  Who are your trying to fellowship?  What do you know about them?  Who is their contact person from the class presidency?  Is contact being made weekly?  Never, never, give up!
  
  The New Era's given to the ward each month is a tool to help you reach the less-active young women.  The idea is to have something to take to them each month along with a calendar of events (by the Advisor) and then the class presidency members continually friendship through contact at school, a phone call, an offer to pick them up, etc.
  
  No Lights Out Plan-Use as a tool to make sure that each young women in your ward has been contacted.

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