Contributed by: Luana
(3/3/2003)
I want to share my "Project Underground" idea with you. (Such a
mysterious name.) It was really fun. Our old class presidencies were
becoming stagnate, and it was time for a change. Since we finally (sorta)
know what WE are doing, we wanted to start fresh with the girls and
train them better in how to do their jobs. We realized that we were
doing way too much and basically leaving the girls without a calling.
Switch-o Change-o! The young men wanted to jump on board, so I ended up
making a huge plan with a zippy theme to get the kids into it. My
wonderful 1st counselor and I came up with the idea of doing this whole
POTATO thing. Dumb huh? It was so absurd that I knew it would work! The
idea came from trying to come up with a simple light dinner so that the
night would have an important feel to it.
It seemed that a baked potato bar would be just the thing. I did keep it
pretty simple though.
I have a double wall oven, and I was able to bake 70 potatoes wrapped in
foil at home and then I put them in a big cooler, just to keep them hot.
It worked great! When the activity was over and I brought everything
home, the potatoes that were leftover in the cooler were still almost
too hot to touch--after 3 hours.
PROJECT UNDERGROUND
Let's get at the ROOTS and teach our youth how to gain strong leadership
skills.
The purpose of this youth leadership training is to teach the youth of
our ward the importance of the callings they now hold and/or will hold,
and how they can serve Heavenly Father through serving and supporting
each other. Emphasis will be placed on the specific duties of the
current class/quorum presidencies. At the end of the evening we will all
have a baked potato bar.
Your assignment will be to teach one ten minute class, six times (with
approximately 8 youth in each class). Please make an effort to provide
worthwhile information with a real leadership lesson, but have fun! This
is a light-hearted approach to important and valuable skills training.
LEADERSHIP CLASSES:
Delegating & Supporting Leaders "Hot Potato!"
Leading Music "One Potato, Two Potato, Three Potato, Four!"
Planning and Working Together "The Spuddy System"
Solving Problems "Curses, Foiled Again!"
Making Contact/Fellowshipping "Can't Take My Eyes off of You!"
Having a Good Attitude "Got a Potato Chip on Your Shoulder?"
Class officers will attend training for their own callings for the first
20 to 30 minutes. Then they will fill the remainder of the time
attending classes of their choice with the rest of the youth.
Duties of Presidents: Becoming a Better Leader, Using agendas, conducting,
attending meetings, etc.
Duties of Counselors: Becoming a Better Leader, Supporting the
President, attending meetings, etc.
Duties of Secretaries
Another idea for a class on Buzz Sessions, etc., to "root out" ideas for
activities, etc. was "Spuddering"! (Sputter-to utter explosively.)
When everyone gathered for opening exercises we gave them each a sheet
of card stock with a big brown potato on it. Each class had an item to
glue on after they attended it--turning it into Mister or Miss Potato
Head as they went. Eyes for making contact, arms for leading music,
smiling mouth for good attitude, etc.
The intro to the night went something like this:
"Welcome to Project Underground. It is not by mere chance that you are
here participating with us tonight. As a Grade A, you have been
carefully chosen to fill this assignment. We are here to be trained from
the roots up that each individual plays am important part in our overall
success, and that there truly are no small potatoes." (pass out potato
head cards).
"Each of you should have a Mr./Miss Potato Head card. Six classes are
offered where you will earn some of the parts that belong to said Mister
of Miss Potato Head, as you are trained in important leadership skills.
Class presidencies will meet with the bishopric for the first 20
minutes--whereafter they will join the rest of the spuds at the other
end of the church for the remaining class rotations."
"This is your assignment. No couch potatoing allowed! A flakey or half
baked effort on your part will only result in a mashed experience. Let
this "Project Underground" give you BIG BULBOUS leadership roots. Let us
all go forth and DIG IN!"
Classes
Baked Potato Bar: Potato, sour cream, butter, salt and pepper, green
onions, cheese chili, and ham cubes.
Activities
Nutmeg
Creations