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Remember when Prince changed his name to that symbol that couldn't be pronounced, so everyone started calling him “the performer formerly known as Prince”? (Where was his PR agent when that happened?)
Like that, I have a calling no one can identify. I'm the Relief Society Meeting Coordinator. No, I'm not in charge of Relief Society meeting, I'm in charge of the other Relief Society meetings besides the regular Relief Society meeting that everyone thinks of when you say “Relief Society meeting.” I like to call myself “the person formerly known as the homemaking leader.”
Anyway, in July we are having a “super saturday” craft day titled Christmas in July. We're not (necessarily) making holiday-ish items. The plan it so give everyone a head start on making holiday gifts…before it gets close to the holidays. Get it?
So, here's the deal. I am the least crafty person on earth. My husband calls me the anti-craft. I'm organized and dependable and enthusiastic, but I'm absolutely not equipped to select or teach crafts. Seriously.
Here's where you come in. Ideas! I need ideas of reasonably priced, fairly easy to make crafts that could be done in the span of a couple of hours. And, I need to have directions for how to recreate them. In other words, your favorite, awesome Pinterest collection is great…as long as I can get more than an amazing picture.
Please have pity on my soul and help me! I will be forever indebted to you!
Alison Moore Smith is a 61-year-old entrepreneur who graduated from BYU in 1987. She has been (very happily) married to Samuel M. Smith for 40 years. They are parents of six incredible children and grandparents to two astounding grandsons. She is the author of The 7 Success Habits of Homeschoolers.
I am predicting the new General R.S. President will give these “meetings” a name. I feel like we’re in limbo.
Agreed, Jennifer. I think it was a backlash to the Home-Family-and-Personal-Enrichment-And-Any-Other-Amazing-And-Inclusive-Things-We-Want-To-Do-Or-Be-And-Whatever-You-Do-You-Must-Not-Shorten-This-Title. Now we are the meeting with no name. (What the heck was wrong with Enrichment, anyway? That seemed perfectly descriptive — and short!)
That’s my calling too! And they also didn’t know what the calling was called when they called me. I think they settled on R.S. board leader. I’m terrible with crafts too, so I can’t help you there. I told the board, ‘I hope somebody here knows something about crafts and decorations or it ain’t happenin’.’ If I had my way we’d have more book discussions and Super Saturday would be a book fair. Good luck!
Shelly, thanks for…NOTHING! 😉
So, at least you and I can commiserate in our ineptitude. 🙂
BTW, Relief Society Meeting Coordinator is the official calling name. If you look at the handbook and then, in the sidebar, click on Ward Relief Society Leadership>Other Ward Relief Society Callings, you’ll see this:
For the record, the dumb name aside, I love this calling and have the best committee ever.
Ok, so I have obviously been out of RS for too long. I had no idea that they had changed it YET again. How sad. Is there no reason why they can’t just agree on a name and stick with it? More especially, can they think of a name that is a little less vague?
Alison, on a side note, here in the southern hemisphere we often celebrate ‘Christmas in July’. Not for the reason you do, but because our winter is in July. We are so indoctrinated down here that we feel the need to have a true Christmas – cold weather, hot roast Turkey with all the trimmings and everything we can’t have in the heat of summer. The up side to all that is that we get to have Christmas twice a year!
Anyway, back to the issue. If I were in your position I would be soliciting all the ladies in the ward (or further afield) and tapping into their skills to provide the actual activities. Use your skill of organisation and motivation, but rely on the crafting skills of others. We so often look at our callings with the eye to doing everything ourselves, but by sourcing other skills, we can be so much more effective.
I would definitely look for someone who can do some kind of card craft, also things like simple easy decorations (including table decorations), simple food ideas for gifts etc.
I am afraid my brain is not in Christmas mode, so I can’t think of anything specific right now.
Here via Tracy Maurer! I have the same calling and OFTEN refer to my self as the ‘formerly known as enrichment’ now Relief Society Meetings Assistant. Came across this awesome tutorial today, and immediately added it to my ‘craft’ to do list! I am not an anti-craft (that is hilarious, BTW).
http://www.aspoonfulofsugardesigns.com/2011/03/tutorial-gathered-round-basket.html
Good luck!!!
Alison,
I am not crafty at all, either. But finances have force me to seek other alternatives to buying gifts. The utilitarian that I am, I do a lot of food-type stuff. I have done gifts-in-a-jar, like in this book: http://www.amazon.com/Gifts-Jar-Muffins-Breads/dp/B000KHXBI6/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1339074397&sr=8-4
I have done mixes like in this book: http://www.amazon.com/Make-A-Mix-Karine-Eliason/dp/0762426020/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1339074594&sr=1-1
A couple of years ago, we did “running shirts.” We bought plain shirts, took my little girl and brushed her feet with fabric paint, and stamped her footprints on the shirts so that it looked like she had run on the shirts. We gave them to grandparents. (Wouldn’t that make for an interesting Super Saturday activity!)
I have made file folder games for children. There are lots of free ones on line.
We also make a lot of ornaments around here.
Good luck and God bless! I don’t envy your task.
I would looking into making polymer clay beads/jewelry. There are some good demonstrations on You-Tube.
I am so touched that you would plan such an activity even when you aren’t a crafty person! How about including an activity or two (assuming there is more than one activity happening at once) for those like yourself who would rather not ruin another craft project? You are not alone in this preference!
jennycherie, Thanks for the kind words. 🙂 In the past there has been a quilt for people to tie (or just sit around and talk) for those who just want to eat lunch and chat. I’ve been there more than once!
After 4 years as YW President I was released last week and called as RS Mid-week Activity Leader. After reading the RS section of the handbook, I’m pretty sure is a made up name for the RS Meeting Coordinator.
Super Saturday is on our calendar for Saturday, September 8 and NOTHING has been done yet. Yikes! Fortunately, this is the first time we’re doing a Super Saturday so the bar is not even set yet, let alone set high.
I’m crafty but I have month, a so-so committee and will be out of town for almost 2 of the weeks between now and Super Saturday (including one week at YW camp running the craft barn and being 2nd in command on the food crew).
So in the last few days this is what I’ve come up with:
(And yes, I’m recycling some of the ideas I’ve used during my 4 years running the craft barn at camp; time is of the essance and I already have samples made.)
Composition book journals:
http://craftingiscontagious.blogspot.com/2011/02/journals-or-fun-notebooks.html
Binder clips/photo/recipe holders:
http://craftybatches.blogspot.com/2010/06/crafty-fun-with-binder-clips.html
‘shabby chic’ photo holder
http://www.shanty-2-chic.com/2010/12/cheap-but-chic-christmas-gift.html
glass pendant necklace:
http://www.simplymodernmom.com/2009/10/glass-pendant-necklaces-tutorial/
We’re going to offer a yoga class to kick off the day and also have a cooking demo, a class about helping your kids develop good study skills and maybe something on family history. (We’re having a Committee meeting tonight to finalize everything.)
There is so much more we can do but for our first go at a Super Saturday and with such a short turnaround time, this will be plenty. Good luck to you!
I know it’s past the time of your Super Saturday, but I’ve also been called to fill this position for our ward. I found a list of websites that have some pretty neat crafty ideas. I believe the list is found on sugardoodle.net. If you click on the Relief Society tab at the top, and then click on Crafts (the first option), it gives you a whole list of different holiday related crafts and then at the very bottom there’s links to other craft websites. Maybe this will be of some use to some of you in the future. Our Super Saturday is scheduled for October this year. Good luck everyone in your callings 🙂