Updating the 2020 Stake Budget with the increased income from families; $50 to $75 per youth

27 January 2020

Presidents Dobson and Newell and the stake presidency…

The stake presidency decided yesterday to increase the summer camp fee from $50 to $75 per youth to align with the $75 fee per youth that will be charged by the Church for FSY next year.

The increased revenue raises the budget for the Stake AP Camp from $9,800 to $12,175. 

The Stake YW Camp budget increases from $11,000 to $13,500.

As you can see by the attached updated 2020 stake budget, the total YW budget is now $13,600, significantly more than the $12,475 for the YM. However, we need to remember that the YW are serving a projected 100 young women, who consistently attend Stake YW Camp. While we don’t have a track record for the number of young men who will attend a Stake AP Camp, the projected 85 is based on the number of young men who participated in our 2019 stake trek (95 YW, 85 YM).

Based on the projected attendance (100 YW, 85 YM) our summer camp “investment" is:

$12,175 / 85 YM = $143.25 per boy

$13,500 / 100 YW = $135.00 per girl

I hope this is helpful and gives both the YW and YM more “breathing room” in budgeting their camps this summer.

As a reminder, this is a draft. Feel free to respond and challenge.

Thanks,

President Lewis

P.S. We have a much bigger decision looming for us in 2021. It’s very difficult, if not impossible, for us to fund a Stake YW and/or AP Camp without family contributions ($75/youth). Next year the Church will charge us $75 for each youth who attends FSY. We can still have Stake YW and AP Camps that summer, but we will either need to: (1) cancel stake youth camps, (2) ask families to pay $75 for FSY and $50-$75 for stake camps; or possibly (3) ask wards—or the stake—to host a multi-day camp for the 12-13 year old youth, those not invited to attend FSY and cancel the traditional summer camps. Please be pondering how we should address this in the coming months.

In response to the Stake Young Men's president regarding summer camp funding

21 January 2020

Brother Matt (copy to April Dobson and President Hansen),

In response to the latter part of your email, let me first clarify about FOS. Yes, it was fundraising, but it was a totally different type of fundraising than what the Handbook is talking about. 

The FOS was more of an “offering” from families in support of Scouting. To President Monson it was an “investment” in all young men in America, most of whom were not members of the Church. That, of course, has ended.

The fundraising the Handbook addresses is where youth are raising money through Christmas tree sales, spaghetti dinners and other service-type projects. The Handbook repeatedly allows fundraising for one summer camp only as a last resort only after exhausting budget funds and family contributions.

There are several key principles the Church follows in regard to funding of summer camps and other activities:

1. Budget funds should cover all expenses for all activities, including summer camps, if possible. 

2. Church-sponsored activities should be simple and not extravagant. All should have a priesthood purpose or Church-related objective.

3. Families should not be burdened with admission fees or fees of any sort to participate in activities (exception is one summer camp per year, families can be asked to contribute toward the cost of the camp).

4. Summer camp funding is to be by: (1) budget funds, (2) family contributions and, if still not enough, (3) fundraising.

One of the first things I noticed, soon after being called, was how much fundraising was going on while the stake was sitting on a huge surplus (understandably we saving up for a trek in 2013, but we had twice what we needed).

What bothered me most was that we had all of these youth leaders, who were leaving their families to teach other parents' children how to market products or services or, in some cases, how to “beg” for money. This is not the role of the Church to teach children how to be entrepreneurs or “money collectors.” Youth leaders and teachers are to focus on teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the parents’ responsibility to teach their children how to work and earn money.

So we immediately did the following:

1. Suspended all fundraising;

2. Took extra funding from SLC earmarked for youth (that most wards were just rolling into their annual budgets) and applied it to stake summer camps;

3. Standardized summer camp fees for families (similar to standardized missionary funding) at $100 per youth so families could plan and hopefully parents would teach their children how to raise the $100; 

4. Took surplus ward budget funds at the end of each year and methodically, over the past 7 years, began to drive down the standardized summer camp fee from $100 to $50 per youth.

So what that means…

If the Stake YM Presidency feel they are going to be short of funds for the Stake AP Camp in July, we can raise additional funds simply by asking families to pay $75 each instead of $50. That will raise an additional $2,250 (90 YM @ $25 = $2,250). The $75 is what families will pay next year for the FSY experience.

However, before we raise the youth fee, we would need some budget projections and cost justification from the Stake YM and Stake YW presidencies as to why you both need extra funds than what’s already budgeted. We very much want to keep the financial burden on families at a minimum, if we can. All of you have youth in your home so I’m sure you can appreciate the blessing of a $50 fee instead of $75 per youth fee.

I hope this is helpful in understanding how we fund stake summer camps and the principles we try to follow. I’ll be happy to visit with all of you about this further. In the meantime, I’ll hold off on sending the letter announcing the summer camp fees until you and April have had a chance to discuss this further and make a new recommendation, if you feel it’s needed.

Thank you both for the wonderful work you are doing to bless the youth of our stake.

Gratefully,

President Lewis

An explanation as to why I try to interview high school seniors before they graduate

21 January 2020

Bishops and Branch Presidents…

It occurs to me that I may not have ever explained to you why I’m visiting with high school seniors, as you may have heard.

I want you to know that I’ve been doing this, as much as they’ll meet with me, for years in hoping to just get acquainted with them. I don’t conduct a worthiness interview, I leave that for you.

I mostly visit with them about…

1) what was their HS experience like for them?

2) did Seminary play a role?

3) what kind of personal devotion habits (prayer, scriptures, etc) do they have now going into the rest of their lives?

4) is college and/or a mission on the radar? If so, when?

5) do they have plans to attend the YSA branch (we need you!)?

6) sometimes I’ll check to see if they’ve received a patriarchal blessing…and…

7) mostly, how much does the gospel mean in their lives as they enter adulthood?

Please know I am not trying to be intrusive, overstep you in your role as their priesthood leader or checking on how you, parents and ward leaders have done. I simply want to see what’s happening in the heads and hearts of the young members of our stake as they transition into adulthood.

In case you were wondering…

Thx

PrL

In response to an email from Dr. Doug Rial, of the High Council, about clarifying why we don't fundraise for summer camps even though the Handbook permits it

20 January 2019

Thank you, Dr. Doug, for pointing this out. As you suggest, maybe we would be more accurate in saying, “As we follow the intent of the Church Handbook” which notes on several occasions that “Stake and ward budget funds should be used to pay for all activities, programs, and supplies” (13.2.8). Only when there are not enough budget funds, Church leaders are authorized to turn to families for summer camps...and then, if that is not enough, fundraising is allowed. So fundraising should be the last resort. 

Interestingly, even without fundraising, almost all the wards in our stake consistently, over the past 6-7 years, have had lots of funds at the end of each year—sometimes as much as $2,000-$3,000 surplus. When we consistently have surpluses like that then we’re not justified in fundraising. That’s what was happening, bishoprics and youth leaders were assuming they wouldn’t have enough money at the end of the year so they turned to fundraising, but it later became obvious there were plenty of budget funds along with family contributions ($50-$100) to cover all summer camp costs.

Maybe the best solution is to avoid any reference to the Handbook. I’ll update the letter accordingly.

Thanks again for sharing your concern.

PrL

P.S. As all of you have seen (in our desire to be totally transparent), we have an annual stake budget of about $38,000 and $30,000 is earmarked for youth/children summer camps. That’s 78% of our annual budget. So we appreciate you budgeting and spending wisely when planning summer camps in our stake. We also appreciate you staying within budget so we don’t have to charge families more or, as a last resort, fundraise.

Resolving a conflict over the use of what used to be the Stake Family History Center

13 January 2020

President Hansen,

Will you please work with Brothers Howes, Eldredge, Malan, President Ibarra and Bishop Miller, the agent bishop for the stake center,  to resolve this matter?

I know this may be painful, but I would think the room formerly used as the Family History Center is no longer a FH Center, but is now an extra-large classroom to be used by those teaching and training in Family History. (We may need to get a new or additional sign for the door. Is the door now kept unlocked like other classrooms?)

I would think it can also serve as a “permanent” Primary room for the Pioneer Branch, trying to grow in their quest to become a ward (as you know, a high priority of the Area Presidency). Once the branch becomes independent enough to enter a meeting rotation, this room will no longer be needed for their Primary.

I assume the attached note was written by Doug Yates, who I’m sure feels ownership of this room due to the room’s original purpose. We deeply appreciate Brother Yates taking the initiative to clear out the room and make it available for use by others. The timeliness of its availability for use by the expanding Pioneer Branch is a tremendous blessing and certainly not a coincidence. Doug was truly inspired!

Thank you for counseling together to arrive at a resolution. I look forward to your report.

Thanks,

President Lewis

Buenas noches Presidente,

Not sure how to address the following but the purpose is to communicate and counsel with you as to what would be the best steps to take. We have started the primary program in the branch. Primary President sister Reyna is working very hard to assured that all is in order and according to the children’s handbook. However, we are encountering a small challenge. We were assigned the Family History room as the primary room for the branch. Recently we encounter a small challenge which we are willing to cooperate but it requires for our primary leaders to put down primary decorations/themes every Sunday.  Attached, a letter that was posted in the Family History Room with instructions and a reminder to be respectful to others that also share the room. My request is if there is a possibility that we are allowed for the classroom attached to the family history lab to have a primary theme/decoration as other primary classrooms. It is a bit challenging to re-arrange every Sunday meeting. In my effort to be concise in this message, there are no decorations posted in the computer lab. Only in the classroom or what is known as the Family History classroom. 

Kindly, president any suggestions or approval on being allowed to leave the primary theme/decorations in the classroom. We are fine with moving the chairs and tables as we already do with a different classroom, this being the Relief Society room. Of which we put chairs and tables back when we finished with our sacrament meeting. 

I look forward to your comments. 

Un abrazo, 

Pte. Ibarra 

P.S.

One item I failed to include and mentioned was that the letter posted on the Family History room may be rooted to an overlapping of activities. This past Wednesday sister Reyna planned a Primary activity, she forgot to check the calendar to see which classroom was available. She went ahead and decorated the branch primary room thinking that no one else uses and was using this room. This happened to be the evening where members from the stake meet and do their family history. As such, this is understandable, as she had to removed some of the decorations, writing, and pictures she had posted for the activity. She moved to a different classroom and held the activity there.

I was at the activity, but nothing was addressed to me that day. The letter was posted later in the week. Sister Reyna shared that she had to put everything down as requested. However, we understand about being respectful and sharing. All we are asking is that we are allowed to leave primary decorations in the Family History classroom. We will plan for primary activities a different day. A different classroom if this is the case.

Please, accept our apologies for the inconvenience. We wish to make this work and await for your response as to what best next step to take.

Muchas gracias Presidente.
Pte. Ibarra

Helping bishops encourage parents in creating vision boards at home

10 January 2020

Bishops and Branch Presidents…

As children and youth begin to identify goals as part of the new initiative, you may want to encourage parents to help their children create a vision board. 

It can be as simple as folding a blank 8.5x11 sheet of paper into quadrants and inviting the child to use marking pens to “decorate” each quadrant that speaks to his or her goals. A more ambitious approach, of course, is using poster board and cutting out pictures in magazines.

I recently saw the attached photos of a nephew’s daughters (not in our stake) during their FHE activity and thought you might want to share with parents in helping them recognize there’s something they can do right now to get the family engaged in the Church's new Children and Youth Initiative. Children can then stick their vision board on a bedroom wall as a constant reminder of their goals.

Parents, leaders and families are also encouraged to create vision boards. Families, classes and quorum members can visit together and create vision boards for their family, class or quorum.

Thank you for encouraging everyone on ways to embrace this wonderful new initiative to help strengthen the rising generation as President Nelson has asked us to do.

Please feel free to share this with others.

President Lewis

In response to confessions of illegal actions

9 January 2020

Bishops and Branch Presidents,

This news article about a woman in the Salem area suing the Church is very sad:

https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/477418-woman-sues-lds-church-for-reporting-husbands-confession-of-child-sex

I’m confident the bishop handled this correctly and the Church will stand behind the bishop and fight this. However, it is a good reminder that before accepting a full confession of this sort, it is important that as judges we immediately help the person understand that full repentance must include addressing matters with the law, if the action is also illegal. And that bishops are instructed to call the Church abuse hotline for guidance as to our obligation as clergy..

Just a reminder for all of us to review the procedures in Handbook 1, 17.3.2.

Thank you,

President Lewis

Ideas to help bishoprics focus on strengthening the rising generation

6 January 2020

Bishops and Branch Presidents…

It is expected that all of you have visited with parents, youth and children about the new Children and Youth Initiative. I look forward to visiting with you in our upcoming Stewardship Interview for January about how it is unfolding for your ward or branch.

Do you have any questions that we can try to get answers for you? (Besides the new app the Church is producing, I really don’t think we’re going to get much more, if any, instructions from Church headquarters on the new program.)

We appreciate how each of you have been delegating more and more duties of the Work of Salvation (see chapter 5 of Handbook 2) to your Relief Society and Elders Quorum presidencies. Hopefully you’ve already seen a measurable difference in your work load and time demand.

As you turn from those other duties, attached is a 2-page document drafted by stake leaders with ideas on how a bishopric can use their time even more effectively to focus on strengthening the rising generation.

We will discuss these further in our SI this month. In the meantime, we hope you and your counselors will consider these ideas as you plan to give, as Elder Quentin L. Cook described, “laser-like focus on our youth.”

Gratefully,

President Lewis and the Stake Presidency

P.S. As a reminder, the attached checklist, sent to you a month ago, hopefully will continue to be a helpful guide on important actions to take in launching the new initiative in your ward or branch.

How Bishoprics Can Focus on Youth

As bishoprics delegate the responsibilities of the Work of Salvation to Relief Society and Elders Quorum presidencies, hopefully it will free them to focus their time and energy on the youth.

Below are some ways bishoprics and branch presidencies can become even more effective in strengthening the rising generation:

CONNECT WITH SEMINARY TEACHERS: Meet or communicate regularly with the Seminary instructors, who are teaching the youth in your ward, for their observations about the youth’s day-to-day gospel engagement.

MEET WITH PARENTS AND YOUTH: Schedule regular times to meet with the parents (and, if you desire, the youth at the same time) to review their children’s hopes, dreams and goals and discuss how the bishopric can be supportive of the family.

TRAIN ALL YOUTH PRESIDENCIES: Use the Aaronic Priesthood Quorum and Young Women Class Presidency Orientation form to personally and regularly conduct training sessions with each youth presidency. 

YOUTH AS MINISTERS: Work closely with the Relief Society and Elders Quorum presidencies to ensure all youth, 14 years and older (or turning 14), are assigned as ministering companions. And help them have success in their assignment.

REGULAR YOUTH INTERVIEWS: Give high priority to conducting regular interviews with each young person, including occasional interviews with older Primary-age children. Focus on making sure all youth 12 years of age (or turning 12-years of age) and older hold and use a current limited-use temple recommend.

WARD YOUTH COUNCIL MEETINGS: Conduct regular Ward Youth Council meetings and  schedule, plan, and review all monthly combined youth activities (Handbook 2, 8.13.1.3). Also emphasize leadership training by drawing from the presidency orientation form or the leadership lessons available at AaronicPriesthoodQuorums.ChurchofJesusChrist.org and at YoungWomen.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

INVOLVE ADULT LEADERS: Coordinate efforts to help youth and/or their family with the Relief Society and Elders Quorum presidents so they can provide additional support through the ministering brothers and sisters.

BE WITH THEM: Set up a schedule in advance (possibly up to a year) listing where each member of the bishopric is to go each Sunday to make sure a bishopric member is regularly visiting the Primary and Young Women classes...and to make sure there is double adult coverage in all children and youth classes and weekday activities.

QUORUM PRESIDENCY MEETINGS: Make sure presidency meetings happen regularly and that youth presidencies are trained in how to create and follow an agenda. See Handbook 2, 8.9.3 for agenda guidance.

FOLLOW THE SPIRIT: Seek guidance as to what the Lord wants you to do to strengthen and lift each of the children and youth in your ward.

PARENTAL EXPECTATIONS: Meet regularly with the parents of children and youth teaching them about their role in support of the Children and Youth Initiative and explaining the expectations of parents to prepare their children for the ordinances and milestones in a young person’s gospel journey (use 4-page “Letter to Parents” from the stake presidency).

STEWARDSHIP INTERVIEWS: Conduct regular interviews with Primary, Young Women and Aaronic Priesthood adult leaders to make sure they’re working closely with parents in helping the children and youth to create their plans and fulfill their goals.

How families can continue the Scouting tradition in their homes

4 January 2020

Bishops and Branch Presidents,

It has come to our attention that a group of parents in the Gresham Stake are wanting to start a Cub Scout pack and Scout troop. They have invited members of the Mount Hood Stake, who may be interested.

As you know, the Church no longer sponsors Scouting effective January 1. However, we recognize that after a century of Scouting in the Church, there are families who want to continue the Scouting tradition in their home.

One of my personal concerns, as families look for Scouting opportunities outside the Church, is that most troops and packs, not affiliated with a faith, do not reverence the Sabbath day, which can create a conflict for member families.

Will you please share this email with those in your ward or branch who may be interested in continuing the Scouting tradition? Please do not make any announcements; simply forward this email to the parents of those families you think are still interested in Scouting.

For those interested, they can attend a troop and pack information meeting this Thursday, Jan. 9, from 6 to 7 pm at the Stark Street meetinghouse, 22801 SE Stark St, Gresham.

I hope this is helpful to those interested. Please know that this email does not suggest any type of endorsement by the Church or the stake presidency. This is the only time we will share this information. All future communication to families will come from Brothers Miller or Weitz.

Thank you for sharing this with those who may be interested.

President Lewis

A reminder of the importance of gospel learning in the home due to conferences

4 January 2020

Bishops and Branch Presidents,

As we enter the “season” of conferences—ward, stake and general conference—class and quorum teachers discover that there may be times when they only teach one time during the entire month.

That prompts a timely reminder of the importance of gospel learning in the home—“home-centered,” as the Brethren call it.

Below is a list of the upcoming conferences in 2020.

Will you please make sure ward leaders and teachers are aware of conference dates that will preempt the second hour instruction in your ward or branch?

And please take the opportunity to encourage members to faithfully continue their regular Come, Follow Me curriculum study at home even though there may not be a class at church.

Gratefully,

President Lewis

2020 New Year Letter to the Stake with Invitation for a special fast on Jan. 5, 2020

1 January 2020

TO: All Members of the Mount Hood Oregon Stake

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

This is a very special time to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as we begin a new decade with the year 2020.

·      Today marks the beginning of the new Children and Youth Initiative;

·      We begin study of the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ, in our Come, Follow Me home-study curriculum; and

·       We will commemorate this year the 200^th anniversary of the First Vision, in which the Heavens were opened to usher in the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

You may remember that President Russell M. Nelson asked all of us to prepare for a special commemoration of the First Vision at general conference, April 4-5, by:

·      Reading “afresh Joseph Smith’s account of the First Vision as recorded in the Pearl of Great Price”;

·      Studying the Book of Mormon and pondering the question, “How would my life be different if my knowledge gained from the Book of Mormon were suddenly taken away?” or “How have the events that followed the First Vision made a difference for me and my loved ones?”;

·      Selecting “your own questions. Design your own plan. Immerse yourself in the glorious light of the Restoration.”

He then promised: “As you seek Jesus Christ in these efforts, God will prepare you to receive further light. It is your personal preparation that will help April’s general conference become for you not only memorable but unforgettable. The time to act is now. This is a hinge point in the history of the Church, and your part is vital.”

We invite all of us to join in fasting this Sunday, January 5, that we will embrace our Prophet’s counsel, prepare for general conference and help hasten the Lord’s work of gathering scattered Israel and “serving God and His children—on both sides of the veil.”  

Faithfully Yours,

Stake Presidency