Governing Principles for Stake Activites

7 September 2015

TO: Bishops and Stake Leaders

FROM: The Stake Presidency

RE: 2015 Stake Calendar for the Mount Hood Stake

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The 2015 Stake Calendar is now ready for you to begin scheduling your ward events.  We express a special thanks to the Stake Council members, who spent extra time preparing this calendar to serve as a template for future years.

Attached is a pdf file of the 2015 calendar that you can access online along with a second document listing the stake events in each month. This list may look lengthy but be assured many of the events are for specific groups, not the general membership, and there are few that are outside the stake events you’re already accustomed to seeing.

However, the following will be helpful background information to some of the changes:

• FOOD DRIVE: We ask wards to support the Stake Food Drive as our 2015 Day of Service project. As you will see soon, with the new JustServe initiative, there will be MANY opportunities for wards to provide service throughout the year. We ask that your ward’s focus on Sept 19, 2015 be solely the Food Drive to include a Food Drive Family Night on Monday, Sept 14. Details will be forthcoming.

• TWO STAKE FIRESIDES: We have scheduled two firesides in 2015 in the months of November and December. We realize these are traditionally very busy months. However, with continuing concerns about an understanding of women’s roles in the Church, we have decided to have an annual evening with the stake presidency for all women in the stake. In 2014 this fireside is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 26, at 7:00 pm. Next year this fireside is scheduled for Nov 15, 2015. Please encourage the Brethren to help assure their wife is able to attend.

For the second fireside, please note…

• We have scheduled a Stake Christmas Music program on Sunday, Dec 13, 2015.  First, we hope to remove any obligation members may feel to support such a fireside. Second, our hope is that this fireside will serve as one more way for members to invite their non-LDS friends and neighbors to a Christmas music event further underscoring our belief in Jesus Christ. We ask that you support this by not scheduling ward holiday programs that evening.

FURTHERMORE, we ask that ward organizations (RS, HP, EQ, Primary, YMYW, etc.) to consider NOT holding holiday parties or events in the month of December. If they feel strongly about having such events then hold them in November or January.

• SCOUTING: We draw your attention to the fact that the Boy Scout Council has planned Woodbadge training in 2015 to be on a Thursday-through-Saturday schedule during two weeks in June. They arranged this largely because of our request not to hold this valuable, advanced Scout leader training over Sundays. We encourage all serious adult Scout leaders to register for this training in 2015. Depending on the number of applicants, the stake has made a commitment to help subsidize the registration fee for those who want to attend.

• SEMINARY: You will note that Seminary graduation is scheduled for June 7, 2015. This is nothing new except we wanted you to be aware that we plan to hold our own Seminary graduation—for our stake only—in 2015 and possibly into the future. You will also note we have scheduled an all-stake Seminary fireside for Wednesday, February 25, 2015, to replace your Mutual activity that evening. We continue to be concerned by a lessening support for Seminary among youth and their families.

• ATHLETICS: You will note that basketball games in 2015 are being scheduled on Tuesday evenings in order to avoid conflicts with ward events. We may also have a co-ed volleyball program later in the year.

• CAMP HELAMAN/PRIESTS CAMP: We have added to the 2015 calendar the missionary-themed Camp Helaman for all priests. With this day of hastening, we encourage wards to use this camp as your Priests' High Adventure program in 2015. We will discuss this further with bishoprics.

• WEEKEND USE OF THE STAKE CENTER: In the past wards that meet in the stake center have had a set weekend each month for their ward activities. That has been modified somewhat so the weekend is not always fixed. However, all wards are assured of at least one weekend each month to have priority for their events. Please check the online calendar for your assigned weekends.

Thank you for working with us on this calendar. Your feedback is always welcomed and appreciated.