Activities Committees

[creekster]

In my ward, the activities committee budget has not been reallocated elsewhere in the ward. The EQ still has a shameful budget that reinforces the idea that the Elders don't do anything.

Is this a money grab by Salt Lake?

I dont think so. It doesnt affect the budget at all in our stake.

[creekster]

Well, to clarify, your EQ stuff isnt planned by the activities committee, is it? Our EQs plan our own activities. So the shift in policy would have no bearing on EQ stuff.

My wards did Trunk or Treat, which we enjoyed. you are saying that your ward didnt even do that activity.

Your ward did a X-mas party, as did mine.

No idea about pickle ball or walkabout. Were those EQ or ward activity? I've never been in a ward that did those.

All told, looks like your ward does one more activity than mine, if my math is accurate.

And your point is?

The original post pointed out how the change made dealing with activities more cumbersome and more burdensome for those in certain callings. This is unfortuante and counterproductive, given that the orginial impetus for the change, as explained to me, was to lighten the load on the bishop. Instead, it has caused our bishop to be more involved in making sure that activities are ssigned or are being handled (it raises this issue to a higher level of importance at ward council) and thus excaerbates the problem it was intended to ameliorate. The effect has been different in differnet wards. That some wards stop having activities is not necessarily typical, but it is not surprising, at least not to me. Our ward has continued with its retitive course of activitesx as before, but planning them and orgainizign them has become more, not less, difficult.

[TripletDaddy]

And your point is?

The original post pointed out how the change made dealing with activities more cumbersome and more burdensome for those in certain callings. This is unfortuante and counterproductive, given that the orginial impetus for the change, as explained to me, was to lighten the load on the bishop. Instead, it has caused our bishop to be more involved in making sure that activities are ssigned or are being handled (it raises this issue to a higher level of importance at ward council) and thus excaerbates the problem it was intended to ameliorate. The effect has been different in differnet wards. That some wards stop having activities is not necessarily typical, but it is not surprising, at least not to me. Our ward has continued with its retitive course of activitesx as before, but planning them and orgainizign them has become more, not less, difficult.

my post was not in response to the original post. It was in response to Tim's post about ward activities drying up since the change in policy.

[Jeff Lebowski]

And your point is?

The original post pointed out how the change made dealing with activities more cumbersome and more burdensome for those in certain callings. This is unfortuante and counterproductive, given that the orginial impetus for the change, as explained to me, was to lighten the load on the bishop. Instead, it has caused our bishop to be more involved in making sure that activities are ssigned or are being handled (it raises this issue to a higher level of importance at ward council) and thus excaerbates the problem it was intended to ameliorate. The effect has been different in differnet wards. That some wards stop having activities is not necessarily typical, but it is not surprising, at least not to me. Our ward has continued with its retitive course of activitesx as before, but planning them and orgainizign them has become more, not less, difficult.

Exactly. We do the same set of activities, but the bishopric ends up scheduling and parceling out the assignments to the various auxiliaries. I have noticed that they also are way behind. Our Fathers and Sons activity was not scheduled or announced until about two weeks before the event. By then it conflicted with several other activities and folks had to scramble to get food, etc. planned and organized. It's a mess.

[Jeff Lebowski]

... given that the orginial impetus for the change, as explained to me, was to lighten the load on the bishop.

Wow. If that was indeed the impetus for the change, then I am really scratching my head. That makes zero sense.

[Pheidippides]

Our ward doesn't do Trunk/Treat (+32!)

+3200.

This has put more pressure on the auxiliary leaders than ever. It is not any easy thing to juggle the logistics for 200 people of all ages. Especially when you don't have an admin to do it all for you.

[Jacob]

+3200.

This has put more pressure on the auxiliary leaders than ever. It is not any easy thing to juggle the logistics for 200 people of all ages. Especially when you don't have an admin to do it all for you.

We used to run the trunk or treat. It was the easiest activity to prepare for all year. At it's most basic, you just need a parking lot. Make it a little more difficult and add a chili cook off or something similar. Just set up tables in the cultural hall and get people to help clean up.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

This change coincided with our ward being changed. In the new ward there have been 2 activities since the first of the year. 1 was a pot-luck, which I don't think took any planning. The other was a talent show, which had the feel of very little planning.

I can't say that it is any different than it was before we were placed in this ward however.

[BigFatMeanie]

In my previous ward the monthly ward activity was the same every month: a potluck dinner. Everyone, besides their favorite dish, would bring their favorite board game to play after dinner. It was always the Nth Friday night of the month. Personally, I loved it. The ward felt like one big family and it didn't put any stress on anyone. It was just a nice causal get together and most everyone that was active in the ward would come.

I hate the activities we have in our current ward about as much as the folks that are in charge of putting them together. The activities are lame and the food is bad. My wife and I have stopped going to them years ago. We don't even go to the ward christmas parties any more.

You mean they were lame and the food was bad years ago. If you haven't been in years then then you really don't have much basis from which to comment on the current activities, do you? For all you know, the current activities kick butt.

[Uncle Ted]

You mean they were lame and the food was bad years ago. If you haven't been in years then then you really don't have much basis from which to comment on the current activities, do you? For all you know, the current activities kick butt.

No, my daughter went to one recently. She said it was (still) lame.

The thing I found is the activities committee tries to do too much on a very limited budget. The best ward activities, IMHO, were ones that didn't cost a lot of money and involved everyone in some way of another. For example, a ward camp outs rule, IMO. In one ward my wife was in they actually did this on a Saturday night and had a sacrament meeting in the mountains the next morning. (I don't know how they got that approved.) A ward furnished breakfast of pancakes with burnt sausage and listening to the bishop give a 15 minute talk isn't much fun, IMHO. A ward potluck dinner with a sampling of everyone's favorite dish and playing some cards or boardgames while getting to know people in the ward is much better.

[Moliere]

I formed my own activities committee, it consists of MJ and me. We BBQ stuff and invite people we like or want to get to know better over to our house. I prefer this to eating crappy casseroles and even crappier homemade chili with people that I see too often (read once a week).

[Surfah]

No, my daughter went to one recently. She said it was (still) lame.

The thing I found is the activities committee tries to do too much on a very limited budget. The best ward activities, IMHO, were ones that didn't cost a lot of money and involved everyone in some way of another. For example, a ward camp outs rule, IMO. In one ward my wife was in they actually did this on a Saturday night and had a sacrament meeting in the mountains the next morning. (I don't know how they got that approved.) A ward furnished breakfast of pancakes with burnt sausage and listening to the bishop give a 15 minute talk isn't much fun, IMHO. A ward potluck dinner with a sampling of everyone's favorite dish and playing some cards or boardgames while getting to know people in the ward is much better.

Do wards even do ward campouts anymore? Man in California our ward would have epic week long waterskiing/jet skiing trips. They were a blast. Staying up late every night with my friends and macking on the girls in the ward. Chilling in the lake all day and using a grill for every meal.

[FMCoug]

Do wards even do ward campouts anymore? Man in California our ward would have epic week long waterskiing/jet skiing trips. They were a blast. Staying up late every night with my friends and macking on the girls in the ward. Chilling in the lake all day and using a grill for every meal.

We always had them in Texas but haven't had one since we moved here. The other one that I miss that was a lot of fun was Father-Daughter campout.

[Surfah]

We always had them in Texas but haven't had one since we moved here. The other one that I miss that was a lot of fun was Father-Daughter campout.

I have never been in a ward with a Father-Daughter campout. I would dig that. Shoot, our ward didn't even do Father-Son campout this year.

[Pheidippides]

I formed my own activities committee, it consists of MJ and me. We BBQ stuff and invite people we like or want to get to know better over to our house. I prefer this to eating crappy casseroles and even crappier homemade chili with people that I see too often (read once a week).

What, am I chopped liver?!?!?