In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Vanguard Jr. Planning meeting

Dear Moms,

A meeting for all moms to discuss Vanguard Jr. will be held Friday, September 20, during the master class time, which I think is 9:00 am, correct me someone if this is wrong. We will meet at Harvey Park (910 Mountain Rd. Fruit Heights 84037) which is very near Westminster Presbyterian Church (796 Mountain Rd. Kaysville 84037) where master class is held and where we hope to move Vanguard to. 

We'll be discussing how Vanguard Jr. will be organized and run each week, the blog, we'll make assignments for weekly class mentors, and snack rotation. 

According to the bylaws every mom is to take a turn helping with this younger group, even those who only have Vanguard youth. (This was recently explained to me.) So I am happy to get the opportunity to work with everyone. We have a wonderful group of younger children who are eager to learn and by everyone pitching in we can have a great program for them.

The park is behind the city hall and has a small playground if it's necessary to bring your children. 

Please try to make it if you can. It will really be best to have everyone meet together so we can have a great program for our children. After this initial meeting we hope to be able to take care of Vanguard Jr.business during the monthly parent meeting, 2nd Saturday morning at 8 each month.

Thanks,

Elizabeth
Outdoor Adventure- Patsy's Mine, September 28th @9:00 am
-Meet at the Farmington Ponds 750 N. 75 W. (North on 100 E , then take turnoff on left, continue straight to the parking lot) Map
-Wear pants as we might take an old, overgrown trail to see some fun historical artifacts and bring good hiking shoes, water and a flashlight/headlamp
-The hike is 2-3 miles round trip, plan on about 3 hours
-Optional items: pickax, Geiger counter, canary
 

Saturday, September 14, 2013

September Mentor Meeting

This was kind of a big meeting, as it was our first one, so please read through carefully as we tried to solve different concerns and problems that have come up, as well as celebrate all the awesome things that we are doing right :)!

Opening Song: "Abide with Me" pg 166 -God will be with us, even when we feel alone or inadequate
Opening Prayer


CALENDAR ITEMS:
4 pm today: Outdoor committee plannning meeting
5-7 Family Opening Social
7-8:30 Dance practice
Temple Trips will be on Saturday mornings now or Friday evenings: the Tindalls will call the temple to schedul those and let us know which one we will have which month
Family Pioneer Trek for all Vanguard Groups: May 22-24th  RSVP and more information to come

COMMUNICATION ISSUES:
1. Discussion of yahoo group, pros and cons: for now, if we can just have people add to the monthly calendar on the blog site in the reply or in the post itself to keep it updated, people can check on that weekly;  still awaiting further idea solution to problems of yahoos groups.  For now, please email Lisa if you need direct emails if you are not on the k2vanguard yahoo group, so we can know who to include directly.

Martina requested that we snip the posts when we reply(delete the extra info "below" emails in each email that is attached and unnecessary).

2. Blogs:
-We would like to have the info from emails updated to the blog asap; is there a mom who could take ownership of this?  Everytime you see anything calendar related take the time to update the "monthly calendar post"

-We will have a link on the blog to the Student Accountability Reports for students to print up with their parents. (It's there now.)  Please take the time each week to help your youth print out a form so they can set weekly goals.  Even if they don't get them all done or even down, the act of writing down things is powerful!!!!  Be an encouraging force in their lives, supporting and loving them through this process of accountability and preparation for class.

-There was a request that we change the font on the Leadership Academy blog to make it more readable.  Will do :)!

-There were also a few requests on the way the mentors post inspirements:
 #1 to have the format consistent for all the blogs:
Know:
Understand:
Become:

#2 include features like Karianne has on her blogs with the dramatic bolding and organization of what the youth need to do

#3 clearer lists of what the youth need to do each time...to have them all together in one section.  I would like to have us all use the following format.
sample inspirements page
 (On the blogs, you can include the links where you feel are appropriate.)

This leads me to the next item of business:
3. Newsletter
We decided to have a newsletter similar in format to the following two examples:

Example #1--everything but columns

Example #2 Simpler, with Master inspirement included

The link to it would be sent out and it would be included on the blog.  The mentors for the class will need to have their inspirements for October to me asap so we can get going on that :).  We need someone who loves doing formats like this to take the information the mentors give them and compile it into a newsletter.  The secretary would be in charge of getting the information together, and the Vanguard History adult mentor would supervise the formating and publishing of it (see below).  We would like to see youth participate in creating this newsletter if they are interested in doing so.  (Miriam?  Sherrie Hatch?)

ADULT MENTORING
Youth Presidency feedback:
TENNESSEE: 
#1-With the large tomes, it is hard for the youth to utilize it in such a small space.
Solution: We decided and voted to move Wednesday Vanguard to the Presbyterian Church on Mountain Road in Fruit Heights as soon as they would let us.  We will be holding all classes up there on Wednesdays.  If you have any concerns, please let me know.  For many reasons, we felt that the benefits of moving to a larger location with our larger group offset the benefits of having a home environment.  The church is very nice, and was available earlier in the year, and hopefully will be available now.  

There will be a monthly fee, payable per semester, per person in the building, including litttle kids.  We will organize it into a semester fee per family, payable to Lisa a couple weeks after we make the move.  I hope we can get in as early as this next week.  In the past it has been $1-2 per person per month, including, again, the littles..

#2  The youth would learn better in the last hour if they have had the chance to get up and move around doing activities or other such things mid-way in class...allowing the blood to circulate, the minds to have a little break, etc.
Solution:  Adult mentors, please be mindful of this while planning your days, to allow for this concern.

1. Adult Mentor Positions:  See tab at top titled "Parent Mentor List" for the complete list I have to date.  If you are still interested in helping in a particular lens, please contact that lens mentor or committee leader that you are interested in.  Many of you selected many areas you could help...thank you!  I am continually grateful that God sent me so many wonderful parents and youth to work with!
Please feel free to offer your experience and ideas to an area, even if you are already doing something else, or especially if you feel you are not really helping enough for your own liking yet.  Thanks!

We still need help in the following areas:
a) the Vanguard History Adult Mentor, although we had a suggestion of Sherrie Hatch for that....Sherrie?
-Vanguard History Adult Mentor: Guides and helps youth with collecting pictures throughout the year; and putting together the monthly Vanguard Newspaper, the end of the year slide show, and a yearbook (if they choose to have one).
b) the Littles supervisor (Elizabeth is coordinating this so contact her if you are interested)
c) Fundraising adult mentor: can organize a youth committee to help up with this
organizes 2-3 fundraisers, at least one personal (for individual needs for expenses like outdoor activities, tuition, or books) and one group one (like car wash or yard sale, when all the funds go toward Vanguard cost)  Everyone is expected to contribute to the group ones.
2. Sibling Mentor Care: After a couple of weeks, trying to figure out what we are doing, we will need to go back to the bylaws for sibling care:
Section 5. Sibling Care:
Should it be necessary, all parents of Vanguard youth (with the exception of the
head and class mentors) must help supervise/teach the children of those mentoring the classes.
The secretary may set up a rotation for the year. If the parent is unable to complete their
assignment, they will be expected to take care of alternate arrangements.
We will have a group for parent who are participating in the rotation (except for the weeks they are mentoring in upstairs Vanguard), called Vanguard Jr. for approximately 8-11 years old mentored by Brenda Black.  Elizabeth Tindall will be organizing the watch for the younger kids who are there for the week the mentors are mentoring.  If you are specifically mentoring that week, then you may leave your kids with the littler group.  Everyone, even if you do not have younger children, will be expected to help with the babysitting of the younger group, as per the bylaws.  Please email me if you have any questions.

3. " Teaching moment"
-Please check out the following links
https://www.lds.org/youth/learn/learning-teaching-ideas/method-videos?lang=eng
Please peruse the side tabs on the left to remind us why we teach the way we do:  to first teach them knowledge, then encourage them to ponder and understand it, then do become intelligent in it by doing something to act on it, to set goals to improve in a God-inspired way in that area of their lives.

2 min video about how to encourage "acting" or setting goals
This video contains some ideas of how to do the above.

It has been amazing what we have accomplished and got in motion these first 6 weeks of knowing each other!  Thanks for your ongoing patience and willingness to give feedback and make things work.  I love these youth and am so grateful that they came with such amazing parents :).









Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Master Class field trip for Week 3 Eureka on Friday the 13th!


Hi Master Class Students!
We will be going to the Leonardo Museum this Friday right after Choir/Theater. For those who are not participating in Choir and Theater, youth need to be dropped off at 4:00 at the Presbyterian church located at..796 South Mountain Rd. Fruit Heights,.. We will be home between 8:00 and 9:00 pm. Parents can pick students up at the Johnson's home.
This field trip costs 5.00 per person. We also thought it might be fun to get pizza from Little Ceasars on our way--so you don't have to pack two sack lunches that day :) If you want to join us for pizza please bring $7.00 (total) You do not have to join us for pizza, just an option :)
I am excited to go to the museum with all of you! Make sure all your master, journeyman and apprentice work is complete to attend!
Sister J

Vanguard Family Social Food Assignments!!!!

Hello all, sorry for my tardiness....We are excited for the Vanguard Family Social this coming Saturday from 5-7pm @ Barnes Park in Kaysville.  Below are the food assignments. Please  pick what works for your family and then call, text or email me with your choice(s). ( you can leave a comment too, and I will update those items already picked as soon as I get them!) Thanks again!




K2 Vanguard Family Social              Baked Potato Bar Food Assignments
Each family please pick a crock of chili or 2(two) of any other of the items. If you have been blessed with a large family, maybe picking 3-4 items would be helpful!
    Pick One
Large Crockpot of chili   Gilbert
Large Crockpot of chili  Biesigners
                Or pick any two
Bake 30 potatoes (wash, wrap in foil)Besingers
Bake 30 potatoes (wash, wrap in foil) Tindall
1 lb of butter and   16-24 oz container Sour Cream Jones
1 lb of butter and   16-24 oz container Sour CreamBlack
1 lb of butter and   16-24 oz container Sour Cream Biesingers
4 c. grated cheese   and salt and pepper  Gilbert
4 c. grated cheese and salt and pepper  Tindall
2 lbs  bacon, cooked and crumbled or bag of cooked from like costcos? Muir/Tarrant
8 c. Steamed broccoli,   chopped  Gilbert
2c. ham, diced and chopped green onions Tindall
Green Salad (to serve 15-20) Tindall
fruit or jello type salad Brower
Pasta salad (to serve 15-20) Moore
Ranch dressing and 2 dozen Rolls Brower
1 lg Salsa, mild (homemade or jar) and 2 dozen rolls Black
Veggie tray Muir/Tarrant
2-3 dozen cookies or brownies Jones
2-3 dozen cookies or brownies 
2-3 dozen cookies or brownie Biesingers    
5gal  jug of ice water Moore
5 gal jug of ice water
POTATOES CAN BE STORED IN A COOLER AND KEPT WARM FOR UP TO 3 HRS!  (SORRY FOR THE DELAY, AS WITH  ALL OF US, BEEN RUNNING CRAZY!)
THANKS,   BRENDA BLACK  801-347-3258   brendamback@yahoo.com   Please call, text or email me with your  chosen assignment!!!( i am always up!

Extra! Extra!



The Imaginative Arts blog is up and running! 
Check it out while at the same time seeing the 
inspirements for the month of September.


Tuesday, September 10, 2013

L.A.: October Theme and Memorization!

Principle for the month: Idealism

Theme for the month: Freedom

How idealism can help preserve our freedom!

Scripture: James 1:25 - But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

Memorization:
Bury Me in a Free Land
By Frances W. E. Harper

Make me a grave where'er you will,
In a lowly plain, or a lofty hill;
Make it among earth's humblest graves,
But not in a land where men are slaves.

I could not rest if around my grave
I heard the steps of a trembling slave;
His shadow above my silent tomb
Would make it a place of fearful gloom.
I could not rest if I heard the tread
Of a coffle gang to the shambles led,
And the mother's shriek of wild despair
Rise like a curse on the trembling air.
I could not sleep if I saw the lash
Drinking her blood at each fearful gash,
And I saw her babes torn from her breast,
Like trembling doves from their parent nest.
I'd shudder and start if I heard the bay
Of bloodhounds seizing their human prey,
And I heard the captive plead in vain
As they bound afresh his galling chain.
If I saw young girls from their mother's arms
Bartered and sold for their youthful charms,
My eye would flash with a mournful flame,
My death-paled cheek grow red with shame.
I would sleep, dear friends, where bloated might
Can rob no man of his dearest right;
My rest shall be calm in any grave
Where none can call his brother a slave.

I ask no monument, proud and high,
To arrest the gaze of the passers-by;
All that my yearning spirit craves,
Is bury me not in a land of slaves

Friday, September 6, 2013

Family Social


You are invited to attend our 


VANGUARD FAMILY SOCIAL
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14TH
FROM 5-7 PM



Location:
Barnes Park in Kaysville

(click on the link for a google map)

950 West 200 North
Kaysville, UT 84037

We will have a few family games, food and fun!!!

(watch for our potluck emails for food assignments!)