CONDUCTING ELECTIONS IN UNITS SPONSORED BY THE LDS CHURCH

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1 Inductions and Membership CONDUCTING ELECTIONS IN UNITS SPONSORED BY THE LDS CHURCH Session Length: 50 Minutes Learning objectives: Participants should know how to create an outline to approach the council s LDS Relationship Committee about the OA. Participants should know how to best approach troops and teams sponsored by the LDS Church to conduct OA elections. Required Materials: A copy of Scouting & The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (see Appendix 2: Source Materials and Resources for location). A copy of the letter to LDS Relationship Committees from the LDS-BSA Relationships Director (a copy is provided below). TRAINER PREPARATION As of January 2010, 51 percent of all traditional Scouts were registered to units chartered to six churches: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, United Methodist Church, Catholic Church, Presbyterian Church, Lutheran Church and Baptist Churches (listed in order of total Scouts registered). 1 The discussion today will focus on helping our lodge conduct OA elections in troops and teams sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes referred to by the abbreviation - LDS Church). Trainer Tip: It may be helpful to come prepared with a list from the council office of all of the troops and teams sponsored by the LDS Church. The list should include the most recent contact information for the units leaders. SESSION NARRATIVE The Council s LDS Relationship Committee consists of representatives from each LDS stake in the council. 2 A stake covers is a geographical area and is composed of several wards (congregations). A stake is led by three ecclesiastical leaders, referred to as a stake presidency, consisting of a stake president and two counselors, all of whom are lay ministers. The counselor who is assigned to oversee the stake s Scouting program typically represents the stake on the Council LDS Relationship Committee. 2 Not every council has an actively functioning LDS Relationship Committee, especially councils with only one stake, or a part of a stake. If that is the case in your council, as verified by your Scout Executive, then please contact the Boy Scouts of America LDS Relationships Office, which is headed by a Scouting professional. The phone number is (801) and the office is located at 15 West South Temple, Suite 1070, Salt Lake City, UT The office can inform you as to which LDS Church leaders you should contact in your council.

2 Inductions and Membership Conducting Elections for LDS Units 2 Each stake is typically made up of five to ten wards (congregations). A ward is the basic geographical unit of the church, consisting of several hundred members in a single congregation. In BSA terminology, the ward is the chartering organization. The ward is led by a bishopric consisting of bishop and two counselors, all of whom are lay ministers. The bishop s duties are similar to those of a pastor, priest, or rabbi. The bishop is registered with the BSA as the Institution Head and one of his counselors is usually registered as the Chartered Organization Representative. Some stakes include smaller congregations called branches lead by a branch presidency of three members. (See Appendix 2: Source Materials and Resources for an organizational chart of the LDS Church. The same appendix also has another organizational chart to illustrate how each Scout unit functions within a ward.) The Council LDS Relationship Committee serves as a link between the council and the troops and teams sponsored by individual wards. Each ward or branch sponsors a pack, troop, team and crew (provided it has enough youth in each age group). Work with your Scout Executive in order to get on the Council LDS Relations Committee s agenda to have the lodge s youth leadership make a presentation about the OA. Keep the presentation focused on how the OA can benefit the young men in the units they sponsor. The committee will likely be interested to know how the OA can keep their young men involved in Scouting longer (especially for those who ve earned the Eagle Scout), provide service opportunities, leadership training, and help them make stronger commitments to live by the Scout Oath and Law. Two new resources have become available to introduce the and can be used during the presentation to members of the Council LDS Relationship Committee: 1. A letter from the LDS-BSA Relationships Office addressed to Council LDS Relationship Committees; and 2. A statement about the in a publication called, Scouting & The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which was written for Scouting professionals. The letter from the LDS-BSA Relationships Office has not been sent directly to the LDS Relations Committee. Instead, it was provided to the OA as a resource to use when meeting with members of their local Council LDS Relations Committee. Among other things, the letter invites committee members to: Please consider encouraging your troops and team to hold OA elections in order to provide an opportunity for your young men to belong to Scouting s national honor society. Even if no youth are eligible, the OA Troop or Team representatives could still promote camping.

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4 Inductions and Membership Conducting Elections for LDS Units 4 The second new resource that can be distributed during the presentation is found on page 10 of Scouting & The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Please see the full text below: The lodge also has the option of writing its own letter for distribution during the presentation. Below is an example from the Cahuilla Lodge from the California Inland Empire Council.

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6 Inductions and Membership Conducting Elections for LDS Units 6 It s important to realize that making one presentation, or even an annual presentation, to the Council LDS Relations Committee will not cause Scoutmasters and Team Coaches to start calling you. However, what you will probably accomplish by making the presentation to the committee is to build an initial relationship with them that may help to solve problems that may arise in the future. The lodge will still need to do the real work of contacting units directly for elections. However, there are a few key points that can simplify this effort: 1. Bring the list of the LDS-sponsored troops and teams to the meeting with the Council LDS Relationship Committee. Ask the members to update the list with any changes that may have occurred since the previous year s registration period. 2. Most wards sponsor a Boy Scout Troop for 11 to 13 year olds and a Varsity Team for 14 and 15 year olds. Typically, both units meet in the same building on the same night. Contact both unit leaders and arrange a two-for-one election. Also, if you find Venturers who would like to join, they can dual register with the troop or team to become eligible. 3. Consider inducting some of the adults, too. These unit adult OA Scouters are key to getting OA candidates and OA youth to OA meetings and events. 4. If you find that the younger Boy Scouts do not yet meet some of the requirements (e.g. camping), then be sure to contact the older youth in the Varsity Team. Often times the older Varsity Scouts will meet the necessary requirements. 5. To save time for the chapter or lodge elections teams, the training / explanation / video presentation to be done with the combined troop and team (including the crew, if they are interested) -- the troop on one side of the room and the team on the other. One final idea: some lodges have also opted to appoint a youth and adult team of LDS Liaisons who work as coordinators between the lodge and units sponsored by the LDS Church. The liaison(s) can be very helpful in making the annual presentation to the Council s LDS Relationships Committee to report on unit elections. In addition to that responsibility, he can assist the lodge to have an OA presence at LDS Encampments during summer camp, if appropriate; encourage LDS-sponsored units to use OA Troop/Team Representatives; and perform any other duties as assigned by the LDS Relationship Committee and Scout Executive. Prepare a 10-minute presentation to the LDS Relationships Committee. Trainer Tip: Due to the short timeframe, it would be best to bring a basis presentation outline with you that has the key points that you lodge would want to make to the Council LDS Relationship Committee. Let the class build upon the outline, or come up with their own ideas. You can use the letter from the California Inlands Empire Council as an example. Once the presentation outline is prepared, break up the group to conduct a role play. Assign some class members to play the role of the committee and assign others to be the presenters. Make the presentation to the committee. Remember to make use of the following resources: 1. Letter addressed to LDS Relationships Committee members. 2. The statement about the OA from Scouting & The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 3. A letter from the lodge. Also, remember the importance of communicating how the OA can keep their young men involved in Scouting longer by providing young men service opportunities, leadership training, and help them make stronger

7 Inductions and Membership Conducting Elections for LDS Units 7 commitments to live by the Scout Oath and Law. Finally, remember to get updates from committee members to the lodge s list of unit leaders. Conclude the session by thanking everyone for their participation. Emphasize that the lodge now has a tool in its tool bag to make a presentation to the Council LDS Relationship Committee. Commit to working with the lodge leadership to make this presentation a reality and make plans to follow up on the meeting by conducing unit elections. APPENDIX: FREQUENTY ASKED QUESTIONS Many participants will not know the meaning of some of the words used in this presentation. Below is a glossary of words that might not be familiar to Scouters who are not members of the LDS Church. 3 Aaronic Priesthood: The lesser of the two levels or orders of priesthood in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Aaronic Priesthood is conferred upon faithful male members of the Church beginning at age 12 and includes the offices of Deacon (12-13 year olds), Teacher (13-14 year olds), and Priest (15-18 year olds). Aaronic Priesthood holders prepare and offer the sacrament (communion) to Church members during Sunday worship services, help to visit members in their homes, collect contributions for the poor, and have other service duties. The name of the Aaronic Priesthood comes from Aaron, brother of Moses, in the Old Testament. Bishop: The leader of a local congregation (known as a ward), with duties similar to those of a pastor, priest, or rabbi. The bishop has two counselors, and the three (comprising the bishopric) are unpaid. The bishop is registered with the BSA as the Institution Head; one of his counselors is usually registered as the Chartered Organization Representative. Branch: A local congregation, smaller than a ward, in an area where the Church is in a developing stage. The leader of a branch is called the branch president; he and his two counselors are known as the branch presidency. The branch president is the Institution Head; one of the counselors usually serves as the Chartered Organization Representative. Calling: An invitation to a member to accept an office or responsibility in the Church. Worthy adults (whether members of the Church or not) may be called to serve as Scout leaders. First Presidency: The highest ruling body of the Church, composed of the President of the Church and two counselors who serve as counselors. All three are referred to as President. The First Presidency is the final authority in all matters relating to the Church. General Conference: A meeting held the first weekend of April and October of each year, led by the First Presidency, for the purposes of conducting general Church business and instructing the members. General conferences are open to the public and are simultaneously broadcast throughout the world. General conferences are held in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City. Latter Days: The time in which we now live; the last period of time before the second coming of Jesus Christ. Mormon: A fourth-century prophet in the Americas who abridged the historical and religious records of his people onto metal plates. His record was translated by Joseph Smith and first published in the United States in 1830 as the Book of Mormon. The name Mormon has become an unofficial nickname for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. When referring to Church members, the term Latter-day Saints is preferred, although Mormons is also acceptable. 3 There are two official glossaries for LDS Church-related words: and Search these if you need additional guidance. For guidance on how to refer to the Church and its members correctly, see The official BSA style guide, which includes a glossary of Scouting terms, is at

8 Inductions and Membership Conducting Elections for LDS Units 8 Primary: The Church organization for children ages three through eleven. The Primary presidency supervises Scouting for Primary boys ages 8 through 11: Cub Scouts (Wolf and Bear), ages 8 and 9; Webelos Scouts, age 10; and boys in the New Scout Patrol for 11-year-old Scouts. Quorum: An organized group of brethren who hold the same office in the priesthood. They may be ordained to an office in the Aaronic Priesthood starting at age 12. Young men are registered in age-appropriate Scouting units that consist of members of their priesthood quorums: Boy Scouts ages are in the Deacons Quorum, Varsity Scouts ages are in the Teachers Quorum, and Venturers ages are in the Priests Quorum. Sacrament Meeting: The term for a regular Latter-day Saint worship service, usually held each week on Sunday, where the sacrament (communion) is offered to the members of the Church. Sacrament meetings include music, talks, testimonies and prayers. Saints: A generic term often used for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or for members of the New Testament church. Stake: A geographical subdivision of the Church composed of several wards (similar to a diocese). The stake presidency consists of the stake president (the leader of the stake) and two counselors. Ward: The basic geographical unit of the Church, consisting of several hundred members in a single congregation, presided over by a bishop and two counselors (known collectively as a bishopric). In BSA terminology, the ward is the chartered organization. Young Men: A youth organization of the Church for young men ages Young men meet for religious instruction on Sunday and are generally involved in Boy Scouts as part of their weekly activities. The ward Young Men President serves as the adult adviser of the Priests Quorum/Venturing Crew (ages 16 to 18), his first counselor serves as the adult adviser of the Teachers Quorum/Varsity Team (ages 14 and 15), and his second counselor serves as the adult adviser of the Deacons Quorum/Boy Scout Troop (ages 12 and 13).

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