Youth Conference Planning - 19 -
Spiritual Activities and Workshops The purpose of a youth conference is not just fun and games. Workshops, firesides, and other meetings led by dynamic teachers give the youth instruction that will help them prepare for the trials of this life and for the eternities. Here are several ideas that will help you in planning the spiritual activities of your conference. Testimony Meeting. Most youth conference groups plan to have a testimony meeting on the final day of the conference. This needs to be under the direction of the ward or stake priesthood leaders. The main portion of this meeting is obviously the bearing of testimonies, but you should keep in mind that you are responsible for the chorister, pianist, hymns, and prayers. Some groups like to hold sunrise testimony meetings. Take into consideration the group s bedtime the night before when planning a meeting such as this. If the group attended a dance the night before, and didn t get to bed until late, you may find that a 6:30 a.m. meeting is too early. Firesides. A fireside teacher may be the most recent youth convert in your stake, a member of your stake, or a CES teacher. If you choose to use a CES teacher, CES Youth Programs will make the arrangements. If you choose to use someone from your stake, you need to make the arrangements. Plan on 40-45 minutes for the teacher. The youth members on this subcommittee can add valuable input regarding the types of firesides and teachers desired. Workshops. Workshops may be taught by people in your stake, approved by the stake presidency, or by our CES teachers. All CES teachers will be provided for your conference through the CES Youth Programs office. After we receive your theme and goals, we will begin to secure teachers for your conference. Before we can confirm teachers, we must receive your final agenda and desired topics. The following are some items to remember as you plan the workshops for your youth conference: Balance: Try to have something for everyone as you decide on workshop subjects. Be careful not to lean heavily toward your own preference. Introduce the Teacher: Show your teacher courtesy by having someone introduce him or her to the group. Both the teacher and the audience will feel more comfortable. Biographies will be sent to you from our office for each of your CES teachers. Music and Prayer: It is wise to open up your workshop with a short song and a prayer. If you are holding more than one workshop in a row, then open the first with a song and a prayer, and close the last with a song and a prayer. Bishop s Time. Often the bishops of each ward will attend the youth conference and may like some time in the evening to meet with the youth from his ward. This meeting can help the youth grow closer to their bishop and other youth of their ward. Music. Music should be appropriate for the occasion. A good chorister will be able to make a decision on what music to sing. Be certain that the pianist and chorister have books with music. Depending on where your conference is held, hymnbooks may not be available. Music for the congregation could be supplied by printing the words and/or notes on the program. Devotionals. Many groups like to start and end each day s activities with a devotional. Short thoughts, scriptures, or stories can be shared followed by a group prayer. Small conferences often hold their devotional together; it is common for large conferences to break into smaller groups. - 20 -
Recreation and Cultural Activities This section provides suggestions on planning the physical and social activities of your youth conference. These activities can give special opportunities for youth and leaders to interact. These times can be the most rewarding for participants. The success of recreational and cultural activities depends largely upon the planning of the activity. Ask the question: How can we plan this event so that one or more of our goals can be enhanced or achieved? Take time to plan fun activities that will involve everyone. Individual activities (including basketball, tennis, etc.) should be played during free time. Large group activities could include large sporting events, group games, dances, swim parties, BBQ s, concerts, plays, to name a few. But the possibilities are endless. As you plan your activities, it would be wise to consider the following items. Choosing Activities. Remember the information that comes from the youth in your ward or stake can be helpful, so consider their ideas carefully. Think of the time block to be filled and which activities will be most effective at that time. The activities should easily involve everyone, fun for the participants, help them achieve the goals of the conference. Facilities. Be sure the facilities match the activity. If your activity will be outside, be prepared with a backup plan if it rains. Almost Anything Goes Games. This event consists of relay games, initiative games, water games and more. They are designed to involve everyone, build unity, and be a great time. For a list of activities and games, go to our website at efy.byu.edu and select Youth Conferences, then click on Regional Youth Conferences. On the right side bar of the screen will be Game and Activity Ideas select it. Several different categories of games will be listed. Equipment. Remember to bring whatever equipment you ll need for your different activities. As well as remembering the little detail items like extension cords to plug in your electrical equipment, garbage bags for clean up, etc. Dances. Dances can be an enjoyable part of youth conferences. Dances should encourage the youth to keep their standards through appropriate dress, lighting, sound volume, and good music. For a more about planning dances, please see pages 33-34 of this planning packet. Concert, Plays, and Other Cultural Events. Check with your local arts council for these types of events. These events add variety to your conference agenda. Videos. Because of copyright laws, viewing videos/movies is not permitted at a youth conference. However, it is okay to watch Church produced videos. Keep in mind that videos can be viewed anytime at home and your youth conference should provide the chance to do something different. Refer to your goals to decide if watching that video will enhance your conference. Enthusiasm is essential to the success of your activities. Don t be afraid to enlist the efforts of outgoing people who have the ability to motivate others. Challenges and prizes can also help to build enthusiasm. Brainstorm together to come up with ways to get people excited. And remember your excitement can be very contagious! - 21 -
Finances and Transportation Finances A well-prepared budget will allow your conference to participate in many exciting events and remain within budgeted allowance from the Church. Besides preparing a budget, you may want to keep track of your expenses as they occur. Budget Preparation In addition to the fee for food, hotel, and transportation expenses, consider the following: Mailing Expenses. A good way to handle this might be to buy a supply of stamps and let the conference advisor or youth co-chairpersons do the mailing. Travel Expenses. An estimate of the cost to transport the youth to and from the conference should be figured into the budget. These costs can vary considerable depending on the mode of transportation (i.e. buses or private vehicles) and distance traveled. Program Printing. Many groups like to print a nice program that participants can use as a souvenir. Other groups use a copy machine or other inexpensive methods of duplication. Disc Jockey. Check with local DJs to estimate what to budget for this. Banquet Guests. Conferences often invite bishops, high councilors, workshop teachers, or others to the banquet. Be sure to calculate this additional cost when preparing the budget. Accuracy is very important in your catered functions. Special Equipment Charges. Most audiovisual, sport, and other equipment must be rented. Contingency Fund. A contingency fund is an amount of money set aside to take care of unexpected expenses. Here is a list of other possible extra expenses: Travel (off-campus travel etc.) Insurance (if needed) Special food events (catered) Lost equipment or damaged facilities Miscellaneous awards, etc. Roller skating, plays, movies, concerts Stamps, stationary, phone calls (long distance) Outdoor rental equipment Program printing, posters, etc. Special sound and light effects T-shirt for publicity Decorations for food events (leis, crepe paper, etc.) Final Billing The final bill from CES Youth Programs will be sent to the conference advisor two to three weeks after the conference. The balance is due upon receipt of the final bill. The final bill consists of airfare, hotel, honorarium, travel costs, and administrative fees. Travel costs consist of mileage, meals, and parking at airports for the teachers. Administrative fees are the cost of running these programs. Any deposits paid will be subtracted from the final cost. - 22 -
Transportation Depending on the location of your conference, making appropriate transportation arrangements can be a big job. Here are some items to keep in mind as you make your arrangements. Scheduling Buses. This should be done early. Five to six months before the conference would not be too early to schedule adequate transportation. If commercial busing is not available in your area, check with the local school districts about their policies. Make sure you stay within the stake guidelines for transportation. When making arrangements for transportation, be sure to get a firm commitment from the company. Receive a written contract, not just a verbal agreement. If a deposit is necessary make sure you pay it promptly. Scheduling Private Transportation. If individual cars are to be used for transportation, only adults should drive. All vehicles must carry adequate insurance and be in sound mechanical condition for the trip. There should be a seat belt for every passenger in the vehicle, and they should all be wearing the seat belts during the trip. See your Stake Presidency for specific insurance and travel guidelines that have been established as Church Policy. Travel Schedule. The Youth Conference Planning Committee will need to know the approximate time it will take to reach your destination. Little can be done in planning the first day's agenda until this information is received. Bus Seating. It will be necessary to have a system of seating if bus transportation is to be used. Typically the adult leaders sit with the youth for which they are responsible. Luggage. Check with the company about what space is available for luggage. School buses are usually a little short on space for luggage. Often a private truck or van follows the buses to carry the extra luggage. Rest Stops. Groups traveling for long distances may want to stop for a rest or a meal. Check with the bus company for its advice. If you are traveling in a large group, it is very difficult for any restaurant to handle the entire group at once. Therefore, you will need to consider cafeterias on college campuses you will pass or contract a catered meal (such as from a fast food establishment) along the way. Box or sack lunches are always a great possibility. Area Map. It is highly recommended to have a map of the travel area and facility. Follow-up. One to two weeks prior to departure, reconfirm the time and place of departure with the drivers of vehicles (or transportation company, if you are traveling by bus). To be sure that there will be no lack of communication on the part of either party, reconfirm payment dates and amounts. Return Trip. Check with the bus drivers about details of the return trip upon arriving at your destination. Verify the time and place of departure. Get details as to where the bus driver can be contacted during the conference. If it is mealtime you may want to include him or her in your lunch line. - 23 -
Registration, Housing, and Food Selection It takes planning and work to register participants, organize the housing rosters and/or host families, and decide on the food to be served at the youth conference. The following lists are suggestions to consider as you plan, organize, and make assignments. Remember, your conference is unique and may have different needs. Registration Have a representative from each ward on the Planning Committee. They can be responsible for securing the registrations from his/her ward. Develop a registration form that requests basic information: name, address, phone number, age, ward; and any additional information you may desire: roommate preference, talents, and any special needs. This form will help to organize the registrants. Have a pre-registration deadline about 1 month prior to youth conference, especially if housing is needed. Of course, continue to accept additional youth as long as possible up until the start of the conference. Housing Housing may not be necessary depending on the travel needs of the youth in your stake and if the youth conference will be held locally. If housing is needed in members homes for any of your youth, begin requesting host families as soon as you know the dates, times, and responsibilities. Check with the local youth and their parents for host families. It is just as easy to take one, as it is to take three youth to the conference. If housing will be done at a university or other location, check with their policies for housing the youth. Do not forget the adult leaders in your count! Develop a housing plan based on the number of participants after the pre-registration deadline. Have additional housing, if possible, for those youth that register late. If host families are being used, have a training meeting where the host families can learn of their responsibilities. A handout and conference agenda is a great way to help these families accomplish their responsibilities of getting the youth to and from the conference, and feeding and housing them. Food If the conference is being held at a university or facility with food services, check with their policies for food selection, guarantee numbers, and prices. If the conference is being held locally, more work will be required to serve and prepare food. Remember to serve food that is enjoyed by most people. This is not the time to experiment--you may be left with lots of extra food. Have an alternate plan for youth with food allergies. Have enough people to help serve the food. Even if you go with the self-serve method, remember you will need people to restock the serving tables. Remember to plan for the serving tables, food warmers or coolers, trash cans, and plates, cups, napkins, and silverware. Don t forget about refreshment breaks, and drinks at the dance or games. Work with the activities subcommittees to plan for these events. Water is always needed at outdoor events. It helps to prevent sickness and sun problems. Encourage the youth to bring water bottles. - 24 -
Publicity The agenda is formed and many people have put in long hours planning fun-filled activities and workshops. Now you need to be persuasive in getting people to commit to participate in the conference. The following are ideas to help with this task. Don t be afraid to promote the conference goals through your publicity. Informing Participants. People will want to know the details of the conference. Dates, times, places, and other details are all important to help people plan to attend. Building Enthusiasm. It will be your job to get the youth of your stake excited about attending the youth conference. The best conferences are those that have a group of high-energy, enthusiastic youth. Promoting Specific Activities. Those planning activities on the agenda will need your help in promoting their various activities. Whether workshops, firesides, or a testimony meeting are planned, it is important that everyone be aware of the benefits of attending. Program. The program can be designed to generate excitement to attend the various activities available. Programs should be ready to print a few weeks in advance to allow for printing time. A good printed program might include the following information: Curfews Emergency phone numbers A place for youth to write hall and room number or host family phone number and address All conference rules Dress standards Time, place, dress standards, and event description for each activity Brief program outline for all meetings Listing of teachers and topics where appropriate An area for notes Map of campus or facility using (main buildings and areas highlighted) All songs to be used during conference meetings List of those who served on youth and adult committees Printed small enough to carry easily i.e., a booklet or leaflet Goals and Objectives. Brainstorm some ideas that you can use to promote conference goals. What ideas related to your youth conference goals could you teach directly or indirectly through your promotional efforts? With a little extra effort your publicity can do a lot for goal attainment. As you plan the publicity for your conference, you need to devise an advertising strategy. How are you going to get the word out? When will you do it? A common approach is to start out relatively low key, with some announcements in ward bulletins, then build up to an advertising blitz with posters in each chapel and visiting each ward or group to make in-person announcements. Decide what will work for your group. Look over the following ideas. Use them as a means to get started, don t feel like you have to be confined to these suggestions. Posters Display one or two in the foyers or outside YM/YW rooms of each ward building Use sandwich board displays Show pictures from previous conferences Printed Announcements A note in Sacrament Meeting programs Advertise in Wards newsletters - 25 -
Flyers passed out periodically, either at homes or church Live Announcements Band Wagon (visit homes) announcements through neighborhoods of less-active youth Song/dance skit presented to each ward Personal visits made by committee members to each ward Announcements in church meetings (remember all announcements made in Sacrament meeting must be reverent and conducive to the overall spirit of the meeting) Firesides with pictures or videos of previous conferences Conference Programs Pass out preliminary schedules/agendas Distribute official programs before the conference Tack an official program to posters or on bulletin boards Registration Set up tables displaying previous conferences Have a Youth Conference Drive Week Publicize registration deadlines Have registration competitions between wards or YM and YW Don t overlook one of your most powerful advertising tools: word of mouth. Make sure the entire youth conference committee talks up the conference. Friends are very influential in bringing other friends. - 26 -
Things You Don t Want to Fall Between the Cracks Checklist Remind youth to bring their scriptures. (You can tell them it s their admittance ticket!) Invite the stake presidencies and ward bishops to attend the conference. Make sure youth have been assigned to conduct the various meetings and that proper arrangements (prayers, music, etc.) have been made. Confirm travel and accommodation needs for faculty with CES Youth Programs. Check all audiovisual equipment and make sure it works. Have an Adult Leader Training meeting before the conference. Have all game props ready. Check to make sure you re still smiling. - 27 -