Ward activities: which ones work

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by FMCoug

You bring up an interesting point. Pretty much all of our best friends who happen to be LDS are, like us, not from "pioneer stock." Converts or 2nd generation LDS, etc. We have found them to be much more down to earth / real people than those from long lines of Mormons with huge extended families, etc.

I wonder why that is?

??

I can't tell the difference personally. Maybe it is because I am pioneer stock.

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

??

I can't tell the difference personally. Maybe it is because I am pioneer stock.

I couldn't tell the difference either.

[FMCoug]

Originally Posted by Archaea

I couldn't tell the difference either.

I'm not saying we use it as a filter ... it just works out that way. IOW, the people we get along with best and like to hang out with happen to not be of pioneer stock.

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by FMCoug

I'm not saying we use it as a filter ... it just works out that way. IOW, the people we get along with best and like to hang out with happen to not be of pioneer stock.

I have no idea who in my ward is pioneer stock. Ok there is a Smoot that I know is of pioneer stock, because I was told his ancestors were famous (Sen. Smoot).

Other than that, I have no idea. It never comes up.

[FMCoug]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

I have no idea who in my ward is pioneer stock. Ok there is a Smoot that I know is of pioneer stock, because I was told his ancestors were famous (Sen. Smoot).

Other than that, I have no idea. It never comes up.

That's because all the proud Utah Mormons move to the burbs.

[jay santos]

Originally Posted by Adam

I was fired from my last calling as YM Pres for doing this.

We took the Priests to Havisupi Falls in AZ from Alpine Utah. A doctor adviser and I drove and paid gas out of our pockets. Everyone was to bring their own food while down in the canyon. I paid for the Rio buffet in Vegas for everyone on the way in and the doctor paid for In-and-Out Burger for everyone on the way out.

The camping fees were in the 700s for our group. That is the only receipt we submitted. The YM budget is $1500 for the year and I allocated that to each quorum at $500 (of course) at the beginning of the year.

The teachers previous to our trip went camping in Mirror Lake basin and had no camping fees and only spent about $150 bucks. My second counselor over the teachers said we could have 200 of his budget to cover the extra overage from our camping fees to Havisupi. Everything taken care of. I'm the YM pres and can reallocate the YM budget (or so I thought).

So we get home and I submit the receipt for the camping fees and the dweeb counselor in the bishopric rejects it because it is more then the Priest's fair share. Ok whatever, I say, fine forget about it. Reimburse me $500 then and forget about it.

No, he refuses to drop it and says the Priests have to organize a fund raiser to come up with the money. He won't cut me a check.

So we plan some lawn aeration gig and start selling it around the ward. He then tells me that the handbook says (and it actually says this) that you can't sell anything door to door and you can't charge a set price--you can only ask for donations. So we end up doing nearly the whole ward's lawns (we skipped one street because we ran out of time) and asked for donations.

We raised a whopping 80 dollars. Most people just didn't donate anything. And to be fair I didn't push it with people, just telling them that the Priests were covering a loss on their campout and if they wanted to give a donation they could, but it wasn't required.

So we still have a shortfall. So I have some heavy yard work that needs to get done and I was going to hire someone to do it for me anyway so I hire the priests to come over and do the work. I write a check and give it for the balance to the clerk.

The dweeb bishopric member tells me that by hiring the boys I subverted their opportunity to raise the money themselves. I assure him that I have learned greatly from the experience and assure him that next year we will raise the money before we go via a method of his choosing. I was humble and said all the right things.

He still refuses to cut me the check. So I shake my head and walk away from the situation (not literally). The result--I received no compensation for the camping fees at all. At the end of the year the YM budget had an extra 700 in it that went unused. I was released in February.

I am convinced the angst over the budget was the deciding factor. The other counselor said as much to me privately.

Amazing.

That is ok, I enjoy teaching the 16 year old Sunday school class quite a bit anyway. And my Wed evenings are now free to work late.

Deduct it from your tithing.

[BYU71]

Originally Posted by FMCoug

You bring up an interesting point. Pretty much all of our best friends who happen to be LDS are, like us, not from "pioneer stock." Converts or 2nd generation LDS, etc. We have found them to be much more down to earth / real people than those from long lines of Mormons with huge extended families, etc.

I wonder why that is?

I just don't know if your conclusions are correct. I come from long lines of pioneer stock. Large extended families. I am thinking of siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles, children and on and on. There are numerous what you would call down to earth people. Heck, even the ones I consider very religious have some in that category who are very down to earth.

As a matter of fact the more I think about it the more I think your conclusion is bogus.

[jay santos]

Originally Posted by FMCoug

You bring up an interesting point. Pretty much all of our best friends who happen to be LDS are, like us, not from "pioneer stock." Converts or 2nd generation LDS, etc. We have found them to be much more down to earth / real people than those from long lines of Mormons with huge extended families, etc.

I wonder why that is?

People like me are probably too busy enjoying visions and heavenly visits from our pioneer ancestors to make friends with you.

[Tex]

Originally Posted by Adam

I was fired from my last calling as YM Pres for doing this.
...
That is ok, I enjoy teaching the 16 year old Sunday school class quite a bit anyway. And my Wed evenings are now free to work late.

Knowing you, I wonder if there wasn't a little more bombast to the story. Are you sure you didn't call the counselor a miserable little pimple?

Nonetheless, there's no excuse for them not to eventually give you the money. Making a member eat $700 (or $500 or whatever) on a scouting trip is highway robbery.

[Requiem]

Easy to deduct from this thread that there is inconsistency across wards in terms of spending budget dollars for activities. While a member of a University of Utah student stake, we consistently had well planned, expensive activities paid for by the ward and stake budgets. For example, we had summer BBQ's catered by Hires, country dances at Park City, overnight outings, theatrical productions, etc. Bottom line is we were constantly urged to spend money