Our stake is preparing for a pioneer trek at Martin's Cove this summer. I am currently serving on one of the committees working to get things ready. One thing I have always felt about my stake is they really do things right. We have tons of good people on these committees and they have planned some wonderful events to help the kids feel the spirit of trek.
Take tonight's fireside for example. A few weeks ago we watched the film 17 Miracles as part of our preparation. Well, tonight we had two of the actors from the movie share their testimonies of the handcart companies and their struggles. Chantel Flanders played a young woman in the movie who's family endured many hardships. She spoke of the film, but more importantly, she spoke of the impact that attending a pioneer trek had in her life. It was a great talk and helped the kids feel the spirit.
The second speaker was the star of 17 Miracles, Jasen Wade. He played Levi Savage in the film and Jasen had the kids completely engaged as he shared story after story of his experience with this pioneer hero. Jasen encouraged the Youth to learn who they are and to avoid settling for things that don't match their values. It was very cool to have Jasen come to our stake and share his testimony with our kids. Come on, he's Levi Savage - and he came to our stake center to talk to the Youth! Wow...
I hope the kids are getting excited for trek. I know I am. This will be my 3rd trek and each time it becomes more important to strengthening my testimony. I can't wait for June to get here!
Over the weekend we had our YM/YW fundraiser for camps this summer. Our fundraiser typically consists of a dinner and auction over at the church. We canvased the neighborhood this year, making sure that every home was invited to attend. It was fun to take the Youth door-to-door and give them the chance to talk to their neighbors about the dinner. Even though it was hard for them to talk to strangers, the kids needed to run this for themselves and they came through.
We had a great time at the dinner. It was a St. Patrick's day theme, with baked potatoes for dinner. We had some fun activities before the auction. I think my favorite was the jello eating content. I was nominated to compete against a few YW leaders and the bishopric. Now this contest involved "eating" the jello by using a straw. I tried my best yet came up short.
After the adults the kids had their turn to slurp to their heart's content. Dede was quick to get involved and she made a valiant effort. In her round she was the only girl competing and Dede certainly held her own. Out of six kids Kennedy came in 2nd, but she had a great time and didn't puke!
Once the auction started, things really got going. Our neighbors have always been very generous and the donations during the fundraiser proved that once again. There were three tables full of tasty treats for people to bid on, and bid they did. We had cakes going for $75, brownies for $25, and the list goes on and on.
By the time the event was over our YM and YW had raised a ton of money for camps this summer. The boys are heading up to Idaho and the girls are going down to Zion. The money will certainly help as we try to provide the youth with great outdoor experiences. My only questions is: I know that everyone was willing to donate their cash, now who's willing to donate their time and come with me to scout camp in July?
Earlier today the Primary kids were discussing modern-day prophets during Sharing Time. As the leader went around the room she asked the children about the Prophet.
Who's our Prophet?
President Monson came the reply.
Are there any other prophets?
President Uchtdorf.
President Eyring.
At this point Alex raises his hand to respond. When he's finally called on, he stands up and loudly proclaims:
President Obama!
After the laughter dies down one of the primary teachers turns to Tara and says, "Well, you can tell he's Jared's son."
We were quite surprised when Kennedy told us she wanted to play soccer again. Dede's been down this road before and she didn't really like it the first time. We spent more time trying to convince her to play than she actually spent time on the field. So, what changed her attitude? A new intensity in her life? A desire for more physical activity? A love for all things Real? Nope - her friend Ava wanted to play. Simple as that.
Indoor soccer has been a little more fun for Dede, but I don't think she's the next Mia Hamm. Kennedy still would rather stand around and chat with her friends than mix it up in a soccer scrum. Still, we're glad she gave it a try and happy to see her play a sport.
A couple years ago I ran for president of an organization that I'm involved with locally. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but when you run for president - at some point you actually have to serve as president. This was my year to fulfill my obligations, so it was time to "put up or shut up."
UCET has been growing every year I've been involved. It really is a great conference and word of mouth keeps us on an upward trend. I wanted to make sure that we wouldn't see a drop off on my watch. We marketed to principals, school districts, even a few legislators to get new people to join with us. Everything was moving forward, and it appeared like a record attendance was going to occur.
Then Mother Nature reared her ugly face. It hasn't really snowed all winter and the night before our conference it snowed about 7 inches. Can you believe it?! It certainly slowed us down, but it didn't halt our progress. In spite of the weather the crowds still came and we had a turnout of approximately 1250.
As president, I was in charge of the opening session and the two keynote speakers. I wanted to shake things up a bit and have something more than a traditional presidential address. A few months ago I enlisted Katie from the Canyons District to help us with a flash mob to kick off the conference. I gave her two suggestions - let's do something like the intro to an awards show and it should follow the Go For the Gold theme. I said I was willing to do anything she had in my mind - little did I know she would take me up on the offer.
Katie created a theme song to the conference and enlisted about 30 people to be part of the flash mob. She scripted a movie where the members of the UCET board would engage in a "tech olympics" while singing the chorus of the song. I was asked to sing along while wearing a track suit and headband. At the end of the flash mob I would enter the auditorium while carrying an olympic torch (ipad with the lighter app). Wow - this was something we'd never seen before and I know it will go down as my legacy for the organization. Take a look...
The other major part of my duties was to arrange for keynote speakers - the first was a no-brainer. Rushton Hurley may not be a household name to most of you, but I knew he was a perfect open to our conference. Rushton is a teacher and technology-innovator from the Bay area. I first heard him speak a couple years ago and I wanted him to come to UCET. His presentation was perfect and put us on the right track for our day of technology classes.
Our closing keynote was a bit of a stretch. I wanted Rulon Gardner as part of our conference. I know many people out there can't forgive him for quitting The Biggest Loser. Big deal! I could care less about his being on a reality TV show. Rulon Gardner is a two-time Olympic medalist and he had the biggest upset in recent memory in the gold medal match from 2000. I knew he would be great and he didn't disappoint. He encouraged teachers to reach out to their students and help them go for the gold.
Another great moment for me at the conference was getting my sister Alicia to be part of the event. I know she isn't a technologist or a teacher, but her workshop on helping women with their self-image and wardrobe is something I wanted at the conference. Alicia spoke to a full room of teachers, all women, and one proud brother. It was fun to have her participate and we really enjoyed spending the afternoon together at the conference.
The two days of the conference were long and busy, but before I knew it, UCET was over. All the hard work was done. My term as president was complete. I can't say how everyone felt about UCET 2012, but it was one I'll never forget. The board went above and beyond in sharing their time and energy. The presenters were incredible. Everyone contributed to making the conference a huge success and it really did achieve the Gold.
The second speaker was the star of 17 Miracles, Jasen Wade. He played Levi Savage in the film and Jasen had the kids completely engaged as he shared story after story of his experience with this pioneer hero. Jasen encouraged the Youth to learn who they are and to avoid settling for things that don't match their values. It was very cool to have Jasen come to our stake and share his testimony with our kids. Come on, he's Levi Savage - and he came to our stake center to talk to the Youth! Wow...
