Ideas for LDS Young Women's Bulletin Boards

Decorating in Class with a Monthly Value, Theme, and Question

Jul 14, 2009 Jenny Evans

Running out of new ideas for the bulletin board in the LDS Young Women room? Writing a monthly question and doing the board as a class makes it stress-free and fun.

Among all the responsibilities of a Latter-day Saint Young Women leader, decorating the monthly bulletin board is one of the biggest hassles. Some leaders spend a lot of time making an attractive board and then wonder if their young women even glance at it during the month.

Taking 15 minutes out of the first Sunday Young Women meeting of the month to do the bulletin board in class lessens the burden for leaders, involves the young women of the ward, and helps everyone to participate in bulletin board creation while having a spiritual experience together.

Latter-day Saint Young Women Values and Colors

A successful bulletin board should be planned around one of the eight Young Women values and its associated color:

  • Faith = white
  • Divine Nature = blue
  • Individual Worth = red
  • Knowledge = green
  • Choice and Accountability = orange
  • Good Works = yellow
  • Integrity = purple
  • Virtue = gold

Having a value and color picked out ahead of time makes planning the bulletin board much easier. Leaders who like to scrapbook may enjoy going all-out, but leaders who aren't artistically inclined can just use a background and some simple embellishments such as ribbons or flowers cut from construction paper in the color of the monthly value.

How to Choose a Monthly YW Value

Each month, the bulletin board should feature one of the eight Latter-day Saint Young Women values. How a value is chosen each month is really up to each Young Women presidency, since the church offers no specific guidelines on this.

Some presidencies like to go in order from the first value to the last; others like to coordinate the colors of each value with the month of the year. For example, "individual worth" could be February's value because its color is red for Valentine's Day; "knowledge" could be for March because its color is green for St. Patrick's Day.

Asking a Monthly Question on the Bulletin Board

Featuring a thought-provoking question related to the monthly value is one way to get the girls thinking (or at least looking at the bulletin board.) Some good monthly questions for each value might be:

  • Faith: Who is your favorite scriptural example of someone who acted with faith?
  • Divine Nature: What three words describe a daughter of God?
  • Individual Worth: How do you know that Heavenly Father loves you?
  • Knowledge: What is one new thing you would like to learn?
  • Choice and Accountability: What is a good choice that you recently made?
  • Good Works: What is the nicest thing someone ever did for you?
  • Integrity: When was a time you did the right thing, even when no one was watching?
  • Virtue: What is a future goal of yours?

However, the monthly question doesn't necessarily have to be related to the month's value. Different monthly questions could ask:

  • April showers: What do you remember about your baptism? (water theme)
  • "May" I help you: What is something you can do for a family member this month?
  • December: What are your favorite Christmas memories? or What will your gift to Jesus Christ be this Christmas?

How to Conduct "Bulletin Board Sunday"

By taking 15 minutes out of the first Sunday class of the month, leaders can get girls involved in decorating the bulletin board. It can even be a spiritual experience when done correctly.

Display the monthly question, then pass out note cards and let everyone (including leaders) write their response and tack it up on the bulletin board. After everyone has finished, each person can be allowed to share and explain their response.

The entire exercise should take no more than 15 minutes. After finishing the bulletin board, an abbreviated lesson as written on the schedule may follow.

Elements of a Bulletin Board for the Young Women Room

Before "Bulletin Board Sunday," a leader will need to gather the necessary elements for the board ahead of time. These include:

  • Background such as wrapping paper, scrap fabric, scrapbook paper, or construction paper
  • Monthly value
  • Value's theme and scripture as written in the YW Personal Progress booklet
  • Copy of monthly newsletter or calendar listing monthly activities
  • Any pictures from recent Mutual activities (girls love to look at pictures of themselves)
  • Monthly question and enough answer cards for every young woman
  • Pins or staples

Just remember that the bulletin board elements shouldn't be very expensive or time-consuming to create. Keep it simple and attractive.

"Bulletin Board Sunday" may seem a little odd to the girls at first, but in time they will come to look forward to the break in the routine. It gives leaders the opportunity to learn more about their young women's spiritual development, makes each girl feel important, and takes a lot of the stress out of doing the monthly bulletin board.

Other resources for YW leaders include LDS Mutual Activity Ideas, Personal Progress Motivators, and Dealing with Texting During Young Womens.

The copyright of the article Ideas for LDS Young Women's Bulletin Boards in Mormonism is owned by Jenny Evans. Permission to republish Ideas for LDS Young Women's Bulletin Boards in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
Empty Bulletin Board Ready to Decorate, drcw Empty Bulletin Board Ready to Decorate
   
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