General Women's meeting

[Dragon Lady]

First Presidency announces a general women’s meeting replacing the general Relief Society and Young Women meetings. http://www.lds.org/church/news/first-pr ... ns-meeting

Thoughts?

[bobtheenchantedone]

I heard about that! I believe it's a step in the right direction, especially if the press release is correct in saying that women will conduct - as in, the women will be in charge instead of the men. I'm excited to see how this turns out.

[Dragon Lady]

Have they not conducted before? Clearly I don't pay attention to things like that.

[bobtheenchantedone]

Oops I'm wrong! Women can and have conducted. It's the men who always preside, and that is probably going to change about the same time women get the priesthood.

Instead I'll be glad that both sessions will now be for all women, instead of ostensibly having one for girls and one for women for some reason (they always kind of expected everyone to go to both anyway...) Baby steps. : )

[Dragon Lady]

They did? I never went to both. (Except when I was serving in YW.) And I find it interesting that they're inviting Primary girls over the age of 8, too! Don't boys only get invited to the Priesthood session when they turn 12?

[Tally M.]

I'm SUPER excited.

[bobtheenchantedone]

In my parents' ward at least they always expected everyone to attend both.

I wonder what the including of such young girls will do to the subject matter. Maybe we'll have fewer talks on motherhood. Or maybe they'll just be aimed at a younger age group so we can get 'em while they're little. (Joke.)

[NerdGirl]

I think that technically all meetings in the conference center are for ages 8 and up, and I'm assuming the priesthood meeting is too. I went to the general RS meeting once, and my ticket said ages 8 and up on it.

And in most of the wards I've been in, the YW come to the RS meeting, but only the YW leaders and YW moms tend to go to the YW meeting.

[Whistler]

I was wondering why they might want girls to come to a woman's meeting, but some girls start physically maturing at that age, and also they're starting to be exposed to gender norms for adult women (not that men aren't, but it seems like they're not as interested in growing up as fast?). Well, okay, now that I think about it more, we definitely expose very very young children to gender norms, but it's more like, sexual norms that can start at the 8-12-year-old age. Not so much about having sex but like, what looks "cute" and what boys like to see in girls.

[Dragon Lady]

I assume they're starting at age 8, because that's when they start Faith in God.

[Marduk]

Priesthood session has always been 12 and up.

[Dragon Lady]

Priesthood session has always been 12 and up.

That's what I thought. Yellow concurred. It's interesting to me that they did this starting at 8, then.

[Portia]

Oops I'm wrong! Women can and have conducted. It's the men who always preside, and that is probably going to change about the same time women get the priesthood

Yup. Much like the addition of virtue (read: virginity) to the YW values, I am pessimistic about this move.

[Whistler]

someone on Facebook posited that 8-12 year-old boys wouldn't be turned away from priesthood session (and you have to be at least 8 to go to conference)?

[vorpal blade]

I concur with Marduk and Yellow. Priesthood session is for men and boys starting at age 12.

I thought only those in the Relief Society attended the Relief Society meeting, but mothers and leaders who sometimes accompany the Young Women to their session.

From what I understand in the announcement, from 1984 to 1993 the Young Women and Relief Society met together, so in some ways combining them again is a step backward. Adding the girls 8 to 11 is new, however.

[Tally M.]

My mom mentioned that a lot of times the auxiliary presidencies tend to block themselves separate from the other groups in a way that doesn't normally happen with Young Men and beyond, so it gives them an opportunity to all work together.

[thatonemom]

That's a good point, Tally. I know a lot of women who work in YW and Primary feel out of the loop or disconnected with the women in Relief Society. So it's nice that we'll all get to meet together. Not that we couldn't have in the General RS meeting, but it's nice to share a meeting with the girls & YW we work with, as well as all of the Relief Society.

[Violet]

Oops I'm wrong! Women can and have conducted. It's the men who always preside, and that is probably going to change about the same time women get the priesthood

Yup. Much like the addition of virtue (read: virginity) to the YW values, I am pessimistic about this move.

I share the same hesitance to be super excited as it could become just an "auxiliary" meeting and then it could be a step back. I just have lots of thoughts I can't fully articulate with my thumbs on my phone at work, but the short version is I feel like there's some infantilization of women happening by grouping primary with the women's meeting and I still think the hierarchy of priesthood is problematic.

[Portia]

Oops I'm wrong! Women can and have conducted. It's the men who always preside, and that is probably going to change about the same time women get the priesthood

Yup. Much like the addition of virtue (read: virginity) to the YW values, I am pessimistic about this move.

I share the same hesitance to be super excited as it could become just an "auxiliary" meeting and then it could be a step back. I just have lots of thoughts I can't fully articulate with my thumbs on my phone at work, but the short version is I feel like there's some infantilization of women happening by grouping primary with the women's meeting and I still think the hierarchy of priesthood is problematic.

Let's also be friends. Did you move away from Utah, or not?

[Violet]

I'm still here. Hoping for grad school plans to work out so as to change my geography and future job opportunities, but working downtown in the meantime.