FYI:
For Your Information

Doesn’t it sometimes seem like your stock of ideas for parties is just about used up? Aren’t you tired of renting videos with your friends? Try some of these creative ideas next weekend, and then you’ll be ready to think up some of your own.

1. Make your own “band” with kazoos, combs and wax paper, pots and pans, and spoons. Rehearse a few numbers and go serenade some friends, your bishop and his wife, or your seminary teacher.

2. Create some crazy cookies. Have everyone in the group add an ingredient from his favorite cookies into one batch. You’ll either come up with the greatest cookie ever, or a close replica of your clay projects from kindergarten!

3. Play games that you remember from your childhood, like tiddledywinks, hopscotch, marbles, or jacks. Let the winners go first in line for a favorite kids’ snack: cookies and milk.

4. Record your group singing, telling jokes, and just talking. Fill up the whole tape, and then send it to a friend who’s away at school and might be a little homesick.

5. Have a pancake party. Make the pancakes in different shapes, like initials, fish, or Mickey Mouse. Top with unusual things, like ice cream and hot fudge, or peanut butter and jelly. For an even sillier activity, try to eat your creation with a spatula, pie server, or other kitchen utensil.

6. Rewrite a song you know with original lyrics, and include your masterpiece on a tape you make for a missionary friend, or just sing it to a nearby friend. Have the new words refer to things you shared. It’s a fun and personal message your friend will love.

   Don’t stop at these ideas. Get your friends together and put on your creative thinking caps. Once you get going, you’ll never have to spend a weekend just watching videos again!

Brett Townsend of the Austin Second Ward, Austin Texas Stake, knows how to pack a lot of activities into his days. He served as seminary president while working on his fourth year of perfect attendance. He also received a Youth in Religion Award from the state of Texas for his community involvement.

In addition, Brett served as captain of the soccer team and is an excellent musician. He plays piano, electric keyboard, and saxophone. He was also the drum major for his high school and was named Most Outstanding Drum Major at a marching band competition.

Brett is an Eagle Scout and maintains good grades while holding down a part-time job as a soccer referee.

Ashleigh Foss, of Exeter Ward, Plymouth England Stake, set a new event record. Recently, students at Exmouth Community College were amazed to see him break the record in the annual 20-mile walk for charity. Ashleigh completed the course in just three hours and 15 minutes.

Ashleigh, 15, is a teacher in his ward. He gets in shape by running his paper route in the afternoon.

Toni Anne Hamberg, of the Yakima Second Ward, Selah Washington Stake, was the first Yakima student to be elected Washington state president of the Future Homemakers of America.

Active in school, Toni is a cheerleader and on the drill team. She takes honors courses and is involved in helping younger girls through the Big Sister program.

In church, Toni has served as Mia Maid president and as a counselor in her Laurel class. Her openness about her belief in God and her enthusiasm about being a Latter-day Saint have influenced other youth positively.

Lisa and Lori Denning, of the Chula Vista First Ward, Chula Vista California Stake, are twins not only in looks but in leadership skills. Lisa served as student-body president, and Lori served as vice-president. Both are also on the honor roll, and have played soccer, volleyball, softball, and basketball for their school. Lori is president of the Model United Nations Club and Lisa is the captain of the varsity basketball team.

Both girls are in their fourth year of early-morning seminary.

by David Forbes

How much service can the youth of a stake provide in a single day? The youth and leaders of Canada’s Vernon British Columbia Stake donated about 500 man-hours in a five-hour project, providing some much-needed work on the grounds and facilities of a 28-acre Church-owned apple and pear orchard located in Kelowna. Smaller service projects had been organized in the past, but this was the first of such magnitude in the stake. In all, 150 youth and 40 leaders participated. In order to get to know one another, they were purposely grouped with people from different areas of the stake.

“It was a great opportunity for the youth to work shoulder to shoulder, some of them never having met before,” said Reg Olson, stake Young Men president.

Under the direction of Brother Val Purness, the volunteers surveyed a fence line, dug post holes, erected a fence around the orchard manager’s home, stained the new fence, demolished two old storage sheds, relocated and painted two outhouses, moved material and supplies to new storage sites, painted a large warehouse and built a barbecue pit and five picnic tables. A few young men were assigned to carry huge buckets of water to provide much-needed drinks in the sweltering heat.

The shade of 2,600 apple and pear trees provided welcome relief during the lunch break, and it was nice to relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery which surrounds the orchard.

Service was just part of a day full of activities, which also included a car rally through Okanogan City, miniature golf, and swimming, besides the two Ds—dining and dancing.

The project touched the hearts and strengthened the testimonies of the youth of the stake and provided them with a real sense of accomplishment.

Back when President Benson was a boy in Whitney, Idaho, Scouting was as much a part of life as farming. Things haven’t changed much in this community where 16 Scouts in the Whitney Ward were recently given their Eagle Scout Awards at one Court of Honor.

The Court of Honor was conducted just like a court of law, with Idaho Supreme Court Justice Robert E. Bakes presiding. Witnesses testified of the worthiness of the Eagle candidates, attorneys presented their cases, and the jury deliberated. Elder Thomas J. Fyans, foreman of the jury, said the verdict for the 16 boys was guilty of being trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.”

The Eagle recipients were Shawn Moser, 18; Jeremy Stone, 17; Stephen Milton Owen, 16; Chad Moser, 16; Curtis Poole, 15; Travis Porter, 15; Jason Sharp, 15; Ben Allred, 16; Robert M. Hull III, 15; Jon Anderson, 15; Eddie Dursteler, 16; John Spencer Palmer, 14; Leon Owen, 13; LaDaina Winward, 13; Benjamin Winward, 13; and Woodrow Miner, 13.

Erin Chase, 14, a Mia Maid in the Palos Verdes First Ward, Palos Verdes California Stake, appeared in a starring role on a television program entitled Aaron’s Way. She played the young daughter in an Amish farmer’s family that was trying to keep their old way of life after moving to a modern community in California.

Erin has been in several TV commercials and is the voice for the cartoon character Charlie Brown in a new animated feature for television.

Erin enjoys school, where science is her favorite subject. She likes participating in sports and getting together with her family and nieces and nephews.

Kari Keller, a Beehive in the Carson City Second Ward, Carson City Nevada Stake, recently won the Nevada All-Around Championship for gymnasts aged 12–14.

Kari has been practicing gymnastics since she was six and began competing five years ago. Each weekday, Kari attends junior high in Carson City in the mornings and then travels 30 miles to Reno, where she trains from 1:00 to 6:00 P.M. She still finds time to do homework and has earned nearly straight-A grades.

Nick Bray of the Basildon Ward in Essex, England, has a head full of music and is working on getting it down on paper. He performs regularly and came in first in the Popular Singing section of the Pakefield Regional Convention.

Nick’s other hobbies include ice skating, swimming, and martial arts. “I’m really looking forward to my mission next year,” Nick said. “I had the blessing of baptising a member of my family a short while ago and am excited about the prospect of bringing others into the waters of baptism.”

Between athletics and sharing the gospel, Caroline Lowry of Lisburn, Northern Ireland, is a very busy girl.

She attends a Quaker Grammar School and considers herself lucky “because each person there accepts all religions and has respect for different beliefs. I’ve found friends who have never heard of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I often bring friends to church and they love the activities.”

Caroline, a member of the Belfast Northern Ireland Stake, is as talented at sports as she is at sharing the gospel. She has run in many Northern Ireland championships. She runs for the Lisburn Athletic Club and came in third in the 800 meters in the Ulster Championships. She is also captain of her school’s hockey team.