Reorganizing

Today in stake conference our stake was split and we, along with 7 of the 12 wards, were formed into a new stake, the Pleasant Grove Manila Creek Stake. We managed to get the same Stake President though.

The 1st, 6th, 9th, 10th and 11th wards remained in the Manila stake while the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th, 8th and 12th wards formed the Manila Creek Stake.

President Livingston

“The ultimate purpose of the adversary … is to disrupt, disturb, and destroy the family.” (I believe he was quoting someone but I don’t know who.)

Speaking about Come Follow Me – “Be patient, be prayerful, be persistent.”

Mom and dad counsel together and get revelation for the family.

“This is the Church of Jesus Christ. When we say it is the church of Jesus Christ what is it? Is it the buildings. No, it is you. He claims you.”

L Todd Budge

When we think of a home centered curriculum we mistakenly think we are supposed to teach them (or children) and forget that we should be learning from then too. (I’d like the poem he shared – it has some gems of wisdom.)

At the conference I felt impressed that we needed to do some sustaining/reorganizing at home. I talked to Laura about it afterward and then we held a meeting with the older kids. All the kids were welcome but only those who chose to stay, behave, and participate in the meeting had the opportunity to vote. Only the 4 oldest did so (not surprising). Here are my notes from the meeting:

Leadership as ratified

• Executive: Dad
• Executive officers: Dad, Mom
  • Responsibilities: Full enforcement/interpretation authority for all rules at all times
• Citizens are those who:
  • Have and carry out a chore consistently without oversight.
  • Demonstrate commitment to the success of the family.
  • “Do many good things of their own free will and choice and bring to pass much righteousness.”
  • Testify regarding any dispute of which they have knowledge.
  • Self regulate (meaning parents aren’t consistently correcting their behavior).
• Rights:
  • Voting in council
  • Limited executive enforcement
  • Break up fights
  • Report infractions
  • Investigate disturbances

Jobs

Baseline things: laundry, cooking, dishes, grocery shopping, trash, sweeping. Any allocation of jobs must take these things into account.

• Dad – financial income, rule enforcement, property maintenance
• Mom – rule enforcement, executive counsel, aesthetic maintenance and improvement, get kids to school
• Savannah – dishes
• Alyssa – counters & floors (not dishes)
• Mariah – laundry
• Isaac – trash

Denizens: everyone who doesn’t perform as a citizen still received benefits of family membership like food, clothing, shelter, etc but loses opportunities to vote in council or put extra demands on the family. They are expected to abide by family rules but are also more likely to require parental correction.