LDS CHURCH ANNOUNCES INDEPENDENT ACTIVITY PROGRAMS BEGINNING 2020

[LVAllen]

40 minutes ago, gblotter said:

Obviously, I do not speak for the Church. I speak only for myself as an LDS Scoutmaster when I refer to my uneasiness and discord with BSA's leftward lurches.

"I have felt increasing discord ..."

"My uneasiness grows ..."

The problem is that claims of "leftward lurches" doesn't explain the abandonment of Personal Progress or Activity Days, which are also falling by the wayside.

[gblotter]

1 hour ago, LVAllen said:

The problem is that claims of "leftward lurches" doesn't explain the abandonment of Personal Progress or Activity Days, which are also falling by the wayside.

I have no knowledge about what may or may not be happening with Personal Progress or Activity Days.

It does seem that the Church is generally moving away from awards as a motivation and more towards personal development. The key phrase I remember is that activity programs will be focused on meeting needs, not satisfying requirements.

[LVAllen]

2 hours ago, gblotter said:

I have no knowledge about what may or may not be happening with Personal Progress or Activity Days.

It does seem that the Church is generally moving away from awards as a motivation and more towards personal development. The key phrase I remember is that activity programs will be focused on meeting needs, not satisfying requirements.

Follow the link that began this thread. It's right at the top of the page.

"New approach to replace all existing activity programs for girls and boys, young women and young men beginning in January 2020."

The boys' activity program within the US (Cub Scouts) and without (Activity Days) - Gone.
The girls' activity program (Activity Days) - Gone.
Faith in God (religious program for both boys and girls) - Gone.
The Young Men activity program inside the US and Canada (Scouting) - Gone.
Duty to God - Gone.
The Young Women activity program (Personal Progress) - Gone.

And if your activity programs (Scouting or otherwise) were ever focused on satisfying requirements, you were doing it wrong. You wouldn't be doing it unusually wrong, sad to say, but wrong nonetheless. The fact that you would suggest (and I would heartily agree) that some wards focused on checking off boxes only underscores my point about the church being unable to deliver a NAS program using the same people who were unable or unwilling to deliver the previous program, even with the available support.

 

[The Latin Scot]

Wow! A lot of differing opinions here, even among the LDS community! Let me just say, as an 8th generation member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, that my family has never found occasion to worry or complain about the decisions of our church's leadership. I am 100% certain that the new programs will be effective, powerful, and wonderful - as long as the members who implement it share that optimism. So yeah, some units won't be able to pull it off, some will struggle, some will complain - but it won't be the fault of the programs. It will be their own fault for not coming into it with the right mindset, with the right attitude - with the right heart. But for those who really, really put their heart, might, mind and strength into it, I am certain beyond the possibility of doubt that the new programs will be MARVELOUS.

Kind of like with Scouting. 

Edited September 24, 2018 by The Latin Scot

[RememberSchiff]

Update July 17, 2019:  note OP @The Latin Scot

SALT LAKE CITY — The new initiative to replace the Boy Scouts and Personal Progress programs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is called "Children and Youth" and will be rolled out in September in a special worldwide satellite broadcast.

President M. Russell Ballard, the acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, will lay out the new initiative to replace those programs in a broadcast on Sept. 29, according to a letter sent Monday to general authorities and officers of the church and local leaders around the world. Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will host a Face to Face broadcast about "Children and Youth" on Nov. 17.

"The principles taught in this effort for children and youth represent a higher, holier way to encourage the rising generation to follow Jesus Christ and apply his gospel in all areas of their lives," the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles say in a statement in a guidebook to the program. "This major effort will include gospel learning, the privilege of service, personal development, and exciting activities."

The Young Women program will move forward without Personal Progress and Faith in God for Girls. Boys will no longer have Scouting, Duty to God or Faith in God for Boys.

A website has been published for leaders in preparation for the change at ChildrenandYouthLeaders.ChurchofJesusChrist.org. The site includes an introductory guide for parents and another for children and youth. Both guides are available only in English.

The new Children and Youth program will begin Jan. 1, 2020. Girls and boys have until Dec. 31 to finish the retiring programs. For example, girls can complete Personal Progress and receive their Young Womanhood Recognition by then, as can boys who want to finish the Duty to God program. Children in the Primary program can complete the Faith in God program by then, too. Exceptions can be made for those who need additional time. The awards will be available for order until March 1, 2020.

The church has encouraged those who wish to participate in Scouting to join local community groups.

The goal of the new initiative is to deepen conversion through gospel learning, personal development and service and activities. It is based on the church's renewed emphasis on home-centered, church-supported learning, which has led to major changes, including a new churchwide curriculum for Sunday School and other classes and more family gospel study in place of one hour of Sunday meetings.

More at source

https://www.deseretnews.com/article/900080061/church-replacement-for-boy-scouts-personal-progress-lds-mormon.html

[The Latin Scot]

Yes, the new program is moving forward and we are getting more and more information almost weekly at this point. It looks like it will be a WONDERFUL program and it fully incorporates whatever programs each child wants to involve in their personal development, whether Scouts, orchestra, sports, dance, art, or whatever - this will be a monumental change that will bless millions of youth the whole world over!