International Board For Rs, Yw, Primary Orgs

[juliann]

http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/mormon-auxiliary-leaders-announce-international-board-members

 

Salt Lake City — 

The presidents of the Relief Society, Young Women and Primary organizations of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are announcing changes in their organizations that will help meet the global needs of women and girls ages eight and older. The Young Women organization will now have five board members who live outside of Utah, four internationally. This is the first auxiliary organization to expand its leadership overseas, and all three organizations will transition leadership training seminars previously held only at Church headquarters to online training available for Mormon women leaders around the world.

 

“This past week we started calling [a new] general board,” explained Sister Oscarson, who was named as general president of the Young Women organization in the April 2013 general conference. She reported that the calls to board members were issued via teleconference with Elder Jeffrey R. Holland and Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.  Sister Oscarson explained that the general board will have four local board members from the Wasatch Front and five women living outside of Utah who will be “the eyes and ears for us in the different parts of the world,” including Africa, Brazil, Japan, Peru and New York City. “It has been a long time in coming and it’s been a long process for us to figure out what it needs to look like.”

 

This is wonderful.  This provides a platform to begin addressing the problems of all women worldwide, something that is lacking in the   radical feminist movement which only deals with the wants of an elite Western world group.

[Buckeye]

Very good news.  I submitted my own post on this, but it seems to have gotten lost in the web.  I'm glad to see the inclusion of the international community and hope that other auxiliaries follow the YW's' lead. 

 

Not sure what your beef i swith the "radical feminist movement."  Seems to me that western women have as much right to speak regarding their needs/desires as does anyone else.  And the recent feminist movements have been international in scope.  The group that asked to meet in the Priesthood Session last conference included good sisters from Europe, Brazil, and possibly other places (my memory fails me).

[David T]

I think it's awesome that there'll now be more consistent worldwide regional representation and perspective than just those headquartered in the Wasatch front!

Edited February 7, 2014 by David T

[juliann]

 

Not sure what your beef i swith the "radical feminist movement."  Seems to me that western women have as much right to speak regarding their needs/desires as does anyone else.  And the recent feminist movements have been international in scope.  The group that asked to meet in the Priesthood Session last conference included good sisters from Europe, Brazil, and possibly other places (my memory fails me).

I have given up on the radical fems (Ordain Women is what you are describing) because of their my way or the highway approach to would be supporters, and the growing level of downright meanness to anyone who disagrees with them. I'm talking full on personal attacks, although there has also been a lot of criticism of that.

They have told even sympathetic men to shut up, "it's not about you".   One of the critiques of the radical mofems is that their complaints about the church are not only petty but possibly damaging in relation to world wide problems...to the point that the albeit over patriarchal approach to women is still quite a step up for many women and they need to be factored into "needs" more than privileged and almost exclusively white women. And anyone that could fly in from another country for a Priesthood protest qualifies as privileged regardless of where they come from.  It is only the moderate fems (who OW leaders demonize) who address our international sisters at all.

[Buckeye]

I have given up on the radical fems (Ordain Women is what you are describing) because of their my way or the highway approach to would be supporters, and the growing level of downright meanness to anyone who disagrees with them. I'm talking full on personal attacks, although there has also been a lot of criticism of that.

They have told even sympathetic men to shut up, "it's not about you".   One of the critiques of the radical mofems is that their complaints about the church are not only petty but possibly damaging in relation to world wide problems...to the point that the albeit over patriarchal approach to women is still quite a step up for many women and they need to be factored into "needs" more than privileged and almost exclusively white women. And anyone that could fly in from another country for a Priesthood protest qualifies as privileged regardless of where they come from.  It is only the moderate fems (who OW leaders demonize) who address our international sisters at all.

 

That's fair.  As a man, I tend to get burned by the "it's not about you" rhetoric too.    I still find value in dialoguing with all feminists and try not to paint them into groups of "radical," "moderate," "faithful" etc.  My line drawing inevitably fails.  I do know that OW claims to support change in order to help sisters internationally too.  For instance, they say that female ordination would significantly improve the amount of leaders needed in small wards and branches. 

[sheilauk]

This is good but Europe is not included and Europe is not the same culture as the US even if it is Western. They need a sixth member!

[juliann]

That's fair.  As a man, I tend to get burned by the "it's not about you" rhetoric too.    I still find value in dialoguing with all feminists and try not to paint them into groups of "radical," "moderate," "faithful" etc.  My line drawing inevitably fails.  I do know that OW claims to support change in order to help sisters internationally too.  For instance, they say that female ordination would significantly improve the amount of leaders needed in small wards and branches. 

 

Sure...if they share the same privilege of their western counterparts.  But huge numbers of our women are likely to be not only in socially repressive but politically repressive countries that do not support women's rights.  There wouldn't be a church if men weren't able to run it and have a position over women.  But despite our flaws, we do teach men to honor their wives and treat them with respect.  That is huge when we are breaking into places like Africa.  And critically important I think.  As for dividing fems into groups, you really kind of have to now.  I choose to use the terms radical and moderate, it is the moderates who have the ear of the church through people like Margaret Young and Fiona Givens. OW's leader has created a schism with her angry personal attacks to the point even feminist websites that support OW are making calls for charity.  (And when I say attacks, I'm talking about stuff like assigning psychological disorders to them, it is that bad).

 

Anyway, back to the article, I think it notable that the women are presented here as having planned and carried this out....men are not even mentioned other than in the actual issuing of the calling and even then they are with the Presidents. 

Edited February 7, 2014 by juliann

[juliann]

This is good but Europe is not included and Europe is not the same culture as the US even if it is Western. They need a sixth member!

 

Well, you speak English so you must be just like us!

 

I am looking at this as only a first step in a very long process of restoring women's authority.     I am hoping this will be the beginning of gathering enough women leaders to equal the men in General Conference!

[Buckeye]

...

 

Anyway, back to the article, I think it notable that the women are presented here as having planned and carried this out....men are not even mentioned other than in the actual issuing of the calling and even then they are with the Presidents. 

 

 

 

I find that notable too.  The article sheds some light on why 8+ girls are now included in the Women's Session.  Answer: because the female leadership thought it a good idea.  I recall lots of speculation about this (including my own) when that announcement was made.  Turns out it may just be that the female leaders feel differently about 8 year old girls than the male leaders feel about 8 year old boys.  Still, it's weird because the Primary Presidency overseas both boys and girls. 

[daz2]

Is there a list of the names and descriptions of the sisters who were called?

[Calm]

.  It is only the moderate fems (who OW leaders demonize) who address our international sisters at all.

This is a huge issue for me, the dismissal of being faux feminists of those involved for years in major work to help women in dire situations worldwide.

[Buckeye]

Is there a list of the names and descriptions of the sisters who were called?

 

Not in the newsroom article.  But the Church News includes this tidbit:  "As part of the board, four women from the Wastach Front will serve side-by-side, by the use of technology, with women from Africa, Peru, Japan, Brazil and New York City."  (http://www.ldschurchnews.com/articles/64383/Increasing-sisterhood-Leaders-announce-global-training-international-boards.html). 

 

So it looks like "Wastach" is in the minority but "US" is in the majority.  I wonder which side Kennedy will come down on for the 5-4 votes.

[mtomm]

Unless it is mentioned or recognized in general conference 90% of the church will never know or notice. Important things are announced to the whole membership.

Not saying I'm not glad for the international sisters, it's just been given a meh, big deal, by announcing it this way.

[bluebell]

Unless it is mentioned or recognized in general conference 90% of the church will never know or notice. Important things are announced to the whole membership.

Not saying I'm not glad for the international sisters, it's just been given a meh, big deal, by announcing it this way.

 

I would almost guarantee that it will be announced in the General Women's meeting coming up in March.  I also wouldn't be surprised if it's not also talked about in a coming Ensign and also in GC, but it all remains to be seen.

[mtomm]

I would almost guarantee that it will be announced in the General Women's meeting coming up in March.  I also wouldn't be surprised if it's not also talked about in a coming Ensign and also in GC, but it all remains to be seen.

I hope so, and maybe we will learn their names. Seems kind of important that they have a name and a face.

[Paloma]

http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/mormon-auxiliary-leaders-announce-international-board-members

 

This is wonderful.  This provides a platform to begin addressing the problems of all women worldwide, something that is lacking in the   radical feminist movement which only deals with the wants of an elite Western world group.

 

Hooray for the women in leading the way! 

 

It certainly is wonderful to see this initiative that should bring benefit to women in different lands and cultures around the world.

[Duncan]

Plus too this could be the beginning of it and see where it goes and then just add more people to the board