News on Young Women Policy Changes

The YW General Presidency came to this area to speak last weekend. While I'm not in the YW presidency, our YW president gave a report on some of the information she got during Ward Council. Here's some of the smack:

• Mothers are now allowed (perhaps even encouraged) to do Personal Progress with their daughters. They do the full version of PP (not the shortened leader version), but they CAN NOT get their medallion before the daughter does.
• Women without girls in YW can also do personal progress, and they are encouraged to work with a girl who does not already have a helper.
• Purchasing of the medallion for an adult woman who earns it may or may not be paid for out of the ward budget at the discretion of the Bishop or Branch President.
• NEW CONTINUING PERSONAL PROGRESS - Apparently someone was down in the bowels of one of the Church HQ buildings and found a "bead" that was used by the old RS program. The bead is being redesigned, and can be earned by those who have completed their personal progress already. As part of earning the bead, women/girls will be required to provide 40 hours of mentoring to someone who has not gotten their medallion. The bead will be worn with the medallion.
• On December 1, 2009, the new Personal Progress booklets sbould be online at LDS.org. Jen F says they are beautiful. "Initial replacement books will be mailed to wards and branches at no charge beginning December 28, 2009 (English), with implementation instructions and ordering information for all associated Personal Progress items." (Source: LDS.org)
• On January 15, 2009, the new Personal Progress poster including virtue should be released for purchase
• PERSONAL PROGRESS ALLOWED DURING MUTUAL AGAIN - Thank heaven for this. I was serving in YW in Utah when the directive came down not to do Personal Progress during midweek activities. I am so relieved they are reinstituting it as part of Mutual again. Now you can work on personal progress value experiences and projects during Mutual.
• PERSONAL PROGRESS ALLOWED DURING LESSONS AGAIN - When I first started posting the YW Resource guide, lessons were cross-referenced with the Personal Progress Book as appropriate. About the time the *no PP @ mutual* thing came down, they stopped encouraging Personal Progress during lesson time. Leaders actually had to make extra trips -- outside of Church meetings -- to discuss personal progress with their YW. Now, PP can be emphasized again during lessons. YES. Read more about the Resource Guide changes from LDS.org

That's what I know.

If you have any more information on the new changes to the Young Women program, please comment below and share it!