BIRTHDAYS

BIRTHDAY RAP:- - For our girls birthdays we decided to do something memorable and fun. One of my counselors wrote a Birthday Rap. On the each girls birthday, we dress up in our craziest costumes (we dress up different every time) and we go sing the Birthday Rap and dance really crazy. The girls love it!  If you are not good at writing a Rap, you can write new words to an old song.  Julie BLOOM WHERE YOU'RE PLANTED: -  Our theme this year is Bloom Where You're Planted, We made bracelets for the girl's birthdays. We ordered glass flower beads in each of the value colors, they turned out very nice and were quite affordable. They ended up costing about $1.50 each. They make the girls feel special and remind them of our theme and the values at the same time. Michelle Nieman YW VALUE SOCKS: -  This year we bought the YW value socks from Deseret Book Store, and we take a  white paper bag and color black spots on it (so it looks like a cow's hide).    We also give each girl a "milk" chocolate candy bar.  The bag is closed and 2  holes punched through the top and tied shut with a raffia bow.  We make a  card that says Happy Birthday to an "udderly" wonderful Young Woman.  The  girls love their bags and can't wait to wear their socks.  The socks are kind  of a missionary tool too because they get asked about them.  They also help  to remind the girls about the YW values. HUGGING LINE:  -  When I was YW Pres., we were discussing what we might do for the YW to give them the  recognition they enjoyed on their birthday without having to buy something that wasn't particularly meaningful.  One of my counselors suggested a "Hugging Line."  Like the old-fashioned "Spanking Line," we would have the YW and leaders of the Birthday Girl's class form a line at the front of the room and the YW then goes down the line and receives an individual hug and birthday wishes from each one in the line.  It doesn't cost a dime, gives the YW birthday recognition, doesn't require any planning (remembering to send a card or prepare a gift).  Best of all, the YW loved it. ~Sue NEW BEEHIVE BIRTHDAY: -  For a new girl coming into Beehives, we give the girl a balloon bouquet with each of the Value colors.   Attached is a large bag of Skittles - it's the only candy that has all the Value colors except white. BIRTHDAY SURPRISE: -   For a big surprise, make a cake and card and take to  active and inactive girls.They really know you remember her and show you love for her... BIRTHDAY PICTURE: -  Last year we cut a stencil of the torch and stenciled it to an oval piece of wood. (When stenciling, we used red, yellow, & blue  and overlapped the colors to blend them together to get all the colors.) Bev then wrote Young Women Stand for Truth and Righteousness around it with a permanent fineline marker.  Last, a picture hangar was attached to the back so the Young Women could hang it in their room.  Our YW loved them.   Sarah, Bev, Lori, & Lenora ONCE-A-MONTH BIRTHDAY PARTY: - In our ward we celebrate the birthdays of the month on the 2nd Sunday. Each class takes turns bringing the treat, (brownies, cupcakes, whatever). They love the 2nd Sunday. We say happy birthday to everyone having a birthday that month and all share in the birthday treat.  We also acknowledge each girl individually the Sunday before her birthday by giving her a gift from the Young Women.  This year it is the poster with the theme that can be ordered through distribution.  We also call them on their actual birthday and wish them a happy one.  When our ward was realigned  a few months ago we lost many of our young women, but gained some that we didn't know from another ward.  One of our first activities was to have a 'Everybody's Birthday Party' as an activity. We decorated our room like a party, and had party food.  We played some get-to-know-you games, and one of them was where you sit in a circle and have to go around and say everyone's birthday.  It was really fun, the last one to go had to remember all the birthdays.  It was a good activity to pull us together as a new group.  S. H. yw pres in az. BIRTHDAY SPOTLIGHT: -  In my ward, we did something different as to not cause expense.  As YW  president I had the birthday list and when it was each girl's birthday, they  came to the front of the room and stood.  I had the Laurel conducting opening  exercises write on the board, and another write on pretty stationary with the  girl's name written in calligraphy on top, and one by one we went around the room and said her best qualities.  Everyone had to participate with no duplication.  At the end the girl received the paper to take home.  In later years, one young woman said how that paper pulled her through her  darkest hours.  Things said were like, beautiful smile, friend to everyone,  fun laugh, always there when she is needed, responsible, dependable, spiritual,  etc... BIRTHDAY TRADITIONS: -  In our ward, we have a birthday party at the beginning of each month to  celebrate everyone's birthday that month.  By doing this we never miss  anyone's birthday or give other people special treatment.  It's actually  quite fun because we have homemade cake once a month. Meagan RECIPE BOOKS: -  For our YW birthdays this year we, as leaders, made them recipe books. Each leader, (we have 9) submitted 2 recipes each, for 5 categories; Main dish, soup & salads, breads & rolls, desserts, & misc. I copied them on the computer or they were hand written on recipe cards. We then put the recipes on a page, 3 to a sheet, and copied enough for each girl. We made a front cover and division pages for the different categories and then put all the pages together and bound them with a spiral binder. We personalized them by coloring the front cover and writing a special birthday message from all of us inside. Tricia Christiansen YW Pres. BIRTHDAY BANNER/CANDY: -  Last year we made birthday banners for each girl,  and taped their favorite small candy bars or candy on the banner.  We did this the night before there birthday.  The girls were always surprised! Jill UNBIRTHDAY PARTY: -  We did an "UNBIRTHDAY PARTY" where we brought an already baked cake, cut up big pieces for the girls (I have a class of 9) and brought frosting.  We let them decorate the cake any way they would like and then we sang Happy Birthday to "us" and had a white elephant gift exchange.  After that to get more serious as a "Nice" gift, we passed around a piece of paper and wrote something nice about each person.  It was really revealing and made us each thing about each other in a different light.  Lisa BIRTHDAY CARD: -  (This was written up on stationary that folds up into its own envelope with a balloon inside it.  On the balloon is written "Happy Birthday, ______(name)!  Have a BLAST!!!!!") (on the card is written) "Instructions:  Place balloon in mouth (we used a balloon blower upper), give about 4 to 5 puffs.  Then read message.  To bring about the "blast", may we siggest a pin!!!"    LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE: -  We made beeswax candles and attached a note with raffia. The note had the scripture "let your light so shine..." MATTED "LOVE": -  Last year we made a 5x7 matted picture that said: "I am a daughter of my Heavenly Father who loves me." (We just did those on the computer) and then we had a quilted heart which we glued on to it too PERSONAL POTS: -  We got a little terra cotta pot (5" tall?), painted white, then simply decorated with dots or triangles or hearts, and the girl's name. Different colored markers based on the girl's favorite colors.  Then we put floral foam inside, covered it with moss, and stuck 7 short skewer sticks around in the foam. I had gotten a bunch of 1 1/2" wooden hearts, which I painted value colors. I glue gunned 7 hearts onto each girl's sticks, then tied a little ribbon bow under the heart (because it kind of looked bare standing up on that skinny skewer stick!). We used bows in the same colors as the value hearts, but it could have been all white.  CROSS-STITCH: -  We made a hoop cross stitch that says "Families Are Forever " ROSES & COOKIES: -  In our ward, we present the YW having the birthday with a rose (red,laurel...pink,mia maid....white,beehive) and a plate of cookies (homemade of course) and a mylar ballon tied to it. then we sing Happy birthday to them on the Sunday before their birthday in opening exercise   UNIFORM BIRTHDAY GIFTS: - At the first of the year, I put together a little something like note pad/pencil or stationary/envelopes and then we present this to each YW on or close to her birthday in opening exercise on Sunday.  Each girl receives the same thing, so nobody feels like they were slighted.  Then we sing Happy Birthday to her.  Then each class adult leader(s) also does something,on the girl's birthday and usually  also has treats in class. ALL AT ONCE: - We had a big birthday party in July for all the girls' birthdays.  And it was a pool party (to make sure everyone showed up.  We did a big birthday cake and handed out presents, and they had great fun just playing together.  WALL HANGING: - We recognize the girls having a birthday on the Sunday  before their actual birthday.  We present them with a hoop cross stitch that says Families Are Forever (in keeping with this years theme), and we sing Happy Birthday to them.  MORMON-AD POSTER: - We acknowledge the girls the Sunday before their birthday and they get to choose a Mormon Ad poster. We keep a stack of them on hand for this purpose. I am the Beehive advisor, and I also send them a personal card in the mail with a special note to either welcome them to Beehives or tell them how much they mean to the class! CROSS STITCH BOOKMARKS: - One year we cross-stitched bookmarks with the YW's name on it. They loved it and put them in their scriptures.  SPECIAL CARD: - Last year we gave out a card with the YW value on it with flowers going around it and we bought those from the church bookstore.  SPOTLIGHT/TREASURE: - The way my home ward recognizes the birthdays of the young women is with a spotlight and a small figurine.  ----- There is a series of six questionaires ( one for each year they are in yw's) that the girls answer. The type of questions on each questionaire grows in depth with each year.   They complete the questionare the Sunday before their birthday and choose someone from their class to read the questions and the answer that has been given.  The YW  being honored (or spotlighted) and the friend reading the answers stand in front of the room during opening exercies. The birthday girl also receive a small figurine of a woman which is different each year. When they leave YW, they have 6 questionares and 6 figurines.  FAMILY WREATH: - This year we gave the girls a grapevine wreath for their birthday.  We wrapped the wreath with ribbon and wired a bow on it.  Then we painted wooden hearts and wrote the name of each member of her family on a heart and hot glued it to the wreath.  We did this to go with the theme of "turning hearts to the family".  The round wreath symbolized the eternal nature of families and the hearts with family names represented the love for family.