“A Century of Young Women,” New Era, Jan. 2000, 24
A Century of Young Women
At the turn of the century, Young Women were called “Young Ladies” and were members of the Young Ladies Mutual Improvement Association. This is how it was back then: girls didn’t begin attending Mutual until they were 14; instead of the New Era, they read the Young Woman’s Journal; and instead of Beehives, Mia Maids, and Laurels, the girls were simply called Juniors and Seniors.
Although the Young Womanhood Recognition award didn’t come into existence until 1976, Young Women have been given the opportunity to make and achieve goals throughout the century. In 1915, the Beehive program (which was, for a time, the activity program for all girls ages 14 through 20) began with a list of goals for the girls to achieve. Here are a few: “sleep out-of-doors or with wide-open windows; refrain from candy, chewing gum, sundaes, and sodas for at least two months; clear sagebrush, etc., off of a half acre of land; care for at least two kerosene lamps daily; know the proper use of hot and cold baths.”
Also, in keeping with the name of the program, girls were invited to “care successfully for a hive of bees for one season and know their habits.”
At the turn of this new century, goal setting is still at the heart of the Young Women program, but the goals look a lot different. Michelle Evans, a Laurel from Sunnyvale, California, for instance, doesn’t know much about bees. But working toward her Young Womanhood medallion has taught her several useful skills she will use for the rest of her life. She recently organized an all-day activity for the priests and Laurels in her stake and the neighboring stake. There were countless details to remember: things like food, games, speakers and music. But the centerpiece of the day was a service project to clean up a small church (of another denomination) which had suffered massive damage in a tornado.
“It was a lot of work to get the whole day organized,” says Michelle, “but I’m so glad I did it. I learned to delegate responsibilities and plan ahead.”
Times have changed. A young woman today probably wouldn’t “snowshoe 25 miles in any six days” to fulfill a goal like the girls of generations ago. She’s a lot more likely to make a meal for her family, care for a younger sibling, read her scriptures daily, or learn a piece on the piano. But the goal of learning to make the world a better place through service and self-improvement hasn’t changed one bit in the last 100 years.
Michelle Evans organized an all-day service activity for her stake as part of her Laurel project (top right). Dressed to look like Ruth of old, young women attend a Gleaners banquet in Hunington Park, California, in January 1930 (lower right). In the 1930s, Beehives and their leaders enjoyed their girls’ camp at Brighton, Utah (lower left).