Successful Youth Activity

On 14 November 2009 the Frankfurt Stake held a Family History youth activity which turned out very successful. More than sixty youth came together with many leaders and Family History specialists directing them in great fun and learning activities. After an all group meeting, the students were divided into six different classes where the youth were instructed in how to register and use the new FamilySearch program, how to read the Old German Script and how to do FamilySearch Indexing. With many different activities in each class, the students enjoyed learning about how to search for their ancestors, and how to read Old German records so they can help with the important Indexing projects from different German areas.

Three classes of new FamilySearch and two classes of German Script/Indexing training were held in the morning. In the middle of the day a very delicious meal was prepared by the Offenbach Second Ward of the Frankfurt stake with very capable young people serving all the plates of food to each of the youth and leaders. After lunch the youth participants switched so that those who had worked with new FamilySearch in the morning worked with Old German Script/Indexing in the afternoon and visa versa.

The entire activity was under the excellent direction of the Stake High Counselor over Family History, and there were eight presenters doing the six classes. One class was for the English speaking students and Sister Eldona Call taught the new FamilySearch program to them in the morning then in the afternoon the same students were taught Indexing and how to read the Old German Script by Elder Grant Howlett. Thanks to many assistants, the teachers were able to do a great job. Great efforts were made to take care of all the technical needs of the activity, which was orchestrated by the Stake technical specialist and it was very successfully done. Detailed booklets were also prepared by our FamilySearch Support team and handed out to all of the youth. They could take these booklets home for future reference of what they had learned. These booklets also included suggestions for Family Home Evening activities in Family History, and in addition, help for learning the Old German Script. Elder Howlett help develop a large portion of these booklets.Then Elder and Sister Howlett helped the whole FSS team put the booklets together. It was a lot of work, but these handouts really helped. One young woman was reported to be carrying hers on the next day at church close to her heart, along with her scriptures.

In the testimony meeting which was held at the end of the day, one YW told how she really didn’t want to come that day, but she was sort of pushed into coming by parents or friends. However she was very glad she came because she had a great time and learned a lot about how to search for her ancestors, and that they were real people with real lives. Another sister said her family had been members a long time and her parents had done lots of temple work. So she didn’t think she would find anything to do, but upon getting into the new FamilySearch web site she found out that many of her ancestors need their temple work done, so she feels she must get busy and get things going. Another youth told their ward members that they had been doing a lot of family history work since coming home from the activity and has really enjoyed getting into the sites, and another youth reported to his ward members that he was happily indexing records at home.

Sadly, many of the youth didn’t come to the activity because they heard it was going to be on Family History and thought it would be very boring. However, after hearing their friends talk about the great day they had on Saturday, 14 November, these young people really wished they had gone to the activity. It was a very great success when we can see young people starting to do their family history and getting involved in Indexing records to help researchers find their ancestors instantly online. This was the ultimate goal of all the leaders. Now the stake leaders have been asking how they can keep the youth excited like they are now. Grant and I say the best thing is to get them indexing and then teach the parents how to work on the new FamilySearch program and Indexing, so families can work together. The benefits are tremendous!

We are hoping the word will spread to other stakes in Germany so we will be asked to teach these same things to other stakes. Already we have two stakes scheduled for January and February presentations, so maybe work will really pick up here in Deutschland. At least that is what we are hoping will happen.