Flexibility is a key to successful homemaking meetings, Aileen H. Clyde, second counselor in the Relief Society general presidency, told the Church News.
The following examples portray how Relief Society sisters throughout the world are seeking flexibility and achieving a measure of success:
HOLLAND, MICH. - Sisters in the Holland Ward, Grand Rapids Michigan Stake, are becoming more self-reliant, thanks to a variety of homemaking activities in their ward.
One such activity - auto mechanics - helped the women develop more self-reliance in regard to their automobiles. They rotated among different outdoor stations in the parking lot where they learned such things as how to change a tire, how to jump-start a car and how to check fluid levels. Other activities have included a course on basic hair cutting, and canning and food preserving techniques.
"Sometimes when you are on a real tight budget, being able to cut your own children's hair and do your own canning can eliminate a lot of costs," said Sherry Gotschall, homemaking counselor in the ward. "It is so much nicer to do things yourself."
"Fostering self-reliance not only saves you money, but it also builds esteem," said Maureen Bringhurst, organizer of the powder puff mechanics class. She was serving as homemaking counselor at the time the class was held. "Homemaking meeting can meet the needs of all sisters if it is used as a forum where women can learn skills they need in these latter days," she remarked. "If we make homemaking something that offers sisters a real tangible skill, that saves them money or time or increases their self-reliance, it not only improves the quality of the meeting, but also you get a better turnout." - Sheridan R. Sheffield
STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN - Achieving a balance is one reason Relief Society sisters in the Stockholm Sweden South Stake have benefited spiritually and temporally from homemaking meetings.
Veronika Ekelund, who served as stake Relief Society president from 1989 to 1994, told the Church News during a telephone interview that she encouraged homemaking leaders throughout the stake to focus on the scriptures in many of their homemaking meetings.
"I tried to teach the sisters to take examples from the scriptures about good sisters who managed to survive during difficulties - and not only survive, but who did something good. Almost always in homemaking workshops, we had something on the scriptures."
Sister Ekelund emphasized that crafts were always considered beneficial for workshops, "but we wanted to have a balance."
In addition to encouraging gospel literacy, Sister Ekelund also urged homemaking leaders to focus on the interests of everyone, including the elderly.
"I learned that many elderly people didn't like to do crafts. They had done it for 50 years, but they loved to tell about their childhood. So a workshop was held for elderly people to tell about their parents and their lives. This was unique. This was a way to encourage elderly sisters to come to homemaking." - Julie A. Dockstader
