As we start a new year of Vanguard...

What a breath of fresh air.

Each new year should begin with a "back to basics" reading.

Here is one I recommend for every mentor and parent in Vanguard: Learning to Love Learning

It has gems like: "learning to love learning is central to the Gospel of Christ."
...and one of my personal favorites: "One of the meanings of 'intelligence' is the application of the knowledge we obtain for righteous purposes."

It reminds me of Karen's recent post about their December Mentor Meeting (a very thought-provoking read), in which she wrote:

"Some purposes of Vanguard:

-To give youth a place where they can discuss and present the great ideas/truths they are finding in their studies.

-To offer guidance in what to study and discuss

-Mentor feedback in addition to parent mentors

-To inspire a quest for truth (true principles)

-To motivate skill improvement

Vanguard does not try to: Teach them all they need to know to cover everything in a subject"

It is possible and powerful to study, learn, and act in a God-directed way.  We must not only do it ourselves, but do all we can to inspire our youth to do the same :)!  Love learning!

Learning to Love Learning

Understanding who we are, where we came from, and why we are on the earth places upon each of us a great responsibility both to learn how to learn and to learn to love learning.--Elder Bednar

Learning to love learning is central to the gospel of Jesus Christ, is vital to ourongoing spiritual and personal development, and is an absolute necessity in the world in which we do now and will yet live, serve, and work. I want to briefly discuss the importance of learning to love learning in three aspects of our lives.

1. Learning to Love Learning Is Central to the Gospel of Jesus Christ

The overarching purpose of Heavenly Father’s great plan of happiness is to provide His spirit children with opportunities to learn. The Atonement of Jesus Christ and the agency afforded to all of the Father’s children through the Redeemer’s infinite and eternal sacrifice are divinely designed to facilitate our learning. The Savior said, “Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me” (D&C 19:23).

We are assisted in learning of and listening to the words of Christ by the Holy Ghost, even the third member of the Godhead. The Holy Ghost reveals and witnesses the truth of all things and brings all things to our remembrance (see John 14:26, 16:13; Moroni 10:5; D&C 39:6). The Holy Ghost is the teacher who kindles within us an abiding love of and for learning.

We repeatedly are admonished in the revelations to ask in faith when we lack knowledge (see James 1:5–6), to “seek learning, even by study and also by faith” (D&C 88:118), and to inquire of God that we might receive instruction from His Spirit (see D&C 6:14) and “know mysteries which are great and marvelous” (D&C 6:11). The restored Church of Jesus Christ exists today to help individuals and families learn about and receive the blessings of the Savior’s gospel.

A hierarchy of importance exists among the things you and I can learn. Indeed, all learning is not equally important. The Apostle Paul taught this truth in his second epistle to Timothy as he warned that in the latter days many people would be “ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:7).

Some facts are helpful or interesting to know. Some knowledge is useful to learn and apply. But gospel truths are essential for us to understand and live if we are to become what our Heavenly Father yearns for us to become. The type of learning I am attempting to describe is not merely the accumulation of data and facts and frameworks; rather, it is acquiring and applying knowledge for righteousness.

The revelations teach us that “the glory of God is intelligence” (D&C 93:36). We typically may think the word intelligence in this scripture denotes innate cognitive ability or a particular gift for academic work. In this verse, however, one of the meanings of intelligence is the application of the knowledge we obtain for righteous purposes. As President David O. McKay (1873–1970) taught, the learning “for which the Church stands—is the application of knowledge to the development of a noble and Godlike character.” ¹

You and I are here on the earth to prepare for eternity, to learn how to learn, to learn things that are temporally important and eternally essential, and to assist others in learning wisdom and truth (see D&C 97:1). Understanding who we are, where we came from, and why we are on the earth places upon each of us a great responsibility both to learn how to learn and to learn to love learning.

2. Learning to Love Learning Is Vital to Our Ongoing Spiritual and Personal Development

President Brigham Young (1801–1877) was a learner. Although President Young had only 11 days of formal schooling, he understood the need for learning both the wisdom of God and the things of the world. He was a furniture maker, a missionary, a colonizer, a governor, and the Lord’s prophet.

I marvel at both the way Brigham Young learned and how much he learned. He never ceased learning from the revelations of the Lord, from the scriptures, and from good books. Perhaps President Young was such a consummate learner precisely because he was not constrained unduly by the arbitrary boundaries so often imposed through the structures and processes of formal education. He clearly learned to love learning. He clearly learned how to learn. He ultimately became a powerful disciple and teacher precisely because he first was an effective learner.

President Young repeatedly taught that “the object of [our mortal] existence is to learn.” ² The following statements by President Young emphasize this truth:

• • “The religion embraced by the Latter-day Saints, if only slightly understood, prompts them to search diligently after knowledge. There is no other people in existence more eager to see, hear, learn, and understand truth.” ³
  
• • “Put forth your ability to learn as fast as you can, and gather all the strength of mind and principle of faith you possibly can, and then distribute your knowledge to the people.” ⁴
  
• • “This work is a progressive work, this doctrine that is taught the Latter-day Saints in its nature is exalting, increasing, expanding and extending broader and broader until we can know as we are known, see as we are seen.” ⁵
  
• • “We are in the school [of mortality] and keep learning, and we do not expect to cease learning while we live on earth; and when we pass through the veil, we expect still to continue to learn and increase our fund of information. That may appear a strange idea to some; but it is for the plain and simple reason that we are not capacitated to receive all knowledge at once. We must therefore receive a little here and a little there.” ⁶
  
• • “We might ask, when shall we cease to learn? I will give you my opinion about it: never, never.” ⁷
  

Brigham Young’s acceptance of and conversion to the gospel of Jesus Christ fueled his unceasing curiosity and love of learning. The ongoing spiritual and personal development evidenced in his life is a worthy example for you and for me.

3. Learning to Love Learning Is an Absolute Necessity in the World in Which We Do Now and Will Yet Live, Serve, and Work

On the landmark sign located at the entrance to Brigham Young University, the following motto is found: “Enter to learn; go forth to serve.” This expression certainly does not imply that everything necessary for a lifetime of meaningful service can or will be obtained during a few short years of higher education. Rather, the spirit of this statement is that students come to receive foundational instruction about learning how to learn and learning to love learning. Furthermore, students’ desires and capacities to serve are not “put on hold” during their university years of intellectual exploration and development.

May I respectfully suggest an addition to this well-known motto that is too long to put on the sign but important for us to remember regardless of which university or college we attend: “Enter to learn to love learning and serving; go forth to continue learning and serving.”

Academic assignments, test scores, and a cumulative GPA do not produce a final and polished product. Rather, students have only started to put in place a foundation of learning upon which they can build forever. Much of the data and knowledge obtained through a specific major or program of study may rapidly become outdated and obsolete. The particular topics investigated and learned are not nearly as important as what has been learned about learning. As we press forward in life—spiritually, interpersonally, and professionally—no book of answers is readily available with guidelines and solutions to the great challenges of life. All we have is our capacity to learn and our love of and for learning.

I believe a basic test exists of our capacity to learn and of the measure of our love of learning. Here is the test: When you and I do not know what to do or how to proceed to achieve a particular outcome—when we are confronted with a problem that has no clear answer and no prescribed pattern for resolution—how do we learn what to do?

This was precisely the situation in which Nephi found himself as he was commanded to build a ship. “And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto me, saying: Thou shalt construct a ship, after the manner which I shall show thee, that I may carry thy people across these waters” (1 Nephi 17:8).

Nephi was not a sailor. He had been reared in Jerusalem, an inland city, rather than along the borders of the Mediterranean Sea. It seems unlikely that he knew much about or had experience with the tools and skills necessary to build a ship. He may not have ever previously seen an oceangoing vessel. In essence, then, Nephi was commanded and instructed to build something he had never built before in order to go someplace he had never been before.

I doubt that any of us will be commanded to build a ship as was Nephi, but each of us will have our spiritual and learning capabilities tested over and over again. The ever-accelerating rate of change in our modern world will force us into uncharted territory and demanding circumstances.

For example, the U.S. Department of Labor estimates that today’s college graduates will have between 10 and 14 different jobs by the time they are 38 years old. And the necessary skills to perform successfully in each job assignment will constantly change and evolve.

For much of my career as a professor, there was no Internet, no Google, no Wikipedia, no YouTube, and no telepresence. The Internet only began to be widely used by the general public in the mid-1990s. Prior to that time, no courses were taught about and no majors were offered in Internet-related subjects. I remember teaching myself HTML and experimenting with ways student learning could be enhanced through this new and emerging technology. In contrast, most students today have never known and cannot imagine a world without the Internet and its associated technologies. Can we even begin to imagine how much things will continue to change during the next 15 years?

Because vast amounts of information are so readily available and sophisticated technologies make possible widespread and even global collaboration, we may be prone to put our “trust in the arm of flesh” (2 Nephi 4:34; see also 28:31) as we grapple with complex challenges and problems. We perhaps might be inclined to rely primarily upon our individual and collective capacity to reason, to innovate, to plan, and to execute. Certainly we must use our God-given abilities to the fullest, employ our best efforts, and exercise appropriate judgment as we encounter the opportunities of life. But our mortal best is never enough.

President Young testified that we are never left alone or on our own:

“My knowledge is, if you will follow the teachings of Jesus Christ and his Apostles, as recorded in the New Testament, every man and woman will be put in possession of the Holy Ghost. … They will know things that are, that will be, and that have been. They will understand things in heaven, things on the earth, and things under the earth, things of time, and things of eternity, according to their several callings and capacities.” ⁸

Learning to love learning equips us for an ever- changing and unpredictable future. Knowing how to learn prepares us to discern and act upon opportunities that others may not readily recognize. I am confident we will pass the test of learning what to do when we do not know what to do or how to proceed.

I witness the living reality of God the Eternal Father; of our Savior and Redeemer, even the Lord Jesus Christ; and of the Holy Ghost. I also declare my witness that the gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored to the earth in these latter days.

Planning a new year

The following is simply a suggestion.  How you arrive at the final decision should be understood up front or specified within your bylaws.

1. Principles of 7 months:
Similar to the mentality of inspirements, we should start with principles that we want to teach.  I would sit down with those, youth and mentors, who feel that they really understand the seven monthly principles, and brainstorm how you want to focus on each month.  Someone may have a classic that they feel is very meaningful in a certain area and you many center your monthly theme on that aspect.  For example, someone may feel that "Little Britches" is important for them (or their youth, if they are an adult) to read that year.  "Little Britches" has a strong work and property theme, about the freedom, strength of character, and life lessons that can be learned through hard work and sacrifice.  Therefore, the "work" month could focus on that aspect of the principle.

I have typically sat down with a group of mentors, brainstormed meaningful books or classics that we want our youth to read, separate those classics into the seven themes (several times, books may discuss more than one theme), and then selected the books within the themes/principles that we wanted to focus on.
-you can now bring in poems and scriptures that fit this theme, to help round it out, although you don't need to have these in place before you move on

2. Look at the scripture in Doctrine and Covenants 88 about what we study:

 77 And I give unto you a commandment that you shall ^ateach one another the ^bdoctrine of the kingdom.

 78 Teach ye diligently and my ^agrace shall attend you, that you may be ^binstructed more perfectly in theory, in principle, in doctrine, in the law of the gospel, in all things that pertain unto the kingdom of God, that are expedient for you to understand;

 79 Of things both in ^aheaven and in the earth, and under the earth; things which have been, things which are, things which must ^bshortly come to pass; things which are at home, things which are abroad; the wars and the perplexities of the ^cnations, and the judgments which are on the land; and a ^dknowledge also of countries and of kingdoms—

 80 That ye may be prepared in all things when I shall send you again to ^amagnify the calling whereunto I have called you, and the ^bmission with which I have commissioned you.

Evaluate how you are going to use the lenses of art, science, and geo-conquest to bring out these points. 

Class games and techniques from the previous year should be evaluated for effectiveness and new ideas should be encouraged.  At this point, if you have lens mentors who have sound understanding of their stewardship, I would let them organize the decision making process per your group's method as outlined in your bylaws, whether by appointed committee, volunteer temporary committee, or junior mentor/lens mentor corroboration.   Then they can bring their ideas and suggestions (complete with classics, games/activities, projects) to the group or principal mentor for finalization...again, per bylaw method.

3.Come together to determine what will be studied which month. I find it easier to start with the scientific or art lens. If the person who is mentoring one of those lenses has people they would like to study, they can see if or how they fit in with the selected monthly leadership themes.  For instance, one year when we had a group of scientists that the mentor wanted to study, one of the people was Edison, famous for his work ethic.  We placed him in the month of "Work" even if he had nothing to do with the geographical theme of "Asia" that we had for that month.  Each Vanguard group can determine how effectively they want to use the lenses to coincide with the principles. The more the mentor understands the seven principles, the easier it is to make connections, and the less a student may feel like they are being fed a stream of non-related information.  Leaders make connections and bridge gaps between apparently different fields to bring things together. :)

Again, the more liberty and stewardship the mentor feels over their area, the better they are able to communicate their own passion to those they are mentoring.

4. Geography/history.  You can use this lens to help the youth focus on an area, its history and culture and understand the context of the literature, scientist, leaders, or art that they are studying in the other class(es).

Subjects may not seem to always "perfectly" complement each other, particularly in the continent of study for that month (i.e. you read a book based in Africa and study a scientist from Norway in the same month and choose to study Africa as your continent of focus). It can also be challenging to bring in leaders from the particular time period the group may be focusing on for the year, if a group chooses to organize their group in a particular time period.  However, you should keep in mind that all the material for the month should be considered lenses or angles through which the youth can study a particular truth.  The priority in choosing the continent of study should be to see, first, what the principle is, and then from there decide which continent (See post on geography and lenses.)

5. Time period.  If a group chooses to follow the pattern of time periods of other groups (like "ancient history", "medieval history," "early modern history," "later modern history"), then it is easier to facilitate multi-group events that bring out this theme (like the medieval feast two groups had last year.)  However, the needs of the particular group should take precedence.  Time periods are definitely low on the totem pole of priorities in how to structure a year.  We simply adopted this tool to help us narrow down the spectrum of focus years ago, but I have since seen how it helps to also provide more context and connections.

The brainstorming/planning for the year is best done in an open-environment, including youth and mentors that feel vested in and aware of the basic principles of Vanguard.  Synergy creates miracles, especially when including the youth mentors.  Ask them: what their needs are; how they would like to help or share their mission; how they would like to learn more about geography, science, and art; concerns, questions, and suggestions.  Specific classes and needs of youth that might not work for the whole group could be used in journeyman or master-level classes.

 With the spirit in your midst, you will be amazed at the higher truths and potential you can achieve!

Importance of adult/mentor training

We must start with ourselves...you, not them, remember?

I came across this excerpt of a talk as I started my word study on leadership this morning:

Four years ago the presiding brethren launched a leadership training program. It began with the General Authorities themselves, in a school-of-the-prophets meeting each Wednesday in the Church Administration Building. They taught themselves in the leadership skills of Jesus and his prophets. From this modern school of the prophets came outlines and source materials for leadership training... (Wendell J. Ashton Conference 4/17)

We must go back to the basic principles as mentors, continually practicing what we want to preach in the years to come.  A mentor is simply someone who is at least one step ahead on the path that the student desires to be on!

We can do this through:
-Summer training of mentors
-Annual Parent Training Mentor meeting
-Monthly Mentor meetings

God's power made manifest through service!

Listened to this just now,...had to share:

I have learned a truth that has been repeated so frequently in my life that I have come to know it as an absolute law. It defines the way obedience and service relate to the power of God. When we obey the commandments of the Lord and serve His children unselfishly, the natural consequence is power from God—power to do more than we can do by ourselves. Our insights, our talents, our abilities are expanded because we receive strength and power from the Lord.

As youth get older...

It is both exciting and scary as the youth get older and seek to take more ownership in the group as they stretch their growing wings of leadership.  This is what we want, right?

Yet, it can be a little scary for a few reasons:
-less control--when you turn something over to someone else, it will look different
-less predictability--youth and new mentors might not know yet how to use the time, and you might have to deal with unexpected "over" and "under" time in class.
-your youth might "fail" in a public setting :).  Ouch :).

The safe environment that should be present in each Vanguard Youth group is an ideal environment for people to practice leadership and safely "fail."  They will learn from their mistakes and they will bring new ideas and perspectives.  If all are following the Spirit, the Spirit will orchestrate the class in unexpected, yet transformational ways.

As the youth begin to step into increasingly more responsible roles in Vanguard, one resource the adult leaders can use to help them understand their new role is the "shadow leadership" method of the Boy Scouts of America.  This is ideally a technique where the youth stands in the front of the group as a physical leader, while the adult watches, supports, and then mentors the youth before and after, giving suggstions and ideas and support.

As you start the new year and have youth, I feel that for it to be a true leadership education academy, you must solicit their help and input in what to include in the year.  (See post on "Planning a new year")

Writing Inspirements

I wrote the following for our group and I thought it might be useful for others, so I'm posting it here:

I hope we can help each other find ways to come up with powerful, motivating, meaningful inspirements.  These inspirements are an invitation to the youth to act. As they act on their knowledge, they will be blessed with the spirit and a higher capacity for truth and understanding.  Following is the process I go through when writing inspirements. Feel free to share more insights and ideas as you learn them.

1. Get an overview of the subject: 
F.A.C.E. talks about the importance of whole to part leaning.  It is important that we understand how this subject (history/geograhy, art/imaginative literature, math/science or government/leadership) fits into building of the kingdom of God.
Some good books for this are:
How Should We Then Live?
Gateway to the Great Books introduction
The Noah Plan books: History and Geography for Geo Conquest
          Literature and Stonebridge Art for Imaginative Arts
          Science and Mathematics for Face to Face with Einstein
         The Christian History of the Constitution of the United States (also explains how other             cultures and time periods have contributed to forming a country of freedom) for Leadership Academy

2. Get an overview of the time period:
The above books or
The History of the Medieval World by Susan Wise Bower

3. Find seven points of focus - events, people, creations (by God or by people), or ideas that I want to focus on - one for each month.

4. Find and read a classic and some background that pertains to that event, person, etc.

5. For each focus, as I read, I ask myself what would Heavenly Father want me to take away from this event, person, etc.?   What might he want the youth to take away from it?  What truths about how we ought to live are found here?  The answers to these questions help me find principles and ideas to focus on.

For example, when I was getting ready to teach Confucius, I was inspired by how hard he tried to get into a position of influence, but never could.  People knew he spoke truth, but did not want to give up their power.  He died having never achieved his dream of governing a people in the government he envisioned.  However, we, thousands of years later, know who he is and the truths he spoke.  There were several principles I could have taken from this, but I believe the principle for the month was "citizenship" so I decided to focus on the impact that one person can have when they are honestly seeking and applying truth, even if it seems like the impact is small.  (It is not necessary to always have the principle you teach be related to the principle of the month, but it can help them draw connections if it can be).  

6. Decide what readings to assign for the apprentice, journeyman and master levels.

For example, for Confucius, I might assign a short section from the Analects for the apprentice level as well as some background reading material (like a children's biography on Confucius).  For Journeyman I might assign some reading about China and some of the wars and types of governmental systems that were taking place at the time (maybe from an original source or a good text book that sites and quotes original sources like Bauer's History of the Ancient World).  For Master, I might assign more or all of the Analects.

7. I think of the goals for the inspirements for each level:

For the Apprentice level the goal is to spark the fire within them for learning more.  Projects will not be too time consuming so the youth will feel like they can accomplish them, but they will be worth-while and interesting so that as they do them, they will be inspired to take more time and go into a deeper level of learning about this person, event, etc.

For the Journeyman level the goal is to give them some skills and background, as well as some more curiosity about the focus so that they feel ready, competent and excited to read the master level book.

For the Master level, the goal is to read the ideas and thoughts of great people and to make them their own by applying what they learn to their lives.  As they start to taste the fruits of doing this in their education, they will hunger for it and be willing to work for it in the future.

8. I start to write some inspirements in each level about each reading. For all levels, I try to have an interesting, personal question (Why do you think about...? What is your favorite...? What would you do if...? What choice would you have made if you...?) that accompanies each inspirement as well as an invitation to apply it.

Apprentice level inspirements might include (with the assigned reading for this level) writing a favorite Confucius quote in Calligraphy, acting out or drawing a graphic summary of an event in his life that impacted others, or making a model of how one thing can impact something else - all with a personal question and application.

Example: "Write your favorite Confucius quote(s) in calligraphy and come prepared to share with us why you liked it.  See if you can find a way to apply it to your day."

Journeyman level inspirements might include (along with the assigned reading for this level)labeling China on a map, drawing the weapons that were used at the time of Confucius, drawing a picture of a major landmark in China, writing a report or making a slide show about what they would like to see if they were to visit China, or doing some research about the forbidden city and the events that led to that government after Confucius's death, for example.  All would be accompanied by a personal question and application.

The Master level inspirements could include (along with the assigned reading for this level) such things as writing a poem or composing a musical number that describes how one person can impact the world, giving an oral presentation about an experience they've had with one person changing a life, writing a report about their experience in reading Confucius's words and trying to apply them, a piece of art that represents what they learned from the book, or doing a word study on impact and presenting what they learned. Again, all would have a personal question and application.

9. I look to see if my inspirements are appealing to both genders.  Young men might be more interested in the action, weapons, achievements, for example.  Girls might be more interested in the feelings involved, in the daily life of the people, or the conversations that took place. (See Why Gender Matters)

10. I see if the inspirements appeal to different learning styles.  If I find there is not enough variety, I might add some art, drama, a logic problem, writing, graphic summaries, word studies, projects or other learning methods that appeal to the different youth. (See Multiple Intelligences)

That is an overview of the process as I see it.  It may need to be refined as we learn what works and what does not.  I also think it is better to have just a few well-thought out inspirements than a lot of them just for the sake of variety (I also think sometimes the youth get tired of reading them when there are too many options). I think the order of these steps is important since I have tried writing inspirements when one of my first priorities was incorporating learning styles, and those inspirements were not as effective or purposeful.

I hope this is helpful. I welcome your feedback!

Proposed Code of Honor for Mentors

MENTOR'S CODE OF HONOR

No student will be pressured or even asked to accept any mentor’s core faith. We are going to create an environment where faith in God and faith in Christ are openly discussed and linked to personal education and mission. No one will feel that they need to be apologetic about their belief.

We will strive to provide:

outside positive influences; an inspiring peer environment allowing them to feel confidence in themselves; caring mentors; and opportunities to grow in faith and testimony.

We seek to:

-allow all participants to feel free to develop uniquely;

-challenge them to develop their personal inner strength, and encourage them to strengthen their faith in Christ as we show connections between personal beliefs/religion and education;

-encourage an increased sense of responsibility for own actions in their home and lives

(especially with regards to personal work ethic);

-provide a setting free of demeaning or harmful criticism.

The youth and leaders in this group will adhere to high moral standards, dress modestly, use clean language, and show respect towards mentors, visiting instructors and each other.