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