Tuesday, August 13, 2013

September Apprentice Readings and Inspirements

(Estimated total time for Apprentice: 5 hours or more)

Study (Know)

1. Before you begin:  Plan your studies for the week and discuss it with your parent(s). 

Read through the newsletter for this week’s lens (and master class if that applies to you). Highlight the required readings and the inspirements that most interest you. Use a SAR (Student Accountability Report) or another tool (like a planner or notebook) to plan and pace your studies for the week.  Include your Vanguard studies, other studies, and personal goals. Discuss this with your parent(s) in your weekly parent mentor meeting.  We’re excited to see everyone blossom BIG TIME this year as you develop self-leadership skills this habit will bring you: goal setting, time management, planning, pacing, accountability, finishing, and asking for support from parents. (Estimated time: 30 minutes)

2. Read a poem a day (from Sister Bates) 

From American History in Verse American History in Verse (by Burton Stevenson). Read the poems to "Columbus" by Joaquin Miller (through page 8).  (Estimated time: 30 minutes)

3. How: Essential Skills for Living the Gospel 

(by John Hilton III and Anthony Sweat).  Read the introduction (pages 1-4).  Say a prayer to be guided, and then read the table of contents and mark any of the headings that stand out to you. Then choose one of the chapters to read.  Read that chapter, marking your favorite parts as you read.  In your journal make note of any spiritual promptings you receive while you read so you can act on those.  (Estimated time: 30 minutes)


4. Promises of the Constitution: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow  

(by Pamela Romney Openshaw).  Read the preface and prologue. Then read pages 93-121. Mark anything that stands out to you. If it brings up any questions, jot those down in the book or your notebook. Feel free to ask those questions to your parents or in class. (Estimated time: 1 hour or more)



5. Hero Study. 

Research and take notes on a person you admire from this time period (1500 to 1850). This could include a founding father or mother, an inventor, musician, religious leader, author, or someone else you admire and want to learn more about. Use a book from our recommended hero book list, or find other sources with the approval of your parents. (Note: Wikipedia is not allowed. Copying and pasting is not allowed. This needs to be in your own words.) 

Here are some ideas of thing you could include in your notes: your hero’s life and experiences, how you think they filled the mission God sent them to live, how their hard work, education, talents, and even life challenges helped them become a better person and do something worthwhile, how you can see God's hand in his or her life, and what Christlike characteristics that person had that you admire.  (Estimated time: 1 hour)



6. Word Study. 

Do a word study on ONE of the following words: “God,” “Liberty,” “Agency,” “Virtue” “Constitution,” or “America.” (Estimated time: 30 minutes) 

Teach (Understand)

Choose ONE of the following inspirements: (Estimated time: 30 minutes or more)

1. Teach the Vanguard group the skill you chose to learn from the "How book."  You could teach this in a variety of ways: create a poem or song, a multimedia presentation like Prezi or Power Point , a white board discussion, an object lesson, a poster board that displays the main points, prepare a talk similar to what you’d give in sacrament meeting, or write a paper about it to read to the class. Be sure to include a scripture or quote from the chapter, how you've benefitted from working on that skill, and an invitation for the class members to work on it too.  



2. Create a new habit. Read the "How book" chapter first thing this week so you have a whole week to work on the skill you studied. Write down a goal on this week's SAR about the skill you studied in the “How book.” At the end of the week before you come to Vanguard, write in your journal about how you've been doing working on the skill and how it's helping you become more like Christ. Come to class ready to share the your goal and how it's helping you become better. Invite the class to improve in that area too. Optional: Since it's estimated to take 28 days for your brain pathways to make a new habit, go the extra mile and keep working on that habit until the next Leadership Academy class in four weeks. Use your SAR to write the goal each week, and include your parents in your progress in your weekly parent mentor meetings. 



3. When reading Promises of the Constitution, write a sentence at the end of each tiny chapter that summarizes the main concept. Take one of those main concepts and choose a way to teach it to the class. You can use a Prezi or Power Point presentation, white board discussion, object lesson, short game or activity or simulation, or find a video online to help you teach the concept.



4. Write a hero report. From the notes you wrote about your hero, type up a report. See Sister Edwards' example for ideas.  Read the report to the class. (Hand in your report so we can see that you did it. It won't be graded or anything. If you'd like to become a better writer, you can write at the top "please give some helpful feedback." You can ask your parents to proofread and offer a little feedback before you hand it in too if you’d like.)



4. Give a hero presentation. If it's your week to present your hero report (you'll sign up for a turn), have fun with it!  After researching your hero and taking notes, find some fun ways to present your hero to us!  Here are some ideas: 

Dress up as your hero and read us your hero report
Show pictures a short video clip about your hero and some of the things he or she did to make the world a better place 
Perform part of a speech your hero gave, or play part of a musical composition he or she 
Create a skit that portrays your hero’s characteristics and what he or she accomplished 
Write a poem about your hero 
A short game to help you teach the class interesting things about your hero
Be sure to include what characteristics you admire about your hero, and your plan to develop one of those characteristics.



Serve (Become) 

Choose ONE of the following inspirements: (Estimated time: 30 minutes or more)

1. Teach a family home evening lesson on one of the three things you studied this month: your skill from the “How book,” a government principle from the Promises of the Constitution book, or your hero report. Or if you did the  journeyman reading, you could teach an FHE lesson on that book.

2.  Prayerfully think of a service project you can do that has to do with something you learned from your apprentice studies.  One idea is to think of how your hero liked to serve others and find a service that follows that example.  If your hero is a musician, could your family visit a bedridden older neighbor and sing some songs to cheer her up? 
3. Write down promptings you receive while doing your readings and inspirements. Act on one that serves someone else. Come to class ready to share. 

4. Get involved in Teen Eagle Forum, from which a guest speaker visited Vanguard last year. (http://www.utaheagleforum.org/teeneagles.html).They have monthly meetings and you can volunteer to be a teen legislative page during the state legislative sessions to help promote pro-family issues. Or do something else to promote liberty. Come to class ready to share.


5. Teach a family member or friend the main points of the things you've learned from your studies this week. Be sure to tell them how you're going to improve your life from the things you've learned. Come to class ready to share. 




September Journeyman Readings and Inspirements

(Estimated total time for Journeyman: 2 hours or more)

Study (Know) 


1. Read The Miracle of America: Birth of a Nation (by Brian Trotter and William Norton). (Estimated time: 1 hour)




Take time to really look at and feel the spirit of the beautiful pictures in the book as you read the stories.  Start reading a the at the forward. As you read look for any quotes you like. Record those in your journal or quote book. 


OR if you don't have the above "Miracle of America" book, you could use this one instead: The American Revolution (Landmark Books) by Bruce Bliven Jr. (Estimated time: unknown). Again, look for quotes you like and record those. 



2. Read The Mayflower Compact (from 1620).

And do some research to understand and explain its background. Here is one source: http://www.usconstitution.net/mayflower.html. If you own it, I highly recommend using Great American Documents for LDS Families. (Estimated time: 30 minutes)

Teach (Understand)

Choose ONE of the following inspirements: (Estimated time: 30 minutes or more)

1. After reading the book, open your journal or computer to a blank page. Write for about 30 minutes. Write whatever comes to your mind about America, a favorite quote from the book, God’s power to help His children, the heroic qualities of those who sacrificed so much for America, what you think you may be able to do to help preserve liberty, what freedoms you appreciate, ways you feel inspired to be a better person or educate yourself and prepare to live your life mission, or any other thoughts or feelings you’ve had while reading the book.  

2. What ways do you see God’s hand in the founding of America?  Choose your favorite story from the book and find a creative way to share it with the class. You could tell the story in your own words using animated voices, create a poem or skit or song, create a multimedia presentation, or draw a graphic summary of the events in the story. When you share your presentation with the class, share with us how this story builds your faith in God’s power and/or your gratitude for America's founders. Knowing that God helped those people, how strong is your belief that He will help you in your challenges too?  What can you do to increase that belief?

3. Reread the paragraph in the top right corner of page vi, and all of page 22. Ponder the sacrifices our Founding Fathers and their families made to bring about our free country of America. What kinds of sacrifices are you willing to make to follow what you know is right? To stand up for freedom in your own way?  To prepare and educate yourself to make a difference in whatever ways God wants you to? Would you have had enough courage to sign the Declaration? Find a way to record your thoughts and feelings about this -- in your journal, in a poem, in a multimedia presentation, or other way to share with the class. 

4. After reading The Mayflower Compact, ponder the significance of this agreement from 1620. What effects do you think it had on the direction of government in our country?  Do you think if these people didn’t live this way, their posterity would have had enough experience with the concept of liberty and virtue, that they would have fought for independence and then created the US Constitution?  Find a way to record what you learned, and your thoughts and feelings about this -- in your journal, in a poem, in a multimedia presentation, or other way to share with the class. 

(If you have any questions, please ask Sister Edwards!)

BONUS: 

Enjoy a video performance of beautiful music combined with fine art photography from the book. 









Book List for 2013-14 Leadership Academy


Apprentice Book List 

(These books will be use all year) 

1- How: Essential Skills for Living the Gospel,* by John Hilton III and Anthony Sweat. ( $26.96, not available at library)

2-  Promises of the Constitution: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow,* by Pamela Romney Openshaw. ($24.62 including shipping, not available at library) 

3- A hero report on a hero from this time period. Choose a research source from below:

Recommended Hero Book List (Choose ONE book below or use another parent-approved source. We don’t want the youth confronted with anti-founders literature at this age. Wikipedia not allowed.)

Great American Statesmen and Heroes, by Catherine Millard (1995) 
Builders of our Country II, by G. Southward (1907, FREE at heritage-history.com)
Heroes of Progress in America, by Charles Morris (1906, FREE at heritage-history.com)
For You They Signed, by Marilyn Boyer (2010, by a homeshool mother of 14 children) 
The Founders: The 39 Stories Behind the US Constitution (2005, this one didn't state a Christian viewpoint, but I included it in the list because I didn't find as many books about Constitution signers as for Declaration signers) 





Journeyman Book List 

We’ll use one book each month, based on the principle of the month in parentheses. 
For October and April the readings will be switched for apprentice and journeyman.


September (God) The Miracle of America: Birth of a Nation,* by Brian P. Trotter and William S. Norton (72 pages, $26.95, not available at library) 

OR for September,  if it’s not feasible to afford the above "Miracle of America" book, you could use this one instead: The American Revolution (Landmark Books)* by Bruce Bliven Jr. (160 pages, $5.39, 2 copies at library)

In Sept. we’ll also study two short documents (free online**): Mayflower Compact (the year 1620) and John Winthrop’s Speech: “A Model of Christian Charity” (the year 1630). 

October – (Citizenship – Apprentice book) Carry On, Mr. Bowditch,* by Jean Lee Latham (256 pages, but easy reading, $6.26, either 12 or 21 copies at library)

November – (Life and Pursuit of Happiness) The Power of Positive Thinking for Teens,* by Mary Lou Carney (128 pages, $8.51, not available at library)

January – (Property) Whatever Happened to Penny Candy? by Richard Maybury (159 pages, $13.46, 7 copies at library)

February – (Liberty) Bulletproof George Washington* Bulletproof George Washington (62 pages, $6.60, four copies at library)

In Feb. we’ll also study two documents (free online**): George Washington’s Farewell Address (the year 1796) and The Declaration of Independence (the year 1776).


March – (Leadership) The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader by John Maxwell (176 pgs, $8.09 __ copies at library) 
April – (Society – Apprentice bookFreedom Factor*, by Gerald Lund (295 pages, but easy reading, $16.69, 12 copies at library)


_____________________ 
Note: The prices I listed above are for new books using Amazon Prime with free 2-day shipping. Amazon (and other used book sites) also have them used, starting around $4 including shipping.
*Good books for family read-aloud (they may all be depending on ages of your children)
**These documents are free online. Or if you want to invest in Great American Documents for LDS Families it is a beautiful book that includes pictures, explanations, definitions, and quotes from church leaders about the documents.  (Reg. $45.99 but we bought ours on clearance. It's also a Deseret Book eBook for $14.99.)  Optional but highly recommended!







New Vanguard Theme for 2013-14

This Year's Theme is  "Joy in the Journey!"


John 16:33 --  "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."


My daughter Grace has a gift of finding the joy in life, and making even hard things fun!  On our pioneer trek this summer, she became the designated ward air conditioner. The youth would come to her and ask her to cool them off. Here's what happened. 





And then they would face into the wind. Worked every time.  Joy! 



There is always more joy in the journey when you're with people you love. This Grace and her awesome Dad on our pioneer trek.





Vision Statement for Leadership Academy


  • Developing leadership virtues as we learn to become better followers of God so we may lead others to Him. 
  • Understanding moral law, or principles of freedom, that allow men to reach their full potential by learning how to govern themselves and others. 
  • Learn about great leaders and nations which have demonstrated these virtues and used them to serve others, as well as those who have not. 
  • The focus will be on three areas: 

  1. The importance of personal leadership, and how that helps one contribute or lead in all other levels (family, social, groups, education, career, church, government, accomplish personal missions)
  2. America’s founding and the great people and events surrounding it, and other great leaders and heroes. We want our youth to fall in love with America, liberty, and the founding fathers.  
  3. God-given principles of government that promote liberty





Vanguard Blogs

General Vanguard blog with links to the other blogs:




Lens Blogs:

Combined Blog for all Five Vanguard groups in Utah:
http://vanguardnotes.blogspot.com/