Relief Society Birthday Celebration and Party Ideas

Here is a list of ideas and skits for the Relief Society Birthday or other activities. If you have a great program or skit, please share it. (I especially like skits with references or sources.)

Relief Society Birthday Enrichment Skits

Music Ideas

There are several music links in the list above, plus....

The hymn, "Now Let Us Rejoice," was sung at the close of the first Relief Society meeting. The minutes of the Kirtland Temple dedication indicate that "Now Let Us Rejoice" was sung to the tune "Assembly," the same tune used in our present day Hymns for "The Spirit of God"! (Sources: KirtlandTemple.org and Community of Christ, formerly RLDS church website)

Including Transitioning Laurels at the Relief Society Birthday Party Celebration

Mary G shared this idea: "For part of our program, we're doing the reader's theater on the Relief Society Presidents. After we discuss Sister Parkin and highlight her focus on helping Young Women transition into Relief Society, we're doing a short spotlight on the 5 Laurels in our ward that will enter Relief Society this year. We're hoping this will help the sisters know who they are and make a special effort to help them feel welcomed."

You never know who you're influencing at the Birthday Party...

Barbara B. Smith, tenth General Relief Society President, first attended Relief Society on March 17, 1942, for the 100th anniversary Relief Society Birthday program. She was expecting a baby, and her mother didn't want to leave her alone at home. She observed, "That day at Relief Society the hundred years of Relief Society history were reviewed, a meaningful way for me to see what Relief Society was all about and how I could fit into it. I started to attend our ward Relief Society regularly soon after that." (" 'Joy in Every Minute': An Interview with Sister Barbara B. Smith," Ensign, June 1975, 61)

Jenny's history of Relief Society notes

Presidents of the Relief Society

1. Emma Hale Smith (1842 - 1844)
2. Eliza R. Snow (1868 - 1887)
3. Zina D. H. Young (1888 - 1901)
4. Bathsheba W. Smith (1901 - 1910)
5. Emmeline B. Wells (1910 - 1921)
6. Clarissa S. Williams (1921 - 1928)
7. Louise Y. Robison (1928 - 1939)
8. Amy Brown Lyman (1940 - 1945)
9. Belle S. Spafford (1945 - 1974)
10. Barbara B. Smith (1974 - 1984)
11. Barbara W. Winder (1984 - 1990)
12. Elaine L. Jack (1990 - 1997)
13. Mary Ellen W. Smoot (1997 - 2002)
14. Bonnie D. Parkin (2002 - 2007)
15. Julie Bangerter Beck (2007 - present)

Birthdays of the Relief Society General Presidents

I'm never quite sure why I get asked this so often, but here are the birth dates I have for the RS General Presidents:

• Emma Hale Smith - born July 10, 1804; died April 30, 1879
• Eliza R. Snow - born January 21, 1804; died December 5, 1887
• Zina D. H. Young - born January 31, 1821; died August 28, 1901
• Bathsheba W. Smith - born May 3, 1822; died September 20, 1910
• Emmeline B. Wells - February 29, 1828; died April 25, 1921
• Clarissa S. Williams - born 1860; died March 8, 1930
• Louise Y. Robison - born 1866; died March 30, 1946
• Amy Brown Lyman - born February 7, 1872; died December 5, 1959
• Belle S. Spafford - born October 8, 1895; died February 2, 1982
• Barbara B. Smith - born January 26, 1922; living
• Barbara W. Winder - born May 9, 1931; living
• Elaine L. Jack - born March 22, 1928; living
• Mary Ellen W. Smoot - born August 19, 1933; living
• Bonnie D. Parkin - born August 4, 1940; living
• Julie Bangerter Beck - born September 29, 1954; living

If you have more information on these birth and death dates, please send it to me.

Recommended Books on Relief Society History

I'd personally recommend these books on RS History:

• Women of Covenant: The Story of Relief Society by Derr, Cannon, and Beecher; Deseret Book Company; 1992. ISBN 0-87579-593-5
• Elect Ladies: Presidents of the Relief Society by Peterson and Gaunt (1990). Published Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book Company. ISBN 0-87579-416-5.
• History of Relief Society 1842-1966 by The Relief Society General Board Association, 1966.

Are you the Enrichment/Meeting Counselor?

Everything Enrichment - can be found at the preceding link. You'll find EVERYTHING that relates to Enrichment on our website including craft ideas, skits, activities, handouts, and much much more.

Got Awesome Stuff, too? Share it!

If you have a great program or skit, please share it or email it to me at jennysmith.net@gmail.com.