Those were fun times. Also, dance festivals, speech festivals, roadshows, RS bazaars, etc. Then correlation came along and sucked the life out of the church.
I was in our Stake's production of Saturday's Warrior in the 90's!
I never believed the spiritual / doctrinal message even then, but I had a lot of fun in church back then socially.
I have always questioned the wisdom in cutting back on all the social programmes and fun things - the only reason for going as a teenager. Surely the BIG15 must know the doctrine alone isn't enough to keep teenagers and young adults attending?
Absolutely. first time I found out that if your feet are planted and the oponent runs you down, it is his foul. If your feet are moving, it is yours. I got ran down several times. Took me once to learn that rule.
Do they still have sports? I could potentially use the info to throw out there to my husband if they don't because his best memories are playing baseball and sports stuff with them.
I played in the Church basket ball, Saw the road shows, enjoyed Greatly the Gold & Green Balls, In fact set up with wife and arranged them. We actually had open Gospel study lessons, I know because I was the teacher. I met my wife at a church mutual Dance after the lessons. This church does not exist any more. Boredom and kindergarden lessons rein in it's stead. Guilt trips rein supreme. The dictatorship rules all! I have been there and not far from my 80th birthday.
I remember road shows, dances, christmas parties, talent shows, ward or stake dinners and many more fun things to do at church. We had yard sales , BBQ sales and car washes to raise money for our part for a new chapel. We used to cut and split firewood and sell it to raise money. We helped the scouts raise money for their needs or the relief society or the EQ. No more, all that friendship bonding is gone. The big 15 has spoken. Jim
Then they decided the END is coming! Time to get serious. Knock off anything thats fun. Round up anyone and everyone before the end. Then the end didn't come. Now what? We have a mall to build! Get the TBM's under so much pressure to perform on a business/job level. Don't pay anyone for anything. Get that damn mall built before the cash flow dries up. Oh yeah and make sure nobody is gay or thinks for themselves in any way, that way we'll still look like a church. Gotta get rid of those. But get that damn mall built!
I remember it being called "Church Ball" and it was deadly serious. The competition became too fierce, the priesthood said, and it went the way of the rest of the fun.
Do the wards still go to pageants together? I haven't been in so long I have no clue.
Those were almost as riotous as the basketball tourneys. I played second base, and got some sweet revenge with tags on people coming down from first. Once put an energetic tag to the cojones of a bishop for whom I had a big dislike ... now that felt sweet!
Warren Jeffs is following the lead of the Big 15: take away the fun. News item today is that Jeffs has ordered all the FLDS kids to give up their bicycles and trampolines.
As a kid interested in basketball, I liked to watch the broadcasts. I was too young to play on a Church team. The best teams usually had one or two former college players or former high school stars so there were actually some players with real talent. This was in the early 1950s, so it was 60 years ago.
I have heard so many tales from my grandparents as well as parents, about how things "used to be". My grandpa and his best friend (my grandpa is deceased, his friend now the stake patriarch), were such a fierce duo on the softball field that they were known both for their talent as well as their mouthy mouths. This was when they were in the bishopric together. :).
My grandma was yw prez and I've seen pics of the green and gold galas, and heard all about how my moms cousins and siblings all participated in the dance festivals at the rose bowl. Can you imagine? Sigh. It sounds so fun.
My mom and her best friend co wrote a roadshow together, and I was little but got to be a mouse, and remember my costume vividly, and how proud I was to participate. I think once my mom played Emma smith in a stake production.
Anyway, none......I repeat none of this was available to me as a youth.
I do remember a few years ago our region tried to put together a dance festival, and manystakes participated, but our SP rejected the invite we received to participate. I was yw prez at the time, and was really upset. The girls were, too. Buzzkill abounds.
And they are so perplexed about the young adults who drop like flies. Duh.