I have been out of the church for over 50 years, and I need to know a few things about how things are done nowadays:

1. Are the Primary classes for girls still "Bluebirds"? (I think that's what they were called in the 1950s). What were the three levels of Bluebirds (that's obviously a question for old-timers, if there are no more Bluebirds)?

2. Do they pass the Sacrament in sunday school, or just in sacrament meeting?

3. Do they still have "Green and Gold Balls" for YM & YW?

4. Does the congregation stand for any of the hymns?

1. No - I don't think they've been called that in a while. I joined in 78 and never used that term.

2. Just sacrament meeting

3. I don't know

4. Sometimes they will stand for the middle hymn - congregational hymn but it depends on how motivated the conductor is.

1 - Bluebirds?! Nope. When I was little, the older girls were in a class called "Merry Miss" but that is defunct now as well.

2- Sacrament is only passed in Sacrament meeting.

3- I've never even heard of these balls... Now, the stakes hold youth dances, usually in conjunction with youth conference and they are nothing more than music playing in a gym. No decorations. No refreshments. Lots of kids standing around thinking how lame it all is. Recently, I noticed at least in SoCal, they have Mormon "proms" where the kids get dressed up fancy in tuxes and modest gowns.

4- Every once in awhile the chorister would have us stand for a hymn, but it always seemed like it was on a whim.

Answers 1, 2 and 4 as above.

3. I remember my brother and sister having "green and gold balls" when they went to Church College, maybe 6/7 years ago. I haven't heard of any since though, but they possibly still have them in some Wards.

1. Just sacrament meeting
2. They have plaques now..for YW and YM
3. Sometimes we stand. We can't sing hymns that are not approved and the tempo is always the same!

In our ward [in NYC] Primary doesn't seem to be gender separated or called anything, at least, not that I've heard. Sacrament is passed in Sacrament Meeting. I've never heard of any balls in our ward. And we don't stand for hymns.

1. No, only 10/11 year olds are separated and that just depends on how big the classes are.
2. Just sacrament meeting
3. Stake dances every few months, very lame.
4. The only song I've ever stood for is the Star Spangled Banner.

Primary...

18months-3yrs nursery

January 1st age...
3yrs sunbeams
4yrs CTR 4
5yrs CTR 5
6yrs CTR 6
7yrs CTR 7
8yrs Valient 8
9yrs Valient 9
10yrs Valient 10
11yrs Valient 11 (boys and girls are separated, at least in my ward. After you have turned 12 durning the year, you attend
sharing time and YM/YW).


Youth

12-13yrs girl-Beehive
14-15yrs girl-Mia Maid
16-17yrs girl-Laurel

Boys, standard priesthood titles, deacon, teacher, priest


Cub Scouts had a "Blue and Gold Banquet" , but I don't think that's what you're referring to.


We stand for hymns randomly, but for memorial day we stood for the National Anthem as our closing song.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/01/2011 09:08PM by exmollymo.

I maybe young, but this is what I know.

- Junior Sunday School was eliminated with the move to block schedule. So, sacrament is only administered in Sacrament meeting now.

- Primary class names have undergone many changes in the past 30 years. Even right before I was a Primary counselor in the mid-90s, there were some more changes.

- I do know of at least 1 stake near me that had Green & Gold balls in the early '90s. Of course this stake was 'rich'.

- Through the '90s, the congregation would only stand if it was a special hymn in the middle of Sacrament meeting. Well, that's how my ward did it.

I'm in northern California, BTW.

I remember the days of Gay Notes too.
Larks, Bluebirds, Seagulls are classes I remember the best in primary, along with the green bands to hold the plastic icons.

I attended Gold and Green Balls in the early 60's just as they were changing them to other activities.

We had stake dances every Saturday night too.

Northern California was the place to be LDS in the 60's. The MIA girls camps at the official Girl Scout camps was absolutely incredible.

I remember standing to sing hymns to get members to wake up during long and boring Sacrament meetings in the evenings. Sunday school was Sunday morning and the sacrament was passed there too. I played the organ for the morning Sunday School meetings which also sported two and a half minute talks. An adult played the organ for the evening Sacrament meetings.

All of that is changed now.
Correlation clearly created a new church without the heart it originally had.

But then, their own history came to light and that was the end of it. The heart was broken by its own history.

Local stake in midwest has an annual Gold and Green ball with decorations, refreshments, entertainment, etc. but I think it's just because they like doing it.

The scouts have their Blue and Gold thing but I've never been to one.

Exmollymo is spot on for the Primary classes.

how-why were the colors Gold & Green selected?

did they symbolize ANYTHING???



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/01/2011 10:57PM by guynoirprivateeye.

From an old time primary captive:
(I still have my bandelow)

Homebuilders
Larks
Bluebirds
Seagulls

I once heard that the colors referred to the age, gold for old folks, green for the young ... meaning the dance was for all ages.

But about sacrament in SS, no as others here have said they haven't done that for some time, since they started the 3-hour block. (Remember in the 1950s and before, the "senior Aaronic priesthood" quorum would bless and pass the sacrament in Junior Sunday School. Remember also that you used to bring your arm to the square when you blessed sacrament?)

Standing during hymns is now at the digression of the bishop or the person who is presiding. They usually no longer do it. (Speaking of music, one of the things they also do now which is just plain wrong, if someone is giving a musical number, they step up to the mike and sing or play into the mike. It's very disturbing if you're out in the foyer.)

The last time I saw a Green and Gold Ball was in a German stake, where they had a professional dance band and charged $50 per person. Damn Germans. They were experts at running a stake really differently than in the states.

primary classes have changed names a few times. I have no idea what they're doing now. They're the True Church, you know, so it's all good.

I joined in 1973

1. Never heard of "bluebirds"

2. After 'the block' style of meetings, Sacrament is only passed in sacrament meeting. Primary has singing, games, sharing times and classes during the time the adults are in SS and RS/Priesthood

3. In 1973 I remember being told they used to have 'green and gold' balls. But they hadn't had any for a couple of years then.

4. All songs sung by the congregation are supposed to be from the hymnal, including the choir songs. But the choir can get 'versions' of the hymns from SLC distribution headquarters and sing those (not much of an improvement)
Standing during the middle hymn, the one between the first and second or second and third talks is usual, and sometimes during the closing hymn if it's a rousing tune. It is at the discretion of the chorister, but I doubt they'd keep their position if they ever had the congregation stand to sing the sacrament hymn!