Freshers’ Week 2013

Immediately following our YSA Sunday, there was a week of activities known as Freshers’ Week, including an Outreach Night, Institute Registration, a Talent Show, a Bad Luck Party, and cleaning the Church followed by a Barbecue.

Freshers’ Week, according to the Collins English Dictionary, is (British) a week at the beginning of a university year, usually with a program of events intended to welcome new first-year students. It is a big thing in Scotland at the major universities, such nearby St. Andrews University. As it turns out in practice, many of the “activities” involve lots of drinking and other partying, not in keeping with our standards. So the YSAs put on their own Freshers’ Week as an alternative. This year, for each of the activities Neil posted a clever Facebook announcement (in italics below). 

Outreach Night

Welcome YSAers to Freshers’ Week 2013! It all kicks off Tuesday with a most exciting interactive event with Hot Chocolate! Come along to the YSA Centre at Liff Road for 7pm and bring your laptops, iPads or mobile devices. Don't have one? No problem, come anyway! Can't make it to Dundee? That’s ok too, simply log on at home at 7pm, come to The YSA Dundee page and turn your Facebook Chat on so we know you are there and together we will build Zion...online! 

The basic idea was to send personal FB messages to the less active YSA. It was great for a first attempt at this type of thing.  Everyone had a fun time reaching out. There were a total of 21 participating throughout the evening, 14 in person and 7 only on FB.

        In addition Neil posted several questions on FB such as “There are people who have never been to YSA or haven't been for a while. There are people we care about but we haven't seen in ages. In this new year of Institute why should people come to YSA?” What is your favorite YSA memory?  

What has been one of your personal favourite YSA activities?

       

Institute Registration

Freshers’ Week continues Wednesday at 7 pm with our traditional institute Enrolment Dinner. Start the institute year right by signing up to study the new Book of Mormon course then sit down for the Bylunds’ home cooked meal with Chicken Enchiladas, salad and tigerbread and there is even dessert, too. If that wasn't enough there will be socializing, games and new friendships to be made. It is part of the plan for you to be here and it’s always better when we're together! 

We started with Br. Johnson conducting Institute Registration in the cultural hall with 37 YSA registering for the yearlong Book of Mormon course, followed by the sit-down dinner. After dinner, we moved to the YSA room for a few games (Never have I ever, Do you love your neighbor and Werewolf).   

Talent Night

Day 3: Is the Thursday Talent Night! Everyone has some sort of talent. It’s just some are more conspicuous - we just want you to come and share something - play a piano, dance, sing, read a poem, tell a joke, bake a cake, balance a dog, eat a pineapple whole, ping a rubber band on a target, transmogrify yourself into a badger, waddle back and forward to music, tell a story, do kickyups, move your supermobile knees, build a bridge, eat pies, train a monkey to wear roller-skates - the possibilities are endless. Come do something good or something with feeling but just come!:)

We had about 19 at the Talent night. The “talents” included Elder Winn roping Elder Burt, who made a feeble attempt to be a cow, and lassoing Elliot on the run around the ankles, Jordan playing the pots as drums, Sister Bylund tap dancing, readings in French and German  Jimmy’s impersonation of Elvis. The highlight was Stephen, a newly baptized member, doing his magic tricks.

  

Bad Luck Party

Does the bread always fall buttered-side down?

For Friday the 13^th don't hide away in fear, don't lock the doors and windows or run from black cats, and don’t worry if it’s safe to go near that step ladder. No! Come to the YSA Centre at Liff Road instead and try your luck. Bring an Umbrella and come dressed wacky or weird. Feel free to be creative, you can come frumpy or dumpy, goofy or geeky, mad as a hatter, or as chavy as a Jeremy Kyle guest. Just be an...ahem... unfortunate person ;) It’s a party but with a difference. How many parties pit you against the universe? Try our activities of skill, strength, endurance, intelligence and mystery and test how blessed you really are! So tell me do you feel lucky...punk? My name is Neil and I endorse this message!

The Bad Luck Party was attended by about 20 YSAs. There were an innovate variety of games/activities based on the theme, including things like buttered bread falling onto a face either buttered side up or buttered side down, renaming people, progressive bad luck/good luck stories, and dancing. It was a lucky night for those attending.

Service Project/Barbecue

Freshers Week is coming to end but it’s not finished yet - Our 2nd last activity is Saturday at 10:30 am - It’s a service project then a Barbecue. We have been blessed so much with a place to have fun and relax, to hold our activities, a place for institute and home evening group, a place where we play volleyball and werewolf and line up for the Bylunds home cooked meals. Tomorrow we can show our gratitude and take a little time to take care and make nice that place AND then afterwards bring your own food for the BBQ and let’s eat and have fun together. Please if you can make it come and be part of the YSA.

The Chapel was cleaned and tummies were filled.

CES Fireside with Elder Nelson

Well the end of Freshers’ Week arrives tomorrow with Home Evening Group in Liff Road at 6 pm - Elder Russell M Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in a broadcast from Salt Lake gives a special message for the young adults of the church. How blessed we are to have prophets, seers and revelators care enough to speak to us today. You can’t afford to miss this! Home Evening Group happens every Sunday at 6pm!

There were 26 YSAs in attendance for this wonderful fireside.

Last post

So Fresher's Week has come to an end. I would just like to write one last post. We pray in our meetings and give thanks for the service of our missionary couples and our institute teacher but there is one person I would like to formally recognize, whom we rarely give thanks to and that is Jonathan. As YSA President he has the near impossible task of leading a YSA program that has to please all of us, it’s difficult coming up with new activities every week and as a council we do our best we can always do better but he does it with love, hard work and never a complaint. I am grateful to have the pleasure of working with such a good man. All your worries are worth it. All hail the chief!