Church Policies and Announcements

The following items appeared in a recent Messages, sent to stake, mission, and district presidents and to bishops and branch presidents:

“Students Leaving Home to Attend School. When students leave home to attend school, it is imperative that their membership record be forwarded to the new unit as quickly as possible. Home teachers in the student’s home ward should obtain the student’s new address and the name of the new Church unit prior to the student’s departure for school and forward it to the ward clerk through the ward executive secretary. The student and the student’s parents should make every effort to see that the home teachers receive the information. The clerk should forward the membership record promptly to the student’s new ward according to membership instructions on page 84 of the General Handbook of Instructions and any special instructions for your area.

“In addition, each ward executive secretary should give the names of students attending school away from home to the stake Church Educational System coordinator, together with the student’s new address and, if possible, telephone number. The stake coordinator should then forward this information to the appropriate Institute of Religion. Since schools generally cannot require students to list religious preference, many Latter-day Saint students may go unidentified unless they associate with the Institute voluntarily.

“If these steps are promptly taken, each student can be immediately contacted by local Church leaders and Institute personnel and given the opportunity to receive the blessings of fellowship and participation in the Church.

“This item should be read in sacrament meeting. Efforts to gather and forward the information and records should be coordinated regularly in the ward priesthood executive committee meeting.

“New Year’s Eve 1978. New Year’s Eve in 1978 will fall on Sunday evening. It is therefore recommended that the following program be carried out within the wards or stakes, if it is customary to celebrate New Year’s Eve.

“a. A dance or other suitable activity be held for all the young people Saturday night, December 30, closing at 11:30 P.M.

“b. If stake and ward priesthood leaders concur, a fireside could be held on Sunday evening commencing at 10:00 or 10:30 P.M. This might be a program-type of event, but all numbers, of course, should be in keeping with the Sabbath day.

“c. After 12:00 midnight, refreshments, a buffet supper or breakfast could be served following the fireside so that the young people may be held together in the Church until approximately 1:00 or 1:30 A.M. and will not be tempted to go to commercial places.”