Relief Society Structure

[WillowTheWhisp]

Does anyone have experience of Relief Society classes being divided up into age groups? We are only a small ward and on average our RS has about 20-25 sisters in the class. This is now going to be divided into 2 smaller groups by age. I'm not sure where the line is going to be drawn between young and old and maybe I'm just an old stick in the mud but I can't help wondering what benefit there can be in splitting up an already small class.

We have a sort of 'transition plan' for the young women by inviting them into the class opening excercises once a month which is supposed to help them feel at home when they move up but now splitting the RS up into age groups seems to contradict that. I suppose I'm just hoping to hear from people in wards where this is done and where it works well.

[MarginOfError]

This is the first I've ever heard of it. I can see pros and cons both ways, although, personally, I wouldn't break it up by age. I'd make smaller classes of mixed ages. Doing so would allow more discussion, but still allow the younger sisters to gain insights from the experience of the older sisters and vice versa.

As a general rule, I find that dividing classes by age isn't a very good idea, unless there are valid developmental reasons for doing so (think, combining 7 year olds and 12 year olds...that wouldn't work so well). But by the time people are adults, the age discrepancies tend to benefit more than they hurt.

[WillowTheWhisp]

That was actually my reacton when I was told but the RS Pres seemed to think I was being awkard. I'm one of the older end and I love the input we get from the younger sisters.

[CookieC]

I haven't heard of this happening anywhere here, but I have to say, I'd be a little disappointed. I think that the mix of ages is one of the things that makes RS so wonderful as a womens group.

When I was first married, we were in a "newly-weds and nearly-deads" ward (their description, not mine, although it was both accurate and hilarious.) I learned more in that two years than I have in all my other years in RS combined. Not only did the older sister have so much to teach and share with us, but they encouraged the younger sisters to stretch their abilities. There was much opportunity for compassionate service as well. Not just the take a meal in kind of service, but the garden-planting, chauffeuring, house-cleaning, listening kind of service. I really miss that kind of experience.

[pam]

There is much to learn from all different ages. I would not like it if they decided to split it up.

[Wingnut]

It's absurd to break up a group that is already that small. Like MOE said, it shouldn't be done by age either. While it can be difficult for a teacher to tailor a lesson to a wide variety of ages and stages of life, part of the point of Relief Society is for the many women to teach and learn from each other. I have so much to learn from the older women in my ward. They in turn can learn things from me.

[Guest mormonmusic]

I think you need to know the reasons behind the decision to break up the RS into two groups. We've reacted to the DECISION to do this, but without understanding the underlying objectives to this decision, we're shooting in the dark. Do you know what the decision-makers were trying to accomplish with this?