Halloween/Activity Related Church Policies?

[Somebody]

I know that there are to be no masks related to a church activity. That is stated in Handbook 2 and has been for as along as I can remember.

 

Is there any other policy that I am not aware of that would effect a church sponsered Halloween activity as outlined below? I've been looking and have not been able to find anything so far.

 

In our ward this year, for the children's halloween activity they were told to wear their costumes. However, the week of the activity it was added "as a reminder" that there be no masks, no face paint and no (toy) weapons. (In the "announcement" it was mentioned that this was "just like the local school" which I thought was odd as well.)

 

The mask part I get (it's always been that way) but the other two kinda surprised our family. We ended up not going because our children had already gotten their costumes before the notice on no (toy) weapons or face paint. This announcement basically gutted our kid's costumes and we were not in a position to come up with something new on quick notice. We knew our kids would feel uncomfortable and left out if they went without costumes (they already couldn't eat much of the food because of gluten issues, to throw the costume thing on top of that... didn't leave much) so we just made other plans for our kids that afternoon and moved on.

 

However, my hubby (who is on the ward counsel) has been getting comments from other ward members in regard to the no toy weapons or facepaint thing. Seems we were not the only ones who already had their kid's costumes for whom this was a problem.

 

My husband would like to bring this up in ward counsel, about how it was handled, where this came from and the feedback he has had. He's very busy this week and has asked me to help him out by seeing if I could find out any further information on church policy and how it might relate to this situation before he goes on Sunday, so he can be better prepared on how to present the concerns and questions that have been raised. I wasn't having any luck finding anything other than masks, so thought I might ask here just in case I've missed something.

 

Would I be correct in guessing that there is not a church policy banning toy weapons and facepaint for an activity such as a Primary Halloween Party?

 

Thanks! :)

 

 

[mirkwood]

You are correct.

[Sunday21]

What is wrong with face paint?

[Palerider]

The outline in the handbook is what you go by. I see nothing wrong it's asking for clarification .....I ask questions in my High Council meetings all the time and they have never gotten rid of me yet. It's been eight years of serving so far. I would read over handbook and use that as my guide.

[zil]

I've heard the face-paint thing before (and heard it explained that it's basically the same as wearing a mask).  (Not saying I agree or don't, just that's what I've heard said.)

 

I've also heard it said that costumes should not be cross-gender (that is, boys / men should not be dressed in dresses; not sure how you'd interpret that for girls / women - put a girl in a 3-piece suit and she might just look like a business woman rather than a man <g>).

 

There's nothing in Handbook 2 about this... Checking with brother about Handbook 1, please hold....  (Thank you for your patience.  Your question is very important to us and will be answered in the order in which it was received.... )  And there's nothing specific in handbook 1 either.

 

I suspect the weapon thing is due to the current culture in the world right now, and seems a bit much to me, but I also believe in following the counsel of local leaders (while at the same time believing that many of them could be a bit more organized and give more advanced notice of details like this).

 

Searching LDS.org brings up some stuff related to dramatizations / cultural celebrations, but nothing that seems to add much (except your child shouldn't come to the party as deity).

[Guest]

My kids were power rangers years back.  It's, of course, kinda idiotic having a power ranger without the mask.  But my kids didn't have a problem going to the Halloween party with their masks in their candy buckets.  I'm sure they wouldn't have a problem with leaving their lightsabers, laser guns, bows and arrows, and whatever other costume accessory at home either.  And they don't like candy...  It really all depends on how you, as the parent, explain it to them.  I just told my kids - no masks in this party - and they're like Okay.  They didn't care - they just wanted to be with their friends.  The costume was incidental.

 

Anyway, as far as face painting and weapons though... I'm sure that's not in the handbook.  This year, we had a nerf gun battle booth and a face painting booth... the Bishop's wife was tied for the highest nerf gun scorer (they shoot a pyramid of cups with the nerfs for prizes) and the Bishop's kid was one of the people that ran the booth.  The Young Women presidency ran the face painting booth...

[pkstpaul]

You have a Liberal in your Primary Presidency. It was one year. She will likely move on and next year you can have face paint. Such is the LDS culture created by being a lay ministry.

 

Our group this year respectfully asked "no gore". I saw nothing wrong with that, for a church party. I say it would be best to have a backup costume for church and school. That is not denying the child his/her whim for the night of trick-or-treating.

Edited November 13, 2015 by pkstpaul

[Guest]

By the way, this year, it's not only the kids that were in costume.  Adults were in costume too.  It was super fun seeing an entire family with matching costumes - like we had a family that came as the emotions on Inside Out, a family of Minions, and a young couple wearing theater concessions - with one as the soda, the other as the popcorn bucket with their infant as the popcorn inside the bucket (the baby wore a popcorn costume with the popcorn bucket doubling as the baby sling).  It was super fun.  My two boys went without costumes.  They just stuck a gift bow on their chest with the note "God's gift to women".  Hah!