You lead the Young Women organization for every girl ages 11–17 in the ward. The program is the structure. The relationships are what actually matter. A young woman who feels known and loved by an adult leader in the Church is far more likely to stay. That's the work.
Day One
Do These Things First
Meet with the bishop.↗ text him
Ask him which young women he's most concerned about. What does he want the YW culture to feel like? Are there girls who've stopped coming? Any family situations he wants you to be aware of?
Get the youth roster.
Every girl ages 11–17 in the ward. Read each name. Note ages — who's aging in from Primary at 11, who's graduating to Relief Society at 18. The transitions are where girls often disappear.
Contact your stake YW president.↗ introduce yourself
She coordinates girls camp, youth conference, stake activities, and training. Get on her radar.
Meet with your counselors and advisors this week. Don't wait for Sunday. Find out what's working, what the current activity rhythm looks like, and where the gaps are. Understand before you change anything.
Review what's already on the ward and stake calendar. Girls camp date? Youth conference? Stake dances? Any upcoming joint activities with the Young Men? Know the landscape before you start planning.
Your Role
What the YW President Actually Does
The Young Women President leads the ward's Young Women organization — all girls ages 11–17. The organization has three classes: Beehive (11–12), Mia Maid (13–14), and Laurel (15–17). Each class has a president and counselors — the young women hold those presidencies — and adult advisors support each class.
Your scope: the spiritual and social development of every young woman in the ward, active or not. Sunday class attendance, weeknight activities, girls camp, Personal Progress (or its equivalent), temple trips, and the relationships that make all of it worth showing up for.
The most important metric is whether each young woman feels known. Not attendance percentages, not activity participation, not Personal Progress completion. Does this girl have an adult in the ward who knows her name, her struggles, and would notice if she stopped coming? If the answer is yes, you're doing the essential work.
You lead your counselors and work through advisors. You represent Young Women at Ward Council. You coordinate with the YM President on joint activities. You report to the bishop. And you keep your eyes on the young women who are least visible — the quiet ones, the ones on the margins, the ones whose names don't come up in conversations because they never cause problems.
Weekly Rhythm
Every Week
Sunday classes
YW meets together for opening exercises, then splits into classes. Be present. Notice who's missing. A girl who doesn't see the president at all on Sunday may feel that the organization doesn't care about her — because the president never showed up.
Weeknight activity
Midweek activity night — usually Tuesday or Wednesday. Advisors typically run these. Your presence signals priority. The quality of the activity matters less than whether every girl who came felt included and valued.
During the week
Follow up with a girl who was absent. Check in with an advisor who ran an activity. Text a Laurel who's struggling. These small moments of contact are the relationship the program is built on.
Monthly Rhythm
Every Month
Presidency meeting
You, your counselors, and advisors. Review upcoming activities, discuss individual young women who need attention, and check in on each class. Keep it focused on names and specific needs — not just calendar logistics.
Ward Council
Represent the young women. Come with names — not statistics. Other leaders often have context about a girl's family situation that helps you understand why she's been absent or struggling.
Bishop check-in
Regular touchpoint. He has context about families and individuals that shapes what the YW organization needs to do. Keep him informed — especially about girls who are struggling or disengaged.
YM coordination
Joint activities and events need planning lead time. What's on the calendar that involves both organizations? Align with the YM President early rather than scrambling.
Class Structure
Who's in Each Class
Beehive
Ages 11–12. These girls are transitioning from Primary — often the most significant spiritual transition they'll face until leaving home. The Beehive advisors set the tone for whether these girls feel like Young Women is for them. Prioritize this class's welcome.
Mia Maid
Ages 13–14. Often the quietest class — middle-child energy, less novelty than being new, less status than being oldest. Be intentional. These girls often feel overlooked.
Laurel
Ages 15–17. They're aging toward Relief Society at 18. The Laurels who leave for college or work without feeling genuinely connected to the ward often don't come back. Invest heavily here — and help them feel needed, not just included.
The class presidencies are the young women's leadership, not yours. Help them lead — don't lead everything yourself. A Beehive class president who plans a service project and pulls it off is developing something she'll carry for decades. Let her stumble a little. That's the point.
Ward Council
Your Voice in the Room
You represent every young woman in the ward at Ward Council. Come with names. "We have a Laurel who's been absent for two months — I'm not sure what's going on at home. Does anyone know?" is more valuable than "attendance was down."
The RS President, EQ President, and Primary President all see the same families from different angles. Listen to what they're sharing — it often explains what you're seeing with their daughters.
Coordinate with the YM President before Council so you're presenting an aligned picture of where the youth are and what you both need from the broader ward.
Key Contacts
Who You Work With Regularly
Bishop
↗ text
Your primary reporting relationship. He has pastoral responsibility for every person in the ward — including your young women. Keep him informed, especially about girls who are struggling. He can do things you can't.
YM President
↗ text
Your closest program partner. Joint activities, youth conference, and Ward Council coordination. Stay aligned — the youth experience the ward as one thing, not two separate organizations.
Class Advisors
↗ text
Your operational team. They're with the girls every week. Know what they need, clear their obstacles, and recognize their work. Don't let a great advisor feel invisible.
Stake YW President
↗ text
Girls camp, youth conference, stake dances and activities, training. She coordinates across all wards. Stay connected — she has resources and perspective you won't get at the ward level.
Primary President
↗ text
The girls aging up at 11 come from Primary. A relationship here means smoother transitions and early heads-up on who's coming into the Beehive class. The transition period is critical — don't let a girl fall through the gap between organizations.
RS President
↗ text
Laurels transitioning to Relief Society at 18. The RS President is who your oldest girls are heading toward. Coordinate so the girls don't feel dropped — the handoff matters more than either organization often realizes.
Quick Notes
Operational Notes
Log your meeting schedule, room numbers, key dates, or anything worth handing off when you're released.