Ant Visiting Teaching Conference

Here are the files for the text below

I am sending a Visiting Teaching Conference idea – just as thanks and for sharing the information. ~ Deena (at the end of this info you can find this info in the form of files )

Come be a Particip”ant”

in our Visiting Teaching Conference

Saturday, May 7th, 2005 at 9:00 a.m.

The breakfast will provide nourishm”ant”

A short program will provide Encouragem”ant”

Visit sisters for merrim”ant”

ALL sisters 18 and over are invited to attend.

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Ant Visiting Teaching Conference

Invitations:

See attached invitation sample. Cut out the invitation (printed on white paper), glue to red checkered paper and glue a black die cut ant to the invitation.

Decorations:

Set up tables as a picnic theme. Use checkered cloths and paper plates and plastic cutlery. Use die cut ants to spread ants all over the tables where you are eating.

Game:

Print enough copies of the games for each sister and have sitting at the table at each place setting. The sisters can do the game while they are eating. Have someone read out the answers while the sisters who are in the skit are getting ready.

Handout:

Cut out the attached calendar poem (printed on white paper). Attach it to red checkered paper. On white paper print off the backwards calendar (attached). Glue the calendar to solid red paper. Glue the calendar poem at the top of a piece of black cardstock. Glue the backwards calendar at the bottom of the black cardstock. Place an ant sticker to it where you like.

Song:

Sung to the tune of “The Ants Go Marching” was sung after the RS President’s Message.

Skit:

Blow up the attached “ants”: Persist Ant, Observ Ant, Pleas Ant, Dilig Ant, Obedi Ant, and Serv Ant and place on a poster board to hang around a sister’s neck as she acts out her part of the story. I copied the ants into a transparency and used an overhead projector to get the size I wanted. We cut them out using black poster board and placed the ants on white poster board. We used a black felt pent to draw in the legs, eyes, antennas, etc.

Props:

We used bug antennas purchased from the Dollar Store and spray painted black to match the black pants and shirts each sister wore.

Observ “ant” had a magnifying glass, obedi “ant” had an Ensign, Dilig “ant” had an oversize pair of glasses cut from black poster board.

See attached photos.

Be sure each sister acts out her part each time her name is mentioned in the story,

Story for Skit:

There once was a family of ants. There was Mother Ant, Father Ant, and six little ants, named, Persist Ant, Observ Ant, Pleas Ant, Dilig Ant, Obedi Ant, and Serv Ant.

They were a happy family. They lived in a nice comfortable ant hill that Father Ant had worked hard to make, and Mother Ant always kept it looking very clean and nice.

Every day the six little ants would march out of the ant hill in a straight line to go to school and come home that very same way. You could always tell who was who even though they looked very much alike.

Persist Ant was always the first and made sure everyone stayed in line. Mother and Father Ant told her to keep the line straight and of courses he did even though the others often complained. But thanks to Persist Ant, they always made it to school and back.

Observ Ant came next. It was a good thing Persist Ant was first because Observ Ant was always so busy looking around she didn’t walk very straight. Observ Ant always noticed the beautiful sky and she always saw the good in everything and everyone.

Pleas Ant was easy to pick out. She always had the biggest ant smile in the world plus when the sun would hit her braces, it would be the brightest ant smile in the world too. She would smile at everyone and wave as they passed by. Everybody knew and liked Pleas Ant because she was so fun to be around.

Dilig Ant was the easiest to pick out. She wore glasses. There were not many ants that had to wear glasses, but Dilig Ant did because she spent so much time studying. She was so diligent that when his leaders assigned an article to read, she would read the whole magazine. No matter who gave her something to do, she always did a good job.

Obedi Ant was the kind of ant all parents love. She always made her bed and helped with the dishes and never got into fights. She did everything she was supposed to do. Her parents and her friends always trusted her to be the example.

Last in line was Serv Ant. Although her sisters were good ants, she was the favorite of them all. She was often quiet but always doing something for others. She would help with the housework and help dad outside. If Persist Ant was having a hard time getting everybody in line for school, you could bet Serv Ant was right there helping. Or if someone were teasing Dilig Ant about being a “Four eyes” ant, Serv Ant was always there to defend her sister and make her feel better. Whenever she felt sad or lonely or angry, she would do something for someone else and those feelings would go away. But she was very rarely sad, lonely or angry because she felt happy when he was helping.

She not only helped her family, but she helped the neighbors as well. All of the other families knew that if they needed help Serv Ant would be right there. Plus, Serv Ant never wanted to be thanked or paid for anythings he did. She was loved by everyone.

Even though Serv Ant was always in the back and usually quiet, everyone couldn’t help but notice how happy she seemed. When others would ask why she was so happy, he told them it was because helping others made her happy.

Now Heavenly Father loves ants just like he loves people. He was proud of Persist Ant because she knew how to be a leader. He was proud of Observ Ant because she always noticed the good in others. He was proud of Pleas Ant because she was so friendly. He was proud of Dilig Ant because she went the second mile and He was proud of Obedi Ant because she always did what was right.

But do you know what? He was so proud of Serv Ant because she was always serving others. By serving others Serv Ant was doing what all the others ants did and more. Heavenly Father commanded us to serve others and told us that when we are serving our fellowmen we are really serving Him and that makes Him happy.

*Have the “ants” stay on the stage until after the RS President’s message is through.

Relief Society President’s Message:

(have each ant stand forward as the RS President asks the following )

Persist Ant

How many of us have tried many times to reach a sister or to find her at home and then given up when they haven’t been successful a few times? Pray with your companion. Keep making appoints and keep them. Invite the sisters to Relief Society and Enrichment Night.

“Elder Bruce R. McConkie has so eloquently taught us that service is essential to salvation. I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do. Progress is not created by contented people. It is up to us, you and me, to be uncomfortable in complacency, to refrain from being spectators, and to be players in the game of life. The Lord has chosen His people to perform a mighty work. Our home teaching, our visiting teaching should be more than going; it should be doing with Christian love. It can be done; you can each do your portion of the work because you desire it.” Elder Russell C. Taylor, The Joy of Service, General Conference, October 1984

Observ Ant

We can observe the good in people. We need to look for the best in the sisters we visit teach. We need to see beyond the physical and try to understand her heart. Report any concerns to the Relief Society President.

“It is the individual who is not interested in his fellow men who has the greatest difficulty in life and provides the greatest injury to others. It is from such individuals that all human failures spring.” — Alfred Adler

Pleas Ant

We need to visit teach with the right attitude. It should be an experience we look forward to. Put on a smile when you go to a sister’s home! Remember her birthday and other important events in her life.

To be successful, it seems to me that a visiting teacher would wish to have high purpose and remember it all the time, would want to have great vision, a terrific enthusiasm that cannot be worn down, a positive attitude, of course, and a great love. . .”

Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball page 525

Dilig Ant

As Visiting Teachers we need to fulfill our callings to the best of our abilities. Be sure to give a message each month. We need to get to know the sisters we teach and say hello to them when we see them, sit by them in church and be their friends, not just be a once a month visitor.

“The first-line support to the families in the Church organization is priesthood home teaching and Relief Society visiting teaching. These functions provide two important services. They keep the bishop, the quorum leader, and the Relief Society president adequately informed of the physical, emotional, temporal, and spiritual condition of the membership. They also have teaching opportunities and serve as a resource to provide some of the training to the families as they prepare for self-sufficiency.” Elder L. Tom Perry, The Need to Teach Personal and Family Preparedness, General Conference, April 1981

Obedi Ant

President Brigham Young “All the sacrifice that the Lord asks of his people is strict obedience to our own covenants. Blessed are they who obey when the Lord gives a direct commandment, but more blessed are they who obey without a direct commandment. Do your visiting teaching and report your visits to your district leader.

“I hope that home teachers and visiting teachers will experience two things: first, the challenge of the responsibility that is in their great calling, and second, the sweetness of results from their work, particularly with those among us who are less active. I hope that these teachers will get on their knees and pray for direction, and then go to work to bring these wandering prodigals back into the fold of the Church. If home and visiting teachers respond to this challenge, I honestly believe that they will taste the sweet and wonderful feeling which comes of being an instrument in the hands of the Lord in leading someone back into activity in His church and kingdom.

“I am making a plea for us to reach out to our brethren and sisters who have known the beauty and the wonder of this restored gospel for a brief season and then for some reason have left it.
“May all home teachers recognize that they have an inescapable responsibility to go into the homes of the people and teach them to live the gospel principles more faithfully, to see that there is no iniquity or backbiting or evil speaking, to build faith, to see that the families are getting along temporally. That is a very serious responsibility; it really is. But it is not a heavy burden—it just takes a little more faith. It is worthy of our very best effort.” (Instruments of the Lord,” Ensign, March 1997.)

Serv Ant

When ye are in the service of your fellow being ye are in the service of your God. We need to go the extra mile when the need arises. Cook a meal, take her children for an afternoon, give comfort when needed. There are so many ways to serve.

“Opportunities to lose oneself for the good of others present themselves daily:… visiting teaching; time for compassionate service; giving comfort to those who need strength; serving with diligence in Church callings;… Truly, the day of sacrifice is not past.” President Ezra Taft Benson, This Is A Day Of Sacrifice, General Conference, April 1979

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The following are words clues that describe words containing “ant”/”ent”. The clues do not refer to the words themselves; rather they refer to the word that must be added to the “ant”/”ent”. Example: An ant that is waiting for something to happen is “expectant” (expect ant). The ant/ent may appear at the beginning or the end of the word.

This ant will rely on you.

The end of an ant’s trousers.

The first ant.

This ant will burn severely.

Two ants going to get married in secret.

This ant rides up sloped driveways.

This ant takes part in things.

This ant is steadfast and firm.

This ant doesn’t move.

This ant sees things clearly.

This ant continues to stay the same.

This ant stands on her own.

This ant shows sorrow for mistakes.

This is an alternate ant.

This ant is in a pickle.

This ant is self assured.

This ant is revolutionary.

This ant is quarrelsome.

This ant is egotistical.

This ant is noteworthy.

ANSWERS

This ant will rely on you. Dependant or Reliant

The end of an ant’s trousers. anthem

The first ant. adamant

This ant will burn severely. antacid

Two ants going to get married in secret. antelope

This ant rides up sloped driveways. rampant

This ant takes part in things. participant

This ant is steadfast and firm. constant

This ant doesn’t move. permanent

This ant sees things clearly. apparent

This ant continues to stay the same. consistent

This ant stands on her own. independent

This ant shows sorrow for mistakes. repentant

This is an alternate ant. replacement

This ant is in a pickle. Predicament

This ant is self assured. Confident

This ant is revolutionary. Militant

This ant is quarrelsome. Billigerant

This ant is egotistical. Arrogant

This ant is noteworthy. Significant or Important

We visiting teachers are a funny crew

We dawdle along till there’s too much to do.

We frazzle our conscience; all month we delay

Till teaching’s a must on the very last day.

To break this bad habit could be hard to do

We need to be dilig”ant”, me and you.

Be observ”ant” to see in each sister the good

Be obedi”ant” and report all that we should.

Be pleas”ant”, be happy and go with a smile

Be a serv”ant” to your sisters – go the extra mile

Be persist”ant”, be pleas “ant” and bold

And use this new calendar—chuck out the old

The calendar here, as you have to agree

Is so much better suited for you and for me

So now we can visit the very last day

And still have the rest of the month left to play.

The ants go marching one by one

Hurrah! Hurrah!

The ants go marching one by one

Hurrah! Hurrah!

The ants go marching one by one

No one stops ‘til her teaching’s done

And we all go Visit Teaching to our friends

The ants go marching two by two

Hurrah! Hurrah!

The ants go marching two by two

Hurrah! Hurrah!

The ants go marching two by two

It edifies both me and you

And we all go Visit Teaching to our friends

The ants go marching three by three

Hurrah! Hurrah!