It Cougar Friday 7 day count down!

Dear Members of the FSOS,

We have been up to our ears in busy!  There is a lot to do to prepare for this year's reunion.  We hope you will find that there is some really great stuff ahead of us all.  There will be lots of new opportunities to develop our leadership skills and to have some new ideas we can take home with us.

This year, we will plan to staff several committees to help insure that next year's reunion is great!  We hope that some of you will serve in either the Dinner, Reception or Fireside Committees.  Also, we will be looking for two members to join us on the Presidents Advisory Board.

There has been discussion about moving our meeting to the weekend of General Conference, because so many people come to the Provo area at that time.  If you have an opinion on this question, let us know.

We are busy this year in planning for the future and we hope that as we get more and more organized, we will see an ever increasing positive influence in the lives of our members. 

We look forward to seeing you, having a great dinner together and listening to an inspiring Fireside.  Until Friday, on the Cougar Campus,

Best Wishes,
Rich and Cynthia

Our BYU Reunion is an opportunity to Unite



LDS Conference Center Photo provided by Wikipedia

 We are quickly coming to the time for our 2011 Reunion.  This is exciting for us and we hope it is exciting for you too.  As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we have a spirit of gathering, here is a quote from President Harold B. Lee that reminds us of the great blessing of meeting together.  Soon we will gather our sisters for the Women's Relief Society Broadcast and then the following week we gather in spirit as we listen to the voices of our beloved Prophet Thomas S. Monson. 

Some gatherings are of a serious nature, and others are for the purpose of developing fellowship and friendships that fill our lives with joy.  It is such a blessing to have the resources of BYU to assist us in gathering you , the membership of the Brigham Young University  Former Student Officers Society.

"If we are united in the Church, we are His.  'Be one; and if ye are not one, ye are not mine' (D&C 38:27).  If we are not united, we are not His.  Here unity is the test of devine ownership as thus expressed.  If we would be united in love and fellowship and harmony, this church would convert the world, who would see in us the shining example of these qualities which evidence that divine ownership." (cClyde J. Williams, ed. The Teachings of Harold B. Lee. Bookcraft, Salt Lake City.  1996. pg 388.)

President Thomas S. Monson reminds us that Charity is the Pure Love of Christ

President Monson shared his thoughts on charity and judgement of others.  These words were give during the General Relief Society Meeting on September 25, 2010:

Image from Mormon wiki

" I consider charity--or 'the pure love of Christ'-- to be the opposite of criticism and judging.  In speaking of charity, I do not at this moment have in mind the relief of the suffering through the giving of our substance.  That, of course, is necessary and proper.  Tonight, however, I have in mind the charity that manifests itself when we are tolerant of others and lenient towards their actions, the kind of charity that forgives, the kind of charity that is patient.

I have in mind the charity that impels us to be sympathetic, compassionate, and merciful, not only in times of sickness and affliction and distress but also in times of weakness or error on the part of others.

There is a serious need for the charity that gives attention to those who are unnoticed, hope to those who are discouraged, aid to those who are afflicted.  True charity is love in action.  The need for charity is everywhere.

. . . .Charity is having patience with someone who has let us down.  It is resisting the impulse to become offended easily.  It is accepting weaknesses and shortcomings.  It is accepting people as they truly are.  It is looking beyond physical appearances to attributes that will not dim through time.  It is resisting the impulse to categorize others."  (President Thomas S. Monson, "Charity Never Faileth," Ensign, November 2010, 124.)

President Spencer W. Kimball describes the Savior's Leadership Style

In 1979, President Spencer W. Kimball wrote a highly instructive article entitled " Jesus:  The Perfect Leader, " (Ensign, Aug. 1979, 5-7)

Photo from LDS.org

"Jesus knew who he was and why he was here on this planet.  That meant he could lead from strength rather than from uncertainty or weakness.

Jesus operated from a base of fixed principles or truths rather than making up the rules as he went along.  Thus, his leadership style was not only correct, but constant.  So many secular leaders today are like chameleons; they change their hues and views to fit the situation-which only tends to confuse associates and followers who cannot be certain what course is being pursued.  Those who cling to power at the expense of principle often end up doing almost anything to perpetuate their power."

CES. Principles of Leadership: Teacher Manual, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City. pg. 114)

Courgar Friday, on Monday

Photo of LeVell Edwards Stadium
Provided by BYU.

Well, Ok, the game on Saturday wasn't a nail biter.  We mustn't let a bad game dampen our hopes for a great football season.  I was at BYU during some of it's most memorable football years.  It was always great winning, but what I remember most were the great parties and gatherings as we cheered our team on to victory.

If the only good pass is with the dip, then, by golly pass it this way!  Where are the Corn Chips? 

No matter how we do in football, our commitment to the success of BYU is going to remain True Blue!  We are working hard to get our organization organized.  It takes a lot of background work to plan for successful meetings, whether they are large or small groups.  This year we are going to ask you to participate in making our organization great. 

Keep checking back for details, until then,  just keep the Buffalo Wings warm.

How President Brigham Young would solve the problem of Poverty

Brigham Young, the second President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was a wise and direct man.  No matter how long since the time when his talent as a leader shines brightly.  The following quote tells us what we must do to elimante poverty:

Image Provided by Wikipedia

"We need to learn, practice, study, know and understand how angels live with each other.  When this community comes to the point to be perfectly honest and upright, you will never find a poor person; none will lack, all will have sufficient.  Every man, woman, and child will have all they need just as soon as they all become honest.  When the majority of the community are dishonest, it maketh the honest portion poor, for the dishonest serve and enrich themselves at their expense." ( John A. Widtsoe.  Discourses of Brigham Young. Deseret Book.  Salt Lake City. 1976. pg. 232.)

Legislated Honesty

I have thought of this quote often, many of you may have also.  President Spencer W. Kimball said the following:

Image from LDS.org

" Honesty can be taught but not legislated.  'There ought to be a law.' many say when corruption rises it ugly head, and our answer is that there are laws--numerous laws which are not enforced; but our further answer is that you cannot legislate goodness and honor and honesty.  There must be a return to consciousness of those values." (Edward L. Kimball, ed. The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, Bookcraft, Salt Lake City. 1982. pg. 193.

Behaviors of Successful Delegators

We have listed some of the reasons why people fail to delegate, now for some help for those of us who are working to reform our tendencies to "Do it ourselves-ishness".  These are the characteristics of people who have overcome:

Successful Delegators

• Give people clear and specific assignments.
• Specify what is to be done but not exactly how it should be done.
• Give people the authority to accomplish their assigned tasks.
• Train people, if necessary, in the skills they need to be successful.
• Make available the tolls and resources the people need to be successful.
• Provide appropriate supervision as people work to accomplish their tasks.
• Train people, if necessary, in the skills they need to be successful.
• Make available the tools and resources the people need to be successful.
• Provide appropriate supervision as people work to accomplish their tasks.
• Give sincere encouragement and support to people when they do well.
• Make themselves available to give counsel and direction.
• Provide an opportunity for people to report on their assigned tasks. 

( The Church Education System.  Principles of Leadership Teachers Manual Religion 180R. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City. 2001 pg. 94)

Reasons leaders sometimes fail to delegate

This quote caused me to raise an eye.  I've seen some good intending people fail to make their projects a success, but never could put my finger on what they were doing wrong.  Elder Neal A. Maxwell, shows us that human nature can sometimes really get in the way of getting the job done.  The following is his list of reasons why leaders fail to delegate:

Elder Neal A. Maxwell

         "1.  We would really rather do it ourselves.

2.  We are not really willing to use our time and talents in order to train others so they can help.

3.  We dislike asking others to help, forgetting that receiving help is as much a part of the gospel as giving help.

4.  We like to feel a bit harried because it gives us a false sense of being noble.

5.  We say we are concerned about 'quality control' if the task is delegated, and sometimes there is good reason for the concern; other times, however, we actually worry not about tasks being done poorly, but too well." 

 ( The Church Education System.  Principles of Leadership Teachers Manual Religion 180R. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City. 2001 pg. 94)

Help for our Alumni Family

Today is Cougar Friday.  A day to think about and visibly support Brigham Young University.
But with all the upheavals facing our nation of late; economic downturns, inflation, unemployment, natural disasters, to name just a few, many of our BYU family find it hard to vigorously wave the blue and white because they are struggling with economic hardships.
 
With these concerns in our mind, we decided to look into what BYU offered its alumni who are looking for employment or career upgrades.  We are more than pleased with the many supports offered to our alumni members.  If you  have been blessed with what you need, then keep an eye out for others who might be unaware of these services and pass the good word on.

BYU Alumni Career Services are free and open to all BYU alumni.  With little effort, you can browse through such sites as:

1. Resume helps, job descriptions, interviewing aids, resume power words.
2. Career fair calenders.
3. Job openings, listed by areas, majors, degree/non-degree, etc.
4. Other helpful job site links.
5. International career sites.

Career counseling is also available for those interested.

We called BYU Alumni Career Services and left a message at 9 P.M. in the evening and had a response the next day!  Our inquiry produced the following email:

"This is Bethany Brunner with BYU Alumni Career Services. You called yesterday about learning about the services we provide to BYU Alumni. They are as follows:

1.       We have a job board that BYU Alumni can look through for current jobs in companies that we network with. There are over 1,000 nationwide jobs on our job board. You can search via degree, location, and/or company name.

2.       We have a LinkedIn group called “The Official Brigham Young University Alumni Network” which contains thousands of people who are recruiters, current employees of companies we network with, and alumni. This group provides opportunities for Alumni to meet other Alumni and to establish an instant network to help with your career search.

3.       Scott Greenhalgh, the director of BYU Alumni Career Services, is available to meet with Alumni to discuss career options and critique resumes.

Let me know if you have any other questions or if you are interested in using these services.

Bethany Brunner

BYU Alumni Career Services

The Hinckley Center

(801) 422-6933

We also emailed Scott Greenhalgh, the director of BYU Alumni Career Services asking him if there was anything he would like to add in our message today..  He sent us the following:

"I guess the best thing to add is that I am available to discuss career options with alumni. That could be in person by phone or by email.
Scott"
Scott_greenhalgh@byu.edu Phone: 801-422-6933

We spent all of 40 minutes on the BYU Alumni Career Services website and as we stated earlier that 'we are more than just pleased.'  For those of our membership looking for employment, there is hope!

Please become familiar with this website and remember, we don't leave college knowing all the answers, we leave having been trained in what to do or where to go to find the answers.  This website is 'where to go.'

 The church instructs us that we should do all we can do for ourselves financially first, then we are to turn to family.  Lets remember that BYU is also a part of our family and offers us help in our times of need.

Remembering September 11

It has been ten years since the devastation of 9-11.  I wasn't there, but my heart was.

My father was born and raised in New York, I still have family that have never had reason to leave New York state.  For me, 9-11 was very personal.  It was an attack on my home, on my father's home, on my grandparent's home.

We were living in Springville, Utah, at the time of the attack, I was up, as usual getting everyone ready for school.  I'd grown up watching the morning news because it was a way to keep up with events that happened overnight.  I don't remember a time when I didn't watch the morning news.  My mother never started her day without it.

I was getting lunches ready and clothes and all those mundane morning things, then, I saw the film of the first plane hitting one of the towers.  What a horrid accident!  I called my husband who had already been at work for several hours.  While I spoke, I saw the second plane hit the second tower.  I told my husband, sadly, "We are at war."

My cousin is a doctor.  At the time he was living on Long Island.  All day long, I though about him.  Was he in some hospital emergency room, caring for victims, was he feeling overwhelmed, was he in shock?  Did he lose friends; family?  I prayed for him.  I spoke to others who like myself had extended parts of their lives, under the cloud of those two fallen towers.  It seemed like we were all living in a kind of silence; waiting to hear who was alright and who wasn't.

I wondered all day about where my cousin was.  I convinced myself that the odds of him being near those towers had to be so small, but I was wrong.  He was there, while I was praying for him, he was pulling living people away from the ground level of those towers.  He was helping others live.  He was in the middle of it all.  I'm glad I prayed.  I hope it made a difference. . . I know that what he did made a difference. The state of New York eventually declared him a hero. 

I remember being so grateful for a living prophet, he gave comfort to us that evening.  Speaking live from the Salt Lake Tabernacle President Gordon B. Hinckley said:

"But dark as is this hour, there is shining through the heavy overcast of fear and anger the solemn and wonderful image of the Son of God, the Savior of the world, the Prince of Peace, the Exemplar of universal love, and it is to him that we look in these circumstances.  It was He who gave His life that all might enjoy eternal life."  ( Gordon B. Hinckley, The Discourses of President Gordon B. Hinckley Vol 2: 2000-2004.  Deseret Book. Salt Lake City. 2005. pg 503)

Keeping it all in Perspective

It's frantic this time of year!  Whether it is fall and the start of school and college, or whether it is time for the spring holiday break, it seems that the demands of family and life can leave us feeling overwhelmed.  Today, I was feeling just that way then I read the following quote from a talk given by Elder M. Russell Ballard, it seemed to say just what I needed.

Photo Provided by LDS Church

"Not long ago, one of my children said, 'Dad, sometimes I wonder if I will ever make it.'  The answer I gave to her is the same as I would give to you if you have had similar feelings.  Just do the very best you can each day.  Do the basic things and, before you realize it, your life will be full of spiritual understanding that will confirm to you that your Heavenly Father loves you.  When a person knows this, then life will be full of purpose and meaning, making balance easier to maintain."  (Church Educational System.  Principles of Leadership Teacher Manual Religion 180R. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City.2001. pg 63.)

A True-Blue Cougar Eat Memory

Don't we all share memories of the Cougar Eat.  This is one of our personal favorites.

We had returned to BYU to do some additional research for a degree.  By this point we were not longer carefree, but the parents of three children ages,7, 5 and 3.  My husband and I had taken a little time out for a study date at the Harold B. Lee Library.  Even though it was a working date, it was wonderful to be alone together, just the two of us.

After counting our change, we had enough money to order one "Navajo Taco" that could be shared by both of us.  My husband got in line to await our food and I sat at one of the tables.  In came a woman and several children who were about the same ages as our own.  Since we were sitting only a table away, I couldn't help but hear their conversation.

The anxious mother asked each child the same question, "Which one did you like best?"

One little boy said, "I liked Michelangelo!"

Another girl chimed in, not to be outdone, she said,  "No, I like Leonardo best!"

The youngest who couldn't have been more than three said, "I wike Raphael."

While waiting in line my husband could also hear the same conversation.  He returned to the table with a crushed expression on his face.  "What have we done wrong?  Why don't our kids know all of the great artists like those kids do?"

I thought for a moment about the exhibits at the art museum, the displays at the Lee Library, but I couldn't think of a thing that highlighted these great artists of the Renaissance.  What in the world could be on campus that would produce such excitement in the minds of these little children?  Then I remembered and smiled.

My response to my stricken husband was quick. "They forgot Donatello. Those are the names of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  Their movie is showing on Campus today!"

The Measure of our Errors

Sometimes a single sentence can say so very, very much.  This comes to us from John Stuart Mill:

". . . the impressiveness of an error is measured by the wisdom and virtue of him who falls into it."

(John Stuart Mill. Charles W. Elliot, ed. On Liberty. Barnes and Noble. New York. 2004 ed. pg 26.)