Got Reverence?
by Paula
 

We had a reverence problem as well and our Young Women President came up with a fantastic idea.  At the beginning of the lesson she passed out Skittles candy to all the girls. They had to hold the candy in their hands and not eat it. They were instructed that they had to keep their palms up and cupped around the candy. At the beginning of the lesson the teacher had a trash can already beside the table. She proceeded to blow her nose and dispose of the tissues in the trash can while at the same time apologizing for her cold. She began teaching the lesson while the Young Women President sat in the back of the room. When one of the girls would start whispering the Young Women President would quietly get up out of her chair and go around to each of the girls and take one piece of candy from everyone and then proceeded to throw them in the trash can with the used tissues. This happened a few times with some of the girls complaining and others catching on. They finally figured out that when one was disruptive they all lost candy. At the end of the lesson the Young Women President got up and spoke to the class. She said that we come to class to feel the spirit. When one person is disruptive it ruins the spirit for everyone else. She likened the candy to the spirit and gently told the girls that it was not fair to either the teacher who had planned the lesson or the other girls who were there to learn, when someone was disrespectful. The problem has since died away and the reverence has returned.