With my new High Council responsibilities, my Sundays have gotten much busier. I have four specific assignments. First, most time consuming, and most fun is that I’m assigned as an advisor to one of the Wards in our Stake. That means attending their Bishopric meeting (9:15 a.m.), their Priesthood Executive Committee meeting (10:30 a.m.), and their Welfare meeting (1st Sunday 11:00 a.m.) and Ward Correlated Council meeting (2nd Sunday, 11:00 a.m.) and their extended PEC meeting (4th Sunday at 11:00 a.m.). That leaves the third and fifth Sundays with no meeting from 11:00 to 1:00 p.m. Then their standard meeting block starts a 1 p.m. and finishes at 4 p.m.

In addition on the 2nd and 4th Sundays at 7:00 a.m. is the Stake High Council meeting.

The next area of responsibility is Emergency Preparedness. Fortunately, I’m not the doer here, or even the organizer (the Stake Relief Society does that). I’m the liaison and facilitator.

I have a speaking assignment on the 3rd Sunday of each month in one of the Wards or Branches in the Stake. Today was a 3rd Sunday and I was assigned to speak in the same Ward that I advise. It was nice taking care of two assignments at the same time.

Finally, I have responsibility for the Single Adult program in our Stake. Single Adults are those who are not married and over the age of about 31. They come in several flavors… the never-marrieds, the divorced, and those who have lost a spouse. In the Pocatello area we try to offer them some social opportunities geared specifically for them. Each month one of the Stakes in our area organizes a fireside on the 2nd Sunday evening, which I am supposed to attend. So the 2nd Sunday of the month starts at 7:00 a.m. and ends about 7:00 p.m. In addition, one of the Stakes in the area is responsible to organize a dance, usually held on the 3rd Saturday from 8:30 p.m. until 11:30 p.m. On the nights my Stake is responsible, I have to be there for the duration. On the nights another Stake is responsible, I only have to make arrangements for the building to be open and available.

Then, once a year the Stakes in the area sponsor a Single Adult Conference with a dinner and dance afterwards. All of the Single Adult activities are held in our Stake Center (so that no one ever has to guess about where the activity is being held. 2nd Sunday 6 p.m.? Fireside in our building. 3rd Saturday 8:30 p.m.? Dance in our building).

Yesterday was the Single Adult conference followed by a dance, and my Stake was responsible for the dance and for the setup before the conference. Nina and I were at the Stake Center until midnight last night. She came over later than I did, so we were there in two cars. After I had closed up the building, we headed home. On the way, Nina tried to call me, but her iPhone was out of battery. When we go into the garage, she asked me if all the lights were supposed to be turned out in the Stake Center. They were all supposed to be turned out. Well, she told me, one hallway wasn’t dark and she noticed it as we drove past the building on the way home. It was the first hallway that I had closed up, so apparently someone had gone out into that hallway after I had turned off the lights, turned them on again, and I hadn’t noticed.

So, back to the Stake Center we went. Nina drove, I “hustled” in, turned off the lights, and home we came. Finally about 1 a.m. this morning we were in bed.

For everyone else, this is probably an uninteresting weekend. For me it was a whirlwind weekend. I’m sure there are more of these to come in the future. Meanwhile, I’m just glad this one is finished! Good Night, all!