Girls Program Awards
(1946–1970)

The Girls Program began in 1946 as a separate program to monitor and encourage attendance at church meetings, parallel to a similar program for young men. It was overseen by the Presiding Bishopric until 1950, when it became part of the Young Women’s Mutual Improvement Association (YWMIA) and was eventually incorporated into the class achievement awards.1 Young women could earn seven yearly certificates called Individual Awards and eventually a culminating jewelry award. Classes could also earn group awards if enough members in a class earned Individual Awards, and there were special ceremonies for presenting these group awards.2 By the 1960s the Girls Program was seen as the first of two parts of the YWMIA achievement program, or the minimum requirements, with the class awards seen as the second part for those who wanted to go the extra mile.3 In 1970–1971, the Girls Program became part of the Personal Achievement Program.4

TBD

(Church History Library, Salt Lake City.)

Individual Awards (1950–1970): Yearly certificates given for meeting the requirements of the Girls Program, which included attendance at church meetings, observing church standards of paying tithing and keeping the Word of Wisdom, giving a talk in a church meeting, participating in a church welfare project, and attending at least one MIA activity. A gold seal could be placed on the certificate to indicate 100 percent attendance. Some adjustments to the requirements were made in 1958, and seals became available in multiple colors to signify the number of years young women had earned the award.5

TBD

(Church History Museum, Salt Lake City.)

Girls Program Medallion (1960–1970): A gold or silver medallion, worn on a bracelet or necklace, showing the emblem of each class (hive, rose, laurel wreath, and wheat), with YWMIA above the emblems. A culminating award available to those who had earned seven Individual Awards.6

Cite This Page

Cite This Page

Girls Program Awards(1946–1970), Carry On: The Latter-day Saint Young Women Organization, 1870–2024, accessed April 19, 2025 https://chpress-web.churchhistorianspress.org/young-women/appendixes/awards-girlsprogramawards

Footnotes

  1. [1]Presiding Bishopric, “Announcing the Program for Latter-day Saint Girls,” [1945], typescript, Church History Library, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City; “YWMIA Accepts Girls Program Challenge,” and “Bishop Richards Returns Girls Program to MIA,” Deseret News, 25 June 1950, Church section, 6; “YWMIA Prepares for New Certificates of Award,” Deseret News, 12 July 1950, Church section, 6. Sources sometimes spell the program “the Girls’ Program.”

  2. [2]The Girls’ Program (Salt Lake City: Young Women’s Mutual Improvement Association, 1950), 5, 12; Girls’ Program (Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1961), 24. The ceremonies were as follows: Building the Hive ceremony for Bee Hives, Rose Evening to tie the rose bouquet for Mia Maids, Sheaf Binding ceremony for Junior Gleaners, and later Wreathing the Laurel for Laurels. (Handbook for the Bee Keepers of the Y. W. M. I. A. [Salt Lake City: General Board of the Young Women’s Mutual Improvement Association, 1950], 56–59; Life to Enjoy: Mia Maid Manual, 1950–51 [Salt Lake City: General Board of the Young Women’s Mutual Improvement Association, 1950], section 1, 16; Program for Junior M Men and Junior Gleaners Manual [Salt Lake City: General Boards of the Mutual Improvement Association, 1950], section 3, 36–37; Ensign-Laurel Manual [Salt Lake City: Mutual Improvement Associations, 1959], 279.)

  3. [3]The Girls Program of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Salt Lake City: Young Women’s Mutual Improvement Association, 1963), 9–12, 77–78; The Girls Program of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Salt Lake City: Young Women’s Mutual Improvement Association, 1965), 9–12, 92–93.

  4. [4]“Girls Program,” MIA Leader 21, no. 1 (Sept. 1969): 2; “For the Girls Program,” MIA Leader 21, no. 2 (Oct. 1969): 3; “For the Girls Program,” MIA Leader 21, no. 13 (Sept. 1970): 2.

  5. [5]“YWMIA Prepares for New Certificates of Award,” 6; Girls’ Program (1950), 5; “Attendance Secretary,” MIA Stake Leader 2, no. 5 (Oct. 1950): 3; “Attendance Secretary,” MIA Stake Leader 3, no. 10 (Mar. 1952): 2; “Attendance Secretary,” MIA Stake Leader 4, no. 1 (June 1952): 2; “Attendance Secretary,” MIA Stake Leader 10, no. 3 (Aug. 1958): 2; “For the Girls Program,” MIA Leader 21, no. 13 (Sept. 1970): 2–3.

  6. [6]“Mia Award Bears Emblems of Four Areas,” Church News, 18 June 1960, 6; Girls’ Program (1961), 24; Girls Program (1965), 9; “For the Girls Program,” MIA Leader 21, no. 13 (Sept. 1970): 2.