Leadership, Commemorative, Sports, and Other Jewelry

In addition to class and culminating awards, the Young Women organization at times had special jewelry to mark leaders’ service and to commemorate special occasions, additional work, or achievement in camp and sports programs for young women. This section highlights selected items in this category.

TBD

(Church History Museum, Salt Lake City.)

Bee-Hive War Emergency Pin (1918–1919, 1943): A pin showing a beehive and the phrase Taste the Sweetness of Service, also the letters BHWE standing for Bee-Hive War Emergency. Created to recognize work in service of the war effort during World War I; reintroduced briefly during World War II until supplies ran out and more pins could not be made due to wartime metal shortages.1

TBD

(Church History Museum, Salt Lake City.)

Bee-Keeper’s Pin (1927–1963): A gold pin in the shape of a bee, created for leaders (“Bee-Keepers”) in the Bee-Hive program.2

TBD

(Church History Library, Salt Lake City.)

Three-Year Service Pin and Five-Year Service Pin Guard (1933–1952): A gold pin in the shape of a beehive, with honeycomb, violets, and a bee, and gold pin guard in the shape of a honeycomb with the letters BHS and the number 5. Beginning in 1933, leaders received the pin for three years of service. After 1936, leaders received the pin guard for five years of service.3

TBD

(Church History Museum, Salt Lake City.)

TBD

(Church History Museum, Salt Lake City.)

Bee-Hive Silver Jubilee Pin and Patch (1940): A silver pin in the shape of a beehive, with the number 25 in the middle and 1940 beneath, and a blue hexagonal patch featuring a silver beehive with the words Silver Jubilee 1940. Commemorated the Silver Jubilee (twenty-fifth anniversary) of the Bee-Hive program. Available for young women or leaders.4

TBD

(Church History Museum, Salt Lake City.)

Y.W.M.I.A. Service Pin (1952–1970): A round gold pin indicating leaders’ years of service beneath the Mutual Improvement Association (MIA) symbol and motto (“The glory of God is intelligence”) in green and gold, with three green-colored stones above and a decorative frame surrounding. Available for those who served five years or more, in increments of five (5, 10, 15, 20, 25). Other increments for longer lengths of service could be custom made.5

TBD

(Church History Museum, Salt Lake City.)

Junior Gleaner Birthday Locket (1953–1959): A silver pendant of a sheaf of wheat that Junior Gleaner class members helped purchase to give to fellow class members on their birthdays. Gifting the necklace was meant to build friendship in the class.6

TBD

(Church History Museum, Salt Lake City.)

Sports and Skills Achievement Medallion (1959–ca. 1970): A two-sided medallion showing a woman looking at the temple on one side, while the other side showed the symbol for MIA with its motto, “The glory of God is intelligence.” Indicated achievements in sports, and, by 1960, in other MIA activities (dance, drama, speech, and music). Available in gold (participation), silver (sportsmanship), or bronze (skill). The YMMIA had a similar medallion, and one medallion, used for certain activity areas or skills, showed both a man and a woman side by side looking at the temple.7

TBD

(Church History Museum, Salt Lake City.)

YWMIA Campcrafter Medallion (1962–1992): A gold medallion with the letters YWMIA forming the spokes of a wheel, with a green and gold globe bearing the word CAMP as the wheel’s hub. Signified completion of the Campcrafter Certification Program. The letters YW, M, I, and A represented the four levels of the program.8

TBD

(Church History Museum, Salt Lake City.)

YWMIA Centennial Medallion (1969): A gold or silver two-sided medallion commemorating the YWMIA centennial celebration. One side featured an image of a young pioneer woman in a bonnet, with the words YWMIA and Century of Sisterhood, and the year 1869. The other side showed a contemporary young woman, with symbols representing each class (beehive, roses, laurel leaves, and wheat), the acronym YWMIA, and the year 1969.9

TBD

(Church History Museum, Salt Lake City.)

Laurelife Charm (1970): A bronze oval medallion showing a branch of laurel leaves with the word Laurelife in script. Created for participants in the Laurelife Conference held in August 1970 at Brigham Young University.10

Cite This Page

Cite This Page

Leadership, Commemorative, Sports, and Other Jewelry, Carry On: The Latter-day Saint Young Women Organization, 1870–2024, accessed April 26, 2025 https://chpress-web.churchhistorianspress.org/young-women/appendixes/awards-leadershipcommemorativesportsandotherjewelry

Footnotes

  1. [1]Hand Book for the Bee-Hive Girls of the Y. L. M. I. A. (Salt Lake City: General Board of the Young Ladies’ Mutual Improvement Association, 1918), 18, 21; “War Emergency Pin,” Young Woman’s Journal 29, no. 8 (Aug. 1918): 441; “Bee-Hive Girls,” Young Woman’s Journal 30, no. 2 (Feb. 1919): 113–114; Hand Book for the Bee-Hive Girls of the Y. L. M. I. A. (Salt Lake City: General Board of the Young Ladies’ Mutual Improvement Association, 1919), 18; “Y. W. M. I. A. Jewelry,” M.I.A. Leader 9, no. 4 (Mar. 1943): 1; “War Service Pins,” M.I.A. Leader 10, no. 2 (Nov. 1943): 4.

  2. [2]Hand Book for the Bee-Hive Girls of the Y. L. M. I. A. (Salt Lake City: General Board of the Young Ladies’ Mutual Improvement Association, 1927), 72; “Beehive,” MIA Leader 15, no. 1 (Sept. 1963): 6.

  3. [3]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, 1934), 176; “Bee-Hive Department,” M.I.A. Leader 2, no. 3 (Mar. 1936): [4]; “Bee-Hive Girls,” Improvement Era, Mar. 1936, 180; “Bee Hive,” MIA Stake Leader 4, no. 6 (Nov. 1952): 6.

  4. [4]“Bee Hive Girls,” Improvement Era, June 1940, 368.

  5. [5]“Clarissa Beesley Honored by MIA,” Deseret News, 12 Mar. 1952, Church section, 5; Y.W.M.I.A. Executive Manual (Salt Lake City: General Boards of the Mutual Improvement Association, 1953), 34; “For the Girls Program,” MIA Leader 21, no. 13 (Sept. 1970): 2–3.

  6. [6]Junior M Men-Junior Gleaner Manual, 1953–54 (Salt Lake City: General Boards of the Mutual Improvement Association, 1953), 89; We Serve: Junior M Men-Junior Gleaner, 1958–1959 (Salt Lake City: Young Men’s and Young Women’s Mutual Improvement Associations, 1958), 131; “Ensign-Laurel,” MIA Stake Leader 10, no. 15 (Aug. 1959): 4.

  7. [7]“YWMIA Sports Camp Program Illustrated by 4-Stage Skit,” Church News, 13 June 1959, 5; Our Fitness Goal ([Salt Lake City]: Mutual Improvement Association, [1960?]); “YWMIA Achievement Awards,” broadside, ca. 1960, Church History Library, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City.

  8. [8]“Sports-Camp,” MIA Leader 13, no. 9 (May 1962): 7; YWMIA Campcrafter Certification Program ([Salt Lake City]: [The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints], 1962), 262A–262I; Sheridan R. Sheffield, “New Young Women Camp Manual Written ‘for Today,’” Church News, 20 Feb. 1993, 3, 7.

  9. [9]“YWMIA Mementos,” MIA Leader 20, no. 12 (Aug. 1969): 8.

  10. [10]“For Executives,” and “For Laurels,” MIA Leader 21, no. 10 (June 1970): 3, 5; Sue Gardiner, “Laurelife Is…,” Improvement Era, Oct. 1970, 46–48.