In keeping with its policy of providing programs to fit the needs of all age groups, the church organized the Young Men's and Young Women's Mutual Improvement Association especially directed toward teenagers and young adults. It follows the Primary program and recognizes the needs of young people for direction and guidance in recreation, culture and ethics and provides opportunity for special interests, hobbies, self-improvement and service. This youth program, as it has evolved, has received recognition for outstanding achievement from social workers and youth leaders of various denominations and affiliations throughout the world.
Along with the other auxiliaries it was organized in the Lund ward in November, 1900. Moses W. Harrison was the first president of the Young Men's organization with Willard Burgess and George C. Gardner, counselors and Jacob J. Gubler, secretary. Delle R. Ivins was chosen as the first president of the Young Women's organization with Lucy Burgess and Dinah Chadburn, counselors, and Mary L. Oxborrow, secretary.
After they were organized in 1900, the Young Women and Young Men held their meetings separately. Then in October, 1906, they began holding joint meetings. Until March 17, 1907, only one class was held. That date marked the beginning of departmentalized classes with the organization of a Junior and Senior division. On April 9, 1916, the Beehive class was organized for the girls just entering the M.I.A. and sometime afterward the Boy Scout program was adopted by the Young Men's organization. The organization was subsequently divided into a number of groups variously called Mia Maids, Gleaner Girls, M Men, Ensigns, Laurels. The program also provided for activities in music, drama, dance and speech with a director for each to work with different age groups jointly or separately on a variety of projects.
As this indicates one important function of the M.I.A. is to provide leadership in wholesome recreational and cultural activities. A listing of some of its accomplishments over the years demonstrates the important role it has played in this regard in the history of the town. Minutes of the early meetings record some program numbers
in the opening exercises each time and include reports on current events, sketches from the lives of notable people, book reports, readings and musical numbers, vocal and instrumental. One interesting feature (before the era of radio and television) was the time set aside during classes for reading aloud. The choice of material read in installments ranged from classics to currently popular novels.
From the beginning dramatics was an important part of the M.I.A. program and over the years many one to three act plays, operettas, minstrels and pageants were produced. Dances, excursions, sports and celebrations were under the direction of the M.I.A. The Old Folk's Party which at this writing, 1979, has been a traditional part of the Christmas season for over seventy years, was initiated by the M.I.A. about 1906 under the direction of Presidents Ruth B. Gardner and William Terry. The M.I.A. continued to sponsor this party until 1952 when, under Bishop Ervin Hendrix, the bishopric took over this function.
The ward has participated in music, drama and dance festivals sponsored by the church. In this connection the M.I.A. program has provided instruction in ballroom, folk and square dancing and the young people have taken part in dance festivals in the ward, the stake and at churchwide conferences in Salt Lake City. Ludean Carter has given outstanding service in this department.
The young people of the M.I.A. were introduced to a more formal type of entertainment with the Gold and Green Ball about 1927 and for a number of years thereafter. For this annual event requiring semi-formal dress, royalty was chosen and a gala atmosphere created with gold and green decorations. After the ward parties, a culminating activity was a joint ball at the stake house in Ely which gave the young people an opportunity for wider social contacts.
The M.I.A. sponsored sports program served the same purpose with competition within the stake and culminating churchwide tournaments in Salt Lake City. For several years the Lund M.I.A. competed in basketball and twice, about 1950, won the league play in the stake and the opportunity to play in the all-church touranment. At another time some players were on an all-star team from the stake that went to Salt Lake City. After a few years a town team with membership in a county league replaced the M.I.A. sponsored basketball but the spirit of keen competition tempered with good sportsmanship has prevailed.
The different auxiliaries always had a part in the Christmas, Fourth of July and Twenty-fourth celebrations but they were under the overall direction of the M.I.A. One outstanding celebration they sponsored was the Golden Jubilee celebration of the founding of the White River communities. Invitations were sent out to all former Lund and Preston residents and the two-day celebration held on the twenty-third and Twenty-fourth of July, 1948, drew a large crowd to visit and renew associations.
Another example is given in a quote by Helen C. Gardner, president of the Y.W.M.I.A. from 1943 to 1952. "Another outstanding event took place while the new church was under construction. On April 16, 1950, in the High School building, under the direction of the M.I.A., a Stake Breakfast was served with one hundred five people present, including Sister Bertha S. Reeder, General President of the M.I.A. and her counselor, LaRue C. Longden and other General Board members. At this meeting forty-three testimonies were given."
Another important feature of the M.I.A. program is service and many of its activities have been to raise money for a variety of ward projects. Among these were the building projects beginning with the first log all-purpose building, the cement block room that was added, and the new church completed in 1952. The Y.L.M.I.A. also helped the Relief Society purchase, restore and furnish the old Relief Society building which they shared for six years and the Relief Society continued to use for more than forty years. They also contributed to the two stake buildings in Ely.
During World War I, under the direction of Ruth B. Gardner, the Young Women raised potatoes and purchased a $150 government bond referred to as a "Liberty Bond". The girls plowed, cultivated and harvested the potatoes themselves. Another method of raising money sometimes used by the M.I.A. as well as the other organizations was the "gathering of Sunday eggs". One entry in the M.I.A. minutes for 1925 records the amount received for Sunday Eggs was $28.05.
A change in the M.I.A. format came in the early 1970's with a more liberal concept of youth development. The name was changed and the new format encouraged the young people to formulate their own programs and plan their own projects with the directors of the various activities available on demand. This experiment did not prove any more successful than its counterpart in the public schools and the Lund M.I.A. has assumed its old name and reverted to a somewhat modified version of its old program.
Lund Women's M.I.A.
1 Nov. 1900 President: Della R. Ivins
Counselors: Lucy Burgess, Dinah Chadburn
Secretary: Mary L. Oxborrow
Aug. 1903 President: Belle F. Gardner
Counselors: Ruth Gardner, Mary Oxborrow, Ethel Smith
Secretary: Ruth Gardner, Zina Smith, Jessie Reid, Ellen Bryner
25 Sep. 1905 President: Ruth Gardner
Counselors: Ethel Smith, Mary Ashworth, Etta Mathis, Zina Smith,
Ella Oxborrow, Mary Sinfield, Jessie Reid, Vera Carter,
Lillian Ashby, Zella Harrison, Mazie Ashby
Secretary: Ellen Bryner, Zina Smith, Emma Whitehead,
Mary Sinfield, Vera Carter, Maggie Reid, Mona Smith,
Eva Whitehead, Luella Fawcett
Summer 1921- President Mary Sinfield
1923 Counselors: Vera Carter, Pearl Gardner
Secretary: Leonora Gardner
1923 - 1925 President: Lillie Smith
Counselors: Ellen Oxborrow, Laura Gubler
Secretary: Della Gardner, Aggie Gubler
1926 - 1934 President: Ellen Oxborrow
Counselors: Ida Wakeling, Luella Whipple, Vera Reid, Grace Vance
Secretary: Emma Hutchings, Fermith Vance, Tillie Gardner
1938 - 1940 President: Harriet Ivins
Counselors: Della Scow, Lucille Harrison, Kathryn Gubler, Alice Gardner
Secretary: Ada Reid
1940 - 1942 President: Elinor Gardner
Counselors: Pearl Whitehead, Kathryn Gubler, Isabella Hermansen,
Ruby Gubler
Secretary: Audrey Smith
1942 - 1946 President: Helen Gardner
Counselors: Pauline Sinfield, Karma Lewis, Kathryn Gubler, Sybil Terry, Della Scow
Secretary: Isabella Hermansen, Della Scow
1946 - 1947 President: Lois Horsley
Counselors: Lena Oxborrow, Karma Reid
Secretary: Opal Hendrix
1947 - 1948 President: Lena Oxborrow
Counselors: Karma Reid, Kathryn Gubler, Sybil Terry
Secretary: Mary Lou Reid
1947 - 1952 President: Helen Gardner
Counselors: Audrey Smith, Mary L. Reid, Laura Hendrix,
Kathryn Gubler
Secretary: Darlene Hendrix, Marguerite Gubler,
Verdi Terry, Colleen Ivins
1952 - 1958 President: Laura Hendrix
Counselors: Della Scow, Geraldine Oxborrow
Secretary: LaRue Carter
1958 - 1960 President: Joan Gardner
Counselors: Colleen Scow, Geraldine Oxborrow,
Lillian Peacock, Faylene Ivins, Helen Gardner
Secretary: LaRue Carter
1961 - 1962 President: Colleen Scow
Counselors: Joyce Gardner, Helen Paice
Secretary: Josephine Reid
1962 - 1968 President: Helen Gardner
Counselors: Helen Paice, Joan Gardner, Wilma Whipple,
Mollie K. Reid, Sherry Faught
Secretary: Edith Reid, Josephine Reid, Ann Carter,
Joy Gardner, Rhoda Gardner
1968 - 1969 President: Mattie Jean Kilmer
Counselors: Karen Black, Mollie K. Reid
Secretary: Joan Gardner
1969 - 1970 President: Sherry Faught
Counselors: Mollie K. Reid, Judith Savage
Secretary: Joan Gardner
1970 - 1971 President: Karma Lewis
Counselors: Sharon Doke, Arlene Mangum
Secretary: Joan Gardner
1971 - 1972 President: Arlene Mangum
Counselors: Shirley Peacock, Joan Cripps, Carol McKenzie
Secretary: Joan Gardner
1972 - 1973 President: Carol McKenzie
Counselors: Shirley Peacock
Secretary: Joan Gardner
1973 - President: Mollie K. Reid
Counselor: Neva Horsley
Secretary: Joan Gardner
Young Men's M.I.A.
1900 - 1901 President: Moses W. Harrison
Secretary: Jacob J. Gubler
1902 President: Thomas Judd
Secretary: Geo. C. Gardner
1902 - 1904 President: William H. Ivins
Secretary: Heber C. Smith
1904 - 1905 President: J. R. Lee
Secretary: Claude A. Gardner
1905 - 1907 President: Moses W. Harrison
Secretary: Henry A. Mathis
1906 - 1908 President: Edward H. Burgess
Secretary: Arthur Smith
26 Oct. 1908 President: William A. Terry
- 1912 Counselors: George E. Burgess, George C. Gardner,
George W. Fawcett, Bryant H. Ashby,
Joseph A. Vance
Secretary: Arthur Smith, Rennie Whitehead
Nov. 1912 President: Clarence Burgess
- 1913 Counselors: Joseph A. Vance, Ross Smith,
George W. Fawcett, Ellis R. Terry
22 Nov. 1914 President: William A. Terry
- 1915 Counselors: William E. Hutchings, Rennie A. Whitehead
3 Oct. 1915 President: George W. Fawcett
- 1917 Counselors: Rennie A. Whitehead, Leo Gardner
1932 - 1933 President: M. Price Hutchings
Counselors: Vance McKenzie, Nathaniel Oxborrow
Secretary: Udell Gardner
26 Nov. 1933 President: Kelly Harrison
Counselors: Morris Oxborrow
Secretary: Udell Gardner
1938 - 1940 President: Earl Long
Counselors: Duane P. Anderson, Shirley Hendrix
Secretary: Leonard E. Gardner
1940 - 1941 President: Owen Whitehead
Counselors: Cannon Gardner, Doyle Wakeling
Secretary: Morris Oxborrow
1941 - 1942 President: Arthur Carter
Counselors: Doyle Wakeling, Cannon Gardner
1942 - 1944 President: Vance McKenzie
Counselors: Udell Gardner, Philip Carter
Secretary: Cannon Gardner
1944 - 1948 President: Harold R. Ivins
Counselors: Vance McKenzie, Lafayette Carter,
Cannon Gardner, Van Gardner
Secretary: Cannon Gardner
1948 - President: Neil Gardner Sr.
Counselors: Nephi Schwab, Myron Adams
Secretary: Wayne F. Gardner
1951 - President: Nephi Schwab
Counselors: Leonald Crane
Released President: Wayne F. Gardner
Nov. 1957 Counselors: Harold R. Ivins, Dale Waterlyn
Secretary: Cannon Gardner
Nov. 1957 President: Duane A. Gardner
- 1958 Counselors: Max G. Reid, Philip J. Carter
Secretary: James W. Whipple
1959-60 President: Gary B. Hafen
Counselors: Philip J. Carter, Max G. Reid
Secretary: James W. Whipple
1961 President: Merritt Paice
Counselors: John Adams, J. L. Whipple
Secretary: Ashby Sinfield
1962 President: Allen C. Christensen
Counselor: John L. Whipple, Ashby Sinfield
Secretary: James W. Whipple
1963-65 President: Ashby Sinfield
Counselor: John L. Whipple, Ronald A. Ivins, George Paice
Secretary: James W. Whipple, Nelson A. Carter
1966-67 President: Ronald A. Ivins
Counselor: J. L. Whipple, George Paice, Max Reid,
Dean Whipple
Secretary: Richard Horsley, Roderick McKenzie, Larsen Crosby
18 Feb. 1968 President: Clay Hendrix
Counselor: Max Reid, Albert S. Gubler Jr.
Secretary: Keith N. Ivins
23 Feb. 1969 President: Roy Fought
Counselor: LeRoy Mangum
Secretary: Earl Sharp
22 June 1969 President: Roy Gene Horsley
Counselor: David Savage, Gilbert Savage,
Dennis Larsen, Ronald Ivins
Secretary: Philip Carter, Dennis Reid
14 Feb. 1971 President: Robert Bartlett
Counselors: Sheldon Reid
23 May 1971 President: Dean Thornock
Counselors: George Paice, Ronald Ivins
Secretary: Jeff Gardner
12 Mar. 1972 President: Calvin Rollins
Counselors: Wayne Paice, Dennis Reid
17 Dec 1972 President: Jay Petersen
Counselors: Gardner Scow, Max Mangus
Secretary: Jerry Mangus
6 May 1973 President: Gardner Scow
Counselor: Clay Butterfield
22 Sept. 1974 Aaronic Priesthood Director: Elwin Whipple
Secretary: Lester Ivins
14 Dec. 1975 Aaronic Priesthood Advisor: Neil Gardner Jr.
Secretary: Lester Ivins, Paul Reid