GIRLS LEARN HOW TO DECORATE CAKES

Girls 12 to 18 years old meet from 7 to 8:30 Tuesday nights at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. in Cape Girardeau to learn how to decorate cakes.

The girls learn to make roses, carrots, leaves and borders in one night! They really caught on quick. Now as they look through the cake-decorating books, they'll have a better idea of how to accomplish more involved projects.

The program for these young women hopes to promote the gradual progression of responsibility in these girls' lives.

Each month, leaders Chantal Jamieson and Karen Redfearn focus on a different value for the girls to learn.

Using a workbook to support the teaching of the Bible and the Book of Mormon, the girls are encouraged to set goals, carry out activities and focus on important values. The girls can use as much help from adults as necessary.

There are seven values to learn; faith, divine nature, individual worth, knowledge, choice and accountability, good works, and integrity.

There are names for each age group. Beehives are 12 and 13 year olds, mimaids are 14 and 15 year olds and laurels are 16 to 18 year olds. As they progress, so do the expectations. The laurels are expected to plan and carry out four projects; each takes about 20 hours of work.

The girls are encouraged by their leaders and in addition to the gaining knowledge and understanding that helps in life's journey, the girls receive certificates and gold necklaces.

A similar program is available for young men, and once a month the young men and women have a combined meeting.

During the summer they plan exciting activities like rock climbing and float trips.

Jamieson shared her story about overcoming her fear of rock climbing: "I was so excited I went into a giggling fit."

She said she "can't wait" to do it again, "but I'm still a little nervous about that first drop."

People don't climb from the bottom up.

"You're 80 feet up on a cliff, geared up and then you have to take that first drop," Jamieson said, adding that it keeps her young.