Primary "worker" VS. Sunday School "instructor"?

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kisaac
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Primary "worker" VS. Sunday School "instructor"?

#1

Post by kisaac »

Is there any reason as to why the Standard Positions in MLS refers to a sunday school teacher as "Sunday School Instructor," while the Primary teachers get to be called "Primary workers?"

I'm trying hard to use the "standard positions," as MLS asks, but doesn't require, and i understand it probably is because at some future point these standard positions will be "pushed" to automatically update LUWS or its successor. And, yes, I could make custom positions, but it's not neat and tidy.

That being said, our stake president has said that in our stake, we "Don't have primary workers," we have "Primary teachers or instructors." When future updates happen, will everyone become an "instructor" or a "worker?"
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aebrown
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#2

Post by aebrown »

kisaac wrote:Is there any reason as to why the Standard Positions in MLS refers to a sunday school teacher as "Sunday School Instructor," while the Primary teachers get to be called "Primary workers?"

I'm trying hard to use the "standard positions," as MLS asks, but doesn't require, and i understand it probably is because at some future point these standard positions will be "pushed" to automatically update LUWS or its successor. And, yes, I could make custom positions, but it's not neat and tidy.

That being said, our stake president has said that in our stake, we "Don't have primary workers," we have "Primary teachers or instructors." When future updates happen, will everyone become an "instructor" or a "worker?"
I would assume that the callings have different names because the general auxiliary presidencies, with approval of the priesthood leaders over them, have said that the callings should be named that way.

There are many good reasons to use standard callings. As long as you use standard callings, MLS will be able to automatically update calling names as changes occur. For example, in the recent changes to Primary classes, callings were automatically updated -- a CTR 5 Primary Worker became a CTR 4 Primary Worker. If instead you had created a custom calling for a CTR 5 Primary Teacher, they would still be a CTR 5 Primary Teacher (since MLS would have no way of knowing how to update that custom calling), and there would be no one listed as teaching the new CTR 4 Primary class.

Standard callings are pushed to CDOL right now, and we don't know all the benefits, but I would strongly recommend that you use standard callings as we have been counseled to do. Your stake president can continue to inspire those who serve in Primary how ever he feels is appropriate, but in MLS, use the standard calling names.
lajackson
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#3

Post by lajackson »

Alan_Brown wrote:I would assume that the callings have different names because the general auxiliary presidencies, with approval of the priesthood leaders over them, have said that the callings should be named that way.
I agree with the principle and I believe in using standard calling names. But, I do not believe in the case of the Primary that the correct names are included in MLS yet. I am not convinced that the auxiliary/MLS developer correlation has actually taken place. There are still discrepancies.

Unless there has been an unannounced change, kisaac's stake president is right. Primary "workers" went away in the 70s, per instructions from Church headquarters. They were to be called "teachers." Today's CHI says they are teachers or instructors.

Perhaps we have swung full circle and "workers" are back. If so, I missed the memo (and would anticipate a handbook change, as well).

And yes, there are those over the years who have called them "workers" all along. That's why we have handbook training every month in leadership meetings.
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aebrown
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#4

Post by aebrown »

lajackson wrote:I do not believe in the case of the Primary that the correct names are included in MLS yet.
...Primary "workers" went away in the 70s, per instructions from Church headquarters. They were to be called "teachers." Today's CHI says they are teachers or instructors.
You are right. I was incorrectly remembering the MLS 3.1.2 Release Notes, which says for YW and RS:
Based on direction from the general Relief Society and Young Women presidencies, names of some positions (callings) in the Relief Society and Young Women have changed.
But for the Primary, it only says:
Based on direction from the general Primary presidency, some Primary class names have changed. These changes have been made in MLS Primary class lists.
So the clear implication is that the general RS and YW presidencies did review the calling names for those organizations, but for Primary, it only says that the class names were changed -- there is no statement or implication that the calling names were reviewed.
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