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Provided by Vai Sikahema

Via Sikahema, center, satin bridesmaid dresses one shoulder evening gown one shoulder evening gown at Mormon prom with LDS youths, including recent convert CeCe Doherty in purple/ black dress on Vai's left and her best friend, Sarah Higbee, in the colorful dress , on Vai's right. Stake President Ahmad Corbitt is behind us making rab

Earlier this week, I was disturbed to read the Deseret News account of the rave parties at Saltair, where young women, including underage girls, allegedly strip to their skivvies, dance, drink and do drugs — to the point that some are rushed to local emergency rooms as a result of alcohol poisoning and drug overdose, placing tremendous stress on the depleted weekend staffs of local hospitals. Simply frightening.

The contrast to what I just witnessed on Mother's Day weekend could not be more stark. Last Saturday night, I helped chaperone an event in our area that has grown in size and popularity, where young women dance and party — but do so in modest dresses , with dates and get this — completely alcohol and drug-free.

It's the Cherry Hill, N.J. Mormon Prom. Our LDS stake has hosted it for eight years, and this year we invited kids from two neighboring stakes in Pennsylvania — Valley Forge and Philadelphia. Members of our stake youth committee plan and execute the entire thing. They form committees for food prom dress a line , publicity, music/dance, set-up/decorating, photography, volunteer wait staff and clean-up with an adult leader assigned to each.

They delegate responsibilities to their peers and adults, meet regularly for planning, follow-up and accountability reports. We follow a method in our stake we call "Youth Led; Adult Guided." The Mormon Prom emerged from such a setting — kids who tired of school proms that were expensive and evolving into, well, more or less rave parties. So, they came up with a simple solution: chiffon bridesmaid dress hold their own prom. It started out small but has grown every year. Along the way, it has created a host of young leaders, most of whom are now in college, on missions, grad school, married and yes, even parents.

It was the youth committee that decided to invite the 14- and 15-year-olds to the dance portion, while limiting the formal dinner to the 16-year-olds who come with dates and some without. They felt that would make it more special for the older kids of datable age, yet give the younger kids something to look forward to. All are required to come in modest clothing; boys in suits or Sunday best, girls in dresses — shoulders covered and formal if possible. Some of the young women, like my 17-year-old, sewed their own dresses while others borrowed dresses from families with girls who have aged out of the youth program.

There's a particular tradition unique to our part of the country amongst high school kids that also led to the creation of the Cherry Hill, N.J. Mormon Prom. For many, after-prom-parties continue for couples at their parents' beach homes "down the Shore," as they say here, in the beach towns along the New Jersey coastline. Believe it or not, the weekend-long "after-parties" happen with their parents' blessing. I've heard parents justify it with the statement, "I'd rather have them in our shore house than driving around drunk or going to a motel." Perhaps physically safe evening dresses evening dresses, though that's debatable, but morally bankrupt.

These are parents with more dollars than sense.

What's been amazing has been the response from the kids' school friends who share their values. Our Mormon Prom is popular among like-minded kids of other faiths and their parents who also love our modest dress standards, alcohol-free and no-beach-house-weekend formal. Non-LDS kids are well represented at our Mormon Prom — many of them, the leaders at their schools.

By far, the youth are the most effective and consistent missionaries in our stake. Many of their peers have joined the Church, like CeCe Doherty, whose first exposure to the Church was coming to primary events with her neighbors, Sarah, Olivia and Willie Higbee. She waited seven years until she turned 18, per her parents' wishes, before she was baptized last May, just before heading to BYU-Provo.

An added bonus in our Mormon Prom is that our stake president, Ahmad Corbitt, and I love to dance with the kids. Pres. Corbitt and I were raised on American Bandstand and Soul Train, so we love to boogie. Together, we typically lead the youth and their leaders in the "Electric Slide," the "Soul Train Danceline" or jump in the "dance-off" circle to accept a challenge from youths who should be on "Dancing With The Stars." We clown and ham it up because we love 'em and it's just part of our personality.

You're wondering about the other counselor in our presidency? discount mother of the bride gowns discount mother of the bride gowns

He's extremely organized, Ivy Leaguer, dedicated and faithful as the day is long, but let's just say I think he's a little rhythmic-challenged.

But it's tough when the stake president is not only a brother but a "brotha" with a Poly counselor and we both grew up on Earth, Wind and Fire, the Commodores and Kool and the Gang. Yeah, strapless mermaid wedding gowns strapless mermaid wedding gowns we break it down '80s style — when we were in our prime.

But seriously, as parents and youth leaders, we cannot lose our young to rave parties. Be close to them, stay connected, encourage and support their activity in school and church programs, set boundaries and know who their friends are.

Until next week ... Love ... Peace ... and SOOOOOO-UUUUUL!!!! (Meant for the few of you who will know who Don Cornelius is)?

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