When I was called as the primary chorister it was 3 weeks before the Primary Program. I had been in the ward for two weeks, and had never had a calling in primary before. The previous chorister had moved from the ward the week before we moved in, and substitutes had been doing singing time for the three weeks before I started. After struggling through the program I found myself adrift in my calling. I didn't know the kids. I didn't know how to teach the kids songs. I didn't know what they responded to, games they were familiar with, or even the basic songs they knew. The first few weeks were full of awkward moments with me singing by myself songs that I was certain everyone knew. I found myself wishing over and over again that I had been given a list of songs the kids knew. That way I could have known which songs we could just sing, and which songs I would have to teach them (or else sing solo).

The Presidency wasn't much help, because it had been recently rearranged and the sisters were still getting their bearings in their callings. They weren't in a position to mentor me; I'm sure they frequently felt in need of their own mentors. I started keeping a journal for my calling with the benefit of my successor in mind. It started with the list of songs I so desperately wished I had been given.

Though it started as something to pass on, it has evolved into a useful tool for me now. It still has the list of songs, but it also includes a yearly overview, and a weekly journal. It has helped me keep the rotation of songs balanced, and helped me plan ahead for things like mothers and father's day.

The yearly overview is a list of the Sundays in the year.  Next to the name of the month I write the song that the Primary Program suggests learning that month. For each week I write who will be doing sharing time, and note holidays or other important things. April looks like this:
April- We thank thee, o God, for a prophet (hymn #19)
6- General Conference
13- Sister W.
20- Valiant Boys
27- Sister H. 

The weekly journal includes the songs for primary's closing exercises, (birthday, welcome, prayer, and wiggle) with page numbers. It lists the songs to sing with sharing time, and how the songs were presented and or taught. Sometimes I make a note if the method was well received or not. If I choose I could get more and more sophisticated, even including things like the numbers of the pictures from the GAK that I used with certain phrases in the lyrics.

One thing I have avoided and plan to continue avoiding is making mention of the kids individually. As I plan on passing this book along I think it should have no personal information in it. While it might be useful to know that little Jenny Smithserson can't be trusted to hold up a picture reverently, such information can easily cause hurt feelings and is, in my opinion, best avoided.

In that same vein, I'm less and less certain that I actually will pass on everything in my journal. In some ways my baptism by fire was a very good thing for everyone involved. We certainly floundered, and struggled for the fist month or so, but I had to work, research, seek inspiration, and experiment with the kids, and together we've worked out a system that fits our group rather well. If I had been handed a book that outlined "the way we do things here" then I may have been reluctant to experiment. I might have just picked up where the prior chorister left off- even if the program may have benefitted from a complete overhaul. Even if I don't pass it on, it is still worth keeping just for the way it helps me plan and be prepared each week.
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