BOUNTIFUL — Being a Job’s Daughter can help a young woman build self-esteem and teach her responsibility while allowing her to have fun.

Annette Andersen, an adult advisor to Bountiful’s Bethel 9, said the program has a lot to offer young women, ages 10-20, but few people in Davis County even know what the organization is, or who may participate. “We’re kind of invisible, and we want to let people know who we are. We’d love to have some new members.

“Job’s Daughters is a non-denominational organization young women can belong to, to help them gain skills for the future,” Andersen said.

Any young woman from any faith may join, “as long as they believe in a higher being,” Andersen said. While participants must have some Masonic ties, the Bountiful bethel has yet to find someone who has none, Andersen said. The teachings and rituals are centered around the Bible, Andersen said, but are not so pervasive, that a young woman, who is Buddhist for example, would feel uncomfortable.

Andersen’s daughter Amy is the bethel’s current honored queen, a position she was elected to in January, and which she will serve in for six months. As honored queen, Amy is charged with planning bethel activities with her line officers, a marshal, guide, junior princess and senior princess. Each position is elected, and while most participants move up to honored queen through the seats, it isn’t a given, since the seats are elected positions. Other positions are non-elected, and include such responsibilities as treasurer, recorder, chaplain, librarian and musician, “Everyone participates,” Andersen said

Bethel 9 is looking to increase membership. Currently there are only about a dozen active girls, and seven adult leaders.

Members are taught a full range of skills which will serve them well throughout their lives. The young women run the meetings themselves with adult supervision using Robert’s Rules of Order. They pay their own bills and make decisions on bethel activities. They are involved in charitable work, especially the Hearing Impaired Kids Endowment Fund, which provides hearing aids for underprivileged children. Each honored queen also picks a charity to support. Amy’s is Best Friends Animal Society based in southern Utah.

Andersen said the girls make their own decisions about activities, something they learn from.

But if it sounds like a lot of work, Andersen points out there’s a lot of fun along the way too. Members hold prospect parties for girls who may be interested. They also participate in activities such as sleepovers and field trips. They bowl and hold scavenger hunts, hold potluck lunches, ice cream pigouts and fund raisers. Bethel 9 members have participated in both the Bountiful and Centerville parades.

All told, Job’s Daughters helps participants to have confidence in themselves, and helps them see that they are capable of making decisions on their own, Andersen said.

The organization was founded by Ethel T. Wead Mick in 1920.

She was read to from the book of Job growing up and wanted to form an organization for girls which taught reverence for God, loyalty to the flag respect for elders and love for all the world, Andersen said.

She based Job’s Daughters on chapter 42 verse 15 in the Book of Job —“And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren.”

Andersen said Job’s Daughters teaches each participant they are among the fairest, which helps build that self-esteem.

Anyone wishing to find out more about the organization may call Amy Andersen at 801-599-2795.

mwilliams@davisclipper.com