Added temple shift

Wendy and I have added a second temple shift in the Provo Temple, early mornings on Friday (Shift 1).  It takes 21 shifts to operate the temple, four each for Tuesday through Saturday and an early morning shift on Monday.   Each shift requires perhaps 60-70 men and 70-80 women to cover all the needed assignments.  Most all of the shifts are shorthanded, and we felt we were capable of doing more. 

Before Wendy’s assignment as Asst. Shift Coordinator for the women on Thursday Shift 2, we did both Shift 1 and Shift 2 on Thursdays.  She had a couple of hours of preparation meetings for her assignment on Shift 2, so we had to give up Shift 1.  On Thursdays Wendy needs to arrive at the Temple  before 9 am preparing for the shift which covers the hours 11 am to 4 pm.  I sometimes use the extra two hours to make a visit to Nathan and Gloria, to do family initiatories, or go up to third floor and help Shift 1 with officiating at the veil.

For Friday Shift 1, we need to be at the temple and dressed for a 6:20 preparation meeting.  The shift ends at 11 am.  After finishing the shift, we had lunch in the temple cafeteria and then did our weekly family endowment session.

This shift is very low on numbers of workers, compared to either of our Thursday shifts.  We are needed.

Also, we were a little surprised at how different the procedures were for Friday Shift 1 compared to what we have been used to.  The comparison is quite interesting to us.  I have always been a kind of a procedures person, interested in what ways of doing things are most efficient and effective.  Wendy and I have lots to talk about.