How I Lead as Relief Society President | Interviews with Mary Alice Hatch and Søs Gram

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In this podcast, Kurt interviews Mary Alice Hatch, who is serving as the Relief Society President in her California ward, and Søs Gram, who is serving as a Stake Relief Society President in Germany.

Sister Mary Alice Hatch

Mary Alice Hatch lives in San Clemente, California. She is originally from Potomac, Maryland, a mother of two, has previously served as a Young Women’s president, twice in Relief Society presidencies and in a stake Relief Society presidency, and also serves as a temple worker. She co-hosts the What Now Podcast, addressing cultural stigmas surrounding topics in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in an effort to create more understanding, hope and healing.

9:00 Her son’s mission story and how that experience led to starting a podcast 16:25 Where the podcast has gone from there 22:00 Leaning on the Lord as a Relief Society President: confirmation and motivation that this was the right thing and the Lord would sustain her, and felt she needed to be even more thoughtful when choosing her counselors Principles:

26:40 Delegation and empowerment: Allows her counselors to do what they want and need to do for meetings and other tasks without her direction or input; ask questions instead of commanding change when something seems questionable
30:30 Maintaining composure: Others will mirror how you are behaving, so if there’s a crisis it’s important not to panic (and to have a sense of humor)
33:30 Staying humble and going to the Lord: makes you more receptive and in tune with the Spirit

36:20 Mix of different people in her ward, including military wives. Created walking groups of women on the military base and weekly at the beach, a monthly birthday social, a cooking class, and a writing group. 42:15 Ministering interviews: split up between her and her counselors, meet with the same people every quarter, and make sure they connect

Sister Søs Gram

Søs Gram was born and raised in Denmark, and moved to Frankfurt, Germany, for her husband’s job with the translation department of the Church about 20 years ago. She is a language teacher, teaching English and Danish, and has previously served as a ward Relief Society President.

48:10 Attended an international ward for many years, and are now in a German branch in Frankfurt. There are 14 stakes and 3 missions in Germany. Her farthest unit is about 90 minutes away by car. 50:15 Frankfurt temple reopening soon and Elder Uchtdorf will be there for the rededication 51:25 Her call as a stake Relief Society President came as a surprise following many years in music callings Principles:

54:20 Counseling with stake president as well as counselors: maintains an open conversation with the stake president, participation in community activity, sitting on the stand at stake conference, working as a team with her counselors and the high council
1:00:10 Delegation: ask others to return and report, and to do things their own way
1:01:40 Enabling: Give others opportunities to do things that may be difficult, but will stretch them

1:02:15 Ministering is a real challenge with the travel involved. One ward had an all-day ministering interview plan, another uses WhatsApp. 1:07:00 Ministering interviews involved some ministering to the sisters in the interview, taking notes to refer to next time 1:08:45 Presidency meetings work better for them to meet in person, and they use WhatsApp for daily communication 1:11:30 Arranging temple trips for the sisters in the stake while the Frankfurt temple has been closed