Register Today for 'Something Extraordinary'

Meet Neylan McBaine

We are delighted to feature Neylan McBaine as our keynote speaker for Women's Conference. She will speak about how we can build on our unique qualities and diverse experiences to find unity in sisterhood

In January 2010, Neylan launched the Mormon Women Project, a digital library of interviews with LDS women from around the world, in an effort to emphasize the many ways that modern faithful women choose the right. Because of the strong examples of Mormon women she grew up with, including her own mother who was a professional opera singer, and because of her personal connection with many women who struggle to find their place within LDS culture, Neylan felt it was important to challenge the cultural stereotype with portraits of all kinds of righteous women. The site, which posts one interview a week with the help of dozens of volunteers, includes over 200 interviews with LDS women from 22 countries. 

As a writer, Neylan has been published in Newsweek, Meridian Magazine, Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, Segullah, Patheos.com, BustedHalo.com, the Washington Post's On Faith religion blog, among others. Neylan's work on women and Mormonism includes a FairMormon talk from 2012 that was widely distributed, and a roundtable podcast with leaders of key women's organizations within Mormonism. Most recently, Neylan's book Women at Church has been called "a monumental piece of work" and "a remarkable resource that belongs in every Latter-day Saint home."

Neylan is also the author of a collection of personal essays, How To Be A Twenty-First Century Pioneer Woman (2008) , and the editor of Sisters Abroad: Interviews from the Mormon Women Project (Patheos Press, 2013).

Neylan grew up as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) in New York City and then attended Yale University. She currently lives in Utah with her husband and three young daughters.

As a brand strategist, Neylan works for Bonneville Communications, the agency best known for its work on Mormon.org and the I'm A Mormon campaign. Neylan focuses on research and stratigic planning for cause-oriented clients. 

Service Project: Days For Girls

Our Women's Conference service project is organized in conjunction with Days for Girls, an international organization that provides reusable feminine hygiene products to girls in communities all over the world. There are over 400 chapters throughout the world that create kits to send to these communities. For more information, visit daysforgirls.org.

Days for Girls Mission

Creating a more dignified, free and educated world through access to lasting feminine hygiene solutions.

Days for Girls International is a grassroots 501(c)3 non-profit. Women, and girls discover their potential and self-value, are equal participants and agents of social change and are given opportunities to thrive, grow, and contribute to their community's betterment while ensuring quality sustainable feminine hygiene.

Women's Conference Project

We will be making the bags and liners during the Women's Conference. With your donations and in conjunction with the Rockville MD chapter of Days For Girls, our goal is to assemble 50 kits on October 15. You don't need to be an experienced seamstress to participate. There will be stations for using sergers and sewing machines, stations for cutting, pinning, and ironing at the appropriate stage of creation, and kit assembly. We also welcome your donations to make this project a success.

Advance Donations Needed

We are looking for the following items to prepare for the service project. If you are willing to loan or contribute these items, please contact Andrea Affeltranger at aaffeltranger at gmail dot com by October 9.

• Cotton flannel in dark floral or geometric prints (no animals)
• 1/2" or 5/8" grosgrain ribbon
• Serger (up to 6 needed)
• Sewing machine (up to 6 needed)
• Large cutting mat and rotary cutter
• 6" and 8.5" quilting rulers

Donations to Bring On October 15

To complete the kits, please bring the following purchased items with you on October 15. There will be a donation table drop-off in the gym.   

• Ziploc brand gallon-size freezer bags (non-zipper slider)
• Girls' size underpants, size 10-14 (colored preferred)
• Washcloths (colored preferred)
• Travel soap

Keynote Speaker & Breakout Sessions

We are excited to announce our keynote speaker and breakout sessions. We hope you will be able to join us on Saturday October 15, 2016.

Keynote Speaker: Neylan McBaine, Author and Founder of The Mormon Women Project

"Fostering a Commitment to Unity." Unity can exist without sameness. We are here as a group unified under Christ. Our love for Him and His love for us gathers us both physically and spiritually. The challenge of our day is to disconnect the perceived need for sameness from the ideal of unity.

Breakout Session Classes

"Serving as the Savior Serves" - Beyond 'Checking the Box': Finding Strength to Go the Extra Mile.

"Keeping Faith, Hope and Charity Alive in Relationships Amidst Questions and Doubts" - Suggestions on how to keep love in relationships when you, your spouse, or another loved one experience serious doubts or questions about the gospel.

"You Are Not Alone: Recognizing and Understanding Depression" - How to make progress and heal in a safe, supportive and healthy environment that includes spiritual, therapeutic and medicinal methods. 

"Securing Your Family and Your Data" - Keeping yourself and your family safe from hackers and identity theft, and preserving the best of what's online for your family while avoiding the garbage. 

"Finding that Elusive Family Member" - Let the experts help you find members of your family tree and get connected with your past. 

"Women of Faith" - Learn more about the Islam, Judaism and Christian faiths as women from these religious groups talk about their core beliefs, how faith sustains them in times of challenge and the role women play in their communities.

Our Vision for 'Something Extraordinary'

Diversity can be a divine gift and a divine challenge. Bring your friends and neighbors and join us on Saturday, October 15 at the Seneca Stake Center as we discuss various ways to build on our differences, work in unity to help those in need, strengthen ourselves, our homes and our families, and draw closer to He who loves us all.

'Something Extraordinary' is Coming