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I really like Lyn's idea of taking various board members along with her  for presidency visits.  Since they have responsibility for certain areas,  it helps to have them along.  Also the other ideas that have been  presented.  The times I have been in a ward presidency, we tried to do  visits together twice a month, and the RS president usually did  additional visits on her own in sensitive situations.

In our Stake right now, we have been encouraging the ward presidencies to  use ad-hoc specialists in addition to the regular board members for  making visits.  They include such specialists as "Moving coordinator"  (for making a first visit to new move-ins, or finding out what the needs  are for a sister that is moving away), "New Member specialist" (to visit  a new member sister with the missionaries, represent the R.S. at the  sister's baptism and present her with a RS manual, and help answer her  questions and introduce her around so she makes friends in addition to  her V.T.ers, and see that she has someone to sit with on Sundays, etc.).

I realize that many stakes may have smaller wards or branches than ours,  so you may not need extra "helpers" like the above.  One of our wards has  245 sisters in their R.S., and baptisms a couple of times a month, so  they need all the extra help they can get!  We have also found that using  ad-hoc specialists is a way to give new sisters "a friend, a  responsibility, and nurturing with the good word of God" as Pres.  Hinckley has suggested, without burning out our ward R.S. presidencies,  and still giving them time with their families on Sundays rather than  having them out making all the visits themselves. Anyway, just an idea. Nina Miles

Having over 250 sisters in a spread out area, it is a challenge to make visits other than my visiting teaching route of 6 sisters.  As Ward RS pres. this is my procedure for making additional visits:

1- Before going to ANY home for an initial visit when new records arrive, I request that the Priesthood visit the home first.  Living in a near urban community, this is to see if it is safe to visit at night and alone (only if I needed), and what circumstances

2- The 4th Sunday of each month, I take one of my counselors, or board members and choose 2-5 names to "drop by" on.  We prayerfully consider the list of less-actives, nursing home sisters and new members, as to who we visit.  We always take a newsletter, a card with church meeting times and a treat. (It's tough to be angry when someone is handing you a treat. Once we tied  packettes of microwaveable popcorn (bought) with a card saying "Thanks for letting us pop in on you." )

3- Newly baptised sisters get the soonest visit (even though visiting teachers are assigned just before baptism).

4-We do not ask to be let in the home, unless we are invited, otherwise we cheerfully try to just meet them on their step without making them feel we are on a "home inspection" tour.  After introductions and chit-chat, we invite them to church and if we feel so impressed, we ask if we can have a prayer with them.

5-Our 4th-Sunday sessions usually take around 3-3 1/2 hrs.

6-Sometimes I feel impressed to make visits on my own during the week or weekends.  But I always have that 4th Sunday block of time reserved to make a consistent effort.

This has worked well for me.  This is just one way, and it is always comforting to know that there are many "right" ways to do things. All our stewardships offer different challenges. Best Wishes. Sue..........in Metro Detroit