Annual Report of the Special Projects Committee

Larry Geis, Chairman Members: Larry Watkins, Chick Montgomery, Barbara Newsom
Meredith Tenney and Thomas Orjala

This committee continues to be an association of members who are actively involved with various projects on an individual basis. The committee as a whole is not currently undertaking any significant endeavor, but is evolving into a supportive vehicle for assisting the work of other committees. The members are continuing to provide liaison functions with several groups and organizations with similar goals of dissemination and socialization of the revelation.

Meredith Tenney and Thomas Orjala are continuing their leadership roles in the InnerLife International organization. The Cosmic Café concept, pioneered by Thomas and his partner Aurora Hill has had success in their local area of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, as well as Edmonton and Montreal in Canada. For more information on other programs and activities under this umbrella, consult www.innerlifeinternational.org.

Barbara Newsom maintains a close working relationship with key individuals in the Chicago area. She is especially active in assisting with events involving cooperation between the Greater Lake Michigan Urantia Association and the First Society.

Larry Watkins, in connection with his involvement with the Fellowship Website, has pioneered an ambitious undertaking: creating a digital historical archive of all documents generated since the inception of the Urantia revelation. This endeavor has led to the formation of another specialized non-profit entity, The Urantia Book Historical Society. More details concerning this topic are available in other reports being submitted at this time.

Our committee has agreed to some supportive functions in regard to future endeavors of the Fellowship. The next International Conference in 2008 will be held in San Diego. Special Projects has agreed to handle various logistical functions as assigned by coordinator Susan Cook. We will also cooperate with members of the Finance Committee in their campaign to make personal contact with each “official” member of our organization.

As our Triennial Delegate Assembly is meeting for the fifteenth time to elect members of the General Council, we have prepared introductory packets for those who are taking their seats for the first time.

We have compiled a listing of all individuals who have served as volunteer members of the 36 member General Council since its inception in 1955. The original founding members were self-appointed for initial nine year terms. Twenty-five of them completed the full nine years and seventeen were re-elected by the first Triennial Delegate Assembly in 1964. The average length of service for these pioneers was just short of 25 years. Five original councilors sat for 30 years or more.

As of this writing, 171 individuals have been on the roster, and only eleven of them were selected by the council itself to temporarily fill vacancies. All others were elected at least once by the TDA process. As the current cycle ends, more than 100 will have completed at least nine years of faithful participation.

Larry Geis, Chair