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The year 1961 has been the usual interesting one in the office of the Secretary-General. After several years, things have fallen into a pattern and the handling is more or less routine. But there are always interesting letters and phone calls, and new people coming into the office to meet us and learn more about us and the organization. Through the year we have had several visits from members of other societies.

In addition to visitors coming to Chicago, we have maintained contact with societies and study groups by visits of several headquarters people to the field. The two Field Representatives have made several official visits. Mr. William Sadler, Jr., has been in Oklahoma City and Darien (Connecticut) several times through the year, and Dr. Meredith Sprunger visited the Orvonton Urantia Society in Chicago and Urantia Society of Glenview this fall. Unofficial trips have been made by Ruth Burton, who visited the Los Angeles society and the Santa Monica group, the Oklahoma society, Dorothy Elms in Albuquerque, and Sophie Hansen in Albany. Edith Cook and Warren Kulieke both made trips to the study group in Culver, Ind., and I visited the Los Angeles and Santa Monica groups. Several people have attended meetings of the Glenview and Orvonton groups through the year.

Three or four times a year I make a verbal report on Sunday afternoon to the First Urantia Society to tell them what's going on in the headquarters office. Phone calls and outside contacts are discussed and some of the interesting letters are read. Some of the most interesting events and letters are incorporated in the News Letters for the benefit of the other societies.

It is impossible to tell exactly how many study groups there are in existence as there must be many which we have never heard of. Every once in a while someone mentions a new one. But we do know there are groups in the following places, and some of them have been in existence quite a long time:

Winnetka, Ill. Bensenville, Ill. Western Springs, Ill. Springfield, Ill. Albany, N.Y. Darien, Conn. Culver, Ind. Topeka, Kan. San Diego, Calif. Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. Riverside, Calif. Albuquerque, N. Mex. Sydney, Australia Launching Place, Australia Dunedin, New Zealand Victoria, Australia

We have heard that there is a group in Elgin and also in Naperville, but we have very little information on these. We would appreciate hearing about any groups which are not on this list.

We have been keeping a geographical file of names and addresses of those who have The Urantia Book, and we have found that this is most valuable, although we know it is incomplete. A great many times we are asked for lists of names by people who are traveling or perhaps moving to a new location. We do the best we can, but we know our list is sketchy. Whenever we get an individual order, we can add a card to our file, but many books are now going out through stores, and of course we have no record of where they end up. We would appreciate getting from any of you the name and address when you give a book or know of someone who got one by other means.

We recently received a bequest of several thousand dollars and another small one is in process, but has not yet been received.

The French translation is being produced and a copy of the first volume has been received. The finished book will be in three volumes.

We were sorry to lose our Treasurer, Russell W. Bucklin, who submitted his resignation in September, before his move to California. His fine work since the organization of the Brotherhood has been very much appreciated. Harry E. Rowley was appointed Acting Treasurer to serve until this meeting of the General Council.

Respectfully submitted,

Secretary-General

MTR 12/28/61