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This has been an interesting and encouraging year. Interesting because of the stimulating dialogue which has taken place in the Executive Committee and with many people throughout the Brotherhood. Encouraging because of the growing openness, increased communication, positive attitudes, and the beginning of cooperative action In the Confirmatory Agreement controversy.

It is not only Important to keep the leadership of Urantia Brotherhood informed through the Executive Committee Letter and personal contacts; but, we should increasingly elect our best people to the Executive Committee regardless of geographic location. Whenever social organizations become national or international in their constituency, they usually schedule their Executive Committee meetings quarterly and delegate day to day operations to administrative officers. I look forward to the day when this becomes a practical necessity for Urantia Brotherhood.

Urantia Brotherhood is in its Infancy and I observe we at times suffer from the illusions of immaturity. Some of us are so enthused with the message of The Urantia Book that we somehow assume that members of Urantia Brotherhood are special people immune from the foibles of human nature. Our idealism needs to be tempered by evolutionary reality. Brotherhood members have the same normal distribution of human traits which one would find in any representative societal group. The Brotherhood has no special quota of saints or sinners. We have a superlative message to proclaim but we ourselves are made of very common human clay. Therefore, we should not be disillusioned when some of our fellows do not measure up to our Idealistic expectations. Rather, we must learn to accept, love, and work with people as they are in the here and now. This is a creative challenge and a thrilling possibility even for beings of our lowly status.

It might also be helpful if we used religious clichés with greater restraint. How often I hear people talking about "Doing the will of God" or "Doing the Father's will." This catch-all phrase, I assume, is intended to assure the purity of the speaker's motivation. As a child I constantly heard this expression in the fundamentalist church we attended. I soon learned that when translated it often meant "That which I am doing," or "That which I believe." Magic words like "Urantlan" or "Jesusonlan" can also take on near fetish symbolization when used as clichés. It may keep us a little more honest, reality-centered, and humble if we resort less to such ambiguous religious clichés.

All of us are concerned about the difficulties related to the Confirmatory Agreement. I should like to express warm appreciation to the First Urantia Society of Oklahoma for their fine cooperation with the Executive Committee in giving us specific reasons for the inadequacy of the old Confirmatory Agreement and to the trustees of the Foundation for asking their lawyers to compose a new Confirmatory Agreement keeping these objections in mind. The Foundation has urged their legal counsel to complete this document as soon as possible.

We regret having to ask three study groups to wait for consideration of their requests to become societies. In particular, we wish to express our appreciation to the Dallas Study Group, which has completed all of the formal requirements to become a society, for the kind and understanding spirit in which they have accepted this delay.

I have informed the Executive Committee and the Foundation that in all matters which are controversial in the relationships of societies with the Foundation, it is my Intention to have both the society and the Foundation deal directly with the Executive Committee. In this way the Executive Committee will serve as a buffer between the society and the Foundation. This is not only proper organizational procedure but, hopefully, will also improve communications in both directions.

The cooperative attitudes expressed and the common purpose affirmed by all involved in the Confirmatory Agreement Issue suggest that we will eventually achieve a constructive resolution of the problem. It is my conviction that this extended dialogue is an essentially healthy and maturing experience for both the Foundation and the Brotherhood and the end result will be helpful to the Urantla movement.

Nevertheless, we should not forget that these organizational and legal problems - as important as they may be - are only means and not ends. I should like to emphasize as forcefully as possible that we not allow these secondary issues to obscure or divert us from our primary responsibility: the spiritual ministry to mankind.

To help us achieve greater freedom to carry out our spiritual ministry it may be helpful to share some thoughts on the philosophy of foundation and Brotherhood relationships. Many years ago Bill Sadler, Jr. recognized the difference in the basic functions of the Brotherhood and Foundation could cause problems and advised that these differences always be kept in mind and that interrelationships be directed wisely.

The founders of the Urantla movement recognized the repercussions of the fifth epochal revelation required two basic organizations to assume different specific responsibilities and functions. Accordingly, they established Urantia Foundation and Urantia Brotherhood with their respective responsibilities and opportunities of service.

During the past year or two as the Foundation has presented a Confirmatory Agreement to established societies and as various individuals or groups have sought permission to use Urantia Book materials for study groups and conferences or desired to publish material involving quotes from The Urantia Book misunderstandings and disagreements have arisen between the Foundation and a group or the person involved. Such disagreements are to be expected and often serve constructive purposes. There are times, however, when negative polarization occurs which we should seek to avoid. One basic approach to achieving this end is to think through and see clearly the philosophy of Foundation and Brotherhood relationships. To stimulate your thinking and solicit your help in developing such a philosophy, the following view of Foundatlon-Brotherhood relationships is presented. For purposes of clarity the technique of oversimplification is used which tends to overemphasize differences.

The Foundation's primary function is the publication of The Urantia Book, protection of copyright, trademark, and service marks. In carrying out their responsibilities the Foundation must place emphasis on purity of text, propriety of activities associated with the service marks, copyright defense, and the economic necessities which these actions require. The ultimate social-temporal requirement demanded by this basic function is to establish the authority demanded by the Declaration of Trust; and such authority in our society is finally determined by legal procedures. The Foundation's image, therefore, will take on connotations of political and legal authority.

The Brotherhood's primary function is to organize study groups and societies and generally stimulate individuals and groups to actualize the teachings of The Urantia Book in their lives. To carry out their responsibilities the Brotherhood must place emphasis on fellowship, leadership development, stimulating individual growth and creativity, spiritual enlightenment, group dynamics, and group decision-making. The ultimate social-temporal requirement demanded by this basic function is to evolve an effective brotherhood; and brotherhood is achieved through love, freedom, and loyalty.

The Brotherhood image of necessity will take on connotations of openness, service, and freedom. In the various relationships between the Foundation and the Brotherhood individuals have sometimes unconsciously assumed the function, methods, and image of the two organizations should be the same. As a result people in both organizations have often been unable to understand each other. The foundation may be perceived as "legalistic" and "dictatorial." Brotherhood societies, study groups, and individuals may be seen as "libertine" and "unloyal." It is time that we recognize the distinctive function of both the Foundation and the Brotherhood and separate their proper images in our thinking. Our objective should not be to make the Foundation over in the image of the Brotherhood nor to make the Brotherhood over in the image of the Foundation. Both of their functions are needed and proper. Neither organization as an organization has sovereignty over the other. There are priority relationships. The Foundation has ownership and control of the copyright of The Urantia Book, the trademark, and the service marks. The Brotherhood has priority over its own organizational structure and activities. Their proper relationship is that of cooperation with mutual assistance and unity of purpose.

Because people have difficulty shifting their frames of reference, it may eventually be found that it is best not to have Brotherhood Executive Committee members serve on the Foundation or vice versa. I personally hope that we have sufficient individual flexibility so that we can always have people who serve on both the Foundation and the Brotherhood Executive Committee. When we clearly see the functions of the Foundation and the Brotherhood as being different and that these differences are necessary and good, we will have established the basic philosophic foundations for supportive and cooperative behavior instead of antagonistic and coercive relationships I should like to see the Brotherhood take the initiative in defusing actual and potential conflicts with the Foundation regarding copyright, trademark, and service mark use, especially in relation to publishing literature and art associated with The Urantia Book. This could be accomplished by establishing a tradition in the Brotherhood which would not violate copyright or service mark usage and at the same time allows complete freedom for members of the Brotherhood We could evolve tradition in the Brotherhood of separating the publication of The Urantia Book from the publication of study materials or art related to The Urantia Book You may recall that the American Bible Society, in the main, publishes only the Bible. Books about the Bible and study aids are generally printed by other publishing houses. Such a separation might also be good in the Urantia movement. If the Brotherhood encouraged a practice of putting the great truths of The Urantia Book in our own words, we could stimulate individual creativity that would be entirely open and free. Sources other than the Foundation would publish most of such literature and art and it would stand or fall on its own worth and involve only the author and publisher. I should like to compliment the program committee of the Southwest Regional Forum which, I understand, is taking some pioneering steps in this direction,

Even Urantia Book study aids could be published in this way Care would have to be taken not to use the term "Urantla" in any way which would violate the trademark or service mark laws. References to The Urantia Book could follow a standard nomenclature of designating page, paragraph, and lines and then comments or questions could follow. In this way aids would stand on their own feet and not involve the Foundation. It Is my understanding that the 1978 copyright law will give greater freedom to educational groups in using material for study purposes. The Foundation has also promised to work up guidelines to help study groups, societles, and conferences in the use of Urantia Book material. All of these factors could be Instrumental in virtually eliminating frustrating relationships with the Foundation.

The Important thing is that both the Foundation and the Brotherhood maintain their special functions, establish their unique images, and both support the duties, functions, and image of the other. We have unity of purpose and we should constantly strive to actualize this unity in practice. As Brotherhood members let us cheerfully accept the limitations of copyright law and the guidelines for the use of the trademark and service marks. Let us use our creative talent in art and literature and teaching. Let us rejoice in the great freedom we have in spiritual ministry. And let us get on with the real mission of the Brotherhood in relating lovingly with people as we share with them the greatest spiritual message available on our planet.

I am particularly concerned that we act as a leaven in the religious institutions closest to us - the Christian churches. To augment this purpose, I have written a pamphlet designed to introduce The Urantia Book, Urantia Brotherhood, and Urantia Foundation to religious leaders who may be ready for an enlarged spiritual message. You are welcome to utilize it in your own ministry. Where opportunity presents itself we will want to make similar approaches to all religions and all people.

In closing this report, I should like to thank members of the Executive Committee, General Council, Field Representatives, and society and study group leaders for their untiring work and support. Our 1978 General Conference Planning and Expediting Committee are doing an outstanding job and we look forward to a refreshing experience at Lake Geneva next August. As we work together over the coming year let us strive to actualize our unity of purpose and enjoy the warmth and stimulation of brotherhood.

Meredith J. Sprunger