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The International Fellowship Committee has enjoyed an active and stimulating year.

The thrust of the Committee's work this year has been toward broadening participation in the Committees deliberations. Three advisors, two from California and one from Quebec, were asked to participate in the Committee's discussions. The effort towards greater participation was further actualized through lengthy discussions, face-to-face and by telephone, which led to the structuring of a Summer Workshop format which would give every participant a chance to examine in depth important international matters and an opportunity to contribute insights and direction in dealing with the problems associated with the internationalization of the spread of the teachings of The Urantia Book.

In addition to the foregoing goal, the Committee discussed the goals of helping to realize translations, of achieving the placement of Books in libraries internationally, and the fostering of Study Groups in other lands.

As for translations, while it was agreed that the technical and legal aspects of translations are in the hands of Urantia Foundation, it was felt that the Committee should assist the Foundation by developing human resources in the countries involved, prior to initiating translations. This could be done by helping to develop a stable, vigorous group which would be supportive of our organizations preceding a translation effort.

As for placement of Urantia Books in libraries throughout the world, the Committee has begun to share in the process of educating readers of The Urantia Book as to the importance of making the Book available in international libraries-especially bi-lingual libraries. To this end, the Committee has asked Mrs. Julia K. Fenderson to make an appropriate presentation to the 1980 Summer Workshop attendees. In addition, the Committee is co-sponsoring an article with Mrs. Fenderson in a future Urantia Brotherhood Bulletin dealing with this important topic.

Regarding the formation of study groups, the Committee wishes to facilitate the formation of stable and vigorous study groups throughout the world, working with the Charter Committee to assist interested, established groups in the process of developing into Urantia Societies. The methods of actualizing this goal will be the subject of future committee discussions.

Upon referral by the Executive Committee to the International Fellowship Committee, our group considered the question of how best to structure an arrangement for receiving and holding funds for translations. The Committee's recommendation is that Urantia Foundation should have full control of translation funds, including discretion to allocate money to an appropriate agency of the Brotherhood for fund-raising purposes for translations. The Committee further felt that every effort should be made, consistent with the respective donor's wishes however, to preserve the Trustees' discretion as to the use of the funds for a particular translation or otherwise, both for the economy of administration and for the efficient use of translation funds.

The International Fellowship Committee is moving more and more towards an effective participation in the internationalization of the spread of the teachings of The Urantia Book, and is gaining increasingly in experience in this intriguing and challenging adventure of presenting new truth to mankind. We look forward to those challenges and even to those inevitable disillusionments which are inextricably a part of meeting the practical problems associated with epochal revelation.

We welcome your suggestions and support.

International Fellowship Committee Urantia Brotherhood

Martin W. Myers Chairman