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The Education Committee is busily preparing for the 2007 Summer Study Session which will be held at the Dominican University in River Forest Illinois, the weekend of July 20th through the 22nd. This is the same venue as that of the 2006 Summer Study Session. Avi and Lila Dogim are developing the program around the theme of cosmic citizenship. As of this date, all presenters have been selected.
The registration form will soon be available on the website and will be included in the upcoming mailing of the next Mighty Messenger newsletter.
The Triennial Delegate Assembly is reconvening and a spiritual retreat is scheduled for Thursday, July 19th. The General Council and Executive Committee meetings will be held on the afternoon of the 22nd through the 23rd.
Yes, there is a Braille edition of The Urantia Book! It was created some years ago as a service project by the Grand Canyon Society. It was recently donated to the Utah State Library for the Blind in Salt Lake City where it may come more easily to the attention of blind readers. It has already generated several inquiries to the Grand Canyon Society since this recent placement.
For more information contact:
Utah State Library—Program for Blind and Disabled
250 North 1950 West
Suite A
Salt Lake City, UT 84116
1-800-453-4293
Also shown are Gary Deinstadt, Chair of the Education Committee, and Paula Thompson, Administrative Director of the Fellowship. |
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What is UBtheNEWS?
UBtheNEWS is a collective effort by individual Urantia Book enthusiasts to create, report on, and be a resource for news and information related to the emerging scientific and historical validation of The Urantia Book.
UBtheNEWS works to advance, report on, fund, and coordinate projects and people who are doing this kind of work.
The goal of UBtheNEWS is to turn the credibility and validity of The Urantia Book into old news as quickly as possible.
Reader Halbert Katzen has created a new website, UBtheNEWS.com, for the purpose of tracking the ongoing corroboration of scientific and historic information in The Urantia Book. It is primarily designed for those who are unfamiliar with The Urantia Book. Recently, reports have been added on new genetics research that corroborates the story about Adam and Eve in four different ways. There is also a report on Mercury’s rotation; reports on the Garden of Eden and Continental Drift are coming soon.This is a great addition to the growing number of Urantian websites specializing in focused aspects of the revelation. Take a look and share it with others!
Check out UBtheNews at http://www.UBtheNews.com
(See article below on the recent meeting of the Fellowship's General Council)
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For many years there has been concern about the proper archiving of Urantian historical documents so that they may be preserved for future studies. At least two important collections have been destroyed by fire in recent years. Many important documents have been scattered in unknown locations as parts of private collections. Huge steps toward resolving this problem have been made with the forming of The Urantia Book Historical Society.
The scope of the collection of The Urantia Book Historical Society exclusively covers The Urantia Book’s historical legacy and the individual expressions and actions of its readers. A large part of the collection contains documents relating to the formation and development of fraternal groups and non-profit foundations devoted to its teachings.
The Urantia Book Historical Society chose the Special Collections Department of University of California Santa Barbara, Davidson Library, as the repository for the physical archive. The “American Religions Collection” contains over 30,000 books and 2,000 magazines, newsletters, and newspapers in its serial collection. It is the largest collection of its kind in the world. The Special Collections Reading Room makes accessible to the public and scholars valuable, rare, and unique materials which are non-circulating but are available for research during posted hours. The university offers stipends for scholars who wish to study the collection.
The digital library of The Urantia Book Historical Society spans over 100 years and contains over 60,000 pages of data and over 6,000 items covering the History of The Urantia Book movement. Archivists are interested in any items that relate to The Urantia Book. It will be available for public viewing May 1, 2007.
The Urantia Book Historical Society serves readers and organizations wishing to donate historical items and serves as a liaison to the university; recording, documenting, and digitally scanning the items prior to donation.
Mission StatementIt is the purpose of The Urantia Book Historical Society:
To promote and foster an awareness and appreciation of The Urantia Book through its religious heritage, origins, background, development, and general history;
To preserve and protect buildings, sites, and artifacts of value to Urantia Book history;
To gather and maintain archives and libraries and to serve as a collective memory of Urantia Book history;
To encourage and support educational programs on the history of The Urantia Book which may mobilize and empower dynamic spiritual leaders and teachers;
To sponsor and facilitate educational activities about The Urantia Book history such as lecture series, library collections, articles, electronic media, documentaries, museum tours, educational gatherings, and historical celebrations;
To minister to and serve the general public and people of all faith expressions such as historians, researchers, religious clergy, and those, who for reasons both personal and/or spiritual, wish to learn more about Urantia Book history;To conduct and carry out its mission with the highest level of professional and ethical standards;
To serve and work as an agency of proclamation; we cherish the teachings of The Urantia Book and share its vision of unity among all people of faiths.Our mission, then, is to insure that this revelation which was delivered to humanity—an open and welcoming message for all humanity—and its history, will remain an inspiration for generations to come.
The Urantia Book Historical Society was incorporated on July 26, 2006 in the State of Florida. The new officers are President, John Callahan, Santa Paula, California; Vice-President, Donald Shea Green, Boulder, Colorado; Secretary/Treasurer, Victoria L J Clark, Tustin, California; and Director of Technology, Larry Watkins, Lakewood, Colorado. Other directors include Scott Forsythe, Forest Park, Illinois; Mark Kulieke, Green Bay, Wisconsin; Barbara Newsom, Glen Ellyn, Illinois; Dr Maggie Pyle, Mobile, Alabama; and Ken Raveill, Independence, Missouri.
For further information or to consider a permanent home for historical materials which might be in your possession, please contact:The Urantia Book Historical Society:
750 Manor Ridge Road
Santa Paula, CA 32060
(805) 525-4447
CallahanDJ@aol.com
Generous hospitality and help with logistics were provided by the Weimers and the Pueblo readership. |
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As of this writing, 921 Pipeline books have been placed into 57 countries around the world. Here are some comments from people who received books through your generous donations to the Pipeline of Light:
FROM ITALY:
I'm very, very glad about these news! Thanks! yesterday I received the parcel with the book. WOW! In the evening I was already reading it... Thank you! Your book is the best gift I could receive for Christmas!! THANKS!!SOUTH AFRICA:
Good news!! This week the ten books donated by the Pipeline of Light and The Urantia Book Fellowship to Johannesburg, will be placed in ten reference libraries; one in each of the ten regional districts in the city. We are very excited about our progress and we can't thank you enough. You have been an inspiration and such great help and support to us here in Johannesburg.
EGYPT
(It took several days for the book left for them to be dropped off at the main library, as several of them were fighting over it to look at it.) Kindly be informed that Mubarak Public library accepted The Urantia Book and it is available now for public. They thank you very much for the valuable book and of course me, I thank you very much. I will get back to you soon for some inquiries about the book.PHILIPPINES
I just received The Urantia Book that I had requested from you and I am probably the first and only person in my country who had a copy of this book. Again thank you very very much for granting my favor. May the heavenly Father grant you more blessings.ZAMBIA
I write to acknowledge receipt of the above mentioned Books and secondly to thank you for supporting this local authority and your commitment shown by personally delivering the Books. Kindly encourage other well wishers to emulate your good gesture. We wish you God's blessings for the educative reading material.REPUBLIC OF GUINEA
Father Louis writes thanking you all for the Ubooks for N'Zerekore. The UB refugees readers are returning home to Liberia and Sierra Leone from Guinea. They will be spreading the good news. We will keep you posted as to their progress and please pray for these brothers, sisters, and the UB orphans.If you or someone you know is traveling internationally, the Pipeline could use your help.
We continue to have difficulty getting books safely into the hands of the people who need them. For example, books sent to a conference coordinator in Ecuador in July 2006 did not arrive until Thanksgiving. A request for books was delayed for a month when Uruguay suspended all economy mail shipments. (There was a situation this past year in which a case of books shipped to Latin America arrived with the box having been opened and one book missing!)
Once our books leave the United States, we are at the mercy of foreign authorities to complete the delivery. If you have plans to travel internationally and would be willing to carry books with you, please contact Michelle Klimesh at mklimesh@covad.net.If we have a contact in the country to which you are traveling, it would greatly save on shipping difficulties and costs if you could carry books with you for personal delivery. We need 4-6 weeks lead time prior to your departure to economically ship the books to you. Again, please contact Michelle Klimesh if you can help.
If you would like to contribute to this work, donations can be made online at: urantia-book.org/support or by mail at the address at the bottom of this page.
You can also use Paypal through the Mind, Body and Spirit church: www.squarecircles.com
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! -- To all of you who contributed to our recent year-end fund raiser with a matching contribution!
We received donations from 200 new donors last year, ending up with over 450 individual donors, a record for the Fellowship--and our year-end matching fund solicitation brought in over $70,000 in new donations!Our convenient auto-debit program is also growing and is one of the ways you can support the spread of the revelation. It's easy to set-up, easy to change, and easy for you to budget. Just go to our secure site at https://urantiabook.sitespace.com/support/.
Having the predictable monthly cash-flow tremendously helps us more efficiently to manage the work of the Fellowship; please consider this method of support.
All the funds collected by the Fellowship are dedicated to the spreading of The Urantia Book and its teachings throughout the world. By spreading these teachings we are supporting an epochal revelation on our planet, the fifth to grace our beleaguered world.If not us, who? If not now, when? We thank each of you for all you do in service to the Supreme; we know that many of you are very busy about our Father's business.
Our good ship of the revelation is sailing out of the harbor and charting its course upon the open seas of its future destiny--welcome aboard!
John Hay -Chair Finance Committee
Spiritual Living Conference at Belton , Texas; Tue. Mar.20 – Thurs. Mar. 22, 2007
This conference will deal with forming a personal philosophy of living. The Urantia Book reference inspiring this topic is found near the bottom of page 1098. It says “Too few have learned how to install a philosophy of living in the place of religious authority.” We will explore what a philosophy of living is, how to develop it, and how to install it in the place of religious authority.
The fee for this conference is $125 per person. This covers registration, two night's lodging, as well as breakfast and lunch on Wednesday & Thursday. We will have dinner Tuesday and Wednesday at a local restaurant (expense not included in conference fee.) I hope you can come. Please let me know before March 1, 2007.Bill Cooper
Email: cooper3630@sbcglobal.net
Phone 817-654-3967
Newly elected members of the General Council pose at the recent Arizona meeting with Robert Bruyn of the Heart of America Society in Kansas City. At rear, from left to right are Robert Bruyn, Cristina Seaborn, Charlene Morrow, Cece Forrester, and Al Lockett. In the front row, from left to right are Phil Taylor and Peter Laurence.
Commentary by new Councilor and long-time international interfaith movement worker, Peter Laurence.
Why should students of The Urantia Book be interested or involved in interfaith activity? What does the interfaith movement have to do with fostering the evolution of religion on this planet?
Truth Claims
The conservative elements of most religious traditions are convinced that their belief systems constitute the “truth.” In many cases this conviction goes so far as to claim possession of “the complete truth.” We know that The Urantia Book is a partial revelation that points to a larger truth it can’t contain or even adequately describe. Recognition that all revelations, including The Urantia Book, are only approximations of the truth can help unite religionists in the inspiring search for that larger truth – that larger reality which exists beyond all belief systems. If we propose that The Urantia Book is the truth we become just another competing voice in the clamor of truth claims. Religionists have something to learn from each other. Being able to listen as well as tell is a critical skill.
The Interfaith Movement
One of the primary activities of the interfaith movement is the multi-faith council, where members of diverse religious traditions share their understandings of spiritual reality. When The Urantia Book takes its place at the table, its contribution to the search for truth becomes visible to the representatives of the world’s religions who share that table.
These are the people who are at the forefront of the effort to reach inter-religious harmony on the planet. If inter-religious harmony is a desired outcome of planetary evolution, then we have an opportunity to participate in its emergence through the interfaith movement.
What Can We Do?
There are two major ways in which members of the community of Urantia Book students can become actively involved:
1. Become increasingly aware of the current status of religion in the world. Read about the various religious traditions and institutions as they exist today. Try to get beyond the stereotypes to better understand the beliefs and attitudes of these traditions. Seek out the variations within traditions to avoid the misconception that every member of a given tradition subscribes to the same set of beliefs. Engage in conversation with people from different religious backgrounds–not to quickly move toward telling them about The Urantia Book, but rather to better understand their perspectives.
2. Find ways to participate in and be of service to the interfaith movement. Many communities have interfaith councils of some sort. If there is a way to represent The Urantia Book on a council then that’s ideal, but interfaith councils often limit their membership to the older religious traditions. In that event perhaps there’s a way to be of service in conjunction with local interfaith activities. Make financial contributions or volunteer your time to assist with interfaith activities in your area.
The Future
The interfaith movement is preparing the soil of this world for implantation of the seeds of deeper religious understanding.
It is the goal of The Urantia Book Fellowship Interfaith Committee and adjuncts to be a part of that movement. We all believe we can definitely help.
Some 80 to 90 persons attended the sumptuous dinner and enjoyed an evening of deepening friendships and music. Shown here is musician Josh Wilson accompanied by Cristina Seaborn and Fellowship President, Robert Burns. Josh's wife, Theresa, also performed during much of the evening. |
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In this picture, Ken Raveill of the Heart of America Society in Kansas City is providing background information on the new Foxhall Endowment Fund. |
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Both the Executive Committee and the General Council of the Fellowship met in Tempe, Arizona, over the weekend of February 8, 2007. Following is a brief overview of the meetings.
David Kantor submitted his resignation as Chair of the International Fellowship Committee in order to devote more time to the development of the Fellowship's growing Internet and Information Technologies resources. Buck Weimer was elected as the new Chair. International work is growing in Latin America, Europe, and Africa as more translations find their way into the book market and more individuals find the book and want to become involved in dissemination efforts.
President Robert Burns commented on the wide range of work being done by individual counselors locally, nationally, and internationally as the revelation spreads in the world and the opportunities for service continue to expand. Virtually every member of the General Council is involved in some form of outreach project and participates in the financial support of the organization.
A report was given by Paula Thompson reviewing progress on the upgrading of the Fellowship's accounting system and its integration with the member database. Great progress is being made which will provide a solid foundation for organizational growth. In addition, the Fellowship will be able to offer database and financial transaction processing services to member groups in the near future.
An orientation manual for new members of the General Council is being prepared to give a better overview of organizational procedures and the many service opportunities open to participants.
Plans for the 2007 Summer Study Session and IC08 were reviewed. Many advances are in the works including a significant upgrade to the youth program and an Expo-type display center with booths containing information about the many Fellowship committee and Urantian services projects currently underway.
Considerable discussion was given to the topic of a Spanish or International Reader Services position. There is currently a great deal of thought being given to issues related to being an international organization as well as the administrative and financial implications of such an undertaking--idealism and hopes are being transformed into concrete plans and programs intended to facilitate the spread of The Urantia Book throughout the world. Considerable thought is also being given to outreach projects focused on Spanish speaking communities in North America. It is intended that many of the key issues will be resolved before the April meeting of the Executive Committee.
John Hay gave an extensive report on Uversa Press activity. The book is enjoying an increasing on-the-shelf presence in bookstores nationwide. Sales have increased to the point where another printing of the Uversa Press edition is being prepared with actual printing projected for later this year. Financial issues remain challenging as the Fellowship subsidizes about $1.50 on every copy of the book sold in order to keep the bookstore price as low as possible.
Considerable work is being done to gather information and solicit suggestions for a major website redesign. A survery of members and users will be undertaken later this year to help with this process.
Discussion was held regarding ways in which the various Urantian organizations might be able to work together to avoid duplication of effort and reinforce their respective outreach programs. A committee has been assigned the task of looking into this matter further.
If you are interested in participating in the work of Fellowship committees or the General Council, please contact Michelle Klimesh, the Secretary-General of the Fellowship. If you are interested in finding out how membership may greatly increase your options for working to spread the revelation, contact Lenny Cowles, Chair of the Membership Committee.
Urantia Foundation announces that a small number of changes have been made to the Declaration of Trust (DoT) and the By-Laws governing Urantia Foundation.
For many years the Board of Trustees of Urantia Foundation felt that the Declaration of Trust Creating Urantia Foundation and the By-Laws needed amending. The DoT, operative since 1950, has never been amended. The By-Laws, which are an applied derivative of the DoT, have been amended a few times. Since 2001 the Trustees have discussed and worked on a small number of conservative amendments. The changes, listed below, provide ways for the DoT and By-Laws to adequately address the expanding needs of Urantia Foundation’s worldwide operations.
When the DoT was first created, our forefathers built the organization’s trust around standard non-profit legal documents used in the 1950’s. The only extraordinary sections of Urantia Foundation’s DoT are to be found in the beginning of the document, and they end after Article 3. In the first three articles one finds the Principal Object, Concordant Object, Duties of the Trustees, and Preservation and Control of the Text. None of these sections of the DoT were revised in any way. The founder’s original intent for the organization’s purposes and duties remain identical with those described the original document of 1950.
The Trustees did change a few outdated legal operating procedures so to meet the necessities of the 21st century. Articles from 4 to the end of the DoT deal with routine issues, such as security investments, personal property, power to loan, voting powers, operation of business enterprises, additional trustees and other minutiae. The now effected changes concern a limited number of points in those sections. The changes reflect needs and requirements which the original five Trustees could not possibly have foreseen. The authorities have now duly approved these amendments. The number of amendments in the DoT is four and the respective number of substantive By-Laws changes is seven. The amendments are the following:
Number of Trustees.
Until now the DoT has not included any explicit provision concerning the number of Trustees. Since the original Board of Trustees was five in number, subsequent Boards assumed five as the limit. The responsibilities and the workload of the five Trustees have dramatically increased since 1950 and continue to increase because of the worldwide expansion of the Foundation and the Revelation. The Board likewise sees great value in fresh ideas, an expanded circle of wisdom, international diversity, more workers, and opinions that could be provided by additional Board members. That is why the Board increased the number of Trustees.
The amended DoT provides that the minimum number of Trustees shall be five and the maximum number nine. The amended By-Laws prescribe that between 2006 and 2016 the maximum number of Trustees shall be seven and after 2016 the number may be increased up to nine.
Appointment of Successor or New Trustees.
The DoT has so far provided that a simple majority of the incumbent Trustees could appoint a successor Trustee. The Board felt that the importance of trusteeship would rather require a qualified (a super) majority. The amended DoT prescribes a 75% majority vote when a successor Trustee is appointed. A simple majority may, within the limits described above, increase the number of Trustees. A new Trustee may then be appointed by a 75% majority vote of the Board.
Removal of a Trustee and a Trustee’s Status during the Removal Procedure.
Until the amendments were approved, the DoT required a unanimous vote of the remaining Trustees if they considered it necessary to remove one of their peers. The requirement of unanimity meant that just one Trustee was able unfairly to block the removal process.
Moreover, and somewhat in deviance from the provisions of the DoT, the By-Laws prescribed a cumbersome and complex procedure, which required three separate, and each time unanimous, votes at three regular quarterly meetings of the Board. Because of the complexity of the prescribed removal proceedings and the absence of provisions governing a
Trustee’s status during the removal process, there have, in recent years, been two painful and costly litigations initiated by removed Trustees. Those Trustees demanded their reinstatements as Trustees or asserted that they continue as Trustees, with all concomitant rights and duties, until the final decision after the third vote had been made.
The amended DoT requires that a 80% majority of the remaining Trustees votes in favor of the removal of a Trustee. The amended By-Laws prescribe additionally that a 80% majority of the remaining Trustees has to vote at two meetings for the removal of the Trustee and that there has to be a 60-day interval between the meetings, which can be regular or special. The amended By-Laws determine explicitly that a Trustee subject to removal proceedings shall be deemed inactive and shall not have the right to vote, attend meetings, or receive confidential or other information.
Committees.
Neither the DoT nor the By-Laws authorized the use of Board committees. These advisory committees, with no independent powers apart from those of the Board, have become a vital part of non-profit organizations. These committees provide the Board with the valuable service of submitting well thought-out memoranda, recommendations, and other propositions to the meetings of the Board. Committees, which may include Trustees, Trustees Emeriti, Associate Trustees and possibly outsiders, afford the Board access to fresh ideas, new approaches, increased work capacity, and unprejudiced opinions. The amended DoT includes a short provision which prescribes that the By-Laws shall have a section concerning the appointment of standing and special committees. The By-Laws now contain an article on committees, which directs that all committees be formed by a 75% majority vote of the Trustees, and that the Board appoints the chairman and the members of each committee. The By-Laws describe the tasks of the Standing Committees, which are the Audit Committee, the Investment Committee, and the Governance Committee. Special committees may be formed to perform an assigned task, and once the task has been completed the committee shall be disbanded.
Timing and Notices Concerning Regular Quarterly Meetings.
The DoT has no provisions on meetings of the Board of Trustees. The By-Laws used to prescribe that regular meetings of the Board shall be held on the third Sunday of January, April, July, and October. The Board has for a long time felt that there should be more flexibility in the timing of the meetings. The By-Law provisions have until now prescribed that notices to regular meetings shall be given at least three days prior to the date of the meeting. Now, as the Trustees and Associate Trustees represent many nationalities and live in a number of even far-away countries, it has become necessary to reconsider the notice period, which was fully in place at the time when all Trustees lived in Chicago .
Notices had to be delivered by hand or by mail (or even telegram!); electronic mail has now supplanted those obsolete methods of delivery. The amended By-Laws stipulate that quarterly meetings shall be held once each quarter. A notice period of ten days is provided if it concerns a regular quarterly meeting, and fourteen days in case of a special meeting. The new provisions enable also notices by e-mail.Quorum.
The DoT did not include any provisions concerning the quorum at meetings. The By-Laws provisions, simply determining that a majority of Trustees shall constitute a quorum at any meeting, were somewhat ambiguous and subject to interpretation. Because some provisions in the DoT and the By-Laws presume a qualified affirmative majority, there was a need to clarify the provision. The current wording of the By-Laws provides that whenever the affirmative vote of a specific number of Trustees is required, such action may not be taken by the affirmative vote of a lesser number of Trustees, even if a quorum is present. Any provision which expressly requires a simple majority vote shall be treated as a requirement for a specific number of affirmative votes. Withdrawal from a meeting of one or more Trustees necessary to form a quorum shall cause a failure of the quorum.
Future Amendments.
There was no provision in the DoT discussing amendments to the DoT, yet the DoT prescribed that the By-Laws shall have a provision concerning their amendment. The By-Laws then prescribed a unanimous vote on any By-Laws amendment. The Board viewed this provision of unanimity excessively strict. The currently valid provision determines that the By-Laws may be amended by a 75% majority vote.
Sincerely,Seppo Kanerva
President, Urantia Foundation
Published by David Kantor for
The Urantia Book Fellowship
PO Box 4583
Grand Central Station
New York, NY 10163
1-877-288-3772
www.urantia-book.org
Questions? Email us