It is, as always, a pleasure to greet you again through this Newsletter and with it to extend our best wishes to all who are interested in the understanding and dissemination of the Urantia revelation. Our growth continues at a slow and steady pace, calmly and surely.

On June 27 the Orvonton Urantia Society of Chicago was installed in an impressive ceremony presided over by Mrs. Ruth Burton and assisted by Mrs. Mary Lou Hales, Mrs. Kathareine Jones, and Mr. Ernest Pritchard. Also participating were Mr. Warren Kulieke, president, Urantia Brotherhood, Misses Marian Rowley and Christy Sadler, and Dr. William S. Sadler, members of the Executive Committee. This society is unique in two respects. First, they presented Mr. Kulieke with a check for $100 to be applied against costs of the French translation, index, and second printing of the Urantia Book -- a generous gesture which was deeply appreciated. Second, they are the only society which has read and studied the Urantia Book from beginning to end, as a group, in preparation for becoming a society -- a job which took about five years. The new society has 13 founders and 6 charter members -- welcome!

The Winnetka study group will resume its Sunday afternoon meetings in September and newcomers will be cordially welcomed. Just contact Mr. or Mrs. William M. Hales, 1420 Tower Road, Winnetka -- phone Hillcrest 6-6585.

The annual celebration of Jesus' birthday sponsored in Chicago by the First Urantia Society will be held at 533 Diversey Parkway on Monday evening, August 21, at 8:00 p.m. visitors are assured of a warm welcome.

The First Urantia Society will start its 1961-1962 season on Sunday, September 24, at 533 Diversey Parkway, Chicago. The program committee is now actively at work.

Our charming and genial Secretary-General, Miss Marian Rowley, held two meetings on Sunday, April 9, with the First Urantia Society of Los Angeles and the Santa Monica group combined. Thirty-three were in attendance and many traveled considerable distance--a fact much appreciated by Miss Rowley. Monday evening Miss Rowley met with the Santa Monica group and again on Wednesday, April 12, with the First Society of Los Angeles. She reports a most cordial reception from all, and extremely enlightening and pleasant contacts with new and old friends.

We wish to extend our heartiest greetings to the new study group which started this spring in Topeka, Kansas. We stand ready to offer you any assistance in our power and certainly want you to keep us advised regarding your progress. Let us hear from you for the benefit of all!

Registration for enrollment in the Urantia Brotherhood School will be held at 533 Diversey Parkway, Chicago, on Sept 20, 1961, at 7:30 p.m. The course in Science in the Urantia Book, Part II (major) will be taught by Alvin Kulieke. History of the Bible will be taught by Dr. Sadler. This is also a major. Graduation exercises will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 27 at 7:30 p.m. and classes will start immediately thereafter.

The Executive Committee has received with regret the resignation of Mrs. Sylvia Sunderland as Chairman of the Foreign Extention Committee. Arthur M. Burch has been appointed as Acting Chairman. Other new committee appointments are as follows: On the Domestic Extension Committee, Miss Nola Smith and Mrs. Donna Rowley, to replace Mr. Jack Stirling and Mrs. Sylvia Sunderland, both of whom have moved away from the city. On the Judicial Committee, Miss Elsie Baumgartner, to replace Mr. L. E. Sunderland, who has moved away from the city.

Several societies have held their annual meetings with election of officers:

First Urantia Society - President, Mrs. Ruth Burton; Vice-President, Albert Dyon; Secretary, Miss Jane Dyon; Treasurer, Miss Carleta Wensel. Address of the Secretary: Miss Jane Dyon, Eleanor Club, 1550 N. Dearborn St., Chicago 10, Ill.

Urantia Society of Glenview - President, Bernard Burton; Vice-President, Glen Gifford; Secretary, Mrs. Gladys Gifford; Treasurer, Mrs. Florence Burton. Address of the Secretary: Mrs. Gladys Gifford, 629 Juniper Road, Glenview, ILL.

Orvonton Urantia Society of Chicago - President, Alfred Leverenz; Vice-President, James Kuzell; Secretary, Miss Doris Lindstedt; Treasurer., Miss Marilyn Rasmussen. Address of the Secretary: Miss Doris Linstedt, 4880 Marine Drive, Chicago 40, Ill.

Second Urantia Society of Chicago - President, William S. Sadler, Jr.; Vice-President, Mrs. Rita Brusso; Secretary, Mrs. Florine S. Sadler; Treasurer., John J. Seres. Address of the Secretary: Mrs. Florine S. Sadler, Secretary, Second Urantia Society of Chicago, 333, N. Michigan Ave., Chicago 1, Ill.

For the period January 1 - June 30, 1961, 232 Urantia Books have gone out. This compares with 245 in 1960 and 216 in 1959, during the same period. That these books are having their impact is illustrated by the following:

From a personal letter: "To you people in the Brotherhood at least I could never say enough of what the Urantia Book and the personal contacts in regard to it have meant and do mean to me. To have moved with complete intellectual and emotional integrity from the barren desert of abstract, well-nigh atheistic theology to the sunlit uplands of genuine, concrete, ever-expanding religion is the experience of a lifetime, even though I can only have taken the first of an infinity of steps along the way. I am equally grateful for the opportunity to progress in these matters with quiet, unhurried movements. Some will interpret your quiet ways as indifference, but many more will one day realize that herein lies the urge to freedom and responsibility inherent in Divine Love."

From another letter: "I thought you would be interested to know that the book sent to Mrs. Macquire, of Natal, So. Africa, has been received with great interest. She writes that a study group has been formed about this material. Also, that their local Episcopalian Bishop is most interested in studying this material. So we never know where the seeds of truth will land."

Letters from Australia indicate that we have some ardent workers on that continent. Two of our correspondents do a great deal of traveling and are spreading news of the Urantia Book wherever they go and getting study groups started. We know of one study group which meets once a month in Sydney and there is another group in Launching Place. Indications are that there are more, but we do not have the names. New Zealand is also showing considerable interest. We greatly appreciate this assistance in these far lands which we cannot visit ourselves.

A report from one of our colleges tells us that a new department head expressed some progressive religious ideas which opened the way for the introduction of the Urantia Book. Within two weeks he became so interested he purchased a book and has interested one of the other professors in the department. A student in the same college turned in a research paper in a class on "Discussion Techniques." His paper was a discussion outline pointing out the backwardness of religious fundamentalism. Here is his last question and answer: "Q. Are any significant steps being taken to bring our present religion up to date? A. I am glad to say that some steps are being taken toward a more modern religion. The most significant step that has been taken, I believe, was the writing of The Urantia Book. This book, more than any other, gives a clear, mature understanding in the belief of God without benefit of the childish stories found in the Bible." He apparently had been reading the copy of the book which is in the college library.

James C. Mills
Vice-President