TO: General Councilors, Society Presidents, and Field Representatives

Berkeley Elliott reports visiting study groups in New England in September. She stopped in Pittsburgh and lectured to seventeen students of The Urantia Book assembled through the efforts of Bea Mouganis at Carnegi Mellon. In October she along with several others attended the Kansas City Study Group. They had an attendance of Forty. Later seven folks from the Oklahoma Society visited the Dallas Study Group at the home of Gene Joyce. Toward the last of the month fifteen people traveled to Fayetteville, Arkansas, for a meeting which has resulted in the start of two or three study groups in that area.

Julia Fenderson went to Apple Valley, California in mid-October and spoke to a group of Urantia Book students under the leadership of Mildred Kaunas. Later she traveled to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where three study groups met together at the home of Homer and Ruth Slagle.

Irene and I visited a study group at the home of Jim and Charlene Murray in Toledo, Ohio, the evening of October 12. One of the members reported attending a Spiritual Frontiers meeting where a retired army officer had selected ten of the most important books in print. He had included The Urantia Book in his list. The next day we attended a dynamic study group at the home of Donald and Mary Ann Krell. Mary Ann also has a Sunday evening study group.

During the past couple of years the Executive Committee has done some thinking about the long-range goals of Urantia Brotherhood. One of the topics to be studied at the General Conference next August will be ''Goals and Policies of Urantia Brotherhood.'' We are enclosing some background papers on this general topic written by David Gray entitled "The Origin and Purpose of Urantia Brotherhood" and "Cult Culture." I know you will enjoy reading these fine presentations.

There was a discussion as to whether the annual appeal for funds should have letters from both the Brotherhood and the Foundation or whether a single joint solicitation letter should be written. The majority preferred a joint letter. Arthur Born and John Hales were appointed to work with the Foundation in composing the letter.

There was continued discussion of the disagreement between the editor of the French news letter, L'Ascendeur, and the Paris Study Group under the leadership of Jacques Dupont. There seemed to be a consensus that the proposed new news letter, which would represent the views of the Brotherhood and the Foundation, should be entirely under the control of a study group headed by Henry and Jacques. Henry and Bauk Begemann will be in Chicago from November 22 to December 6. The Executive Committee plans to meet with them and have an in-depth discussion of this situation.

Urantia Brotherhood Corporation approved an agreement under which they will be willing to serve as the distributor of the Concordex to bookstores if the agreement is accepted by Clyde Bedell. The letter includes an understanding that Clyde will rewrite the introductory material and redesign the dust jacket in preparation for the next edition of the Concordex. It also asks that Clyde not engage in any advertising or mass media promotion without the approval of the Corporation.

Urantia Brotherhood Corporation unanimously passed a motion instructing John Hales to write Clyde expressing our warm appreciation for Clyde's industrious and significant contribution to students of The Urantia Book in providing us with the Concordex and for his outstanding dedication, enthusiasm, and loyalty to Urantia Foundation and Urantia Brotherhood and their antecedents for over a half century.

Kathleen A. Friedel of Toledo, Ohio, Harold V. Hyden of Indianapolis, Indiana, and Jane and John Roper of Boulder, Colorado, were accepted as Members-at-Large.

We extend our best wishes to the Fall Eastern Regional Conference of Readers of The Urantia Book which will be held at Clinton, CT, on November 15; and to the Ohio Valley Conference for Students of The Urantia Book being held at the Marydale Retreat south of Cincinnati. I plan to attend the meeting at Clinton and Irene and I will attend the Ohio Valley Conference.

We who live on this planet have much for which we ought to give thanks. We Urantians should be especially grateful this year for the healing love which has helped us achieve a greater realization of brotherhood. We hope that each of you and your families will have a warm and appreciative Thanksgiving.

Cordially ,

Meredith J. Sprunger, President

MJS/MTR