DOC 819   (Brotherhood stationary)  

To Urantia Brotherhood Societies and Study Groups:  

For some years, the Urantia Brotherhood School has conducted courses in Chicago leading to degrees for Certified Leaders and Ordained Teachers.  Conditions have changed considerably in the last several years, and the number of available students in Chicago is at a minimum.  Therefore, the Urantia Brotherhood School desires to obtain your reaction to a proposal which would bring some of the course work to the areas where societies and study groups exist.  

It is proposed that societies and study groups send qualified individuals who know the book, and have the ability to teach, to Chicago for one or more seminars of two to three days of intensive instruction.  These seminars would be structured to provide minimum preparation so that enrollees could return to their own areas, and carry on more extensive course work based on standardized syllabi prepared by the Brotherhood School.  While no attempt is suggested to stifle creative study within the various groups, some standardization of the study materials is necessary to assure quality control. 

Subject matter for the local study sessions would be, not only the topics of The Urantia Book, but also a review of the organization of the Brotherhood, and its constitution.   Individuals completing the seminars would be made deputies of official representatives, in order to have the sanction of the Brotherhood for their work.  It is entirely possible that instructors from the Brotherhood School could visit your area once or twice, to help you determine student progress, and otherwise advise.  

The purpose in writing to you at this time, is to ask you to respond to this idea:      

1.    Do you favor this approach for decentralizing the work of the school?      
2.    Could you send individuals to Chicago at your expense on a 2 or 3 day basis?      
3.    If so, how many individuals do you think might be interested?  

There are probably more than a few questions that you might raise concerning this proposal.  We will be glad to hear them, because it is in the formative stage for us, too.  Please address your replies to the undersigned.  We will pull the replies together, and report back to you as soon as possible.  

Sincerely,      

Kenton E. Stephens, President Urantia Brotherhood School  
KES/MTR