Urantia BROTHERHOOD

Memorandum

TO: Trustees of Urantia Foundation

DATE: August 4,1989

FROM: David Elders

SUBJ:  See items below

CC:   General Council of Urantia Brotherhood

At the regular meeting of the General Council held at Lake Forest College in late June, I was instructed to write the Trustees with the following requests:

1. We understand that there is not only a study group in Estonia, but that Martin and Diane Myers met with some of the members of that group shortly after the chartering of the new Finnish Urantia Society. Neither Berkeley Elliott nor myself were informed in any way about this trip, and only learned of it in an overheard discussion among several members of the Finnish Society's Gover­ning Committee. Inasmuch as this activity would seem to be within the primary purview of Urantia Brotherhood, we are respectfully requesting (a) information both on the group itself and on the trip made to visit the group sufficient to enable us to undertake our responsibilities in this area, and (b) an explanation for not including the chair of the International Fellowship Committee and/or the President of Urantia Brotherhood in this activity.

2. Based upon reports we have received from the field, including a letter from the Denver Society, it is apparent that Urantia Foundation and/or its attorneys commissioned a telephone survey of the readership sometime in June. Inasmuch as our organizations share the joint mailing list (comprised of our membership and the known readers of The Urantia Book) and have in the past accorded each other the courtesy of letting the other organization know of a planned use outside the normal day‑to‑day business activities, we are requesting herewith an explanation concerning this activity. While Gloriann Harris did contact me in January to ask for Urantia Brotherhood approval of such an activity, the request was withdrawn when I indicated that I felt obliged to contact the other officers. Thus, it came as a surprise to us when this activity went forward. I have attached a copy of the letter received from the Denver Society for your information.

In addition to the above, there are two other items which I felt should be brought to your attention,.

1. It is our understanding that sometime in early July the suit with CUBS was settled out of court. Since a large number of readers of The Urantia Book received the CUBS' Synergist mailing, and since substantial reader ‑contributed funds managed in trust by Urantia Foundation must have been expended to finalize this action, we believe you owe it to the readership to let them know Immediately of this settlement and its terms.

2. It is also our understanding that a new Trustee, Richard Keeler, has been elected to the Board of Trustees of Urantia Foundation. Is there a reason why this election has not been announced? Richard has apparently communicated this action to some of the readers with whom he has been in contact.

We hope that you are as committed as we are to the general upgrading of a more open and honest level of communication between our organizations and we thank you in advance for your willingness to respond in a timely fashion these items.