◆ SpookStack

. - 38- around the country each year, I have attended only one, that at Avon in '53, The title page of the brochure carries this title: The Quabe Approach to Contemporary irs, «In the body of the mmphlet, ifuses the parase, “Quaker Approach". in one ase it does ‘use the phrase, "Quaker Approaches", implying that there might be more than one. : The closing paragraph reads as follows: 'The American Friends Ser Committee is a service agency of the Religious Socicty of Friends (Quakers The underlining of the word “is' is my, own doing, but, underscored or no the bold statement stands. Is there any authority for such a statement? ‘Prom the be ginning, in all relations of life, Friends have recognized that there may be honest difference of opinion on a subject, and we pride ourselves on the fact that our Monthly Mectings are conducted in love and unity, and the discipline provides that every member has a right to spcak his mind once. a In a statement of policy BD51 -- from the Board Minutes of 4/6/49, it says that the "Committee undertakes to interpret the spirit of the Christian messages as Friends understand it, This means that both in the nature of the peace education program and the spirit in which itis performed, the effort is made to bear a positive witness for peace and to maintain the vital and hsitoric testimonies of the Religious Society of Friends. (The use of the word "vital" indicates that perhaps some of the testimonies might in the eyes of the Committee be more vital than others.) To this end, it tries to limit its educational activities to those which will directly or indirectly foster the cause of world peace, and in these actizjties it secks to utilize speakers and leaders who in words and action manifest that spirit of love and tolerance which is inherent in Friends Philosophy, even though their points of view on subject matter are divergent from those of the Commitree."" In a short sentence the decision was made to limit debate, in fact to eliminate debate, and hear only one side of the story. The stock excuse made by the Committee is that people are aircady informed about the other side, and the responsibility of the Committce is to show the opposite view- point, under the assumed authority that they know the opposite viewpoint is correct, They don't go so far as to say that they are cevinely guiced, but up to a2 point that inference is made. In the olden. days, whenever a project was discussed which in most cases had already been started and objection was raised, Clarence was blaimed, saying, "He gets us into so many situations where we can't back out, but we all wish he hadn't promised our support." In theory no doubt Clarence is no longer there, but last year's re- port showed wer thirty projects, They don't blame Clarence any more. The staffas long as moncy is available apparently will take on most any- thing on the theory that "it is a good cause!