About Willamette Quarterly Meeting

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History of Willamette Quarterly Meeting

The history of Willamette Quarterly Meeting goes back to a time when four informal groups meeting in Portland, Salem, Corvallis, and Eugene came together occasionally for worship and fellowship. These independent groups had sprung up spontaneously where two or three Friends’ families had discovered each other and had begun to meet in homes for periods of silent worship. Each became a nucleus which attracted other Friends and interested attenders. Through personal friendships and contacts with the American Friends Service Committee they became aware of each other. The result was occasional meetings, which eventually became regular.

This short history traces the growth and development of the small independent groups as they gained Monthly Meeting status and finally moved to the establishment of a Quarterly Meeting.  At a meeting held in Salem October 26, 1947 this item was recorded: “The following named friends, Ward and Alice Miles, Ellis and Margaret Jump, and Robert Dann were appointed a committee to prepare a letter to be sent to persons on our mailing list to determine their wishes in regard to establishing a Monthly Meeting.

At a meeting on December 28, 1947 at YMCA in Salem, the committee reported a “Very considerable interest in forming a Monthly Meeting.” Replies have been received from thirty two persons. Of these, eighteen indicated they would change their membership to the new Monthly Meeting. Others would hold dual membership and still others would continue for the time being, members only of Pacific Coast Association of Friends. Two persons indicated they would ask for membership as soon as the organization was prepared to receive them.

The new Willamette Valley Monthly Meeting held its first regular session in Salem a the YWCA on February 22, 1948 Floyd Schmoe from the University Meeting in Seattle was present as the representative from his Meeting and gave encouragement to the new venture. Robert Dann was asked to continue as Clerk.

The minutes of the succeeding meetings for business record the names of Friends as they transferred their membership from former meetings to the newly formed Willamette Valley Monthly Meeting. Other Friends active in the organization did not move their memberships until a later date. At the end of 1948, the following persons had either transferred their membership or had requested membership subject to the recommendation of Ministry and Council: Robert and Lyra Dann and daughter Dorothy, Ross and Laura Miles, Chase and Grace Conover, Ellis and Margaret Jump, Ruth Robinson, Fern Gage, Grace Lawrence, Lola Bellinger, Russell and Elizabeth Freeman and daughter Teresa Ann, Ward and Alice Miles, Russell and Beulah Thornburg and their children Paul and Margaret, Vance and Elizabeth McDowell, Seva Laughlin and son William and daughter Mary, John and Beth Prideaux, Emmet and Zoe Gulley, and Mary Isley. If there were others, the record does not appear in the minutes.

Concerns that occupied the attention of the new Monthly Meeting centered around Care packages to be sent to European families; clothing to be sent abroad by AFSC, the Peace Train to Washington, D.C. which several of the members were planning to join, the draft as it affects conscientious objectors and the help that might be given them; the death sentence then in force in Oregon. The plight of refugees seeking admission to this country was considered.

On July 28, 1948, action was taken to become affiliated with Northwest Quarterly Meeting then being formed. It would comprise the former British Columbia and Alberta Quarterly Meeting, the Seattle Monthly Meeting and such other Monthly Meetings as might develop in the future. The minutes of August 20, 1948 record the acceptance of Willamette Valley Monthly Meeting as a member of both Northwest Quarterly Meeting and Pacific Yearly Meeting.

A continuing concern of the Meeting at this time was the sending of CARE packages to needy families in Europe. Contributions of money for this purpose were taken at each meeting. Collection of clothing was made for the victims of the Vanport (Portland) flood which occurred on May 9,1948. This was done in cooperation with AFSC with which the meeting had close ties through its members who served on the regional board. The meeting participated in other projects under the direction of the Service Committee, such as affiliation between American and European schools and the resettlement of Montana Indians in non-Indian communities.

At a regular Meeting for Business, the matter of funds for other uses than CARE was brought up for consideration. It was decided that separate funds should be set up for Quarterly and Yearly Meeting that would not interfere with that used for CARE. It was also felt there was an obligation to pay for the use of the Salem YWCA where the Monthly Meetings were held. Since Meetings for Worship were held in the homes of members, there was no local demand for money. The first minute regarding a budget was recorded in the minutes of October 1948 Meeting for Business. Ellis Jump and Russell Thornburg were asked to list the obligations of the Meeting and to present a suggested budget at the next regular Meeting for Business

In response to this request, the following budget was presented and accepted:

$100.00             For Pacific Yearly Meeting

  • To help underwrite Friends Bulletin
  • Contribution to Friends World Committee for Consultation

        9.00            To Quarterly Meeting

   120.00            For one CARE package each month

      25.00           Salem YWCA

        6.00            Postage and office expense

        7.00            Childcare and equipment

        5.00            Friends Committee on Legislation

The growth of the informal worship groups was evidenced by a letter from the Eugene group stating that they were holding their Meeting for Worship at the University YMCA. The increase in attendance and general interest encouraged them to ask to become a Preparative Meeting under the care of Willamette Monthly Meeting. Ross and Laura Miles were asked to visit the Eugene Meeting. On their recommendation, the Eugene Worship Group was granted Preparative Meeting status at the following Monthly Meeting in February 1949.

New concerns which were considered in the next several Meetings for Business dealt with the lessening need for CARE packages, the displaced persons program which entailed help to bring selected families and individuals to this country, and houses for Hiroshima. There was also a concern for the religious education of the children in the Meeting and the need to share in the community our beliefs and convictions in the basic principles of Christianity.

The problem of discipline and procedure was one which confronted all new Meetings. Because of the wide variety of backgrounds from which Friends on the Pacific Coast come, Pacific Yearly Meeting was in the process of developing a Discipline which would satisfy as far as possible, its constituents. While the new Discipline was being worked out, Willamette Valley Monthly Meeting decided to follow the London Discipline. The question of birthright or other forms of membership for children was the concern of those working on a Discipline for Pacific Yearly Meeting. Until a policy should be established, it was the sense of the Discipline Committee that the wishes of the parents should be the guide.

The growth of Friends on the Pacific Coast is reflected in the need for meeting houses and the requests for financial help in obtaining them. The Seattle Meeting House was dedicated in July 1950 and the Northwest Quarterly Meeting was held there on July 12.

Concerns discussed at the Monthly Meeting for Business prior to this Quarterly Meeting and to be presented at Yearly Meeting were as follows: What can be done to control the bomb? How can we increase our personal responsibility for our concerns, rather than leaving them for the Service Committee? Do we need to become more familiar with the Bible? What should be the function of the Meeting for Business? It was the sense of Willamette Valley Monthly Meeting that we should be especially concerned with the Meeting for Worship and the spiritual qualities that grow out of it. Religious education of our children was a matter closely related which received careful consideration and planning.

Friends were disturbed at this time by the war propaganda dominating the press. A fund was set up to pay for advertisements in the Portland papers protesting the expnding propaganda. Russell Thornburg made a trip to Washington, D.C. under the auspices of the Meeting to confer with the Oregon delegation in congress and convey to them Friends’ view on universal military training. He reported that his reception was friendly and sympathetic.

A lending library was in process of being collected under the direction of Lola Bellinger. Gifts from the personal libraries of Friends and purchases made possible by a fund from the central office in Philadelphia resulted in a sizeable collection of Friends literature and other religious material. A suitable collection was placed in the Corvallis public library in response to inquiries from interested persons.

Visiting Friends during the summer and fall of 1950 who had given inspiration and to the Meetings for Worship included E. Stanley Jones; Homer and Edna Morris from Philadelphia; Edward and Ruby Dowsett from Australia Yearly Meeting; Louis Hoskins and Frank Miles, both returning from a tour of service in China; Gilbert Kilpack; Cecil Hinsaw, representing the Fellowship of Reconciliation; and Emmett Gulley who was working among the Doukhobors in Canada.

At a Meeting for Business on January 1, 1951, a letter was presented from the worship group in Portland, which had been meeting informally for two years. They reported there were thirty-two adults and eleven children who were recorded as members of Willamette Valley Monthly Meeting. In view of the growing numbers and interest they asked to be recognized as an Indulged or Allowed Meeting. After a visitation by a committee from the Monthly Meeting, it was recommended that they be given the status of a Preparative Meeting.

Continued growth in each of the Preparative Meetings and in the informal worship group in Salem posed problems for the Monthly Meeting. A recurring one was the interruption of the programs of the Preparative Meetings when they gathered in Salem on the Fourth Sunday of each month for worship, potluck and Meeting for Business. Each of the Preparative Meetings had developed its own children’s program suited to the ages and the number of children involved. Not all families were able to make the day-long trip to Salem. Deep concern was expressed for maintaining the regular Meetings for Worship and developing the religious life of the children. The sense of the Monthly Meeting was to give prayerful consideration to the problem of the continuity of the programs in the Preparative Meetings.

And enlarged budget and the concerns discussed reflect the development of the Monthly Meeting both materially and spiritually. The financial responsibility was brought to the attention of the Meeting when it was learned that the Yearly Meeting treasury was not only depleted but that the Yearly Meeting was in debt. Although Willamette Valley Meeting was paid up to date, the treasurer was instructed to send another quarterly payment to help meet the deficit. Wider support of Friends Bulletin by Meetings and individuals was suggested as a way to relieve the Yearly Meeting budget of underwriting the Bulletin to the extent then necessary.

In the spring of 1951 the Monthly Meeting considered the advisability of making its fiscal year coincide with that of Pacific Yearly Meeting. A nominating committee was appointed which was to report at the Meeting for Business in May with a list of new officers who would take office July 1, 1952.

At the May Meeting for Business this nominating committee offered the following slate of new officers who would serve until July 1, 1952:

  • Clerk: Lyra Dann
  • Recording Clerk: Esther Richards
  • Treasurer: Margaret Oettinger
  • Custodian of Records: Lois Bellinger
  • Correspondent (for Friends Bulletin): Mildred Burck

Elders:     

  • Robert Dann
  • Grace Lawrence
  •  Russell Thornburg
  •  Effie McAfee

Overseers:

  • Ross Miles
  • Emily Cook
  • Harold Barton
  • Hazel Hemphill

Publicity:

  • Ellis and Margaret Jump

Representatives to Yearly Meeting:

  • Robert Dann
  • Francis Dart
  • Lois Barton, Alternate

The budget which had been set at $272.00 in 1948 had reached $334.50 by 1951. The proposed budget for the coming year was $335.50.

There was a close relationship maintained with the AFSC through members who were on the regional board or working on AFSC projects. The peace testimony and expanded projects of rehabilitation in Italy under a Ford Foundation were given special attention. Concerns at home included the military aspects of Civil Defense. A protest was sent to the governor against this growing emphasis.

At a later Meeting for Business, reports were read from each of the worship groups which were to be incorporated into a report to Northwest Quarterly Meeting. Each of the groups showed growth in numbers and attendance. Strong interest was indicated in civic fields and national affairs. The Portland group felt the need for business and discussion without encroaching on the hour for worship. They had begun to devote an extra hour to this purpose.

An adult discussion in Monthly Meeting on the religious training of children centered around these questions: What is an experience of God? How does silent worship contribute to it? What can the Meeting do and what should the home do to prepare children and adults for such an experience?

In March of 1952 Frances Dart attended the Conscientious Objectors Conference in Evanston, Illinois as a representative from Pacific Yearly Meeting.

Reporting to Willamette Valley Monthly Meeting, he said in part: “In the present time of war and the preparations for war, pacifists cannot expect to be happy. The conference at Evanston was a time of deep searching for wisdom in the face of dilemmas, which beset every possible course. Among these dilemmas is this one – we feel a responsibility to help young conscientious objectors who are drafted to find creative ways of meeting the work period required of them. Yet if we enter into agreements with Selective Service as an employer of conscientious objectors we become an agent in administrating conscription for war. Neither we, nor our young men want this. Even if we merely help COs to find meaningful work without becoming employers ourselves we thereby lift in part from the draft boards what may become their chief  “headaches.” By this we almost certainly speed the process of conscription of conscientious objectors.” The Meeting was deeply grateful for the clear and illuminating report and desired that the complete report of the conference should be incorporated in the minutes of the meeting.

At the Monthly Meeting of August 24, 1952, Clifford Maser was welcomed back from a year of service in Germany and Austria with the AFSC He spoke of his work in surveying the problems and tensions arising out of the great numbers of refugees in Germany and Austria.  “The problem is so great that it is not possible for AFSC to play more than a minor role. Seeking the solution of small parts of the total problem, the survey emphasized the relation between the family and the community. A program has been approved which is supported by the Ford Foundation. We are disturbed by the enormity of the tension and suffering which  still exists. We feel the weight of responsibility which rests upon Christian people who would take away the occasion for war.”

At the September Monthly Meeting, Robert and Lyra Dann and George and Dorothy Bower were welcomed home after attending the Oxford Conference. They told of the inspiration it had ben to mingle with Friends from all over the world, many of whom they had known in Australia and elsewhere. They attended many Friends Meetings and the entire time was one of deep fellowship.

At this time Ellis Jump laid before the Meeting his status in the draft. As a dentist he was subject to conscription in spite of his being older than the draft age. He described his recent draft hearing before the draft board and summarized the reason for his refusal take part in the preparation for or prosecution of war. The Meeting joined with Ellis in his concern to maintain the peace testimony of Friends and extended to him our love and desire to help as the situation developed.

Barbara Joslin who had been in Mexico with a Service unit related some of her experiences there She first mentioned her deep fellowship with the Eugene Meeting which had been a guiding influence and a real sense of direction toward giving time to this creative service. Most of her fellow workers were from the United States, but some from other countries which gave a feeling of internationalism.

The Meeting recognized a responsibility to the unit of ten conscientious objectors working in the Mental Hospital in Salem. It was encouraging to learn that the contacts being made there were resulting in a deeper understanding of the CO’s position.

During the winter and spring of 1952, social concerns continued to engage the attention of the Monthly Meeting. Harold Barton from the Eugene Preparative Meeting registered a protest against the Crusade for Freedom, believing that a program such as they advocate “emphasizes hatreds and differences and has no place in our concept of fellowship.” Effie McAfee expressed the concern of the Salem Meeting for the repeal of the death penalty in Oregon. A letter was to be sent to the legislature then in session and also the Salem Statesman stating the Quaker position and urging the repeal of the law then on the status books. All Meetings in the Monthly Meeting were engaged at this time in collecting clothing and making soap from waste fats. These items were turned over to the AFSC for overseas shipment and distribution.

Multnomah Meeting suggested a leaflet be prepared describing unprogrammed Meetings in Oregon for distribution to Meetings or individuals and to be published in the Friends Intelligencer. One thousand copies were subsequently printed. They proved helpful to inform newcomers to this area of Meetings in their vicinity.

In the record of the Monthly Meeting of June 26, 1953, there is a minute that reads: Ellis Jump, having been classified as 1-O (for medical military service) has applied for alternative service and has been appointed as director of the AFSC refugee  services in Germany and Austria. He and his family will be leaving July 14 and will be stationed in Darmstadt, Germany for two years.” The Clerk was instructed to write a letter of introduction for the Jumps and to send it to the Yearly Meeting for endorsement.

As a result of previous interest in Pendle Hill summer scholarships, Beth Prideaux from the Salem Meeting and Ross Anderson from Eugene Meeting had applied and were accepted as recipients of the 1953 scholarships.

Many requests for financial help for various projects led the Monthly Meeting to consider what its policy should be since it could not support all requests adequately. A committee composed of Francis Dart, Esther Richards, Hazel Hemphill, Laura Miles, and Robert Dann was appointed to thoroughly canvas the question. At the following Monthly Meeting, the committee reported, “It is suggested that we do not seek a project to support, but that we give support where our interest and impulses are most strongly felt. That, in general, we should support Friends projects, especially those that may lack the general appeal. We should favor those where the contribution is not tax exempt and where the organization is doing the Society of Friends a real service that cannot be adequately done by individuals acting on their own initiative.” It was further proposed that the Friends Committee on National Legislation, the World Committee and Fellowship Council be examples of these principles. It was also proposed that a fund be held in readiness to be used as Friends, individuals, or groups present concerns for needed assistance. The Monthly Meeting should be ready to enter into any project that Ellis and Margaret Jump propose for assistance in Germany.

During the year, the Meetings were stimulated by visits of Friends from abroad. Early in the year Ruby Dowsett was a visitor and brought a minute from the General Meeting of New Zealand. She brought three principle concerns of the New Zealand Friends, vis, the Quaker Team, the World Conference and Round the World letters for children. She emphasized the particular value and contribution that each was making to the Quaker message. The summer Meetings were enlivened by the visits of Peggy Church (New Mexico) and Margaret Gibbons (Scotland) from New Zealand the return of Beth Prideaux and Ross Anderson from their stay at Pendle Hill sponsored by the Quaker Grants and the arrival of Lloyd Williams from Australia to attend Oregon State College.

A report of Northwest Quarterly Meeting by Lyra Dann included a concern for a statement of faith which would be a help to those applying for membership. In the Monthly Meeting a desire was expressed that a more meaningful program be developed for the children. It was felt that along with play and stories there should be creative activities that would implant the basic Quaker principles for peace, non-violence, etc., in a way children could understand.

Attention was called to an article in Friends Intelligencer that implied that some Friends schools were reluctant to enroll Negros. Lola Bellinger was instructed to ask for more information and express our concern for its contents.

Letters from Ellis and Margaret Jump were circulated among members. Reports from the constituent Meetings recorded the continuation of clothing collection for overseas shipment, increased attendance following the opening of schools, the expansion of the children’s program and the development of study groups for adults as an adjunct to the Meetings for Worship.

In the autumn of 1953 the Monthly Meeting appointed a budget committee to consider the needs of the Meeting and to receive estimates from the various committees of the funds needed to carry on their work. Appointed to this committee were Ross Miles, Harold Barton, John Prideaux, and Mildred Burck.

A letter from the AFSC asked our Monthly Meeting to carefully consider whether some of the projects and objectives of the AFSC should be laid down or turned over to other organizations and whether others could be improved. The Monthly Meeting felt that this letter required careful consideration; therefore, the questions and projects under review were turned over to the individual Meetings for more study.

The budget committee in its report suggested a budget of $490.00 for the 1954-1955 year. In accepting the report, the Meeting desired that $100.00 be added for some project such as a Pendle Hill scholarship or contribution to the work of Margaret and Ellis Jump in Germany.

At the first Monthly Meeting of 1954 held in Salem on February 28th, a letter was read from Robert Dann expressing the desire of the group in Corvallis, which had met for more than twenty-seven years as a meeting for worship, to organize as a Preparative Meeting. The letter stated, “All the attenders of this group are members of Friends or belong to the Wider Quaker Fellowship.” The Monthly Meeting expressed happiness in this application for an organized meeting and recognized the devotion of the group through the years to the principles of Friends and their sufficiency for carrying on the work of the Society. The Monthly Meeting appointed Elizabeth Lantz, Russell Thornburg, Monette Thatcher and Laura Miles to be present when this organization takes place.

The new YWCA building in Salem was nearing completion at this time. The Monthly Meeting hoped to be able to meet there in the near future. A contribution of $40.00 to the YWCA was approved. All the constituent Meetings were experiencing problems for adequate space on account of growing attendance. Eugene Preparative Meeting was giving serious consideration for a meeting house of their own. With this in mind they had already started a building fund.

The committee for scholarships to Pendle Hill suggested the name of Alice Plymton for the summer term in 1954.

Esther Richards, reporting on the PYM Interim Committee meeting in Berkeley, brought the request that organized groups of Friends and others interested in applying for Monthly Meeting status in Pacific Yearly Meeting should have a clear membership policy. The Discipline Committee of Yearly Meeting had been instructed to prepare a section on membership for the handbook of the Yearly Meeting.

Pacific Yearly Meeting in 1954 was held at a church camp on a lake a few miles off highway 99 between Tacoma and Seattle. The dates were August 12-15. The cost for adults was $12.00 to cover all expense and $8.00 for children from 5-16, with no charge for younger children.

Friends interest in the ecumenical movement among Protestant religious bodies was noted. The Eugene Preparative Meeting joined with a group of churches to form the Eugene Council of Churches. While expressing regret that the constitution in effect ruled out all un-Christian groups, and that Catholic churches were not invited, the Meeting never-the-less wished to cooperate.

In the spring of 1954 a conference of Friend on Civil Liberties was held at Scattergood School in Iowa and Frances Dart attended as our representative. The conference was called the Friends World Committee, American Section, and Fellowship Council, at the suggestion of Pacific Yearly Meeting. In his report to the Monthly Meeting, Frances Dart gave some of the highlights of the conference. “Democratic and religious principles from which our freedoms spring are closely related and should not be separated. It is helpful when Friends and others are courageous in the use of freedom. Consistent behavior accompanied by a spirit of quiet confidence is likely to win support. Friends Testimony on civil liberty is religious in its motivation. Man is a child of God. The seed can grow and flower only in the light and in an atmosphere of trust and confidence. The state exists to provide for the welfare of the citizen, not the reverse. Have we lost sight of the truths on which our nation was founded? Have we lost the fire of fervent commitment? May we still think of each other as neighbors without asking proof of loyalty? Comment was made that the Society of Friends has not performed its duty, therefore we bear our share of guilt for the fear that prevails in our country today. The Pendle Hill pamphlet, McCarthyism, the Seed Is In Us, was recommended.

At the Monthly Meeting held on May 20,1954, a report was given that the Corvallis Preparative Meeting became permanently established on May 16th. Robert Dann was appointed Clerk of the Corvallis Meeting. The fiscal year was changed to accord with the fiscal year of Pacific Yearly Meeting.

The problem of the religious education of the children was a continuous one in each of the constituent meetings. Major factors were the small number of children in each age group, inadequate room and other facilities. A partial solution was found in all but the pre-school children participating in the last half hour of the meeting for worship. It was found by experimenting that the children responded best by coming quietly into a settled Meeting.

Letters from Ellis and Margaret Jump revealed that German Friends were confronted by problems similar to ours. German Friends also found themselves divided by opposing ideologies and separated by the barrier of a divided country.

Here at home we were concerned with maintaining a closer fellowship between the separate Preparative Meetings. A trial newsletter sent to Friends who were not able to attend Monthly Meeting met with general approval and a desire to have it continue.

Visiting Friends enlarged our view of Quakerism both at home and abroad. In January and February of 1050, Earl Edwards of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, and Betty Collins of Berlin Monthly Meeting visited among Friends in Oregon. Earle Edwards spoke of the desire of Friends all over the United States to work toward unity. He said, “Pacific Yearly Meeting has a sense of independence which is refreshing but it may also need to grow towards other Friends so we can all work together.” Betty Collins shared with us the problems of German Yearly Meeting with its scattered membership and ideological differences between East and West. Many of the Friends in East Germany honestly believe there are elements in communism which are more Christian than many things in Western culture. It seems as though the inner struggle must burst the Yearly Meeting asunder. Discussions have to be held in great care and on a spiritual plane far deeper than normal relationships. German Yearly Meeting may have much to offer Quakerism because it has been able to retain inner depth and has not split apart. There was hope of holding German Yearly Meeting in the East Zone that summer and having a work camp there.

The Interim Committee planning for Yearly Meeting raised the question to the Monthly Meetings of lengthening the period of Yearly Meeting. The program, as it had been, left too little time for discussion and spiritual deepening since the time allowed was barely enough to cover the business sessions.

During the summer months, Monthly Meeting was held in Portland, Salem, and Eugene with the local Meeting as host. Business was held to a minimum and more time was devoted to the discussion of concerns.

  • A continuing concern for the religious education of both children and adults in the Preparative Meeting.
  • An interchange of ideas as each Meeting developed programs designed to meeting their individual needs , resulted in an enrichment for all.
  • Members were urged to write their Congressmen, stating Friends objections to the expected draft – a Universal Military Conscription law.
  • The plight of displaced persons in Europe inspired letters to Congress, urging a more liberal policy of admission to this country.
  • Canadian Friends concerned about the problem presented by the Doukhobors in their country, asked for a meeting for representatives from AFSC, CFSC and Pacific Yearly Meeting to consider work among the Doukhobors.

By the spring of 1955 the finances of the Monthly Meeting showed a surplus beyond the current needs of the Meeting. The treasurer was authorized to set aside $100.00 in a fund to be used for some special purpose decided upon by the Meeting.

The growth of the constituent meetings was attested by the Eugene Preparative Meeting expressing a desire to become a separate Monthly Meeting. The reasons given were the number of attenders who would be interested in membership in a local Monthly Meeting and the continuity it would give to their religious education program. This was in answer to a problem that all Preparative Meetings shared. The Elders and Overseers were asked to meet with Eugene Friends to consider the situation.

The question of types of membership had been under consideration for some time by the Yearly Meeting. It was referred to the Monthly Meetings for further discussion. The suggestions on which the Yearly Meeting Committee asked for Monthly Meeting comment were as follows:

Members. Those over 16 years of age who had come in by transfer of letter; those asking for membership by convincement; birthright or families requesting membership for children; associate members – term applied to children of 16 years or younger.

Sojourners. Those attending a Meeting though a member elsewhere.

Dual membership. Membership both where one is attending and in some other Meeting. (Considered of doubtful use.)

Attenders. Those attending frequently but not members.

After due deliberation, the consensus of opinion in the Monthly Meeting was a tactical agreement to the suggested categories from the Yearly Meeting Committee. The chief concern was that there would be a liberal policy adopted by the Yearly Meeting for the new discipline.

The new officers to serve the Monthly Meeting from July 1, 1955 to June 30, 1956, presented by the nominating committee and approved by the Meeting were as follows:

  • Clerk: Russell Thornburg
  • Assistant Clerk: Beth Prideaux
  • Treasurer: Clarence Burck
  • Registrar: Crystalle Davis
Representatives to Yearly Meeting
  • Esther Richards — 1 year
  • Ellis Jump — 2 years

The matter of Eugene Preparative Meeting being given Monthly Meeting status continued under consideration. The Eugene Friends did not feel the question required immediate settlement. Four points were taken under advisement.

  1. In reality Eugene Friends found themselves functioning as a Monthly Meeting except for official action.
  2. The geographic location, size of families, etc., made it difficult for a representative number to attend Monthly Meeting in Salem.
  3. The Eugene Meeting had developed a religious education program for the children that was working well. When all or part of the group left once a month, the continuity of the program was disrupted.
  4. On the other hand, grave concern was expressed about the effect such a division might have on the existing Monthly Meeting.

At the next Monthly Meeting the Ministry and Oversight Committee gave a progress report. There appeared to be hesitation on the part of some Eugene Friends as to whether they were ready to set up a Monthly Meeting. In view of the lack of complete unity no decision was recommended at that time.

A month later, the Eugene Friends presented a new factor in their advancement toward Monthly Meeting status. For some time they had been accumulating a building fund in anticipation of acquiring a site for a future meeting house. The opportunity to purchase a property well and centrally located, with a small older dwelling on it had been presented to them. They again brought their problem to the Ministry and Oversight Committee of the Monthly Meeting. The official answer was a minute prepared and sent to the Eugene Preparative Meeting on August 31, 1955.

“Lois Barton, Clerk, Eugene Preparative Meeting: We have at hand your communication concerning the purchase of property in Eugene for a Meeting House. You have paid $1000.00 down and arranged for future payments at a low rate of interest. You have taken the preliminary steps in the purchase, but due to the understanding that only Monthly Meetings can own property you have not taken the final steps to secure ownership documents. The Willamette Valley Monthly Meeting, having found that Pacific Yearly Meeting has no fixed policy on ownership of property encourages Eugene Friends to appoint trustees and to take the necessary steps to acquire the property.

On behalf of Willamette Valley Monthly Meeting, Russell Thornburg, Clerk.”

The September Monthly Meeting was held with Eugene Friends in their newly acquired meeting house. The Monthly Meeting contributed the same amount paid to the Salem YWCA when Monthly Meeting was held there. In addition, Corvallis Preparative Meeting made a gift of $20.00 toward the purchase of the new meeting house. The Eugene Meeting expressed their gratitude and encouragement for the good wishes and financial help from other groups.

A few weeks later the Eugene Meeting sought the guidance and direction of he Monthly Meeting in the matter of a proposed wedding in their meeting. The Monthly Meeting supported them in arranging the wedding after the manner of Friends and suggested it might be necessary to record the Clerk of their meeting with the Lane County Court as the authorized celebrant or official. Lois Barton agreed to send to each Preparative Meeting a copy of the District Attorney’s opinion on what was legal procedure in Lane County to permit a Quaker marriage to be carried out under the care of the Eugene Meeting. It was also suggested that at a later time an opinion should be obtained from the Attorney General so that the necessary arrangements for such a marriage anywhere in the state would be known.

The growth and interest at this period is attested by the financial support given. The budget committee for the fiscal year 1956-1957 recommended a budget of $461.00 with a new item of $75.00 for special concerns.

The Multnomah Meeting had started a First Day School for three different age groups. Instead of having nine children as anticipated there were nineteen in average attendance, taxing the space in the largest homes where the classes were held. This and other considerations made them conscious of their need for a meeting house.

By January 1956 the Eugene Preparative Meeting felt they were ready for Monthly Meeting status and asked Willamette Valley Monthly Meeting to take the necessary steps to bring this about. The Clerk was instructed to advise the Interim Committee of Yearly Meeting of the Eugene Meeting’s request so that early recognition could be secured.

The Corvallis Preparative Meeting after careful study decided to hold their meetings for worship in a public place rather than in the homes of members and attenders. By doing so, they hoped that students and others would feel more free to explore the nature of a Friends Meeting. A room in the Student Memorial Union on the Oregon State College campus was secured and a Sunday morning worship meeting was scheduled. A bi-monthly discussion group was continued for the benefit of members and to include the members of the Wider Quaker Fellowship and others who were active in various Corvallis churches. Two requests for membership had been received from attenders.

Robert and Lyra Dann asked for a Sojourner’s Minute to take with them to Hawaii where they would be working for a year with the Friends World Committee For Consultation.

The nominating committee appointed in April reported at the Monthly Meeting in May suggesting the following officers for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1961:

  • Clerk: Margaret Jump
  • Ass’t Clerk: Beth Prideaux
  • Treasurer: Clarence Burck
  • Recorder: Crystalle Davis
  • Interim Comm. Representative: Beulah Thornburg

Monthly Meeting Education Comm.

  • Paul Davis
  • Laura Miles
  • Esther Leinbach
  • Ardelle Dennis

It was proposed by the nominating committee that since the membership was small and meetings hard to arrange, the Elders and Overseers by combined as a unit. The Meeting united in accepting this proposal. The names proposed for this combined committee were:

  • Ellis Jump
  • Elizabeth Lantz
  • John Prideaux
  • Beth Prideaux
  • Ross Miles
  • Russell Thornburg
  • George Clauss

Nominating Committee

  • Robert Dann
  • Alice Plympton
  • Ross Miles
  • Ellis Jump

Friends who attended Half-Yearly Meeting in Seattle in October 1956 brought back a concern regarding Friends schools. Some of the delegates had visited the Argenta community and observed the school there. The following month Willamette Valley Monthly Meeting devoted a portion of the Meeting for Business to a discussion of Friends Secondary Schools. Four topics were considered in the discussion.

  1. From the point of view of those who have attended Friends schools, what are their advantage?
  2. What are the responsibilities of each of us for the public schools in our communities?
  3. Are teenager problems less in Friends schools than in public schools?
  4. Should we as Friends provide the opportunity for young people in high schools to take part in Friendly projects?

Those who had attended Friends schools saw many advantages in a religiously oriented environment and fewer social tensions. Persons who had not had the experience of a Friends school were inclined to see an opportunity for Friends to make their influence felt in public school education. It was recognized that both points of view had merit and as usual Friends would exert their efforts in both directions as they felt led. One point not to be overlooked was the advantage of a Friends school for children in Friends families who lived isolated from other Friends.

The setting up of the Eugene Monthly Meeting made Friends aware that there should be some means of keeping in touch with those whose first interest would now become more local. As a consequence of this concern, a retreat was planned for the last weekend in December at Camp Magruder on the coast. Eugene Monthly Meeting was invited to join with Willamette Monthly Meeting on this retreat. All Friends had realized how easily one group loses contact with other Friends when they form an independent Monthly Meeting. The retreat proved to be a refreshing experience for all who attended and emphasized the value of continued contacts.

At a Meeting for Business on January 27, 1957, this matter was further impressed upon by the Monthly Meeting. A letter was read from the Multnomah County Friends group asking that they be recognized as a Preparative Meeting since they had been functioning as such for some time. They had found a meeting place at Friendly House, a Community Center, where there were excellent arrangements for Meeting for Worship and a First Day School. The request was approved. Ross and Laura Miles were asked to attend the next Meeting for Business of the Multnomah County Friends and take loving greetings from the Monthly Meeting.

It was noted in the discussion period that growth brings problems. All of the constituent meetings in the Monthly Meeting had faced the problem of a suitable meeting place which in all cases were more or less temporary. The development of educational programs for both children and adults called for space as well as other careful planning.

By March 1957 plans were underway for a second retreat. Eugene Meeting was asked to assume responsibility for securing a suitable location and making the physical arrangements. The desire was expressed that plans for children should include more than “child care.” The retreat should be a time of enrichment and growth for the children as well as for the adults. More activities should be planned to include the whole group – children and adults together. The retreat was held on the weekend of June 8th and 9th, 1957 at the Oregon Friends Conference Camp at Twin Rocks near Rockaway on the coast. The attendance was good and the activities were satisfying to all who participated. It was decided to hold another such retreat in the fall.

A number of concerns claimed the attention of the Monthly Meeting during the summer months when attendance was irregular and discussions were in order rather than decisions, which might later grow out of them. One of the subjects under discussion was an education fund. Such a fund might be used for the establishment of a Secondary School on the west coast.

Plans were underway for Pacific Yearly Meeting, which would be held in August at Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon. Paul and Crystalle Davis had been appointed to serve as co-chairmen. The committee on arrangements was given the benefit of the experience of those who attended the 1956 Yearly Meeting. At a meeting devoted to the concerns of Young Friends there were 40 young people present. Some felt that the adults spoke too much; others felt their participation was both helpful to Young Friends and indicative of adult interest in Young Friends. Among their concerns was finding fellowship in their meetings and deciding about military service. There were about 100 children under 14 years of age at the 1956 Yearly Meeting. To help plan for their care and activities, the 1956 Yearly Meeting budgeted $200.00 for the use of a committee who would be responsible for developing a children’s program.

Older attenders at Yearly Meeting were disturbed by the many persons wishing to take part in discussions which often made it difficult to conduct the business in hand. It was suggested that Willamette Valley Monthly Meeting, working through Half-Yearly Meeting and Yearly Meeting committees on Ministry and Oversight, might formulate guide lines to prevent prolonged discussions at Yearly Meeting. A study of the problem brought the recommendation that all topics for discussion as well as personal concerns should first be presented for consideration in Monthly Meeting discussions and then passed on to the Interim Committee of Yearly Meeting.

At the close of the Yearly Meeting held at Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon, general satisfaction was expressed by those attending with the facilities and a desire to return there in the future if the location were available

Continued growth in the Preparative Meetings was evident by the desire for Monthly Meeting status as they gained members and expanded their program. At the regular Meeting for Business held in Salem September 22, 1957, the following request was read: “In a Meeting for Business held at Friendly House, Portland, Oregon, September 9, 1957, Multnomah County Preparative Meeting discussed the concern of members that we become a Monthly Meeting. A committee on Ministry and Council recommends that we present to Willamette Valley Monthly Meeting a request that we become a Monthly Meeting. This recommendation was adopted in the belief that we are ready spiritually and in point of members to accept full responsibilities. We make the request at this time, hoping the it might be possible that it be presented to Northwest Half-Yearly Meeting in October and thence to the Interim Committee of Pacific Yearly Meeting in the spring.

On this same date the Committee on Ministry and Oversight of Willamette Valley Monthly Meeting, after due deliberation agreed that the Multnomah County Preparative Meeting was ready in terms of numbers and spiritual strength to become a Monthly Meeting. In support of their request, the Multnomah Meeting reported eighteen members of the Society of Friends and a number of interested attenders. Of those who were members of the Society of Friends, fifteen had their membership in the Willamette Valley Monthly Meeting. They had established a Sunday School program which included five classes for children and an adult discussion group. The proposed budget for the year beginning November 1, 1957 would be approximately $800.00.

Thought Multnomah Meeting felt it was ready for independence it also felt concern about the effect of its independence on Willamette Valley Monthly Meeting and the remaining Preparative Meetings, viz, Corvallis and Salem. The question arose as to whether or not. As the last remaining members of the original Willamette Valley Monthly Meeting, they did not in fact, constitute a Monthly Meeting, though reduced in number. No formal minute to that effect is on record though they continued to function as such.

A visitation committee from Half-Yearly Meeting gave its approval to the Multnomah  Meeting request. This was to be passed on to the Interim Committee of Yearly Meeting so that the final action could be taken at the proper time recognizing Multnomah as a Monthly Meeting member of Pacific Yearly Meeting.

In the meantime, there was active interest in forming a Quarterly Meeting to keep Friends in the Willamette Valley in close association. It was suggested that when such time comes, the title, “Willamette Valley,” should be made available for the Quarterly Meeting.

In the minutes of the regular Meeting for Business held in Corvallis on June 28, 1958, there is a report from the Salem Meeting on a Willamette Valley Day, which took place at the home of John and Beth Prideaux between the May and June Monthly Meetings. At this informal conference there was agreement on the principle of cooperation among the three monthly meetings in Oregon. A preliminary plan to be presented prior to October was to be worked out by a committee composed of John Prideaux, Paul Davis, Margaret Jump, Esther Richards, Grace Lawrence, Beulah Thornburg,  Ed Thatcher, and Frieda Illsley.

The committee named above reported at the September Monthly Meeting in Corvallis as follows: “The special committee to consider the formation of a Quarterly Meeting met in Corvallis, September 4, 1958. Beulah Thornburg was appointed chairman and was instructed to send these minutes to each monthly meeting, to receive the results, and to coordinate minor points. She is to call another meeting only if needed. We are agreed that our main goal is closer contact among the unprogrammed meetings in Oregon which have lately drifted apart. We wish to emphasize fellowship, inspiration, and concerns to keep formal organization to a minimum. We also recognize that it is growing imperative to our Yearly Meeting that local groups take more responsibility in order that the Yearly Meeting sessions. . . . . . . . . . . . . can be dedicated more to concerns than to routine business.”

“We suggest the organization of a Quarterly Meeting according to the following plan on a trial basis.”

Name: Oregon Quarterly Meeting

Time: Three meetings a year, November, February, May, on a Saturday from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. with the exception of the May meeting which should be for the weekend.

Place: Places of meeting should rotate in this order  – November in Eugene; February in Corvallis; May in Portland.

Finances: Expenses will be borne by the host meeting; no treasurer; no travel pool.

Officers: Clerk.  It is suggested that the Clerks of the three Monthly Meetings serve in rotation beginning with the place where the first meeting is held.

Program:

  • 10:00 am Meeting for Worship
  • 11:00 am Concerns
  • 12:00 noon Potluck
  •  1:00 – 3:00 Business Discussion on prearranged topics Responsibility of host meeting.
  •  4:00 pm Coffee hour

The adult coordinators for Young Friends are to be assisted Monthly Meeting Young Friends correspondents as now organized.

It was recognized that the formation of an Oregon Quarterly Meeting would mean withdrawal from Half-Yearly Meeting although we would keep our time with the Young Friends.

The first Quarterly Meeting was held in Eugene on November 8, 1958. There were 75 persons present; half of them were children. The careful and detailed work of the planning committee resulted in an orderly procedure at the initial meeting. Child care had been provided, but the number of children and the spread of ages made it evident that special educational and recreational programs were needed. As anticipated, the name Willamette was relinquished to the Quarterly Meeting, but the word “Valley” was not included as being too limiting.

We were asked to become familiar with the Pacific Yearly Meeting Discipline and to call to the attention of the Discipline Committee those sections that needed clarifying.

The Meeting approved the Clerk’s suggestion that each of the constituent meetings draft a section of a possible set of Queries as requested by the Discipline Committee of the Yearly Meeting. Using Queries of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting as a starting point, the constituent meetings were asked to be responsible for the following sections:

  • Corvallis: Meetings for Worship and Business
  • Salem: Friends care for one another
  • Multnomah: Personal living
  • Eugene: Responsibility outside the meeting

At a later date a meeting was to be called to discuss these drafts.

A committee had discussed at length whether or not Pacific Yearly Meeting should join Five Years Meeting, Friends General Conference, or both, and had made recommendation which, endorsed by the meeting, was to be forwarded to the Yearly Meeting Committee on Inter-Yearly Meeting organization. The recommendation was  “We like the positive approach toward cooperation with other Friends organizations and hope for close participation with them. We believe the best way for doing this is by developing a closer relationship with the American section of Friends World Committee in the belief that this program of American Quakerism will work toward the greatest unity.” The meeting also agreed that a letter to the editor of the Friends Bulletin pointing out that a series of articles to acquaint their readers with the facts about various Friends organizations would be useful.

Other concerns that were brought from the participating groups were related to the expanding war effort, individual needs within the meetings and ways to meet those needs.

Friends expressed great satisfaction in closer contact with members and attenders from the separate groups. They looked forward to the next Quarterly Meeting which would be held in Corvallis on the second Saturday in February, 1959.

A successful Fellowship Day was held on December 26, 1958. Growing out of the discussion there, a need was expressed for conference or camp for teenagers in the Half-Yearly area. In order to provide teenage leadership the group recommended that we send three students to the seminar sponsored by the San Francisco AFSC to be held in February 1959, with at least one from our Quarterly Meeting and one or more from Seattle. The group present approved Jean Prideaux as our delegate.

Friends were encouraged to note the growth and development of our local meetings as they became able to assume the responsibilities of independent Monthly Meetings. A concern was expressed that, as the Portland group began to function as an independent Monthly Meeting, close ties be maintained between all unprogrammed meetings in Oregon and also that we not lose the experience which our being part of Northwest Quarterly Meeting had made possible.

With the recognition of Multnomah Preparative Meeting as an independent Monthly Meeting, Salem and Corvallis Preparative Meetings continued as one monthly meeting. Corvallis Preparative Meeting had arranged for the use of Westminster House, the Congregational-Presbyterian student center, for their Sunday morning Meetings for Worship. Although there is no record pertaining to the change in  location of the Monthly Meeting, all subsequent meetings from January 1959 to September 1962 were held at Westminster House in Corvallis. The only reference is in the January 1959 minutes which closed by saying, “The group present today felt our Meeting is most fortunate to have Westminster House available to us.”

The smaller group considered their changed status, including a reduced treasury. Even so, the treasurer was instructed to send $25.00 to Honolulu Meeting through the Meeting House Fund of Pacific Yearly Meeting and $25.00 to Pendle Hill for their new dormitory. The committee surveyed the needs of the Monthly Meeting and suggested a budget of $418.80 with $100.00 set aside for special concerns.

There were many appeals for financial help which were considered carefully on the merits of each. Our contribution to the Klamath Falls Indian Project was increased to $50.00. Emmett and Zoe Gulley had moved to Chiloquin to take charge of that AFSC project. Three other appeals were approved by the meeting: the Earl Reynolds retrial, $10.00; David Walden for a lawsuit against nuclear testing, $10.00; a scholarship at Argenta Friends School, $20.00.

Steady progress was reported on the low-cost funeral plan as groups and individuals became interested in it. The Meeting agreed to stand behind the Young Friends Camp but it was planned to be self-supporting. The Meeting also felt a responsibility towards and AFSC unit working at the State Hospital in Salem. Some members of the group had attended our Meeting for Worship. They reported there were fifteen persons in the unit representing several faiths and two racial groups. Four of these were Negros. They spoke appreciatively of the excellent cooperation from the hospital and all were enthusiastic about the work. At the end of their term of service the Monthly Meeting entertained the entire unit at an outing on Mary’s Peak.

The sudden death of our friend, Robert Dann, was a profound shock to our Meeting, Pacific Yearly Meeting and his AFSC associates both here and abroad. A memorial service of depth and beauty was held at Westminster House in Corvallis on August 21, 1959. It brought together over one hundred persons, many of them Robert’s college friends and coworkers in civic causes. Robert and Lyra Dann had been intimately associated with the development of the Monthly Meetings in Oregon and with Pacific Yearly Meeting. Lyra, frail in health, followed her husband in death a year later. They had given valiant service in Friends’ work both here and abroad.

All of the meetings in the newly-formed Quarterly Meeting were concerned with the growing trend toward violent action in government affairs. It was firmly resolved to keep the peace testimony actively before the public. They were encouraged that, after some months delay, the Corvallis Gazette-Times had published a letter addressed to them, protesting the establishment of a Bomart Missile Base at Camp Adair near Corvallis. The same letter was to be sent to newspapers throughout the valley. Friends from each of the Monthly and Preparative Meetings attended a House hearing on a bill to abolish capital punishment then before the Oregon legislature. They also protested a House hearing on Civil Defense. A Peace Information Center was set up and given publicity. All meetings were urged to make appointments with their representatives in Congress as they visited local areas and to discuss with them American policy in the field of peace. Letters were sent to President Kennedy supporting the idea of a Peace Corps.

In addition to the organized efforts of the Quarterly Meeting, each local meeting carried out projects of special concern to them. The Salem-Corvallis Monthly Meeting became interested in the Foster Parent Plan. It was adopted because it was one the children could share in by earning as much as possible of the $15.00 per month; the Meeting subsidizing it to the extent necessary. They carried on a correspondence with the child who was helped, thus setting up a personal relationship.

In Salem a paper mill had donated surplus school supplies to be sent abroad where they might be needed. Space was provided by the Kay WoolenMill and the work for wrapping for shipment was done by volunteers under the supervision of Ross Miles. Many pounds of valuable material were sent to Algeria.

Corvallis Preparative Meeting became interested in sponsoring a refugee family from Indonesia as many religious groups were doing. After much correspondence, a Dutch woman, then living in Holland, was located who would like to come to Oregon. She was a typist and a practical nurse and was recommended as capable of self support. Carola Swaving was welcomed by Corvallis Friends on her arrival in September 1960.  The Meeting had secured living quarters for her and work in a local nursing home.

The first indication that the Salem Preparative Meeting was considering the feasibility of becoming a monthly meeting was presented by the Committee on Ministry and Oversight at the November 1961 Meeting for Business. It was presented at this time in order that both Salem and Corvallis Meetings could canvas the situation carefully, giving consideration to the effect that separation might have on either meeting. Further discussion was scheduled for the December Meeting for Business. At that time members of the Corvallis Meeting expressed regret at severing the close association with Salem Friends, but recognized it as a healthy, maturing process. Discussion followed on ways to maintain contacts in case Salem decided to establish their own Monthly Meeting. There had been an effort to coordinate the education programs, but there was some interruption for both meetings when not all Salem members were able to join the Corvallis group on Monthly Meeting Sundays. As not all members of the Salem Meeting felt easy about the separation at this time, definite action was postponed until a later date. In January 1962 the Salem Meeting suggested a further delay to avoid confusion in Pacific Yearly Meeting payments and the Clerk’s term of office. This was the deciding factor that the time was not appropriate for the change. The quest for clarity was continued through the spring months of 1962.

In April 1962 a committee composed of Bill Delay, Clarence Burck, and Ross Miles met and discussed financial implications. It was proposed that a request would go from Salem Preparative Meeting to the Quarterly Meeting for Monthly Meeting status. In view of this progress, it was decided that separate nominating committees should be appointed. The new fiscal year would begin July 1, 1962.

After carefully canvassing the matter, it was proposed that enough money be drawn from the general fund to pay the $100.00 pledge to a Friend in the Orient. The balance in the general fund should be kept for a year before being divided. This would provide available money for any items which were the combined responsibility of the two meetings, such as the support of the Chinese boy, Chan Yan Ming, under the Foster Parents Plan. This equitable arrangement met with approval of all members in both meetings.

The request from Salem Preparative Meeting for Monthly Meeting status was presented to the Quarterly Meeting held in Portland May 12, 1962. It would be passed on for Yearly Meeting approval in August of that year.

The history of Willamette Quarterly Meeting is a continuing story. The pattern has been that a nucleus of two or three Friends have begun meeting in private homes for unprogrammed worship. Many of these groups became preparative meetings, later monthly meetings and eventually a part of Willamette Quarterly Meeting. This narrative is a brief account of the first forty years of a movement which resulted in the formation of Willamette Quarterly Meeting.

Compiled by Grace Lawrence

Edited by Alice Plympton

Consultants: Margaret Jump and Laura Miles