I thought nontheist Friends might be interested to see the latest news from QUG and reproduce their recent newsletter below with a last opportunity perhaps to book a conference stay at Woodbrooke before it closes in the autumn.
I have not included the QUG conference application form so you will need to go through their website if you did want to book (12th-14th May).
QUAKER UNIVERSALIST GROUP NEWSLETTER MARCH 2023
Dear QUG supporter
Our annual conference in 2023 – Friday May 12th to Sunday May 14th at Woodbrooke and online
Universalism and Creativity – how creativity expresses and enhances spirituality across the world.
We have been writing to you about our forthcoming conference for some months, and we urge you to apply now if you wish to come. Although places may be available nearer the time of the conference, to guarantee your place please apply now.
As you may have heard, Woodbrooke will close to the public by 31 October 2023 (see https://thewoodbrookecentre.co.uk/) so this is your last chance to attend a QUG conference at Woodbrooke. This is an extra reason to come in person to Woodbrooke this year!
Our topic is universalism and creativity. We will explore this through our speakers, through practical work and in small groups. There will also be plenty of time to socialise and (at Woodbrooke) enjoy the house and grounds.
We have six speakers and we expect all or most of them to be at Woodbrooke throughout the conference. Further details of the speakers are on our website, but, in brief, they are (with the title of their talks):
Helen Otter – An Introduction to Creativity and Spirituality: An Artist’s View
Philip Gross – What’s Living in the Space Between Us – Poetry, Collaboration, Listening
Jaana Erkkilä – Creativity and Nature in the Nordic Tradition
Roger Hill – Daoism and Creativity
David Brown – Despacho (prayer bundle) in the context of Shamanism
Charles Monkhouse – The Spirituality of Colour
The conference is from Friday May 12th at 6 p.m. to Sunday May 14th at 2 p.m. We encourage you to attend the whole conference, but rates for those who can’t come to the whole conference are on the application form.
Costs for the weekend are £250 at Woodbrooke. There are a few rooms available for two people sharing and this will cost £425. To join us online (for any part of the conference) the cost is £40.
All are welcome. You do not need to be a Quaker or a member of the Quaker Universalist Group to attend.
Application forms are available on our website https://qug.org.uk under ‘Conferences’ and we have put a form at the end of this newsletter which you can fill in and post, or send as an email attachment. The email address and postal address of our Conference Applications Secretary are on the form.
Monthly meeting for worship and sharing
Our meetings for worship and sharing continue by Zoom on the third Wednesday of each month.
The next two are:
- Wednesday March 15th – Introduction by Trevor Bending under the title A nontheist’s view of God and …
- Wednesday April 19th – Introduction by John Tissandier under the title Nonduality.
The meetings start at 7.00 p.m. The Zoom will open at 6.45 p.m. We send out reminders two or three days beforehand to everyone who has registered. If you do not have the joining instructions and would like them please send an email to contact@qug.org.uk
QUG at Britain Yearly Meeting – April 2023
As usual, QUG will be present at Britain Yearly Meeting. Our events are:
- Saturday 22nd April – Our Special Interest Meeting online. Title – The future of faith and religion.Speaker – Peter Varney. From 9.30 to 10.45 a.m. Programme – talk, breakout groups, plenary.
- Saturday 22nd April – Groups Fair online – 5.00 to 6.30 p.m.
- Saturday 29th April – Groups Fair in person at Friends House, London – 1.00 to 2.00 p.m.
We hope to meet many of you online or in person. The Zoom joining codes will be available through the BYM website.
QUG Annual Conference 2024
We are planning our 2024 conference. It will be on the topic of the future of faith and religion (though the exact title is still being discussed). Since Woodbrooke will be unavailable, we are looking at alternative venues. We will inform you of dates and venue when we have more information. In the meantime, if you have experienced conferences at venues to which you would recommend we make enquiries for 2024, please do let us know as soon as possible at contact@qug.uk.org
Universalist – February 2023
If you are a QUG member you should have received the February Universalist. We have had one or two reports of the package coming without stamps, and members having to pay a sum to the post office to retrieve the package. We are very sorry about this.
We are looking for more articles for the October 2023 Universalist: articles should be sent to contact@qug.org.uk by July 31st 2023.
QUG Membership
We do encourage you to join QUG if you have not already done so. Our journal Universalist is well worth a read, as is the pamphlet we produce in the summer following our conference. E-copies of Universalist cost £12.00 per year and hard copies £18.00 per year. Hard copies of the pamphlet are sent to all members.
Renewals for QUG membership for 2023 are due on the anniversary of when you last paid.
Full details of membership (including our bank details and a standing order form) are on our website https://qug.org.uk
Contacting us, questions and unsubscribing
If you have any questions or wish to unsubscribe from this newsletter please reply directly or send an email to contact@qug.org.uk
Nontheist Friends Network 
Is Woodbrook closing?
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I’m afraid so Malcolm – on October 31st apparently. Decision by Woodbrooke trustees (we understand fro MfS and Friends House. Woodbrooke online and ‘on the road’ will continue it seems with most of the same staff.
The buildings and site we are told will revert to the Bourneville Village Trust as required by covenant and George Cadbury’s will – think I’ve got that correct.
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