"

 I followed the links to an article on ""consensus decision making"". The entire article seemed to me to be on the simplistic side (perhaps due to my ongoing research in Organizational Communication), but it had a section on ""Quaker decision making."" I don't know if it would be appropriate to link back here (sort of a 360 degree thing), but it certainly is relevant. 

 Perhaps an article on ""Quaker meetings"" might be worth considering? I'm thinking in terms of examining several types of Quaker meetings (clearness, weddings, threshing, as well as business) in light of Quaker philosophies or traditional practices. Put another way, I am growing increasingly sensitive to cataloging ""weird Quaker ways of doing things"" in a de-contextualized sense. Perhaps we would be better off discussing how the Quakers' beliefs led to these different ways of meeting? 

 Some suggestiongs: 
Universal ministry (everyone a minister), 
immediate access (not mediated by Priest or ecclesiastical structure), 
privileging peacemaking (refusing to accept any sort of social darwinism in which the strongor aggressively vocalprevail), and 
testimony of integrity (challenging participants to put beliefs into actions, even if it leads to unconventional methods)

 It doesn't have to be an apologetic for Quaker practices, but it would help explain why these practices are held so closely by Quakers, even of dramatically different theologies.

 And thank you all, for putting up with my ""bull in a china shop"" entrance. My entries could have been read as patronizing and as assuming that I was the only ""real"" Quaker present. I did not intend to communicate that; I am sorry. I suppose that several Quaker sensibilities were at work even here, among the tools and spare parts! Thank you for your gracious patience, all. 

 Roy  (but I still don't get all of the clever codes and secret handshakes. . .apparently there are different norms for the page discussion site than for the program/topic discussion site, and for a third sort of discussion place (which I haven't really assimilated in a coherent manner, yet. . .)"