Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-04-06
DAVIS n. FORSYTHE
On the Friends Yearly Meeting


THE Society of Friends Of Philadelphia
L has just completed one Of the most sue
cessful Yearly Meetings that 1t has ever
held, according to Davis Fl. Forsythe, clerk
Of the Yearly Meeting and editor Of The
Friend, the official publication Of the
society.
''Several important things to all those
Interested in the Friends were taken up, >
said Mr.. Forsythe, 'and one of the most
important Of these was the matter of birth
right membership. The practice from the
time Of the foundation Of the Society Of
Friends has been that a person born into
the society always remained member of
It by virtue Of birth. However. there has
Friends might not, with advantage, follow
the practice of some denominations and at
a certain age require the young persons to
announce their preference and decision in
the matter. OF the meetings to which the
matter was referred, three replied that they
of the Friends was desirable and this seemed
to be the sentiment Of majority.
Membership Of Friends
1.-THE district covered by this Yearly Meet
ing includes Eastern Pennsylvania. Southern
New Jersey, Delaware and small portion
Of Maryland, small because there Is also a
meeting held at Baltimore, which embraces
most Of that State. The membership In our
district is now about 1900 and there was a
The total membership of the Friends in the
United States is about 100000.
"This figure shows little change from
year to year. We make no effort to get
members and there is no proselyting of any
kind. In this vicinity the Friends belong
to the more prosperous class of people and,
as is always the case with prosperity, the
families are smaller than they were years
ago. The same thing applies to the meet
ings in other large cities, and while Penn
sylvania may, IN sense, be said to be the
home of the Friends, largely because Of the
followers. 1t will be seen that We have a
relatively small number Of the total mem
bership of the society in our district.
The Maryland Anniversary
"The meeting also appointed delegates
10 represent Philadelphia at the 250th ami :
versary Of Baltimore Yearly Meeting next
month. This anniversary has a peculiar in :
terest, because 1t will commemorate the fact
that George Fox, the founder of the Socjrtv v
1872 and attended the first Yearly Meeting
Of Quakers held in Maryland. 1t was not.
however, the first meeting of Friends Ia
this country, although 1t was one Of the
very early ones.
'This date, It will be noticed. was ten
years DeioT0 w Aiiani rem CaWe TO this
country. :.
"There was considerable tension over the
matter Of sending delegates to the five years'
| meeting next fall. This, in a sense, NAV be
considered as the national meeting of the
society, and the tension arose over the fact
| that some of the meetings seem to hold that
IT Is necessary, for purposes Of worship, to
have minister present. Our attitude Is
that 1t Is not necessary and that we can
worship in silence in our time -hOnored way
| 1t was finally decided to send delegates lC
| the meeting, but without in any way com
| promising our clearly recognized position in
the matters Of worship and the ministry
| The session at which this discussion tool,
place held for more than four hours.
Friends in Germany
'"The meeting received letters from Friends
| in a number Of foreign countries Amonp
| these were Ireland, West China, Australia
| New Zealand and three letters came from,
| Germany, This is very unusual. because,
prior to the war, there were no Friends in
that country. The compulsory military
service and the conscription made it obi. :.
| gatory upon Friends there either to give IN
their religion or to leave the country. which
by far the most OF them did.
| "The work which the Friends have hon,
doing in Germany since the close of the u,o :
| in feeding the people has made the sooia.,.
very we'll and fayorably known there any
| these letters simply 80 to show tbot s"n,i ",.I
10 the case. Under the new condition. sut.,
Hsrmany It would not be surprising Il IN. n,