| AOSA ANNUAL REPORT 2001 | ||
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This Magazine Contents
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This college in Pennsylvania is the equivalent to Woodbrook in Birmingham where Quaker studies are taught. Founded in 1929 it was to be different to the other Quaker colleges nearby which are scholastic. It is a contemplative centre originally thought able to heal the differences between the Orthodox and the Hicksite Quakers. Their first director was Henry Hodgkin from the UK who had worked in China and for the F.O.R. Subsequently there have been several connections with British Quakers, including the appointment by a committee of Britain Yearly Meeting of Friends in Residence for each Autumn term. Alan and I were approached to consider that over four years ago and we accepted with pleasure. Autumn starts for the Staff with a retreat in a small conference centre at Cape May Point. This we found quite overwhelming with 40 new faces (even though accompanied by name labels) at a time when we were still jetlagged. However we did appreciate the need for the staff to get away from the campus to a relaxing beauty spot where they could discuss important planning details without regular day-to-day commitments. It was particularly important this year of forward planning for change and with a new director. Equally overwhelming was the first two weeks of term needing to be acquainted with 29 students and having "taster" classes of the four courses to run the whole term, plus the physical work in which everyone from staff, teachers to students take part. There is a strong work ethic and an appreciation that few students can afford high fees for their study, so there are no cleaners employed and the maintenance and cooking staff all get some help from students. Everyone does a weekly and a daily job plus the participation in work morning when groups to garden, "spring clean,” prepare food or do outdoor jobs like raking leaves. Each student has a consultant drawn from the staff, the Friends in Residence and others associated with the college. Alan had two consultees one of whom he could help because of his past work in Croatia while I had one 18 year old who unfortunately dropped out after a month. The college runs short courses throughout the term in which all, term long students, staff and the Friends in Residence can participate. We each took four of those and appreciated both the courses and meeting those who came for them. I enjoyed the term long course on History of Quakerism which has stimulated my determination to read more history of America. Our purpose in attending the college was to be of help to the students and this was described as "just be." That we found very difficult and frustrating. Some Friends have taught a course or done research but we were assured that they preferred us not to do either .We felt the most useful project we did in the end was to find and walk about ten different routes of about an hour's length in the woods and creeks nearby, and to describe and map them. Audrey Davies (Seddon 1944-51) |
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