In March, the Meeting minuted support of six youth (Emma Blake, Max Thoburn, Dorsey Crocker, Justin Sykes, Jordan Keller and Olivia Duncan) who had shared their written personal statements of conscience. As follow-up to this moving testimony, members and attenders were invited to write their letters of support on behalf of these youth. Such letters will be housed in Meeting archives and available to the youth in the event they are called up by Selective Service for the military.

In April, members and attenders were given additional information for writing their letters of support. At the request of members who earlier asked to read the statements again in preparation for their letter-writing, students asked that these not be placed on the website or in the newsletter for privacy concerns. Instead letters will be maintained under the foyer bulletin boards in a white notebook for members to re-read on Sunday mornings over the next month. Extra copies of statements may be taken home if you wish to have such in front of you when you write. Statements will also be available at the April 22 coffee house sponsored by RE.

Please address your letter either (1) to the student by name or (2) to the Clerk of Richmond Meeting on behalf of the student. Be sure to include the student name or names. Letters can be any length. If you wish to include something you know personally about the youth, please do so. Be sure to date and sign your name. Regretfully for letter writers, a letter on behalf of all six youth does not work. If a youth wishes to use them for Selective Service business at a future date, other names would be contained in the supporting document and would violate the privacy of those youth.

Please leave your support letters in the Historian’s mailbox hopefully by the May 15 Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business. Your letter(s) of support will be shared with each youth over the next few months. For questions, please email or call Betsy Brinson.