© 1992 Urantia Foundation
¶ New trustee elected to the board of Urantia Foundation
The Foundation welcomes a new Trustee, Dr. Thomas C. Burns, who was elected by the Board to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Neal A. Waldrop III.
Neal, feeling that his transfer to a diplomatic post in Australia would make his participation in Foundation activities extremely difficult, regretfully submitted his resignation as a member of the Board of Trustees of URANTIA Foundation. We wish Neal the best of luck on his new assignment and look forward to his continuing advice and counsel.
Tom is a long-time student of The URANTIA Book and has hosted study groups since 1975. He was one of the planners and presenters of the First Scientific Symposium held in Nashville, Tennessee. Tom is a clinical psychologist and presently administers a head injury rehabilitation program in Atlanta. The Board is looking forward to working with Tom.
The Board also regretfully accepted the resignation of Martin W. Myers as the Executive Director of URANTIA Foundation. The Trustees thank Martin for his dedicated leadership in guiding the Foundation office through the most difficult transition period of its existence. Richard Keeler will be acting Executive Director until a replacement can be found.
¶ Changes to the book sales policy
The Trustees of URANTIA Foundation have always wanted as many bookstores as possible to stock The URANTIA Book on their shelves. Bookstores will carry The URANTIA Book on their shelves if they have customers who will buy it from them.
The Trustees want to encourage the purchase of The URANTIA Book from bookstores in order to increase the number of bookstores willing to carry The URANTIA Book. Therefore, on 1 October 1992, the Foundation’s Discretionary Discount Program will be discontinued. After that date, the Foundation will continue to sell The URANTIA Book at a 40% discount only to bookstores. The Foundation will also sell books to those individuals who do not have access to a bookstore. The price to individuals will be the suggested retail price of $34.00, plus $5.00 for shipping and handling in the United States and $7.00 for International shipping and handling.
If you become aware of a bookstore that does not carry or know how to order The URANTIA Book, please give us a call at (312) 525-3319, and we shall contact that bookstore in order to facilitate your ability to order The URANTIA Book through that bookstore.
¶ Outline for the structure of Urantia Brotherhood Association
URANTIA Foundation has completed an outline for the structure of URANTIA Brotherhood Association or U.B.A and has presented the outline at meetings in Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York. Similar meetings will be held at other locations in the future. The purpose of these meetings is to present the outline, answer questions, and receive feedback. If you are interested in receiving more information about the new membership organization, please contact our office.
¶ Urantia Foundation opens Australian office
We are pleased to announce that URANTIA Foundation has opened an office in Australia to serve Australia, New Zealand, and the Southwest Pacific.
Trevor and Kathleen Swadling are the managers of the office, the address of which is:
URANTIA Foundation
7 Walsh Street
North Narrabeen
Sydney NSW 2101
AUSTRALIA
URANTIA Foundation’s book policy in Australia is the same as its book policy in the United States. Books will be sold at the 40% discount only to bookstores. Books will also be sold to those individuals who do not have access to a bookstore. Sales to individuals after 1 October 1992 will be at the suggested retail price of $55.00 Australian, plus shipping and handling.
¶ Price of The URANTIA Book
The price of The URANTIA Book has remained at $34.00 since 1979. But is $34.00 a reasonable price today for a book of the size, quality, and content of The URANTIA Book? How does the publishing industry determine the price of a book? Four standard methods are:
- Three cents a page or about $65.00 for The URANTIA Book.
- Five to eight times production cost for mass-market books or $62.00-$99.00 for a book the size of The URANTIA Book.
- Ten to twenty times production cost for specialty books or $124.00-$248.00 for The URANTIA Book.
- Taking into account inflation, as measured by the change in the Consumer Price Index since 1979, the price of The URANTIA Book should be in the $60.00 - $65.00 range.
As we mentioned in our last newsletter, a price increase is inevitable. But the Trustees intend to maintain the current price until the end of the year. Effective 1 January 1993, however, the Trustees intend to increase the price to an amount more in line with book industry standards.
“Advancement is determined purely by the spirituality of the individual, and no one but the Gods presumes to pass upon this possession.” UB 26:8.3
¶ Progress on translations continues
The Trustees of URANTIA Foundation have decided to format the French, Finnish, and Spanish translations and all future translations in such a way that they will match the English translation page-by-page and paragraph- by-paragraph. For example, the content of any paragraph and page in the Finnish translation will be the same content as the corresponding paragraph and page in the English translation.
The following is an update on the progress of our current translations:
French: Corrections are being made and the new formatting is being done in preparation for the next printing.
Finnish: Editing complete, formatting begun.
Spanish: Translating complete, editing continues.
We hope to announce some exciting news about new translations in our next newsletter.
Translating The URANTIA Book is a long and difficult process that requires much time, effort, and money. For example, the Finnish translation will have required:
- To translate: Six years, working six hours a day, 364 days a year.
- To edit: One year, working six hours a day.
- To format: Two months, working six hours a day.
- To print: Three months.
- Grand Total: Seven years and five months.
The translator of the Finnish URANTIA-kirja says that the ideal translator would be at least thirty-five years of age; would have read The URANTIA Book at least six times (including having read it at least once in the last two years); would be equally proficient in English and his or her native language; would be part of a team comprised of a chief translator and three assistants; and must be translating from the English version of The URANTIA Book.
The Foundation would like to meet with individuals who are interested in translating The URANTIA Book, even if they may not meet the above profile of the ideal translator.
¶ Reader comments about The URANTIA Book
“I am, with great awe, reading for the first time, The URANTIA Book. It answers many, many questions that I have had throughout my life.” Kula, Hawaii, U.S.A.
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“[T]his is my tenth year as a daily reader of our book… Isn’t it astonishing how one’s studies always seem to be just starting—you think you fully comprehend a section, but each time you re-read it, there [are] more meanings [and] new relevance to this planetary life we live…” Chester, England
“I am a URANTIA reader and cannot even begin to express my fascination and awe as to the book. It is absolutely mind boggling. It seems to me that it is probably the most important and complete revelation ever to be put together in a book.” Belgrade, Yugoslavia
“I have read The URANTIA Book and have found it both fascinating and inspirationally comforting. It is, indeed…`one of the great epochal revelations of all time…'” Charlottesville, Virginia, U.S.A.
“He showed me The URANTIA Book, the book he thinks I should have and after I read what it is dealing about, I think I should have it too.” Zagreb, Croatia
“I have been reading, learning, and having my life changed by reading The URANTIA Book for the past fifteen years…” Angleton, Texas, U.S.A.
“[The book’s] teachings represent a real and common treasure of truth for all of the times.” Barrangvilla Atlantico, Columbia