Meeting for Sufferings: The Light
Additional name to be given to the Large Meeting House
Friends at Meeting for Sufferings were told that a decision has been made to give an additional name to the Large Meeting House in Friends House.
The new name will be ‘The Light’. A dedicated website is being developed to help market and promote the space as a major conference venue.
The announcement was not in the agenda, notes or information given to representatives but was mentioned by Jennifer Barraclough when she gave the report of the Britain Yearly Meeting trustees.
A Friend was concerned that the name chosen would create a ‘big public relations dilemma’. He said that, for Quakers, ‘the Light’ was within.
A Friend said her immediate reaction on hearing the name ‘The Light’ was to think of ‘Disney’ but added that there was a problem if Friends ‘cannot use that name proudly for our place of worship’.
Another Friend said that Quakers will ‘always disagree about names’ and that when some Friends were given the responsibility to make a decision they should be left ‘to get on with it.’
Friends were reminded that the name ‘The Light’ is for use by ‘outsiders’. The name the Large Meeting House will be retained for Quakers. (See ‘The Light’ by Peter Coltman.)
Comments
Imagine ... there is a queue at reception in Friends House, a meeting participant is late, worried and stressed, he/she asks the first person who seems to be free and has an air of authority about them ‘where is the light?’. I wonder what would happen….
By marykmarshall on 7th February 2014 - 13:40
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