I led one of the workshops. The topic was Governance of Quaker organizations and one of the key questions was “What makes an organization Quaker?”. You see, there aren’t that many Quakers and like other religions the numbers of Quakers in North America are declining. But Quakers have been prolific in founding schools, retirement communities, and service organizations. Very few Quakers are involved in them as students, residents, faculty, employees, staff or administrators since long ago, they opened their doors to people of all faiths. Our organizations are known for their high quality, but if there are few Quakers involved, then what makes them specifically “Quaker”? It’s a question I’ve been pondering and through the workshop, I sought the wisdom of our broader Quaker community.

We came to unity that what makes an organization Quaker is not a matter of meeting specific criteria – it is not the history, not the number of Quakers in residence, on staff or on the Board - but it is a lived reality that is felt in the everyday interactions of all the individuals involved. It is a quality that permeates the organization, not a statistic or metric, but a reality in our hearts, our behavior and our actions. We know that the Beloved Community is possible and that to make it real in the wider world, we start where we are and who we are with every day. We recognize the value of every life - and treat each other with love. We ‘let our life speak’.

I am glad to say that’s what we have here at Friends Village. It is seen in relationships among residents, among staff, between management and employees, and in how residents and employees interact. The proof is what our residents and families say, and in the long tenure of our staff. It’s hard to explain in words. You have to be here to experience it.

-Chiyo