Many members of the Eielson Air Force Base have been active in the fellowship, as well as people from Fairbanks proper and the surrounding areas, including both students and faculty of the university. Although the membership has seen many persons come and go, Mr and Mrs. William Mendenhall (now on a year's leave of absence from the university to do advanced work at Cornell University), Mr. and Mrs. Lee Salisbury, Mr. And Mrs. Hank Thomson, Mrs. Robert Small, Mrs. Jeeie Pease, Mr. and Mrs. Pat Fricks, Jess Lander, Mrs.Myrtle Wright, and Mrs. Grace Marks are some of the charter members still active in the fellowship. Several of the founders of this group had previously been members of the Unitarian churches in other states. Past chairmen of the group include: Bob Hoover, Bill Mendenhall, Hank Thompson, and Maj. George Parker (formerly of Ladd AFB). The present officers include: Douglas Ackley, chairman; Edward Dryden, vice chairman; Gladys Thompson, secretary, and Darrel Kniffen, treasurer.

During the past three years, services have been held at the Carpenter's Hall on 5^th Ave. During this time, a Sunday school was established, and meetings were increased to once a week with the evening discussion groups meeting in addition to the regular morning services, to consider current problems of special interest to the group. Fairbanks and, Anchorage Unitarians have jointly sponsored the annual Conference on Liberal Religion held the past two summers in Alaska. The Sunday services at first consisted primarily of taped sermons by noted Unitarians, film strips, and other material available to Unitarian affiliates. In 1958, the group voted to engage the services of the Rev. Del Eberhardt as its first minister, on a part time basis. From Neillsville, Wis., the Rev. Mr. Eberhardt graduated from Lakeland College in Plymouth, Wis., in 1936 after which he attended interdenominational seminaries at Vanderbilt U. School of Religion in Nashville, Tenn., and spent two years at the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, Calif. He then became a local preacher in the Methodist Church in California. After several years he did a two year stint with the American Friends Service Committee with Quaker Relief in Europe. He then left the Methodist Church, took a Masters in Education at San Jose State College, San Jose, Calif., and taught school for five years prior to his arrival in Fairbanks, during, which time he made the decision to work into the Unitarian ministry. At present he is holding down two jobs - teaching at the Fairbanks Jr. High School in addition to leading the Unitarian Fellowship on a part-time basis. This summer, while the fellowship was inactive, the Rev. Mr. Eberhardt worked at Camp Denali, McKinley Park, as a recreation director. Two of his three children spent the summer with him at Camp Denali. The children are now with their mother in England. While at the summer camp, the Rev. Mr. Eberhardt performed the marriage ceremony of Florence Robinson and Al Weber.

Upon resuming regular meetings this fall the fellowship moved to the YMCA building in Fairbanks. It meets there every Sunday with worship services and Sunday school simultaneously at 11 a.m. A Nursery is provided for the younger children. According to the Rev. Mr. Eberhardt, the change in meeting place has been "very gratifying," but, of course, along with all the members, both old and new, he looks forward to the day when the fellowship becomes a church with its own building and an expanded program.

The minister states that religious liberals from all backgrounds are cordially invited to join the fellowship activities.

For further information on the Unitarian Fellowship of Fairbanks, address all inquiries to P.O. Box 2207 or telephone either 5257 or 5497.