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Several leaflets were produced in the 1980s by people who came together after Michael Sorensen died in 1978. They, sympathetic to Michael Sorensen's ideas, tried to put his proposal for The William Allen Society into practice. Here is one of the leaflets:
"WILLIAM ALLEN SOCIETY INTRODUCTORY LEAFLET
All WAS members have one thing in common: we all find WAS very difficult to define. This makes it hard work trying to explain it to anyone who asks us what it is. We decided that one of the best ways to put it accross might be to quote extracts from what people wrote at one general members' meeting at Easter in reply to the questions
- What does WAS mean to me?
- Why did I join?
- Why do I stay?
- What do I hope for?
Here are some of the replies:
'...What attracted me most... was the idea of an "extended family"...to which members could contribute at various times and be helped through others. At a later stage the working groups seemed to provide avenues for more activities than were necessarily available to people in the course of their everyday lives...'
'... One of the things that impressed me most in my early days of participating in WAS was the age range - that it went from 0 to 90 (or almost). I very much enjoy getting to know people through joint activities...'
'I have made close friends with people with whom in other contexts I would have assumed I had nothing in common. I am constantly amazed at how much I have learnt from the richness of others' experience...'
'...It seemed the perfect solution to my long protracted problems... including where to go at Christmas and Easter, where I could really get away from it all for a complete restful change and establish some form of social contact...'
'... 1 found on joining WAS a welcoming atmosphere which gave me a sense of security - that if I was in desperate need WAS would somehow help me out. My original need was to find a home - as it turned out I needn't need a home but in the process I found new friends. I introduced my daughter to WAS and she took to it like a duck to water and probably I have kept in touch since because of her involvement - to my great satisfaction!'
'....No coercion but lots of stimulation...'
'... 1 like the way WAS people do things together - a kibbutz with & difference.'
'... so 1 keep going BONK on my head and I keep going round and round and I bonk my head like this - BONK! I like to play cowboys and Indians and I like the big people....'
'...1 enjoy the challenge of new ideas, the stimulation of exploring alternative life-styles... with all kinds of different people.
I hope that one day we will have rural projects in different areas of the country and eventually have a country community....'
'...from feeling very close to a few people I began to feel free and at home at all WAS <events> and places. And then I started to feel efficient and needed as well as needing, with the right balance and flow of give and take making both projects and people grow nicely together'
'... I like WAS because I don't have to subscribe to a rigid list of beliefs and rules and bp.cause it is open to everyone who wants to make a'little effort to take part and include others. It isn't competitive and it isn't formally hierarchical. But while trying to think what to write I have come to the conclusion that all definitions are twaddle!...'
Are you any the wiser? If you want to know more specifically what things are
going on at this moment then perhaps you might come
along to the next
ENQUIRERS' MEETING on ................. at ....................
If you cannot come to that but are still interested in becoming a member then write to
The Membership Secretary
William Allen Society'
c/o ........................................and we shall send you more specific information.
The current activify and interest groups are:
CITY LIVING - looking at more communal and supportive ways of using houses and making the most of living in urban areas.
RURAL PROJECTS - developing short and long term alternatives to living in a city, including working holidays.
SELF HEALTH - taking more personal responsibility for one's well being in areas such as food and diet, co-counselling, massage.
ENTERPRISES - concerned with small scale production, for example, of handicrafts.
ARTS AND CRAfTS - sharing and promoting members' visual or aural ideas and skills in any useful way, including sharing skills, premises and other resources.
COMMUNICATIONS - responsible for the Society's Newsletter, other publications and any other devices that might better assist members to keep in touch with each other.
SPECIAL EVENTS - mainly Christmas and Easter, usually the responsibility of the Co-ordinating Group.
You might like to mention your particular interests. We look forward to hearing from you.
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