LEYM Chronology
| Year | Location | Clerks | Comments |
| 1939 | Cleveland | Great Lakes Regional Meeting organized | |
| 1940 | Ann Arbor (Lane Hall) | ||
| 1941 | Columbus | ||
| 1942 | Pittsburgh | “Fourth Annual Great Lakes Regional Conference, New and United Meetings” | |
| 1943 | (no record found) | ||
| 1944 | Cleveland | Name “Lake Erie Association of Friends Meetings” in use from this year (per Swarthmore finding aid). | |
| 1945 | (no record found) | ||
| 1946 | (no record found) | Swarthmore finding aid dates the beginning of annual meetings to May 10, 1946; place not found. | |
| 1947 | Patterson Lake, MI (Ann Arbor-Detroit) | ||
| 1948 | Camp Wise (Cleveland-Oberlin) | ||
| 1949 | Delaware (Columbus) | ||
| 1950 | Camp Lutherlyn (Pittsburgh) | ||
| 1951 | Green Pastures (Ann Arbor-Detroit) | ||
| 1952 | Hiram House Camp (Cleveland) | Winthrop Leeds | FWCC–Oxford, England; Sheldon and Lucy Clark, Dick McCoy, Dorothy Kinsey, Ruth Hyde |
| 1953 | Columbus | ||
| 1954 | Camp Lutherlyn (Pittsburgh) | ||
| 1955 | Green Pastures (Ann Arbor-Detroit) | Martin Cobin | FWCC Statement of “Objectives and Organization of the Lake Erie Association” adopted |
| 1956 | Friends Boarding School, Barnesville | Bill Bliss | Sunday dinner cost 85¢ |
| 1957 | Wilmington College | Isabel Bliss | |
| 1958 | Friends Boarding School | Bernard Gross | FWCC–Bad Pyrmont, Germ.; Florence Shute, Bill Preis. Budget 1958-59: $475 |
| 1959 | Wilmington College | Dick Stow | |
| 1960 | Camp Mary Orton (N. Columbus) | William Johnson | |
| 1961 | Friends Boarding School | Howard Harris | LEYM Bulletin started. Elise Boulding, first editor. FWCC–Kenya; Margaret Utterbeck, Winifred Crossman. Aug. 25-27, at Olney Friends School. Met concurrently with Ohio YM (Conservative) for the first time; Roy McCorkle of AFSC spoke on the peace testimony. Budget doubled, first formal epistle issued, and a recommendation to become a Yearly Meeting sent to the constituent Meetings for discussion. |
| 1962 | Wilmington and Waynesville (with Indiana YM) | Bob Blood | |
| 1963 | Friends Boarding School | Bob Blood | Lake Erie Yearly Meeting formed within Lake Erie Association. Yearly Meeting established Aug. 31 (per Swarthmore finding aid). |
| 1964 | Wilmington College | Howard McKinney | FWCC–Ireland; Bill and Isabel Bliss. Pittsburgh joins LEYM. Delaware first new Monthly Meeting in LEYM |
| 1965 | Malone College, Canton, OH | Howard McKinney | Kent becomes MM. Oberlin joins LEYM. Cleveland joins both LEYM and Ohio (Cons.) YM |
| 1966 | Wilmington College | Esther Ewald | Adopted statement urging U.S. withdrawal from Vietnam |
| 1967 | Olney Friends School (Friends Boarding School) | Esther Ewald | LEYM affiliated with FGC. FWCC–Guilford; Rilma Buckman, Helen Healy |
| 1968 | Bluffton College | Flora McKinney | Approved minute opposing conscription |
| 1969 | Bluffton College | Flora McKinney | “Association” dropped from name. Ground broken for Friends School in Detroit’s permanent building. The concurrent Association ended Aug. 23, 1969 (per Swarthmore finding aid). |
| 1970 | Bluffton College | Flora McKinney | FWCC–Sweden; Flora and Howard McKinney, Bill Bliss |
| 1971 | Bluffton College | Flora McKinney | |
| 1972 | Ann Arbor | Rilma Buckman | |
| 1973 | Olney Friends School | Rilma Buckman | FWCC–Sydney, Australia; Paul Reagan, Dorothy Bower |
| 1974 | Hiram College | Rilma Buckman | Broadmead accepted as MM |
| 1975 | Hiram College | Ralph Liske | Procedures of LEYM adopted |
| 1976 | Hiram College | Ralph Liske | FWCC–Hamilton, Ontario |
| 1977 | Hiram College | Ralph Liske | |
| 1978 | Hiram College | Ralph Liske | Membership passed 1000. Budget reached $4000. |
| 1979 | Hiram College | Sam Prellwitz | FWCC–Gwatt, Switzerland; Benton Meeks, Evelyn Culver |
| 1980 | Hiram College | Sam Prellwitz | |
| 1981 | Olney Friends School | Sam Prellwitz, Claire Davis | |
| 1982 | Defiance College | Claire Davis, Sam Prellwitz | FWCC–Kenya; Marybeth Neal, Joe Davis |
| 1983 | Olney Friends School | Claire Davis, Isabel Bliss | |
| 1984 | Defiance College | Isabel Bliss, Claire Davis | |
| 1985 | Olney Friends School | Isabel Bliss, Dick Taylor | FWCC–Mexico; Thomas Taylor |
| 1986 | Defiance College | Dick Taylor, Isabel Bliss | |
| 1987 | Olney Friends School | Dick Taylor, Clémence Ravaçon-Mershon | |
| 1988 | Bluffton College | Clémence Ravaçon-Mershon, Dick Taylor | FWCC–Tokyo; Jean Stuntz, Terry Landoll |
| 1989 | Olney Friends School | Clémence Ravaçon-Mershon, Marty Grundy | |
| 1990 | Bluffton College | Marty Grundy, Clémence Ravaçon-Mershon | A map of LEYM affiliated meetings was distributed with contact information. |
| 1991 | Olney Friends School | Marty Grundy, Pat Campbell | FWCC World Conf. – Netherlands, Honduras, Kenya. Claire Davis, Patricia Thomas, John Musgrave, Clémence Ravaçon-Mershon, Dick Taylor |
| 1992 | Olney Friends School | Pat Campbell, Marty Grundy | |
| 1993 | Bluffton College | Pat Campbell, Damon Hickey | |
| 1994 | Bluffton College | Damon Hickey, Pat Campbell | FWCC–Albuquerque, NM; Rosemary Coffey, Joyce Balderston |
| 1995 | Bluffton College | Damon Hickey, John Howell | Adopted LEYM Policies and Procedures |
| 1996 | Bluffton College | Damon Hickey, John Howell | |
| 1997 | Bluffton College | John Howell, Damon Hickey | FWCC–Birmingham, Eng.; R. Coffey (repl. Rosemary Lore), Merry Stanford |
| 1998 | Bluffton College | John Howell, Janet Smith | |
| 1999 | Bluffton College | Janet Smith, John Howell | |
| 2000 | Bluffton College | Janet Smith, Don Nagler | FWCC–Geneva Point, NH; Beth Joy Blackbird, Richard Lee. First Annual Records published in booklet form |
| 2001 | Bluffton College | Don Nagler, Janet Smith | Commemorated on the web in photos by Bill Hummon with Plenary Address by Marty Grundy: Some Thoughts on the Relationship between an Individual and the Meeting |
| 2002 | Bluffton College | Don Nagler, Sally Weaver Sommer | Theme “Testimonies, where Quaker rubber hits the road: Moving from talking the talk to walking the walk.” Plenary address by Steve Morehouse. |
| 2003 | Bluffton College | Sally Weaver Sommer, Don Nagler | Theme “Engaging Fear with Spirit.” Plenary panel discussion on the theme. |
| 2004 | Bluffton College | Sally Weaver Sommer, Michael Fuson | Theme “Integrity: Growing Wholeness from Our Roots.” Plenary address by Michael Birkel. FWCC–Auckland, NZ; Zig Dermer, Margaret Kanost |
| 2005 | Bluffton University | Michael Fuson, Sally Weaver Sommer | Theme “The Ground of our Being: Listening to Earth and Spirit.” Plenary address by Kim Carlyle. |
| 2006 | Bluffton University | Michael Fuson, Shirley Bechill | Theme “Moved by Faith Within Community.” Plenary address by Michael Wajda. |
| 2007 | Bluffton University | Shirley Bechill, Michael Fuson | Theme “Living Our Witness to Peace.” Plenary address by Mary Lord: Finding Peace – Healing the Brokenness. First Adult Young Friends Group. FWCC–Dublin, Ireland; Raelyn Joyce, Mike Hinshaw |
| 2008 | Bluffton University | Shirley Bechill, Merry Stanford | Theme “Peacemaking from the Inside Out.” Plenary address by Helen Horn: Centered Enough for Peacemaking? Holland accepted as MM |
| 2009 | Bluffton University | Merry Stanford, Shirley Bechill | Theme “Reflecting Light: Seeing Ourselves in the Other.” Plenary address by Max Carter: On Meeting with the Other: Peacemaking Lessons from Quaker Work in the Midwest and Middle East. Scholarships assist first-time attenders |
| 2010 | Bluffton University | Merry Stanford, Peggy Daub | Theme “Where There are Shadows, There is also Light.” Plenary address by Lloyd Lee Wilson: A Letter of Encouragement in Discouraging Times. Family attendance encouraged by meeting later in summer and no charge for young Friends (through age 18) |
| 2011 | Bluffton University | Peggy Daub, Merry Stanford | Theme “Mindful Consumption as a Spiritual Practice.” Plenary address by Sally Weaver Sommer. Presentations and entertainment offered from within LEYM |
| 2012 | Bluffton University | Peggy Daub, Rebecca Morehouse | Theme “Finding Our Way: The Process of Discernment.” Plenary address by Brent Bill. High School retreat held at and during Annual Sessions. |
| 2013 | Bluffton University | Peggy Daub, Sally Weaver Sommer | Theme “Growing in Grace: LEYM Celebrates 50 Years.” Plenary presentations by Conleth Crotser, John Howell, Don Nagler, and Abbey Pratt-Harrington. 50th Anniversary celebration. Work camp held before Annual Meeting. |
| 2014 | Bluffton University | Sally Weaver Sommer, Peggy Daub | Theme “Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges.” Plenary address by Scilla Wahrhaftig. Three-day work camp in Detroit preceding Annual Meeting |
| 2015 | Bluffton University | Sally Weaver Sommer, Mike Holaday | Theme “Sowing the Seeds of Friendship.” Plenary Address: Unconventional Joy: The Scandalous Ministry of Befriending, by Merry Stanford |
| 2016 | Bluffton University | Mike Holaday, Sally Weaver Sommer | Theme “What Would John Woolman Do?” Plenary address by Natalie Finegar, Baltimore public defender: Baltimore’s Uprising: A Window into the Flawed Justice System that Perpetuates Racial Inequalities. FWCC – World Plenary in Pisac, Peru; Jana Norlin, C. Ravaçon-Mershon attending. |
| 2017 | Bluffton University | Mike Holaday, [none] | Theme “Quakers into the New Millennium.” Plenary address and three workshops presented by young adult Friends. |
| 2018 | Bluffton University | Nancy Reeves, Mike Holaday | Theme “Building the Beloved Community: Who is My Neighbor?” Plenary address by Yvette Shipman, Steps to “green” Annual Meeting meals. |
| 2019 | Bluffton University | Nancy Reeves, Jo Posti | Theme “Do Justice, Love Mercy and Walk Humbly with God: Finding our calling in disturbing times.” Plenary address by Joyce Ajlouny of AFSC: It Takes Courage: Quaker Values in Action. Harassment Policy approved. |
| 2020 | Virtual (Zoom) | Jo Posti, Nancy Reeves | Theme “Letting Go: Listening with Whole Hearts & Open Minds.” Plenary address by Thomas Taylor (Ann Arbor). Covid-19 pandemic necessitated online meeting. |
| 2021 | Virtual (Zoom) | Jo Posti, Susan Loucks | Theme “Healing Through Truth.” Plenary address by Paula Palmer: From Truth to Healing with Native Peoples |
| 2022 | Virtual (Zoom) | Susan Loucks, Jo Posti | Theme “Many Roots, One Tree” interwoven throughout sessions. Plenary address by Christian Acemah, Head of Olney Friends School: What Lies Within This Tree with Many Roots? |
| 2023 | Ashland University, Ashland Ohio and Virtual (Zoom) | Susan Loucks, [none] | Theme “Navigating Anew” apt for new location. Plenary address by Emily Provance. 60th anniversary. |
| 2024 | Ashland University and Virtual (Zoom) | Susan Loucks, [none] | Theme “Friends Together: Outpourings of the Spirit.” Plenary presentation by Paulette Meier, with Joann Neuroth: Opening To and Pouring Out the Spirit through Contemplative Communal Chant. FWCC – Johannesburg, South Africa; Ellerie Brownfain. |
| 2025 | Ashland University and Virtual (Zoom) | Joe Mills, Jack Smith | Theme “Mending Our Nets: The Power of Becoming Whole.” Plenary address by Pamela Haines. Some Friends held a peace vigil on campus and/or joined a “No Kings” protest in town, while others held them in the Light. |
| 2026 | Ashland University and Virtual (Zoom) | Jack Smith, [none] | Theme “Finding Hope, Joy and Courage in Community.” Plenary address by Joe Volk, former Executive Secretary of FCNL: Joyful Resistance as a Practice of Hope. 64th Annual Meeting. Green Pastures Quarterly Meeting laid down after more than 75 years. |
First compiled by Leonora Cayard (Pittsburgh) in 2001; updated by Annual Records editors since 2005. Details for 1961–1969 draw on records at the Friends Historical Library at Swarthmore College.
Do you have records or memories of the early years, especially the clerks before 1955, or the places where we met in 1943, 1945, and 1946? Please let the Publications & Archives Committee know through Contact Information.