Young Friends Movement (Philadelphia, Pa.) records

The Young Friends Movement, a joint committee of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting (Hicksite) and Philadelphia Yearly Meeting (Orthodox), was formed in 1930 through the merger of the Young Friends Movement and the Young Friends Committee of their respective Yearly Meetings. The first of these committees had been founded in 1916, to provide opportunities for greater fellowship, to encourage the development of deeper spiritual experience, and to facilitate service projects for young adult Quakers. Its Orthodox counterpart was organized in 1915 and officially recognized by the Yearly Meeting in 1925. From the beginning, the groups encouraged informal fellowship between young Friends of both branches, anticipating the reunification of the Philadelphia Yearly Meetings in 1955. In the 1950's, the average age of members began to decline, reflecting a programming focus on high school-level youth. In 1975, the Young Friends Movement merged with the Religion Education Committee.