For the last nine years Rev. Robert “Skip” Ellison has ably led us as our Archdruid, through periods of great growth and change, and with a warm and supportive demeanor. I, for one, am very grateful to him for all his hard work, his evenhandedness, and his tireless efforts on behalf of ADF. I am delighted that he has agreed to continue helping out wherever he can, and his institutional knowledge will be of great help to the Mother Grove as we make this new transition.

Thanks, Skip!

And now let us once again look forward. We have several obstacles facing us now, with communication being one that we must continually tackle. Some great strides have been made recently with our study programs – new technology and new procedures should improve the interface between our students and their reviewers, cutting down on wasted time and lost submissions. Our Guilds are expanding and improving their study programs all the time, making the work of our students available for all, and the new Orders that are coming into existence have great potential for the future of ADF spirituality.

The Clergy will shortly begin travelling to visit our more isolated Protogroves and groups of solitaries, spreading education and fellowship as they go. Our festivals continue to increase in number, and more and more resources are appearing on our website. Our journal, Oak Leaves, and all our publications continue to expand and improve through the hard work of our publishing team, while our podcast, Tribeways, continues to entertain and inform.

And all of this is possible only through the efforts of our many volunteers – you heroes behind the scenes who share the vision of ADF to keep us relevant and growing. To you I give my sincere and humble thanks.

May the Kindreds bless us all with vision, courage and hospitality in the years ahead!