Friends Conflict Resolution Programs was laid down in June 2010, after almost 40 years. It had shed its skin and re-emerged in new colors many times. This Quaker program developed a county-wide mediation program during the experimental years of community mediation. In the following years, they worked with schools, giving adult trainings, (and supported each edition of this Handbook). For the past 15 years, Caroline Packard, the main staff person, provided mediation and facilitation services throughout the region, especially for nonprofit organizations, business partnerships, divorce, and institutional disputes.

This year, each week, Caroline and another longtime FCRP volunteer, Joan Broadfield, have been faithfully working with me to produce the 4th edition, and the resulting manuscript is — ack, a mess!, torn apart, added to, shifted around — and, we hope, altogether richer, more accurate, and more helpful than the original.

In FCRP’s early days, they chose program initiatives that were experiments, on the cutting edge of working with communities in need. Once the experiment was ticking along, the project would be spun off to local community ownership in the spirit of “empowerment” which was the buzz word of that era. The county mediation program FCRP started was spun off in 1982.

And now our top has finally spun itself to a close, but the ripples spread wide and make us happy.

Thanks to all the long-serving FCRP staff, starting with Charlie and Ann who both left us long ago. Betty, Eileen, Sandi, Chel, Keelin, & Caroline, as well as Joan, Ed, and Brenda. Love you all.