Dear ________ [Name of high school Friend],
As you may know, people must register for the Selective Service within 30 days of their 18th birthday. This does not mean they are joining the military or will be drafted. Failing to register, however, is a felony. It carries a possible fine of up to $250,000 and/or up to five years in prison. It can also affect your access to state-funded student aid.
Registering for Selective Service can include being classified as a conscientious objector (CO). A conscientious objector is someone who cannot be drafted to fight. Attaining this status has become quite difficult. If you are interested in applying for conscientious objector status, you must meet three requirements. Your objection must be based on “moral, ethical, or religious beliefs.” You must be “opposed to participation in war in any form.” And lastly, your claim must be “deeply held.” Federal court cases have explained more about what these phrases mean.
We’d like to invite you to begin the process of discerning your own divine leading on the peace testimony, to consult your parents, and to seek the meeting’s support and guidance for this crucial step in your life. We can provide information and counsel as you identify your convictions and can help you through the registration process, whatever your convictions. If you feel led to register as a CO, your 18th birthday is an important time to establish a record of that intent, although there are other opportunities as well. If you decide not to register as a CO, we will help you in that process as well.
Please feel free to call upon us to seek more information, even if you are unsure about your views. We will be happy to discuss this with you and provide you with more resources. As you may know, a summons to the draft cannot be issued unless it is ordered by Congress and the president of the United States. All the same, it is best to be prepared.
Yours in the Light,
Name of Meeting or Committee Clerk
cc. Member/ Attender’s Parents
Additional Steps for Care of Youth
If you send a letter like the one above, then set up a point person to receive a response. See if anyone is interested in further discernment. Check in with high school students, parents, and First Day School teachers. Maintain contact with Young Adult Friends if they move out of town for the next steps in their lives.
Prepare and nurture all youth in the meeting’s care. The meeting should actively prepare and nurture its young Friends in Quaker ways, especially in the peace testimony, nonviolent conflict resolution, and the value of all human life. This is done, of course, both programmatically (as in First Day School, retreats, etc.) but also through personal interactions with children and with each other.
Support Youth Empowerment. The decision about whether to participate in the military, or even to cooperate with registration, is an individual and personal choice. While the Quaker peace testimony stands against war, not all young Friends have such a leading, and they should be respected for their individual convictions.
Document how your meeting upholds the peace testimony. What peace programs does it fund? How does it nurture nonviolence in its youth First Day School? In what ways are individual members witnesses to peace? What adult forums address this topic? Are any members of the meeting CO’s from prior times and have they shared their experiences with the youth? Do you support parents and guardians as they nurture loving and peaceful environments to raise their children? If possible, provide First Day School lessons on conscientious objection and participation in war.
Meet with any Conscientious Objectors during a monthly meeting for business. Listen to the person’s statement of belief and support them in their conviction. Provide, if requested, a clearness committee to help any candidate with both logistics and an opportunity to explore internal questions of conscience.
As witness, document the meeting’s response to the CO’s declaration. Write a “minute” recording the meeting’s support. If possible, publish the “minute” and the applicant’s letter in the meeting’s newsletter. Ensure the candidate that the meeting’s support is ongoing.
Keep copies of the registrant’s Selective Service form, their request to the meeting for its endorsement, the minutes of the meeting, and other supporting evidence in a secure place, such as a lock box or safe.
Last updated on December 19, 2025.