Author Archives: Doug
Wreath Making, December 12, 1pm
Durham Monthly Meeting Minutes, November 21, 2021
Durham Monthly Meeting of Friends met virtually for the conduct of business on Sunday, November 21, 2021, with 18 people present. Clerk, Bob Eaton read a Pawnee song-poem, and after a short period of silence, opened the business meeting.
1.The October minutes were approved as recorded in the Newsletter.
2.Nominating Committee: Kristna Evans reported for the committee. They brought forward three names of persons to serve with the Clerks Group on an Ad Hoc Committee on Parsonage Funds to consider the long-term use of the funds realized by the sale of the parsonage. They recommend Margaret Wentworth, Dorothy Curtis and Edwin Hinshaw to serve on this committee.
3. Meeting approved their recommendations for members to serve on the Ad Hoc Committee on Parsonage Funds.
4. Clerks Group: Sarah Sprogell reported that they are discussing hybrid worship and that a hybrid meeting will require faster internet speed for the meeting. They recommend shifting internet services to Comcast. An analysis of costs involved is attached. They feel this change is worth the extra expense. Sarah Sprogell and Bob Eaton will pursue further issues that need to be addressed and consult experts to allow us to proceed with meeting for worship in our meetinghouse. The document, “Arrangements for Hybrid Worship for Durham Friends Meeting” (attached) will serve as a “road map” for this process. This document was published in the November Newsletter.
The Clerks Group also discussed air filtration for the meetinghouse. A preliminary research report by Wendy Schlotterbeck is attached to these minutes. Jo-an Jacobus volunteered to help with research on this need; we await further study of this issue.
There has been an increase in the number of refugees in Maine. The immediate needs are housing, clothes, blankets and food. Wendy Schlotterbeck has done extensive research on the needs of refugees and asylum seekers. Wendy, Bob Eaton, Clerk, and Ingrid Chalufour, Clerk of Peace and Social Concerns Committee, met to discuss this crisis and report that they recommend donating $350 to the Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition from the Charity Account. The Clerks Group is in close consultation with the Peace and Social Concerns Committee to consider providing winter necessities. It was recommended that a Friends Note be sent to members requesting individual donations to the Immigrants’ Rights Coalition.
5. Meeting approved the change to the internet service, Comcast.
6. Meeting approved the donation of $350 from the Charity Account to the Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition.
7. Meeting reaffirmed that the Clerks Group is not part of the regular meeting governance structure and exists as a meeting place for general support and discussion among clerks of committees.
8.Ministry and Counsel: Renee Cote reported that they have received a request from Michael Rivera, husband of Karen Marston, to hold a celebration of Karen’s life at the meetinghouse sometime in the spring. They will contact Karen’s niece and Michael to tell them that a meeting for worship for celebration of life can be held but will be subject to Covid guidelines in place at the time.
M and C would like clear guidelines on use of the meetinghouse for memorials. Faith and Practice states that memorials will be held under care of Meeting through appointment of one or two overseers to plan the event with the bereaved.
They are in the process of reviewing the report on the Meeting Care Coordinator position and plan to present it to Monthly Meeting in December.
They reviewed and endorsed the “Internet and Phone Services for the Meetinghouse” proposal created by Sarah Sprogell, Wendy Schlotterbeck, and Craig Freshley with help from David Coletta, and recommend it for presentation to monthly meeting.
The clearness committee (Ed Hinshaw, Doug Bennett, and Tess Hartford) for marriage for Ezra Smith and Laura is meeting in person this week.
David Dexter has contracted Covid and is receiving assistance from people within and outside Meeting. Please hold him in the light.
Meeting accepted this report with gratitude.
9.Finance Committee: Sarah Sprogell brought the January – September finance report. Our expenses to date are $27,871.74 and income: $39,647.75. This report is attached. We accept this report with gratitude.
10. Peace and Social Concerns Committee: Ingrid Chalufour reported that they have been processing rich discussions and ideas from the reparations meetings this fall. They plan to write a letter-to-the-editor in support of LD 1626, to be presented to meeting in December for approval. In consultation with the Communication Committee, they plan to send emails to members and attenders announcing events, legislative updates, and articles that are relevant to social justice issues. They are sending a $200 donation to the Wabanaki Alliance. They encourage us to sign up for the Sacred Ground series sponsored by the Episcopal Church in Brunswick; you can find the link to learn more and sigh up on the meeting website.
We accepted their report with gratitude.
11. Meeting suggests that committees of meeting might have authority to use the meeting mailing list directly in furtherance of committee concerns. Meeting asks the Communication Committee to season this idea and bring to meeting a recommendation on the use of the mailing list.
12. Kitsie Hildebrandt reported for the Trustees: They have updated their guidelines for the Green Burial Site with additional information, which is attached.
The meeting closed after a short period of silence.
Dorothy Hinshaw, Recording Clerk
Agenda and Materials for Durham Friends Business Meeting, November 21, 2021
The reports and other materials for Durham Friends Meeting (NEYM) meeting for worship for business on November 21, 2021 are at this link.
Here is the agenbda for the Meeting:
- Review of Agenda — Bob Eaton
Items that require approval and/or seasoning
- Approval of Minutes of October Meeting — Dorothy Hinshaw
Minutes of 16 October 2021 are attached.
- Nominating Committee Report — Kristna Evans
Nominating Committee was asked at the October Meeting for Business to bring forward three names of persons to serve with the Clerks’ Group on an Ad Hoc Committee on Parsonage Funds to consider the long-term use of the funds realized by the sale of the parsonage. Nominating Committee recommends Margaret Wentworth, Dorothy Curtis and Ed Hinshaw for Meeting approval to serve on this committee.
- Clerks’ Group — Bob Eaton
A report on the recent meeting of the Clerk’s Group is attached. There are recommendations concerning making progress on getting our worship back in the Meeting House and the needs of recently arrived refugees in our area.
Reports for information and comment
- Ministry and Counsel — Tess Hartford and Renee Coté
A report on the November meeting is attached
- Finance Committee — Sarah Sprogell
The finance report for the third quarter is attached.
Remembering Karen Marston
Long-time attender of this Meeting Karen Marston passed away on October 29, 2021.
An obituary is here and another here.
With Bowdoin Baking Company, Karen had a booth at the Brunswick Topsham Land Trust’s Farmer’s Market. BTLT’s Executive Director, Angela Twitchell, has written a lovely reminiscence of Karen Marston on the BTLT website.
From the Botton Up: A Proposal for Lowering the Carbon Footprint of the Meetinghouse
From the Bottom Up: A proposal for lowering the carbon footprint of the Meetinghouse
Approved at Monthly Meeting November 15, 2020
The following suggestions are based on John Reuthe’s visit to the Meetinghouse. They emphasize working from the basement up, reducing the entrance of cold air. We propose a few immediate actions and then a series of phases for future actions.
Immediate actions:
- Clean out debris on basement floor (Who will help Sarah and Ingrid?)
- Have the heat pump professionally cleaned, soon and annually (Trustees take on)
- Clean filters in heat pump every 2 to 4 weeks, or as needed (need is obvious when examines) – becomes part of regular cleaning tasks
- Post signs to assure internal doors are kept open
Phase 1: Find contractor for the following:
- Put in a trap door in the meeting room floor for access to the crawl space beneath (Is there any history of considering this?)
- Seal door leading to bulkhead
- Seal front door
- Seal interior doors in the entryway, making this an unheated space
- Seal ceiling vent
Phase 2: Find contractor to do the following: (possibly Bo Jesperson of thebreathablehome.com)
- Spray foam under the meeting room floor
- Lay 10m poly on the basement floor
- Remove fiberglass insulation in disrepair in basement replace with spray foam, with a major focus on the rim joists
Other important actions:
- Install a commercial dehumidifier (Sante Fe brand suggested) for Meeting room and basement
- Put insulation wrap on the hot air ducting in basement
- Work with Window Dressers to make window inserts for Meeting room windows (Ingrid will contact Window Dressers in the spring.)
Approved at Monthly Meeting November 15, 2020
Social Justice Enrichment Project
Durham Friends Meeting, Peace & Social Concerns Committee
As members of the religious Society of Friends we have a deep and abiding concern for social justice and racial equity. Values such as community, equality, and harmony are central to our approach and advocating for social justice in the greater community is an important expression of our values. This project grew out of a series of discussions focused on becoming antiracist.
What is the Social Justice Enrichment Project?
Participating teachers will be given a set of children’s books and some teaching resources that focus on the development of social justice in children ages 5-8. We will begin with a small group of teachers, recruiting pairs of teachers from four schools in the Durham Friends Meeting catchment area. Teachers will be able to use the books and resources to enhance their social studies and language arts curriculum as they chose. We will ask for feedback from the teachers mid-year and near the end of the school year. This important information will help us refine the project for the future. We will look for the easiest way for teachers to share their experiences with us, possibly Zoom meetings where they can hear the experiences of others.
Why a focus on young children?
Children in the early elementary grades are developing the values that will guide their behavior throughout their lives. They are focused on the fairness of things and learning to play games with winners and losers as well as working together collaboratively. They are participating in group settings which require rules to function smoothly and fairly. Some Maine children are participating in school communities that are increasingly diverse, but at the same time see mostly white people in positions of power. In preparing our children to be part of the global economy we what them to have a solid foundation in working with people from backgrounds different from themselves. When other cultures are not represented in the classroom, the importance of children’s literature increases.
What are the project goals?
We are selecting children’s books and teaching resources that will help the children:
- Gain understanding and appreciation for diverse peoples and ways of life,
- Build and empathic way of viewing life situations,
- See the value of working collaboratively for the benefit of all,
- Learn about people who work non-violently for justice and equity,
- Learn the importance of caring for the natural world, and
- Learn some history of the Wabanaki peoples of Maine and other Native people.
Title & Author | Ages | About | Notes/Goals |
Be Kind, Pat Zietlow Miller | 3-6 | A multicultural picture book about kindness. | 1, 2 |
Say Something, Peter Reynolds | 4-7 | Powerful story about finding your voice and using it to make the world better. | 1 |
I Am Enough, Grace Byers | 3-6 | Love who you are, respect one another and be kind to others. | 1 |
I Believe I Can, Grace Byers | 3-7 | Love and believe in yourself. Affirmation for boys and girls of every background. | 1 |
Same Same but Different, Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw | 4-7 | Two pen pals, one in the US and one in India, learn about the similarities in their lives along with the differences. | 1 |
The Word Collector, Peter Reynolds | 4-7 | Named outstanding literary work by NAACP it is about a boy who collects words. | 1 |
Joseph’s Big Ride, Terry Farish | 4-7 | African refugee comes to US, makes friend and learns to ride bike. | 1, 2 |
For You are a Kenyan Child, Kelly Cunnane | 3-8 | Introduces life in a Kenyan village through the daily experiences of a little boy | 1 |
Last Stop on Market Street, Matt De La Pena | 3-6 | Newbury and Coretta Scott King awards winner. | 1, 2 |
I Love You Like Crazy Cakes, Rose A. Lewis | 3-6 | Story of a woman traveling to China to adopt a baby. | 1 |
Harriet Gets Carried Away, Jessie Sima | 4-8 | Harriet loves to get dressed up. While her dads prepare her birthday party she dresses as a penguin and imagines being carried away by penguins. | 1 |
Julian is a Mermaid, Jessica Love | 4-8 | In this celebration of individuality Julian imagines himself as a mermaid. | 1 |
Julian at the Wedding, Jessica Love | 4-8 | Continuing with the theme of individuality Julian makes a friend, Marisol at a wedding. Marisol gets dirty and Julian wears her flower crown. | 1 |
Mommy, Mama, and Me, Leslea Newman | 3-7 | A toddler spends the day with two mommies. | 1 |
When Aidan Became a Brother, Kyle Lukoff | 4-7 | Story of a family’s adjustment to having a transgender child, and their preparation for a new baby. Stonewall Book Award winner. | 1 |
Ruby’s Wish, Shirin Yin Bridges | 6-10 | Introduces the Chinese tradition of favoring boys, but Ruby wants to go to the university instead of getting married. | 1 |
She Persisted, Chelsea Clinton | 7-8 | Introduces 13 inspirational women who never took no for an answer. | 1 |
Dear Librarian, Lydia M. Sigwarth | 4-8 | Homeless girl’s life is changed when she discovers the library. | 1, 2 |
The Runaway Rice Cake, Ying Chang Compestine | 5-8 | An act of generosity and compassion is rewarded at the time of a Chinese New Year. | 1, 2 |
Lyla’s Happiness, Mariahdessa Tallie | 4-8 | Lyla exudes happiness, confidence, and comfort in her own skin. | 1, 2 |
This is How We Do It, Matt La Lamonthe | 6-8 | One day in the lives of 7 children from around the world. | 1 |
The Proudest Blue, Ibtihaj Muhammad | 5-9 | The first day of school in a hijab and learning to deal with hurtful words. | 1 |
My Name is Sangoel, Karen Williams & Khadra Mohammed | 6-8 | A refugee from Sudan finds the U.S. a strange place and has trouble teaching his classmates to pronounce his name. | 1, 2 |
Tar Beach, Faith Ringgold | 5-8 | Coretta Scott King & Caldecott winner. Magical story that begins on the roof top of a Harlem apartment building. | 1, 2 |
The Day You Begin, Jacqueline Woodson | 5-8 | The difficulties of entering new places where everyone seems different from you. | 1, 2 |
Thank You, Omu! Oge Mora | 4-8 | Generous Omu gives away all her stew and is then rewarded by her community. | 1, 2 |
Sugar in Milk, Thirty Umrigar | 4-8 or 6-8 | Persian legend about embracing change, accepting others, and living in a diverse society. | 1, 2 |
A World of Kindness, Ann Featherstone | 4-6 | Asks children where they will show kindness to others. Shows impact of everyday social interactions. | 2 |
What is Given from the Heart, Patricia McKissack | 4-8 | Coretta Scott King award winner. African-American story about generosity even in difficult times. | 1, 2, 3 |
Let the Children March, Monica Clark-Robinson | 6-9 | The true story of children who marched against Jim Crow laws in Birmingham AL in 1963. Illustrator won Coretta Scott King Honor. | 1, 3, 4 |
I’m Sorry, Barry Timms | 3-6 | Best friends quarrel and find a way to say “I’m sorry” and mend their relationship. | 2, 3 |
The Buddy Bench, Patty Brozo | 4-6 | Children make plans to have buddies rather than have anyone be lonely. | 2, 3, 4 |
Strictly No Elephants, Lisa Mantchev | 2-5 | A story about inclusion told through a pet club. | 2, 3, 4 |
Lessons from Mother Earth, Elain McCloud | 3-6 | This Native American story teaches appreciation and care for the natural world. | 1, 2, 5, 6 |
We are Water Protectors, Carole Lindstrom | 3-7 | Inspired by Indigenous led movements to protect the water. Won Caldecott Medal. | 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 |
Title & Author | Ages | About | Notes |
Wangari’s Trees of Peace, Jeanette Winter | 4-7 | Based on a true story, Wangari won Nobel Peace Prize for her tree planting in Kenya. | 1, 4, 5 |
Most People, Michael Leannah | 2-7 | An antidote to scary images children see. Two children navigate the city noticing many acts of kindness. | 1, 2, 3 |
Title & Author | Ages | About | Notes | ||
The Story of Ruby Bridges, Robert Coles | 6-9 | In 1960 a judge orders a black 6 year old, Ruby, to attend a white school. The story displays Ruby’s courage in the face of much adversity. | 1, 2, 4 | ||
Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt, Deborah Hopkinson | 3-7 | Clara, a slave, makes a map to the underground railroad in a quilt. | 1, 4 | ||
America my Love, America my Heart, Daria Peoples-Riley | 6-8 | Asks questions children of color have about America | |||
So Tall Within: Sojourner Truth’s Long Walk Toward Freedom, Gary Schmidt | 8-10 | Biography of giant in the civil rights struggle. | 2, 4 | ||
Desmond and the Very Mean Word, Desmond Tutu | 6-9 2nd | Based on true stories of Desmond Tutu’s childhood. | 1, 4 | ||
The First Blade of Sweetgrass, Suzanne Greenlaw | 6-8 | About Wabanaki basket making. Available early Aug. | 1, 6 | ||
The Canoe Maker, Jean Flahive & Donald Soctomah | 5-9 | Based on the life of David Moses Bridges, a Passamaquoddy Birch Bark Artist. This is the story of David teaching his son to make birch bark canoes. | 1, 5, 6 | ||
Thanks to the Animals, Alan Sockabasin | 6-8 | Passamaquoddy folk tale. Named to top 10 Native American books for elementary schools by American Indians in Children’s Literature. | 1, 5, 6 | ||
Circle of Thanks, Susi Gregg Fowler | 4 & up | Alaskan Native boy and his mother have an adventure on the tundra. Provides an example of the interdependence of the. Natural world. | 1, 3, 5, 6 | ||
A Ride to Remember: A Civil Rights Story, Sharon Langley & Amy Norton | 6-9 | In 1963 a community collaborates to desegregate an amusement park in Maryland. | 2, 3, 4 | ||
When We are Kind, Monique Gray Smith | 3-5 | Celebrates simple acts of kindness with Indigenous characters. | 1, 2, 5, 6 | ||
Title & Author | Older | About | Notes | ||
We are Still Here! Native American Truths Everyone Should Know, Traci Sorell | 9 and up | Historical & contemporary laws, policies, struggles, & victories in Native life. | 1, 2, 6 | ||
Ten Amazing People and How They Changed the World, Maura Shaw | 9-11 | Stories of ten famous people who worked to make the world a better place. | 4 | ||
Freedom Over Me, Ashley Bryan | 8-10 | Using original estate documents that list 11 slave names, sex, and prices; the author creates stories of each slaves lives and dreams. A Newberry Honor Book | 1, 2 | ||
AFSC Spotlights Bob Eaton (and Daniel Ellsberg)
Sacred Ground: A Film-Based Dialogue Series on Race
An An All-Community Program of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Brunswick, Maine. Peace and Social Concerns Committee of Durham Friends Meeting is encouraging those in our community to participate, too. For more information click here.
Durham Monthly Meeting Minutes, October 17, 2021
Durham Monthly Meeting of Friends met virtually for the conduct of business on Sunday, October 17, 2021, with 20 people present. After a period of silence, Clerk, Bob Eaton, opened the meeting.
1.The September minutes were approved as printed in the October Newsletter.
2.Finance Committee: Sarah Sprogell, clerk of the committee, reported that they met on October 15 to discuss where to place the net proceeds from the September sale of the parsonage. The sale price was $250,000 and after expenses we received a check for $238,045.95 which was deposited into the meeting’s checking account. The Finance Committee recommends that $238.000 be placed into a New England Yearly Meeting pooled fund with any earnings and dividends to be reinvested in the account, while the meeting takes time to discern its ultimate use or uses. We expressed gratitude for the work of this committee.
3. We approved the recommendation that $238,000 be placed into the NEYM pooled fund.
4. The Clerks of Meeting Group met by Zoom on 13 October 2021. Those present were Ingrid Chalufour, Renee Coté, Bob Eaton, Tess Hartford, Wendy Schlotterbeck, Liana Thompson-Knight and Sarah Sprogell. The Clerks Group is an informal meeting of the clerks of the various committees of the meeting. It serves as an informal forum for mutual support, information sharing and discussion of meeting issues that may not fall within the mandate of a single meeting committee.
They addressed the issue of the large cash infusion to the meeting resulting from the sale of the parsonage. The question of how these funds should be considered for the long-term requirements of the Meeting needs attention and falls outside of the limited mandate of the Finance Committee. They recommend that an ad hoc group be established to give seasoned consideration to the disposition of the proceeds from the sale of the parsonage and to report its recommendations to Meeting for Business. The group should not feel under pressure for a quick decision but rather meet with an expectation of careful discernment that will involve members of meeting as appropriate. They recommend that the composition of the ad hoc group consist of the Clerks Group, and three other Friends nominated by the Nominating committee and approved by the meeting. Margaret Wentworth was recommended as a member of the ad hoc group.
The meeting felt that we should have an open listening session to discuss the suggestions made by the ad hoc committee.
5. Trustees: Kitsie Hildebrandt reported for Trustees who are providing basic information on our Green Burial Area.
“Green Burial Lot Agreement:
Single lots are available for purchase in Lunt Memorial Cemetery. Each lot measures 4’ X 8’, allowing room for a small marker and flowers.
The charge for members of Durham Monthly Meeting of Friends is $200.00, the charge for non-members is $350.00.
A lot may be transferred from one owner to another, only with the approval of the Trustee in charge of the cemetery. If a lot is unused and a written request to return the lot is sent to the Trustees of Durham Monthly Meeting of Friends within 10 years of purchase, half of the purchase price will be refunded.
A green burial is an unencumbered burial. There is no embalming and no need for a commercial casket.
The body may be wrapped in a cotton shroud or other decomposable fabric and placed directly in the ground or placed in a plain wooden box and placed in the ground. The required depth for the green burial is 3’.”
This information can be found in the Durham Monthly Meeting of Friends Handbook.
Concern was raised about digging of the grave, winter storage of the body, and cremation details. Cush Anthony suggested contacting the Funeral Alliance of Maine for information.
Trustees reported that the parsonage area which includes the building, well and septic on a surveyed lot of just over 2 acres was sold on September 24, 2021.
We excepted their report with gratitude.
6. Ministry and Counsel: Renee Cote reported for Ministry and Counsel. The meeting has purchased the Meeting Owl and have developed a list of arrangements that will be needed for implementation regarding hybrid worship.
Wendy Schlotterbeck and Leslie Manning are preparing a report written by Martha Hinshaw Sheldon summarizing the Meeting Care Coordinator position, to be presented in November.
A support committee is in process for Leslie Manning’s emerging ministry with women at the Women’s Center of the Maine Correctional Center in Windham.
Ezra Smith has requested a clearness committee for marriage; Tess Hartford, Doug Bennett and Edwin Hinshaw have volunteered to serve.
Hybrid worship: Ministry and Counsel is making arrangements to provide hybrid worship which will allow most people to attend meeting in person while allowing others to participate remotely via Zoom. Their plan and proposals include technical set up using the Meeting Owl, cleaning and safety preparations (install air purifiers), human support arrangements, and meeting participation protocols (vaccination requirement, masks, six feet distance, and no food/refreshments). They will monitor scientific advice for possible modification or relaxation of these requirements. Issues to consider: children without vaccination, information for visitors, and message givers in person only?
A complete list of these suggested arrangements will be attached to the minutes and included in the Newsletter.
7. Falmouth Quarterly Meeting: Leslie Manning, Sarah Sprogell, and Bob Eaton volunteered to be representatives to Quarterly Meeting which meets Saturday, October 23rd 10:00 TO 12:00 via Zoom.
`The meeting ended in quiet waiting, and gratitude was expressed for the presence of those in attendance.
Dorothy Hinshaw, Recording Clerk
Halloween Party at Durham Friends Meeting, October 29, 4 to 6pm
Durham Friends Meeting Halloween Party/Fall Festival
Come enjoy conversation, food and fun- costumes welcome!
Dress for the weather: we will meet outside (in the horse shed.if it rains) Friday, Oct 29 at 4pm
Falmouth Quarterly Meeting, October 23, 2021, 10am to 12pm
Falmouth Quarterly Meeting will gather via zoom on Saturday October 23, 2021 from 10 – 12.
The zoom link is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84328194455?pwd=dHJNdTVhR3BXQ0Z3OU9qZ2ZzL1U1dz09
The October meeting is a business meeting focused on the essential work of the quarter and on sharing news from the constituent meetings. The essential work of the quarter is caring for each meeting, nurturing the ministry rising among us and strengthening our beloved community. All are welcome, and all enrich us.
- We will hear from each meeting – the joys, concerns and life that each meeting is experiencing. Please name a person to report and consider Where is spirit leading you /your meeting? Where is the energy in your meeting?
- We will hear from the annual sessions of New England Yearly Meeting. The presiding clerks letter is attached. I specifically draw your attention to the minute and letter endorsed concerning the impact of the US policies on Cuba as we will consider whether we should send a similar letter to the Senators from Maine.
- The Yearly Meeting has also approved a letter of apology to Native Americans. The letter with a word of caution is attached. This is a concern that Friends in Maine have carried for some time and there may be updates on our work towards right relationship.
- Falmouth Quarter will be hosting the All Maine Gathering this year on May 7th. The planning for this could begin now. I’m personally expecting that by May we could gather in person and would be happy to reserve the Friends School Campus for this event.
- If there is time, I hope we might consider how the quarter will hear from and support those Friends among us with recognized public ministries.
- There is some more mundane business – a budget, archives etc. as well.
I look forward to seeing you again, even on zoom. We did have a lovely gathering in person in early August and I treasure the promise that we will gather in person again.
Love, fritz weiss, co-coordinator of Falmouth Quarter
Apology to Native Americans, 2021
At its annual session this past August, new England Yearly Meeting approved an Apology to Native Americans. Its text along with a note concerning its distribution are here.
Discussion of Reparations, October 5 and October 20, 2021, 7pm
Peace and Social Concerns invites us all to talk about the great injustices done to Black Americans and how communities and organizations are responding. What have we been learning? How are we feeling?
Background materials for the two sessions are here.
Tuesday October 5, 7:00 PM at the Meeting Zoom site [connection information here]
On Tuesday, October 20 (also 7 pm) we will talk about how we as individuals and a community are led to respond.
Durham Monthly Meeting Minutes, September 19, 2021
Durham Monthly Meeting of Friends met virtually via Zoom for the conduct of business on
Sunday, September 19, 2021, with 14 people present. Clerk, Bob Eaton, opened the meeting with quiet worship, and continuing in worship we proceeded to conduct business.
1.The June and July minutes were approved as printed in the September Newsletter. It was noted that there were no Newsletters for July and August; therefore, the previous number 1 minute in the July minutes was in error.
2. Trustees: Katharine Hildebrandt reported the following:
The Parsonage: With the approved minute from Monthly Meeting for Business, dated July 18, 2021, which read, “Friends approved the recommendation of the Trustees to sell approximately 2 acres including the parsonage, well and septic field on the open market. The trustees and clerk of the meeting are authorized to accept a final offer on behalf of the meeting.” Trustees are now under contract with a buyer. The survey has been completed, along with other details related to the sale of the property. The clerk of Trustees will meet with the Treasurer and the Clerk of the Meeting to go over the details of the sale ahead of the closing on Friday, September 24, 2021.
The Meetinghouse: The repointing of the brickwork on the Meetinghouse has been completed for now. This work included replacing the three gable-end windows and scraping and painting the exterior trim. The interior has had significant improvements over this past period of time in terms of floor refinishing, plaster repair, and paint. Trustees are hoping to now turn our focus on the work we can do to address the “Greening” of our Meetinghouse.
The Lunt Cemetery: The Green Burial section of the Lunt Cemetery has been partially enclosed with a split rail fence, to be completed soon. Trustees will bring a report containing information on the Green Burial site to the next Monthly Meeting.
We expressed appreciation for the work of the Trustees.
3. Peace and Social Concerns Committee: Ingrid Chalufour reported. They hope that everyone has been reading the reparations articles they are sharing on the website. They are planning a lively discussion on October 5 at 7:00 PM via Zoom. A second discussion, focusing on how we might respond to the call for reparations, will be on Wednesday Oct. 20 at 7:00.
The Social Justice enrichment branch of the committee has had a busy summer distributing books to New Mainers and preparing to give books to 9 teachers of young children. Fifty Brunswick New Mainer children have received their books and 17 Bath children will have theirs very soon. The first week in October each of the 9 teachers in the first year of the project will receive 7 books that will support children’s learning about and value for diversity, peaceful conflict resolution, Wabanaki and African American history, and caring for the environment. The committee will share more about this project in a message later this fall.
From the Greening the Meetinghouse work group: Window Dressers, the volunteer organization that makes window inserts, has measured our worship room. The cost of 10 window inserts will be $609. These inserts will cut down on cold air leaking into the room and should reduce our use of oil. The workshop where the inserts will be made October 18-22 at the Episcopal church on Pleasant Street in Brunswick. We are expected to provide a few volunteers to help. There are morning and afternoon sessions, and an evening session on Wednesday the 20th. The work is organized in a way that a novice can easily contribute by learning one step in the process. Please contact Ingrid Chalufour by email if you want the link to sign up as a volunteer.
We acccepted their report with appreciation.
4. We approved the requested amount of $609.00 for window inserts.
5. Ministry and Counsel: Renee Cote reported the following: In June, Monthly Meeting approved the request from Ministry & Counsel to purchase the OWL to allow us to transition from ZOOM-alone to a hybrid form of worship in which people can either come to the Meetinghouse or participate via ZOOM. Two M&C reports, one from June and one from July, about hybrid worship are available if any Friends would like to review them. After an August pause and considering the emergence of the Delta Covid variant, “we will continue planning this transition in the coming months. We aren’t ready to make regular use of the Meetinghouse yet, for reasons both of safety and of needed technical preparation, but we will be working on these and appreciate Friends’ patience with continued use of ZOOM as our primary mode of worshipping together.”
Leslie Manning has requested a “care and accountability committee” for her chaplaincy, which will involve support for those involved in different phases of the carceral process and their loved ones. They approved this request and look forward to its development.
It is with sadness that they report that Tom Frye died August 29, 2021. Sarah Sprogell reported that Ezra Smith built a simple pine box for Tom, per Tom’s request for a green burial at the Lunt Cemetery. A small group of caring Friends from the Meeting were on hand Monday to prepare the earth, transport Tom’s remains to the cemetery, return his body to the earth, and close the grave. “The Spirit was indeed moving among us in many ways; most notably, it happened that Peter Crysdale faithful and caring Friends who were present on Sunday and Monday also became “essential workers” in this process, either in transferring Tom’s body or in preparing the ground. Tom’s final passage was handled with a simple and very personal stewardship, a sacred and very physical task. Gene Boyington, Katharine (Kitsie) Hildebrandt, Donna Hutchins, Ezra Smith and Teresa Oleksiw helped prepare the ground for burial. Ezra, Jim McCarthy, Linda Muller, Kitsie, Sarah, and Denise (a friend of Jeri and Tom) moved the pine box into Ezra’s truck for transport; Peter Crysdale, Tess Hartford, and Ann Ruthsdottir joined us at the cemetery for a tender gathering of hearts to remember Tom and hold Jeri (caregiver) in our care. Many from this group remained to help close the grave, bringing Tom’s body to its final resting place in the embrace of Mother Earth’s soil. As the raindrops fell, we watched a rainbow appear before us.” Gene Boyington, Sarah Sprogell and others will prepare a memorial minute.
6. Finance Committee: Sarah Sprogell brought the six-month financial report which is attached. We are thankful to have spent only 37% of our budget. We thank this committee for carefully overseeing our finances.
We closed in quiet worship, thankful for the careful reports from committees, Trustees and Ministry and Counsel.
Dorothy Hinshaw, Recording Clerk
Agenda and Materials for Durham Friends Business Meeting, September 19, 2021
Malaga Island, by Surya Milner
Peace and Social Concerns Committee encourages members and attenders of Durham Friends Meeting to read “Inhabited: The Story of Malaga Island,” by Surya Milner (Bowdoin College ’19).
Here’s how it begins: Less than ten miles from Bowdoin as the crow flies, just a short distance from the Phippsburg shore, Malaga Island was once home to a small fishing community established by descendants of a freed slave, all of them forced from their homes by greed and state-sanctioned intolerance. Nature is Malaga’s only resident now, but the presence of those who lived on the island lingers.
To read the rest, follow this link.
Malaga Island is now owned and conserved for public use by Maine Coast Heritage Trust (MCHT). MCHT’s website on Malaga Island is here.
Passing of Tommie Frye
August 29, 2021, revised August 30, 2021
Our member Tommie Frye passed away this morning after a long period of ill health. A green burial will be carried out at Lunt Cemetery on Monday, August 30, at 5pm. All welcome to attend.
At worship this morning, thanks were expressed for Jeri Kemple and for the members of this meeting who cared for Tommie as his health declined. This meeting was his home.
Memorial Service, Phyllis Wetherell, September 25, 2021, 2pm
On September 25, 2021 at 2 pm the family of Phyllis May Curtis White Wetherell, will hold a Celebration of Life memorial service for Phyllis, who passed away April 25, 2020. Durham Friends Meeting, Durham, Maine, will be the host of this service.
Unfortunately, due to the increasing concerns from the rise in Covid cases again, this will be a family only, in person gathering. Durham Meeting will host a Zoom gathering at the same time, so that those friends and family of Phyllis who are not able to attend in person, will be able to share in the Celebration of Phyllis’s life.
We look forward to sharing the joys, stories and experiences that we shared with Phyllis over the course of her marvelous life.
If you aren’t able to join in, but wish to share a story or memory of Phyllis, please feel free to either send an email or letter to Susan Geier (daughter) and it can be read at the service.
Falmouth Quarter: Report from Summer 2021 Gathering
by Fritz Weiss
The summer meeting of Falmouth Quarter is usually a time for connection and community celebration. There has not typically been a formal program or any business conducted.
The last time the quarter met in person was in October 2019! It had been a long time since we have been together.
Nineteen Friends from three of the monthly meetings in Falmouth Quarter and from one meeting in Dover Quarter gathered together – IN PERSON (!) – on Saturday August 7th ,2021.
Friends gathered at the Portland Friends Meetinghouse at 1837 Forest Avenue in Portland Maine from about 9:30 am – 3:30 pm. Together as a quarter we participated virtually in the opening celebration of the 2021 New England Yearly Meeting (NEYM) sessions, had a brown bag lunch outdoors with some shared fruit and cookies, attended virtually the NEYM plenary with Shirley Hager and gkisedtanamoogk (Mashpee Wampanoag) and concluded with some worship sharing. Our meeting closed when the landscapers arrived and started mowing the lawns. We did not tire of each other’s presence.
During the period of sharing and catching up with each other, I was struck by how much catching up there was to do; in the past 18 months our meetings have been discovering new ways of being in communion, and we have changed. There have been milestones in our lives – weddings, moves, new children born. It was good to see each other again.
A special thank you is due to Chris Fitze who was our technical support person. The connection with the Yearly Meeting events was smooth. Both Martin Eller-Fitze and Leslie Manning were able to give their reports to the yearly meeting during the opening celebration easily.
Falmouth Quarter will gather again on October 23, 2021 to conduct essential business. Unless the usual plans change our schedule for the coming year will be to meet on the fourth Saturday of October, January, April and July.
The quarter needs a second co-convener. Sara Sprogell has laid this service down. I’ve asked a number of Friends but have not yet found the person led to this work. Please consider it. It is a light service with rich rewards.
Durham Monthly Meeting Minutes, July 18, 2021
Durham Monthly Meeting of Friends met virtually via Zoom for the conduct of business on Sunday, July 18, 2021, with 17 people present. Clerk, Bob Eaton, opened the meeting with silence.
1.The June minutes were approved as printed in the Newsletter.
2.Trustees: A lengthy discussion ensued regarding the trustees’ report about keeping, repairing, and/or selling the parsonage. After careful discernment, Friends united in accepting the recommendation of the Trustees to sell approximately two acres containing the parsonage, the well and the septic field. Their full report will be attached to these minutes and included in the newsletter. The meeting thanks the Trustees for their diligence and efforts on behalf of the meeting. We recognize that the parsonage has played a vital role in the life of the meeting, and we will part with it in sorrow. It is recommended that documentation of the “life of the parsonage” be written.
3. Friends approved the recommendation of the Trustees to sell approximately 2 acres including the parsonage, well and septic field on the open market. The trustees and clerk of the meeting are authorized to accept a final offer on behalf of the meeting.
4. Meeting Care Coordinator: Mey Hasbrook read her final report as Meeting Care Coordinator and expressed gratitude for being a part of the meeting. The meeting accepts the report with deep appreciation for the work and dedication Mey Hasbrook has brought to the work of Meeting Care Coordinator, while mindful of the harm raised in the report. Meeting asked Ministry and Counsel to follow up on some of the specific requests made in the report. This report will be attached to the minutes.
5. Ministry and Counsel: Renee Cote read the Educational Media Project proposal, and the multimedia project was enthusiastically approved. We added our blessing to their efforts to document our history through interviews of persons associated with the meeting. Details of this project will be included in the newsletter and attached to these minutes.
Renee Cote reported that there is a need for additional members to Ministry and Counsel. She also reported that they hope to have hybrid worship in the fall, using the Meeting OWL.
6. Peace and Social Concerns Committee: Ingrid Chalufour reported that the committee is hoping we will join them in a focused look at reparations this summer. They are devoting a section of the website to weekly postings for us to read or watch in preparation for a discussion in the fall. Please go to the web to see the first of three postings. One is an excellent 16-minute TED talk. They have also purchased 17 books for New Mainer children in Bath and hope to deliver them before the end of summer. The Social Justice Enrichment Project now has 4 schools and probably 9 teachers involved in this first year of the project. Elementary schools in Brunswick, Topsham, Durham, and Turner are going to participate.
7. Falmouth Quarterly Meeting is August 7th at Portland Friends Meeting. We appointed two representatives: Bob Eaton and Wendy Schlotterbeck. Our clerk encouraged all Friends to attend.
8. It was suggested that we not meet in August, as has been the past custom. Approved. We adjourned to meet September 19, 2021.
The meeting ended in silence.
Dorothy Hinshaw, Recording Clerk
Penobscot River & Wabanaki Sovereignty Rally, August 1, 2:30 pm
Because of the Meeting’s frequently voiced concern for the Wabanaki, on whose ancestral land we gather for worship, Friends in the Meeting may be interested in this event.