Category Archives: Quaker Organizations

Ramallah Friends School Presentation, March 19, 2026

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The Next Friends United Meeting ‘Encourage One Another’ Presentation is on Ramallah Friends School, on March 19, 2026. Registration to receive a ZOOM link is required.

Friends United Meeting invites you to attend our next Encourage One Another in Love Zoom presentation on March 19. This is an opportunity to learn about the work of Ramallah Friends School, and to communicate directly with RFS Head of School Raniah Maayeh. We invite you to this Zoom event. 

Register here to receive the Zoom link.

In 1869, a 15-year old Palestinian girl named Miriam Karam mustered up the courage to ask two Quaker visitors to Ramallah, Eli and Sybil Jones, to start a girl’s school in the area. At that time, no education program existed for women in this region. Before long, a medical mission and boarding school for girls was in place. By 1902, a similar boarding school for boys was created by Friends.

It is doubtful that Miriam, Sybil, or Eli could ever have imagined what Ramallah Friends School (RFS) would look like in the 21st century. As the only accredited International Baccalaureate (IB) World School in Palestine, RFS offers an innovative and multi-disciplinary education that prepares Palestinian young people to be outstanding scholars, leaders, and change-makers in their community and around the world. Nurtured in an academic and community life guided by Christian Quaker values and spirituality, the School aims to impact both Christian and Muslim students in a wholistic and life-changing way.

Despite being located in one of the most challenging places on the planet, RFS continues to thrive. Even with the constant pressure of living under occupation and the regular threat of violence, RFS consistently prepares students who are ready to thrive in college or university, work and service.

Along with the School, FUM continues to stand with the small community of Quakers who worship and serve through Ramallah Friends Meeting. The Meeting is regularly visited by FUM’s Living Letters travelers. It is common on a Sunday morning in Ramallah to find international visitors joining resident members for worship in the historic Meetinghouse. This community is a beacon of hope for Friends around the world and an example of the difference which can be made through a resilient ministry of presence. As FUM looks to the future, we are exploring new ways we are being called to be Christ’s light and love in Palestine.

FCNL Initiates Priority Setting Process

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Friends Committee on National Legislation is beginning its next round of setting its legislative priorities. Each Quaker Meeting is invited to participate in the process. Below is a letter sent to all Quaker Meetings about this opportunity. Following it is a summary of the process FCNL follows.

Durham Friends Meeting will hold its discernment discussion on Sunday, April 12, 2026, 11:45 to 1:45 pm.

Invitational Letter to Quaker Meetings: January 1, 2026 Dear Friends,

On behalf of the General Committee of FCNL, we invite you to engage your meeting or church in worship and discernment about our legislative priorities for the 120th Congress, which begins in January 2027. From its inception, the Friends Committee on National Legislation has relied on meetings and churches to ground our work in the concerns of Friends. Our process of asking Friends to consider, every two years, which issues should be the focus of their lobbying organization in Washington, DC, connects our advocacy strongly to the testimonies and values of Friends. As your meeting, church, or other Friends group takes part in this priorities-setting process, please first review FCNL’s policy statement, The World We Seek, available at https://www.fcnl.org/LegislativeStatement. Your discernment on which specific issues are rising to the priority level provides guidance to FCNL staff on where to focus their lobbying attention for the next two years. The following questions can then guide your identification of the issues of greatest importance to you. • How are Friends called to influence our government today? • What issues should be the priority for our advocacy efforts? • Where is the Spirit leading us? The enclosed documents, Guidelines for Participating in the Priorities Process, and FCNL’s website, fcnl.org/priorities, provide information and materials to guide you. Please submit the outcome of your discernment no later than April 17, 2026. Participation of Friends in meetings and churches across the country is essential to making our Quaker lobby who and what we are — from the issues we work on to the way we focus on building relationships and looking for that of God in everyone we talk with. In politics today, the kind of approach that FCNL takes is increasingly important and increasingly rare. We know that it makes a difference, but we can’t do it without you. The Policy Committee is ready to support you if further guidance is needed. Requests for help can be directed to Noell Krughoff (nkrughoff@gmail.com; (317) 512-1091) or Scot Drysdale (scotdrysdale47@gmail.com; (603) 643-3989). Additionally, on February 12, 2026, from p.m. Eastern, we will be hosting a call to answer questions, connect you with others leading this process, and ensure you are prepared to share your group’s priorities by April 17.

Understanding the Process: Setting Legislative Priorities

1. Nationwide Quaker Discernment

Every two years, FCNL asks Friends and their meetings, churches, and other groups all over the country to discern which public policy issues they feel are most pressing for the next Congress. These groups highlight legislative priorities from the many topics and questions identified in FCNL’s Policy Statement, “The World We Seek.”

2. Policy Committee

Next, the 13-member FCNL Policy Committee, appointed by the 200 Friends on General Committee, reads all the responses and meets together to consider what meetings, churches, groups, and individuals are telling FCNL.

For each concern raised, the committee considers how that area is supported in the FCNL Policy Statement and the historic leadings of Friends. The committee also considers the capacity of staff, the financial resources of FCNL, and the potential role of FCNL and other groups working on the issues. Finally, the committee considers whether a chosen issue is likely to come before the upcoming Congress.

The committee makes difficult choices among the many advances we would all like to make toward the World We Seek, knowing that if we try to do everything, we will do nothing well.

3. General Committee at Annual Meeting

The Policy Committee brings its recommendation to the FCNL General Committee meeting for final discernment in the November Annual Meeting. The General Committee may choose to accept the recommended priorities or ask for further modifications. Throughout the discussion, however, the priorities discerned by Friends across the country remain at the center of the Committee’s consideration.

FWCC 2026 Letter to Meetings

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You can read the Friends World Committee for Consultation Letter to Meetings, “May our feet be led in the path of peace,” HERE.

And below is how Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC) describes itself:

Mission: Answering God’s call to universal love, FWCC brings Friends of varying traditions and cultural experiences together in worship, communications, and consultation, to express our common heritage and our Quaker message to the world.

History: In 1937, FWCC was formed to help bring Quakers  together across theological and cultural diversity. Peace work before and during World War I brought Friends together across the Atlantic, which gave purpose to their continuing connections. 

The concept of a world organisation to express the sense of world fellowship of Friends arose as an important part of the evolution of the Religious Society of Friends in the first two decades of the twentieth century. This was partly influenced by the 1920 Friends World Conference in London and the Young Friends Gathering in England. At that time, there was no other organisation which linked together yearly meetings and other Quaker bodies around the world, and so the vision of an organisation arose to keep Friends connected and in touch with each other across the diverse spectrum of the Society.

Purpose: The primary task of FWCC is to help Friends appreciate and develop  unity within the diversity of the Quaker family. 

There are differences of language, culture, and tradition, and in the emphasis placed on different aspects of our common Christian and Quaker heritage and witness. Friends worship in a variety of ways, and by increasing understanding of these differences, FWCC helps Friends both deepen and enlarge their own understanding of their faith and life as Quakers.

How we do this: FWCC operates collaboratively as one organisation, comprising the World Office and four Section offices.  The five offices are independently incorporated and have separate budgets and programmes, but work cooperatively to bring Friends together across the world. The World Office encourages cross-Section engagement, while respecting the autonomy of individual yearly meetings and other Quaker organisations.

The World Office uniquely represents all Friends at the global level through its participation with the Quaker United Nations Offices in Geneva and New York, offering Quakers the chance to contribute to world affairs. FWCC’s consultation extends to those of other faiths through work with the World Council of Churches, the Conference of Secretaries of the Christian World Communions, and participation in global ecumenical and interfaith work.

Strategic Priorities

Rooted in a faith based theory of change, inspired by Matthew 13:1–23, FWCC has six priorities as follows:

1. Taking action on the outcomes of the World Plenary Meeting

2. Young Adult Friend Leadership and spiritual nurture

3. Visibility of Quakers to the world

4. Nurturing Quaker worship

5. Addressing the digital divide

6. Sharing resources

FCNL Asks Us to Write Letters to Senator Collins About Immigration

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Through Wendy Schlotterbeck, the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) is asking us to participate this month in a campaign they are calling Letter by Letter: Building Solidarity with Migrants.

“Throughout the fall, FCNL is collecting handwritten letters to deliver to Congress on December 18 for International Migrants Day. We’re sending a clear message: Immigrants make this nation whole. Unchecked, clandestine detention and deportation must stop.”  

More information on the Campaign is available HERE.

Time is of the essence. Wendy will be delivering our letters on December 18. She’ll be at Meeting this Sunday, December 14, equipped with pens, paper and envelopes to write letters right then and there. This Sunday will be the best day to get to her for her to carry to Collins’s office.

Here’s more from FCNL:

“Legislators must reject President Trump’s efforts to deport millions, close the border to families and children seeking refuge from persecution, and strip protections from sensitive locations like schools, hospitals, and places of worship.  His administration has moved to deputize the military for civil immigration enforcement and divert funds Congress set aside for humanitarian and migration needs.  

“This is not an immigration policy—it is a reckless, punitive, and unconstitutional abuse of executive power. It’s an assault on our faith calling to love the immigrant as thyself. It’s an abandonment of American values. Members of Congress can still choose another path.  

“Constituent handwritten letters cut through the noise like little else. Below are talking points on four themes to help you begin: refugee admissions, threats to Dreamers, enforcement in sensitive places, and military involvement in immigration enforcement. Share your story, how your community is affected, and urge your members of Congress to act.”

Friends General Conference Adopts New Governance Model

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From the Friends General Conference website, November 12, 2025

Friends General Conference Adopts New Governance Model,  by Rashid Darden

The newly adopted governance model aims to better serve meetings, broaden service opportunities, and strengthen inclusion.

Friends General Conference (FGC), a North American association of Quaker meetings, has adopted a new governance structure. The change aims to better serve meetings, enhance diversity, expand volunteer opportunities, and align decision-making with FGC’s mission and values.

The decision came during FGC’s Central Committee Annual Sessions after several years of discernment. Sessions were held October 23–26 at the Mother Boniface Spirituality Center in northeast Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Overview of the Two-Tier Model

Outlined in the FGC Governance Working Group Final Report, the new model replaces the long-standing Central and Executive Committee system. It creates a two-tier structure composed of a Governing Board and a Representatives Council. This framework meets Pennsylvania’s legal requirements for membership associations and helps FGC stay responsive to its members.

The Governing Board, with 12 to 22 members, will meet at least quarterly. It will handle fiduciary oversight, budget approval, and the appointment and evaluation of the General Secretary. The board will also guide the organization’s overall direction and spiritual integrity.

The Representatives Council will serve as a larger, participatory body. It connects FGC’s affiliated meetings, program committees, and staff. Meeting several times a year, the Council promotes communication, discernment, and collaboration across FGC’s network of Friends. It also approves members of the Governing Board, ensuring accountability within the association.

This structure simplifies representation for affiliated meetings. Each Yearly Meeting will now name two representatives instead of using proportional representation. This change makes participation easier and allows meetings to balance their work with FGC and other Quaker organizations. Monthly Meetings directly affiliated with FGC will also have representatives, deepening community connection.

Advancing Equity and Inclusion

The new framework advances FGC’s commitment to equity. It creates dedicated representation for Friends of Color, Young Adult Friends, Young Friends, and LGBTQ+ Friends. These voices will play an active role in shaping decisions and direction. Built-in evaluation and accountability measures will track FGC’s progress toward diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism goals. Together, these steps strengthen FGC’s vision of an interracial, intergenerational community guided by Spirit.

Friends also asked for clearer boundaries between governance and program work. Previously, representatives were expected to serve on both the Central Committee and a program committee, which required a heavy time commitment. Now, Friends can choose to serve in governance, program work, or both. This flexibility opens more paths for participation.

Continuity

Leadership continuity remains strong. Marvin Barnes of Detroit (MI) Friends Meeting (Lake Erie Yearly Meeting) will continue as Presiding Clerk. Treasurer Colby Abazs of Duluth-Superior (MN) Friends Meeting (Northern Yearly Meeting) and Recording Clerk David Nachman will also continue in their roles. Melissa Rycroft of Pennsdale (PA) Monthly Meeting (Philadelphia Yearly Meeting) has been appointed Rising Presiding Clerk and will assume the position in 2026.

The governance overhaul emerged from deep consultation and reflection across the FGC community. The Governance Working Group, led by clerk Paul Mangelsdorf of Atlanta (GA) Monthly Meeting (SAYMA) and supported by FGC Treasurer Colby Abazs, guided the process. FGC also honors former Associate Secretary for Organizational Cultural Transformation Vanessa Julye of Kea’au (HI) Friends Worship Group. Her leadership and recent retirement mark the close of decades of faithful service.

FGC leaders describe the new model as a more faithful, responsive, and inclusive system. It aims to sustain FGC’s mission of nurturing Quaker spiritual life and witness for years to come.

For more information or to read the full Governance Working Group report, visit the FGC Governance Restructure hub.

Financial Problems at Friends United Meeting (FUM)

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A few days ago, Friends United Meeting sent out the following sad story. If you are not familiar with FUM, you can learn more HERE. New England Yearly Meeting (to which Durham Friends belongs) is itself oner of the member Yearly Meetings of FUM.

 October 23, 2025The North American and Caribbean Board of Friends United Meeting write:
  Dear Friends,

We will put the bad news first: at our current income and expenditure rate, FUM will not have sufficient operating funds to remain open by July of 2026.We understand that this may come as shocking news, and we’re taking some actions to improve the situation. Keep reading to learn more.The Board has been aware of the magnitude of our financial crisis for several months now; in late spring, we were startled to learn that we were not certain we would make payroll. Rather than release bad news in a piecemeal fashion, we took some time to fully understand the problem. We assessed all our various forms of income and expenditures, looked at historical trends to understand how much of our current situation is temporary and how much is an ongoing problem, asked Lloyd Stangeland of Iowa Yearly Meeting to serve as our temporary CFO, and worked to reconcile bookkeeping errors.Over time, overall giving to FUM has risen—especially for designated ministry work. What has not kept pace is support for the Ministry Support Fund, which covers the administrative expenses of FUM’s work. While most of our individual ministries have sufficient funding for themselves, for the past several months our administrative expenses have exceeded income by an average of about $34,000 a month. In the past twenty years, contributions from Yearly Meetings that funded our administrative work have decreased significantly. Individual donations have risen, but not quickly enough to make up the difference. The costs of doing our work have risen tremendously. We also experienced unexpected complications with a transfer between bookkeeping systems, which obscured the seriousness of our financial predicament.We, the Board, are profoundly sorry to Friends for the role our own inaction has played in this crisis. Our audits have not been done in a timely fashion, internal financial controls have been missing, and we did not ensure that good accounting practices were being followed. We have not been careful enough in reviewing financial information given to us or in developing the ability of new board members to understand FUM’s complex financial structure. In response to this crisis, we are taking several steps…
  Read the rest of the letter from the Board here (link opens as a PDF).

If you have questions, you can use the Contact List below to get in touch with your representatives or other members of the Board. The Board is meeting in a called session on Friday, October 24th, to consider the Fiscal Year 2026 budget. Please pray that Board members will be open to hearing God’s wisdom and able to hear how the Spirit is calling Friends forward.In Peace,
Sarah Lookabill
Presiding Clerk of the Friends United Meeting Board
Resource Documents (links open as PDFs): Further Financial Information North American and Caribbean Board Contact ListCopyright © 2025 Friends United Meeting, All rights reserved.

Quaker Statement on Migration, 2020

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At Monthly meeting yesterday, reference was made to “A Quaker Statement on Migration,” a joint statement issued December 8, 2020 from the American Friends Service Committee, the Friends Committee on National Legislation, Britain Yearly Meeting, the Quaker Council for European Affairs, and the Quaker United Nations Office.

Meeting members were encouraged to read it and consider how we might lift this up today, nearly five years later. Here is the statement:

Quaker Statement On Migration 2020Download

Falmouth Quarter to Meet July 19, 2025

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[UPDATED] Falmouth Quarter will gather at Wendy Schlotterbeck’s home at 79 Skillings Corner Rd, Auburn, Maine on July 19th.

Our summer quarterly meeting is a time for community, for visiting, for conversation, for play and for catching up.  Wendy’s house has a big backyard, big deck, fire pit, and a frog pond. It is ¼ mile from Lake Auburn with hiking trails and kayak possibilities for before or after. 

Our plan for this meeting is:

·       10:00 Arrival – singing, greeting,

·       10:30 Worship and Meeting for business with two agenda items:

o   Three meetings in the quarter have approved minutes supporting and celebrating transpeople. Does the quarter endorse any further action?

o   We need to name a representative to the Maine Council of Churches by October – will someone join the naming committee to bring a name forward in October.

·       12:00 Lunch – food will be prepared, please augment with potluck offerings.

·       12:45 gather for singing and for a facilitated time for sharing stories

·       2:00 closing worship

·       Yard games – badminton, croquet, (can anyone contribute corn hole?)SAVE THE DATE:

Friends Camp Spring 2025 Newsletter

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Dear Friends Camp Community,

The daffodils have popped in my front yard, and that means spring is here! Camp is, of course, the quintessential summer activity for many of us. But spring is a very special season for camp, as well. As the Camp director, two of my favorite things happen during this season. Firstly, I get to talk with campers and their families about the upcoming summer. I love meeting you on Zoom, or having a phone call, and talking with your camper about hopes for the summer season. Please feel free to reach out if you’d like to do this!

My second favorite thing about spring is that we host our Volunteer Work Weekend (May 16 – 18) at camp. It is so fun to come together with camp families, alums, Friends, members of our camp committee, staff members, and neighbors. In a weekend, our property goes from looking bedraggled after the long winter, to fresh and organized for a new season. If you’ve never attended work weekend, please know that we would love to have you! It is so heartening to feel like part of a team doing something that matters. There are roles for all kinds of volunteers: cooking, cleaning, raking, painting, sorting, laundry, and organizing. Scroll below to learn more and register for work weekend!

This newsletter also contains information about:
A Camp Timeline Project
Reminders for Registered Families
Seeking Your Recyclables for Art!
An Available Rental Weekend in September
And more!

Looking forward, Anna Hopkins, Camp Director (207) 877-4302, director@friendscamp.or
Our annual volunteer work weekend is happening Friday, May 16 – Sunday, May 18 at Friends Camp! Work weekend is an opportunity to spend time at camp, helping prepare the property for the summer alongside others who care about camp. Volunteers should come prepared to participate in physical labor. Children are welcome to attend, but there is no kid’s program for the weekend, so families should plan on supervising their children the whole time. Use this link or click the button below to register! Volunteers are welcome to join for all of or any part of the weekend. Meals will be served from Friday dinner through Sunday breakfast. More information, including a packing list, will be sent out at a later date.
Register to volunteer!
Tasks will include:
raking & clearing pathways
removing leaves and debris from cabin areas
cleaning
preparing the camp kitchen
preparing flower & vegetable gardens
minor carpentry projects
outdoor painting

If you have skills in a particular area, like carpentry, painting, gardening, or you own tools or equipment that could be useful for any of these project, please let us know! We are especially appreciative when people can lend their skills to camp.
Introducing: Camp Timeline Project!
During the summer of 2024, former counselor and office manager Erin Carr began the process of archiving the historical materials from Friends Camp’s beginning through the decades is has existed. This included director’s notes from the early days of camp, minutes from camp committee meetings, old daily schedules, and many pictures and videos.
This summer, we plan to create a physical timeline that documents camp’s history and includes some of these historical materials, and we want your input! Is there a moment or event that you think should be included in the timeline of Friends Camp? Fill out this form and tell us about it! We are hoping the timeline will be installed by the end of the summer. For now, check out these photos from the summer of 2000! Above is campers performing in Aviary at a variety show. Below are campers playing basketball (the hoop is attached to the Health Hut – wild!) and a picture of Snipe cabin.
Reminders for 2025 Registered Families
For families with campers registered in 2025, the summer is feeling closer than ever! We are so excited to have your campers with us this summer. Head over to our website to download and read through the handbook for campers and parents. The handbook contains lots of handy information to prepare you for coming to camp, including what to pack for your session. There are also a few upcoming deadlines to be aware of. Reach out to our office with questions about either of these deadlines.
May 1: Health forms due. Log into your Camp Brain account to complete the online health form and to upload immunizations and physician’s forms.
June 1: Tuition due in full. Pay via e-check or credit card online, or mail a paper check to Friends Camp.
Seeking Your Recyclables!
Our Friends Camp Meetinghouse is our most creative space at camp. This special space (first constructed by Friends in 1806!) plays host to all different kinds of creative arts including drawing, painting, fiber arts, sculpture, printmaking, ceramics, and more. We love to turn cast-offs into art. We are currently seeking the following items that can be dropped off to Friends Camp during our May volunteer weekend or at any camper drop-off. To arrange another time to drop off supplies, please email Anna at director@friendscamp.org. If you have a large stash, we may be able to arrange pick-up!
Tile samples
Paint samples
Shoe boxes
Baby food jars
35mm film canisters
Marbles and aquarium glass rocks
Bottle caps (plastic and metal)
Corks, Dowels, PVC pipe,Wire,
Wood scraps (balsam is great!)		Ribbons
Cabinet hinges and knobs
Screws, nuts, bolts, and washers
Beads (plastic, wood, and glass)
Paint brushes (any condition, no wider than 2″)
Cardboard tubes (wrapping paper, bath tissue, paper towel)
Tissue boxes
Can tabs
Tissue paper
Tension clothespins
Rental Weekend Available
The weekend of September 12 – 14, 2025 is available to rent for family reunions, group retreats, weddings, or other events! Friends Camp has multiple large buildings that can host up to 100 people, open fields & wooded areas, ample housing, and lakefront access. If you are interested in renting camp for a weekend event, please reach out to director@friendscamp.org or 207-877-4302.
Register for the Young Friends Spring Retreat
Register today for the Young Friends Spring Retreat, which will be May 2nd-4th at Framingham Friends Meeting. The theme for this retreat is “Nurturing Creative & Spiritual Practices.” Read more about the retreat and register at neym.org.
Young Friends retreats are special opportunities for high schoolers in New England to take a deeper dive into building community and exploring the Quaker way together. Join Young Friends for a weekend at Framingham Friends Meeting where we will explore art, music, worship, and other practices that give meaning to our personal and communal lives. Registration closes April 28th.
Social Media Staff Intros!
Each year on our Instagram page (@friendscamp) we introduce our staff for the upcoming summer. Follow us and stay tuned to learn about all the counselors, kitchen staff, and other staff members who will be at camp this summer. Below is our staff from 2024 – many of whom will be making an appearance again this summer! Can you guess who?

Friends Camp Openings for Summer 2025

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Friends Camp has let us know that there are still spaces available for kids of all ages at Friends Camp this summer — but those spaces are going fast. Also there are camperships (scholarships for camping) available for all ages.

Friends Ca,p i the Quaker Summer Camp of our Yerarly Meeting, and located in China, Maine. It is a wonderful way for kids to build community with other young Friends, develop their Quaker identity and have a wonderful adventure.

To learn more, visit www.friendscamp.org.

World Quaker Day, October 6, 2024

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World Quaker Day 2024: October 6 — from Friends World Committee for Consultation

In August 2024, around 500 Quakers from 53 countries met for the World Plenary Meeting in South Africa and online to tend to FWCC business, surrounded by worship and fellowship.

This World Quaker Day, Sunday 6 October 2024, Friends everywhere are invited to find out and share what happened at their local Friends church or meeting:

The epistle and a weaving document with a prayer that brings together the different plenary conversations are all available in the conference languages, KiSwahili, Spanish and English.

“God has no hands but ours, no feet but ours, no lips but ours, so we keep imagining a better world. I am because you are. I am because we are. I see you. We belong to each other. We are still here. We are one.”
—from the World Plenary epistle

“God of love and grace, we are a beautiful and broken people, living in a beautiful and broken world… Grant us the strength to seek each other’s forgiveness, and the love and  courage to hold both pain and possibility in our hearts.” —from the weaving document prayer

The Young Adult Friends epistle, relating the experience of 46 18-35 year-olds who gathered four days before the World Plenary and who formed a new World Executive Committee of Young Adult Friends, is also available in the conference languages.

The epistle will be read at a semi-programmed online meeting for worship  hosted by the Europe and Middle East Section, and an event in Uganda organised by the Africa Section. Both are open to all.   

Friends may also want to take part by singing from the World Quaker Songbook. To learn the tunes, listen to Quaker and musician, Amy Duckett Wagner sing the songs on our YouTube channel.

Finally, Friends who wish to engage more deeply with the themes discussed at the World Plenary can watch the videos of speakers’ prepared ministry also on YouTube.

Friends Camp Newsletter, September 2024

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https://files.constantcontact.com/a7d3c7c8001/493c5cab-8a5d-40e0-b67a-5eef33389ab9.jpgDear Friends Camp Community,
Another summer at Friends Camp is complete! We are still reflecting on all the fun and remarkable moments from the last 3 months. This summer saw lots of picturesque days on China Lake, many new friendships made, delicious camp meals, opportunities for growth, and nearly endless laughter. There were 435 campers, and each one of them brought something unique to our community. Though some things about camp remain the same from year to year, the campers and staff present during each unique session are what truly make it special.
As always, a huge THANK YOU to everyone who helps make camp possible. We are lucky to have a wonderful network of support coming from families, volunteers, Friends, donors, and more. Thank you especially to everyone who has donated to our campership fund — your contributions continue to provide the opportunity for us to bring as many kids to camp as possible. We hope you enjoy this newsletter!
Warmly,Anna HopkinsCamp Director(207) 877-4302director@friendscamp.org2025 Session DatesSee below for the session dates for summer 2025. Registration for a single session per camper will open on Saturday, November 2nd at noon. We anticipate spots being available for some campers who would like to attend multiple sessions, and there will be the opportunity to register for a second session from any remaining spaces on Saturday, November 16th. Information about tuition rates will be finalized in October; we expect a modest increase in tuition.Common Ground FairFriends Camp is available for cabin and tenting space on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights during the Common Ground Fair, Sept 19-21. Space is filling up quickly on Saturday evening, but there is still plenty of space on Thursday and Friday. Learn more about details and rates on our website, and click here to register for your stay.2024 Family FeedbackThank you to all the campers and families who filled out evaluations about their time at camp this summer!
Your feedback is valued because it helps inform our understanding of this summer at camp and what to keep or improve on for future summers. Most notable from our 2024 surveys so far is that 100% of respondents made a friend at camp!
2024 Family SurveyCamp Committee Interest FormAre you interested in playing a larger role in the Friends Camp community? Friends Camp is always looking for people who have valuable skills to lend to our committee or sub-committees, soon or in the future.
The Friends Camp Committee is part of the governing structure for Friends Camp with specific duties and responsibilities delegated to it by New England Yearly Meeting. The sub-committees include Finance, Health & Safety, Development, Personnel, Buildings & Grounds, and Nominating.
The Friends Camp Committee is made up of 10- 15 members, including both Friends and non-Friends who care deeply about Friends Camp. Please fill out the form below if you are interested in becoming a member of the committee or a sub-committee.Fill out the interest form hereCamp Activities for Back to SchoolAt our end of session fire circle, many campers often talk about wanting to bring the camp spirit home with them. Here are a few activities that we do at camp that you can share with friends, family, peers, or coworkers that can help it feel like Friends Camp is with you year-round!Young Friends October RetreatThe Young Friends fall retreat is happening October 18 – 20, 2024 at the Portland Friends Meeting. The theme for this retreat is the costumes we wear. Read more below and click the link to register.
Each year on the last day of 10th month (October), people across the country don costumes and assume new identities in celebration of Halloween. Though early Friends did not observe this tradition, many Friends today do. But what about the costumes that we try on, both intentionally and unintentionally, during other times of the year? How do the costumes that we wear affirm and how do they obscure our identities? How do the early Friends customs of plain dress and “clothing ourselves in righteousness” resonate with our spiritual practices and traditions today?
Join Young Friends for a weekend of silliness, deep conversation, and reflection at Portland Friends Meeting. You can register for the retreat here.Friends Camp BrochuresDo you know of a local place where some Friends Camp brochures might shine? We have informational brochures that can be placed around New England to spread the word about camp to new families. Libraries, community centers, cafés, Meetinghouses, and churches are all great spots for these brochures to live. (Or another place near you that you think would be good!) Fill out this form if you have a local spot where you could post some fliers!      

Make a Gift to Friends Camp 

Singing for Shepherds, Worship via DFM, September 15, 2024

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Here is some background to September 15 Worship presentation regarding Singing for Shepherds — Leslie Manning

Sunday, September 15, 2024
9 a.m–6 p.m. Eastern // 6 a.m.–3 p.m. Pacific

You’re invited to a joyful, hopeful drop-in Zoom event. Participate as a whole meeting, as a Sunday school group, as a family, or as an individual Friend. You can come anytime and leave anytime. Appropriate for all ages!
 
During this day-long gathering, we’ll focus on two missions among pastoralist people in Kenya: Samburu Friends Mission and Turkana Friends Mission. We’ll hear stories about these missions, watch videos, and look at photographs. We’ll sing hymns together, pray for the missions and the people, and have a little fun with trivia. Depending on when you come, you might hear a Scripture-based message, join a prayer, see photographs of the missions, watch videos about the missions, participate in a trivia game, or sing a hymn. The activities will switch often. If you come for a whole hour, you might encounter as many as nine different elements.

We’ll also set a goal for $1000/month in new contributions to these missions. Why monthly commitments rather than one-time donations? Because these two missions bear remarkable fruits. They create church communities, run schools, provide health care, give scholarships, and deliver emergency feeding interventions, and yet it’s perpetually difficult to raise the necessary monthly funds to keep them going. We pray for the opportunity to change that as a global community. Every commitment will help, no matter how small.
 
All are welcome to participate in the event, and the hope is to have a Spirit-filled, brimming-with-love celebration of stories of faithfulness. If your Meeting or church has Zoom capability, you can join all together during your social hour or religious education time or even for a half-hour period as part of your business meeting agenda. Or join in as an individual, couple, or family. Please come.
 
Register here to receive a Zoom link:  tinyurl.com/singingforshepherds. Registration is free. You’ll receive the link to participate right away, but if you lose it, don’t worry. It’ll come again a week before the event, and the day before,  just to make sure everyone has it.

Still have questions? We have a question-and-answer page here.

AFSC Briefing, June 29, 3:30pm, Friends School Portland

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Invitation:

A conversation with Joyce Ajlouny, General Secretary, American Friends Service Committee, and

Keith Harvey, Director, AFSC Northeast Region

Saturday, June 29, 2024, 3:30 p.m., Friends School of Portland, 11 US-1, Cumberland Foreside, ME

Learn about AFSC’s life-saving aid in Gaza, support for immigrant rights, and ongoing commitment to confront injustice and promote healing among the Wabanaki communities in Maine.

(Click here for driving directions listed on the school’s website.)

Please RSVP by June 21

This is a rare opportunity to hear first hand about some crucial and desperately needed work bringing our Quaker witness to life in the world.

Keith Harvey, AFSC’s Regional Director, will update us on AFSC’s work in the Northeast, especially its advocacy on immigration and the rights of indigenous peoples in Maine. Joyce Ajlouny, AFSC’s General Secretary, will speak about AFSC’s work globally,  including an update on the work our Meeting has been supporting in Gaza. 

Please help us in spreading the word, and RSVP’ing at this link: https://secure.afsc.org/a/conversation-afscs-joyce-ajlouny 

Also, we welcome some help! We could really use 2 set-up helpers, 2 break-down helpers, and those of you who feel led to hold this very important AFSC mission and presentation in the light, to do so in person. If you can be one of those helpers, please contact Becky (steelebecky@gmail.com) or Doug (douglas_mccown@yahoo.com).

FWCC’s Quaker Connect Program

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Durham Friends is considering applying to participate in FWCC’s Quaker Connect Program. (FWCC is Friends World Committee for Consultation, the organization that links Friends across the globe.)

Members of Durham Friends are encouraged to read these materials and participate in discussions around whether the Meeting should consider seeking to participate.

The three paragraphs below give a brief overview of the program. More information can be found on the Quaker Connect website.

Quaker Connect helps Friends meetings and churches to try new experiments and learn from each other how to connect the depths of our Quaker tradition and the breadth of our Quaker community with the living reality of our local context under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Quaker Connect will be a structured network of Quaker meetings across the branches of Friends
in the Americas. Each participating local meeting will nominate one to three Friends to join a cohort
of other energized Friends in virtual workshops over a two year period. At the heart of the program,
each meeting will choose one signpost of renewal that is lacking in their meeting, one Quaker,
Christian, or FWCC practice to address the need, and take three months to try the experiment, and then initiate further experiments. Robust evaluation and communication processes are essential parts of the program. Quaker Connect is designed to adapt and seed the continuing revitalization of the Religious Society of Friends.

In the United States, the project is being funded through Lilly Endowment’s Thriving Congregations
Initiative. An additional $200,000 grant from the Thomas H. and Mary Williams Shoemaker Fund
will extend the program to Friends outside of the United States—from Canada to Bolivia—and
enhance collaboration among Quaker organizations to support the growth and vitality of the
Society of Friends.

AFSC Save the Date, June 29, 2024, 3:30 pm

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Save the date!

A conversation with 

Joyce Ajlouny General Secretary, AFSC

Keith Harvey, Director, AFSC Northeast Region

Saturday, June 29, 2024, 3:30 p.m.

Friends School of Portland

11 US-1, Cumberland Foreside, ME

Learn about AFSC’s life-saving aid in Gaza, support for immigrant rights, and ongoing commitment to confront injustice and promote healing among the Wabanaki communities in Maine.

Stay tuned for more details

Setting Priorities for FCNL, Sunday, April 14, Noon

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From Peace and Social Concerns Committee:

We know elections matter, and we know that our voices matter.  That is why Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) asks us to identify the top priorities that they will focus on in the next Congress, convening in January, 2025.

On Sunday, April 14 at 12 noon, our Peace and Social Concerns Committee will lead us in a meeting wide discussion and discernment. If you cannot attend, in person or by Zoom, please reply to this email (durham@neym.org) with your thoughts.  

“We may all feel at times that we stand alone and are helpless as single individuals to influence issues that we have a driving desire (leading) to improve and/or change. Please recognize that if you accept this invitation to provide input to FCNL you will be joining hundreds of others pushing for a better world. The success of FCNL’s 80 years of advocacy work has always depended on persistence, patience and the support of caring people (examples: 2016 US-Iran Nuclear Agreement, 2023 repeal of 2002 Iraq War Authorization, 2024 advocacy for passage of Bill S.1723 Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act).” 

On April 14 we will prepare a message from Durham Friends, letting FCNL know what is most important to us right now. Please help us do that by attending our meeting or sending your thoughts by email. 

Here’s a list of current priorities, feel free to add yours under Other Issues

Economic Justice:

Sustainable Energy and Environment:

Justice Reform and Gun Violence Prevention:

Just Migration:

Native American Concerns:

Middle East Policy:

Nuclear Nonproliferation:

Pentagon Spending:

International Peace Building:

U.S. Wars and Militarism:

Voting and Elections:   

Other Issues:

Letter Writing Party for Maine Gun Safety, via Zoom, February 29, 7pm

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Portland Friends Meeting (and others) invite us to participate in a Zoom Letter Writing Party for Maine Gun Safety — to be held on Leap Day, February 29, 2024.

Here are the details:

(to avoid zoom bombing you’ll have to quickly take a moment to register)

  • Not sure what to say in your letter? We’ll send you a template you could use, or you can write your own if you feel inspired! More materials HERE.

Come spend an hour with Quakers and others throughout Maine by writing letters to your legislators, Janet Mills, or the newspaper, to promote the four priorities of the Maine Gun Safety Coalition.

Make it even more of a party by invite friends to join you in person at your home, and then log on together!

Can’t make the party? That’s ok, you can write a letter on your own time. Attached is a Letter to the Editor Toolkit, and you can also use that to help you reach out to Janet Mills or your legislator. Find your legislators here: https://nrcm.salsalabs.org/mainelegislatorlookup/index.html.

Also, we’re attaching a list of high-priority legislators who could use more nudging on this issue. Most of them are outside of Greater Portland (although one is in part of Westbrook and Windham). But please take a few minutes with the list, and if you know someone who lives in one of these towns, please reach out to them to contact their legislator, and invite them to this zoom party. This is how the work gets done!

Hosted by members of Portland Friends Meeting and Durham Friends Meeting, open to all!

Rob Levin and Heather Denkmire and Valerie Todd and Leslie Manning

Questions: email rob@roblevin.net.

“Walking in the World as a Friend,” from QREC, 2nd Mondays in 2024 @7:30pm

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an invitation from the Quaker Religious Education Collaborative:

Walking in the World as a Friend Discussion & Practice Group
Please join us for a free Online Practice & Discussion Group sponsored by Quaker Religious Education Collaborative (QREC). We meet monthly to enrich adult Quaker Religious Education for ourselves and our meetings/churches.Each month will open with worship and a message from the book Walking in the World as a Friend: Essential Quaker Practices. Then we will hold worship sharing to hear from each person, followed by a discussion on any questions, reflections, or implications for us as Friends and our witness in they world, then close with worship. We may discuss practices, such as journaling, spiritual companions, and faith and practice or scripture study, that help us and our meetings/churches.We are using Walking in the World as a Friend for reference. You may purchase the book at CourageousGifts.com or download the PDF HERE for free. You may also watch the videos on YouTube.
Monday, January 8, 2024 7:30pm Eastern US Time
Experiences of Living in the Spirit and the role of a Minister (pp 27-30 or relevant videos)
Monday, Febuary 12, 2024 7:30pm Eastern US Time
Experiment with Spirit and the Role of the Steward (pp 35-37 or relevant videos)
Monday, March 11, 2024 7:30pm Eastern US Time
Essential Quaker Structures as an Ecology of Practices (pp 45-58 or relevant videos)
In 2024, we plan to meet the second Monday of the month in January, February, and March and take a one-month break in April. We expect to continue this pattern of 3 months on and 1 month off through 2024. This is spiral curriculum. Every time we engage the themes, we bring more to the reflections and go deeper.

REGISTER HERE