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:
[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:
| 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. |
| 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 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.
to Register, GO HERE
UPDATE 24.11.13: this event has been cancelled.
Please join Peace and Social Concerns for the Plenary address at FCNL’s Annual Meeting.
George Lakey will be speaking about “The Surprising Nature of Polarization” on Saturday November 16 at 7:15.
We will broadcast his speech in the Meetinghouse through the magic of Zoom.
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.
  Dear 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 Fair Friends 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 Feedback Thank 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 Brochures  Do 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 |
FCNL is asking us to contact our congressional representatives urging support for creation of a Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies.
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.
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.)
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).
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.
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
To make a gift for the Campership Fund, GO HERE
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:
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)
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.
From Friends Journal:
Friends Journal gathers Quaker news stories from around the world. Is something happening in your community we should know about? Send us tips at news@friendsjournal.org.
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 |
