Falmouth Quarterly Meeting Minutes, January 28, 2023

Present

Brunswick: Marian Dalton, Christine Holden

Durham: Kim Bolshaw, Wendy Schlotterbeck, Leslie Manning, Susan Gilbert (Regrets, Mey Hasbrook)

Portland: Fritz Weiss, Sue Reilly, Ann Dodd-Collins, Sydney McDowell, Andy Grannell, Dorothy Grannell, Wayne Cobb

Southern Maine: Louise Sandmeyer

Windham: Julianne Moore, Janice Beattie (pastor), Penny Loura (clerk), Nancy Dolittle, Betty Davis

Theme: These are challenging times; what is before us is difficult.  Our focus is paying attention to what is exercising us, what we are feeling passionate about or called to. 

Song:  Lift Every Voice and Sing, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEjUVV4_-2w

Wendy Schlotterbeck led us into open, waiting worship with a passage from John Lewis’ memoir, Walking With the Wind, in which he wrote about a childhood memory and Beloved Community.

Following open worship we chose one of four breakout rooms and had almost 50 minutes to read or view the prompt and share our reflections.

ROOM 1 Sailing in the Fog- read and share reflections https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XxHmfEExRvFbFc8oftgSV9MDUKaCMbml/edit

ROOM 2 Praying with clay or markers https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uauG2caHYlyAepKyXlckLiyou7_pgL_DXcj6CYmMvhQ/edit#

ROOM 3 Praying with Poetry https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Dx708p_HjFprmScXl1P96cdw7A8rWX81lmgwTfslyAw/edi

ROOM 4 Movement as prayer- Parable of the trapeze https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWvV5N4hOGc

Following a short break, Wayne Cobb introduced the proposed “FQM Minute on the Inherent Right of Tribal Sovereignty of the Wabanaki”.  (Attached)   A similar minute has already been approved by Vassalboro Quarter.  Several questions and concerns were raised.  It was pointed out that this minute does not support a specific bill; it acknowledges and supports the sovereignty of the Wabanaki Tribes and Nations within Maine and supports bills that will come before the Maine Legislature that would recognize and implement tribal sovereignty.  More information is available on the Wabanaki Alliance website, https://wabanakialliance.com/, and Wayne is willing to answer questions, wcobb2@gmail.com.

WE APPROVED THE MINUTE.

Recognizing that by doing so we are also committing to further action as opportunities arise.

Wayne Cobb will send the updates on Wabanaki issues that he currently sends to Portland Friends Meeting to all the meetings in Falmouth Quarter.

We closed with a period of worship, expecting to gather again at the All Maine Gathering on May 6, 2023.

Minute on the Inherent Right of Tribal Sovereignty Of the Wabanaki People and the Support for Bills before the Maine State Legislature that would Recognize and Implement Tribal Sovereignty

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