Falmouth Quarterly Meeting, July 19, 25
Hosted at Wendy Schlotterbeck’s home at 79 Skillings Corner Rd, Auburn, Maine
Present: Fritz Weiss, Portland (clerk), Marian Dalton, Brunswick, Christine Holden, Brunswick, Susan Gilbert, Durham, Sarah Sprogell, Durham, Tom Antonik, Portland, Wendy Schlotterbeck, Durham, Paula Rossvall, Portland, Mimi Marstaller, Durham (recorder), Sue Reilly, Portland, Ann Dodd-Collins, Portland
We opened singing together and sharing songs that we loved; concluding with the old girl scout song “Peace I ask of you O River, Peace peace peace…”
Land acknowledgement
Maine Council of Churches representative. We approved Jessica Eller-Fitze, Ann Dodd-Colins and Petra Doan for a nominating committee with charge to consult with Diane Dicranian, and bring a nomination to the Quarterly October business meeting. The rep will serve a three year term which starts in January 2026. Vassalboro also needs to approve the person at their November meeting.
We approved inviting Leslie Manning to join the committee.
We offered the following advice to the nominating committee:
- Go to the website, read their statements.
- Read the job description for the role.
- Attend a webinar.
- Seek someone who is committed to the responsibility and the likely political actions this role will entail.
- Seek someone who will bring forward the peace testimony.
- Seek someone willing to communicate to Friends outside the council.
- Seek someone who is deeply connected to source, to God, rooted in Quakerism.
- The person needs to be aware that they are representing all Maine Quakers, not just Falmouth Quarter.
- Keep in mind: this is a public position. The Quaker in this role will face arguments or pushback from folks (Quakers & non-quakers) who do not agree with the positions of the council.
- Be clear about the difference between a role on this council and the Maine Committee for Public Policy.
Support for the LGBTQAI+ community –
We read the minutes from Brunswick (attached) and from Durham (attached) and the letter from Portland (attached). Is there something that we would like the quarter to do?
There was clarity that it is important celebrate the trans folks who are a part of all our communities, and that we will work to advance justice and equality for the LGBTQAI+ community. Our relationship is more than solidarity, it is a relationship of community and family.
We considered several options:
- Write a minute (or a bundle) and send it to NEYM’s presiding clerk and ask that YM consider endorsing it or perhaps sending it out to the other Quarters for their engagement. This is a concern which cannot wait; trans and queer communities are experiencing “churches” condemning and threatening their existence.
- Support Pink Havens’ (Me) work creating welcoming villages for trans folks in Maine
- Write a statement that acknowledges the value in each of the statements from Monthly Meetings (Durham, Brunswick, Portland) and quotes the parts that are particularly powerful or held in common.
- We could send the three documents to NEYM to be distributed as advance documents.
What is possible at Sessions this year? We could ask Sessions to distribute our minute/letter of concern to other quarters so that we can have a discussion of it next year at Sessions.
The clerk shared that the YM Presiding Clerk Rebecca has indicated that she would like Quarters to have an opportunity to report what has been going on in the quarter. He suggested that Falmouth Quarter could ask for time in this section to share the three statements. He also shared his personal opinion that faith communities need to speak strongly & loudly if we are to counter the public statements by Christian figures who are threatening great violence to trans folks.
We approved this preamble to the letters when presented to the NEYM:
“We received with appreciation the minutes in support of our queer community and family from Brunswick and Durham and the letter of concern from Portland, and wish to state the view of Falmouth Quarterly Meeting that as Quakers we unite in celebrating our belief in the diversity of God’s creation. We ask all meetings in NEYM to discern the appropriate actions to be taken in this time of urgency. “
We ask our clerk to share this minute and these documents with the presiding clerk and request time at Sessions to discuss this issue.
Friends approved this preamble and the minute requesting the clerks’ role at Sessions.
Closing worship
Respectfully submitted, Mimi Marstaller
