{"id":8673,"date":"2026-05-18T11:37:59","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T15:37:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.durhamfriendsmeeting.org\/?p=8673"},"modified":"2026-05-18T11:38:05","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T15:38:05","slug":"falmouth-quarterly-meeting-minutes-april-25-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.durhamfriendsmeeting.org\/?p=8673","title":{"rendered":"Falmouth Quarterly Meeting Minutes, April 25, 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Minutes for Falmouth Quarterly Meeting: 4\/25\/26.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/drive\/folders\/1nS7hP4m5nVIvdfFm7Qd1zrlbVZcZUUKY?usp=sharing\">Reports and other materials are HERE.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Present \u2013 Liz Kampenhousen-Doan, Marian Dalton, Chris Holden (Brunswick), Sara Sprogel, Wendy Schlotterbeck, Shelly Randall, Leslie Manning (zoom), Dorothy Curtis, Joyce Gibson (zoom), Tess Hartford (Durham) Ann Dodd-Collins, Maggie Fehr, Fritz Weiss (clerking), Paula Rossvall, Sally Farneth, Alan Farneth, Melanie Gifford, Andy Grannell, Dorothy Grannell, Maggie Fiori, (Portland), Janet Hough (Cobscook)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Opening worship, noting that we were meeting on unceded land of the Wabanaki Confederacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Durham<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>We heard the 2026 Durham Meeting state of society (attached). The report shared that Durham is both small and powerful. A Friend noted her gratitude to be a member of this vital, vibrant community during these times. She testified that the community allows her to live the testimonies more fully.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>We sang a blessing for Durham.\u00a0 \u201cSpirit of the living God\u201d.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Members of Durham who are carrying recognized ministries shared their experience and work.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Shelly Randall serves both as the chaplain of Bath Police Department, and as a volunteer chaplain at the Cumberland County Detention center. After a career working as a counselor with children who had experienced abuse, and as a child protection lawyer, Shelly \u201ccrashed and burned\u201d. \u00a0She trained as a chaplain and was ordained as interfaith chaplain through CHIME. She came to Durham meeting during her time at CHIME. \u00a0Her experience with child protection and her Spanish language fluency led her to work at the Detention Center with Women detained by ICE. After ICE abruptly removed all the detainees from the Detention Center, Shelly has stayed in contact and is supporting several who have been released and who continue to support those they met while in detention. The training to become a chaplain for the Bath Police department was extraordinarily stressful. In this role she is working on a task force focused on domestic violence and is serving as a liaison with the community.\u00a0 Friends noted positive interactions with the Bath Police during the No-Kings events.\u00a0 It was noted that Cheryl Cuddy, Pastor of Windham Friends also serves as the chaplain to the Sanford Police.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Leslie Manning \u2018s ministry has been recorded by Falmouth Quarter. She began her sharing with the quarter with a meditation from Bishop Steven Charleston.\u00a0 Leslie generally experiences her ministry as one of hope and healing. She carries this into her work in the prison working with both women and men. She has become active with the Maine Prisoners Advocacy Coalition carrying a concern for how communities in Maine welcome back those leaving prison. In both spaces, she works work with individuals and as advocates for transforming the current system. Maine does not allow parole, and inadequately funds public defense and community resources.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Leslie also participates in the Quaker Healing Circle which support healing centers at Quaker events. She cohosts the PFM meeting for healing. Leslie was invited to speak and lead retreats at SouthEastern Yearly Meeting. She noted the particular challenges these friends in the deep south face and their stubborn witness to the worth of each human being and for living with hope. The themes that Leslie brought to SouthEastern Yearly Meeting were encouragement to cultivate compassion, uphold conviction and sustain community and to become people of the resurrection rather than people of insurrection. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The message that Leslie brought to Durham in February sharing her service over the past year is attached.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We sang a blessing for Leslie \u201cBlessings on you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Martha Sheldon (Durham) is also recorded in the ministry. Her recording is held by Durham Meeting and Falmouth Quarter. She was unable to attend the meeting.\u00a0 Her report in full was: \u201c<em>I reduced my ministry activity with a move to a new country and am allowing for being led in unofficial, undefined forms of ministry as openings slowly present themselves and am appreciating a respite from ministry that took a lot of my time and energy before moving to Northern Ireland. In the past 3 years I was led to go to Ramallah for a year and for a few weeks but personal and international developments led to not going.\u00a0 I am offering pastoral care, support, guidance, facilitation with Corrymeela Reconciliation centre and the local Corrymeela Cell group and from a distance pastoral support for one in ministry in prison ministry in Maine.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Leslie Manning shared that Ralph Greene (recorded) is currently mostly bedridden and is being cared for by his son.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>We heard Diana White\u2019s memorial minute read by Tess Hartford (attached). Friends expressed gratitude that Diana found a home at Durham Meeting.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Windham<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>We heard the report from Windham (attached). \u00a0Friends expressed appreciation to Windham for continuing to be responsible for the Quaker Ridge meeting house<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Brunswick<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>We heard the State of Society report from Brunswick (attached).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Portland<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Maggie Fehr read the State of Society report from Portland (attached).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Members from Portland who are recognized as carrying a public ministry shared with the Quarter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Maggie Fiori noted that she continues to carry a public ministry while recognizing that it has changed since Portland first endorsed it.\u00a0 Her care committee has noted that there are three aspects to her ministry; preaching, teaching, and exhortation. The preaching includes both vocal ministry and bearing witness to a truth through art. The teaching is happening in community with others, often by lifting up their voices in her art (e.g. making Genna Ulrich\u2019s poem \u201cWhen I know my Belovedness\u201d into an illustrated pamphlet.) The exhortation part is less active at present.\u00a0\u00a0 Maggie is a print maker, and works part time at another job to support herself.\u00a0 Protecting the time to do the print and art work feels like an act of obedience. The work now is mostly reprinting the work from years past, which is still creating material that is new to many and that they have been looking for. Maggie has experiencing personal challenges this past year that have sucked away the energy from the ministry.\u00a0 We were encouraged to recognize we all need help and it takes courage to ask; and that the truth is that most people make it in communion, not by ourselves. Friends collected funds to support Maggie with some current necessary expenses. \u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Sally Farneth sent a written report to the quarter (attached). \u00a0Sally shared that she is working on a project \u201cLiteracy for Peace and Justice\u201d using story books to teach values and English literacy to children in Rawand and Uganda, building on the quaker storytelling strength. Sally has been doing work creating quaker curriculum for children for decades.\u00a0 In 2019 her work shifted from creating materials for North American Friends to creating materials for children in Africa \u2013 using open source &amp; editable &amp; projectable books. \u00a0Members of Sally\u2019s Ministry Care Committee shared details of Sally\u2019s work including that by teaching English to children they were also helping parents learn English.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Fritz Weiss sent a written report (attached).\u00a0 He shared that PFM named him as a Public Friend in 2020, and he has been making annual reports to the meeting since.\u00a0 Recently he has found himself speaking more frequently in public as a Friend, and asked for a ministry care committee to test his discernment. He will be speaking at Allen Avenue UU church tomorrow with a panel about our experience standing at the American Roots factory during the recent ICE surge to keep the workers safe.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Jay O\u2019Hara is recognized as engaged in pubic ministry by PFM.\u00a0 He was unable to attend today\u2019s meeting.\u00a0 His report is attached.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Elizabeth Szatkowski carries a denominational endorsement through Falmouth Quarter.\u00a0 She was unable to attend today\u2019s meeting.\u00a0 Her report is attached.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Heather Denkmire is recognized as engaged in pubic ministry by PFM. She was unable to attend today\u2019s meeting.\u00a0 Her report is attached<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Friends approved appointing Liz Kamphausen-Doan (Brunswick) to the Beacon Hill Friends House Corporation.&nbsp; Doug Bennett (Durham) is our other representative to the corporation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Friends approved sending a note of appreciation to Dennis Redfield for his service as our representative to the corporation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Friends Approved forwarding the State of Society reports &amp; the Memorial minute for Diana White to New England Yearly Meeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Closing worship<\/p>\n<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on the_content -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Minutes for Falmouth Quarterly Meeting: 4\/25\/26. Reports and other materials are HERE. Present \u2013 Liz Kampenhousen-Doan, Marian Dalton, Chris Holden (Brunswick), Sara Sprogel, Wendy Schlotterbeck, Shelly Randall, Leslie Manning (zoom), Dorothy Curtis, Joyce Gibson (zoom), Tess Hartford (Durham) Ann Dodd-Collins, &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.durhamfriendsmeeting.org\/?p=8673\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":213,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"sfsi_plus_gutenberg_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_show_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_type":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_alignemt":"","sfsi_plus_gutenburg_max_per_row":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[61],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8673","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-quarterly-meeting"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9rLvf-2fT","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.durhamfriendsmeeting.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8673","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.durhamfriendsmeeting.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.durhamfriendsmeeting.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.durhamfriendsmeeting.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/213"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.durhamfriendsmeeting.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8673"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.durhamfriendsmeeting.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8673\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8674,"href":"https:\/\/www.durhamfriendsmeeting.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8673\/revisions\/8674"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.durhamfriendsmeeting.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8673"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.durhamfriendsmeeting.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8673"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.durhamfriendsmeeting.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8673"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}