Ft. Myers Meeting: Hybrid Worship Space Transitions

The Clerk of Ft. Myers Meeting, Richard Frechette, sends this news of how their meeting has adapted to find worship space during the pandemic. He writes:

“I thought Friends in SEYM might be interested in hearing about the current worship situation of the Ft. Myers Monthly Meeting.

“Friends at Ft. Myers had been worshipping since 1995 at the Iona House on the Grounds of the Calusa Nature Center.  Unfortunately, the onslaught of the Corona Virus led us to cease worshipping inside.  And, after a discernment process taking well over a year, we decided that the architectural and mechanical aspects of that facility would not be right for Friends in a post-pandemic period as well.   So, for a while we worshipped via Zoom and held weekly outdoor mid-week worship. We also began to explore options for a permanent meetinghouse.

Ft. Myers Friends hold hybrid worship in a chickee hut

“Beginning at January 2021, we initiated hybrid 1st day worship:

• Some people met physically under the roof of a Seminole-built Chickee Hut on the grounds of one of our members in the rural Buckingham section of Fort Myers.
• Others simultaneously connected via Zoom.  Equipment (a Meeting Owl, computer and TV) was installed in the Chickee to allow for the in-person and digital connection to occur simultaneously.

“We continue in our search for a permanent location for Quaker Meeting, but are OK with utilizing the current situation for as long as needed.”

Richard Frechette, Clerk

Fort Myers Monthly Meeting