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                                Serving the spiritual and intellectual needs of Unitarian and Universalist ministers since 1927.

Greenfield Group

Since 1927
A Unitarian Universalist Ministers Study Group

Greenfield Group, a semi-annual gathering of Unitarian Universlaist Ministers, meets to discuss papers and common readings related to a chosen topic.

Saint: Duncan Howlett (UNK)

SAINTS

Nat Lauriat (d)

Jim Adams (d)

Dick Fewkes

Charles Magistro

Duncan Howlett (d)

Leslie Pennington (d)

Frank Holmes (d)

Mary Harrington

Fred Gillis

Frank Hall

 

 

 

 

 

 

 In 1946, Rev. Duncan Howlett began his ministry at First Church in Boston..  With both a law degree, divinity school degree and a strong conviction about liberal religion Dr. Howlett provided thoughtful sermons and reactivated committees.  With young children of his own he revived the church school and developed ties with the Unitarian Service Committee and organizations concerned with conservation.  As the church was moving ahead and taking a more active role, he was called to All Souls Church (one of the key locations of the denomination) in Washington, D.C. in 1958. 

Duncan Howlett was a life-long conservationist. In retirement he worked his own wood lot and founded the Small Woodlot Owners Association of Maine. Here is their story and tribute to Duncan on their 30th Anniversary:

In January 1975, Duncan Howlett was on his way to Augusta to give a talk at a forestry conference when he had a brainstorm. He knew that the discussion would all be about timber production in the state and management on industrial lands, with little reference to small woodlands. He also realized that he would be speaking at 4 p.m. when the audience would be tired and stuffed full of information. So he stopped and bought a pack of 3-by-5-inch cards. When it was his turn to speak, he said very little but passed out the cards, asking everyone who was interested in forming a group concerned with small woodlands to write their names and addresses. To his astonishment, 75 cards came back. A few weeks later he invited them all to a meeting and 50 showed up. And thus, SWOAM was born.

Ever since then SWOAM has grown and developed directly from the needs of small woodland owners. In order to communicate and learn from each other, members began to form local chapters. A monthly newsletter was produced. Woodlot tours and indoor workshops were held. Woodlot owners realized they were not alone. The group started to show its face in the state capital.

None of this was easy. Duncan Howlett’s core group worked hard and faced the possibility of failure. But volunteers like Elinor Vassey ably built up the organization as the roots grew deeper around the state.

NOTE: Duncan Howlett gave SWOAM 300 acres of woodland in Lovell, Maine, to start their Land Trust.

WHAT MAKES A PERSON A SAINT? The description is found in Article 2 of our Disciplines:

 All founding members of Greenfield Group are “saints” which confers upon them all the privileges but none of the obligations of membership. In addition, the Group may vote to confer the status of Saint upon any member who has been retired from the Group for a least one convocation. Sainthood is meant to reflect our high esteem for the retired member due to service in the Greenfield Group and the longevity of the membership of the retired member.

 

 

 

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