As many of you know, Rev. Fayre C. Stephenson has been providing Chaplaincy services to the Doolittle Home residents for several years. The home, though once officially a UU affiliate, is no longer one because the present Doolittle Home Board has voted to disassociate the Home from the Unitarian Universalist Association claiming that the Doolittle Home must be a public charity (not a religiously affiliated charity). In order to be recognized as a public charity by the IRS, the Doolittle Home apparently must hire clergy from diverse religions to conduct the weekly worship services rather than retaining the same minister all the time. This new policy will take effect in January 2004.

Most of the residents of the Home are UU's and wish to continue with a full time UU Chaplain rather than a different minister every month. Knowing it would be necessary to raise funding for the calendar year 2004, the residents, led by Helen and Robert Dick, have asked us to manage a fund for them. Our church Board of Trustees voted unanimously to open an account for the chaplaincy fund so that all donations will be tax deductible. Our treasurer will pay the UU chaplain and provide a monthly report to the UU Doolittle Home residents concerning the fund. As of November 14, 2003, they have raised in cash or by pledges approximately half of their goal.

Thanks to the creativity of the Doolittle Home residents, their generosity, and that of their friends, the support of our Board of Trustees, and the ongoing fundraising efforts which are being undertaken by Helen and Bob Dick, Bill and Carol Donovon, and other UU residents, Fayre will continue to provide weekly Chaplaincy services at the Doolittle Home. In addition to seeking other UU sources, the residents, their friends, and anyone else can make contributions to this fund, and the fund will pay Fayre to continue her ministry there.

While Fayre is currently the UU Doolittle Chaplain, the new fund will ensure that her successors will be compensated for conducting weekly UU services at the Doolittle Home. Should you wish to contribute to this fund, just put a check or envelope with cash in the general church collection with a note indicating that it is for the UU Chaplaincy Fund at Doolittle Home. You can also give money directly to the church Treasurer via mail or in person. Your contributions are encouraged and greatly appreciated by the residents at the Doolittle Home.

A Brief Background on Sarah Billings Doolittle and the Doolittle Home

Sarah Billings Doolittle was born on March 19, 1840, to Allen Chilson and Ora Hodges Doolittle. Fifteen years later Ora built a spacious home and barn on the corner lot of Bird and Baker Streets. After the founding of the English and Classical High School by Rev James Stone, a Unitarian clergyman from Providence RI, in 1858, Ms. Doolittle attended where she learned Latin and Greek, the classics and advanced mathematics. She later went to the Friends School in Providence.

In 1878, when Rev. Quillen H. Shinn was serving at the Foxborough Universalist Church, Sarah's parents officially joined the congregation and Sarah became active at the church, including teaching Sunday School. Sarah was always described as a kind and gentle woman and was a librarian at Boyden Library and a member of the Foxboro Womans Club, the Foxboro Branch of Good Templars, and the local branch of the Women's Christian Temperance Union. She was also a member of a female string quartet and an accomplished artist.

Sarah attended the Massachusetts Convention in Salem, MA, in May of 1913. While there she heard the plea for help in providing suitable housing for elderly persons, especially for those of the Universalist faith. She  knew that the family homestead in Foxborough could be the answer to the housing problem for the elderly. Sarah informed the head of the Convention, Dr Charles Conklin, that she would be willing to donate her home to supply the needed housing. At this time, Dr. Conklin was also pastor of the Universalist Church in Foxborough.

So, the "Trustees of the Massachusetts Universalist Convention accepted Sarah Doolittle's gift and immediately set about forming a corporation to be known as Doolittle Universalist Home for Aged Persons, Inc. The purpose of the new corporation would be to establish and operate the home stipulated as a condition of Sarah's gift."

"In addition to recognizing Sarah Doolittle's intent when establishing the structure and function of the new corporation, the Trustees of the Massachusetts Universalist Convention also protected their own interest in the property they had transferred to the new corporation. The first set of bylaws for the new Doolittle Universalist Home for Aged Persons, Inc. required that, in addition to preference being given to persons of the Universalist faith, that the majority of officers of the corporation must also be persons of that faith. A unanimous vote would be required to change either stipulation."

Even though the Doolittle Home apparently has direct administrative bonds to the Foxborough Universalist Church, historically, there has been a personal connection between the two.

Among the notable connections are the following

• From 1860 - 1866, the Rev Cyrus A Bradley, Minister, used what is now designated as room #N216, as his study, later memorialized by a gift of his son, Rev Asa Bradley. Apparently this was in the area that was previously used by boarders in the Doolittle household.
• Before 1929, the Unity Class was formed at the church by female members and friends of the church and residents of the Doolittle Home. This group of women did a great deal for the church, both  socially and financially. One of the outstanding things being paying off the debt caused by the 1938 hurricane. At the church, they routinely held potluck suppers  with invited speakers and fish-chowder luncheons in addition to annual fund-raising fairs and raffles to benefit the Foxborough Universalist Church.
• In 1958, the Rev. Weston Cate, minister of the Foxboro Universalist Church, was also the Chaplain at Doolittle while his wife, Arlene, was the matron.  Then in 1962, the Rev. Charles O Barber, became minister of the Foxborough Universalist Church, and also served as Chaplain at Doolittle while his wife, Madelyn, was the matron.
• The Doolittle Board of Trustees hired a Chaplain for the home in 1976 as a one year experiment, which much have been successful, as beginning on January 1, 1977, there has been a UU Chaplain paid by Doolittle, most recently, the Rev. Fayre C Stephenson who has served in both capacities since 2000.