Richard Dowsett
Treasurer, Coordinator, Secretary, Membership Secretary

Please tell us a little bit about your background.

I was born in Gloucester, England to a family of four who already had 10 years together as a family unit. My brother welcomed me as a “mini-me” and future follower. My sister was less enamoured at first, holding me accountable for the cancellation of a family Pony Trekking holiday in Wales.

My diplomacy skills were hard-won during the years I spent in the trenches of a four-fronted family fracas, finding common ground, assuaging hurt feelings and fighting injustice. This history is why I have such respect for the work of the United Nations 😄. But seriously, we were a loud, laughing, loving bunch.

Though I was born in the UK and all my family is English, I was raised in Canada as a Canadian by parents with a global outlook. As a result, I have never thought that the secret to world issues could be found in a national identity.

Following a wildly satisfactory 1970s upbringing in suburban Willowdale and small-town Cobourg, I followed the Vanier Cup winning Western Mustangs and the $700 scholarship their administration offered me to London, Ontario where I sought a place at the prestigious Ivey Business (pronounced "Bidness") School. After two years in Social Sciences, I joined the scions of Canadian commerce at Ivey – the Leon of Leon’s, the Rosen of Harry Rosen and all the other offspring of those who had emblazoned the names, logos and stock symbols of their corporate benefactors on their hearts for salary, bonus and stock options.

Business school taught me excellent tools for analysis and critical thinking, a monumental respect for the power of teams to accomplish greatness and a growing mistrust for the corrupting influence of the corporate system on the individual humans who comprise them. .

How did you become a secular humanist?

My parents were both raised Church of England and made the easy hop to Anglicanism when they came to Canada. My mum loved the singing and fellowship of getting her "faith lifted" most Sundays. My dad liked to club together for a good cause and held to God as the embodiment of justice and good. My brother taught Sunday school so I happily followed him upstairs with all the other little kids at the appointed time. But I very soon tired of the stories of Jonah, Noah, Daniel and Jesus. I thought them preposterous and I felt silly for hearing them.

I asked my parents if I could just stay in the big church on the Sundays when we attended and they agreed. I enjoyed the sermons but the stories did not get less preposterous when they were told to adults so when the time came to be confirmed into the faith, I refused. My parents did not push the matter with me. They could see that no amount of force could give me the requisite belief in god.

From 13 to 44, I was an ethical atheist philosophically and a 'none’ in practical terms. In 2011, seized by a fit of communalism, I decided to join clubs for the first time since university. A Google search led me to BHA, the British Humanists Association (now Humanists UK) where a wonderful video narrated by Stephen Fry suggested I was a Humanist. A further search led me to HAT.

When did you become involved with HAT and what roles did you play?

In November 2011, I started my humanist journey in earnest by joining a Forum meeting held at OISE. From that first meeting, I was impressed by the calibre of the participants, their knowledge, passion and sincerity. I was excited by the weekly opportunity to research some of the important questions in philosophy, politics, social issues and current affairs and then put my understanding to the test in discussion with the other attendees in a fruitful exchange largely unmarred by irrationality or animosity.

In January 2013, my regular attendance at the Forum attracted the attention of an existing board member. They alerted me to an expected high turnover of board members at the April Annual General Meeting so I decided to run for Treasurer, a position I continue to hold to this day.

At the 2017 AGM I added the Coordinator role to my portfolio. I have always believed Coordinator is the right description for what would be the President in any other association. The idea that anyone could exert a Presidential-style authority over a group of Humanists, Atheists, Freethinkers and Skeptics is laughable to me and the name Coordinator certainly reflects the democratic, egalitarian leadership style I aspire to. I concluded my too-many years as Coordinator in 2024.

Along the way I also served HAT as Secretary, Membership Secretary, and acting Web Administrator.

Are there accomplishments with HAT that you are especially proud of?

In March 2020, when Canada went into lockdown in response to the threat of a global pandemic, HAT was an almost completely in-person group with only email, website and Facebook acting as alternate communications media. With our rooms at The 519 unavailable and face-to-face gatherings banned, HAT needed to move quickly to prevent all our programs from being cancelled. In short order, the Steering Committee met and a committee was established to choose a virtual platform and get all our members comfortable using it without leaving people out in the cold when they needed contact and support the most. Within one month we had chosen Zoom, found several dedicated Hatters to act as Zoom hosts and provided instruction and training to anyone who wanted it.

By the end of 2020 we were able to offer our full slate of programs virtually – Forum discussions, Beyond Believing, HAT Speaker Series, HAT Talks and social events too! We even added the weekly HAT Chat virtual social (great idea, Michelle Edmunds!) to address the specific needs of a locked-down world. I am proud of the tangible results that my individual efforts and leadership produced during the transition to a more online HAT presence.

I am also very proud of the quality of all our Forum meetings in all their incarnations – HAT Forum discussions, HAT Speaker Series @ The Forum and HAT Talks @ The Forum. From my first days with HAT, I have sought to ensure that all of our meetings are welcoming, accessible and professionally run. When people attend any group for the first time, whether it be in-person or online, they may have to overcome many anxieties. Will I understand? Will I fit in? Will I be accepted? Who are these people? If these questions are not answered, newcomers won’t become “old-comers."

With a consistent structure, warm welcomes, low barriers to participation and frequent friendly interactions, fears are quelled and the new person has a chance to appreciate what’s being offered. The hosts keep the meetings moving purposefully, managing participation in a thoughtful, fair manner with a collegial vibe that ensures attendees can, in the words of Moses Klein, “disagree without being disagreeable." I see our meetings as a clear reflection of HAT’s values. Humanism in action every week.

What does HAT mean to you?

The mission of HAT is to grow humanism through education, connection and community involvement.

Education: every meeting is an opportunity for me to explore a new topic of interest, research it, identify key facts and concepts, then expose my findings to the warm light of communal examination and contemplation. In the same meeting I hear the thoughts and feelings of my fellow humanists. This process produces a rounded, balanced education on the topic. It’s a process I have now experienced hundreds of times over my years with HAT. I consider it an invaluable part of my continuing education.

Connection: I appreciate every one of the many hundreds of people I have met and continue to meet at HAT. Without exception, they are interested and interesting. Each has their story to tell and something to offer. The HAT environment is friendly, open and often intimate, allowing me to connect with extraordinary people every week - the perfect antidote to the often alienating aspects of the modern world.

Community: HAT provides me a chance to consider my humanist philosophy one topic at a time, one person at a time so that I feel better equipped to live consistently with that philosophy as I go out into the world beyond our humanist community.

As with any endeavour, what we get out is commensurate with what we invest. I have chosen HAT as a place to invest much time, effort and commitment over the past 14 years and I consider it a very wise investment.

What are your interests now?

I have been re-building the attention span that was destroyed by years of social media involvement by reading books, both fiction and non-fiction. Vonnegut, Le Guinn, Ted Chiang, Cormac McCarthy, Yuval Harari, Michael Pollan and Daniel Quinn are some of my favourites.

Scrabbling with my partner of 41 years, Diane, is a feature of any truly excellent day. We have made the game our own by adding numerous layers for maximum involvement. In the warmer months I kayak around nearby Presqu’ile Bay, revelling in the chance to connect with the natural environment and my own physicality. Our cat roommates, Georgia and Poppy, are a continuing source of interest, joy and companionship.