A letter from Garrett Riegg, ITC’s President.
TO: ITC Members, Associates and Friends
Garrett Riegg
RE: International Theosophy Conference at Naarden, NL, August 15-18, 2014
I am happy to announce the dates, location and theme of our next conference. We are looking forward to a special conference in The Netherlands, at the International Theosophical Centre which is located near the small town of Naarden, about 20 miles from Amsterdam. Next year the conference will begin on a Friday and continue through Monday. The conference will follow a more interactive and holistic approach, emphasizing more dialogues, workshops and sharing as compared to past years. The theme will be focused on our goals and roles as students of Theosophy in the various organizations.
The theme chosen by our board of directors is:
“Theosophy, Unity and Helping the World … Where do we go from here?”
This theme is intended to emphasize communication and harmony among different Theosophical groups. Much of the program will explore ways in which all Theosophical groups can share in spreading Theosophy with due respect for each of our different traditions. We will be looking for ways to spread Theosophy in the world, to help students connect with Theosophical traditions and to exchange ideas in the spirit of the Three Objects and the legacy of H. P. Blavatsky.
The venue, the International Theosophical Centre at Naarden, is a wonderfully located spiritual retreat centre fostering Brotherhood and Peace. It has a long history of serving Theosophy and is affiliated with the Theosophical Society, Adyar.
Participants can be accommodated at the centre itself which offers a variety of possibilities although the availability of rooms is somewhat limited. Very close to the venue however there are a number of first class and moderately priced hotels. From those hotels you’ll have the option to commute to the centre by car, bicycle, or public transport.
Our website, www.theosconf.org already has considerable information about the centre, its accommodations and the nearby hotels. Soon we will have registration forms obtainable from the website.
We anticipate having vegetarian breakfasts, luncheons and dinners available at the centre itself. There are also several good restaurants in the nearby town of Naarden.
This year, the conference organizers are Herman C. Vermeulen from The Hague, Netherlands, and Jan N. Kind from Brasilia, Brazil. Herman is also our Vice-President for International Development, and Jan is our Publicity Chair.
Please mark your calendars for next year's conference. To be sure of your first choices, you may want to make your housing arrangements in the next month or two.
Our board of directors is enthusiastic about next year's conference. We hope you will be able to join us in 2014! Meanwhile we wish you a happy and meaningful holiday season, as we all look forward to the spiritual renewal of the winter solstice.
Sincerely yours,
Garrett Riegg,
ITC President