STRATEGIC PRIORITIES

To frame these strategic priorities, we’ll begin at the end, with the year 2033 and the culmination of 100 years of anthroposophy in the US, when measured from the date of its incorporation in 1933. This nine years gives us an exceptional opportunity to demonstrate our answer to the question: “What does the Anthroposophical Society in America have to offer to the world?” It’s not just our centennial that makes this a dynamic stretch of time, it is the unique “cosmic signature” of the year 2033 itself. Consider, it marks the 100th year since the beginning of the great mystery of our era, which Rudolf Steiner referred to as the true nature of the Second Coming. It also marks the culmination of the second millennium since the Mystery of Golgotha, in 33 AD, the turning point of time. .

This type of culmination has the mark of a spiritual call, the kind that says, “The door is open, enter.”

The dynamic nature of this time means having solid steps in place, so that we can be most effective. Here are the priorities that we have affirmed as a General Council, in July 2024, for answering this call:

I. INCREASE OUR SUPPORT OF THE SCHOOL OF SPIRITUAL SCIENCE TO MEET OUR CHRISTMAS CONFERENCE OBLIGATION

II. INVIGORATE MEMBERSHIP ENGAGEMENT

III. CULTIVATE AND DEEPEN ANTHROPOSOPHY IN THE CULTURE OF THE UNITED STATES

As is well known through a study of the proceedings of the 1923/24 Christmas Conference, Rudolf Steiner made it clear that for the School of Spiritual Science to stand effectively and consequently in the world it required resourcing by the national groups, based on the number of members. We intend to significantly increase our contribution to the General Anthroposophical Society, with its center in Dornach, Switzerland, over the coming years.

Our goal in taking this path is to support and inspire legitimate spiritual research and consequent scientific inquiry that nourishes and provides healing for humanity in the face of the challenges before us locally, nationally, and globally.

Taking this first step allows us to be more specific about our second priority, which addresses the way we structure our new and existing member processes. Prioritizing member engagement strengthens all our relationships, making both the Society and the School more visible in the world.

Member engagement is a multi-faceted endeavor, and includes not only clear and competent new member processes, continuity and consistency with existing members, a willingness to sense and respond to what makes a member drift, but also a robust publications plan.

Finally, our priority of cultivating the cultural life of the anthroposophical community in the United States focuses our attention on three specific areas of endeavor and on-going initiative: 1) our US headquarters; 2) group and branch life; 3) our annual conference.

The US headquarters of the Anthroposophical Society best serves when it is recognized as a thriving heart center of administrative and community-based activity, modeling the inspiring and healing impulse that is the true nature of the anthroposophy in the world.

In addition to making more vibrant this core, we are also focused on providing support specifically to groups and branches, enabling their essential activity in communities across the US. This fosters a mutual and reciprocal benefit between “center and periphery,” providing essential points of contact and nourishing encounter across the country, so that together we can better meet the challenges that humanity must face in every age.

We recognize that to fully realize these benefits, we must come together, so it is our intent to host vibrant annual conferences that are must-attend events for the whole community.

For the next nine years, our commitment to these priorities of increasing our contribution to the School, of enhancing our member engagement, and of cultivating the heart center of anthroposophy in the US to its furthest reaches can be envisioned in threephases, unfolding over several years each:

1. SIMPLIFYING AND REALIGNING TO OUR PRIORITIES

This deepens and strengthens our foundation for dynamically engaging with this new century of anthroposophy in the world

2. BUILDING OUT FROM OUR CORE AND STRUCTURING OUR ACTIVITY

After we successfully begin the work on our strategic priorities, we will be presented with different and potentially bigger opportunities, which means scaling our vision for the long-term out of an intent to utilize our organizational culture to continually increase the impact of our activities

3. CULTIVATING AND GROWING

Allows us to better meet and serve the growing segment of the population that longs to know and to live out of a true knowledge of the spiritual world, thereby creating a brighter future for humanity

These strategic priorities will allow us to create forms that contain the whole, which is essential to being able to fully realize the spiritual mystery of our era, as described above. Such a mystery is more fully realized when human beings come together with spirit certainty, in faithfulness towards the world’s salvation.