Annual General Meeting

On 31 October 2020 the General Anthroposophical Society held its Annual General Meeting with around 140 members present – in accordance with the regulations of the canton of Solothurn. At the centre of the meeting were the confirmation of Ueli Hurter as a new member of the Executive Council, the new Section leaders and the Goetheanum’s finances.

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Having been postponed by half a year due to Coronavirus, the AGM took place in a reduced format of just one day. When it became apparent shortly before that – also due to Corona – only 30 people were allowed to gather, the around 140 members present were spread across five rooms and connected digitally. While the personnel changes and the 2019 financial statement were still fresh in early April, the reports now seemed somewhat ‘dated’, even though their content continues to be relevant.

Changes in the Executive Council

Joan Sleigh did not stand for another term in office as a member of the Executive Council, stating personal reasons. She explained how important it is, when holding such an office, to have colleagues who – as it is the case in the Goetheanum Leadership – bring in their individual skills while communally balancing out potential shortcomings. Joan Sleigh will remain connected with the Goetheanum by taking on specific tasks which include her responsibilities within the Social Initiative Forum and in connection with the Class Lessons of the School of Spiritual Science.

Ueli Hurter had been co-opted as a new member of the Executive Council. He underlined the importance in our time to become active out of an inner ‘Michaelic attitude’. His appointment was supported by 133 members, with two votes against and seven abstentions.

Centenary of the Anthroposophical Society in Switzerland

Marc Desaules (general secretary since 2011) and Otfried Doerffler (general secretary 1991-2006 ) described how the Anthroposophical Society in Switzerland was founded a hundred years ago and how it was, from the start, seeking to connect with the spirit in a cosmopolitan way. On behalf of the Goetheanum’s Executive Council Constanza Kaliks expressed gratitude for the fact that the Goetheanum can be in Switzerland. She also underlined the experience Switzerland has as a multilingual country. Via video messages, representatives in New Zealand, Australia, Sweden, Japan and India gave insights into the situation and the anthroposophical work in their country. Greetings were also received from Russia.

Leadership changes

The General Anthroposophical Section, which had been coordinated temporarily by Joan Sleigh, has now a leadership team consisting of Constanza Kaliks, Claus-Peter Röh and Peter Selg (Anthroposophy Worldwide 12/2019). The main concern of this Section is the evolving human being. Linked to this are the questions of human dignity and of how we can learn to understand what we meet in life. In view of the current crises and the potential sense of powerlessness they evoke, it is important to develop forces of hope and to understand, and bring a balance to, how our inner life interacts with external events.

Leadership of the Natural Science Section passed from Johannes Kühl to Matthias Rang and Johannes Wirz (Anthroposophy Worldwide 5/2020). This Section sees two main tasks in introducing the life forces to natural science and in bringing to anthroposophy the cognitive certainty offered by natural science. In other words it strives to bring natural and spiritual science together.

Leadership of the Visual Art Section passed from Marianne Schubert to Christiane Haid (Anthroposophy Worldwide 5/2020), who will also continue as head of the Humanities Section. Together with Barbara Schnetzler, Jaike Dunselman, Rik ten Cate and Pieter van der Ree, Christiane Haid will form the Section faculty. One of the Section’s main aims is the inspiration of the soul through art. This means that a work of art is not a finished entity but part of the observer’s inner development. This impulse is also implemented in the form of exhibitions.

Projects at the Goetheanum

As a School of Spiritual Science the Goetheanum seeks to make the working of the spirit in the sensory world more visible. Under the theme of ‘metamorphosis’ the model of the First Goetheanum and the sculpture of the Representative of Humanity will be exhibited and presented in different settings, highlighting their history and aspects of Goetheanism. The principle of the two cupolas will be another topic. There are also plans to present aspects of biodynamic farming with an example of composting and a bee pavilion.

Wolfgang Held spoke about the Goetheanum weekly and reported an increase in circulation of around ten percent.

Discharge of the Executive Council

As treasurer, Justus Wittich gave an outline of the financial situation, focusing on the year 2019. The planned elimination of the structural deficit over three years was not achieved, even if the individual budgets were balanced – in 2019, for instance, this was achieved by selling a building.

The 2019 accounts were adopted with 113 votes in favour, 14 against and 11 abstentions. The Executive Council was discharged with 114 votes in favour, 15 against and 8 abstentions.

The meeting thanked Joan Sleigh with a warm applause for her seven years as an Executive Council member. She will return to South Africa.

Motions and concerns

Justus Wittich briefly introduced the motion tabled by Robert Jan Kelder ‘to willingly unite the new Christianity with the world in love for the healing of humanity and the earth’; the majority of members present voted to not discuss this motion.

The motion submitted by Andreas Worel regarding the subtitle of the weekly journal Das Goetheanum (International weekly journal for anthroposophy and social threefolding) was withdrawn by him for this year.

Eugen Meier’s concern regarding the rehabilitation of Herbert Witzenmann was not discussed further.

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