Greater participation of members worldwide
A society relies on communication among its members – among us; and given that we are active worldwide in the Anthroposophical Society we need tools for this kind of exchange. Anthroposophy Worldwide is one such tool.
At this year’s AGM we took up a proposal from the Nordic countries and discussed how members who cannot travel to Dornach can nevertheless participate in the Annual General Meeting and the decisions taken there. Among the suggestions made were voting by letter and regulations for the agm process. In November the members of the Conference of Country Societies (formerly: country representatives) asked the Executive Council at the Goetheanum to stream (after a login) parts of the 2020 agm live in English and German so that members all over the world can at least participate in some of the events. Preparations, too, should be shared, for instance by making it possible for members to send written contributions prior to the agm. In a trial run, a committee will advise the Executive Council on how to deal with submitted motions. With some experience of such a procedure one then needs to assess whether it is conducive to strengthening our common awareness of the anthroposophical impulse.
Shared responsibility
A further form of participation will consist in including the general secretaries and country representatives more directly. Following positive feedback from the members at the last Annual Conference and the agreement of the Conference of Country Societies, the Executive Council at the Goetheanum would like to ask at the 2020 AGM that the conference of presently 36 country societies be included in the Statutes as an organ of the General Anthroposophical Society.
When the treasurers of the Anthroposophical Societies worldwide met at Rudolf Steiner House in London on 9 and 10 November, it became apparent that, on the strength of – in this case – 80 percent of members represented, a community can take on responsibility and convey incentives if they work together critically as well as trustfully.