The Constitution of the General Anthroposophical Society

GA 260a — 11 August 1924

Welcome Address at the Second International Summer Course in England

Before the first lecture in the series “Initiate Consciousness”

Preceded by a welcome address by Mr. Dunlop

Dr. Steiner: Ladies and gentlemen! First of all, I must apologize for not being able to join you until today. The work involved in preparing for the rebuilding of the Goetheanum and everything connected with it is keeping me very busy at the moment, and it is very difficult for me to be away from the Goetheanum for as long as this stay in England will require. So you must forgive me for arriving a little later than originally planned. We have gathered here, dear friends, at the invitation of our dear English anthroposophical friends. And after the wonderful times we have spent in recent years in the company of our anthroposophical friends in England, I need hardly emphasize how heartily satisfied those of us from the Goetheanum in Dornach who have been able to accept this invitation are to be able to work once again for the anthroposophical cause and everything connected with it in the circle of our English friends.

Anthroposophy, I would just like to mention briefly here, was to receive a new impulse through what was discussed at Christmas in a large circle of anthroposophical friends, and those who have taken over the leadership in Dornach are in the process of gradually putting into practice what was intended with this impulse. And precisely in the spirit that seeks to nurture spiritual life, spiritual art, knowledge, and spiritual-religious feeling from the Goetheanum, it is a great satisfaction for this circle to be able to unfold part of this activity here. On behalf of this circle in particular, and on behalf of all those who have come here from elsewhere at the kind and gracious invitation of our English friends, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks.

I would also like to take this opportunity to mention that we know how much effort and work goes into organizing such an event. And so, I would like to express our heartfelt thanks, or rather, the thanks of the Dornach Executive Council, to our dear friend Mr. Dunlop, who has rendered such outstanding service to the inner life of the spiritual world and to the development of the anthroposophical movement. Likewise, Mrs. Merry for the great efforts involved in such an event — certainly, she is “Hon. Secretary,” but this honor involves unspeakable work, work is the honor — likewise, our most heartfelt thanks from the board are expressed to her.

And so I may well express the hope that we will be able to work together here in the spirit of our anthroposophical cause, that here, in a similar way, there will be a satisfying unfolding of our time, as has been the case in recent years at the various summer schools. In this spirit, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks and warmest greetings to all of you who have come here.