Statutes
of
the
Anthroposophical Society.
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The
Anthroposophical Society is a union of human beings who
desire to further the life of the soul — both in the
individual and in human society — on the basis of a true
knowledge of the Spiritual World.
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The
persons gathered at the Goetheanum, Dornach, at Christmas,
1923 — both the individuals who were present and the
groups which were represented — form the foundation
of the Society. They are convinced that there is in existence
at the present time a real Science of the Spiritual World
— discovered and elaborated for years past, and, in
important particulars, already published. They hold, moreover,
that the civilisation of to-day needs the cultivation of such a
science. This is to be the task of the Anthroposophical
Society. It will endeavour to fulfil the task by centering its
activities on the spiritual science of Anthroposophy cultivated
in the Goetheanum at Dornach, with all that results from it for
human brotherhood, for moral and religious life, and for
the artistic and cultural life in humanity.
[The Society is continuous with the
Anthroposophical Society founded in 1912. With the same
objects in view which were then defined, the intention is,
however, to create a fresh point of departure, in keeping
with the true spirit of the time.]
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The
persons gathered together at Dornach in founding the
Anthroposophical Society recognise and support the view of
those responsible at the Goetheanum (represented by the
Executive formed at the Foundation Meeting) in the following
particulars: — “The Anthroposophy pursued in the
Goetheanum leads to results which can be of assistance to every
human being — without distinction of nation, social
standing or religion — acting as an incentive in
spiritual life. These results can in a real sense give rise to
a social life based on brotherly love. The possibility of
making them one's own and founding life upon them depends on no
special degree of learning or education, but alone on a free,
unbiased human nature. The researches, however, which lead to
them, and the power of competent judgment on the results of
research, are subject to a spiritual-scientific training
which must be acquired step by step. The results are in their
way no less exact than those of Natural Science; and when like
these they attain general recognition, they will bring about a
like progress in all spheres of life — not only in the
spiritual but in the practical domain.”
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The
Anthroposophical Society is an entirely public organisation, and
in no sense a secret society. Without distinction of nationality,
social standing, religion, scientific or artistic conviction, any
person feeling the existence of such an institution as the School
of Spiritual Science — the Goetheanum in Dornach — to
be justified, can become a member of the Society. The Anthroposophical
Society is averse to any kind of sectarian tendency. Politics it does
not consider to be among its tasks.
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The
Anthroposophical Society looks upon the School of Spiritual Science
at Dornach as the centre of its work. This School will be composed
of three classes. Members of the Society will — at their request
— be admitted to the School after a period of membership to be
determined in each case by those responsible at the Goetheanum. They
thus gain entrance to the first class of the School of Spiritual
Science. Applicants will be received into the second or third class
respectively when those responsible at the Goetheanum deem them ripe
for admission.
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Every
member of the Anthroposophical Society has the right to participate
— under conditions to be announced in each case by the Executive
— in all lectures, demonstrations and meetings of any kind
arranged by the Society.
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The
establishment of the School of Spiritual Science is, to begin with,
in the hands of Rudolf Steiner, who will appoint his collaborators
and his eventful successor.
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All
publications of the Society will be open to the public as are those
of other public societies. [The conditions, too,
whereby one enters into the training of this School, have been
described in published works, and their publication will be
continued.] The same will apply to the publications of
the School of Spiritual Science; but in regard to these works,
those responsible for the School reserve the right from the
outset to deny the validity of opinions unsupported by the
proper qualifications, namely by the training of which the
works themselves are the outcome. In this sense, and as is
customary in the recognised scientific world, they will admit
the validity of no judgment which is not based on the requisite
preliminary studies. The publications of the School of Spiritual
Science will therefore contain the following notice: —
“Printed in Manuscript for the members of the School
of Spiritual Science, Goetheanum, Class ... No person is
held qualified to form a judgment on the contents of these
works, who has not acquired — through the School
itself or in an equivalent manner recognised by the School
— the requisite preliminary knowledge. Other opinions
will be disregarded; the authors decline to take them as a
basis for discussion.”
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The
object of the Anthroposophical Society will be the furtherance of
spiritual research; that of the School of Spiritual Science the
actual pursuit of such research. A dogmatic position in any sphere
whatsoever shall be excluded from the Anthroposophical Society.
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At
the beginning of each year the Anthroposophical Society shall hold
an annual General Meeting, when the Executive shall submit a full
report and balance-sheet. The Agenda shall be issued by the Executive
together with the invitation to all members six weeks before the
meeting. The Executive may summon emergency General Meetings and
fix the Agenda for such Meetings. Invitations to such Meetings shall
be sent to members three weeks in advance. Motions by individual
members or groups of members shall be sent in a week before the date
of a General Meeting.
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The
members of the Society may join together in smaller or larger groups,
on any geographical or other basis of activity. The seat of the
Anthroposophical Society is at the Goetheanum, whence the Executive
shall communicate to the members or groups of members what it
considers to be the task of the Society. The Executive enters
into communication with the officials elected or appointed by the
several Groups. The admission of members is in the hands of the
Groups; the forms of admission shall, however, be submitted to the
Executive at Dornach for signature, the Executive signing them in
confidence to the officials of the Groups. As a general rule every
member shall join a Group. Only those who find it quite impossible
to enter a Group should apply for admission at Dornach as individual
members.
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The
subscription shall be fixed by the several Groups; each Group shall,
however, send 12s. (twelve shillings) annually per member to the
headquarters of the Society at the Goetheanum.
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Each
working Group formulates its own Statutes, but these must not be
incompatible with the Statutes of the Anthroposophical Society.
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The
organ of the Society is the “Goetheanum” Weekly, which
shall for this purpose issue a Supplement containing the official
communications of the Society. This enlarged edition of the
“Goetheanum” will be supplied to members of the
Anthroposophical Society only.
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The
Foundation Executive of the Society will be as follows: —
*First President: Dr. Rudolf Steiner.
*Second President: Albert Steffen.
Recorder: Dr. Ita Wegman.
Members of Executive: Frau Marie Steiner,
Dr. Elisabeth Vreede.
Hon. Secretary and Treas: Dr. Guenther Wachsmuth.
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