International Theosophical Conferences
International Theosophy Conferences, Inc. (ITC) is a nonprofit organization that sponsors annual conferences at which students of Theosophy attend lectures, presentations and workshops. The conference location varies from year to year.
ITC has a website at [1] and a Facebook page at www.facebook.com/itcinc.
The ITC Magazine is an electronic periodical available at www.theosconf.org/magitc.html.
Activities and purposes
The president of the ITC has made this statement on the ITC website and correspondence with attendees:
The purposes of ITC are several. First, at our annual conferences we share the great ideals and concepts of Theosophy. Second, as we plan and present the conferences we promote friendship and brotherhood among students all over the world. Third, we strive to build bridges of understanding and mutual support between leaders of many different Theosophical organizations. As an added bonus, we have fun as we learn from each other and guest speakers. Many also enjoy sightseeing before or after the conferences.
There are no dues or membership fees. Subject to review by the Board of Directors, the only requirement for membership is a respect for H.P. Blavatsky and having attended two conferences. Our unifying theme is the message of Theosophy as presented by H. P. Blavatsky.
The conference is supported by each year's registration fees and generous donations from individuals and lodges.[1]
History
This brief history was written by Garrett Riegg, ITC President, in 2013:
Beginning in 1995, Willie Dade with the help of her family and lodge hosted six annual weekend conferences with more than 60 people attending mostly from the West Coast, Europe and Arizona. Willie spent most of her life studying Theosophy with the United Lodge of Theosophists (ULT). She started lodges in places like Chico, California and Brookings, Oregon. After Willie passed away in the year 2000, many of her students got together over the phone and decided to continue the tradition by hosting conferences all around Southern California.
The conferences were open and they attracted members of several Theosophical organizations. Until 2010 most conferences were sponsored or hosted by a local ULT lodge.
The name "International Theosophy Conferences, Inc." was adopted in 2008 when we became a non-profit California corporation and later obtained tax exempt status from the IRS. At this point we slowly began developing bylaws, officers and directors.
At the 2008 conference, at a small college near Philadelphia, our diversity increased as we welcomed a large contingent from the Theosophical Society Point Loma (Holland) and speakers from the Theosophical Society (Adyar), Free Masonry and Vedanta (a local professor).
In 2010, the conference was hosted by our Point Loma friends at The Hague in Holland.
Our 2012 conference was in Wheaton, Illinois (headquarters of the Theosophical Society in America). For the first time our conference was available as a live broadcast via the internet.[2]
The fifteenth annual conference took place in New York reached a peak attendance of 250 people. Two or three speakers were scheduled concurrently, and all presentations were webcast and recorded by a dedicated group from the Point Loma - Blavatskyhouse group in The Hague. Most attendees were from the United States and The Netherlands, but others came from Brazil, Scotland, France, Japan, and Slovenia. Greetings were extended to the attendees by numerous groups and individuals around the world.[3]
Conference dates and themes
| Year | Number | Dates | Location | Theme | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | |||||
| 1996 | |||||
| 1997 | |||||
| 1998 | |||||
| 1999 | |||||
| 2000 | |||||
| 2001 | |||||
| 2002 | |||||
| 2003 | Long Beach, California | ||||
| 2004 | San Diego, California | ||||
| 2005 | Santa Barbara, California | ||||
| 2006 | 8 | Julian, California | |||
| 2007 | 9 | Petaluma, California | |||
| 2008 | 10 | August 7–10 | Haverford, Pennsylvania | The Theosophical Approach to Globa Dialogue on the Synthesis of Science, Religion & Philosophy | http://www.theosconf.org/08%20CONF/program.html |
| 2009 | 11 | Theosophy Hall, Los Angeles, CA | Theosophy: “What It Is: How It Works: Why Study It | http://www.theosconf.org/09%20CONF/program.html | |
| 2010 | 12 | August 12-15 | The Hague, The Netherlands | Making Theosophy a Living Power in the World | http://www.inttheosconf2010.org/ |
| 2011 | 13 | August 11-14 | Julian, California | A Concurrence of Science and Spirituality | http://www.theosconf.org |
| 2012 | 14 | August 9-12 | Olcott campus, Wheaton, Illinois | Karmic Cycles: Wheels of Spiritual Growth | http://www.theosconf.org |
| 2013 | 15 | August 8-11 | Bohemian National Hall, New York City | How to Awaken Compassion? H. P. Blavatsky and the Eternal Secret Doctrine | Photo Gallery in Theosophy Forward |
| 2014 | 16 | August | International Theosophical Centre, Naarden, The Netherlands | Theosophy, Unity and Helping the World .......where do we go from here? | http://www.theosconf.org/ |
| 2015 | 17 | August 6-9 | Carlton Embassador Hotel, The Hague, The Netherlands | Helena Petrovna Blavatsky Through Different Eyes with One Heart | https://www.theosophyconferences.org/index.php/archive/2015-the-hague/ |
| 2016 | 18 | August 11-14 | Santa Barbara, California | Theosophy and Social Responsibility | https://www.theosophyconferences.org/index.php/archive/2016-santa-barbara/ |
| 2017 | 19 | August 10-13 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | A Nucleus of Universal Brotherhood | https://www.theosophyconferences.org/index.php/archive/2017-philadelphia/ |
| 2018 | 20 | July 26-29 | Berlin, Germany | What is a Life Worth Living? | https://www.theosophyconferences.org/index.php/archive/2018-berlin/ |
| 2019 | 21 | July 25-28 | Wheaton, Illinois | Theo-Sophia the Integral Wisdom | https://www.theosophyconferences.org/index.php/archive/2019-wheaton/ |
| 2020 | 22 | July 23-26 | The Netherlands, hosted on Zoom - Originally planned for Brazil | Humanity - the Key to Harmony in Nature | https://www.theosophyconferences.org/index.php/archive/2020-online-humanity-the-key-to-harmony-in-nature/ |
| 2021 | 23 | July 28-August 1 | Hosted on Zoom | A Mind Embracing the Universe | https://www.theosophyconferences.org |
| 2022 | 24 | July 20-24 | Hosted on Zoom | Theosophy: Discovering the Eternal Sun of Truth | https://www.theosophyconferences.org/index.php/archive/2022-online-theosophy-discovering-the-eternal-sun-of-truth/ |
| 2023 | 25 | July 19-23 | Hosted on Zoom | Universal Symbolism of Theosophy: Unveiling the Language of Divine Thought | https://www.theosophyconferences.org |
| 2024 | 26 | July 18-21 | Hosted on Zoom | What Is a Human Being? | https://www.theosophyconferences.org |
Notes
- ↑ Riegg, Garrett. "About International Theosophical Conferences, Inc." Welcome Letter to Conference Registrants. August 4, 2013. Records Series 51. International Theosophical Conferences. Theosophical Society in America Archives, Wheaton, Illinois.
- ↑ Riegg, Garrett. "About International Theosophical Conferences, Inc." Welcome Letter to Conference Registrants. August 4, 2013. Records Series 51. International Theosophical Conferences. Theosophical Society in America Archives, Wheaton, Illinois.
- ↑ Kerschner, Janet. Personal observations as attendee. Records Series 51. International Theosophical Conferences. Theosophical Society in America Archives, Wheaton, Illinois.