Friends’ Day on October 16
We were glad to meet with Friends on our special Friends' Day. The Chairman of the ITC gave a short introduction about the impact of Corona and future plans. Ingmar, Chairman of the Annie Besant Lodge then followed with observations of the changing environment of a lodge, and how to respond to this. The lodge now has four fields of work; one team observes what is required for a programme; there is an introductory course on theosophy; an activity involved with inner transformation, and its psychological implications; and a meditation group.
Then Elisabeth clarified the relationship between Freedom of Thought and Brotherhood. We are only free without our identifications when we realise that we are part of the Whole, that we are that Brotherhood. So, the one does not go without the other. It is inspiring to work for this project. This introduction resulted in a very lively dialogue.
After a farewell and thank you to Rita, for thirty years a very dedicated volunteer at ITC, the afternoon was reserved for the introduction of a bee family at ITC. The beekeeper gave a lively introduction on the history of bees and how they continue to evolve according to circumstances. For individual bees their identity, is based on the ‘nest smell warmth binding’ of their swarm. He designed an innovative well insulated beehive, placed at ITC, which requires less energy for the bees to keep their warmth in winter. A less well-known feature of bees is that they are able to break down pesticides, an additional contribution of these important representatives of the animal kingdom.
The day was closed with an introduction by Heleen on the Round Table, and the role of the Queen in their ceremony. We can look back on a very inspiring day.
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Since the beginning of Covid, over a year and a half ago, only a few small-scale activities took place. All large-scale activities were cancelled, also our international summer seminars. We are therefore relieved that all activities are starting up again, including those of ITC and the Dutch Section. We were very happy to be able to start with an outdoor concert by Noortje Braat and Wiek Hijmans, organised by Parcival. 
