“If a man desires sincerely and seriously, and out of no mere curiosity, to attain to the knowledge of the way leading to Real Being, and if he fulfills to this end all that is requested of him and begins, in fact, among other things to aid indirectly, and from his very first step, the attainment of this by others, he will, by this act alone, become as it were the forming ground for the real data contributing to the manifestation of objective and actual Good.”
Appropriately, from The Herald of the Coming Good.
Mr. Gurdjieff, in some of his early writing indicated that people working together in the sense of being could become sources of good in this world. The obstacles faced by Mr. G in establishing his work are well-known and well-documented.
Through the work and sacrifice of countless people over the years we have been able to participate and benefit from the above-mentioned good. It is with deep gratitude that we look to acknowledge and celebrate several significant milestones that are rapidly approaching us this year.
Our founder and teacher, J.G. Bennett, in the midst of his Sherborne residential project, looked to the future. With great cost to himself and with the help of numerous others, he managed to find and acquire the Claymont property in 1974 for the establishment of a community firmly centered on the work that Mr. G transmitted to him and many others. Mr Bennett’s vision, profound and far-reaching, was left in the hands of others, as 1974 would also mark the end of Bennett’s ‘planetary existence.’
This year, 2024, marks fifty years since the founding of the Claymont Society as well as fifty years since the passing of its founder. There have been countless challenges along the way, and no one claims to have fulfilled The Call for a New Society. We are now fifty years into the project and it is up to us how it is to unfold for the years during and beyond our lifetimes.
This, therefore, is a great time to come together, acknowledge the events that have occurred along the way, celebrate the greater present moment in which we find ourselves, and consider the possibilities for Claymont’s future.
We are calling out to all who have taken part in the past as well as all those connected inwardly and outwardly with our core practices and aspirations to come together from October 16th to 2oth 2024 for an event marking the 50 years of the society.
Please take an active part. We are interested in your input and ideas. We have volunteers locally who are working with the details of preparation and planning. However, we view and sense this event in a larger context and hope that others will be active toward it in a positive way and will contribute time, care and thought into bringing about an event worthy of the Occasion.
The event will begin with dinner on Wednesday October 16 and end after lunch on October 20.
Lodging and activities will be at the Great Barn at the Claymont Society in Charles Town, WV.
The cost for the event is $495 including meals and lodging. However, do not let the cost prevent you from participating, financial assistance is available.
For more information and to register please contact Amy Silver at claymontgathering@hotmail.com.