Conference Update: NECOCE 2022
Last Saturday, I had the privilege of presenting an address entitled “Preserving the Democracy of the Dead” at the first annual New England Consortium of Classical Educators held in Somers, Connecticut. Inspired by G.K. Chesterton’s legendary conception in Orthodoxy, I attempted not only to explain what Chesterton meant but also why we should care and what we can do with it. I have embedded my slides below, and once the video is released, I will update this post to share that with you as well.
The conference itself was executed as flawlessly as any conference I have ever attended. Logistically, everything was smooth, ran on time, and was full of meaningful content. Looking back at the event, I think that is one of the more remarkable parts of the day. Intentionality permeated everything that happened throughout the entire day. The venue was beautiful, appropriate for a conference where many of the speakers would be talking about beauty. The session topics were diverse, appropriate for a conference that was going to celebrate the liberal arts. Lunch was served at tables where you sat with people you potentially did not know, appropriate for a conference that sought to bring classical educators from all over New England together. I did not organize the conference, so perhaps some things did happen spontaneously, but I was incredibly impressed by how well everything was executed.
Of course, as someone who would be asked to speak at a conference like this, you will not be surprised to hear that I was so pleased with the quality of the speakers throughout the entire day. I learned about online education (shout out to Kepler Education), thematic connections between Prince Caspian and The Abolition of Man, an impressively comprehensive overview of Western thought in a very quickly spoken 45 minutes, and so much more. My only disappointment was that I could not attend all of the breakout sessions happening simultaneously at different times during the day. It was an honor for me to be able to speak alongside these wonderfully talented men and women, and I enjoyed learning from them throughout the day.
Finally, this day illustrated something that I actually mentioned in my talk. Intentional communities do not happen by accident. Does it always require 75 people getting together at a beautiful facility? Frequently, it requires nothing more than a vision and a commitment to continue on a particular trajectory. Events like this serve as the high points of the journey; they provide encouragement to press on because of the joy they bring. You could definitely feel the encouragement in the room, but it was also interesting to overhear people talking about what classical education looks like in their communities. Maybe they attended the conference with a friend, so two people in their town were passionate about this model of education. The two of them could talk about that over a cup of coffee next month. They can figure out what it would take to find the space in their town to bring students together. This conference served a necessary purpose; it provided the encouragement to commit to intentional community. It presented classical education as a way of life, not just for students but for parents and teachers as well. It set a vision and direction, and it was clear that those in attendance were excited to make the commitment necessary to perpetuate this intentional community. That is a victory.
I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to share at this conference. This was my first live conference since the beginning of the pandemic, so it was great to feel the energy flowing from the audience and even have the opportunity to make them smile or laugh a few times. I hope that I can find more opportunities to speak soon.