The Philadelphia Society
Regional Meeting
Cleveland, Ohio, September 20-21, 2002
Cleveland Marriott Downtown at Key Center 

The Creation, Transmission, and Renewal of Culture 

Why is The Philadelphia Society talking about culture in a time of war and aggressive politics? 

A sermon by C.S. Lewis in the unpropitious year of 1939 explains the significance of culture in these troubled times: “Human life has always been lived on the edge of a precipice.  Human culture has always had to exist under the shadow of something infinitely more important than itself.  If men had postponed the search for knowledge and beauty until they were secure, the search would never have begun….The insects have chosen a different line: they have sought first the material welfare and security of the hive, and presumably they have their reward.”

The Philadelphia Society has always had its eye on the long-run rather than the short-run.  The preoccupation of the folks in Washington on the short-run issues is warranted, but there are plenty of competent persons writing and speaking to them. 

The rationale for this particular meeting is to search for the balance between pessimism “It’s always later than you think” and optimism “It’s never too late to start anew.”  Since we have a whole session devoted to American Musical Culture, let me use the lyrics from a quintessential song in the American songbook, Jerome Kern’s “Pick Yourself Up” sung by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in the movie, Swing Time (1936). 

The lyrics (for full set click here) vacillate from “full of doubt looks,” to “nothing’s impossible I have found,” to “pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again.”  Thus the challenge to contemporary conservatives:

Work like a soul inspired
'Til the battle of the day is won.
You may be sick and tired,
But you'll be a man, my son.

Will you remember the famous men
Who had to fall to rise again.
So take a deep breath;
Pick yourself up;
Dust yourself off;
Start all over again.

Every panel reflects issues that will challenge the opinions of some of our Membership.  Our distinguished Keynoter, Bruce Cole, a noted Renaissance art historian and currently Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, will provoke discussion about the role of government in encouraging culture.  

The first panel on Saturday morning on The Market for Culture will be generally sympathetic to many (not all) aspects of popular culture and even multiculturalism, properly understood.  Conservatives need to come to grips with the Internet and its manifold possibilities for good and ill.  

Why did we devote a whole session to America’s Musical Culture when there are many other areas of American culture that could be covered?  Part of the explanation is time; we couldn’t possibly cover all areas of western culture.  More important is that when we choose a place for a Regional Meeting, we like the topics to reflect the region or city we are visiting.  In the case of Cleveland, it is home both to the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra (see below) and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.  Remember that our By-Laws state, “We shall seek understanding, not conformity.”  

The Saturday Luncheon Speaker is the very lively Frederick Turner, University of Texas-Dallas who will discuss The New Classicism and Culture.  

The first Saturday afternoon session will assess the role of the Colleges and Universities in transmitting culture.  Are the liberal arts liberating or confining?  What has happened to Western Civilization courses and Honors Curriculums?  

Our final session will explore the possibilities of renewing culture.   

Cleveland is the appropriate city for our deliberations.  When you look at the three following options, you will see that there are good reasons for extending your stay and not leaving until later on Sunday afternoon. 

(1) By leaving Saturday night open, we make it possible for you to attend the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra’s production of F.J. Haydn’s The Creation, Severance Hall. Ticket prices for the concert are $33.50-$56.  Call them to reserve your tickets for that event. We will have the number for you to call at a later date.   

(2) By leaving Sunday entirely open, you can extend your stay and go to a very nice brunch at the Cleveland Museum of Art for about $23.  No reservations are required.  Admission to the Museum only is free (opens from 10:00 A.M.-5:00 P.M.).  The Museum is also hosting two Special Exhibitions, “Raphael and His Age” and “Pollaiuolo: Battle of the Nudes.” 

(3) The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is within walking distance of our hotel.