Eighth Annual Event Featuring Keynote Speakers General David Petraeus & Lord Andrew Roberts
WELCOME
The study of Winston Churchill is the study of statesmanship on a level few have ever exhibited. Great leadership and courage, especially when in defense of freedom and democratic principles, are perhaps the most noble of virtues we seek in our statesmen. Of history’s greatest defenders of individual liberty over the past three-hundred years, George Washington may well be regarded the greatest statesman of the 18th Century, Abraham Lincoln of the 19th, and Winston Churchill of the 20th.
COURAGE IS RIGHTLY ESTEEMED THE FIRST OF HUMAN QUALITIES, BECAUSE, IT HAS BEEN SAID, IT IS THE QUALITY WHICH GUARANTEES ALL OTHERS.”
– Winston Churchill
When one considers the enormity of the crises that impacted the 20th Century, the global scale of the threats to democratic countries and institutions, and the great forces at work yielding technology and weaponry in a way that prior centuries could not, the importance of the legacy of Winston Churchill becomes undeniable. Perhaps no figure in history had the fate of virtually everyone in the world resting more on their shoulders than Churchill. To succeed, he had to draw on all of the diverse experiences of his lifetime, as well as his extensive knowledge of history. He possessed courage and energy in near inexhaustible quantities. How could one person accomplish so much? How did he save free civilization from the darkest tyrannies of all time?
At the CSP, we seek to help illuminate the answers to these questions. To study the great statesmen is to study the good and higher things… the things that unite and elevate us… the things that are worth fighting for and defending. Such learning requires us to think deeply about the purpose of constitutional government and how to defend the most sacred foundational principals of a free society. A true understanding of Churchill’s greatness, and the times in which he lived, can help us identify the threats to those precious things today. This knowledge will no doubt help each of us be better prepared to communicate, and when necessary, defend these things in our time.
Pennsylvania, as the birthplace of American liberty, has played a consequential role in the establishment and maintenance of human freedom. Churchill, who was half-American, cherished the special relationship that existed between the United Kingdom and United States. He believed this bond must endure for liberty and Western Civilization to endure. The Churchill Society of Pennsylvania is dedicated to keeping alive the lessons and legacy of Sir Winston throughout the Keystone State. I hope you join us, and the International Churchill Society, in this beautiful and rewarding endeavor…
Vince Benedetto
President, Churchill Society of Pennsylvania
Vince Benedetto
President, Churchill Society of Pennsylvania