From Justin:
Next week's highlight, for me and many other attendees, will be the three-and-a-half day conference hosted at the Portsmouth Abbey School by the newly formed Portsmouth Institute. The opportunity to invest some time in the life of the mind is something that most folks who work must normally squeeze into spare moments and is often accomplished in solitude with a book, on a computer, or in front of the television.
A conference is more of a community event: in this case, listening to and having a chance to meet the roster of speakers who will address William F. Buckley's work and life and the role of Roman Catholics in intellectual society:
Other activities during the June 18-21 event include meals, tours of the school's church and wind turbine, and classical concerts by pianist Lawrence Perelman and Portsmouth Abbey faculty. Register online.
Perhaps the key reason to attend, however, remains the fact that we don't see these sorts of events that often in Rhode Island, and the founders of the Portsmouth Institute intend to make a regular practice of them. The best way to ensure that they do so and that other organizations pursue similar offerings is simply to respond to the opportunity for edification.