Statesmanship Retreat

Calendar
DATE
October 31-02, 2024
Location
LOCATION
Château du Sureau | Oakhurst, CA

with Victor Davis Hanson and John A. Burtka IV

Join the Intercollegiate Studies Institute in Oakhurst, California, this autumn for a weekend intellectual retreat in picturesque wine country October 31–November 2. Enjoy the Château du Sureau, a nine-acre resort in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains and just miles from Yosemite National Park, while exploring the principles of statesmanship with ISI president Johnny Burtka and acclaimed historian and commentator Victor Davis Hanson.

Taking place just days before the November general elections, the participants of the Statesmanship Retreat will enjoy the unique opportunity to examine the qualities necessary for heroic leadership and explore how to advance those qualities in American political life—no matter the election result.

Johnny Burtka and Victor Davis Hanson will lead in-depth discussions of Gateway to Statesmanship, Johnny’s new compilation of ancient and modern wisdom on statesmanship. Their expertise will leave you with a robust understanding of statesmanship and fresh perspective for political life after the upcoming election. Intellectual enrichment, friendship, and a spectacular setting are sure to make this weekend a memorable one.

Schedule of Events

Thursday: October 31

6:00–7:00 p.m. Reception
Wine Cellar

7:00–9:00 p.m. Opening Dinner with Victor Davis Hanson
The Elderberry House
 
Friday: November 1

8:00–9:00 a.m. Breakfast
Château Dining Room

9:00–10:30 a.m. Session 1: “Xenophon: The Education of Cyrus” with Victor Davis Hanson
Grand Salon

10:30–10:45 a.m. Refreshment Break
Château Dining Room

10:45–12:15 p.m. Session 2: “Cicero: On Moral Duties” with Victor Davis Hanson
Grand Salon

12:15–1:45 p.m. Lunch
Château Dining Room

1:45–3:15 p.m. Session 3: “Han Fei: The Difficulties of Persuasion” with Johnny Burtka
Grand Salon

3:15–3:30 p.m. Refreshments
Château Dining Room

3:30–6:00 p.m. Free Time

6:00-7:00 p.m. Reception
Wine Cellar

7:00–9:00 p.m. Dinner 
The Elderberry House

Saturday: November 2

8:00–9:00 a.m. Breakfast
Château Dining Room

9:00–10:30 a.m. Session 4: “Machiavelli’s The Prince” with Johnny Burtka
Grand Salon

10:30–10:45 a.m. Refreshment Break
Château Dining Room

10:45–12:15 p.m. Session 5: “Theodore Roosevelt & Charles de Gaulle” with Johnny Burtka
Grand Salon

12:15–1:45 p.m. Lunch
Château Dining Room

1:45–4 :30  p.m. Free Time

4:30-6:00 p.m. Session 6: “George Washington’s Farewell Address” with Victor Davis Hanson
Grand Salon

6:00-7:00 p.m. Reception
Wine Cellar

7:00–9:00 p.m. Dinner
The Elderberry House

Dr. Victor Davis Hanson

Hanson was a National Endowment for the Humanities fellow at the Center for Advanced Studies in the Behavioral Sciences, Stanford, California (1992–93), a visiting professor of classics at Stanford University (1991–92), the annual Wayne and Marcia Buske Distinguished Visiting Fellow in History at Hillsdale College (2004–), the Visiting Shifron Professor of Military History at the US Naval Academy (2002–3),and the William Simon Visiting Professor of Public Policy at Pepperdine University (2010).

In 1991 he was awarded an American Philological Association Excellence in Teaching Award. He received the Eric Breindel Award for Excellence in Opinion Journalism (2002), presented the Manhattan’s Institute’s Wriston Lecture (2004), and was awarded the National Humanities Medal (2007) and the Bradley Prize (2008).

John A. Burtka IV

John A. Burtka IV is President of the Intercollegiate Studies Institute. He graduated from Hillsdale College with degrees in French and Christian Studies and earned a graduate degree in theology from La Faculté Jean Calvin in Aix-en-Provence, France. He worked for four years at The American Conservative magazine, where he served as Executive Director and Acting Editor. John has appeared on Fox News and Fox Business and written for the Washington Post, the Richmond Times-Dispatch, First Things, the American Mind, and the Intercollegiate Review, among other publications.

He has been a Lincoln Fellow at the Claremont Institute and has participated in academic fellowships at Washington College and the Trinity Forum.

Spots are limited

If you value intellectual rigor, conservative principles, and good conversation, this retreat was designed with you in mind. Each attendee will receive a copy of Gateway to Statesmanship, which will serve as the primary reading for the weekend. Participants will have exclusive access to the entire chateau, ensuring a serene and focused environment for intellectual enrichment.

RESERVE YOUR SPOT TODAY

This is an exclusive event with limited availability. Please reserve your spot today to be part of an unforgettable weekend of intellectual growth and fellowship at the vanguard of the conservative movement.

Register now