Once a year, ALI Fellows from across nearly two decades of classes return to De Hoek Country Hotel in the Magaliesberg for the ALI SA Good Society Seminar, now in its third consecutive year. From the inaugural class to recent cohorts like Class XIII: Akani and Class XIV: Pamoja, the GSS brings together Fellows spanning generations, all carrying that familiar and fiercely defended conviction that their class was, without question, the best one.
But beneath the gentle good-natured rivalry lies something far deeper. In mid-May, Fellows ranging from those nudging 70 to 40-something newcomers gathered once again and what unfolded was a living masterclass in how rich cultures are built, sustained and passed on. In this reflection, Karl Gostner (ALI SA Class I: Inaugural Class) captures what makes the GSS so distinctive: the immediate sense of belonging among strangers, the safety to be vulnerable and the rare space to pause, connect and recalibrate.
Whether returning after a break, walking a clear path that has grown lonely, or sitting in uncertainty, Fellows leave reminded that they are part of something enduring. Whether returning after time away, feeling disconnected along the way or uncertain about what comes next, Fellows leave reminded that the fellowship remains a place of connection, support and belonging. Read on for a beautiful tribute to community, continuity and the quiet distinctive or powerful alchemy of the GSS.
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Written by Karl Gostner
In mid-May, Fellows from several classes gathered for the third consecutive Good Society Seminar. Some of us are now nudging 70, others are 40-something year old ingenues (to the extent that that label could ever apply to an ALI fellow) from recent classes. Classes, they insist, in that time-honoured ALI tradition, are indisputably the best classes. The nearly three-decade span both provides a rich frame for the dialogue and is testament to the enduring nature of the fellowship and the individuals who have driven and shaped it over almost twenty classes.
The venue, as it has been for the last three years: De Hoek Country Hotel in the Magaliesberg, which at this time of year, shimmers with autumn’s numinous shades. Here, one can discard the meditation app, all one needs to do is count the colours of copper.
The GSS provides a lived experience of how rich cultures are built and transmitted. If you’re grappling with culture-building in your organisation, it is a masterclass in how to do it.
Strangers walk into a room, several are introverts, some would claim to be shy (but like ingenue, this being ALI, we do not believe them) and almost immediately, conversation and connection begin – all before the moderators start their subtle magic. Even before words are spoken and ideas shared, there is a knowing: these are my people. I am home. And, importantly, in this performative world, I am safe – something hard for us over-achievers to acknowledge we need. The Good Society Seminar is a place to be, to connect and then safely expand into the areas we know we need, but always feel we don’t have the time, energy or courage to go.
It speaks to a latticework of selection, of shared ritual and of similar process, that started with the still-unnamed Class 1, were consolidated by Kilimanjaro and Seriti (I was bribed to include these elders) and weave their way through to Akani and Pamoja. Culture is always created, frequently haphazardly, without intention, causing chaos. ALI and the GSS embody an alchemical counterpoint; and post the pressure-cooker of the fellowship process, here you have the space to observe the wisdom at work.
But of course, like the fellowship itself, it offers so much more. Some fellows returned after a year’s break, the first seminar had energised them to create new paths, they did and they returned to share the journey. Others are on the paths they’ve chosen, but even there, with clarity of purpose and vision, it becomes lonely – the discussion offers a place of succour and inspiration. And for those in more liminal moments, it gives the possibility of a next step and the certainty that, with this community, I will find my way. Come next year. You’ll be grateful you did.
