Friends,

Happy St. Patrick's Day! 

I'm sure some of you will make fun of me for this, but when I headed back to my hotel room at the end of Saturday night, in my head, I was singing that old song, "Friends" by Michael W. Smith. The first lines of the chorus are, "Friends are friends forever, if the Lord's the Lord of them..." And I know some of you will scoff at the cliches and "cute" lyrics, but it doesn't make it any less true. There is something qualitatively different - physically, spiritually, emotionally, etc. - when friends are united not simply by interest but by a common faith. It just feels different. I think that's one reason for the "vibe" that Bill McClay mentioned on Friday.

Thank you all for your presentations, encouragement, and support for the Ciceronian Society over the last week. I hope you enjoyed the conversation and are inspired to grow as teachers, scholars, writers, or in whatever profession you find yourself. 

Unfortunately, a number of you remain stranded in Omaha. This rather impressive storm has not been flight-friendly. Let us all join in prayer for those still trying to get home to their families and communities in the midst of the mayhem. I'm pretty sure "being home," is not something any of you chose to abstain from for Lent.   

I am hopeful that, in the coming weeks, I'll be able to reveal the date and location for our 2027 Spring Conference, but you'll want to make sure you're subscribed to our regular, monthly newsletter rather than just this conference one. We'll announce it through that newsletter as soon as we confirm the details. 

And here are a few final notes and other reminders:

• Complete the Conference Survey and let us know how we can improve

• We have a lot of pictures and recordings from this conference, and I'll be in touch when they're available to share. Many of the recordings, for example, are likely to end up on our Podcast, The Sower. 

• Are you preparing your presentation for a peer-reviewed journal? If so, we strongly encourage you to send the final manuscript to our interdisciplinary journal, Pietas. 

• If you're already a Ciceronian Society member, and want to nominate someone to join, use this Member Nomination Form. Annual nominations are due by May 15. 

• Check out the Fall Symposium Call for Papers and please help us spread the word. Proposals are due by June 1.

• See the newly-launched Logres Institute, and send us any questions you have.

• Have you listened to our Podcasts? The Sower which covers a range of topics, is published every Sunday. Our ongoing discussion of Cicero On Duties is published on Wednesdays. Have an idea for a Sower episode? Let us know! 

• You can now make nominations for the 2027 Herbert J. Storing Prize. Nominations are due by September 1. 

• Please be sure to thank our sponsors listed below. Their support goes a long way to making this event possible and affordable. We are so grateful for their friendship and the work they're doing.

• Finally, please prayerfully consider giving to the Ciceronian Society this year. We have a lot of momentum heading in to the rest of the year, but we need your help to make it happen. Gifts of any size go a long way helping us do what we do. 

I wish you all many blessings in this Lenten Season as we look toward celebrating the glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

Thank you! 

In Christ,

Josh Bowman

[email protected]