Theos-Talk Archives (April 1998 Message tt00000)

April 2nd 1998

About charging fees. etc.

If one studies the evolution of this concept in early T S days, one
finds first that they were intended to defray standing costs only.
After some time when adequate reserves built up, it
was decided to cancel all fees for a time. Later meetings were
made open to the public at no charge.

Sometime later, fees were reinstituted, a proportion to be kept for
upkeep and expenses at the local Branch, and the balance to be sent
to Headquarters. The accounts of the American Branch (later
Section) T S show this clearly. Eventually, the American
contributions ended in largely supporting Adyar H Q and then as
gifts and legacies began to come in, Funds were set up -- for
education of 'untouchables," for a Library, for maintenance, etc...

This got even in Olcott's time to be an important thing. Mr. Judge
maintained that all incoming moneys ought to be used for current
expenses and the balance for promulgation. On this basis he
instituted the TRACT MAILING SCHEME (under which in 10 years over
1/2 a million tracts were sent out), and the TRAVELLING LECTURER
SCHEME, whereby a qualified speaker would visit various places and
with the help of local advertising and enthusiasm perhaps a Branch
would be organized. He believed in spending it all as it came in
and leaving the "funds" out of consideration.

To this end in Vol 8 of THE PATH Mr. Judge wrote and published an
article entitled ON FUNDS AND PROPERTY (as I recall it is on p
358).

Well there are many points of view but the strongest of all is to
provide Theosophy free of cost wherever and whenever possible.

Dallas

April 2nd 1998

About charging fees. etc.

If one studies the evolution of this concept in =
early T S
days, one finds first that they were intended to defray standing costs
only. After some time when adequate reserves built up, it =

was decided to cancel all fees for a time. =
Later
meetings were made open to the public at no charge.

Sometime later, fees were =
reinstituted, a
proportion to be kept for upkeep and expenses at the local Branch, and =
the
balance to be sent to Headquarters. The accounts of the American =
Branch
(later Section) T S show this clearly. Eventually, the American
contributions ended in largely supporting Adyar H Q and then as gifts =
and
legacies began to come in, Funds were set up -- for education of
'untouchables," for a Library, for maintenance, etc...

This got even in Olcott's time to be an important =
thing.
Mr. Judge maintained that all incoming moneys ought to be used for =
current
expenses and the balance for promulgation. On this basis he =
instituted the
TRACT MAILING SCHEME (under which in 10 years over 1/2 a million tracts =
were
sent out), and the TRAVELLING LECTURER SCHEME, whereby a qualified =
speaker would
visit various places and with the help of local advertising and =
enthusiasm
perhaps a Branch would be organized. He believed in spending it =
all as it
came in and leaving the "funds" out of =
consideration.

To this end in Vol 8 of THE PATH Mr. Judge wrote and =

published an article entitled ON FUNDS AND PROPERTY (as I recall =
it is on
p 358).

Well there are many points of view but the strongest =
of all is
to provide Theosophy free of cost wherever and whenever =
possible.