Theos-Talk Archives (April 1998 Message tt00001)

At 01:26 PM 4/2/98 -0800, you wrote:
>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

Recently a well known lecturer mentioned that TS has always given its
message free.

Things seems to have changed. If you visit the WWW of Theosophical Society
(Adyar) in USA, you will find that everyone - member and non member alike
has to pay a fees or make a suggested contribution to elevator fund. Money
speaks and money seems to be the driving force. There is even a maillist
nl-l which can be accessed only if you pay a fee to become a member of the
national lodge. As the devil can quote scriptures, one can always come up
with a justification to charge anything directly or indirectly.

So this question of fees is going to go on for ever.

mkr