Theos-Talk Archives (February 2005 Message tt00329)

Your comments are welcome. I hope you posted the msg on your own initiative 
and not based on suggestions by some of the leaders.

I want to add my 0.02.

The general international policy seems to have changed with the ascendancy 
of Annie Besant as President. It appears that during the pre-Besant days, 
when the branches were few, there was a contact person in each branch who 
was kept in the know of about the meetings and decisions of the 
International General Council so the members in the branches got the 
information from horse's mouth not thru rumors or grapevine. It seems after 
Besant took over, all that changed.

While National Presidents/Secretaries are members of the GC, very little 
info on the decisions made by the GC flows down to the membership. Has 
anyone on this list seen any of the agenda or minutes of the GC during the 
last 10 years? If so, how can a dues paying member get copies?

Sometimes the GC do make some important decisions which do not get 
broadcast to membership either by design or by choice of the National 
Presidents/Secretaries or by tradition. Transparency will help.

In any organization, there are going to be decisions made for very good and 
valid reasons which are not going to be put in writing or publicized. Also 
in any organization there are going to be circles within circles, which is 
unavoidable. Also many times well-meaning decisions may have unintended 
consequences. And also well intentioned and honest people make decisions 
which end up not helping organizations.

Most organizations have to deal with managing money and property and when 
you mix this with spiritual issues decisions can get skewed and we have to 
put up with it.

I have known a large number of theosophists who are very dedicated and have 
sacrificed for theosophy and we need to commend on their contributions. 
Ultimately, it is the individual that counts and if theosophy can transform 
the person, then the objective of theosophy would have been achieved.

mkr

At 09:28 PM 02/13/05 +0000, Chris Richardson wrote:
> As an active member for the last ten years, resident-staff member at the 
> National
> Center and three years on the National Board of Directors, I feel 
> compelled to add a
> short comment to this discussion.


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