Theos-Talk Archives (March 2006 Message tt01501)

	The way I see it, the management in the TS has been getting steadily 
more oligarchical. It is not physically difficult for an outsider to 
become part of the oligarchy, but, in order to do so, they have to 
become, well, part of the oligarchy. I'm not as certain that membership 
in the coMasons, LCC and ES are all necessary; I think it's in the other 
direction: the kind of people the oligarchy wants are also the kind of 
people who would join those organizations (I have pointed out, quite 
openly, the hypocrisy inherent in belonging to the both the  LCC, an 
organization that thumbs its nose at the 1st Object, and the ES. And the 
rules of both the coMasons and the ES specifically prohibit showing 
favoritism to members of the respective organizations, which brings the 
level of hypocrisy even higher). Be that as it may, I have also pointed 
out a number of things which have been done in the past few years to 
strengthen the oligarchy.

	First is the discouragement and blocking of those who are not "in" to 
be able to communicate with the membership. The membership list is 
available to those already serving on the board, but forbidden to 
anybody else, giving a major leg up to those who the existing board 
members wish to encourage, and a major barrier to those who aren't on 
that list. A number of attempts that have been made in the past to 
create direct communication between lodges have been quietly discouraged 
by Wheaton, as well (including two projects of mine; one to have lodges 
physically near each other share lists of speakers willing to travel, to 
create local versions of the "national speakers" program, and the other 
is the theoslodges list, which was supposed to be to create a 
backchannel of communication between those active in lodges).

	Then, there is the move towards eliminating lodges altogether, 
encouraging people to be "members-at-large" (something that used to be 
discouraged). As I have mentioned before, National has even created a 
pseudo "National Lodge" (which is not a lodge at all).

	In addition, there has been the combining of districts, so that 
somebody who, in spite of the efforts of National, builds up a local 
reputation, STILL can't get elected to the Board.

	The major difference between the TS Adyar and the other Theosophical 
Societies is that the TS Adyar is, theoretically, democratic on 
organization. The blocking of communication, and the constraints put on 
any member running for office who is not in favor with those currently 
in office, is definitely against the spirit of the organization.

	Bart