Theos-Talk Archives (May 2008 Message tt00544)

Dear Doss,

I find it hard to contribute anything constructive to this 
discussion, and neither theos-l nor theos-talk seem inclined to 
discuss anything but the upcoming election.  So it was probably a bad 
time to resubscribe, and I'll soon take another long hiatus until 
this is over.  But before taking leave, there are some questions I 
have for anyone who might care to ask, which might be no one.  These 
are elephants in the room that it seems useful for both sides to 
ignore.

> the rest of the world had 24,448. Today, according to the 2007 
Annual
> Report of the TS, the Indian Section has 12,444 members and the rest
> of the world 16,570."
> 
> This shows that in India, the membership has increased by 59%.
> In rest of the world, it has declined by 32%.
> 
Question: how much of that shrinkage is due to national sections 
losing membership, and how much of it is due to Radha's (high-handed, 
arrogant, secretive, unaccountable, IMO) treatment of national 
sections that were expelled?

Question two: can anyone testify that John Algeo is any less high-
handed, arrogant, secretive, and unaccountable in his attitudes 
toward the TS and its members?

> population has grown. In addition, with the coming down of Iron 
Curtain,
> there is more democracy in East European countries. In spite of 
this the
> membership has declined. Why?
> 
Question three: how much is the failure to capitalize on new 
opportunities (MOSTLY RUSSIA) for growth of the TS due to an innate 
conservatism, arrogance, high-handedness, and unaccountability of the 
leadership?  Leadership that could not or would not be bothered to 
deal with any of the possible changes that an influx of new members 
might bring.

> TS, internationally operated on a de-centralized model. The National
> Secretaries,  once elected, in spite of the National Board, seem to 
operate like in a fiefdom with board going along whatever the NS 
wants. 

A fish rots from the head.  Having the OH of the ES as the PTS is so 
outright dangerous to the health of the organization because it sets 
a standard that the TS is essentially a front organization.  The 
authority of the spiritual leader of the ES corrupts the 
accountability of the elected leader of the TS.  It pervades all the 
relationships between the PTS and the rest of the organization, as 
Annie Besant demonstrated remarkably thoroughly.

> At this rate, by end of this century, TS may disappear around the 
world except in India.

Why has the presidency of Radha been so successful in terms of Indian 
membership and so disastrous most everywhere else?  Might it have to 
do with consolidating what she sees as her power base and letting 
everyone else go hang?  What has she done right in India?  How could 
it be used as a model elsewhere?
> 
And another question: if John Algeo is indeed the kind of person I 
have experienced him to be, and many other once-bitten twice-shy 
members or former members have reported, then why could the TS not 
come up with a single other nominee to succeed Radha?  

PJ