Theos-Talk Archives (May 2008 Message tt00551)

Hi Paul,

>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?<

Maybe it has to do with the actual formal situation. Namely, the 
Theosophical Society (Adyar) is an Indian society. Sections or 
national societies are likewise incorporated as national societies. 
Till now the Theosophical Society didn't seek to become an 
international society as thousands of others now existing in the 
world. And with the continuation of such discrepancy the gulf to the 
rest of the world is becoming larger and larger. In this sense these 
elections are crucial.

Anton


--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, "kpauljohnson" <kpauljohnson@...> 
wrote:
>
> 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
>