Theos-Talk Archives (July 2008 Message tt00062)

In order to understand membership pattern correctly, you need to
calculate percentage of membership in a country, after taking into
account total population of the country. That means, if a country has
300 members and if total population of the country is ten millions
(10,000,000) then 300 divided 10,000,000 gives the number 0.00003.
Multiply it by 100 and you get the percentage of membership in a
country. Here 0.00003 multiplied by 100 is 0.003 %. That means this
country has 0.003 percent members.
After you calculate percentage of membership you can think which
country has largest percentage. India has large TS membership because
it has total one billion population.  More analysis will be possible
if somebody makes a chart giving percentage membership. Membership
numbers we are already having. And on internet population of different
countries is also available. 
Anand Gholap


--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, mkr777@... wrote:
>
> Dear Brother/Sister:
> 
> I posted a message some time back, giving my views on the drop in
membership
> world-wide, except in India where there is a significant increase.
> 
> The link to the message is:
> 
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/theos_talk/message/44302
> 
> Due to the de-centralized nature of the theosophical work, now may
be timely
> for representatives from all the countries to travel to the East.
Now it may
> be a good time for a group of individuals from the West to visit the
lodges
> in India and study and learn how they carry on their activities and
find out
> what is the secret to they being able to attract new members and retain
> existing members. Attracting new members and retaining them are the
key to
> increased membership.
> 
> One of the phenomenon, I have seen in Indian Lodges, is that
generally the
> entire family will be attending the lodge meetings and functions
even though
> only the head of the family may be formally a member. Meetings and
functions
> are generally open to all including non-members. Another interesting
fact is
> that in many lodges, you can see three generations present at their
meetings
> and functions. Such is not the case, at least in the USA where you will
> normally find either a man or woman attending the meetings, rarely
finding
> the spouse or children.
> 
> Also, some may be day-dreaming that modern technology and management
> techniques are the simple answers to poor membership recruitment and
> retention in the West. They are not. In India, the increase in the
> membership has happened without application of any of the modern
> communication technology. It is all done by personal one-on-one contact
> which beats any technology any day.
> 
> I am no stranger to modern communication technology and management
> techniques. It looks like they can be used very effectively for highly
> routine and uncomplicated/complex work like production and
distribution of
> reading and study materials, in addition to communication and
exchange of
> information. How it will boost membership is a question which needs
to be
> tested.
> Talking of communications and remote management, we recently saw what
> happened with AT&T, the world's largest telecommunication company.
It was
> headquartered for the last decade, at San Antonio, Texas. It just
decided to
> move to Dallas, Texas. It is a company which has all the leading edge
> communication technology and tools for use. Theoretically, the President
> could run the business from his bed room because he has at his disposal
> every communication tool available today and cost is no consideration.
> However, he and the Board of Directors, chose to move the HQ to
Dallas for
> efficient administration. This shows that telecommunication and remote
> management are not solutions to run organizations. I think it is a
lesson
> everyone of us can learn from.
> 
> Fraternally,
> 
> M K Ramadoss, Member, TS, San Antonio, Texas
> 
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>