Theos-Talk Archives (September 2008 Message tt00194)

Nice e-mail. I think that every member who knows about it, should contact the general secretary of his section, expressing their point of view.

Erica

--- On Wed, 9/24/08, MKR <mkr777@gmail.com> wrote:
From: MKR <mkr777@gmail.com>
Subject: Theos-World TS - Proposed Membership Disenfranchisement
To: mkr777@gmail.com
Date: Wednesday, September 24, 2008, 9:38 PM










    
            I have sent the following message to Betty Bland, National President

(National Secretary) of TS in America. I am send it to you for your

information and recommend you contact your elected officials and convey

your strong protest to the proposals.



Thanks



M K Ramadoss, Member TS, San Antonio, Texas, USA



===========



September 24, 2008



Bro. Betty Bland

President, Theosophical Society in America

Wheaton, IL



Dear Bro. Bland:



It is with a sense of deep sorrow that I am writing this message and as you

read the message, it would become clear why.



As the duly elected leaders of TSA, TS members look to you and the members

of Board of Directors to protect and defend not only the interests of TS and

Theosophy, but more importantly, that of dues paying members.



Recently it has come to my knowledge that you have submitted a proposal to

the General Council of TS, that would disenfranchise all members in directly

exercising our votes in the election of the International President and

transferring the power to elect the International President to a small group

of General Council members. If this is approved by the General Council in

its next meeting which I hear will take place in December 2008, it would be

fait accompli and it would be too late and we all would have lost one of the

basic democratic voting rights in the TS, which we all had since the

foundation of TS and we would lose it for ever.



Members have a right to know of such drastic curtailment of democratic right

in a democratic organization. No one has been told of the proposal and no

world-wide discussion has taken place. Such a move reminds me of the normal

mode of action of dictatorship and we, theosophists are expected to be open

and deliberative and participatory, since the growth and future of TS in the

world depends on active unselfish, motivated altruistic members as it has

been in the past.



Your proposal brings into focus, another very important issue about which I

have frequently commented in theosophical forums. It is the transparency of

the General Council. In the early days of TS, there was total transparency

with each lodge having a representative who was in contact with GC and

lodges were kept uptodate on the actions of GC in spite of slow methods of

communication. During the several decades I have been around TS, members

know nothing of the going ons in the GS. They do not know when it meets, its

agenda and decisions. So there is total opaqueness in its activities. There

is no reason to carry out its function in secrecy since in this country,

even large elected public bodies are able to carry on deliberations in the

open as there are methods and procedures in place to keep details of

confidential issues such as contracts, personnel evaluation, litigation

advise etc. to be dealt with in executive session.



Lack of transparency, provides a great opportunity for a handful of people,

however highly regarded they may be, take decisions which are detrimental to

the membership, TS and Theosophy. One such case is the current plan to

disenfranchise the members in the International President election.

Transparency is the built-in safeguard to prevent a small group of

individuals from making decisions to further their self-interests and

hurting the interest of TS and theosophy.



Having said the above, I am wondering what other issues that the General

Council is currently scheduled to consider and act on, some of which, while

apparently well-intentioned, but really detrimental or disastrous to TS and

Theosophy. Here I like to recall the comment made by Master K.H. in his 1900

letter to Annie Besant that "Misleading secrecy has given the death blow to

numerous organizations" and I hope TS does join the list.



In the interests of theosophy, members of TS and Theosophical Society, I

request you to:



1. Immediately withdraw all your proposals before the General Council and



2. Make the General Council agenda and decisions transparent.



Thanking you,



Yours fraternally,



M K Ramadoss, Member TS, San Antonio, Texas



Copy to:

TSA Board Members.

Brothers and Sisters of TS.


      

    
    
	
	 
	
	








	


	
	

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