Theos-Talk Archives (September 2008 Message tt00413)

Our members were certainly not informed before the gen. secr. decided
to support this one. The same is true for the US, obviously. Since
according to Surendra Narayan the other two members of the council
don't represent a section - that is as far as it goes.

For me transparency is certainly a big issue. It was also an election
issue: it seemed at the time that John supported giving more
transparency. Instead we get this. 

I don't agree with Surendra Narayan that the rules should never change
because they have served us well so far. But I do hope that when major
changes are proposed they only get passed when the varying sections
have decided whether to approve them. I mean - this sort of thing
should be in the hands of the members.

Obviously this is a slow process in an international organisation like
ours, but that's only fair. 

Katinka Hesselink
http://www.allconsidering.com/
http://www.katinkahesselink.net/
--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, MKR <mkr777@...> wrote:
>
> On further reflection on what is going on with regard to the proposed
> changes to the rules, here are some issues for us to think about.
> 
> There are two key issues relative to the disenfranchisement and
wholesale
> radical change to the international rules which have stood the
challenges of
> more than a century. They are (1) ultra secrecy in which they were
developed
> and presented to the GC and (2) speed with which it was planned to be
> implemented and to take members by surprise.
> 
> Most GC members represent the sections while some are appointed.
There is no
> evidence that the GC members who submitted the changes, consulted and
> discussed the proposed changes with their elected board members in their
> countries. On the contrary, they may have just been told after the fact
> especially after the info became public on the Internet. If anyone has
> contrary provable information, they are invited to clarify it here.
> 
> It appears that many of the boards consist of rubber stamps. It also
appears
> that the elected GCs, are acting like fiefs because of the security
of the
> elected positions (all politicians do it) and the autonomy provided to
> sections in the TS. If the proposed changes were formally discussed
with the
> board members in board meetings, the question is, did the board members
> agree with (a) changes, (b) keeping them secret from members, and
(c) speedy
> implementation before any members found out about them.
> 
> We have also heard of rumors about boards whining about the
International
> interference in the Intl Elections on the ground of sectional
autonomy. If
> they are so sensitive about their autonomy, then, justice demands
them to
> take their dues paying members into confidence and try to find
solutions to
> problems, instead of trying to impose unilateral Popic decisions
developed
> secretly without any input or discussion with the members who are the
> backbone of the organization.
> 
> TS many have money in the bank and it can keep it going in a
terminal state.
> Leaders should not forget that it is the dedicated, altruistic, hard
working
> members who believe and practice two principles "UNIVERSAL
BROTHERHOOD" and
> THERE IS NO RELIGION HIGHER THAN TRUTH, are the backbone and future
of the
> society.
> 
> Again the above brings back to the issue of transparency at National
level
> to start with. Then it would follow to the GC. If we continue in the
current
> path, I am afraid TS would join the list of organizations killed by
> misleading secrecy. In the last KH letter of 1900, we were warned
> "Misleading secrecy has given the death blow to numerous
organizations." It
> appears to be a natural law as seen by the recent financial collapse
in the
> USA and I see no reason why it would not apply to TS.
> 
> M K Ramadoss
> 
> THERE IS NO RELIGION HIGHER THAN TRUTH:
> 
> **************
> FURTHER INFORMATION:
> 
> 
> ----------------- After the TS President Elections 2008 *
>
http://www.teozofija.info/Teozofsko_gibanje/After_Elections_2008.htm*<http://www.teozofija.info/Teozofsko_gibanje/After_Elections_2008.htm>
> 
> ---------------- TEXT OF PROPOSED CHANGES (Click link) *
>
http://www.katinkahesselink.net/other/Theosophical-soc-reg-08.html*<http://www.katinkahesselink.net/other/Theosophical-soc-reg-08.html>
> 
> ----------------- SPECIAL BLOG & POLL OF REPONSES CLICK HERE TO
EXPRESS YOUR
> OPINION AND READ WHAT OTHERS HAVE SAID. (click link) *
>
http://www.squidoo.com/theosophical-organisation-08*<http://www.squidoo.com/theosophical-organisation-08>
> 
> --------- PLEASE CIRCULATE THIS NOTE TO OTHER THEOSOPHISTS YOU KNOW
OF. AND
> SHARE WITH YOUR LODGES & GROUPS.
> 
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>