Theos-Talk Archives (October 2008 Message tt00000)

Hi MKR,

You quote a paragraph from the rules of the general council which is
from the 1905 rules. 

http://www.katinkahesselink.net/his/rules.htm

More recent rules can be found here:

http://eletzerich.wordpress.com/international-by-laws/

Katinka Hesselink
--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, MKR <mkr777@...> wrote:
>
> September 30, 2008
> 
> Dear Brothers and Sisters:
> 
> The current situation in TS is far more critical than meets the eye.
Let me
> go over why I came to this conclusion.
> 
> A LOOK AT TS RULES
> 
> Look around Internet and you will not be able to find the current TS
rules
> online in any official website. So, outside of the GC, we have no
means of
> knowing what the current rules are. This is contrary to what used to
happen
> during Olcott's time.
> 
> In 1896 when the rules were revised, Olcott issued an Executive
Order which
> stated:
> *
> 
> "The undersigned publishes for the information of members the text
of Rules
> revised and adopted this day."
> *(Note this was addressed to members.)
> 
> When have you seen such a statement in recent times? Rules have been
> changed/modified as recent as 2006, and we do not know what the
changes are
> and why. There was no announcement of the changes either. In the
Internet
> age, it is very easy, cheap and quick to distribute this kind of
> information. They are not confidential information that need to be
> restricted to the GC members only.
> 
> ONE CRITICAL RULE.
> 
> Let me quote Rule 3, (I copied from Katinka's website) which is very
> important:
> 
> +++++
> 
> 3. Removal of General Council members and officers
> *
> 
> It shall be competent for the General Council to remove any of its
members,
> or any officer of the Society excepting the President of the
Theosophical
> Society and excepting the General Secretaries of National Societies,
by a
> three-fourths majority or its whole number of members, at a special
meeting
> called for the purpose, of which at least three months' notice shall
have
> been given, the quorum consisting, however, of not fewer than five
members.
> *
> 
> +++++
> 
> This means President and General Secretaries cannot be removed by GC.
> Whoever put this rule had great foresight.
> 
> 
> 
> PROPOSED RULE CHANGES
> 
> Recently a proposal was sent to the GC in greatest secrecy. Its aim
is to
> change the rules upside down and also disenfranchise members from
directly
> voting for the International President. The plan of the proposers is
to get
> them adopted in December 2008 meeting before members had a chance to
find
> out. Due to the good luck of the TS, the cat was out of the bag and
we are
> discussing them, courtesy of Internet.
> 
> If you accept the premise that GC is all powerful and can change any
rule at
> its whim, then we are in a dangerous slippery slope. Next change can
be that
> the International President, can also be removed by the GC for any
reason.
> Such a change will make the GC dictatorial and feared body and the
President
> would end up as its puppet. It would be disastrous to TS.
> 
> 
> 
> EVENTS SINCE DECEMBER 2007
> 
> 
> 
> The proposed rule changes need to be seen in the light of recent
historical
> perspective.
> 
> 
> 
> In the recent International President election, a well coordinated
effort
> was made by some to defeat Radhaji, by spreading erroneous
information that
> she not be elected because she is physically and mentally sick. Even
when
> incontrovertible evidence was publicly presented to disprove it, no
effort
> was made to correct the erroneous information so that members would have
> correct information. Fortunately, Radhaji was elected with a wide
margin.
> 
> After the election, I have not seen the losing candidate PUBLICLY
> congratulating Radhaji and wholeheartedly committing to cooperate and
> support her in her job.. I live in the USA, and it is a longtime
tradition
> even among bitter rival candidates to come out openly and in public to
> congratulate and support the winner. This is amazing. I am just
giving you
> the facts. You can come to your own conclusion.
> 
> 
> 
> Recently we all were surprised that a proposal containing radical and
> fundamental changes were developed in great secrecy and was sent to
the GC
> to be considered and approved in the December 2008 meeting.
Accidentally the
> proposal came out to the public to the shock of everyone and if it
had been
> approved, it would be a disaster to the TS and its future.
> 
> 
> 
> It is to be noted here that the leaders who are behind the radical rule
> change proposal mentioned above are the same ones who supported the
losing
> candidate and also tried to defeat Radhaji by spreading erroneous
> information on her health.
> 
> 
> 
> NEED ACTION NOW
> 
> 
> 
> I am presenting the above so that all of us can see the landscape
ourselves
> and come to our own conclusion. Members' action is needed now.
> 
> TRANSPARENCY
> 
> 
> 
> Also, all of the above point to one thing and one thing only. The
immediate
> need for full transparency. Tranparency will be a protection against ill
> conceived actions of elected officials which can destroy TS as we
know it.
> If members, you and me, are not extra vigilant, decisions will be taken
> behind our backs and we will become powerless to do anything, other than
> leaving the TS.
> 
> 
> 
> In my humble opinion, it is time for us to wake up and contact our
elected
> officials and let them know your concerns and urge them the need for
> immediate action before it is too late.
> 
> 
> 
> Fraternally yours, M K Ramadoss, Member TS, San Antonio, Texas USA
Note: You
> are free to disseminate and distribute this message to others, in
whole or
> in part in any manner you deem necessary. 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>
> 
> ---------------- 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>
> Erica's Link:
*http://eletzerich.wordpress.com/*<http://eletzerich.wordpress.com/>
> 
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>