Can TS attract young members in current environment?
Mar 03, 2009 06:29 AM
by MKR
TS Membership world-wide is aging. Except in India, the numbers are going
south or have not changed for decades. Retention outside India is poor. TS
is not attracting younger members. Organizational setup is such that until
one gets real grey hair and part of the clique, one cannot get into any
leadership position and one has to jump thru hoops. Credibility and trust in
current leaders are at the lowest ever due to their actions since the start
of International Elections. All of this can be Googled.
It is reported that there was a recent brainstorming attempt, funded by Kern
Foundation, and we all should be thankful for their funding it in the
current tough financial climate. It is not clear if during the
brainstorming, the issue of credibility and trust of current leadership was
raised by anyone. It is a very touchy and sensitive one, especially if your
room and board is depends on the organizational leaders.
We can come up with very creative ideas and plans to attract young members.
One key factor among younger members is that they grew up in computer and
modern communication environment whose backbone is Internet. When any
potential young member gets interested in TS, one visit to Google will throw
them into utter confusion when they read the archives of the recent
activities of leaders of TS.
On one hand, there is the motto â There is No Religion Higher than Truth. On
the other, the First Object â Brotherhood/Sisterhood. When the recent
actions of leadership viewed within the background of the Motto and the
First Object, there is very serious disconnect. This leads to the question
of Trust in leaders, which in the minds of many current members is lowest in
many many decades.
Unless the Trust issue is quickly addressed transparently and fixed, any
amount of any other creative ideas are not going to be saleable to the new
and young members. May be it is time for the leadership to move on and make
room for younger ones. Trust cannot be restored in the continued environment
of unnecessary secrecy, in this Internet era of Transparency.
My 0.02.
MKR
There is no Religion Higher Than Truth
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