Theos-Talk Archives (April 2009 Message tt00185)

Membership issue and GC Meeting

We are all very fortunate that Keith offered to answer questions we may have
about the matters that took place when he was the International Secretary at
Adyar.

Looking at the broader question of what business was transacted at the GC
meeting in December, 2008, it is amazing that very little seems to have been
addressed concerning some of the very serious issues facing the theosophical
movement.

Based on the member statistics, it is very clear that membership recruitment
and retention is a very hot potato no one seems to even whisper. A number of
GC members from countries around the world, traveled to Adyar at great
expense to the Sections. While they may have discussed elections and
appointments and selections and other non membership related issues, we have
seen no indication of any formal or informal discussions taking place
addressing the membership issue.

As the statistics speaks for itself, the membership outside India is in a
slide and in some countries, just the loss of a couple of lodges will end up
in the loss of a section status. Also if the current trend continues, within
our life times, it is quite possible that TS will disappear from some of the
countries.

In India, the membership has been gradually growing and today it is the
largest section in the world. This is in contrast to the decline outside
India. To dismiss the differential as due to purely cultural reasons, is not
to be accepted until there is clear cut proof. Some of the members who
travelled to India at great expense to TS could have spent some time
visiting Indian Lodges to see how they operate so that some of the lessons
from India can be implemented in other countries. Why this was not
attempted, no one knows.

I hope all the GC members give some serious thought to fundamental issues
before they plan to attend the next meeting end of this year, so that they
can show to their members what they achieved for the money spent in
traveling to India. Tinkering with the rules and regulations and
concentrating on procedural divisive issues are not going to bring in new
members and retain current members.

MKR


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