Theos-Talk Archives (April 2009 Message tt00413)

Dear Govert,

You wrote:

>Your conclusion: ? is possibly true, but not necessarily so as there are other possible explanations like members not being sufficiently informed about what was at stake, or, if informed, just being indifferent. I'm sure there were abstentions motivated by protest, but it's open how big a percentage that was.<

Yes, sure. To make any serious analysis at least data of two previous elections would be needed along with the membership numbers. Therefore my comments are nothing more than subjective interpretation of available data. In addition, these comments are drawn from the study of the relation between the steadiness of membership and the level of abstention in some Sections and should be read along with those I wrote specifically on the voting abstention: 

Voting Abstention 

As each member of the Theosophical Society eligible to vote get voting ballot by mail at her/his address the voting abstention at present President Elections of 37.8 % is relatively high. Although it is hard to speculate about the reasons for such abstention I will anyway try to find some of them. 

As voting attendance was less or around 50 % in USA, Australia, New Zealand and Europe where John Algeo was prevalently voted for it can be assumed that one of the reasons for abstention was that none of the candidates (as both are actual top officers of the Society) represented a promise for more radical change in the Society. 

The second reason is probably the fact that votes outside India can not play decisive part in the election of the TS' President and therefore many members feel that their vote does not count. 

The third reason can be a feeling among members of some sections that they are not involved in the work of the Society to a sufficient degree or not at all, that sections' officers are somehow alienated from the rest of membership and that they feel that they don't have any influence on the section's and overall policy of the Society. 

The fact that the elected President does not enjoy the majority support outside India should represent a warning that in the Society some necessary changes are eminent and that there is an urgency to find such solutions which will find consensus of majority of the Society's membership. 

Warmest regards,
Anton


--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, "Govert Schuller" <schuller@...> wrote:
>
> Dear Anton,
> 
> Fabulous. Great work. Very helpful. Few observations:
> 
> 1) Indian membership between 1918 and 1928 declined dramatically as total membership increased.  (Total membership, Australia, England and USA all peaked around 1929, the year of the dissolution of the OSE and just before the depression) 
> 
> India peaked at 9,365 in 1919 (which number they reached again in 1975), had a temporary low at 4,980 in 1925 and temporary high again at 6,905 in 1928. 
> 
> What happened between 1918 and 1925 in India? 
> 
> 2) Your conclusion:
> 
>  "Therefore, along with an overall high abstention of voters these data, in my opinion, additionally shows that there is present in TS membership certain disagreement with the policy of actual TS leadership and the choices available at the Elections 2008" 
> 
> is possibly true, but not necessarily so as there are other possible explanations like members not being sufficiently informed about what was at stake, or, if informed, just being indifferent. I'm sure there were abstentions motivated by protest, but it's open how big a percentage that was. 
> 
> Govert
> .
> ----- Original Message ----- 
>   From: Anton Rozman 
>   To: theos-talk@yahoogroups.com 
>   Sent: Tuesday, April 28, 2009 1:52 AM
>   Subject: Theos-World Re: Request: Membership Numbers TS (Adyar)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>   Hi Govert,
> 
>   Here are Membership statistics for the period 1879-1983 summarized from Dr. Tillett's Ph.D. Thesis:
> 
>   http://www.teozofija.info/tsmembers/Membership_Statistics.htm
> 
>   and Membership statistics for 2007/08:
> 
>   http://www.teozofija.info/tsmembers/Membership_Statistics2007-08.htm
> 
>   Till now I didn't succeed to gather data for the period 1983-2007. 
> 
>   Best regards,
>   Anton
> 
>   --- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, "Govert Schuller" <schuller@> wrote:
>   >
>   > Dear all,
>   > 
>   > Does anybody here have the membership numbers throughout the years of TS (Adyar)?
>   > 
>   > They have been published on a yearly basis, but has anybody collected them in one doc.?
>   > 
>   > Thanks in advance
>   > 
>   > Govert
>   > 
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>   >
> 
> 
> 
>   
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