Theos-Talk Archives (April 2009 Message tt00428)

Hi All
Thanks for the response, Katinka.

As for theos-talk, all I have been doing is posting messages to the best of
my ability. (Some may call it monologue; so be it!!!) Theos-talk is the only
forum that we have to deal with the administrative issues. There is no other
way to distribute information and opinions and objections on issues and
developments, since from time to time there is a conflict of interests
between the leadership and the members and the organization and the Cause.
Other than our time, it is free to post msgs here.

As I had already mentioned earlier, Katinka has done a wonderful job in the
cyberspace at this young age. We all should be thankful to her for what she
has done. We can expect much more in the future, since the future medium of
action is cyberspace. (Are leaders listening?)

Only few of us, by Karma, are positioned to take up theosophical work
full-time. I am recalling the incident regarding Helen Zahara, years ago.
She was trained as Chartered Accountant and was keen on working full-time
for TS. CJ who was President at that time, told her that TS does not have
funds to pay her compensation she can command in business. Hence, he told
her to go out and work in the business and after having saved enough, come
back to TS and work full-time. She followed his advise. As her Karma
decided, she died couple of years after she started working full time for TS
and she was still young and was in prime of her life. I expect that in
Katinkaâs future, there would come a time when she is financially
self-sufficient that she can work full time for TS.

Coming to TS events since early last year. Many leaders around the world
have taken some missteps. We all make mistakes. What is more important is to
quickly recognize the mistakes early and acknowledge the mistakes and move
to fix them quickly. It needs a lot of wisdom and courage to identify the
mistakes and own them and apologize for the mistakes. We can take a lesson
from the Japanese. We have seen many leaders, publicly acknowledge mistakes
and even kill themselves (Harakiri! We can find some swords if needed from
our Japanese friends!). Chuck, do you know some sources? (Just kidding)  I
am not suggesting our leaders should kill themselves for their mistakes.

Once the errors and mistakes are recognized and aggressive steps taken to
fix them, membership is usually generous and forgiving. When this is not
done, the average member sees the hypocrisy and the reputation of leader and
membersâ trust in the leaders take a downfall drip drip and drip.

One of the most unique things about TS is the total autonomy of the lodges
and the sections in their activities. For example, when I lived in India, if
you ask the lodge members who the National Secretary is, 9 out of 10 would
not know. This is because there is practically no interference from the top.

This autonomous setup allows each lodge and section to come up with their
own activities using the local ingenuity to fit into local culture and
societal needs. While much noise was created last year about the rules and
regulations and hair splitting went on, rules and regulations have no effect
on how dynamic a lodge or a section is. Rules do not bring in members or
retain them. It is the activities, that does.

Again, I think at our lodge and section levels, we need to brainstorm and
come up with some creative activities which would draw the attention of the
world around them. If anyone thinks I am wrong, I want to hear from them.

MKR

THERE IS NO RELIGION HIGHER THAN TRUTH




On Tue, Apr 28, 2009 at 2:29 PM, Katinka Hesselink <
mail@katinkahesselink.net> wrote:

>
>
> Hi all,
>
> MKR - did you miss the wink I'd put in there ;) ? But seriously, I do think
> you have place of informal leadership here on theos-talk at least. And I've
> personally learned a lot from you.
>
> My name does seem to be mentioned a lot in regard to leadership roles - but
> there is a very good practical reason why it's not my time: I can't afford
> to put my life on hold for full time volunteer work right now, nor in the
> foreseeable future. There is a very practical reason why our leaders are
> mostly retired: how else can they do the work? Unless there's a working
> partner of course with a very good income.
>
> As for Betty - I think it's pretty clear to most observers that she's made
> some serious mistakes.
>
> I don't think though that a formal investigation would help. Individual
> sections just need to get on with the work of getting in touch with the
> world of spirituality & responding to the main challenges of our time. And
> to some extent they are doing so. The TSA has founded an active online forum
> & had great brainstorm sessions apparently at Krotona. The next step of
> course is to put all that into action locally as well as online.
>
> Activities have to be rethought very seriously - how can a balance be found
> between serious theosophical lectures and programs that fit the general
> spiritually interested public we'd also like to attract? What themes are we
> not addressing at all, despite the fact that they belong to the central
> topics theosophists study and think about? And so on.
>
> En Martin: dat liedje hoor ik al mijn hele leven :)
>
> Katinka
> http://www.allconsidering.com/
> http://www.katinkahesselink.net/
> http://www.overpeinzende.nl/
>
> --- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com <theos-talk%40yahoogroups.com>, Martin
> <Mvandertak@...> wrote:
> >
> > I agree, Katinka for president!
> >
> >  ( Kleine kokette Katinka
> > Kijk nou eens een keertje om
> > Stiekempjes over je schouder
> > Je ma ziet het toch niet dus kom
> > Kleine kokette Katinka
> > Ben je verlegen misschien
> > We willen zo graag nog heel even
> > Een glimp van je wipneusje zien )
> >
> > --- On Mon, 4/27/09, MKR <mkr777@...> wrote:
> > From: MKR <mkr777@...>
> > Subject: Re: Theos-World Re: ??? MORAL LEADERSHIP ??? online
> communication
> > To: theos-talk@yahoogroups.com <theos-talk%40yahoogroups.com>
> > Date: Monday, April 27, 2009, 2:53 PM
> >
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> > I have to strongly disagree, being mentioned along with Joy and John. I
> am
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> > too far away from that high level.
> >
> > I am simply a messenger and an ordinary member. (Never held any position
> in
> >
> > TS admin and nor planning to.) My only contribution is to post some
> messages
> >
> > on theos-talk. I would say Katinka should be included in the list since
> she
> >
> > has contributed a lot in cyberspace over the years giving a good feedback
> on
> >
> > the various issues and providing valuable reference material.
> >
> > MKR
> >
> >
> >
> > On Mon, Apr 27, 2009 at 7:10 AM, Katinka Hesselink <
> >
> > mail@katinkahesseli nk.net> wrote:
> >
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> >
> > > There's formal leadership (Radha, Betty, Kim Dieu) and informal
> leadership
> >
> > > (Joy Mills, John Algeo, MKR ;) ). When leadership fails people look to
> the
> >
> > > informal leaders. If they don't choose to step in, that's their
> prerogative.
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