Theos-Talk Archives (November 2008 Message tt00269)

Uh, sorry my typing. "REPECTIVE" should be "RESPECTIVE", of course.

A friend sent me the following message (below) many months ago. I 
dare to publish it here now, because John Algeo writes here that it 
is for "friends", too, besides General Council members, and because 
he writes that "Feel free to share all or any of this with others". 
Besides, this message handles the amendments of the inernational 
rules in 2006 and the Radha's health issue then. We know that later 
Algeo, Bland and some other leaders explained that this first 
positive announcement by Algeo (which you can read below) was true 
indeed, but that Radha's health got weaker later.

According to this message by Algeo, it seems that in 2006 there were 
not made other changes. I don't know about the changes in 2005, but 
anybody can read the minutes of the General Council meeting in the TS 
Annual which can be found in any national headquarters. The minutes 
are not secret, but it is true that the Sections don't inform their 
members about these meeting events.

So below is Algeo's message to all General Secretaries considering 
the international convention in 2006.

Sampsa


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----- Original Message ----- 
From: John Algeo <mailto:jalgeo@jalgeo.com>  
Sent: Saturday, February 24, 2007 3:30 AM


MESSAGE FROM THE VICE PRESIDENT

Dear Fellow Member of the General Council or Friend:

Last October I sent Members of the General Council a message about a 
proposed amendment to the international rules and explained that I 
was doing so because I
could not be at the Council meeting. However, there is an old saying 
that man proposes and God disposes. As it turned out, I was at the 
Council meeting, so I am sending you (and a few others) a report on 
it and some other matters that may be of interest. Feel free to share 
all or any of this with others.

1. The amendment I wrote about clearly passed on a mail ballot. It 
restores an older practice, which (the President told me) was dropped 
some years ago for reasons that I am not familiar with. The change is 
simply that the names of nominators are to be circulated with the 
nominees' biographical data and the voting papers to all voters in a 
Presidential election.

2. You have presumably received the minutes of the Council meeting 
from the
International Secretary, Miss Anderson, but if you have any question
about them, she or I can respond.

3. As you have doubtless heard, the President had a light stroke in 
November. It did not affect her body or her mind except for a slight 
and temporary memory loss with respect to names. Her doctor predicts 
a full recovery, which will take several months. At present she is 
progressing nicely and doing very well. She
attended all the major meetings during Convention, although she let 
others do some of the speaking and presiding that she normally does. 
She has taken a short time off (which she well deserves) to 
recuperate, free from the demands on her at headquarters, but she is 
now back at Adyar and attending to business. While I was at Adyar in 
December and January, I had extensive discussions with her about 
Theosophical business around the world, and she is on top of all the 
facts and her judgment is as sharp as ever. The outlook is very 
favorable for a full recovery. The Adyar staff responded in exemplary 
fashion during convention, and all went very well indeed.

4. A universal and perpetual question is about what Theosophical 
groups should teach. We are a nondogmatic Society whose branches are 
autonomous in all matters
not covered by the international and national rules, so there is no 
question of anyone's telling groups what to teach. However, some 
general suggestions along those lines have been made in the past and 
have again been asked for. Several of us have talked about producing 
a leaflet on the subject. Below is a general statement on the 
subject. We will be grateful if you will think about this and let me 
know your reaction to the general idea of a leaflet and also any 
specific suggestions.

The Theosophical Society and the Wisdom Tradition

Pedro Oliveira
  
The Theosophical Society, founded in 1875, extends to all its members 
and sympathizers alike complete freedom of thought and of individual 
search. The Society does not have an official doctrine or teaching 
which its members have to subscribe to. Their bond of union is not a 
common belief, but a common search and aspiration to find the truth 
about existence.

The Society derives its name from the Greek word theosophia, "divine 
wisdom", the spiritual heritage of all humanity ? past, present and 
future ? alternatively referred to as the Ancient Wisdom and the 
Wisdom Tradition. It is linked to this universal stream of inquiry 
not only through its name but also by what it stands for. Madame 
Blavatsky, a principle co-founder, stated that the Theosophical 
Society was formed to assist in showing people that such a thing as
Theosophy exists, and to help them to ascend towards it by studying 
and
assimilating its eternal verities. Such a work is the privilege and 
the
responsibility of those of its members who voluntarily choose to 
undertake it.

Three core values of this Wisdom-Tradition are altruism, self-
knowledge and openness of mind. They express themselves as selfless 
service, self-awareness, respect for each other's points of view and 
reverence for life. While the Theosophical Society does not impose 
any values or behaviour on its members or sympathizers, it seeks to 
promote the values of the Wisdom Tradition in an atmosphere of 
freedom of inquiry, mutual respect and a shared sense of community.