Theos-Talk Archives (March 2011 Message tt00081)

>From unofficial cyberspace sources it is learnt that the proceedings of the
December 2010 General Council Meeting has been disclosed. Here are some
details of interest.

The GC members who attended the meeting are:

1. Radha Burnier
2. Linda Oliveira
3. Kusum Satapathy
4. Keshwar Dastur
5. Dara Tatray
6. Marcos Resende
7. Jan Keppler
8. S. Sundaram
9. Antonio Girardi
10. Marja Artamaa
11. Kim Dieu
12. Manuela Kaulich
13. Els Rijneker
14. Carlos Guerra
15. Tom Davis
16. Betty Bland
17. Perrti Spets
18. Herry Ispoernomo
19. Helen Jamieson
20. D K Govindaraj
21. H K Sharan
22. Sriram Panchu

Invited observers were:

1. Breda Zagar
2. Agnes Gasenmy
3. Sandy Ravelli
4. Dusan Zagar
5. Colin Price
6. Patrizia Calvi
7. Lavinia Michelle

Most of the items mentioned were routine ones and as usual lacking any
meaningful details providing transparency to membership.

>From an ordinary memberâs point of view, what is very striking is no mention
of discussions about some of the most serious problems facing TS in most
countries outside India. Number one problem is the continuing decline in
membership in the Sections with no end in sight.


For example, couple of days ago I found out that in 1920s, United States
which has the second largest Section, the membership was 8,000 and on the
other hand current situation is half of that with continued decline inspite
of a good amount of funds in the Treasury. The membership decline in most
other countries (excluding India)  is no different. This is in spite of well
meaning, dedicated and hardworking scholarly leaders in the Sections.

Obviously Indian Section is doing something right and rest of the Sections
may have to learn from Indian Section, however distasteful for the West to
learn lessons from India.

The membership growth pattern in India as against the downhill pattern
outside India, confirms the farsighted wisdom of the Inner Founders of TS in
their decision to move the HQ from NY to India.

It is a pity and disappointment that the Section leaders spent so much of
Societyâs money (yours and mine) in traveling to India and did not address
the most fundamental problem, which surely is a hot potato. We also do not
know what politiking went on behind the closed doors that was not put into
the minutes.

The continued secrecy and non transparency of the GC Agenda and Proceedings
and keeping the members in the dark seem to work to the advantage of the
Section leaders. May be this is also contributing to the downward trend in
membership.

Let us all hope and pray for better days for TS world-wide.

But for the Internet, members would not even know the crumbs about what is
going on in GC. We should all be thankful to Internet for what it is doing
for us.

MKR


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