Theos-Talk Archives (February 1995 Message tl00043)

Paul wrote:

>
> One question:  why "members only" for the Theosophy-- a
> Spiritual Path group?  I have a problem with the fact that
> the ES requires a couple years' membership, and that a large
> number of TS members never make it past the first year.  Probably
> a lot of the dropouts feel that they never really connected
> with a spiritual path through the TS.
>
> So: what are the costs and benefits of "members only"
> approaches to the things we hold most sacred?
>

Since one of the reasons for the Esoteric School is to train
"workers" for the Society, those who drop out after less than two
years have not demonstrated the commitment looked for in students
of this school.  To paraphrase another, this is the work of
lifetimes much less a few years.  I doubt membership in the ES
would have made much difference to those whose interests change
so rapidily, since many who do meet the requirement lose interest
and drop out.  We are too quick to give up on *ourselves*, much
less something as impersonal as a school.

It has been my personal experience over the years that a "members
only" meeting is extremely valuable.  In the branches where there
has been one I have noticed a vitality that I didn't see in the
branches which didn't hold one.

Consider for a moment that the lodge is the laboratory in which
we all get a chance to "practice" the brotherhood the society was
founded to promote.  There are few channels through which one can
get a drink from the wells of the ancient wisdom.  These
"organizations," though much maligned on this, list are essential
in my opinion.  We need more of them! Members only meetings give
one a sense of belonging, they provide an opportunity to become
involved in the lodge's business, they offer a chance to delve
deeper into subjects, since some assumptions can be agreed to and
study continue.  Public meetings require establishing the basic
propositions over and over again--as they should.

There are many people who are not "joiners." The idea of
committing themselves to anyone or anything just gives them a
"fenced in" feeling (probably strong Sag in the chart).  But
others, we fined that group work confers enough benefits that we
are willing to suffer the trials and tribulations of working with
dissimalar personalities.

                                        Lewis

llucas@mercury.gc.peachnet.edu