Theos-Talk Archives (May 1997 Message tl00316)

At 02:33 PM 5/22/97 -0400, you wrote:
>
>On Thu, 22 May 1997 10:46:37 -0400 (EDT) M K Ramadoss <ramadoss@eden.com>
>writes:
>>I just visited the program info of Long Beach TS Lodge. What struck >me
>was the following in the program:
>>
>>ADMISSION FREE - NO COLLECTION - ALL ARE WELCOME!
>>
>>
>>At a time when many programs in many lodges directly or indirectly >try
>to impose a fee for even members, it is a breath of fresh air to read
>>the above.
>>
>>I don't know how many of you feel about the above issue. But the >above
>made my day.
>>
>>YMDMV
>>
>>......doss
>
>
>Another thing struck me as quite impressive about this lodge recently.  I
>was just at national headquarters over the weekend, and I met 3 of their
>members.  They told me that they always get at least 60 people to attend
>their public lectures.  At the Seattle lodge, where I am a member and
>where we ask for a $5 donation, it is rare to get more than 10 or 15
>people for our public programs.  I never thought that asking for $5
>would make much of a difference, but I can't think of any other reason
>why the attendance figures are so different, as the extent to which both
>lodges advertise seems to be about the same.  The Long Beach lodge has
>lectures, while ours are more discussions.  Maybe that makes a
>difference.  Any ideas?

I don't think that the main reason for the difference in attendance
was based on money, although I'd consider it as having a  slight
influence on attendance. Back in December I talked with Robert
Bonnell, about how he turned the Long Beach Lodge around. He mentioned
that they try to have a diversity of programs -- on almost any subject --
and there was little direct mention of Theosophy and the theosophical
doctrines. The speaker was expected, though, to indirectly put into the
program some theosophical ideas. Mention and study of the standard
theosophical materials would be done in other classes -- not in the
public programs.

-- Eldon