Theos-Talk Archives (September 1997 Message tl00453)

ramadoss@eden.com wrote:
> 
> At 10:52 PM 9/24/97 -0400, you wrote:
> >A. Safron wrote:
> >> Bart, you ideas of what can and cannot be spoken of at your space in
> >> New York City, sound awfully narrow to me.  In fact, your entire
> >> post smacks of an elitism that probably drives people away in droves.
> >
> >       I am talking about public lectures, sponsored by the NYTS (and to which
> >we attach our name). If someone wants to TALK about something in one of
> >the informal members' meeting, that's their business.
> >
> >       Bart Lidofsky
> >
> For a very long time, at the San Antonio Lodge we had nothing but public
> meetings. In many of them, various lecturers, many of whom did not know the
> official Theosophy did speak. We invited them to speak because most of them
> did subscribe to the principle of brotherhood/sisterhood without out any
> discrimination and were interested in the well being of the fellow human
> beings. This was also the case in many of the lodges I was a member in India
> for several decades. Just wanted everyone to know different lodges have
> different policies in their program scheduling.

	That is pretty much our policy for our public program. When I had a
"theme" season of members' lectures, all based on articles by H.P.B.,
attendence went up by about 25-30%. Ever since then, we have geared the
members' program towards "straight" theosophical topics, as that is what
the members appear to want. The public program is supposed to be a
combined attractant and money-raiser, with the former being far more
important than the latter (we will sacrifice money for something that
will attract people to the Lodge, but not vice-versa.

	Bart Lidofsky