Headquarters Letter
Issued by the National President
December 2008
Past Issues
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New Officers Elected
During the National Convention in Quezon City, the TS in the Philippines elected a new set of board members who in turn elected among themselves the national officers. The net set is as follows:
President: Vicente Hao Chin, Jr.
Vice-President: Dr. Roselmo-Doval Santos
Secretary: Jesse Alto
Treasurer: Rekha L. Nahar
Trustee: Justice Flerida Ruth P. Romero
Trustee: Pablo Tan
Trustee: Jose Victor Peñaranda
   
Vic Hao Chin Jr. Roselmo Doval-Santos Jesse Alto Rekha Nahar
  
Justice Flery Romero Pablo Tan Victor Peñaranda
Kern Foundation Matching Grant Totals US$74,653.86
The total fund raised by the Kern Foundation matching grant for Golden Link School reached US$74,653.86, according to Tim Boyd, President of the Theosophical Order of Service of the United States. The amount of $39,653.86 came from donations from various individuals and theosophical groups around the world, while the Kern Foundation gave a matching grant of $35,000, which is higher than the original commitment of $30,000.
We would like to thank all the donors for their kindness in supporting the Golden Link School. We particularly like to thank John Kern of the Kern Foundation, for proposing the idea, and to Tim Boyd who took it up as project of the TOS USA.
National Convention: "TSP After 75 Years, What Next?"
The National Convention held at the National Headquarters had the theme: "TSP After 75 Years, What Next?" They Keynote Address was delivered by Dr. Roselmo Doval-Santos, the national Vice-President. The convention was preceded with a one-day retreat conducted by Vic Hao Chin, Jr., Ananda Zapata, and Victor Peñaranda. Justice Flery Romero delivered a lecture on "The Masters and the Theosophical Society," while Jesse Alto gave a talk on "The Founding of the Modern Theosophical Society."
Two symposia were held. The first was on "The Future of the TSP" with talks by Susana Cruz, Bebot Rodil and Victor Peñaranda. The second was on "The Lodge as a Nucleus of Service, Brotherhood and the Theosophic Life." The speakers were Nimfa Bracamonte, Pat Castillo and Cora Ponteres.
A workshop on the work of the lodge clusters was held, and the different clusters made separate reports on their status and plans during the plenary sessions.
The next National Convention will be held in Bacolod City and hosted by the Bacolod Lodge on Nov. 20-22, 2009.
Above is Norma Bagtasos reporting
Above are some of the delegates during a dinner at Greens Vegetarian Restaurant.
The workshop meeting of the Metro Manila Cluster
Presidential Elections
The international presidential elections have just been concluded with Mrs. Radha Burnier having been reelected for another seven-year term. Radha nominated Linda Oliveira of Australia as the next international Vice President.
TOS Commemorates Centenary
The Philippine TOS commemorated the 100th anniversary of the international TOS last October 26, 2008. A video on TOS in the world and in the Philippines was presented, with talks by NGO partners, namely, Marina Dubois of ASMAE, a French NGO who has been a partner of the TOS Philippines for more than ten years; Amada Tan who represented two NGOs, the Santiago Theo Foundation and the World Pranic Healing Foundation, as well as a representative of the Caloocan City Health Department. Scholars and community beneficiaries also spoke about the contribution of the TOS to their lives and the community. Speaking in behalf of the TS and TOS were Rekha Nahar, Roselmo Doval Santos, and Vic Hao Chin, Jr.
Greetings were received which were read and projected on a screen, coming from: Mrs. Radha Burnier, TOS international President, Diana Dunningham Chapotin, International Secretary, and TOS officers from many countries, such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, France, and England.
Training for Lodge Officers Held
The National Headquarters conducted a training workshop for lodge officers and leaders last August 2-3, 2008. The training covered the following topics: The Core Mission of the TS, Self-Preparation of a Theosophical Worker, Organization of Lodges/Study Group Work, Clarifying Roles in the Lodges and Study Groups, Planning Lodge Activity, The Theosophical Lecture and Lecturer, Preparing for and Moderating a Study Meeting. The workshop was conducted by Vic Hao Chin, Jr. and Victor Peñaranda.
Golden Link Applies for Opening of College
New building wing for College Department to open 2009
The Golden Link School has applied to open a college department by 2009. The courses to be offered are Bachelor of Secondary Education (BSE) and Bachelor of Elementary Education (BEE). The BSE course will offer three majors: English, Physical Sciences and Mathematics, while the BEE course will offer majors in General Education and Preschool Education. Last October, 2008, the Commission of Higher Education (CHED) visited the Golden Link campus to inspect the building constructed for the college department. They immediately approved the building as meeting the standards of CHED. Involved in the preparation for the college department are Vic Hao Chin, Jr., Rekha Nahar, Dr. Telly Gruenberg, Dr. Annie Dumlao Relucio, and the faculty members of the Golden Link School. The college department is now looking for a Dean of the College of Education who must be a Ph.D. holder in Education and must have passed.
TS Peace Center Helps in Mindanao Crisis
After war broke out in various places in Mindanao upon the disapproval of the Memorandum of Agreement between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the Theosophical Society through the Godea Lodge was asked to help in helping the traumatized victims of the war, especially the evacuees of the battle-torn areas of Mindanao. The National Headquarters sent Bimboy Peñaranda to assist, and Bimboy went to Lanao del Norte and Cagayan de Oro twice to help train volunteers in the trauma processing based on the Self-Transformation Process.
The NGO group that coordinated the field work consisted of volunteers from several universities, specially Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology and Xavier University, Balay Mindanao, as well as officials of Lanao del Norte, representatives of the military, Red Cross, World Food Program, and Bishops-Ulama Conference.
Kern Foundation Raises Fund for Golden Link School
The Kern Foundation of the United States offered to help raise funds for the Golden Link School by announcing a matching grant to funds raised by the American Theosophical Order of Service up to the amount of US$30,000. In other words, Kern Foundation will double the funds raised by the TOS. As of November, 2008, the TOS of America had already exceeded the target and hence the Golden Link will be the recipient of at least US$60,000 for its program.
In an email, John Kern, Chairman of the Kern Foundation, also offered to provide supporting annual funds for the Golden Link School starting next year.
Students and faculty members help unload the boxes of books donated by TOS New Zealand.
The Singapore Lodge also sent donations to Golden Link in the amount of S$11,600 or P348,000. They have also shipped four boxes of books for the library. New Zealand sent one container of library books and magazines as well as many educational equipment to the Golden Link.
Seminars and Courses Conducted
The national headquarters offered the following study courses and seminars to members and the public:
- Self-Transformation Seminar , April 26-27 and May 4, 2008
- Rigpa: Seminar-Workshop on the Stages of Meditation, May 31-June 1, 2008
- Introduction to the Secret Doctrine, June 14-15, 2008
- Self-Transformation Seminar , Aug. 24, 30, 31, 2008
TS Conducts Seminar to Sanguniang Kabataan (Youth Council)
Student leaders of Palompon Institute of Technology
attends the Self-Transformation Seminar for Leadership
The Theosophical Society was invited to conduct the Self-Transformation Seminar to officials of the Sangguniang Kabataan (Youth Council) of the province of Bohol as well as the City of Naga. TSP President conducted both seminars last May 24-25, 2008 and August 9-10, 2008, respectively. The Naga City seminar was conducted at the invitation of the City Mayor, Jesse Robredo. The Palompon Institute of Technology in Leyte also had the same seminar to the student leaders of the college last September 6-7, 2008. The seminars were conducted by Vic Hao Chin, Jr.
Visiting Lecturers
  images/gerard_lecture.jpg
Left: Carol Ward of US demonstrates howto practice Therapeutic Touch. Right: Gerard Brennan of Australia giving a talk on "Living Theosophy."
The TS in the Philippines had two foreign visiting lecturers, Carol Ward of USA and Gerard Brennan of Australia. Carol Ward is a National Lecturer of the TS in America but who now lives in Shanghai, China. She came to attend the Self-Transformation Seminar and she gave a lecture on “Therapeutic Touch: Your Hands Can Heal” last August 28, 2008. She also conducted sessions with different high school classes in Golden Link School.
Gerard is a member of the TS in Australia and is a teacher. He came to help teach in Golden Link and to train faculty members in teaching English and Literature. He delivered a lecture at the national headquarters on “Living Theosophy” last Oct. 5, 2008.
Past Issues:
2008 April
2008 January
2007 August
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