Welsh Regional Association Ms Julie Cunningham Website: www.theosophywales.com NEW!
Greetings! The three branches of the Theosophical Society in the Welsh Regional Association are new and so the TOS groups associated with them are young too. Our activities are modest and are limited for the present to fundraising, though of course each of us is engaged in hands-on work in our individual lives. All three branches collect donations for our chosen animal welfare charity, Compassion in World Farming, and all three make an extra effort at our Christmas gatherings. One of us keeps a flock of free range hens and sells the eggs at the meetings of the Bangor and Conwy Lodges. Total sales came to £300 (US$480) in 2007. The Swansea members participate in the Peace Mala Youth Project for World Peace. (A Peace Mala is a symbolic bracelet that focuses on the Golden Rule.) The members raise money for the Youth Awards through the sale of these bracelets that they make themselves. Another fundraising idea that we are happy to share is the collection of scarves from local charity shops. Here in Britain, most of the shops have a bin of them all in a tangle and some are willing to donate them to us. We wash and iron the presentable ones and sell them at the TOS stall at the Summer School of the TS in England. They sell well since everyone can carry a scarf home, even if they are travelling light. We enjoy reading the newsletters of the TOS as we are always on the look-out for inspiration in our giving.
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Ms Jo Winter Hi everyone. The TOS in Cardiff is happy to outline its activities here. For many years we have been supporting the work of the McMillan Nurses who look after terminally ill people in their own homes. We hold occasional sales to raise funds for them, in addition to the ongoing charity bookstall at our branch premises which does a brisk trade! Another long term activity is the weekly free clinic run on our TS premises by one of our members, Howard Plummer, offering Bowen Therapy and reflexology for children with special needs. We also hold a monthly healing group. On Armistice Day in November, we now participate in an event called White Poppy Day of Meditation for World Peace. The poppy of wartime remembrance is, of course, the red corn poppy. The white poppy is symbolic of our aspiration for peace. We take up a collection on this day and the money is given to the Cheshire Homes for the Disabled. A raffle in aid of the charity Practical Action is held at every Sunday meeting. Practical Action works with poor communities to help them choose and use technology to improve their lives for today and generations to come. To celebrate the recent centenary of the Theosophical Order of Service, a series of lunches was put on at the home of our TOS coordinator and a very enjoyable time was had by all. In Great Britain, a common activity is the Car Boot Sale. This is apparently popular in only a few other countries - such as Australia. People gather together in their cars and sell second hand objects out of what Americans refer to as the trunk of their car. The TOS in Cardiff participated in one for the first time in 2008 and raised over £100! We have since had enquiries from Theosophists about this activity. The idea may be a bit intimidating for anyone who has never been to or done one before and so we have prepared a webpage with some tips (and funny photos!) as an encouragement and a resource. Here is the link: |
