The national coordinator of the TOS in New Zealand, Mrs Renée Sell, reports having an excellent time at the recent open day held by the HPB Lodge of the TS in Auckland.

“What a wonderful day for TOS to be a part of!  This was 'Theosophy in Action' at its best in this annual open-house festival celebrating the ancient wisdom, the unity of all life and spiritual self-transformation.  This free event gave members, family and friends an opportunity to explore spirituality and bring community together.  Presentations, activities and stalls were enjoyed by all.  Here are some photos of the TOS’s information and sale stands, its PowerPoint display and the talk given on its projects.  We are looking forward already to next year’s open day.”

The TOS in Australia was invited to provide a session during the recent annual convention of the Theosophical Society in Australia, held in Melbourne. The TOS session was well attended by an interested audience.

The National TOS Coordinator, Jean Carroll, spoke about the important role that service plays in a theosophical life. Travis James, a TOS member from Adelaide, then shared his ideas on how the vision of the TOS could be applied to the current ‘boat people’ issue with which Australia is grappling. Finally, Carolyn Harrod, a TOS member from Brisbane, spoke about several international projects and how they embodied the type of service for which the TOS aims. Throughout the presentations, participants asked a number of insightful questions.

As Jean reflected, one of the benefits was that, “the session introduced some of our TS members to a broader view of the TOS.”

The TOS also held its AGM during the national TS convention, allowing TS members to follow what is happening in the TOS, if they wished to.

Jean Carroll

Travis James

Members of the TS and TOS in Houston, USA, recently donated their time to a local Food Bank, a charity that provides donated non-perishable food items to families living in poverty. Each month, the Food Bank sends thousands of food packages to families in need.

In two hours, their group and others prepared 2,500 bags that could provide up to 15,000 meals for poor children who could not provide their own meals in the weekend. Can you imagine packaging 15,360 lbs of rice – just one of their tasks?

Not only did they support a good cause with their much appreciated help, but they had a lot of fun working together.