TOS news from around the world

TOS in Canada

Lorraine Christensen, National Director of the TOS in Canada, writes about two highlights of the year. As a special Centennial Project, the TOS in Canada raised a significant sum to go towards the Kern Foundation’s matching grant to assist the Golden Link School in the Philippines. At the annual convention of the Canadian Theosophical Association held in August 2008, a special TOS display table was put out with photos, posters and free literature.  The TOS was well represented at the convention with a total of 14 attending, 13 of whom are pictured below:

TOS Delegates Canadian Theosophical Convention Back Row: Donald Johnston, Jean-Guy Fournier, Ernest Fechner, Fiona Odgren, Ken Madden, Donna Erickson, Frank Schornagel, and Henning Christensen. Front Row Seated: Jutta Mildner, Terezinha Franca Kind (TOS guest from Brazil), Charles Sequeira, Lorraine Christensen (TOS Director in Canada), and Rita Sequeira.

TOS in Singapore

Danny Giron, the TOS Coordinator for Singapore, writes about the service activities that this new TOS group is energetically implementing:
The group’s first long term project involves regular visits to the Bright Hill Evergreen Home for elderly people.  About eight to ten TOS members regularly meet at the Home on Wednesday evenings after work. Through the unfailing devotion of sister Nancy, they provide muffins, cookies and other snacks for the residents. Those residents who are able to go to the recreation room in a wheelchair or with assisted walking are entertained with songs by popular Chinese entertainers on DVD. Another activity to benefit the elderly was made possible by the generosity of TOS member, brother Kay Keng Chuan, who donated time and money to provide a sumptuous Chinese vegetarian lunch for the 183 residents of Tai Pei Old People’s Home. They were joined by TOS and other TS members for the occasion.
	Singapore TOS members and residents of Bright Hill Evergreen Home
	To keep conversations buzzing around stimulating topics, the Singapore TOS members have established an e-group. In addition to their TOS group activities, some members have been involved in personal service projects.  While these projects are not officially TOS activities, they are done in the spirit of philanthropy. Brother Choong Chi Pin has been giving free tai chi lessons for several years.  Others have been volunteers in various community service programs and Danny is planning to start an environmental awareness program with nature walks and group assistance with environmental clean-up activities.
A fourth collection of new and used books was sent to the Golden Link School in the Philippines by brother Vivek.

A wedding in Chennai

We wish great happiness to a long-time and faithful team member of the TOS in Chennai, physiotherapist Dr P. Nagaraj, who married N. Subalakshmi in October 2008.  In the photo, we see Nagaraj and Subalakshmi surrounded by their ‘TOS family’.
	Left to Right: Mr S. Harihara Raghavan, V. Gopalan, S.K. Srinivasan, Dr R.Revathy, Subalakshmi Nagaraj, P. Nagaraj, Chaganti V.K. Maithreya, Dr. Sunita Maithreya and Dr Geetha Jaikumar.

and from the New Zealand TOS…

Renee Sell, National Coordinator of the TOS in New Zealand, shares the highlights of a busy year.
One of the special fundraising projects for the 2008 Centenary was the creation of the Geoffrey Hodson Trust Fund which now has two parts to it: · a Scholarship Fund for the Golden Link School in the Philippines to create an ongoing scholarship for one child at the school; and · a fund to help keep in print the inspiring books that Geoffrey Hodson wrote.  Another special project was to secure five more child sponsorships in India from New Zealand.  The TOS has continued its work in the area of education in Pakistan where the TOS sponsors a literacy home-school and the National Council of the TS also sponsors a school. The individual child sponsorships from New Zealand continue and are coordinated by Vicki Jerome. The TOS in New Zealand maintains strong links with the Golden Link School and this year a container full of over 11,000 books, some computers and many more wonderful educational items was sent to them. Maureen Paterson from Orewa was the tireless coordinator who made this project successful.
	Wearing the TOS Centennial T-shirts Left to Right: Renée Sell, (National Coordinator of the TOS in New Zealand), Richard Sell, Diana Dunningham Chapotin (TOS International Secretary) and Michel Chapotin (National President of the TOS in France).