TOS news from around the world

TOS in Brazil

Regina Celi Medina Alves Silva, National Coordinator of the TOS in Brazil, shares the highlights of a busy year:

The Centenary of the TOS was celebrated by:

·  holding a function highlighting the history and achievements of the TOS; and a past TOS choir that existed between 1996 and 1999 was reunited to sing

·  making a DVD about the history of the TOS and practical TOS work in Brazil since its foundation

·  creating a calendar for 2009 and printing 300 copies.

 

 

 

The National Section initiated a photo competition among TS members. It was organised by a member from São Paulo, Clara Wada. Pictures were contributed on the theme, ‘Nature’. Three communications professionals (only one of whom was a member of the TS) chose the best photographs and these were used to create a table calendar for 2009. The calendar includes theosophical messages and promotes the TOS.

 

 

TOS in Cardiff, Wales

The Cardiff TOS Group organised a White Poppy Meditation for World Peace to mark Remembrance Day and the 90th anniversary of the end of World War One.

 

 

TOS organiser, Jo Winter, by the Peace Table

Lighting the Candles for Peace on entering the room (photograph taken with a panoramic filter)

 

The Poppy Collage

TOS members attending the Peace gathering. They also gave a donation to the Cheshire Homes.

 

TOS in Chennai, India

The President of the TOS in Chennai, Mr Chaganti V.K. Maithreya, reports on recent welfare work undertaken by their group:

 

 

There were floods in Chennai at the end of November 2008, which left many on the streets as waters had entered their homes. For three days, the TOS, Chennai Region arranged for one meal a day for the villagers of Injambakkam, with the help of Mrs Laksmi Ranganathan and her husband Capt. Mohan Ranganathan. About 350 people were fed each day.

 

 

 

In December 2008, 470 school children at the Raghavendra Primary School run by the Maratha Education Trust were screened for their eyes. Forty-three of them were referred for further examination at the hospital. Mr Amudanathan coordinated this activity with the Udhi Eye Hospitals.

 

The TOS and Round Table in Chennai held a Peace Gathering in December 2008 to send loving thoughts to the victims of the Mumbai terror attacks of November 2008.

 

It was organised by Mr C.V.K. Maithreya and Dr Sunita Maithreya, with assistance from the Olcott School Headmistress, Mrs Lakshmi Suryanarayanan and her students, Mr Amudanathan, Capt. Mohan Ranganathan and Mr Vinay Kumar Patri.

 

 

The gathering began with prayers of all religions, then devotional songs, reading of a passage from the Dhammapada, a few words for world peace, a few moments of silence and finally, lighting of candles.

 

See the report and newspaper articles on the TOS website.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

…and in the TOS on the Sunshine Coast, Australia…

Kay Schiefelbein, Coordinator of the TOS group on the Sunshine Coast in tropical Australia, writes:

 

We held our Garden Party at the family home of one of our members, Gerry Kortekaas and his wife Sally. We shared information for helping the environment and sold plants and raffle tickets. Gerry took people on tours of his amazing gardens and shared his extensive knowledge (he is a botanist and a permaculturist). We also had homemade snacks available. It was a most informative and enjoyable day whilst raising $1,000 for three cleft palate operations.

 

 

 

We have had a lot of fun whilst doing service, especially in the kitchen of the Theosophical Retreat Centre at Springbrook where our wonderful volunteers have fed all the students in our National TS Schools.