Reporting by Sraddhadevi Dasi
GBC Meeting Report #2
GBC Report: February 7th-9th, 2010
Strategic Planning for ISKCON’s future was the central focus for the second
through fourth days of the 2010 Annual General Meeting for ISKCON’s
Governing Body Commission. In 2006, the GBC Body collectively decided to
increase their attention on Strategic Planning, more specifically to spend
additional energy on defining and planning ISKCON’s direction and management
for Srila Prabhupada’s mission to be passed down to future generations.
Through the process of Strategic Planning, sub-committees were formed to
address specific Strategic Planning issues. The six standing sub-committees
include:
1)Establishing Srila Prabhupada’s Position: To clarify the special role
Srila Prabhupada plays as the Founder-Acharya of ISKCON and work to pass the
theological and practical implications of Srila Prabhupada’s unique position
to future generations.
2)Succession Committee: To identify, inspire, and train future ISKCON
leaders.
3)Constitution Committee: To formulate a constitutuion for ISKCON.
4)Devotee Care: To educate and develop systems to assist in meeting the
physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual needs of devotees.
5)Parallel Lines of Authority and Finances: To create a balance between
various levels of leadership in ISKCON, such as GBC members, initiating
spiritual masters, and sannyasis. Also, to develop job descriptions and
financial guidelines for leaders at various levels.
6)Core Preaching Strategies: To identify and promote the main preaching
activities, such a book distribution, varnasrama, education of children,
etc. as outlined by Srila Prabhupada.
For three full days, individual committees convened to further develop and
realize specific committee goals. Strategic Planning requires committees to
not only plan, but also move forward in implementing the committee’s
strategies and initiatives. Consequently, enthusiasm and lively discussion,
both within and outside of allocated meeting time, often develop through
this process of Strategic Planning.
During these three days, time was also alloted to plenary sessions during
which individual groups presented their progress thus far and requested
feedback from the GBC Body.
GBC members will continue to collaberate with their committee members on
their specific initiatives throughout the year and committees will reconvene
in person next fall during the GBC meeting in Bombay.
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