The North American Leadership conference brings together Temple Presidents from the U.S. and Canada, as well as GBC members and support office directors, to help our Temple Presidents stay informed about and understand the importance of world wide ISKCON, compliance issues and new ideas for spreading Krishna Consciousness. This year we heard presentations from:
BTG that would help our temples reach out to more people in more relevant ways through Back to Godhead magazine subscriptions.
The Child Protection Office of North American about changes in the International and National offices that will help strengthen our effectiveness in both the process of prevention and reporting child abuse.
Ways that we all can commit to more reading of Srila Prabhupada’s books.
Tips on better and more relevant use of social media.
We got to view the fantastic film by Krishna Lila devi dasi produced by the ISKCON Communications office as an offering to the 50th Anniversary of ISKCON celebration. Follwing are just some of the insights into presentations we received last weekend.
OFFERING INCENSE TO THE DEITIES Vaisesika dasa
Recent studies have shown that excessive incense smoke inhalation is on a similar level to inhaling secondary cigarette smoke, it contains volatile compounds which are toxic to the human body.
Two members of the ISV congregation went for a physical and the doctor asked them how long they had been smokers. They had never been smokers. Inquiring about their lifestyle he deduced their smoker’s lungs were the result of excessive exposure to incense smoke. He related an article on Buddhist monks who had led a simple pure life being diagnosed with lung cancer and it was discovered this was a result of the exposure to so much incense smoke.
A proposed solution, a recommendation, which the deity worship minister concurs is fine, is to offer one stick only or even cut the stick in half or less. And after offering make a place outside and plant it there. But don’t snuff it out after offering.
Offering flowers with no scent: We do this in our temples all the time. It’s an offense as per NOD to offer a flower with no scent, and after offering bringing it around everyone smelling the scentless flowers. His solution: Invest in flowers that smell. By the way, it is not bona fide to put oil on a scentless flower
ISKCON CONNECTION Membership launch.
A GBC initiative launched in November. As an encouragement to get devotees and everyone who is a part of ISKCON to sign up, all those who sign up will have their name engraved on a plaque that will be placed under the lotus feet of Sri Sri Panca tattva and offered to the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada and placed permanently in the TOVP.
Check out www.iskconconnection.org to get more information on Who Is A Member?
What is the benefit: to change the way people feel about being part of ISKCON. It’s important for the organization in the big picture. They will get informed about positive things happening in worldwide ISKCON weekly, highlighting some of the wonderful things happening all over. This will really help people appreciate the world wide movement. There will be general information to help people understand more about the GBC as well as the many things they are doing, and the structure of our spiritual and managing authority
This will connect devotees with their leadership; that they are part of a big family; help people feel they have an alliance with that. There will be a feature whereby information from our part of the world can be share exclusively with people who sign up from our region.
They can send a temple’s announcement to our subset of data.
This is also giving ISKCON a substantive database. It could potentially help us connect us with like- minded devotees, devotees in the same line of work, etc. This is just the beginning format.
This is an initiative of the executive secretary.
Kardama Muni dasa CPA did a remote presentation via skype on proper accounting procedures for our institution, and has made himself available to temples as in an advisory capacity .
He emphasized that Srila Prabhupada was very adamant about scientific accounting: accounts must be audited, and published (transparent). He himself scoured the financial reports of his temples, and was always concerned nothing be wasted.
CHASING RHINOS WITH THE SWAMI by Shyamasundara das
Srila Prabhupada said we should always be enthusiastic to try for capturing the rhinoceros. That way if we fail, everyone will say, “Never mind, nobody can catch a rhinoceros anyway” and if we succeed, then everyone will say, “just see what a wonderful thing they have done!”
The three volume work is almost 1500 pages of detailed stories, and many have details you haven’t heard before as well as many stories never before told.
What really stood out to me in his presentation is how excited and appreciative Shyamasundar prabhu was to have had such close association with Srila Prabhupada.
There are 128 photos in the first volume, giving the reader time and place perspective, many of which he was able to find in the library and other public archives
He muses how when they visited Russia for the first time, “Srila Prabhupada was unspooling the lines of destiny and reeling them in”.
You get a full sense of the magic and allure of this unique and especially close relationship between master and disciple through the beautiful detailed descriptions of lyrical prose.
There are more and more wonderful memoirs of senior devotees who had close association with His Divine Grace. Shyamasunar explains how connecting with the past has to come in a personal way, as we know parampara, not like a diagram but coming from one heart to another.
It’s apparent that Shyamasundar prabhu came to this world to assist Srila Prabhupada. He has put aside everything else to pour his whole attention into this book, for posterity’s sake.
The temple presidents came together to get all the books of the first printing of 8000 pre-ordered, so that he would have the funds to go forward. There will be 200 coming to Alachua, for sale and as gifts to our donors. This is a book you will absolutely want to take the time to read and relish!
GLOBAL DUTY OFFICER and ZONAL SUPERVISORS explained.
New positions being created to facilitate smooth oversite and assistance for temples.
To standardize the structure of the leadership. A standardized position of someone between the GBC and the temples, especially if the GBC has a far flung zone. There are 159 zones throughout the world (US has 16) . A lot of this is thinking about future growth. If you don’t plan your structure you won’t be ready when the growth comes.
New approach to becoming GBC. Now we will use Global Duty officers who will be selected by their GBC, they must be in the position two yeas and then some of them may be nominated for election to the gbc body. This gives the person the chance to see how they perform in the global environment. They will now get skills developed in working on the global level, working strategically and cooperative towards global goals.
In this new system they can be nominated from anywhere and a smaller percentage will become GBC members but they will be tested and trained. They go through the college, it takes time and they are being trained. And then the GBC may recommend them to be zonal supervisors and then of those some may become global duty officers. They will be evaluated quarterly, assessed, and when someone is ready to become a GBC, you can see in their file how they had been doing. We’ll have a track record of how they performed.
It’s a yearly appointment and is renewed every year.
GBC COLLEGE
Check it out at www.Gbccollege .com
A masters degree quality program for leadership development, two residential courses taught at the Govardhan Eco Village, by teachers from all over the world.
After the first residential session you take twelve online courses. Each course takes about two weeks to complete working on it a few hours a day. Excellent materials, very comprehensive. There is also an action learning project that one must do in their area or on a global level.
Devotees come from all over the world. A nice comradery is developed of friendship and cooperation.
Rupanuga das is the head of the college.
VRAJA BHAKTI DEVI DASI, NORTH AMERICAN SUNDAY SCHOOL PLANS
Creating a connection via a dedicated website for all temples and resources for a Sunday school. This will give children a strong foundation that will stay with them. Train young devotees. Our children are growing up in harsh environments. They are in constant challenge from outside and somehow a different environment from the home and the Sunday school can provide this foundation.
This will also give engagement for many devotees who are expert in languages, arts, dance, crafts, etc. that can be shared with the children.
It gives parents the reason to come to the temple. It helps give a strong positive energy in the temple.
We lack resources for Sunday schools. Rather than reinvent the wheel she is creating a repository of information and resources. This will help us know who to contact in every temple.
She is planning on a website, it will be a subscription only for teachers. Materials will be available only to specific teachers. Single place for resource gathering and research.
This will help standardize the schools more also in a positive way.
Networking for the teachers, they can ask questions of other teachers. Teacher training conference calls and power point presentations.
Resource s can be made available. Drama scripts, craft activities,, ideas on the site; teachers guides along with student guides.
This site will also have links to CPO website, make teachers aware of child protection responsibility, what’s expected of you and what to expect in relation to what is child abuse.
She already has power points created to help children understand many relevant topics such as : vegetarianism (why I am, how to answer questions.).
Solid Sunday school is so beneficial for every temple. She is also advocating obtaining all of Tapasvini’s materials, http://harkrishnasundayschool.com
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