Aries is the fiery sign of creation. The 1st ray is that of Power and Will and is known as the initiating impulse. The expression of the Will, or the initiating impulse, can be said to be an accurate definition of art.  Likewise, the person who manifests Will by creating, no matter what the creation, is an artist. So this month in connection with the sign of Aries and the 1st ray, we focus on the TOS category of art/music.

This month's meeting:

The next monthly meeting will be held on March 22nd, 2010.

Time: 6:00 PM – Meeting to discuss past projects and ideas for future projects.

         7:00 PM - Jenny Gresko will be our guest speaker tonight. Everyone is welcome to attend this free seminar. The title of Jenny’s talk will be “Forced resettlement: developing refugee communities along Uganda’s borders”.  read more »

Pisces is the sign of the savior.  The 2nd ray is that of Love and Wisdom and is ruled by the Christ Consciousness, or "World Teacher".

A perfect example of this combination of Piscean energy and the 2nd Ray in action was the life of the Master Jesus, who is believed by some to have been the physical vehicle for the Christ.  All social service projects fit in here.

This Month's Meeting:
The next monthly meeting will be held on February 22nd, 2010, at 6:30 PM.  read more »

We at the T.O.S. action group in Wheaton have been experimenting with different methods of service, and everybody involved has had very positive and useful insights into how to make things more effective and efficient. One such insight, which is the subject of this posting, is the forming of a yearly calendar, which will make it easier to serve all of the 7 branches of the T.O.S., as outlined by Mrs. Besant:  read more »

Meet the TOS Action Group –Wheaton, IL

The TOS Action group was formed in September 2008 by a group of individuals who share a desire to get actively involved in service work. Meetings are held the fourth Monday of each month to discuss ideas; plan how we can increase and participate in service opportunities and take the necessary action to complete the project. All meetings and activities are open to TS/TOS members, nonmembers, families with young adults, and retirees who just want to help. Participants are encouraged to get involved at their own pace in whichever project appeals to them most.

Left to Right: Jon Knebel, Joe Maiello, Jade Maestras, Paula Finnegan, Pam King, Jon Johansen
Kneeling in Front: Lois Tomaskovic  Photographer: Jeanne Proulx
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We have received a most generous offer. Between now and July 26th, 2009, any donations received up to a total of $5000 will be matched dollar for dollar.

Editor's note: This matching grant has expired.

Many of you have been following our fundraising efforts for the Chushul orphanage in Tibet (for information visit http://theoservice.org/node/275 ). I am happy to report that we have just received approval for the building plans from the Chinese government.  read more »

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This year, some members of the NY Theosophical Society in NYC have begun collecting items to send to Haiti to help the poor in that country.  A friend of our Lodge goes to Haiti every December, bringing whatever she can to help alleviate the suffering and try to bring a little joy in the lives of the people there.  We have begun collecting toiletries, gently used summer clothing, home supplies and school supplies.  We are hoping to find other contacts to expand this project.

Sicangu Sun Times  http://www.sicangusuntimes.com
 ROSEBUD — At no time in the history of the Rosebud Indian Reservation has it been more important to have a homegrown newspaper reporting on the reservation.  That is the way PR Gregg-Bear, publisher and editor of the Sicangu Sun Times, sees the picture.

“When you get right down to it, it’s a humanitarian project of the first order, because it deals with passing on and exchanging information,” says Gregg-Bear, a member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe.

“What people say, what people think, what people know in any community becomes the soul of that community, and what they do with that information is how they chart a course for the future,” he says.

With seven successful teen suicides in the last three years, not to mention a myriad of attempts, Gregg-Bear said he believed the need for accurate information was even more imperative.  read more »

The TOS has been supplying survival assistance in the form of blankets and winter clothes, as well as Christmas presents for the children, to Rosebud Indian Reservation for several years. Our desire now is to escalate that assistance in ways that will be self-perpetuating and will encourage internal development to improve the quality of life on the Reservation. For the reader to have an appreciation of the magnitude of the problem, please review this link to an article in the Rapid City Journal of September 12, 2006.  Read the story.

In April of this year we began to support the publishing of the tribal newspaper Sicangu Sun Times. The newspaper was in dire need of more modern computers to replace old and failing equipment.  As of early June the publisher has received two Apple PowerMac computers – G4 and G5 - for the work of graphics design and page layout, and more equipment is on the way. We consider the newspaper to be a major player in spreading ideas and encouragement for building businesses and farming projects to improve the quality of life.   read more »

by C.V.K. Maithreya, Adyar, India

The International Centenary Gathering was held at Adyar on January 2nd & 3rd, 2008. Mrs. Radha Burnier, the International President, addressed the gathering. Mrs. Diana Dunningham Chapotin gave a report of the activities of the TOS across the globe. Mr.B.L.Bhattacharya added a word of welcome, on behalf of the Indian TOS, while Mr.P.S.Mital gave a brief report of the activities of the TOS in India. Greetings were received from many parts of India and the world. A tribute to Dr. Annie Besant was delivered by Ms. Dorothy Bell.  read more »

(Reported by Diana Dunningham-Chapotin, TOS International Secretary):
"... let us welcome a brand new group into our ranks: the TS in Singapore has just received approval from Radha to start a chapter of the TOS, with Danny Giron as its coordinator.  They will have their inaugural meeting on February 23 in the very month that Annie Besant started the TOS one hundred years ago – an auspicious time, if there ever was one.  Welcome, Danny, Sanne, Lily and the rest of you!"

Those interested in reading about TOS-founded Golden Link School in the Philippines will want to download or view the school's beautiful leaflet (488K, Adobe Acrobat Reader or equivalent required).

At long last I got to visit the TOS in the Philippines last month.  First I attended the heartwarming and uplifting triennial Indo-Pacific Federation Conference.  Afterwards, a big group of us visited the Golden Link School.  This is the theosophically-oriented kindergarten, primary and secondary school about which many have been hearing since its foundation by the TOS in 2002. Some of you have even been donating to it.  read more »