GBC special meeting report

GBC special meeting report

Dear Devotees,

The following is a summary of the recently concluded GBC meetings held in Prabhupada-desh, Italy, 7th 8th and 9th of October.

This extra meeting was called by the GBC Chairman, AC Bhaktivaibhava Swami. He, along with the other Executive Committee members felt that the GBC needed to focus on ISKCON’s future, trying to ensure that the ISKCON they are passing on to the next generation of devotees is something Srila Prabhupada would be pleased with. He recognized that there were many improvements needed before such a ideal would be reached.

In the three day meeting, problem solving of current day-to-day issues were set aside, and only key topics related to ISKCON’s future were entertained.

There were 20 GBC members and ministers present. Some GBCs could not attend primarily due to health problems. Still, there was a majority of members present.

The chairman started the meeting reading instructions from Srila Prabhupada about the GBC body’s responsibilities, including a letter wherein Srila Prabhupada indicated there could be more than one GBC meeting in a year.

A main theme of the meeting was that four things are needed to make improvements: The right people, putting in the right amount of time, dealing with the right topics with the right intent.

Gopal Bhatta Prabhu facilitated the meetings, and made it clear that there was little in the way of a pre-conceived agenda, but rather that the participants needed to steer the meeting in the direction they felt was important. He regularly checked in with the group to ensure they were happy with the meeting’s direction.

First, each GBC member to spoke for 5 minutes about their vision of the future of ISKCON and the GBC body. That discussion was distilled down to 6 topics that could form at least the beginning of their work:

1. SP’s position
2. Guru issues – Parallel lines of authority
3. Succession issue: Culture of devotee training
4. Preaching strategies (especially Srila Prabhupada’s emphasis on Book distribution, Harinam, Gurukula, Varnasrama, BI, Farms, etc)/GBC’s relevance to ISKCON members
5. Team work amongst the GBC body/Building faith in the GBC body/the culture of how the GBCs interact with each other and it’s members
6. Constitution/job description assessments at leaders

The group choose to discuss #5 first and they broke up into three groups all speaking on the topic of “Developing team work in GBC, Building faith in GBC amongst ISKCON members, Improving the culture of how the GBC functions amongst themselves and in interacting with ISKCON members.”

These groups worked together, then each made presentations to the plenary. Then in the afternoon a small group met to take all the work that was done and condense it to some practical actions:

1. GBC meetings should include spiritual retreats and other activities that increase their sense of working together as a team.
2. Ceremonies at beginning of GBC meetings that includes a statement of intent by each GBC member to carry out Prabhupada’s will and that of the GBC body.
3. Reviving istha-gosthis after GBC meetings in Mayapur and in local center (minutes should be out sooner)
4. GBCs serving prasadam to the devotees/open GBC-day where devotees can speak to the GBC body their concerns, suggestions, etc/Performing a Drama together /bringing gurukula students to the GBC room, etc.

Groups then were created to discuss a second subject, preaching strategies. There was only time for preliminary discussions, though one thing came out clearly that the GBCs duty is to establish Prabhupada’s preaching strategies including book distribution, farms, gurukulas, BI, etc. They may be done in any variety of innovative ways, but they should be done.

All during the second day of meetings a small group met to discuss “systems” needed to make the GBC body stronger, better organized, more able to lead ISKCON. Here are the conclusions along with the Body’s vote:

I. GBC to meet three times per year
B. AGM in Mayapur for eleven days
C. Two additional four day meetings, perhaps June and October (though the October meeting should include an extended spiritual retreat)
D. Europe and America are suggested locations for the June meeting
E. Three days Strategic Planning; one day spiritual retreat in June

II. Schedule for the AGM (eleven days)
1. Three days of strategic planning
2. Two days for resolutions
3. One and a half days of evaluation and assessment
4. One day spiritual activities/retreat
5. One day training
6. One day free time
7. Half a day open forum (in temple with all devotees invited)
8. Half a day book distribution report and planning
9. Half a day other results, unforeseen issues, etc.

IV. GBC Chair should be relieved from zonal duties during his chairmanship
A. To focus on GBC duties
B. Chair should travel internationally, ideally with one EC member and one staff member
(The Body recognized that this is ideal, and may not be always implemented here and now, but at the same time something to establish going into the future)

V. Staffing requirements
It was clear that the GBC requires a far more extensive staff to help with planning, correspondence, research and communications.

V. Workings of EC
To enable EC to take on more leadership/executive function, and not just trouble shoot, There needs to be improved systematic input from GBC members to EC members.
Throughout the year the EC should be in close contact with the GBC in total.

VI. Working committees
A. Three GBC members (or ministers) *minimum* will be assigned to each of the six topics the GBC body felt needed to be addressed:

1. SP’s position
2. Guru issues – Parallel lines of authority
3. Succession issue: Culture of devotee training
4. Preaching strategies/GBC’s relevance to ISKCON members
5. Team work amongst the GBC body/Building faith in the GBC body/the culture of how the GBCs interact with each other and it’s members
6. Constitution/job description assessments at leaders

Members suggested their preference, and then the chairman assigned three GBCs to each topic.

They then met to come up with realistic goals. They presented those goals to the body.

Seeing the potential of such meetings to 1. address key issues in a thoughtful way, 2. discuss the future of ISKCON and 3. develop relationships amongst the GBC members, the members present voted to have three GBC meetings a year.

The GBC meeting in Mayapur is Feb the 5th to the 15th. The following GBC meeting is scheduled for New Vrindavan, June 4th to 7th.

They ended the meeting by recounting what was accomplished in the three days:

Badrinarayan das: We are dealing with questions we have not had the time to address. We’re working on issues devotees care about instead of dealing with minutae
Bhakti Marg Swami: We’ve increased the sadhu-sanga aspect of the GBC body the result manifesting in a number of unanimous decisions.
Paramgati Swami: we made some practical progress and developed stronger friendships
Madhu Sevita das: We found a way to wonderfully associate with one another – getting to know each other.
Sivarama Swami: We focused on singular topics – going deeper and more thoroughly.
Praghosa das: While it is the beginning of a long road, this meeting has been such a positive start. Meeting outside Mayapur and without the regular GBC agenda has created a particular dynamic that is very encouraging.

The Italian devotees who served so selflessly and provided so much wonderful prasadam were all brought to the meeting and thanked.

The meeting ended with a viewing of excerpts from Yadubara Prabhu’s latest video of Srila Prabhupada.