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August 2008 Report



100th Anniversary Celebration in Brisbane
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• Fund-raising painting workshops
• Support for homeless women
• Monthly environmental project
• Working bees
• Support for international TOS projects
• Support for a local community service
• Recognising Harmony Day
• Action on climate change
• Animal welfare
• Meetings
• National & International TOS web pages

Fund-raising painting workshops

TOS treasurer, Karen Cipressi, has conducted two highly successful painting workshops this year. They have raised $100 for the Literacy Home-schools organised by the TOS in Pakistan. She is organising a Christmas craft workshop on Saturday 8 November. See Activities for details.

Support for homeless women

We are continuing our support for women at the New Farm refuge who are moving into long-term housing. This year we are collecting non-perishable groceries. One of our members, Robyn Rizzo, has compiled a week’s menu of simple, healthy meals, together with recipes and a shopping list. We are providing this booklet with bags of groceries from the shopping list to get the women off to a good start. So far we have delivered six bags of groceries and kitchen items to the refuge.

If you would like to donate some grocery items for the next bags being delivered, please ask Lynette Muller or Astrid Arunachalam about what is needed. Most items on the list cost from $1 to $3. Your support for this project will not only help a woman get through her first week in her new accommodation, but will show her how she can eat healthily on a budget.

Monthly environmental project

Tree Planting at Moorhen Flats - 1st Saturday of every month.

All interested members and friends are invited to join in an afternoon of planting and maintenance at the Moorhen Flats Environmental Area. We work from 2pm to 5pm and meet on the corner of Deshon Street & Turbo Drive, Wooloongabba (Map). Please bring gardening tools, hat, sunscreen, a cup and something to drink.

Remaining dates in 2008: , 6 Sep, 4 Oct, 1 Nov.

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Working bees

We had a capacity group for our working bee at The Springbrook Theosophical Retreat Centre on the weekend of 9-10 February, with 34 people coming from Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast and Toowoomba. Thank you to all who helped to put a shine on our national TS Retreat Centre. Linda Oliveira, our National TS President, has asked that her thanks be passed on to all who helped.

Support for international TOS projects

At the TOS planning meeting on 14 June, members decided to support the following international projects with donations in 2008.

• Golden Link School, run by the TOS in the Philippines
• Bhubaneswar TOS's social welfare programs in East India
• The  Literacy Home-schools run by the TOS in Pakistan.

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Support for a local community service

S.W.A.R.A. is this year’s recipient of a donation.

Recognising Harmony Day

The TOS produced a Harmony Day bookmark. It lists a number of actions that we can all take to promote harmony. Please collect a bookmark from the library or hallway table.

Action on climate change

Service to our environment is one of the focuses of the TOS internationally and our TOS group initiated this major project in 2007. A steering group has gathered information and developed a brochure on personal actions that each of us can take to minimise our energy and water usage.

You can download a copy of our brochure here. (This is an Acrobat PDF document. Right-click to download & save, left-click to display on-screen.)

Animal welfare

We support campaigns being organised by major animal welfare groups. Currently attention is on Australia’s continuing inhumane live-animal export trade to the Middle East. Australians are being asked to write to the Prime Minister. For more information and videos see the Animals Australia website: http://www.animalsaustralia.org and go to the 'Action' page.

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Meetings in 2008

Planning meetings are held quarterly on the 2nd Saturday of the month from 10.00 to 11:30 am in the T.S. rooms. All interested people are invited to attend.
The next meeting is on Saturday 13 September 2008.
The following meeting is the Annual General Meeting on Saturday 6 December, 2008 at 10:00 am.

National & International TOS Web Pages

Visit the National TOS site - http://www.austheos.org.au/tos/

You’ll find information on the TOS and its history; pages on our five major areas of service; and contacts for local and international groups. Pages of specific information are now on-line for most local TOS groups.

We now have an international TOS web site at - http://international.theoservice.org

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100th Anniversary Celebration

We celebrated the 100th Anniversary of the founding of the Theosophical Order of Service by Annie Besant with an afternoon tea at Besant House on 3 February. Thanks to all who joined us and made this event a great success. (See photos below)

You can download an anniversary brochure and bookmark on the TOS here (Acrobat PDF files).

 

 

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