The Baisakhi Khalsa Council Sessions in Los Angeles were held on April 5, 6 and 7. We would like to share these proceedings with you, and welcome your feedback on all aspects. You’ll find excerpts from reports and addresses, setting new goals, and how you can participate. On the last day MSS Gurucharan Singh Khalsa read the outstanding paper he compiled on the Siri Singh Sahib’s teachings on the Quantum Impact of Shabad Guruand its vital role for the up-coming age.
Following are highlights of reports and addresses to the Khalsa Council:
The Secretary General: MSS Sardarni Guru Amrit Kaur Khalsa reflected on the beauty of the first Hukam of the day and the importance of projecting the consciousness of the Hukam, after which all things will come to you.
To better facilitate the strategic focus of "Living and Spreading the Teachings," the Secretariat has reassessed its administrative resources and restructured some of its offices. New key offices and the areas they serve are the:
Development Office: Includes Community Development and Funds Development.
Teachings Office: Teachers’ Associations, production of teaching materials and products.
Events Office: KWTC, Solstices, PR for White Tantric Yoga, and facilitating development of Ram Das Puri.
Dharmic Office: Team building to embody the essence, integrity, and spirit of Sikh Dharma; counseling, communication, supporting the Ministry, and Dharmic education.
The Chairperson (MSS Gurucharan Singh Khalsa): This is the last meeting of our two year agenda of Living and Spreading the Teachings and a transition into the next two years’ agenda of Leadership. He reviewed the Agenda, noting that we also would be looking at the identity of Khalsa Council. He pointed out that the last time we set our strategic foci (two years each), we selected four: Children, Prosperity, Living and Spreading the Teachings, and Leadership. This session we will give some attention to identifying our goals for the following eight years. He shared his feeling that each one of us brings an enormous diversity to Khalsa Council, which is not just a physical body, it is Shabad Guru’s body.
Strategic Action Teams (SAT's)
In general, the entire Khalsa Council has been involved in the SAT’s over the last two years. We all feel the accomplishment of sticking to the process and achieving many of the goals set by the SAT's, though it was not strictly a linear process. The work of some SAT's will go forward through the newly established offices of the Secretariat.
Following are the results achieved by each SAT:
Business SAT: It started with a process whereby a coupon for a video would be included in Yogi Tea products; the research has been completed, and the next stage is building the infrastructure to generate broad-based support and funding to launch the mission of this SAT. KIT businesses will continue to build links between our lifestyle and our products. Information in being gathered to identify the professions, skills and resources, of our family.
Fund Development SAT: This SAT achieved all of its goals and action plan. Its mission was to educate the Khalsa Council and the sangats on the work of the Fund Development Office. Their focus helped the Dharma raise almost $2 million in endowments in the last two years. This SAT’s oral report included a formal presentation and an entertaining, educational and interactive skit on "giving" and the avenues which have been created. The Khalsa Council membership were educated on the benefits they would experience by gifting to Sikh Dharma. Those benefits are:
Pay less income tax,
Reduce estate tax,
Provide income for other family members
Personal retirement plan,
Long term financial savings,
Life insurance coverage.
They provided inspiring education on wills, endowments, retirement programs and tithing. Our cause is worthy for all, we simply have to present it in ways that give others the opportunity to give.
Guru’s Teachings SAT: The Dharmic Affairs Office at the Secretariat is on-going to promote the teachings. The Minister’s Manual, Victory and Virtue: Ceremonies and Code of Conduct of Sikh Dharma, is in final editing stages and will be published this year.
Information SAT: Through its focus, the Development Office created an international communicators list of all our 3HO centers. There is a voice mail system at the Secretariat, and Sikh Dharma is investigating prepaid phone cards for people working on Sikh Dharma projects in coordination with the Secretariat.
Public Relations SAT: It focused on quality of PR for our events. Summer Solstice had its best turn out in many years; attendance is increasing at White Tantric Yoga courses.
Publishing SAT: It compiled a list of published materials based on the teachings of Yogi Bhajan. The concept of Archives took on two identities--the Library of Teachings and the Sikh Dharma Museum. This SAT served as a catalyst for collaboration among the many entities that wish to see the teachings made available to the public.
Teaching’s SAT: It gave input to the development of the association of the International Kundalini Yoga Teachers’ Association (IKYTA) and its conference. Office of the Teachings, formed within the Secretariat, will carry on some of the work of the SAT. You can sense
the life generated by this SAT in the renewed interest in teaching Kundalini Yoga and the many local teachers’ associations which have sprung up. There is a strong emphasis on training and certification of teachers. ×××
Secretariat Update Office of the Siri Singh Sahib: MSS Nirinjan Kaur Khalsa reported that:
The Siri Singh Sahib has begun teaching a 40 class series in Los Angeles to develop intuitive awareness.
The Yatra to India in February was a great success. He is working within the political structure of India to unify the Sikhs, and achieved landmark success by allying the two opposing factions of the Akali Dal Party (the main Sikh political party). He worked extensively with the President of the SGPC to repeal the existing ban on women washing the floors of the Golden Temple. He met with many Sikh religious leaders to plan a World Sikh Summit in Amritsar in September. More information will be forthcoming.
In 1994 the Siri Singh Sahib pushed and expanded the horizons of the Dharma. He met with presidents, ambassadors, politicians, and businessmen to create opportunities for growth in our businesses and communities. It is our responsibility to create businesses in which the upcoming generation will work, succeed, and grow into the leaders of tomorrow.
Office of the Bhai Sahiba: Bhai Sahiba Bibiji Inderjit Kaur traveled widely in the last few months, including to Australia and India. She was requested to organize a western world women’s wing for the upcoming World Sikh Summit in Amritsar. This is the first time women’s issues will be part of such a conference. The Bhai Sahiba is in process of setting up a non-profit trust for making the Siri Guru Granth Sahib available, free of charge. This office is providing all media outlets with a "media-bite"--a brief description of the Sikh religion. This will provide accurate reporting when Sikh issues are being covered, and will position us as the contact body when any information is needed regarding Sikhs. ×××
Office of the Chancellor: MSS Ram Das Singh reported that implementation of a study to determine whether or not Sikh soldiers with beards may wear gas masks has been delayed. There has been some progress on the issue of wearing of kirpan by children who have taken Amrit. In California, one school district is allowing it, as long as the kirpan cannot be removed from its sheath; though on the state level, the Governor earlier vetoed a bill with similar content which had been passed by the California State Legislature.
Office of the Comptroller General: SS SoPurkh Kaur Khalsa reported that the office is focusing more actively on the area of Dharmic finances, with special attention to new growth areas of IKYTA, Gurudakshina, Planned Giving, and Fund Development. She presented the Temple of Steel proposal developed by SS Jai Singh Khalsa, from Millis, to the Siri Singh Sahib and was able to witness the hope, inspiration, and upliftment it brought to him.
Office of Development: SS Guru Roop Kaur Khalsa reported that the Development Office is comprised of three areas: Fund Development, Community Development and Archives. Several programs have been developed this past year in order to provide benefits for the constituencies and to generate income for Dharmic programs. They are:
The Guru Amar Das Pension Alternative Plan,
Savings programs for our events/courses,
Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) for Dasvandh. In just 6 months, over 100 households enrolled; goal for this year is 250,
Ram Das Puri Building Fund,
Brochures describing Sikh Dharma / 3HO philosophy, their service programs and opportunities for giving,
Prosperity Paths publication,
Phone calls to sangat members to educate, inspire and get feedback,
Developing a referral system to expand our contacts inside and outside our organization for our services,
Information booths at our events.
Office of Dharmic Affairs: The Personal Secretary to the Siri Singh Sahib, SS Siri Simran Kaur Khalsa, and the Secretary of Religion, SS Dr. Sat Kaur Khalsa, are working together to continue building the ministry, and to create training and educational programs that will facilitate the growth of a formalized ministerial structure within the Dharma.
Office of Events: Hari Simran Kaur Khalsa reported that the office has developed a plan for increasing attendance at Solstices and KWTC by 11% per year for the next three years. Yoga teachers win a complimentary tuition for Summer Solstice by bringing 10 or more persons who enroll for the entire Summer Solstice and have never attended SS before. Ram Das Puri Gurdwara will have a beautiful marble floor thanks to donations from the Mexico sangat and Guru Dev Singh and his family, of Rome. KWTC will offer its first Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training Certification program this summer.
Office of the Executive Secretary: MSS Shakti Parwha Kaur Khalsa continues to write the 3HO Newsletter, The Science of Keeping UP, and edits all of our PR materials and transcripts of Yogi Bhajan’s lectures, in addition to the official legal and financial duties of this office.
Office of the Secretary of Religion: SS Dr. Sat Kaur Khalsa facilitated a pilot program of Minister’s Study Groups with SS Dr. Shanti Shanti Kaur Khalsa in Los Angeles; video tapes will be created as an available resource. She is continuing to counsel, but what is needed is for more Ministers to develop their skills as counselors to create a solid base of Dharmic inspiration and guidance for our sangat.
Office of the Secretary of State: SS Sat Simran Kaur Khalsa reported that Adi Shakti Ashram in Los Angeles and Hargobind Sadan in Berkeley are for sale. Improvements will be made this year at Ram Das Puri (some cabins for children’s camp, new showers and an extension on the Tantric shelter).
Office of Youth Affairs: SS Kirn Kaur Khalsa reported that the first adobe cabin will be ready for summer programs, and gratefully acknowledged all who have contributed; those who donated $1,000 or more will have the opportunity to design a plaque with their name which will be mounted on the cabin.
To make our education program more effective, Sikh Dharma Foreign Education set up a new training program to offer basic western educational techniques to the educators who work with our children. Some of the exciting new changes are living in Amritsar, four SDFE graduate staff members, daily visits to the Golden Temple, frequent kirtan programs in Gurdwaras all over Punjab and extra-curricular programs led primarily by SDFE students. The college program continues to define itself and includes options of a BA degree, and programs in dentistry, Ayurveda and Homeopathy.
The Khalsa Council created the OYA Board of Trustees in 1991. The configuration of OYA has changed dramatically. It now reports directly to MSS Nirinjan Kaur Khalsa, Chief of Staff for the Siri Singh Sahib. The OYA met prior to the Khalsa Council meetings to create a new partnership with parents and the sangat that will work with the current structure.
The OYA made a proposal to the Khalsa Council, which took the form of a motion from Khalsa Council. Khalsa Council is waiting for a response from the Siri Singh Sahib. The motion would replace the current Sikh Dharma Youth Programs Board of Trustees with the SDFE Commission, the Summer Youth Programs Commission, and the Khalsa Parents Association; all three would be composed of volunteers.
Office of Teachings: Nam Kaur Khalsa reported that the Teachers Association has 231 members.
A Gurudakshina campaign is underway to collect the funds needed for transcribing and verifying Yogi Bhajan’s lectures. If every Kundalini Yoga teacher contributed an average of seventy dollars per month, we could raise half a million dollars in one year!
There will be a new curriculum developed for teachers by June; two books on Kundalini Yoga and a Meditation manual are underway in-house.
The Grandfathering program for KRI Certification of long-time teachers of Kundalini Yoga will be in effect from June 1995 to August 1996.
Yogi Bhajan will speak at the second annual Teachers’ Conference, June 15-16 in Santa Fe, NM.
A working Board for the IKYTA met prior to Khalsa Council.
Kundalini Yoga Teacher Trainers worldwide have been invited to submit their Teacher Training materials to KRI for review to standardize Teacher Training internationally. Contact Nam Kaur at (505) 753-0423 if you are training teachers.