BBTI Clarification
BY: NRSIMHANANDA DASA
Jun 22, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA (SUN) — HH Jayadvaita Swami sent me a more detailed explanation of how the BBTI cogitates its policies and decisions. He emphasizes that there is a means for contributing views from the devotee community, as described:
"Write to us. Give your reasons why you think a decision should be reversed. We'll respond, either agreeing to your proposal or disagreeing, and giving our reasons. The mechanism may not always yield the outcome you'd prefer, but there most certainly is a mechanism....
The site has a well-qualified editor. In consultation with others, she decides whose views will be presented. Her work is overseen by a group of BBT devotees who give attention to the site. We also have "outsiders" (devotees outside the formal BBT structure) whom we sometimes consult. Ultimately, the site is overseen by the BBT directors. How the website will be presented is overseen the same way (except that, in addition to the editor, a graphic designer and a techie are also involved)."
He also made a distinction about the nature of the corporation in response to one of my statements, indicated by > :
>It is a private corporation,
>and the members self-appoint successors and/or additional members.
"The BBTI is a corporation. But to say that such a 501(c)(3) corporation is "private" is perhaps misleading, or at least
ungenerous, since those words are likely to give a layman the impression that such a corporation is hardly different from a corporation privately run for the benefit of its owners. That impression, as I'm sure you know, would be wrong."
I hope that this information gives a fuller picture than I did in my article, and I appreciate the input.
