Alachua Temple–Vote of No Confidence in GBC
General categories of misconduct of the GBC body that are far below acceptable standards include areas such as accountability, managerial competence, responsiveness, and representation…
In July, 2000, the board of directors passed the following resolution, which is basically a vote of no confidence in the GBC in its current state: The board of directors supports the following statement and has sent it to the GBC body and to other ISKCON leaders:
Srila Prabhupada wanted his movement to be led by a Governing Body Commission that possesses integrity and commands respect. At present, despite the sincere efforts of the members of the GBC body, this does not exist. Though the New Raman-reti board of directors fully supports the principle of the GBC as Srila Prabhupada envisioned it, we herein express our lack of confidence in the GBC body in its current state to lead the movement and to adequately represent Srila Prabhupada.
In order to avoid particulars obscuring the broader view of dysfunction, this short statement does not delineate specific reasons for discontent. However, general categories of misconduct of the GBC body that are far below acceptable standards include areas such as accountability, managerial competence, responsiveness, and representation. This board is willing and eager to participate in efforts towards constructive change concerning the GBC body, and some such efforts are currently being discussed.
We believe it is essential that any new structure include a GBC body that is accountable to a group or constituency external to itself, since it is clear that the GBC body is unable to evaluate and discipline itself. This board views this statement as a service to the GBC body, and hopes that these comments will contribute to a positive reconstruction that will restore moral authority to the GBC body. The views expressed herein are those of the elected members of the New Raman-reti board of directors. We realize that these views do not necessarily represent the opinions of the members of the New Raman-reti Vaisnava community.
Your servants on the New Raman-reti board of directors,
Sukhada dasi, Nagaraja dasa, Nanda dasi, Raghupati Pran dasa, Kesihanta dasa, Isvara Puri dasa, Dhira Govinda dasa.
Regarding feedback to leadership, the New Raman-reti board of directors wishes to hear from community members on the issues described herein, and the board would also like to hear views from community members concerning the performance and functioning of the New Raman-reti management. Hare Krsna.
[end of resolution]
In 1999 the ISKCON of Alachua board of directors passed a resolution stating that, if it were to have connection on the GBC body, the New Raman-reti community (Alachua) would select its own GBC. However, as the state of affairs with the GBC has degraded even further, the position of ISKCON of Alachua at present, as evidenced in the resolution from July, 2000, is that it leans towards not having any GBC representative, as the GBC body has lost its integrity and credibility. Hopefully devotees will work to restore the GBC to an entity that Srila Prabhupada will be proud of. Hare Krsna.
Your servant,
Dhira Govinda dasa
About the Author
Dhira Govinda dasa (David B. Wolf, Ph.D.) Dhira Govinda dasa (David B. Wolf, Ph.D.) was introduced to Krsna consciousness in 1980 in State College, Pennsylvania. In 1984 he entered temple life in Israel, where he preached Krsna consciousness till the end of 1990. There, his services included Temple President in Tel Aviv, and sankirtana leader for a group of devotees who preached and distributed Srila Prabhupada’s books in Arab and Druze villages. From 1995-2001 he served on the Board of Directors of the ISKCON New Raman-reti Vaisnava community, including chairman for four of those years. In 1998 he established the ISKCON Central Office of Child Protection, and served as its director for more than six years. Dhira Govinda dasa’s doctoral dissertation is entitled Effects of the Hare Krsna Maha-Mantra on Stress, Depression, and the Three Gunas. His writings include a book entitled Krsna, Israel, and the Druze- An Interreligious Odyssey, and several publications on Vedic social and mental health science in leading journals in the fields of psychology and social work, such as Psychological Reports and Social Work. He developed the Vedic Personality Inventory (VPI), a guna-based personality assessment tool that is utilized worldwide by researchers and practitioners. Also, he is the author of Relationships That Work: The Power of Conscious Living, and the founder and director of the Satvatove Institute School of Transformative Coaching. He has extensive experience in areas including children and family counseling, medical social work, and counselor training. Dhira Govinda dasa has been featured as a communication expert on numerous media sources, including Fox News and CNN News. He has conducted self-realization and personal transformation seminars in more than a dozen countries, and has practiced and taught bhakti-yoga under the guidance of Srila Prabhupada for more than 30 years.
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