GBC Meeting Highlights from March 8th-9th of Annual General Meeting

By GBC Communications | Mar 16, 2024

March 8th Meeting Highlights

The meeting commenced with Guru Puja and a reading from Srimad Bhagavatam.

Krishnadas Kaviraj Dasa (GBC Deputy) facilitated the straw voting process for the following proposals. For each proposal, he provided a summary, resolution, and highlighted the Plus, Minus, and Interesting points. Members in attendance engaged in a detailed discussion and cast straw votes on the matter of Reinstating the position of Assistant GBC and Acting GBC.

The post-lunch session featured a presentation on Deity worship by Nrsimha Kavaca Dasa. During his presentation, Nrsimha Kavacha Dasa shared the following updates related to the Deity Worship Ministry:

– Conducted online and offline teaching courses at Mayapur.

– Organized a Temple Worship Course in New York for 10 days, receiving a highly favorable response. Integration of deity worship model into the Bhakti Shastri Course.

– Achieved an increased number of followers on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube and publication of the Deity Worship newsletter.

– Hosted the 8th European Head Pujari Sanga.

– Facilitated Deity Installations at various temples, including New York, Badshahpur, Gurugram, East of Kailash at Delhi, Mauritius, and more.

– Conducted temple visits to assess and uphold Deity worship standards.

The presentation concluded with Nrsimha Kavaca Dasa addressing questions posed by GBC members.

The following GBC members offered their resignation from GBC services – Bhakti-bhusana Swami, Bhakti Marg Swami, Malati Devi, Niranjana Swami and Radhanath Swami. The members voted in favor of accepting the resignations, and as a result, their resignations were officially accepted.

March 9th Meeting Highlights

On March 9th 2024, the final day of the GBC meeting commenced with the worship of Srila Prabhupada and reading from Srimad Bhagavatam 8.5.47.

The EC extended a warm welcome to Acyuta Priya Dasa, congratulating him on his appointment as a GBC member. Acyuta Priya Das was designated as Co-GBC alongside Bhaktivaibhava Swami for Ukraine and GBC for Moldova.

The GBC EC assessed the zonal assignments of GBC members.

The Appointment of Standing Committees and Global Duty Officers were reviewed and members cast their votes.

Prahladananda Swami presented the list of Sannyasa Candidates, with the Valmiki Dasa approved to take sannyasa this year. Other candidates on the sannyasa waiting list are Atmarama Dasa, Govindananda Dasa, Savyasaci Dasa, Rukmini Krishna Dasa, Nanda Kumar Dasa, Shanta Nasimha Dasa, Visvavasu Dasa and Kamalalocan Dasa.

In the post-lunch session, the appointments of Ministers, Standing Committees, and Global Duty Officers were reviewed, and members cast their votes. Vaisesika Dasa was appointed as the Minister for Book Distribution, with heartfelt gratitude expressed to Vijaya Dasa for his dedicated service as Minister of Book Distribution over the years. Vijaya Dasa extended his best wishes to Vaisesika Dasa in his new role.

Gopal Krishna Goswami was reelected as the Secretary, and Revati Raman Das was appointed as the second-in-line signatory.

Krishnadas Kaviraj Dasa (GBC Deputy) facilitated the straw voting process for the following proposals. For each proposal, he presented a summary, resolution, and highlighted the Plus, Minus, and Interesting points. Members in attendance engaged in detailed discussion for each proposal and cast their votes:

– Leasing of cows suspended

– Initiating in the Presence of One’s Diksa Guru

Members expressed appreciation for those who resigned from GBC services: Bhakti-bhusana Swami, Bhaktimarga Swami, Malati Devi (who remains in office till the end of 2023), Niranjana Swami and Radhanath Swami. Gratitude was also extended to Revati Raman Dasa, the outgoing Chair, for his steadfast services during the year 2023.

Appreciation and thanks was conveyed to Ananda Tirtha Dasa and Radha Sundari Devi, the Secretariat and all volunteers who contributed various services at the GBC Office throughout the meetings. The volunteers received a gift from Guru Prasad Swami, in-coming Chair, as a token of appreciation.