Moderator - Shri Vijay Prasad - (s09-0)

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Hindu Mandir Executive Conference

September 11-13, 2009, Linthicum, MD

Session 9Summary of the Youth &

Workshop Sessions

Moderator

Shri Vijay Prasad

September 11-13, 2009

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Youth Session

• Youth Retention - need youth leaders and not youth participant

• Seva - starting seva from home to outreaching through mandir

• Youth Network - Set up a medium for sharing and networking

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Management & Administration of Mandirs

Dr. Sharma Tadepalli

September 26-28, 2008

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Planning, Proactive, focus on core values, consistent performance; qualified priests, executives,

volunteers

Resources Management

Scale

/ gro

wth

M1M2

M3

M4

M5

Complexity

Simple

Split

Challenges

Fragmented/polaized

Management & Administration of MandirsStructure

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• Mindset, attitude and behavior

• React to accidents; not proactively plan and mitigate the risk.

• Parking lot Construction Oil Lamps • Kitchen• Crowd control • Trips and falls

Management & Administration of MandirsDiscussion - Safety

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1. Qualified Priests – Knowledge of Vedas, rituals and Jyotish as well as English language to be able to explain the importance of rituals, religion and Dharma to the new generation

2. Parents/Teachers – Need to be Role models – Engage in activities that uphold Dharma

3. Food habits – Influence person’s thoughts and actions

4. Independent Living – Increases selfish behaviors and family/community values are lost

5.Proper religious Education – Mandirs need to take lead in proper religious education

Common Problems in Administration of Mandir: Problems, Conflicts & Solutions

Shri Ravi Shetkar

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• Introduction of Temple’s role in Life.• Presentation of religious knowledge in

scientific way through Temples.• Preparation of new educational material for

explaining Dharma• Seminars on deferent religious topics

organized by temples.• Co-operation of parents with new generation.

Dr. Ram Pandey

Challenges for Hindu Temples: An Outsider’s perspective Discussion


Solution

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Duties Of Mandir Executives

• Arrangements of proper and timely worship through qualified priests.

• Introduction of all rituals, festivals and ceremonies according to Hindu traditions.

• Involvement of new generation in management of temples.

• Parents must take interest in preserving their culture and get actively involved in the community affairs

Challenges for Hindu Temples: An Outsider’s perspective Discussion

Dr. Ram Pandey

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Invite Federal,State and Local Legislators to Visit the Temple.Conduct guided temple tours to local community(Public relations)

Dr. Bapineedu Kuchipudi,

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U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights DivisionA Guide To Federal Religious Land Use Protections The Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) protects religious institutions from unduly burdensome or discriminatory land use regulations. The law was passed unanimously by Congress in 2000, after hearings in which Congress found that houses of worship, particularly those of minority religions and start-up churches, were disproportionately affected, and in fact often were actively discriminated against, by local land use decisions. Congress also found that, as a whole, religious institutions were treated worse than comparable secular institutions. Congress further found that zoning authorities frequently were placing excessive burdens on the ability of congregations to exercise their faiths in violation of the Constitution.

In response, Congress enacted RLUIPA. This new law provides a number of important protections for the religious freedom of persons, houses of worship, and religious schools. The full text of RLUIPA is available at http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/housing/housing_rluipa.htm.

Management & Administration of Mandirs RLUIPA

Managing Growth. Issues that arise in scaling mandirs from small scale

operation/facility to a large scale operation


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Duties Of Mandir Executives

Managing Growth. Issues that arise in scaling mandirs from small scale

operation/facility to a large scale operation

• Issues with Priests (hiring) • operations


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A Summary of the Panel Discussionby Dr. Susheelabai Pasupuleti

Members of the Panel include:Dr. Rajan Narayan, Ramesh Deshpande, Dr. Vipin Kalia, Mrs.

Padma Kuppa, Dr. Dinesh SinhaModeratorated byDr.Prakash Rao

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Interesting Questions at the end of the Discussion

• Vegetarians are not offered options to follow dietary restrictions according to Hindu faith in the public schools.

• Are mental disorders are a taboo?• How the senior citizens can support the temples?• How to support the temples and how the temples can

be a platform to speak about the various problems that the Hindu immigrants face in various situations?

• There is not enough understanding and knowledge about the mental issues among Hindu Americans.

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Plan of action

1. Write a temple letter schools on behalf of the temple to the schools districts about the vegetarian diet and preferred diet to the children.

2. Conduct a research study/survey to assess the needs of the elderly population and mental health issues among the Hindu-American community.

3. Educate priests and volunteers about mental health and ways to help Hindu families dealing with stress, health, mental health issues.

4. Stress the importance of yoga, meditation and Hindu way of living to prevent and solve problems.

5. Draft and provide guidelines to all temples about Hindu way of living and habits for healthy living.

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Session - Education and Integration

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Session - Inter-racial Marriage

• Discussion:– Universalist approach vs Multiculturalists’

approach; Proper teaching and explanation of Hindu tradition. Compatible “Guna” or core values of life, “Karma” or career path, “Swabhaava” or temperament.

– Action: The group unanimously adopted the resolution to provide pre-marital counseling to youth of all Mandirs.

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Marriage and MulticulturalismShri Krishna Kirti Das

• Spoke about two approaches to religion• Universalist approach: Here Individual sees the

Universe according to his/her own value system based on their own religion. In this approach, one’s faith will strengthen Hindu-American identity as Hindus.

• Multiculturalists’ approach: Here Individual accepts every culture and religion as equal. In this approach, Inter-racial marriage will weaken Hindu-American identity as Hindus.

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Dr. B. DoobayRetaining Hindu Identity:Maintaining Caribbean / Trinidad & Tobago experience and Learning

• Preserve Hinduism by proper teaching and explanation.

• As long as Hindus embrace their religion and are able to cherish Hinduism, then people can marry outside race.

• Family marries a family, not just boy and a girl.

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Dr. Darshanand RamdassProcedures and Policies to welcome/initiate willing individuals into the Hindu fold

• Vedic Vision: the Soul is genderless and raceless

• Anyone can marry anyone as long as your “Guna” or core values of your life, “Karma” or career path, “Swabhaava” or temperament are campatible.

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Shri Kaushik JoshiYouth Networking Programs at Chinmaya Mission

• Kaushik ji explained in details the different activities of children from Balavihar, Yuvakendra, and young adults to impart Hindu values.

• Cultivate leadership and understanding of Hinduism.

• These values will remain in inter-racial marriages.

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Action Item

• The group unanimously adopted the resolution to provide pre-marital counseling to youth of all Mandirs.

Spiritual

Moderator - Shri Vijay Prasad - (s09-0)