I was there and I'm impressed with your memory of the event. I don't know whose idea it was to have the open presentation of the accounting firms. Probably MMY's, but if it wasn't his, you can bet your life that he approved it before it happened.
From: [email protected] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of dhamiltony2k5 Sent: Wednesday, January 31, 2007 9:29 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [FairfieldLife] David Fiske, Connie or Rick, TMorg Accounting Controls While you are still around reading & posting to FFL, were you there at one of the international leaders meetings in Arosa Switzerland where account execs from a couple of the big international accounting firms were brought in and interviewed? One of the firms was Arthur Anderson then. Everyone in the TM org seemed was there, the regional co-ordinators, national and international leaders and elders of the movement like Charlie Lutes and Walter Koch, Jerry Jarvis and such. It was one of those bi- annual ATR's where the active teaching-TM movement congregated with Maharishi then. These account execs gave their pitches for the business of the TM movement then in opoen session. One played to the crowd and told everyone how great they were. The other stepped back and explained that `non-profits' need to understand their goals and mission, and then devise accounting controls that will help them see how they are doing. He explained that many non-profits instead judge their success by how many glossy publications they produce etc. In the end the first guy got the nod from the crowd. It was an amazing charade with Maharishi on the couch at the head of the room. My question, who pushed to have these accounting firms come in? The elders of the movement like Walter Koch? Charlie Lutes? Some Europeans? They were business people and watching what was going on then. The movement and Maharishi were in ascendancy then. I do not think anything happened with the accounting then after. It was an exceercise. Probably got further out-sourced to India. Who, in the middle, facilitated bringing those accounting firms in to interview? Just curious about the who and dynamics then. It was very much a produced event in the movement at that level. -Doug in Iowa
