Source: www.merinews.com
MARYLAND, U.S.A., September 17, 2009: Hindu Mandir (Temple) Executives representing 111 temples and Hindu organizations from more than 25 states of U.S. and Canada converged in Lithicum, MD, a suburb of Washington, DC, to attend the Fourth annual Hindu Mandir Executives Conference (HMEC), this week.
The fourth annual HMEC-2009, was another step in the development of network and relationships between Mandir executives to meet the goal of creating a cohesive and focused Hindu-American community with Mandirs as its nucleus. The participants were focused on developing programmes to provide leadership to nourish, protect and sustain Hindu Dharma in North America .
Addressing the temple executives from across the country, Swami Dayananda Saraswati of the Arsha Vidya Gurukulam, who was the keynote speaker, emphasized that the Hindu Mandirs are “forms or manifestations” of tradition that can be handed over to the next generations.
In the concluding session of the Conference, the delegates agreed on a series of action items, which emerged as a consequence of the deliberations and presentations:
1) Hindu Seva Diwas: Conduct Seva (service) activities in large number of Mandirs on a single chosen day.
2) Develop software and e-services for Mandirs. Apply readily available state of the art software technology to streamline routine Mandir operations.
3) Develop Training Camps for Hindu Ambassadors in Mandirs, training Mandir adults & youths on essentials of Hindu Dharma and Hindu society, so that they can effectively articulate the richness of our traditions to larger public.
4) Distribute Hindu Text Book Supplements to US School Districts on the history of India prepared by Hinduism Today.
5) Develop Samskar Manual for Young Couples. Write a clear, simple and attractive book on Vivah Samskar.
6) Establish Hindu Mandir Youth Network in USA.
7) Establish Hindu Mandir communication channel, through Hindu Mandir News Letter.