Multiple Initiations
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This would be address to James:
If you had a few different people in the same area in say, the Midwest, that were looking to join the Order, as Students of course, what would be our best first step? Out of curiosity, if all went well as students, would the T.O.T. be willing to have a Neophyte travel to the aspirants? What if said Probationers-to-be were able to share in travel expenses? Finally, what are the guidelines for establishing a Pronaos?
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This would be address to James:
If you had a few different people in the same area in say, the Midwest, that were looking to join the Order, as Students of course, what would be our best first step? Out of curiosity, if all went well as students, would the T.O.T. be willing to have a Neophyte travel to the aspirants? What if said Probationers-to-be were able to share in travel expenses? Finally, what are the guidelines for establishing a Pronaos?
@h3fall3n777 said
"If you had a few different people in the same area in say, the Midwest, that were looking to join the Order, as Students of course, what would be our best first step? Out of curiosity, if all went well as students, would the T.O.T. be willing to have a Neophyte travel to the aspirants? What if said Probationers-to-be were able to share in travel expenses? Finally, what are the guidelines for establishing a Pronaos?"
You're confusing terms - speaking of Temple of Thelema on the one hand, and using A.'.A.'. terminology (Neophyte, Probationers) on the other. Because of the rest of your question, I'm going to assume you're actually asking about Temple of Thelema, and go from there.
Unlike some other organizaitons, Temple of Thelema local bodies are composed of people that are already members - so the first step is for people to become members. When there are sufficient members in a given geographic area able to meet on a regular basis, then a local body can be created.
Normally, interested members would travel to an existing Temple for initiation and for the early stages of their work. I'm sure it is no surprise that some people stay and some leave - there is a certain amount of "shake out" as people get into the assigned work, the ritual, etc. Therefore, in a situation such as you describe, the individuals would travel for initiation, return home and do the work, have ongoing contact with their Temple Chiefs, and we'd see how they took to the work, whether they persevered and took/passed examinations, etc., to see if there really were sufficient people in the area to form a permanent working body.
Sometimes (as happened in New York over the last few years), we have existing members who move into an area and are able to "anchor" developing membership there. For example, in NY we had two past Chiefs of a West Coast temple who had moved East, as well as another fairly senior member. This provided a practical and magical starting point.
To answer your specific question, a Pronaos (pre-Temple) is an authorized organized body of six or more initiated members who are:
(a) moving toward the probable formation of a Temple;
(b) meeting periodically to practice certain ritual that is the basis of the gorup work; and
(c) acquiring the equipment necessary for full Temple work.