Theos-Talk Archives (October 1994 Message tl00005)

Paul Gillingwater,


PG> This isn't a competition, but for your information, two or
> three of the Adyar lodges in New Zealand had their individual
> centenaries in the past few years, e.g. Wellington lodge was
> founded in 1889.  The New Zealand Section didn't come onto the
> scene until a few years later, but there are many lodges around
> the world which sprang into life soon after 1875, and have been
> in continuous existence since then.

Just a note of clarification: I had specified that the Los
Angeles Branch (Harmony Lodge) was one of the three oldest Lodges
in *North America*.  The oldest still active charter is the
Minneapolis Lodge (1888), followed by Toronto Lodge (1891).  The
Canadian Section was recently expelled from the Adyar Society,
and now exists as an independent Theosophical Society.  This
leaves the Minneapolis and Los Angeles Lodges.  I am sure that
older Lodges exist around the world, and I would be very
interested in hearing about any historical information concerning
them.

As long as I'm making clarifications, the Los Angeles Lodge
remained neutral for a period of time, after Olcott had canceled
its Charter in 1895, but the Lodge was working in cooperation
with the American Section (Adyar) under Alexander Fullerton by
1897.  This was the year Katherine Tingley became "Leader" of The
Theosophical Society, leaving E.T.  Hargrove to leave and hold
his own convention thus forming The (Hargrove) Theosophical
Society.  The Temple of the People was also formed that year.  A
lot of members abandoned the Theosophical Society in America
(Judge), and returned to the Adyar Society after Judge's death in
1896, and there were further losses when K.T.  became Leader in
1897.  In 1904, K.T.  closed the Lodges that remained Loyal to
the Judge line.  This is why there are so few nineteenth century
charters in North America.

Jerry Hejka-Ekins