Theos-Talk Archives (January 1995 Message tl00012)

To JERRY H-E:

Jerry,

I feel it is time to step in (hesitantly) in this discussion
between you and Liesel.  You seem to have quite a rosy picture of
The Point Loma & Pasadena societies.

However, I know far too much about these two societies than to be
proud of their history.  Especially the James Long vs.  William
Hartley controversy (maybe unknown to you) is of far deeper
significance to the poor results of theosophical work than most
of us realize.

I won't go into the horrible details of the period just preceding
and following the death of Arthur Conger.  It just is a terrible
history, neatly swept under the carpet by a certain T.S.  You can
deduce from the following which I mean..

Documents of investigations into the death of A.  Conger and
several involved issues do exist; as well as an interesting
correspondence between the Dutch Theosophical leader D.J.P.  Kok
and William Hartley.  Our Dutch leader Kok got really sick at a
time trying to explain what had happened in the above mentioned
case.  So much so that he canceled the meeting while people were
already assembled (this I heard from theosophical friends who
were there at that time I think).

I keep all of this deliberately vague for two reasons:

1) I didn't see the documents involved myself.  I have to rely
for information on trustable friend-theosophists.  However, I
probably can get access to the correspondence between Kok and
Hartley, but I'm not so sure I want to do that.  Also I don't
want to alienate others on this list.  Do I have to force issues
under peoples's noses when they prefer not to face them? I don't
think so.

2) As these issues concern a dark past, I really have no
intention to dig up old images in the astral light, risking
kama-rupa spooks to creep in, leading us to a genuine seance..  I
can use my time better than doing that.  But..maybe someone will
dig up this info sometime in future, undoubtedly leading to very
emotional debate..

Apart from this dark chapter in the history of Point
Loma/Pasadena societies, there are some unfortunate episodes in
the Point Loma section, from which I will mention only one:


The meeting in the period of Katherine Tingley's leadership of
the Point Loma section (I can look up the date somewhere in an
old magazine of Theosophy/The Path from ULT), where she decided
to change the type of leadership from democratic to
hierarchical/lifetime.  Although a majority of people voted in
favor of this, many, many theosophists left this society,
decimating it.  Robert Crosbie was one of them.  He didn't get
back his big investment in the society.  I don't know exactly
what has happened in that time, I doubt anybody on this list
knows exactly, unless old enough to have been a member at that
time.  One is left with a strange feeling after reading Alice
Leighton-Cleather on the issue of Katherine Tingley as a
well-known trance medium..  I for sure don't know what to think
of that.

And the list of accidents/misuse of power etc.  goes on..  But
enough of this.  I only type this down in order to point out to
you, Jerry, that many things have happened in the history of the
societies that you probably don't know about.  Many things not to
be proud of.  Indeed the practice of Brotherhood was hardly to
been found in the entire history of about all the T.S's.  I
wonder whether this list-forum may be a modest start of this
practice; a practice that was the foremost goal of the inspiring
forces of the T.S.: the Masters of Wisdom and _Compassion_.

Friendly yours,

Martin Euser