Theos-Talk Archives (May 1996 Message tl00834)

Someone on this list asked to be informed about  the results of the TSA
contested elections as soon as possible.  So, I will tell you about my effort to
run for Southeast District Director.  I was informed today by an official at
Wheaton that Sy Ginsburg received 96 votes, and Amy Furnans received 144 votes.
I lost by 48 votes. So much for my efforts to breathe some life into TSA by
applying what we have learned at the Lodge level in Miami.  Apparently 144
members in the southeast district like things just the way they are at TSA.

There is a rumour that Bing Escudero also lost to Betty Bland.  I don't know
about the other races.  Probably some of you do.

It should be added that 59 members of the Miami Lodge were retroactively
disenfranchised from voting in this election, although they had the right to
vote in the January 6, 1996 bylaw referendum.  An additional 19 newer members of
the Miami Lodge also did not receive ballots, although under the old bylaws they
would have received them.  I wonder how many would have voted for me?  How would
any of you feel about an election run in this way?

I became active in TSA national politics 10 months ago when I attended the July
1995 convention, and was horrified when I was presented with the purported new
national bylaws changing the TSA from an episcopal to a congregational
organization with power emanating from the top instead of from the Lodges.
There was never any discussion about these purported new bylaws with any
representatives of the Miami Lodge, one of the largest in the country.

In these 10 months I have discovered the following:

1. The attempted unilateral abrogation of Lodge autonomy included in the
purported new national bylaws.

2. Numerous violations of fair election practice by TSA national officials in
their attempt  to make certain  the purported new national bylaws pass.

3. The 1980 Radha Burnier letter objecting to Alice Bailey and Sai Baba being
studied at TS Lodges.

4. The expulsion of the Theosophical Society in Denmark (now the Theosophical
Union in Denmark) for being heavy into Alice Bailey.

5. The expulsion of the Theosophical Society in Boston for being heavy into
Alice Bailey.

6. The expulsion of the Canadian section for not subjecting itself to Adyar
control.

7. The nepotism that has pervaded Adyar.  Nepotism itself may not be bad per se,
but it is a red flag in any enterprise.

What am I to make of all this?  I am a life member of TSA.  I joined in 1978.
If I had known of the Radha letter in 1980, I wonder if I would be a member now.
We have lots of new members who keep joining the Miami Lodge (present membership
is 121), because of our open approach and wide variety of studies.  But I am
embarrased now to talk about the 3 declared objects to new prospective members
because the Adyar-Wheaton Society only pays lip service to them as is evidenced
by the expulsion of Lodges and National sections.

The Adyar Wheaton Society have accumulated assets over the years, left to them
by good people.  But that's all they've got, a pile of assets.  And how long
before they sell them off?  How many members are left?  Last I heard TSA had
only 4200 members, and the only growth was coming from a few Lodges like Miami.
What is the present TSA membership?  I suspect it continues to decline.

A few of you on the list who have been members longer than I, tipped me off in
advance about who and what I was dealing with, and as has been well put on this
list, the eminence grise of the ES.

There is something very wrong with TS(Adyar) and TSA.  And has been pointed out
on this list, there is never a comment from any TS or TSA officer or director.


And this is an organization that purports to promote spiritual values?

It's been a discouraging 10 months with lots of energy expended in a futile
cause. I think my energies are better used in enterprises other than TSA.  I'm
proud to be a member of TI . I am not proud to be a member of TSA.

Sy Ginsburg