Theos-Talk Archives (June 1996 Message tl00524)

CWL03a.TXT

This is the first printed reaction of the British Section to the
   events of the Leadbeater Affair following upon Annie Besant's
   November letter mentioned below.  The "Enclosed reply" is a
   separately published pamphlet, and will be reproduced, possibly
   in 2 parts, as CWL03b.TXT and CWL03c.TXT.

At first sight one supposes that the RESOLUTIONS are the same as
   those published in CWL01.TXT - in fact there are many
   differences.

------------------------------------------

TO THE MEMBERS OF THE THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY

Especially to the Members of the British Section.


THE LEADBEATER CASE


Enclosed will be found a Reply to the President's recent Letter of
   November, 1908, to the Members of the Theosophical Society, in
   which she refuses to act in accordance with the Resolution
   passed at the last Convention of this Section - calling upon her
   to take such action as would make the repudiation by the Society
   of the pernicious teachings given by Mr. Leadbeater to young
   boys, unequivocal and final.

At a largely attended and representative Meeting of Members, held
   in London on November 13th, it was decided, among other things,
   to ask for the cooperation of all those Members who are opposed
   to the reinstatement of Mr. Leadbeater in the Society, without
   public repudiation of the teaching which determined his
   resignation, and for that purpose the accompanying RESOLUTIONS
   have been drawn up. If, after reading our Reply to Mrs. Besant,
   you are in favour of these Resolutions, please sign the
   perforated slip and return it at once to Mr. Mead. A petition
   for the reinstatement of Mr. Leadbeater is being circulated by
   some of his supporters. If you should have already signed that
   Petition, but now see reason to alter your opinion, will you
   kindly write to its promoters and withdraw your name? - and
   inform Mr. Mead of your having done so.

G.R.S. MEAD.  HERBERT BURROWS.  W. KINGSLAND.  EDITH WARD.

16, SELWOOD PLACE, ONSLOW GARDENS, LONDON, S.W.  November, 1908.

----------------------------

RESOLUTIONS

THAT WHEREAS, at the last Convention of the British Section of the
   Theosophical Society, a Resolution was passed calling upon the
   President and General Council of the Society to take such action
   as would ensure "that the repudiation by the Society of this
   pernicious teaching [the teaching which determined the
   resignation of Mr. C.W. Leadbeater] may be unequivocal and
   final":

AND WHEREAS the President has replied to this resolution in a
   printed Letter to the members of the Theosophical Society, dated
   November, 1908:

AND WHEREAS, in that Letter, the President explicitly declines to
   take such action, stating that she herself only disagrees with
   the teaching, but that her "condemnation no longer applies to
   Mr. Leadbeater's advice":

AND WHEREAS, in that Letter, the President fully admits that Mr.
   Leadbeater did give the said teaching (a) previous to his
   connection with the Theosophical Society, "when a priest of the
   English Church," (b) to boys not yet addicted to the practice,
   but in whom "certain symptoms had already shown themselves
   either on the physical plane or in the aura," and (c) that "even
   though in one or two instances this may have taken place before
   what is commonly called puberty":

AND WHEREAS the President declines to put an end to the scandalous
   state of affairs involved in the identification of this teaching
   with the Theosophical Society - through the acclaiming of the
   man who stands self-convicted of it, as one worthy to he placed
   in the highest rank as a Theosophical teacher and guide, and
   also through an explicit statement by a member of the General
   Council that "no mistake was made by Mr.  Leadbeater in the
   nature of the advice he gave to his boys":

AND WHEREAS, further, the President declares that she will rejoice
   to welcome Mr. Leadbeater back to actual membership, and ignores
   the condition of public repudiation by him of his teaching:

NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED -

1 That we, the undersigned members of the Theosophical Society,
   reaffirm the opinion expressed by the British Section at its
   last Convention, and embodied in the following resolution, which
   was carried nem. con., that. "This Convention looks on the
   teaching given by C.W. Leadbeater to certain boys as wholly
   evil, and hereby expresses its judgment on this matter"

2 That we, the undersigned, record our opinion that no person who
   has given such teaching should be a member of the Theosophical
   Society, so long as that person has not absolutely,
   unequivocally, and publicly repudiated the said teaching and
   practice.

3 That we, the undersigned, call upon the President to adhere to
   the pledge given at the time of her election to the Presidency,
   that she would not readmit Mr. Leadbeater to membership till two
   years after his public repudiation of the said teaching, and
   then only on a large majority request of the whole Society.

{Our copy lacks the perforated slip referred to, as presumably, the
   recipient completed it and sent it to Mr. Mead.}

Scanned and uploaded by Alan Bain
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