Theos-Talk Archives (August 1996 Message tl00121)

Max writes:
"Sy and Jim: I still did not hear anything about references to OFFICIAL
documents or announcements or decisions or whatever, related to the
expulsions."

Max, I can assure you that the Danish national section was expelled from Adyar,
as was the Canadian National Section.  Also, the Boston Lodge was expelled by
TSA.

When representatives from Akron, Miami and St. Louis met with the people from
Denmark in Wash D.C. on May 7th, the Danes supplied us with a copy of an
extensive set of documents relating to their expulsion and the legal case
brought by Adyar in an attempt (unsuccessful) to capture the Sections assets.
Similarly, the people from Canada have supplied me with many copies of documents
relating to their expulsion.  In Boston, TSA also arranged a legal attack on the
Boston Lodge assets.  There, there was a settlement.  The valuable Lodge
building was sold, the Lodge (now expelled) got 2/3 of the assets and a small
group of members organized by Fernando de Torrijos, N.E. District Director, as
an opposition got 1/3 of the assets.  This was after huge legal fees were paid
to lawyers for both sides from the sale of the building proceeds, a real tragedy
for the Boston people who had over the years built those assets.  I also have
copies of many of these documents. The Boston Lodge, now independent, bought a
new building with their share of the proceeds in Arlington, Mass. where they now
function.  The last I heard, from Fernando in July 1995, the de Torrijos group
still had their funds (about $200,000) in a bank account.

I'm glad some people from Oakland will be coming to the St. Louis, Missouri
conference in October.  I will also be there and intend to bring along copies of
many  of the documents relating to all this so you can examine them.  This stuff
really did happen.  As Ramadoss has observed, almost nothing was known about
these affairs by ordinary members and it appears that both the national and
international administrations have attempted to keep the matters quiet.   I
discovered the Boston affair by asking questions about the reasons for the
purported bylaw changes at the national convention in July, 1995 (before then
none of our Miami Lodge members knew anything about it).  After the convention,
I then put some of the  information about the Boston affair on the Internet. Kim
from Denmark then came forward on the Internet and began to give us the
information about the Denmark affair, which I was able to subsequently confirm
with the Danish national officers.

It is important that we keep the light of publicity on these happenings, and
this Internet group gives us an avenue to do that  because it is not controlled
by any national or international administration as are the various theosophical
journals.  I hope some of our national officers are tuned in to these Internet
discussions, whether they wish to openly reply or not.    It is a new time, made
possible by new communications.  If TSA is to continue with general support from
its membership, there must, in my view,  be an attempt to  redress of the wrongs
done to the Boston Lodge.  If the 3 declared objects mean anything, I can see no
valid reason for the expulsion of the Boston Lodge, in spite of side issues that
were raised.  I like to hope that our national officers and directors are big
enough to admit the mistake in Boston, to oppose the Radha burnier letter of
1980 that appears to be the genesis of all these affairs, to undo the purported
bylaw changes which attempt to turn the TS into an episcopal organization, and
to reunite theosophists because we do have a common cause.  There are so few of
us on the world stage, we ought to be united in that cause.

If our national officers want to leave as a real hallmark of their
administration, the good of the TS , it is  important that they be helpful in
reunifying the Theosophical Society.  Perhaps they will wish to attend the St.
Louis conference on October 5th, which is open to all theosophists and
theosophical organizations, and begin a new page dedicated to theosophical
unity.  To do so, the 3 declared objects must be honored and adhered to.  Merely
paying lip service to them is insufficient.

Sy Ginsburg