Theos-Talk Archives (August 1996 Message tl00125)

Sy,

Thanks for your reply.
I did not challenge accuracy of your information--I just would like to
see if these happenings were covered in theosophical magazines and to
check the official versions. It looks like they were not.

Max


On Mon, 5 Aug 1996, Sy Ginsburg wrote:

> 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
>
>