Theos-Talk Archives (October 1996 Message tl00386)

Bart Lidofsky writes:

>I am not familiar with the expulsion of Denmark. On the other hand, I
>have read all the correspondence, on both sides, on the Theosophical
>Society in Boston. The way I see it, the Boston situation had a lot more
>to do with money than any other issue. A group of people saw a valuable
>property owned by an organization with a relatively small membership,
>came in, took over, and grabbed the property and the money for
>themselves.

I have also read most, if not all, of the correspondence on both sides including
the various legal documents such as  the "Judgment of Findings" issued by the
court in the Boston case which was settled by the parties.  I have also visited
the (now independent of Wheaton/Adyar) Theosophical Society in Boston (Besant
Lodge) Inc. which bought and refurbished a building in Arlington, Massachusetts,
a suburb of Boston, with their share of the settlement proceeds, and which is
now the home of that Lodge.

Who are the "group of people" to which Bart refers?  Are they the people I met
at the Boston Lodge who seem like nice folks, perhaps no better nor worse than
the members of the Lodge to which I belong, and members of other Lodges that I
have met.  Many of them have a keen interest in the Alice Bailey teachings.  But
many are also interested in other things, i.e. The Secret Doctrine, Astrology,
etc.  I saw it for myself.  Their present membership I believe is about 60-65.

Or are the "group of people" that small minority who instituted the legal
proceedings which resulted in the splitting up of the proceeds of the previous
Boston Lodge building which had become a valuable property and was sold to
Boston Universitry?

Notwithstanding side issues raised in the case, it appears to me that a small
minority of members,  who did not like what the majority at the Boston Lodge
were studying, mainly the AAB teachings,  and in order to curtail these
studies,brought a lawsuit for control of the assets which was encouraged and
supported by the national organization.  The approximate result of the
settlement was that the building proceeds of about $800,000, were split with
lawyers for both sides receiving about $200,000, the majority membership
receiving about $400,000 with which they bought their present building in
Arlington,  Mass. and the minority membership receiving about $200,000.  As of
July, 1995, I was told that this $200,000 remained in a bank account. I do not
know what has happened to it since.  Maybe someone on the list can add something
to this.

The saga of the Boston Lodge is getting to be an old issue, but I do not see how
it can go away until the officers and directors of TSA address the problem,
redress whatever wrongs occurred and attempt to bring the Boston Lodge back into
the fold.   I know of no such efforts at the present time.

Sy Ginsburg