Theos-Talk Archives (December 1996 Message tl00772)

At 10:49 PM 12/30/96 -0500, you wrote:
>m.k. ramadoss wrote:
>>
>>   Are there any lawyers on theos-l who can have a first crack at the
>> above?
>	
>	Actually, we have currently handled it by putting into our bylaws that
>if we are dissolved by National, then National gets the property, for
>the sole purpose of promoting Theosophy in New York City. But there seem
>to be a number of people here who think that is going too far. I am
>looking to see if anybody has a better solution.
>
>	Bart Lidofsky

        We are not looking at the near term problems. Many of us are looking
at long term problems. A concerted effort by a group like CC can achieve
that in the next 20-30 years time. With the present people at National, no
one expects such a thing to happen. Who can predict long term. But it is our
duty that to look long term and put such safeguards as may in all
probability put road blocks for any en-masse action.

        When the bylaws were revised, I recall it included a clause that if
TSA were to lose its charter/shut down -- when in other countries it has
happened, it cannot be ruled out in the USA from a common sense point of
view -- the assets, I believe will go to the TIT Trust. I even suggested
that, instead of laying our faith on the Trustees, we should make the
International President as ex-officio. Mind you the secrecy that normally
surrounds all money matters, is a real problem as 1900 letter seems to
indicate. Let me give you two examples. About a year ago, when the bylaws
changes were taking place, I sent in a request to John Algeo asking for a
copy of the trust document as well as the current bylaws. I am yet get it
and it is all most a year. Whom/what are they protecting? I am not a newbee
and am a long term member of TS. To this day, I have never taken a single
penny as direct benefit or even reimbursement, such as travel, telephone
calls etc. from TSA. Always, I have contributed to TS and TSA, may be not in
the scale of Kern foundation, but still within my means.

        The second incident was when I received the solicitation for
donation some time back from TSA, with matching from Kern Foundation, one of
the items mentioned in the solicitation was Internet. I sent in a request to
John Algeo inquiring if there is a budget showing what portion of the funds
are to go to what activity, and I have not received any information. It is
December 30 today and tomorrow will be the last day to write any
contributions and deduct it in 1996 tax return. I think that it is not
unreasonable for donors to inquire where the money is going to be spent. I
will leave to the reader to draw his/her own conclusions.


        On the first para, it is a fact that J. Krishnamurti for some time
when he was alive and Krishnamurti Trusts owned the Ojai and Adyar
properties, in effect he was prevented from using them for his talks. So a
future TIT Trustees may interpret anything as Theosophy and hold on to all
the assets and no one will know what is happening. If it could happen to JK
when he was alive, it can happen to any Trust. Until Sloss' book came out
making Krishnamurti's physical relationship with Rosalind public, even most
long time members in the USA and abroad never knew about the details. After
Sloss' book hit the shelves, we are seeing more details coming out, some of
them surprising and some shocking. I did provide a lot of the details on the
above to John Algeo for his information.


MKR