Theos-Talk Archives (February 2005 Message tt00222)

Thanks Paul for filling in some more of the details. Your recollections 
have evoked a few more of mine. It was 1986 or 87 that Michael Revere 
hosted an inter-theosophical conference in New York City. I did a 
presentation there on the importance of having an historical 
perspective of the TM, and presented a portion of our historical 
introduction we did for new members at Los Angeles Lodge. Michael was 
pushing for TS people to become members of all the Theosophical 
Organizations. I thought it was a good idea and did so. So did Eldon, 
and some others. Around the same time, the Toronto TS had a three day 
inter-theosophical conference, where my wife and I did a half day 
workshop on the same subject. 
Claire Walker, in Maryland was, as you say, also had a networking 
newsletter, but became publicly critical of Bing Escudero's ouster from 
Wheaton when he tried to run for National President. Claire eventually 
moved to Long Beach and continued her newsletter through Long Beach 
Lodge. We had some nice talks.

Rick Nurrie and Ken Small did have disagreements but that is all in the 
past, and they are still in touch with each other. I heard from Rick a 
few months ago. He is doing fine.

I recall when John and Nancy Coker, and you were part of the Frederick 
and Tidewater TS (Pasadena) effort. I remember that your group's 
inter-Theosophical newsletter was called "Theosophical Branchings." Too 
bad it only lasted a few issues. The Cokers are still at the Pasadena 
Headquarters and doting over their new grandchild. Grace Knoche is 
very elderly now, and expectations are rising for a new leader to soon 
appear.

you write:

> The feeling I got, based on some confidential conversations with 
> various people, is that Wheaton "befriended" the Networking effort 
> only to undermine it, and that John Algeo was regarded as the person 
> who behind the scenes most opposed it.
Well, John Algeo's 1994 talk at Ojai makes it very clear that he indeed 
opposed and sought to undermine the networking effort. Around 1986, I 
was invited to attend a private meeting of those who were running things 
in the TS at the time. This meeting was held at Lake Geneva during the 
annual convention. At that meeting, Joy Mills made it very clear to all 
present of her opposition to the networking movement. I was sitting 
next to John Algeo, and asked him to speak up about the positive 
experience we all had at the 1984 Krotona conference--since Joy was out 
of the country at the time. John remained mute. 
> Our initial 
> enthusiasm was characteristic of the baby boomer generation we 
> belong to; our eventual disappointment/alienation was characteristic 
> of many generations of would-be reformers in the Movement.
You are right, of course. We are a generation of would be reformers 
whose well intended efforts always seem to end up in disappointment. 
However, I think that we did make a fundamental change--no doubt in the 
TS (Pasadena), and also in ULT. I think we also made our mark on the 
TS (Adyar), regardless of their efforts to undermine what we were trying 
to do. Because of our efforts, people from the diverse Theosophical 
Organizations (including Adyar Theosophists) have come together in a way 
they had not done before--even in the time of Purucker's fraternization 
movement, there was never the same ease of inter-Theosophical 
fraternization that we have now. After twenty years, there are now 
Theosophists who never had any idea that things were once very different.

The effort continues through the ULT inter-Theosophical conferences, and 
on the even playing field of the internet Bulletin Boards. I recall 
that the idea was originally hatched in an all night talking session in 
the Coker's kitchen when they were still in Maryland. John proposed it. 
I remember John making the point that because the internet is an even 
playing field, whatever was accomplished there could never be controlled 
by anyone. He was right. Remember when the Wheaton headquarters tried 
to set up a "regulated" Theosophical Bulletin Board? Participants got 
tied of having their messages censored, and it appears that their 
discussion board has since been dropped. When the Cokers relocated to 
Pasadena, John got with Kim Titchnell and Eldon and set up the first 
Theosophical discussion Board. I remember that first meeting (you were 
there too) in the Titchnell house in Pasadena when we all got our first 
lessons on how to install and program the dial-up software and how to 
send and receive emails. Eldon programmed mine for me. John was the 
first Theosophical discussion board host. That was almost twenty years 
ago.

--j











kpauljohnson wrote:

> Hey,
>
> Thanks to JHE for the lengthy and informative reminiscence. As a 
> bit player in the Networking events of the 1980s I can add the East 
> Coast perspective. Michael Revere, a ULT associate from New York, 
> published for a short time a magazine encouraging Theosophical 
> networking, which came to my attention around 1985. John and Nancy 
> Coker, then of Maryland and now of the Pasadena HQ, had already been 
> networking on a local level with Adyar and ULT Theosophists, and I 
> joined them in some cooperative programs. Claire Walker was then in 
> Maryland and very pro-cooperation. We had a series of conferences 
> in the region in the mid-80s and Michael came down for one in 1986. 
> (Later other ULT members participated but alas made nasty scenes a 
> couple of times leaving the other participants with a bad taste.)
>
> He, the Cokers, and I all participated in the Theosophical Network 
> magazine with Rick Nurrie and Ken Small. (Somehow I never met 
> Eldon, which I regret.) We were inspired by the cassette tapes of 
> the Ojai 1984 conference, and Michael traveled across the country 
> meeting people in all branches of the Theosophical Movement. I got 
> especially interested in Theosophical history and attended three 
> conferences in London organized by Leslie Price in the late 1980s. 
> All were attended by a mixture of various types of Theosophists and 
> non-Theosophists; Leslie was an important figure in the Networking 
> developments of the decade.
>
> The impression I got from Pasadena HQ at first was that some members 
> were disturbed by our effrontery in organizing such cooperative 
> events, but Grace Knoche was supportive and invited us to Pasadena 
> for a day of discussion with staff in 1986. The 1988 SD conference 
> was a clear indication of Pasadena's subsequent commitment to 
> networking.
>
> But in the 1990s, despite some official cooperation as for example 
> in the Parliament of Religions, the energy behind the Networking 
> movement dissipated. With the Cokers' move to Pasadena and mine to 
> south-central Virginia, the Frederick and Tidewater branches of the 
> Pasadena TS withered away. Michael Revere married and started a 
> family and I haven't heard anything from him in years. Rick Nurrie 
> and Ken Small had a falling out and Rick left the Theosophical 
> movement entirely, focusing his energies on a magazine he and his 
> wife founded. I continued to lecture regularly for the DC and 
> Maryland lodges and the Charlotte Study Center in the 90s, but the 
> latter failed to survive the departure of John and Louise Mead, and 
> invitations from the former stopped in 1999. Betty Bland had 
> attended the last one I gave and was very friendly to me, but I 
> suspect some Wheaton influence behind the ending of invitations from 
> the two Adyar lodges.
>
> The feeling I got, based on some confidential conversations with 
> various people, is that Wheaton "befriended" the Networking effort 
> only to undermine it, and that John Algeo was regarded as the person 
> who behind the scenes most opposed it. The majority of those most 
> active in the 1980s efforts to insure the healthy survival of the 
> Theosophical movement have fallen by the wayside. 
> HTH,
>
> Paul
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links