October 25, 1974

 

Dear Richard:

 

We desire that you return to Stelle and work with us as rapidly as it is feasible and for the greatest good of all concerned. It has been understood by the Trustees since the day you left that one day you might return to continue the job you were commissioned to do as described in The Ultimate Frontier. We believe that it is essential that you decide to do that job of your own free will for truly each of us has to choose to live in Stelle because we wish to serve in this phase of the Great Plan of the Brotherhoods. Although we may not comprehend the weight that you must carry in your role here, we can appreciate the pressure, and perhaps we all have said, “I am glad that it is not my job.”

 

In your statement to Jim of October 16, 1974, you wrote, “I would be willing to accept whatever responsibilities the Trustees would place under my jurisdiction.” In light of the cooperation we feel is expressed in that statement, our thoughts are that you would:

 

1.        Conduct the monthly public meeting in Chicago.

2.        Conduct the open houses.

3.        Act as counselor and advisor to the Trustees. We would expect you to attend all Trustee meetings.

4.        Monitor all Board of Directors meetings, fulfilling your function of Chairman of the Board.

5.        Write “Observations” for the “Stelle Letter.”

6.        Write or supervise the writing of lessons for the general public which Dr. White directed you to do several years ago.

7.        Work at the Woodworking factory (possibly from 7:00 a. m. - 12:00 noon) for a few months if it is agreeable to Al Piel and to you and so long as it be for the greatest good of all concerned.

 

In addition—and this is an area in which we recognize we cannot delegate the responsibility—we desire that you function actively once again as a member of the Admissions Committee.

 

In our opinion, much has happened in the months you have been away from Stelle. We feel that The Stelle Group has been maturing and that most people are different in many ways than when you left them. Some of the ways we are doing things now may be different, and certainly there has been much shuffling of personnel. We believe that these present methods are in keeping with the Brotherhoods’ Philosophy as expressed in the sources we have available and that we have put together a good team. Because you have not been here, we believe that you will need time to evaluate Stelle as it is now and perhaps adjust to it. We will always be open to your evaluations of personnel and our directions and certainly look forward to your suggestions on how to make things better.

 

Referring back to your written statement of October 16, 1974, again, you stated that “I must make my statement to remove doubt from the area of the Philosophy itself.” In our opinion, there is little doubt in the minds of most members. And as you have said, no one of us can say anything which can convince another or remove his doubt. That doubt must be handled by each person himself.

 

The credibility gap is with you and not with the Philosophy. And while we would agree that lying and coverups compromise credibility, frankness and openness in a statement by you to the membership probably would not re-establish your credibility. The old adage, “By their works, ye shall know them, ”is applicable here. Stelle Group members should have no need to make a moral judgment of you, but they will accept what you write and teach in the future ac­cording to how well you seem to live the Philosophy. If you do not practice what you have taught, you cannot expect them to accept your words, for actions always speak louder than words. In view of the fact that we do not believe that a public statement by you on your reality of the past problems would be of positive value to the Group, we ask that you make no such statement. Such a statement would be self-serving at best.

 

Because of the present difference of realities between you and the Trustees, we do not wish to have you teach orientations or other adult education programs at this time. We would ask though that you work with Gail and the Trustees to develop such programs. We must always be focussing on and planning for the future expansion and so must be concerned with the development of teachers and the programs.

 

It is our reality that you have been through a profound personal crisis and that perhaps your tendency in the past to make opinionated statements that were not correct was due to that pressure. Exactly where you are now, we do not know nor is it our place to judge you, but it is our responsibility to decide what is for the greatest good of all concerned as far as we can see in order to fulfill this obligation. We ask that you do not involve yourself in private counseling at this time and that you completely avoid politics, “grass root” movements, or other involvements which would tend to split the group.

 

Finally, we acknowledge your statement that you and Gail are again building your marriage. It takes time to work on a marriage and the building of a home, and we know that you will need time in your week to do that, and we think that the responsibilities that we wish you to assume will allow for that. Do you agree? When these responsibilities become too time-consuming (i. e. as Admissions Committee work expands), we acknowledge that some of these other responsibilities will have to be delegated.

 

We are looking forward to the moment when you return and begin to work with us again.

 

Sincerely,

James E. Howery

Gail A. Kieninger

David Cysewski

Gary Ennor

 

 

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