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Political History of The Stelle Group – 1980s
To TSG (from Richard Kieninger) Mr. Al Rasche’s personal
evaluation of the condition of The Stelle Group, which he gave at my last Open
House, gave rise to the question of whether I would agree to coordinate and
focus Stelle participants’ efforts to fulfill the Brotherhoods’ plan for
Stelle. I have decided I would do the best job I can on a full-time basis
provided that at least three-quarters of the members vote for me to take on
that role. … December 1, 1981
Unaddressed (from
Richard Kieninger) Mr.
Al Rasche’s personal evaluation of the condition of The Stelle Group, which
he gave at my last Open House, gave rise to the question of whether I would
agree to coordinate and focus Stelle participants efforts to fulfill the
Brotherhoods’ plan for Stelle. I have decided I would do the best job I can
on a full-time basis provided that at least three-quarters of the members
vote for me to take on that role. … December 3,
1981 Special Public Hearing Announcement (from Malcolm Carnahan) … The Board of Trustees
unanimously agrees that it is in the best interests of The Stelle Group that
we acknowledge that Richard does have responsibility from the Brotherhoods
for the accomplishment of The Stelle Group’s purpose and that the members
agree to give Richard the corresponding authority to set the direction and to
follow that direction unless there is a referendum decision rescinding this
authority or a referendum decision disagreeing on a specific issue. The Board of Trustees would like to see if the
community shares this view. … December
18, 1981 Vivaxis in The
Stelle Group (Michael Fay) …Vivaxis
first became an influence in The Stelle Group in 1981 through Mr. Don Morrow,
Malcolm Carnahan’s former supervisor when Malcolm worked for HUD in 1981(?) All Resident
Participants of The Stelle Group
(The Board of Trustees) [The]
Possibility of Richard Kieninger Serving Stelle in a Full-time Leadership
Capacity. After two sessions this past weekend on the possibility of Richard
serving Stelle in some full-time leadership capacity, there seemed to be at
least four procedural concerns raised in addition to the discussion of the
proposal itself: … January 6, 1982 The Fog (from John Ries) … The problem, as Al
Rasche so pleasantly reminded us, is really quite simple and is: A.
The community
is growing at a very slow rate, if at all. B.
The community
is debt-ridden. C.
Our industrial
ventures continue to lose money or barely break even. D.
We have little
to show for the money we have spent. E.
The community
is far from being self-sufficient or industrially strong. F.
Cost of living
in the community is high and wages are low. … January 26, 1982
A Letter to the Participants of The Stelle Group (from TSG trustees) … We would like to share
our understanding of John’s message [The Fog]. His paper makes a point about
his feelings of frustration concerning Stelle’s slow physical growth. John
asserts that the cause of our slow-growth dilemma is what labels “survival
management.” … We do not share some of John’s key assumptions and perceptions
and we would also like to clear away some fog. .. The last of John’s 15
points being to remove Malcolm as a Trustee and President of The Stelle
Group. … February 4, 1982
Unaddressed (?) On March 18, 1982, Richard
was met in March 18, 1982 The Truth
(from John Ries and Greg Ehmka) …
We want to say right in the beginning that mismanagement does not imply misrepresentation
In fact, we wish to use as a working definition of mismanagement—the
inability to produce intended measured results. Measured results is included
in the definition since you cannot know as fact that the results have been
produced without some form of measurement that verifies whether or not an
intended result or goal has been met. Mismanagement occurs for a variety of
reasons, some in the not-knowing areas and some in the not-doing areas. Lack
of information, lack of goals, lack of measurement are examples of
not-knowing. Poor execution, wasting or unavailability of resources and lack
of skill are examples of not-doing. This report primarily addresses the
not-knowing area and aims to facilitate through information sharing the
acceptance of these responsibilities: … March 23, 1982
The
Stelle Dynamic (from Malcolm
Carnahan) We are presently caught
up in a kind of turmoil that we have not experienced since the days of 1974-75,
when some 165 adults left, or the days of 1970, when some 35 adults left.
This time there are 18 adults who have either left or announced they are
going to leave. This recurring dynamic must come to be understood. It always
has similar characteristics. People leaving is the most painful one. Another
one is the tendency toward polarization and factionalism. There are a lot of
open letters. All the old doubts and fears surface in intensified fashion:
“Why aren’t we growing? What’s wrong with us? What can we do differently?
What can we change that will unlock the growth and prosperity that seem to
elude us?” People struggle, using everything within them to maintain their
balance as they try to discern what is best for Stelle. … March 26, 1982
Opening
of Stelle, IL to Non-Members
(from Malcolm Carnahan – Trustee) At his monthly Open House on May 1, 1982, Richard
informed the community of a recent contact with his Teacher, John, concerning
the need to separate the corporate headquarters and some tasks of The Stelle
Group from the community of Stelle to ensure the success of both. This new
direction will be introduced in the new edition of The Ultimate
Frontier through the following paragraphs: … May 1982 All
Participants of The Stelle Group
(Richard Kieninger) I
have concluded extending invitations personally to Stelle members to comprise
the initial wave of Stelle participants at June 9, 1982 Under the new bylaws there will be two key changes in the overall direction: 1.
The Stelle
Group would no longer be a membership organization, but rather it will serve
a religious - educational purpose with a board of trustees managing its
affairs. It would provide a school of philosophy which would include a
revised and expanded orientation program. 2.
The Stelle
Group will no longer be involved in activities which would be more
appropriately performed by a municipally-oriented organization. … July 19, 1982 Tasks Unfulfilled (from Kelly & Kathy Greenlee) (needs to be digitized) 1982 the members of The Adelphi
Organization (Richard
Kieninger) You will notice on the
ballot for directors that my name appears as a candidate even though Malcolm
had asked me to no longer be a director or officer of T.A.O. The purpose of his
request was to reduce confusion and fear in members (whom he did not name)
when they’re not sure what “hat” I’m wearing while I’m communicating with
them. … March 14, 1984 … Our ideal is a civilization
consisting of balanced, happy individuals and balanced happy marriages. The
key to achieving our goals is developing our ability to love. Doing this
necessitates increasing our self-awareness in order that we may more clearly
recognize our own strengths and weaknesses. We have learned that
possessiveness, jealousy, exploitation, and manipulation decrease our ability
to love, and conversely, these negative ways of relating fade away as we open
ourselves and let love flow through us. We also recognize that gossip
contributes negatively to the community, and we resolve to discuss any
difficulties we have with the actions of another directly with that
individual… March 15, 1984 The Vivaxis Connection (Karen Robertson) … Malcolm admitted at joint
TSG/TAO meetings that, in Vivaxis, with a spirit, Don Morrow had introduced
him and other students to their so-called spirit guides. Richard invoked his
Key of David against those who indulged in sorcery or became the agents of
nether spirits. This one-way street being opened couldn’t be closed. … Undated Agreements
Between Richard and TSG Trustees?
(Missing – referenced in another paper)
April 28, 1986
TSG Trustee Position Paper (from Robert Machiz) There
is no need to advertise the temporary reduction in Richard’s responsibility.
He continues to be chairman. The restructure of duties is an internal
decision. It relates to the apportionment of work. It is not a concern of the
public. And yet the public may find out that something has changed. In the
void of information, people will be left to draw their own conclusions. In
the absence of information, people will be unlikely draw the correct
conclusion. There is no way to control the response of the small percent of
the public that finds out, if they find out. … May 8, 1986
Dear <Philadelphia Fund
donor> (Malcolm Carnahan –
President TSG) … While we certainly do
appreciate your vision and desire to help bring June 19, 1986 Confidential Memo (TSG trustees?) (Missing) Summary of a
meeting from which Richard Kieninger was barred on the 21st. 1.
Possible charges of sexual harassment
…The Trustees main concern was that Richard could never become
involved with new female participants or female employees lest there be
lawsuits, 2. Slander of other organizations and persons in print, 3.
Misrepresentation of the location of July 22, 1986 Personal Statement (Karen Robertson) I seem to be labeled as
pro-Richard and anti-trustees. This statement should dispel that notion. I’m pro
fact and pro truth. I’ll follow truth wherever it leads. We’ve heard
some facts. We’ve heard some people’s truths – their
perceptions, experiences, opinions. Yet there are important facts and
”truths” that have not come out before the group at large. Multiple,
contradictory “truths” are operating at various levels among us in disturbing
and destructive ways. … September 3, 1986 An Open Letter to Malcolm
Carnahan (Karen Robertson) … It became absolutely
clear that the situation under discussion was not covered by the EEOC ruling.
I was astonished that the Trustees had not gotten correct information and
felt obliged to bring the matter before the assembled group the next night. … September 7, 1986 Mssrs.
Gary Goertzen and Glenn Taylor
(from Richard Kieninger) I herewith resign from my
offices of Director and President of The Adelphi Organization, to be
effective upon the election and qualification of a replacement Director. September 30, 1986 Mssrs. Gary Goertzen and Glenn Taylor (from Richard Kieninger) I herewith relinquish my
being a signatory to The Adelphi Organization’s Money Market Fund in Texas Commerce
Bank, Acct. No. 8003592, and the corporate checking account of The Adelphi
Organization, Acct. No. 182949 in the same bank. September 30, 1986
Mr. Gary Goertzen (from Richard Kieninger) I hereby resign, effective
immediately, as a holder of any and all offices or positions of authority
within or related to The Adelphi Organization, including my positions as: (a) Director; (b)
President; (c) Administrator of the Philadelphia Fund of The Adelphi
Organization; (d) Chief Officer of the Office of Admissions; and (e) Officer,
Director or Committee Member in Adelphi Community Co-operative. … October 6, 1986 Mr. Gary Goertzen (from Richard Kieninger) …1. I hereby resign,
effective immediately, as a holder of any and all offices or positions of
authority within or related to The Adelphi Organization, including my
positions as: (a) Director; (b) President; (c) Administrator of the
Philadelphia Fund of The Adelphi Organization; (d) Chief Officer of the
Office of Admissions; and (e) Officer, Director or Committee Member in
Adelphi Community Co-operative. … October
6, 1986
Mr. Malcolm Carnahan
(from
Richard Kieninger) After due consideration,
I have determined that it is in the best interest of The Stelle Group and its
directors, officers, and members that I undertake the following actions. … October
6, 1986
Mr. Malcolm,
President (from Richard Kieninger)
This letter is to
rescind one of the letters I signed dated April 28, 1986 (copy attached for
reference). Since this agreement was obtained through false premises relating
to an alleged threat of litigation and since you and the corporate secretary
stated to a meeting of the membership that you do not consider the April 28
letters binding and that I am free to make any decision I wish, it seems
pointless to have such an agreement appearing to be currently valid. October 6, 1986 Mr. Richard G. Kieninger
(from
Robert Machiz) Malcolm has given me a
copy of your letter dated October 6, 1986, in which you have indicated that
you wish to rescind one of your letters dated April 28, 1986. In your letter
you state that the agreement contained in your letter of’ April 28th was
somehow “obtained through false premises relating to an alleged threat of
litigation.” This is not my understanding of the facts. … October
6, 1986
Mr. Gary Goertzen & Mr.
Glenn Taylor (from Richard Kieninger) In order clarify my intent
in paragraph 5, the paragraph should read, “In consideration of cancellation
of any money indebtedness that was expended from the Philadelphia Fund to me for
a movie script related to my writings, estimated to be approximately, $600, I
transfer and assign all rights, title and interest to any movie or broadcast
rights to The Stelle Group.” … October
10, 1986
Reformation Plan (from Robert Machiz) … The organization is
reeling from the recent disclosure concerning Richard’s activity. The
organization needs to deal with the various legal and organizational issues
confronting it; however, the present focus is still “Richard‑oriented.”
Richard is still involving himself in the process and this, whether his
intention or not, serves to obfuscate the issues. … October 10, 1986 Impact Analysis (from TSG Trustees) … A potential credibility
problem exists due to: 1.
Richard’s
action and statements 2.
Richard’s
statements about the board(s) 3.
Our handling of
the situation. … October, 1986
TO: All Affiliates (Robert M.) … In the next issue of The
Stelle Group Letter (Volume 21, No. 8) we will be announcing that Richard has
resigned from both The Stelle Group and The Adelphi Organization. I have
enclosed an advance copy of the article … November 6, 1986 A New Chapter (The Stelle Group Letter) On October 6, 1986,
Richard Kieninger resigned from all of his offices in The Stelle Group
including member of the Board of Trustees, Chairman of the Board,
Administrator of the Philadelphia Fund, and member of The Stelle Group.
Richard submitted a similar resignation to The Adelphi organization. … The Stelle Group Letter, October/November 1986
Contingency Plan for Possible Loss of Financial
Support (TSG Trustees) (Missing) November 10, 1986 I spoke with Gerald Cook who
is November 14,
1986
Dear Supporter of The Stelle Group (from Committee for Truth) The Stelle Group has been caught up in wrenching
turmoil since early May of 1986 when its Board of Trustees in secret sessions
pressured Richard Kieninger to resign his offices and cease to be involved in
helping to decide the policy and programs that TSG should pursue henceforth.
… December 9,
1986
Dear Supporter of The Stelle Group (from Karen Robertson, Betty Van Dyke, Marjorie
Haines) … We felt it was our right and our responsibility to
let you know there are differing views. For doing this, the penalties are
going to be severe. First, Stelle Trustees asked that we meet with our
respective lawyers. Then they asked that we meet with their lawyer. One
member of our committee was fired from her contractual staff position as a
Language Arts and Math teacher at the December 16,
1986
Dear Fiends (from Marjorie Haines) … In the past 10 months
I have learned, That our Trustees have not been seriously interested in
locating at Adelphi, That some leaders have been instrumental in introducing
changes in The Stelle Group By-Laws which have deprived us of the democratic
process in the guise of bringing the group more into line with the
Brotherhoods’ organizational structure and chain of command. … December 16,
1986
Dear Friends (from Karen Robertson) … His [Richard
Kieninger] record and achievement stands on its own. I support and stand by
him in this time of crisis in which the Brotherhood’s programs are threatened
by those who would focus on and exploit Richard’s human flaws in an attempt
to turn members against him and take over his tasks. … December 16,
1986
Dear Friends
(from Karen Robertson) I am writing to lot you know
that The Stelle Group’s lawyer has notified Richard Kieninger and the members
of the Stelle Members’ Committee for Truth of his intent to get a court
injunction to prevent further use of the mailing list to contact you or let
you know what is happening here. The committee members have been expelled
from The Stelle Group and additionally are barred from entering the premise of The Stelle Group office for any
reason at any time. December
20, 1986 Title
unknown (from Richard Kieninger) “... Three months later
during a Trustees' planning meeting, I announced that the location of
Philadelphia is at Adelphi (the safe place), after which the Trustees stated
they couldn't be sure of anything I've said, and they doubted my credibility,
the validity of The Ultimate Frontier, and the legality of the
Philadelphia Fund.” “...However, the
prediction concerning the location of December
30, 1986 The Most Frequently Asked
Questions About “A New Chapter” (The
Stelle Group Letter) … Since that article appeared,
people have contacted The Stelle Group with various questions related to
Richard’s resignation. We would like to share some of the most frequently
asked questions and their answers with readers of The Stelle Group Letter. … December 1986 Amplification of My Remarks at the October 5th
Community Meeting (from Richard
Kieninger) Many people coming to Stelle underestimate just how much
psychological and emotional effort is required to uplift their personal
attitudes and mental habits in order to improve their character and enhance
their likelihood of achieving Initiation. I believe they come to Stelle
unconsciously expecting to somehow develop their hoped-for advancement with
great rapidity and ease rather then merely being shown techniques for
self-improvement and being provided with appropriate challenges here. … December
1986 Richard Kieninger (from Richard Kieninger) I’m
writing in response to your request to have an explanation of what has been
going on between The Stelle Group and me. The situation is both sad and
ridiculous, especially since it has led the Brotherhoods to no longer support
TSG. It is difficult to compress the problems into a meaningful historical
overview since it involves many complexities; however, I will try. … December
1986 Reasons R. Kieninger Was Included In Stelle’s
Temporary Injunction (from
Richard Kieninger) The
Stelle Group’s attorney told the court that Kieninger should be added to the
Court’s Temporary Injunction, which was already in force against the three
women who made up the Stelle Committee for Truth, because there was probably collusion
between Kieninger and the three women to provide a means for him to
correspond with donors to his program. Guitard claimed that Kieninger used
the Committee for Truth to “steal” TSG’s mailing list and TSG’s Donor
Tracking List to send out a letter that also provided an address for
recipients to be able to contact Kieninger. … End of 1986 (?) Legal Matters
(from
unknown) It happens that John Guittard
is in the enviable position of being able to bill whichever side of the TAO
is declared the real TAO in any lawsuit where he is the attorney of record
for TAO. Therefore, it would be wise that his law firm be dismissed by
president Carter from representing TAO any further. It is unlikely that
Guittard will actually withdraw from continuing to represent the other
faction; but if we dismiss him officially, he will then be in no position to
bill us later if we win and will have to bill the other side as individuals.
On the other hand, he may be happy to get out of the cases altogether. To
protect ourselves, we should send a certified letter as below: … End of 1986(?) Richard Kieninger’s Perspective On His Expulsion
From The Stelle Group (from
Richard Kieninger) In mid April, 1986,
Leslie Olson complained to Malcolm Carnahan about a romantic/sexual
relationship I had had with her off and on from November, 1984 to January,
1986. She claims I essentially lied about my relationships with other women
during the period by omission and by evasion of the truth, and she has come
to believe that I had led her on. She demanded of Malcolm that something be
done to prevent me from ever doing that with another woman in the future.
Malcolm and the other Trustees took the extreme position that I must have
used my Office of Membership to sexually coerce women by inferred threats of
expulsion or that I probably took advantage of women because of their alleged
admiration and trust of me as a “high being.” End of 1986
(?) Three Women Are Being Sued (from unsigned) Three women are being sued by TSG Trustees for their
activities as the “Stelle Committee for Truth” whereby they told their fellow
donors, who were not in Dallas and Stelle, that they were not being given the
same story and all the facts about Kieninger’s departure. The position taken
by the Trustees in order to justify to the local participants their actions
against Kieninger was being supported by their distribution of a confidential
package of written materials only to local participants. Late 1986
(?) No Salutation (from Richard Kieninger) Thank you for your letter. I’m sorry to have to confirm
that the Board of Trustees forced me to resign from The Stelle Group. There
has been irritation between me and the Trustees for several years, and they
finally found causes celebres to get me out of their hair. … Late 1986? Dear Friends and Supporters (Malcolm C.) … It is unfortunate that it is necessary for me to
intrude upon this period by having to communicate to you about recent events
concerning The Stelle Group. You may have received some letters over the last
three weeks from three former members who called themselves “The Stelle
Members’ Committee for Truth.” ... December
31, 1986 TSG Trustees (from Karen Robertson) “If you don’t think TSG is now projecting
dishonestly and running a virtual scam, read the front page of the most
recent TSG Letter, “A New Chapter,” which is, I feel, a complete public
relations whitewash of the truth we have lived, the reality we have
experienced since the trustees removed Richard out of his office. This letter
is sent to current and potential donors and participants. How dare we keep
the full truth from these people who are giving us their money and
considering giving their lives to our work? 4th
Quarter 1986 Dear <Philadelphi Fund Supporter> (Robert Machiz) As indicated in the last issue of The Stelle Group
Letter (Vol. 21, No. 8) 8); Richard Kieninger has recently informed us that January 7,
1987 TO: Affiliates, Friends, And Supporters (Robert Machiz) … Unfortunately, this transition period has been
complicated as a result of the action of three members who have
misappropriated our confidential mailing list and mailed letters to our
contributors which negatively portray The Stelle Group and its board of
trustees. … January 22,
1987 Dear Friends (from Robert
Machiz) I am writing you today to ask you for your help in
dealing with a matter that is important to anyone concerned with the future
of The Stelle Group and the dissemination of the philosophy of the
Brotherhoods. It has now become clear that the efforts of the three women’s
“committee for truth” have seriously undermined The Stelle Group’s base of
financial support. In January, 1987, monthly donations were down by $20,000-—a
sixty per cent loss of contributions. This situation was unexpected and
has developed very suddenly. … February 1987
Dear Community
(Renee Trenda) …First,
it is stated that donations have fallen off because of Richard and the three
ladies’ activities. It is only my personal opinion, of course (and I welcome
feedback) that indeed donations have decreased not only because of RK, but
the Trustees and the Group as a whole have not lived up to people’s
expectations, and are not as attractive as they used to be as a viable place
to donate funds to… February 8,
1987 Dear Community (from Robert
Machiz) …
However, there are still two points that concern me. The first, is that the
people who are voluntarily making the most sacrifices, are the very ones that
RK said were doing their jobs the best, such as Heather and the teachers etc.
… Yet, there is no mention of like offers of sacrifice coming from the
highest paid officials, namely Malcolm and Machiz, who reportedly make a
comfortable $75,000 between them, and who, in RK’s opinion, were not doing
very much to earn such salaries. Certainly, if the schools are suffering and
the teachers can t even be paid, some sort of adjustment in these salaries
would seem appropriate. Secondly, I am yet distressed that the blame for this
entire situation is constantly placed on RK and the three ladies. It feels to
me like Robert is trying to create a “paper trail” of accusations via these
letters in preparation for TSG’s upcoming lawsuit against the women. He repeatedly
states that they are the cause of the decline in revenue, preparing the way
for a case for “damages.” … February 14,
1987
Conditions Offered to R.K. (Stelle Committee for Truth) On and around March 15, 1987,
the Trustees of The Stelle Group asked Mr. Albert Rasche of Greenville, South Carolina, to come to
Dallas, Texas, and act as a mediator between the Trustees and Richard
Kieninger in order to negotiate an agreement for R. Kieninger to sign in
return for TSG dropping R. Kieninger from the TSG lawsuit against the three
women styled as the Stelle Committee for Truth. The conditions stipulated by
the Trustees to R, Kieninger are as follows: … March 15, 1987 TSG Appeal
for Money After Committee for Truth Letters (from Robert Matchiz) … Change can be exhilarating. It can also be
disorienting with the old and familiar guideposts no longer seeming adequate.
… regardless of Richard’s involvement. … While we’ve been hurt by the
activities of the self-styled “Committee for truth,” we continue to move
forward. By tightening our belts, consolidating staff functions, and
temporarily cutting back on some programs such as our school in April 15,
1987 Dear Affiliate (from Robert Machiz) I am pleased to enclose
your copy of The Stelle Group’s 1986 Annual Report to Contributors. We
believe that providing you with detailed information about our programs and
finances is an essential part of good stewardship. … We appreciate your
previous support of this work. Because you’ve helped, we’re able to offer a
safe and balanced program for spiritual development that spans a lifetime, We
hope that you will now reaffirm your support for sharing these rare and
practical truths with the world. God bless! June 10,
1987 Dear participant of The Stelle Group (Richard Kieninger) In January of this year, TSG mailed a newsletter to
thousands of readers of my book, The Ultimate Frontier. That
newsletter included many untrue and distorted statements about me. … Miss
Olson, as it turned out, didn’t have a case against TSG or me under the
harassment laws, but she was certainly angry with me after being undoubtedly
shocked and horrified by the impression she received from Don Morrow,
Malcolm’s Vivaxis partner … July 1987 Proposed Program Realignment as of August 6, 1987 (Trustees?) 1. This proposal is offered
based upon the assumption that the recommendation of the Compensation
Committee is adopted by the Board. The proposed monthly savings from #6 a, b,
c, were estimated at $2086. The monthly salary for the publications position
is $2460. Money to apply for consultant would be $374 per month or about 30
hours a month. … August 6,
1987 Friend of The Ultimate Frontier (Richard Kieninger) Thank you for the news clippings by which you keep
me up to date and for your concern over Malcolm’s inquiries about my letters
to you. When the TSG Trustees got a temporary court injunction to keep me
corresponding with anyone on their mailing list, the judge ordered that I
could correspond with anyone I personally knew provided I obtained that
person’s address from some other source … August 13,
1987 The Adelphi Organization (?) Missing [letter of ultimatum …] September 3,
1987
Mr. E. Lee Gilbert (from Richard Kieninger) … Your official proposal
to sell all the Adelphi land to me personally indicates that you do not respect
the mission of TAO and are leading the members in directions inimical to
Christ’s design for the organization. I will not yield to your ultimatum. I
shall continue to properly administer the Adelphi Land Trust and defend it
with vigor. September
6, 1987 Ms. Shelia
Cheaney—attorney (from Richard Kieninger) … The directors of The
Stelle Group thereupon falsely declared to our public that a fraud had been
committed in soliciting donations and that the Philadelphia Fund would have
to be dissolved. … September 14,
1987
Friend of The Ultimate Frontier (Richard
Kieninger) … Your conversation with Malcolm seems very
consistent with the position he has stated to others. Half the Affiliates
stopped tithing after the newsletter announcement that I was leaving the
group under pressure. Many of them stated that my book had changed their life
and that they were interested in helping to promote my work to achieve the
Brotherhoods’ goals. .. November
24, 1987 Dear friend of
The Stelle Group It has been a year since three members of TSG, calling themselves the Committee for Truth, made unauthorized use of our mailing list to send out their view of the situation between Richard Kieninger and the trustees. At the time I was angered by the way they went about it, and the things they stated seemed off the wall. Now, after a year of my probing into the details, and seeing where our president, Malcolm Carnahan, and the other trustees are leading the group, I have come to the conclusion that the Committee for Truth was 100% on target in their facts and logic. … Late 1987? Majority Rule - A Challenge and a Plea
to TSG and TAO Members (Karen Robertson) In 1982 The Stelle Group removed from its bylaws the
election of Trustees, referendum procedure, and expulsion by due process,
giving the Trustees total authority, unlimited self-perpetuation, and zero
accountability. Following are several specific results of this choice
(documentation attached) 1. Legal actions for dismissal of The Stelle Group’s
lawsuit based on illegality of the Group’s bylaws 2. Documented proof that in the Fall of 1986 The
Stelle Group Trustees formulated and implemented a secret plan and deliberate
policy to conceal the truth surrounding Richard’s departure from outside
supporters and donors in the hopes of minimizing the sizable decrease in
income they projected as a result 3. The unconscionable, unconstitutional terms of an
agreement The Stelle Group Trustees tried to get Richard to sign in exchange
for dropping his name from the injunction lawsuit 4th
Quarter 1987 Residents of the community
of Stelle, IL (Tim Wilhelm) … There is a small minority
of persons living in Stelle and the Stelle area who seem to be working to
import a more direct Kieninger influence to Stelle. There are others here who
say ‘ignore it, it can’t hurt you...love it and it will leave you alone.’ … I
ask this favor: forgive, if you will, but please DO NOT FORGET. Please do not
allow this sort of influence to get a toe hold and grow in our community. … August 12, 1988 Open Letter to Tim Wilhelm
and the Community of Stelle
(Rick Carter) … Tim’s judgmental statements
made in his letter’s rumor section do not have a basis in fact. These
judgments are unfair and dead wrong. Because of their inaccuracy, they are
very hurtful to us here as individuals and very damaging to us as an
organization and the work we are trying to do. I say to you, Tim, you had no
right to involve yourself in the internal affairs of TAO. By so doing, you
have ended up bad-mouthing a situation where you probably do not have all the
facts. … September 21, 1988 Declaration (from
TAO Directors) We, the undersigned,
being all the Directors of The Adelphi Organization, a November 21,
1988
Dear Friends and Members (from J. Foster, H.
Norris) …
For years The Adelphi Organization,
according to its Bylaws, has been democratically administered. However, due
to the actions of Richard Kieninger and his remaining thirteen supporters,
The Adelphi Organization is spending its donated money and the members’ energies
in the legal system because a minority does not respect majority rule. … February 6, 1989
Dear Friends and Members (from TSG Trustees) After several previous
attempts to peacefully resolve its legal entanglements with Richard Kieninger
and the three persons who comprised the “Stelle Members Committee for Truth,”
The Stelle Group received a favorable reply to its last settlement
initiative. This, in turn, led to an out-of-court resolution of the problem.
We are pleased to make known that this lawsuit is behind us. March 1, 1989
Richard Answers the Charges (from Richard Kieninger) I’m writing in response to your request to have an
explanation of what has been going on between The Stelle Group and me. The
situation is both sad and ridiculous, especially since it has led the
Brotherhoods to no longer support TSG. It is difficult to compress the
problems into a meaningful historical overview since it involves many
complexities; however, I will try. … 1989 Dear Friend (from Richard Kieninger) I am pleased to announce
that in exchange for my dropping my libel suit against The Stelle Group, its
trustees have dropped their two-year-old lawsuit against persons on the
Stelle Members Committee for Truth and me, which has been barring us from
communicating with people via the mailing list held by The Stelle Group. As
part of the compromise, I am using the mailing list once to make this
announcement, and I have agreed to never use the mailing list hereafter. 1989 History and Conclusion of the Lawsuits (from TAO Quarterly) The Adelphi Organization has been involved in two internal
lawsuits which have just been resolved. Our group was essentially split in
its membership between a faction favoring the policies of; Malcolm Carnahan,
while he was president of The Stelle Group, and a faction supporting Richard
Kieninger and his work. Our problems began in 1982 when the Trustees of The
Stelle Group and some other residents of Fall 1989 Dear Steve (from Michael Fay) …
The trustees implied that the Brotherhoods had passed the word along that we
were no longer worthy of the privilege of a vote since we apparently weren’t
demonstrating sufficient cooperation. Our group self-esteem being at such a
low ebb at the time, not one of us bothered to contact Richard in Undated
By-Laws
of The Stelle Group
Date not given |
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