Loyalty League, TS

In 1921, 200 members of the Sydney Lodge (Australia) joined together to form “The TS Loyalty League.” It’s declared three objects:

1. Loyalty to the objects of the Theosophical Society (TS).

2. The maintenance of an absolutely non-sectarian platform and resistance to any action or movement likely to endanger the neutrality of the Society even in appearance. 3. Loyalty to the good name of the Society, and the investigation of the bona fides of individuals or institutions claiming recognition from it.

The same year, the League commenced publication of a magazine called Dawn. The League gradually became more critical of the President, Annie Besant and Charles W. Leadbeater and antagonistic toward the Liberal Catholic Church (LCC).

It seems that Thomas Hammond Martyn was the prime mover of the League, reflecting the disquiet of many Australian members about Leadbeater’s prominence in both the L.C.C. and the TS which seemed to bring the two organizations into a close relationship. In 1923, matters reached a critical stage of conflict between Martyn and his supporters at Sydney and Besant resulting in Besant’s withdrawal of the charter of the Sydney Lodge following which Martyn formed The Independent Theosophical Society to which the Sydney Lodge was affiliated. Martyn died in 1924 and the I.T.S. faded away.

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