REPORT TO THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE Urantia BROTHERHOOD CONCERNING
THE TRANSACTIONS OF THE GOVERNING COMMITTEE OF
THE FIRST Urantia SOCIETY REGARDING
THE EXPELLING OF
MR. ROBERT BURTON FROM ITS MEMBERSHIP AND IPSO FACTO
FROM THE Urantia BROTHERHOOD
Note: It is not clear who was the individual responsible for preparing this report.
December 4, 1972
As directed by the Governing Committee of the First Urantia Society, I herewith submit a report of the transactions to date concerning the expelling of Mr. Robert Burton from the First Urantia Society and ipso facto from the Urantia Brotherhood.
A special meeting of the Governing Committee was first called on Sunday November 19, 1972 to consider action to take with respect to the expelling of Mr. Burton. At this time a letter as written by the Membership Committee Chairman was read and approved to be sent to Mr. Burton informing him of the charges placed against him and an invitation to be present to defend himself of the charges. Also that this was a hearing and not a trial to determine if the Governing Committee felt that his case should be submitted to the membership of the First Urantia Society for formal action in expelling hem.
This letter was approved and was mailed to him on Monday, November 20, 1972 via registered mail to be presented to the addressee and return receipt showing that such letter had been received byt he addressee. The date of the meeting for Mr. Burton was set for 4:15 P.M. December 3, 1972 and was incorporated in the body of the letter sent to him.
On December 3, 1972 all members of the Governing Committee were present ad as requested by Mr. Herman Shell, President of the First Urantia Society, Mr. alvin Kulieke conducted this meeting. After the meeting had been called to order, Mr. Kulieke instructed the members of the Governing Committee how he intended to conduct the meeting. First by bringing to the attention of Mr. Burton the charges that had been placed against him and then allowing him to make his defense to each charge. After these instructions Mr Burton was invited into the meeting.
He placed on the table his attache case and from it he took three paperback copies of books he had purchased from a book store one of which was a bible at a cost of $1.00 each, another religious book selling three for a dollar, and the third a New Testament at a price of twenty five cents. He then proceeded to inform the group that he had received the letter sent ot him but that the charges were so general and ambiguous that he could not prepare a defense to the charges made against him. It was explained to him at the time that this was the purpose of the meeting.
Further, he asked if there wer present any members of the Executive Committee who had accused him of not being a loyal member of the First Urantia Society and the Brotherhood. He was informed that only Mr. Kulieke and Mr. Burch, who are members of the Executive Committee, were present and that the charges as amde were by teh Executive Committee as a whole and not by any individual members of that committee. It was pointed out that Mr. Kulieke and Mr. Burch were members of the Governing Committee of the First Society.
Mr. Kulieke informed Mr. Burton that he would first read in its entirety the resolution as passed by the Executive Committee of the Urantia Brotherhood and then would take each charge against him individually and read it and then would allow Mr. Burotn to give his rebuttal or defense to the charge. Mr. Burton objected to this procedcure but at the insistence of the members of the Governing Committee he consented to allow Mr. Kulieke to read the entire resolution.
Then Mr. Kulieke proceeded to the individual charges and Mr. Burton would not approve of this procedure. In fact Mr. Kulieke was unable to complete the reading of the first charge and the giving of evidence for the charge being made against Mr. Burton. After vehement objections on the part of Mr. Burton he, contending the committee was not allowing him to present his case, commented that the "hachet committee" had done its work well and he herewith submitted his resignation. Also, that he was leaving his normal presentation of his defense for those who might wish to read it. He also referred to the meeting as a "drum head" trial. He then left the meeting.