10/22/48 HLC's letter to Herbert J. Holmes and Emily
Simmons:
"We would like to bring you up to date on developments with
the Foundation program and get your suggestions on the next
steps.
"First, as I wired you, my meeting was unsatisfactory.
The major issue which came up was the amount involved in
proportion to my attempting to handle the matter myself
and duplicate the Norfolk effort in New York, Chicago and
elsewhere. It was felt that under the circumstances I would
have to devote a great deal of my time to the matter anyway
and there was complete agreement with you on the point that
this is the most important thing to be done at the present
time.
"My failure in the one instance does not close the matter,
as we might well find someone else who would be more amenable
to the suggestion and who would see that you could do a far
better job than I could in the larger areas. I object to
talking to too many people about this for the obvious reason
that it will sooner or later get out and become a general
discussion which neither of us would like.
"While I was in New York Mary Sugrue's mother died and it was
necessary for her to leave for Washington. I stayed with Tom
while he secured a nurse. On the day of her mother's funeral
Mary's father had a stroke. This left her with a paralyzed
father in Washington and a paralyzed husband in New York (she
must have chopped off a lot of legs and arms somewhere along
the line). I discussed with Tom at length the Foundation
program and he was in favor of my coming immediately to New
York to establish headquarters at the Seymour with him so
that we could, together, put on the Foundation drive there.
This was in line with his previous telephone conversation
which I told you about. I returned here recognizing the
value of having Tom's full time cooperation on the Foundation
program. Especially important was the fact that he offered
to finance me personally as to living quarters, meals, office
space and telephone, along with the use of his secretary.
This obviously was quite an inducement to begin the campaign
there as quickly as possible. The office situation here was
a little complicated with Dorothy planning to get married
November 6th and leave. (We have advertisements in the paper
for secretarial help and I have been, as rapidly as possible,
turning over the publication program to local talent - Eloise
Franco and Dr. Ellaine Elmore. The first issue of our new
combined publication will be out November 1st.)
Complications in the proposed arrangements with Tom, however,
arose almost immediately. He telephoned me a few nights ago
saying that he is sailing on November 15th for Tel Aviv and
flies on to India to collect material for two books. Mary
will stay with her father and Tom will take a companion-nurse
with him. This changes our picture in the New York area
considerably, as both of us had been thinking of him in terms
of General Chairman. However, it releases me from the
necessity of taking advantage of his generous offer of time
and financial assistance by starting the campaign immediately
in New York. He had suggested starting right after the
General Canvass Opening meeting in Norfolk on November 1st.
"Now - with regard to Ojai - I have been unable to make
telephone connections. Apparently the lady in question is
away or was driven out by the serious Ojai fire. I am
considering - and want your opinion on - writing her a
detailed proposal.
"Florence Edmonds visited Washington recently and did a
very fine selling job for the Foundation idea. There is a
temporary quiet on that front so far as criticism is
concerned.
"Now - with regard to Norfolk activity: Special Gifts met
its halfway mark at the last report meeting with only one-
third of the prospects seen. I understand exactly now what
you meant by reference to the difficulties of pushing the
workers to see their prospects. The more spread out it
becomes the more difficult it is to get the workers under
way. Gladys and I frequently talk about what apparently is
remarkable prophetic power on the part of both you and Emily.
People do and say exactly what you have said they are going
to, and keep on doing it! We have turned up some excellent
workers and some, as you predicted, who were expected to be
very good have fallen flat on their faces. Florence is
proving to be a dynamo, and I feel sure that she will
practically, literally, carry the Special Gifts over by
herself. The lag at first in getting Special Gifts under way
was due largely to Florence's absence from the city. There
are two or three stories about the campaign that I want to
pass on to you I think you will enjoy them. A member of the
Spiritualist Church in Norfolk who has personal readings
years ago but who had not been interested in the Association
for a long time, met Gladys quite unexpectedly a few nights
ago - she hadn't seen her in years - and told her: 'Last
Friday in my morning silent period - which I keep daily - I
was literally flooded with thoughts of Edgar Cayce and his
work at Virginia Beach. I made a vow to myself that the next
time I was called on for work or a contribution that I would
respond. Do you know that, that very Friday night Jane
Williams called to ask me to serve as a worker on the General
Canvass team?' This lady had not been on our mailing list
and had received no literature of any kind not even a
casebook.
"The best story of the campaign is one of mistaken identity.
Theron and Mignon Helms (he was the man who said we would
have difficulty getting workers in the Norfolk area, and who
looked for not more than $5000 out of Norfolk) had as a
prospect in Memorials a Mrs. X who had obtained a reading
for her son many years ago; he was an epileptic case who
completely recovered. Theron and Mignon found Mrs. X
extremely interested but in financial straits. She did make
a generous contribution, on a three-year basis, considering
her circumstances. She suggested that they, by all means,
see her son - who was now married and living in Norfolk - and
they told her that they had his name on their Speical Gifts
list. They failed at the time to check the address with Mrs.
X. A few days later Theron and his wife visited a Mr. John
Doe X at the address to which the casebook had been sent
ahead of them. They found that Mr. X had received the
casebook and was interested in the material, but after 15 or
20 minutes of conversation they discovered that he was not
THE John Doe X they were looking for. However, they liked
him and his wife very much and left them in a congenial mood,
after much discussion of the Edgar Cayce work, feeling that
they were likely prospects for new members of the
Association. The date of Theron's visit was known to the
General Canvass Captain who had chosen John Doe X as a
prospective worker. Theron forgot to report the details of
his visit, as he was sick in bed at the next report meeting.
The General Canvass Captain called on John Doe X at the same
address, got him out of a neighbor's home where he was
visiting at the time, and talked him into becoming a General
Canvass worker without ever knowing that he was not THE John
Doe X who had secured an Edgar Cayce reading. He is now
listed as a General Canvass worker and has promised to appear
at the November 1st Opening Meeting. From the stories we
hear about him (and we are all anxious to meet him) he will
most likely be one of the most enthusiastic of our workers -
a man who never even heard of 'the work' except through the
casebook. (For this we give you two extra silver stars and
one gold one.)
"Questions:
"1. Shall I write Ojai and, if so, would you suggest
following the proposed telephone outline?
"2. Shall I continue to try one individual after another
until I hit one who will help swing the New York deal? (I
realize that you cannot hold yourself open after your present
campaign. Hence please advise me in the event you make a
commitment that will tie you up after December 1st.)
"3. Who would you suggest for New York Chairman with Tom
Sugrue out of the picture? (I can secure from Tom in writing
any statement we need regarding the Foundation. Will you
suggest the type of statement which will be most helpful from
him under the circumstances for using at opening meetings,
etc.? We can also count on cables from him at the right
times.)
"4. Do you think it might be wise to go back to our idea of
Washington and do the campaign there prior to Christmas and
launch the New York one right after the New Year? (Mrs. Bro
has written from Chicago that she will be glad to cooperate
in a campaign out there and is delighted with Norfolk
results.)
"Marsden Godfrey is doing an excellent job as General
Canvasss Chairman. Sickness has delayed a few of the
captains in getting workers lined up, but now things are
shaping up for a good General Canvass Opening on November
1st. Any last minute suggestions will be appreciated.
"Odds and ends:
"Dorothy is getting married on November 6th. It is going to
be a loss, but I think we can count on her staying until we
get someone for her place. We have lines out (newspaper
advertisements and letters out) to several prospective
workers to begin with Gladys on microfilm preparation. We
plan to put someone on immediately, as you suggested, and be
ready to microfilm whatever readings are ready in February.
"Our printers have now furnished us a corrected copy of both
the casebook and the 'Suggestions for Workers' (copy coming
to you under separate cover). Their machines were out of
order and we had serious trouble with them in the last minute
rushing for Special Gifts Opening.
"We have continued to experience trouble getting the memorial
plaque drawing. It apparently is very difficult to get an
artist in this area. We've had one drawback after another
and the drawings to date which have been furnished us by
suggested artists, (through printers and through friends)
have been unsatisfactory. I am now having Vaughan Shelton
in Philadelphia (who designed the Diary-Letter heading
sample enclosed) to prepare a real black and white drawing
for us. I should have done this in the beginning and not
depended on local talent.
"Gladys is writing this and will probably add some of her own
personal comments. It is useless for us to try to tell you
how much we appreciate all you both have done to get the
E.C.F. program under way. I have never seen such genuine
enthusiasm shown by such people as Dave Kahn, Douglas
Johnston, Mr. Mitchell, Margueritte Bro, Elsie Sechrist,
Rudolph Johnson and others, in response to the businesslike
reports and excellent showing being made in Norfolk. As I've
told you before, I feel personally that you both are entirely
responsible for this and I am continuing to keep all those
in close touch with the work familiar with your status in the
picture. Rudolph Johnson, Margueritte Bro and others have
written Harold Allen about the Norfolk campaign. All of this
helps, of course.
"Sally and both boys are well and we are gradually getting
the house straightened out. Thanks for all the very nice
odds and ends which you left with Sally on your departure.
You should see Tommy clamping around in the boots. He won't
turn loose of them and insists that he is going to grow into
them very soon now. I took a look at his feet the other day.
I'm rather of the opinion that he will do this before very
long.
"We are having beautiful Indian summer weather here."
Regards from all... Hugh Lynn
"P.S. Quote from Mr. Roger Faber's letter (the man who was
here from Philadelphia the day you left):
"You might tell Mr. Holmes that the extract he found for me
on 'horse racing' has accomplished the purpose. My brother
has given up playing the races, has gotten a job and is going
to study soul development. The seed is planted, I'll keep
watering it and God will give the increase."
[GD's note: "I miss you so, Emily (and Jodie)! It makes me
sad to go near the Jefferson - so I don't. Of course I'm
doing a million things wrong regarding the campaign, but I
figure that nobody knows it but the three of us - and then I
remember it's your fault that I even think I can do the job
halfway right. Hope you'll be coming back this way when
you're through there, and I'm praying that there will be the
opening for your full-time-searchlight power directed at
E.C.F." Love and xxx
"P.S. Emily, I sent many loving thoughs on your birthday.
Lydia told me about it." Gladys
10/18/49 HLC's letter to Mr. [
561]: "Work in readying the
Edgar Cayce readings for microfilming has been progressing
steadily. Your special attention is called to the last four
paragraphs on the attached progress sheet.
"Hundred of details go into the preparation of each record
for microfilming. The indexing-extracting of data on special
subjects is continually enriching the Association's lecture,
study group, publication, congress and conference programs.
The ultimate goal of having all of the records available is
constantly recognized as most essential, as we see the good
results of each day's work.
"However, let us not lose sight of the personal help which
many are already receiving. Daily requests through letters
and telephone calls are now answered promptly based on the
few Edgar Cayce records which have been made available during
the last year.
"It is your interest and appreciation which is making this
work possible.
"As we enter the New York campaign this month we need your
prayers and tangible help in the form of payments on your
subscription.
"May we hear from you?"
HLC's notation 1959: Case [
561] has remained cured. He is
today completely well and normal in every respect.
Notes on EPILEPSY cases from the Edgar Cayce records
made by Walter N, Pahnke, M.D.
July, 1960 at A.R.E., Virginia Beach, Virginia:
The following notes were taken on cases as read and are
merely the opinion of the abstractor at the time he read the
case plus the correspondence. The main value of these notes
is that they give some indication of what the exact diagnosis
in each case may or may not be.
Case #[
561], Given in 1934. 16 year old male. This case was
classified in group I. The attacks were described by the
mother as a sudden collapse similar to fainting and lasting
only a minute. The patient had had such attacks for two
years prior to the reading. Manipulative therapy was carried
out by Dr. Ober, and the description of the case, petit mal
epilepsy seemed like a fairly certain diagnosis. After
carrying out the suggestions given in the two readings, there
was no further recurrence of the attacks. This case should
be considered a cure. The last follow-up report was in 1948.



Edgar Cayce Readings © 1971, 1993, 1994, 1995 by the Edgar Cayce Foundation