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Meher Archive News

How's MAC?

12/20/2018

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Bulletin from Meher Archive Collective, Asheville, NC 
#1 - December 2018
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MAC at Red Oak.  In August 2018, MAC found a home!
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Constructed in 1928, the former Red Oak School is a solid, brick-built, essentially fireproof structure - perfect for housing Baba’s invaluable treasures and documents.
Work has begun… MAC’s priority is to build an archival vault. While this is ongoing, evaluation and remediation of HVAC, plumbing and electrical has begun, and essential repairs to the roof are underway.
Plans for the future:
  • A dedicated workspace for archiving work
  • An event space with stage and professional sound system
  • Facilities for research
  • Library and display room
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Since August, over 1200 volunteer hours have been logged.

The generous donation of time and talent from many dedicated individuals has allowed for demolition, discovery and initial repairs to the main building, as well as a complete transformation, both inside and out, of the caretakers cottage, now known as Meher Cottage.   The value of this work to date is estimated at $75,000.
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Before
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After
We need your help…Do you live locally and have time on your hands?  Or are you planning a visit to the Asheville area, maybe to spend time with friends from the Baba community?
Whether your passion is construction, cleaning windows, learning archiving skills or yet to be discovered, there are numerous ways in which you can support MAC through donating your time, talent and treasure.
Please email Ken@meherarchive.org if you have construction skills to offer or if you’d like to enquire about volunteering.


Dedicated volunteers continue essential archiving work at MAC’s temporary Golf Street office.

On Wednesday afternoons, Elaine Cox supervises the preservation of documents; on Friday afternoons, Eruch and Scott oversee the scanning of letters and other paper documents.

If you would like to learn more about the art and craft of archiving, and are interested in becoming a volunteer, please call Elaine on (908) 887-0037.
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Elaine Cox placing letter into Mylar sleeve.

Please consider a year-end gift to MAC.    
Contributions to our Capital Campaign, as well as individual donations and recurring monthly contributions, can be set up here.  
All contributions are tax deductible.
We continue to need funds for the upgrade, restoration and ongoing maintenance of the Red Oak School building as well as for supplies and equipment for archiving work.
If you would like to discuss how you may be able to support MAC and its vision, please email  Scott@meherarchive.org

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MAC Board:
Hugh Huntington (chair)
Scott Tower Maloney (development coordinator) 
Ken Blackman (project manager)
Jean Brunet Ludwig
Rene Bussanich
Eruch Adams - Executive Director

Meher Archive Collective
Dedicated to collecting, preserving and sharing Meher Baba’s Divine Legacy of materials, artifacts and words with integrity, love and transparency for the benefit of humanity.
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IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT - Exciting MAC news

8/15/2018

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Great News!  - The Meher Archive Collective has secured the Red Oak School property!
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By Baba’s Grace, this first phase has been achieved through dozens of heartfelt donations, along with an intense process of renegotiation with the sellers, which resulted in a reduction of the purchase price from $725,000 to $550,000 and a closing date of August 17th.

​Baba has begun to turn the key!  With this exciting news, we are jumping into the next phase of our capital campaign.  Our overall fundraising goal remains the same, and this next phase will require $700,000 in order to proceed with planned renovations in as timely and cost-effective manner as possible.  This work includes immediate repairs to the roof as well as bringing essential systems (including HVAC, electrical and plumbing) up to required standards.  


For those of you attending the Asheville Music Sahavas this weekend, we are organizing a tour of the property on Sunday afternoon at 2:30. If you are interested, there will be a sign-up sheet at the Sahavas.  There will also be other opportunities to have a tour if you are not able to make this one.

Thank You to all who have helped reach this important first step!  We invite you to share this exciting news and sincerely hope that many more people will participate in the next step toward realizing MAC’s vision (whether through a direct donation to the building fund, a recurring monthly donation, or the contribution of services).  


Beloved Meher Baba Ki Jai! 
In His Love and Service, 
Scott


Meher Archive Collective 
www.meherarchive.org

MAC Board of Directors
Hugh Huntington 
Renee Bussanich 
Ken Blackman 
Jean Brunet Ludwig 
Scott Tower Maloney
Executive Director
Eruch Adams

For further details on this great building project, click here.
To help with planned upfits see our Donation Page.
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A Permanent Archive Building

5/28/2018

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By Scott Tower Maloney
“Be true to the Trust I repose in you and remember Me wholeheartedly.”
-Meher Baba
This is a follow up to my recent email about the Meher Archive Collective (MAC)

Many years ago, I was grateful for the opportunity to work in the free clinic at Meherazad. The experience of working alongside Dr Goher, doing what felt like Baba’s work, was pivotal for me. I was inspired by Goher’s example of giving all her efforts to Baba and leaving the results to Him.  Fast forward to today and I find I resonate deeply with the vision of MAC; I am grateful for another opportunity to be of service to Baba, and to contribute both time and financial resources.

For those of you unfamiliar with MAC and the work it has already done, please visit the website.

Our Motto is simple: RESCUE – PRESERVE – SHARE
In my last email, I mentioned that MAC had identified a site for the archive and I am excited to share more details with you here.  
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RED OAK SCHOOL PROPERTY:  The site was originally known as the Red Oak School in Weaverville, NC. It was designed in 1928 by the architect Ronald Greene, who also designed the iconic Jackson Building and Stephens Lee High School in downtown Asheville.  It is sited on six flat acres on a hilltop and provides space that is well suited for both the immediate and long-term needs of a permanent archive.

This site provides all that we are looking for and more, including:​
  • A fireproof building that is structurally sound and built to last
  • Excellent elevation for drainage and free from any flood risk (recent heavy rains caused zero flooding)
  • Extraordinary value in the range of $50 per square foot (including needed improvements) compared with $225 – $250 per square foot to build ourselves
  • Ample opportunity for incremental expansion
  • Multiple opportunities for income streams to support operational expenses (potentially up to $60K/year)
  • Accessibility: Located 15-20 minutes from downtown Asheville
Benefits to World-Wide Baba Community
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The Red Oak School would give visitors a facility for the following purposes:
  • To preserve, digitize, catalogue and store otherwise irreplaceable material connected to Baba’s Advent, and sharing this material with the widest possible audience through the creation of an online searchable database
  • A research center and library, dedicated to scholarly and public access
  • A Baba  information center (with books and pamphlets)
  • Space for events such as films, music, educational programs, celebrations, and sahavas, (making use of existing commercial kitchen, auditorium with stage, as well as a large field)
  • Dedicated and secure Baba room where special objects can be enjoyed by those who wish to reflect in an atmosphere of Baba’s presence
Professional Assessment
Peter Nordeen and Ty Provosty have scrutinized the building, and both are enthusiastic about its quality and value.  For a more complete assessment of the property and its suitability for a permanent archive space, please see both Peter and Ty’s extensive comments and analysis on our website (Ty’s report contains a summary on the last three pages).  

MISSION OF MEHER ARCHIVE COLLECTIVE:  To collect, preserve, and share Meher Baba’s Divine legacy of materials, artifacts, and words with integrity, love, and transparency for the benefit of humanity.
If you feel inspired, as I do, by this mission and its realization, here is how you can become involved:​
  1. Please share this email widely, particularly with those you feel may be called to make major contributions.
  2. Participate in this exciting endeavor with a financial contribution.  In order to secure the purchase of this property, a vital number of large contributions will be needed, along with many smaller contributions. ​
The purchase price of this property is $725,000, and it requires $475,000 for needed improvements.This work would make the entire building usable and enable our model of a sustainable archive to flourish.
In order to move ahead with this project, we need to raise sufficient funds, or pledges, by July 10th, 2018.  Our offer on this property is a cash–on-closing commitment, with a closing in early August. We realize this is a short time-frame, but it is what Baba has given us, and we know that if this is something that He wants to happen, it will.   We are delighted to announce that before officially launching our fundraising, we have already received pledges from two donors totaling $150,000.  This represents one eighth of our total goal!

Here is a just one of numerous scenarios that will enable us  to reach this goal:

5     contributions of   $100,000     500,000        1 pre-committed    $100,000
5     contributions of     $50,000     250,000        1 pre-committed      $50,000
20   contributions of     $10,000     200,000
20   contributions of      $5,000     100,000    
25   contributions of       $2,500        50,000    
30   contributions of       $1,000        30,000
50   contributions of         $500        25,000
100 contributions of          $250        25,000
200 contributions of         $100        20 ,000       
Total funds needed                       $1,200,000      Total pre-committed       $150,000


We invite you to join us in this important project by participating to the greatest extent you are able.  The time is now and the need is urgent. It is our goal for as many people to participate as possible, and all levels of support are welcome.

If you would like to receive more information, or to discuss the details of your support, please contact Jean Brunet Ludwig directly: jean@meherarchive.org  (828) 412-3454

Contributions and pledges can be made via our website (Scroll to bottom of this page here), or by personal check (preferred for larger donations), mailed to:
          Meher Archive Collective,  P.O. Box 18908, Asheville, NC 28814.  

As a 501(c)3 organization, all contributions to MAC are tax-deductible.

By Baba’s Will, this endeavor will outlive us, our children, and our grandchildren. We are at a crucial moment in the preservation of material connected to Baba and His Advent, and this archive can play a role in humanity maintaining access to the Avatar as Meher Baba. If it is His wish to establish a permanent archive on this site, He will turn the key; we are placing that outcome in His hands.   

This is an opportunity for each of us to contribute to His ongoing Legacy.
We invite all Baba lovers to consider this opportunity.

In His love and service,
Scott

Meher Archive Collective
Board of Directors
Hugh Huntington  -       hugh@meherarchive.org
Renee Busanich    -      renee@meherarchive.org
Ken Blackman       -          ken@meherarchive.org
Jean Brunet Ludwig  -     jean@meherarchive.org
Scott Tower Maloney - scott@meherarchive.org

Executive Director
Eruch Adams -             eruch@meherarchive.org

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Meher Archive Collective, a Personal Story

5/21/2018

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By Scott Tower Maloney
PictureMayme Kramer - Early 50's
While some of you are already familiar with Meher Archive Collective (MAC) and its vision, I would like to introduce myself and share my passion for this exciting Baba project.

Some of you know me as Scott Tower, others as Scott Maloney in the past.  I would like to share a story, one of precious things lost and others found.  My grandmother, Mayme Kramer, met Baba in Myrtle Beach in 1958. I don’t know much more than she accepted Him as the Avatar, and had a picture of Him in her library.  Mayme lived in New York and I have heard that she attended the Monday night meetings there. I know that she was involved with sending medicine to India, and in one of the films of Baba’s visit to Myrtle Beach in ’58, she crosses briefly in front of the camera.   Mayme died when I was 12, and when her house was cleared out, everything connected to Baba was discarded. Either no-one knew its importance, or perhaps they were happy to see it go. Only later would I feel the loss.

As my personal connection to Baba crystallized in my mid 20s, I realized that we are living in those same early days of an Avatar’s advent that I had been drawn to study in college.  I became interested in early Christianity because I wanted to get closer to what really happened in those early years, what was the real story of Jesus at the time?   
My connection to Baba is rooted in stories.  Many of us have had the great fortune to have known and spent time with the Mandali.  For me, the essence of that gift was a combination of their individual presence and example, and their stories.  They freely shared the flavor of their lives with Baba with all who came, and consequently we received some of the divine aroma of His Presence.  The great blessing of such personal contact will not be there for the generations that follow us. Soon, others will have to rely on those stories that are preserved and shared.  

I feel deeply the importance of preserving Baba stories and records, for my family, and also for future generations.  I wish I knew more about Mayme’s experience, I wish I knew her Baba story. This is one of the reasons I am passionate about MAC and its vision; I don’t want others’ stories to be lost and unavailable to their children, grandchildren or to the larger world.  

Fast forward nearly fifty years from my grandmother’s passing. While volunteering at MAC, not just as a board member, but actually getting my hands on the Fredella Winterfeldt collection, I happened upon a letter from Goher to Ella. It being my first day, I made the newbie mistake of trying to read each document (there really isn’t time for this). But this time I would be rewarded beyond expectation.  I found a reference to my grandmother in a postscript from Mani. It was short, sweet and I am likely the only living person for whom it has meaning. I felt a twinkle in Baba’s eye, and a deeper connection with Mayme.​

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Excerpt from letter from Goher to Ella, 1959
Beyond this personal experience, I have been deeply moved by the intimacy of the  contents of this collection, especially the calm intensity of Mehera’s love for her Beloved that emerges from the small details she relates in her letters.  I know that the growing number of volunteers are also touched by their experience and by the opportunity to help with this work. The archive will have to be a large group effort, one that I believe will actively foster community both through volunteers working together for Baba and through the global sharing of archival material online.

Like many people, my family and I were drawn to Asheville without a clear rational reason.  We felt attracted in part by the Baba community and, on our first visit, it immediately felt like home, in a way that reminded me of Nanaker’s “Welcome Home” hug on my first time at Baba’s Samadhi.  Why are so many Baba lovers moving to this area? Asheville is quickly becoming a major Baba hub, with its Music Sahavas and a growing number of Baba transplants, events and visitors.

The Asheville area is ideally suited as a safe and secure location for a permanent archive due to its moderate climate, and absence of environmental risks (such as earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, changing sea levels and frequent forest fires).  The large and growing Baba population also provides a crucial volunteer base for an archive. As many of you may remember, Filis Frederick said that there should be a Baba archive somewhere in the mountains of North Carolina.

​Confident that the Asheville area is perfect for a permanent archive site, MAC has been looking to build or buy a suitable space.  We have found an existing building that meets or exceeds all of the criteria we have established. These include accessibility, a fireproof structure that is built to last, opportunity for gradual expansion and income potential. The cost per square foot is also a fraction of the cost to build from scratch.  Peter Nordeen and Ty Provosty (an accomplished architect who is working on Baba’s tower in Meherabad) have both looked carefully at the building, and are enthusiastic about its quality, value and suitability.
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Red Oak School
I have been inspired by the vision of MAC  to preserve, and also freely share, the stories connected to artifacts, documents, photos and other media related to Baba. Once preserved, these will serve as an invaluable vehicle of connection to Baba and His Advent for years to come. The time for this is NOW as those with firsthand stories and collections are getting older, and in many cases the physical material is in urgent need of preservation.  

We are very excited about the possibility of acquiring this building and land to secure a home for a Meher Baba Archive in the Asheville area.  We will be sharing more details with you in the next few days. Stay tuned…

In His love and service,
Scott

Meher Archive Collective
www.meherarchive.org

MAC Board of Directors
Hugh Huntington
Renee Busanich
Ken Blackman
Jean Brunet Ludwig
Scott Tower Maloney

Executive Director
Eruch Adams
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MAC Newsletter #1

3/30/2018

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MAC Newsletter #1 Spring, 2018. Edited by Susan McKendree. Content supervisor: Renee Bussanich. Layout by Eruch Adams
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PictureElaine Cox trains Scott Tower in the art of "rehousing".
UPDATE FROM THE ARCHIVES
​by Eruch Adams


Since October of 2017, Meher Archive Collective has launched its training for the proper care for physical “paper” archives, also called “rehousing.” We have been collaborating with Marshall Hay’s heirs to rehouse and scan a large collection of Fred and Ella Winterfeldt’s letters, documents, photo prints and slides. So far we have completed cleaning the documents and rehousing them in acid-free folders, between sheets of acid-free paper or archival-grade non-reactive polyester film called melenix or mylar. The plastic sheets were used for the more precious original letters from Mehera Irani, Mani Irani, Adi K. Irani and Elizabeth Patterson, as well as letters and notes dictated by Meher Baba (usually via one of the mandali). This has been a huge undertaking involving more than ten volunteers who have worked once or twice a week.
Currently we are focusing on sorting the documents and arranging them in chronological order in preparation for scanning and filing in archival boxes.
Additionally, four carousels of slides have been scanned, encompassing slideshows of The Three Incredible Weeks, Baba’s trips to America in 1956 and 1958, the East-West Gathering, and a mixed show of the 1969 Darshan and other trips to India. These are in various stages of age deterioration or have suffered other damage, so they will be made available over a period of time.



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Three Incredible Weeks
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California, 1956 with Fred
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East West Gathering, 1962
​Another seventy or so photo prints have been scanned, mainly of Baba, but the photo collection also includes some charming personal photos of Fred, Ella and some of their New York friends.
The next stage of scanning the documents will be a lengthy process, but at that point the collection will be digitally preserved and neither fire nor flood can make it vanish.
After the materials have been called they will be digitally catalogued, documenting dates, who sent or created the material, to whom it might have been given or for whom it was created, and subject matter. At that point the collection can be shared online.
The FredElla Collection is a perfect test case for many of the unarchived Baba collections still at large or in some partial state of completion. Cataloguing and preserving this collection is a multi-stage task, as well as time consuming, but in the final analysis—given that it documents the life and work of Avatar Meher Baba, no amount of time or effort can exceed the value of its preservation for the sake of posterity.
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Beryl Williams, Ella Winterfeldt, and unknown woman at the beach on or before 1958.

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WHAT’S COMING UP AT MAC
MAC at the Southeast Gathering April 12 - 15th: Look for both a presentation (Saturday at 10 am) and a demonstration Friday around 11 am) on the schedule, with some interesting reveals from the archival work we are doing. The MAC board will be showing the work progress and will also be available for your questions. Elaine Cox and Jean Ludwig will be showing you how to take care of valuable materials you have at home in their break out session. If you are going, you won’t want to miss these!

Archiving your treasures at home: Mac is working with Elaine to produce a video of how to take care of your precious letters and photos in your homes to preserve and protect for posterity. This video, which will be available on our website and shared at the SEG, will tell you about materials and simple effective ways you can make sure your treasures will not deteriorate. We will discuss also how to ensure that Meher Baba’s history and stories are preserved.

Mandali letters and notes: There are so many incredibly inspiring and loving letters sent from the Mandali in India and we would love to post as many as possible for everyone’s benefit. We will be adding this feature to our website and letting you know how to submit all or parts of your letters in the near future. What a blessing these messages were and will continue to be for all the Baba community.

Updates in the office: A fireproof safe is on the way. We are expanding existing office space by converting a steel and masonry garage into a fire resistant archival vault. Though we are still limited on working space for volunteers, this expansion gives MAC the ability to take on take on 8-10 times more archival material than we currently house. We are continuing to grow and develop this community project that we all feel is so important: to Rescue, Preserve, and Share!

Ty Provosty, architect: Ty is consulting with the Board on land and building feasibility. We are continuing to look for suitable spaces and building options and are excited to be working with him on these projects. He brings to MAC an impressive background and extensive expertise and we are grateful for his guidance.


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 "Eleven Men with One Heart”
The All-Rounder of All-Rounders Blesses the Indian Cricketers
By Susan McKendree

On April 2, 1959, a rather unusual group of darshanites entered the gates of Guruprasad in Poona, India, to receive Meher Baba’s blessings, at the request of the secretary of the Poona Cricket Association, M. G. Bhave. The Indian cricket team was preparing to travel to England for a series of test matches, the first they had played there since 1952, and the “All-Rounder”1 of all-rounders gave them a proper sendoff.2
Four newspaper articles from the FredElla [Fred and Ella Winterfeldt] Collection, currently undergoing cataloguing and rehousing, document the occasion. Two were published in The Poona Daily News, one by Poona’s Times of India News Service, and the story was picked up by The Sunday Standard in Delhi.
Unsurprisingly, the articles vary in tone and accuracy. The two shortest articles are entitled “Team Blessed by Meher Baba” and “Meher’s Blessing to the Cricketers,” published by The Times of India News Service of Poona and in the The Poona Daily News respectively. While the piece in The Times refers to Baba as “the Avatar,” the second calls Him as the “owatar.”4 The The Daily News observes, “Meher-Baba [sic] and cricket would seem a far cry, but . . . good old cricketing fans could well remember Baba’s exploits on the field.”5
The Poona Daily News “Sportfolio” section included a piece called “An Hour with Meher Baba -  A Sportsman and a True Lover of Sport,” accompanied by the byline Mr. “A. David.” Containing few quotes from Baba’s comments to the team, the article focuses on His remarks to the reporters. It refers to Him as “Meher,” as well as “the Baba,” and is accompanied by a group photo of the team with Baba seated in the center front.3
 But by far the most engaging of the four articles is “A Silver Lining,” published  in Delhi’s weekly Sunday Standard.

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THERE is a silver lining to every cloud, and India’s band of cricketers to tour England from this month, damned and demoralised by the pinpricks and brickbats of a host of armchair critics, could not have asked for a better silver lining than the one they saw on the dark horizon on April 2 in Poona.
Meher Baba, the Zoroastrian holy man, reversed [sic] by all castes and creeds in Western India, succeeded in doing something for the team that neither the training camp in Poona nor the pep talks of harassed officials could achieve — close knit team spirit and confidence.
Many of the seventeen bound for England when told that Meher Baba wanted to see them . . . were rather skeptical, and only went to see the holy man to humour him.
But the skeptics felt otherwise when they left his presence.6

The team’s arrival was delayed by medical examinations, so the newspaper reporters gathered to document the meeting took the opportunity to ask some questions of Baba. He told them about of His life-long love of the game, which he had played at St. Vincent’s High School and Deccan College, and how He now attended as many matches as He could. He also revived the story of Yusuf Baig, the Poona all-rounder who famously challenged Baba to bowl to him and “learned to his great mortification that he had been stumped and that Meher [sic] had won the challenge.”7
When the cricketers arrived Baba blessed and embraced each player, after which Eruch read His message aloud to them:

In going to England to represent India in the field of sport you have the unique opportunity of practising and conveying to the people there the great spiritual lessons of concentration and love.
When you take the field, if you play as eleven men with one heart, each enjoying the excellence of performance in another player as he would in himself, whether that player is of your side or of the opposing team, and so eliminating feelings of jealousy, anger and pride, which so often mar sport, you will not only be entertaining the spectators but be demonstrating the real spirit of sportsmanship.
True sportsmanship is concentrated ability enlivened by sincere appreciation of the performances of others. And when this is manifested, everyone, both players ands spectators, receive spiritual upliftment as well as good entertainment.
Some of you are allrounders. I am a spiritual allrounder. I feel equally at home with saints, yogis, philosophers and cricketers, as well as with sinners and scoundrels. I give you my blessing that in all your actions you show the spirit of love.8

After the message was read Baba presented each player with a copy of Life at its Best and embraced each man one more time.
The unfortunate postscript to the story of Meher Baba’s meeting with the cricketers is that the team lost all five test matches against the British players. In fact, the Indian cricketers had an abysmal year altogether, winning just six matches, losing 11, and drawing (unable to finish) 16 of the remaining 33 games. Surely, however, the sting of so many loses was eased by the love that Meher Baba showed them when they came to Guruprasad for His blessings.

Sources:
“A Silver Lining.” The Sunday Standard, Delhi, India. April 5, 1959. The Sunday Standard is the only weekly newspaper in India. A shorter article entitled “England - Bound Cricket Team Fit and Happy” appears alongside the article about Meher Baba.
“An Hour with Meher Baba -  A Sportsman and a True Lover of Sport.” The Poona Daily News “Sportfolio.” Byline: A. David. Poona, India. Thursday [April 2], 1959.
“Indian cricket team in England in 1959.” Wikipedia,
Kalchuri, Bhau. Lord Meher on-line edition. More than 120 references to cricket occur in Lord Meher.
“Members of Cricket Team Felicitated . . . Meher Baba’s Blessing to Cricketers.” The Poona Daily News. Poona, India. No date. Typed copy. Original article is not catalogued in the collection.
“Team Blessed by Meher Baba.” The Times of India News Service. Poona, India. April 2, 1959.
 
1. Bhau Kalchuri, Lord Meher on-line edition, 4510. Also cited in various forms in the articles.
2. “All-rounder” refers to a player who excels at batting, bowling (throwing the ball) and wicket-keeping. Few players are adept at all three.
3. “An Hour with Meher Baba -  A Sportsman and a True Lover of Sport,” The Poona Daily News.
4. “A Silver Lining,” The Sunday Standard, Delhi.
5. “Members of Cricket Team Felicitated . . . Meher Baba’s Blessing to Cricketers,” The Poona Daily News.
6. “A Silver Lining,” The Sunday Standard, Delhi.
7. “An Hour with Meher Baba -  A Sportsman and a True Lover of Sport,” The Poona Daily News.
8.“Team Blessed by Meher Baba,” The Times of India News Service, Poona.
baba_and_the_cricket_team.pdf
File Size: 4209 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Consolidated original newspaper articles from 1959.

Not Just Collecting at the Meher Archive Collective
by Renee Bussanich

​The function of an archive is to gather and preserve historic materials such as documents, photographs and artifacts. The vision of Meher Archive Collective is to gather, and, through the use of computer technology, preserve, maintain, restore and make available to the world historic materials that document the life and work of Avatar Meher Baba.
But MAC’s vision extends well beyond the establishment of its own safe and secure collection. Many people in the Meher Baba world community have created their own private collections of materials that have been handed down to them through family connections, given to them to care for, or else acquired by their own initiative. These collections include but are not limited to correspondence between and among other Baba lovers,  letters and gifts from the mandali, and, in rarer cases, precious objects such as Baba’s sadras, objects that He touched or items associated with the Perfect Masters. They also contain photographs—both historic and personal, as well as audio and video recordings made during visits to India and at events in the West, when members of Baba’s mandali and other close ones came from India to share their own stories.
While MAC always welcomes the donation of historic materials and encourages all to plan for their collection's safe future, it also recognizes and respects the fact that many people wish to keep their archival materials in their personal possession for the time being. Thus MAC makes its services and expertise available to private collectors by preserving their materials for them and returning them to their owners. In addition, MAC endeavors to educate private collectors in methods of preservation so that they can properly maintain their own materials, by individual consultation as well as in workshops. In the world of Meher Baba archives, it is these services that set Meher Archive Collective apart. 

Ultimately every collection should be also preserved and copied in multiple locations around the world to prevent catastrophic loss in the event of fire, flood, or other natural or man-made disasters. Working collectively will get us to that goal faster than in isolation.  


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Circa 1961, Meherazad (from Fredella Collection)

Support Meher Archive Collective

If this work resonates with you and you would like to be a part of the MAC, there are volunteer opportunities and we can use your financial support as well. Please visit the website at www.meherarchive.org

Our Mission: To collect, preserve, and share Meher Baba’s Divine legacy of materials, artifacts, and words with integrity, love, and transparency for the benefit of humanity.
MAC is a 501(c)3 and can accept tax-deductible donations.  Please consider making a year-end donation to get us to the next level. You can also support us with a recurring monthly donation coming directly from your bank or credit card account via Paypal: http://www.meherarchive.org/donations.html
 


Thank you and Jai Baba,
MAC Board of Directors
Renee Bussanich
Hugh Huntington
Ken Blackman
Jean Brunet Ludwig
Scott Tower
 
Executive Director
Eruch Adams

Consider becoming a Sustaining Member of the Meher Archive Collective. Ongoing monthly contributions will help us budget equipment, trips to assist other Baba archives, and to add space to work and safely store prescious documents and objects of Meher Baba's life and legacy. ​
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Meher Archive Update & End of Year Donations

12/4/2017

Comments

 
Dear Friends in Baba,
 
It’s Meher Archive Collective’s mission to make available to Baba Lovers and seekers alike, some of the priceless gifts that have been left to the world and particularly the West. If you are considering end of the year tax donations, please consider a contribution to MAC or, if you prefer, sustaining monthly donations.

We have cassettes, movies, videos, slides and prints in addition to historical letters, manuscripts and notes collected in our current office. Ten volunteers have been trained in rehousing work, most work on a weekly basis. We are almost done with the initial rehousing of the Fredella Collection and 65% done scanning slides and look forward to sharing some of the priceless nuggets with you (including this one from the East West Gathering, 1962).
Picture
East West Gathering, 1962 (from Fredella Collection)
Loving note from a volunteer:
... I just wanted to say how
much I enjoy the experience [of] being there and 
feel blessed to have the opportunity to be a part
of a team of volunteers focusing on Baba together.
I don't call it work because it feels more like Baba's
gift to us, a way to serve Him in whatever capacity 
we can not to mention we can read and handle some 
real gems of Baba history!
It reminds me of the enthusiasm we all had way back 
when we started the first Baba Book Store in Venice in 1968.
It was a true coming together with a single purpose to 
spread Baba's message of love and truth…."
PictureThree Incredible Weeks, 1954 (Fredella Collection)
In order to fulfill MAC’s mission and take on more projects, we need to acquire more space, purchase additional cabinets, materials, and equipment.  We are committed to make as much available to as many as is feasible.  We need support for this work and we hear from so many all the time what a valuable service it is.  MAC looks forward to expanding volunteer opportunities for service. 
 
Please help us preserve what is important today and will seem monumental as time goes on.  Unfortunately, over the years, some very valuable pieces have already been lost in the greater Baba world and we want to raise awareness about making plans for succession, taking care of what we have, and detailing the provenance of things we were gifted by the Mandali and others. MAC also intends to help people take care of what they already have in their homes by making a video with instructions on rehousing documents and photographs.
 
MAC is a 501(c)3 and can accept tax-deductible donations.  Please consider making a year-end donation to get us to the next level. You can also support us with a recurring monthly donation coming directly from your bank or credit card account via Paypal: http://www.meherarchive.org/donations.html
 
Thank you and Jai Baba,
MAC Board of Directors
Renee Bussanich
Hugh Huntington
Ken Blackman
Jean Brunet Ludwig
Scott Tower
 
Executive Director
Eruch Adams

Our Mission: To collect, preserve, and share Meher Baba’s Divine legacy of materials, artifacts, and words with integrity, love, and transparency for the benefit of humanity.
Comments

Global Letter

9/10/2017

Comments

 
PictureFrom Fredella Collection (3 Incredible Weeks, 1954) -Restored

Dear Meher Baba Community,

The Meher Archive Collective was created to help meet the ever-growing need to share solutions for Rescuing, Preserving, and Sharing Meher Baba's words and treasures for the benefit of His Lovers.
 We are excited to hear from devoted followers who want to share their letters, pictures and the sacred, blessed objects, which they have been entrusted to hold. We sincerely wish to make sure the stories and the conditions of these treasures are preserved and secured over time.

 We are currently actively involved in:

  1.  rescuing collections that are at risk, 
  2. collaborating with small and large archive holders, 
  3. and strategizing the best possible way to ensure preservation for the long term (700 years at least).

 We will strive to make all that we can accessible to the Baba world, both online and here in Asheville, North Carolina, as quickly as possible.
Please read the attached information about who we are, what we do, and ways the whole global Baba Community can help support the effort to gather, safely preserve, and share the very important stories, letters, photos, and visual / audio media for the future generations of seekers who wish to know more about, not only Baba’s messages to humans as a Godman, but also His humor, humility, and humanity as one who walked amongst us.

Jai Baba!

www.meherarchive.org
Eruch D Adams


To view meher_archive_collective_global_letter_fall_2017-1.pdf2017 Global Letter in Acrobat or download, click this link:
meher_archive_collective_global_letter_fall_2017-1.pdf
File Size: 1492 kb
File Type: pdf
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