TOP EUROPEAN KOR RESIGN!

(1) Sir Barry Bowman KGOR

Firstly let me greet everyone who are genuinely concerned for the welfare of the Order of the Knights of Rizal.

It is very sad that a Knight like Sir Hans Schoof has tendered his resignation and as a long time friend I feel he is making the only stand he can as the ears of Manila are deaf to the requests of Europe. What a loss !!!!!!!!

I attended the International Assembly and Europe was notably ABSENT AND THIS SHOULD SEND A MESSAGE TO KOR SUPREME COUNCIL.

Only representation was from Belgium with Sirs Francois Ooms, Peter Van Bogart, Christian Donners and the ""Commander for Europe""!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

The assembly was a waste of time as we learnt absolutely nothing that we did not know already. We listened to the various speakers and the reports. Nothing was gained except that the real backing people in Europe were not thanked for their support to the Commander for Europe since June 2006.

I have various comments to make.

If people do not agree with the Supreme Council then they as paid up members have the right to have a vote of no confidence in the choice of Commander for Europe and to veto him and his suggestions as they seem one sided. A special meeting should be called by the Deputy Commander to put forward this motion and then if the meeting agrees not to follow the Commander then they should vote on this and deliver the results and the decision to HQ. The meeting can call and have an interim Commander appointed so that the Europe Order will remain united but under their own chosen leadership. This is a democratic way without any spiteful or vendettas being waged against anyone and this would show HQ how serious Europe is.

I would point out that I was told that the reason for his selection was it has been a long time since there was a Filipino leader in Europe.

Now to set the main point is that his name was not on my list of nominations and that the Deputy was. I was told that the deputy does not give enough of his time to the Order. I objected strongly and individually to certain members of the council but it fell on deaf ears again.

I would also point out that since I have lived here I have been frozen out of most things to do with the Order. I have had virtually no input anymore to the Order and although when met by anyone they try to put on a How are you face, meaningless!!!!!!!!

I was not even introduced at the Mayor's Welcome and I advised the Administration that my resignation would be forthcoming. This set a fire under the backsides of members and it shows you the only way to get into their heads is to show them that we are serious how we feel about the Order.

The rules of the new bye-laws have been broken and the people who broke them do not want to acknowledge this.

Now I say to you and to Europe. Take a stand, Do not break your unity but if you are unhappy then select one amongst you to lead for the next 2 year period. Manila will not want to lose the revenue from Europe. They need money.

AS I SAID BEFORE THE MESSAGE WAS CLEAR.

EUROPE WAS CONSPICUOUS BY ITS ABSENCE.

Thank you for allowing me to write to you and set the records right.

Yours always in Rizal

Sir Barry Bowman KGOR
Former Regional Commander for Europe,
Lifetime Member

(2) Dr. med Fritz G. Hack-Ullmer, KCR, Dipl. Chem. Frederik Hack-Ullmer, KR

This last weekend I had a long discussion with my old and dear friend Ernesto Blumentritt in Ulm, grandson of Dr Ferdinand Blumentritt of Leitmeritz about the situation in the headquarter in Manila. This as a proof, that the oldest families in the German speaking area of Europe connected to Jose Rizal are considering very seriously, what they should do.

Dr Rizal stayed as a friend for 4 months in 1886 in the vicarage of my greatgrandfather in Wilhelmsfeld. My personal knowledge was transferred to me by Fritz Ullmer, my grandfather and personal friend of Rizal. He was the man who wrote the first Farewell article in 1/1897. President Macapagal honoured my endeavours for the Philippines by giving me the status of a MAGINOO of SIKATUNA in 1965.

My publications about Dr Rizal are numerous.

So the Philippines and Dr Rizal have been close to our hearts since 1958 (49 years ) when my brother and I were welcomed by President Garcia in Malacanyang Palace together with Dr Leoncio Lopez Rizal and his family.

Rizalism stands for :

Democracy
Anticolonialism
Antiracism
Freedom of thoughts and speech
Solidaridad with the poor
Absolute integrity

As the majority of these principles have been neglected by the Order and its leaders at least in the last 10 years (I refer to the numerous letters between Wilhelmsfeld-Heidelberg-Chapter, all unanswered or willingfully misinterpreted), my son Frederik and I herewith resign from the Order today.

Our decision makes us feel sad, but Jose Rizal would not accept, if the Hack-Ullmer family would support the unhealthy deeds, facts and current developments in Manila.

Respectfully
Dr. med Fritz G. Hack-Ullmer, KCR, Maginoo of Sikatuna
Dipl. Chem. Frederik Hack-Ullmer, KR

(3) Sir Günter Hecker

I now have been a member of KOR since 2002 through introduction by Sir Fritz Hack-Ullmer. Reading through the documents I found the history and the objectives of our Order very noble and felt much honored that I was accepted in your midst and was prepared to put in my share to the continued success.

However, right from the beginning I was surprised by the un-Rizalian behavior of many of our fellow knights even at highest levels, which started off by being faced with 2 Supreme Commanders and the related positional fights of various factions. The process to and the outcome of the Charter revision was not at all satisfactory but at least a step in a better direction. The election of Sir Hilario as our Supreme Commander for me was the silver line on the horizon promising a better future. Knowing that the mess the Order has come into over the recent years could not be cleared over night especially if one is to follow rules and justice, I was prepared to patiently wait for results.

This patience is not available with many of our fellow knights. Many have started personal vendettas, exchanged insulting e-mails, pre-judged persons and issues and demanded action without following due course of justice. Anything is being questioned in a tone and style that I just cannot swallow. By those actions they have proven to be not much different from those at the top they are accusing. As I perceive it, many chapters are in disarray, be it in the US, Mid-East, Europe, Germany or even my home chapter of Wilhelmsfeld-Heidelberg. Many of the chapters include members, who cannot talk to each other or respect each other any more; there is no mutual respect. Many of the members I respect, have given up and have resigned or are about to resign. During the last five years, or practically during all the years of my membership, we largely had to deal with internal fights and little time was left for the main objective of our order.

I have tried in the past through various interventions to bring more objectivity into dealing with the issues on hand. I have not been successful, but have been expected to take sides following the principle “if you are not my friend, then you are my enemy”.

The whole process has tired me out and I give up and step aside. I will wait for a selfhealing process that will hopefully set in in due course after which I would be ready to join again. From today I will relinquish my position as Deputy Area Commander for Germany, will not participate in any meetings, but will remain a paying member so to remain on the mailing list for observing the developments. If need be, I accept a demotion to KR.

I am sad and sorry, but I see no other recourse.

NOM?
Sir Günter

(4) Manfred Holtzmann - Mayor of Wilhelmsfeld (retired)

Since August 10th, 1979, I am member of the Order of the Knights of Rizal. With Ambassador Gregorio Abad I was acquainted in an almost amicable relationship. During the journeys of our citizens to the Philippines in the years 1979 and 1983, which I personally led, I was to able to get to know many honorable characters. Willingly I remember Dr. Paz P. Mendez, Sir Claudio Teehankee, Lord Mayor Ramon D. Bagatsing and many others more. I was proud to be a member of the Knights of Rizal.

Unfortunately in the meantime much has changed – to the disadvantage of the reputation of the order. The same people, who in Manila install new rules with many euphonic flowery phrases, ruthlessly disrespect these rules themselves. Chapter in Europe, which therefore appeal to the Supreme Commander, don’t get any answers to their numerous requests. They are reminded however of the remittance of their chapter fees, even many month after the payment.

This development is sheer mockery to the ethical visions of José Rizal. More and more frustrated knights therefore turn their back to the order. Meanwhile I too feel ashamed to belong to this organisation, for which I was the most important representative after Gottlob Weber in Wilhelmsfeld.

I hereby declare my abandonment of my membership.

Respectfully
Manfred Holtzmann

(5) Klaus W. Hartung

Much to me regret, I had to realize within the last year(s), the Order of the Knights of Rizal changed. The recent International Assembly with the slogan “Fun, fun, fun”, the power grapping of several Knights, the nationalistic trends especially in Europe unfortunately does not fit in my democratic behaviour as a Rizalist.

Having served the Order in different positions in Europe, the recent developments within Europe, Canada and Middle East made me worried. Where are the ideals and teaching of Rizal within the Order gone.

Consequently I hereby declare my resignation from the Order of Knights of Rizal, holding the lifetime membership number 201 and the rank of KGOR.

To be honest, your Supreme Council failed while breaking the newly edited by-laws. And you failed not only in Europe.

I am confident, real Rizalists will find alternative opportunities to contribute their part for the targets of our National Hero. Remaining Knight would have meant to accept the trends as mentioned above.

Respectfully yours !
Klaus W. Hartung

(6) Christoph Eberle

Pursuant to Art. IV, Sec. 6a of the By-Laws of the Order of the Knights of Rizal, I am terminating my membership. This includes my resignation from the office of Pursuivant in the Hamburg Chapter.

As Knight of Rizal my mandate was given to me by a sovereign decision of the Philippine Congress in 1951, not by birth or own mercy. Facing present developments in the Order, I have lost all hope that the Order will find its way back to those civic virtues upon which it has been originally founded. I do not see that the Order is able to govern itself truly in a democratic manner. On the contrary, within our ranks a sinister nationalistic ideology is about to succeed, whose kinship to racism and fascism is not so distant.

The corporation that was chartered under Republic Act 646 of the Philippines does need Rizal, and on the contrary Rizal does not need this corporation that bears his name. It has failed, and its titles, ranks and decorations, which are purely fraternal, have become absurd. Deprived of their genuine sense, misused for an entirely different purpose, they are now practiced to satisfy vanity; to award imagined merits; and to compensate gaps of ability and achievements.

Undoubtedly, the Order of the Knights of Rizal has now stooped so low – operating outside laws and good customs. Acting against its own Charter, the Order’s reputation, as a juridical personality, is at stake, as never before. I cannot and I will not be part of an organisation that tolerates continued breach of law and perversion of justice; that has adopted a policy that is nothing less than a treason of ideals and trampling upon the very goals José Rizal died for.

Both are conditio sine qua non for my decision. This resignation letter terminates my service as Knight of Rizal - but not as Rizalist - and as such, I do proudly take Rizal’s position who stated, and I quote:

“My ambition is not to win honors or hold positions, but to see what is just, exact and suitable, is done in political matters"

Sincerely,
Christoph Eberle, ex-KR