CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
OF
INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS, INC.
DATE: 13/07/1966
(Pursuant to the Religious Corporation Law of the State of New York)
We, the undersigned, for the purpose of forming a corporation pursuant to the Religious Corporation Law of the State of New York, do hereby make, subscribe and acknowledge this certificate as follows:
FIRST: The name of the corporation shall be INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS, INC.
SECOND: The purposes for which the corporation is organized are:
(a) To systematically propagate spiritual knowledge to society at large and to educate all peoples in the techniques of spiritual life in order to check the imbalance of values in life and to achieve real unity and peace in the world.
(b) To propagate a consciousness of Krishna as it is revealed in the Bhagawat Gita and Srimad Bhagawatam.
(c) To bring the members of the Society together with each other and nearer to Krishna, the prime entity, and thus to develop the idea, within the members, and humanity, at largo, that each soul is part and parcel of the quality of Godhead (Krishna).
(d), To teach and encourage the Samkirtan movement congregational chanting of the holy name of God as revealed in the teachings of Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
To erect for the members, and for society at large, a holy place of transcendental pastimes, dedicated to the personality of Krishna.
(f) To bring the members closer together for the purpose of teaching a simpler and more natural way of life.
(g) With a view towards achieving the aforementioned purposes, to publish and distribute periodicals, magazines, books and other writings.
THIRD: The corporation shall have the power, either directly or indirectly, either alone or in conjunction or cooperation with others, to do any and all lawful acts and things and to engage in any and all lawful activities which may be necessary, useful, suitable, desirable, or proper for the furtherance, accomplishment, fostering, or attainment of any or all of the purposes for which the corporation is organized, and to aid or assist other organizations whose activities are such as to further, accomplish, foster, or attain any of such purposes. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the corporation shall exercise only such powers as are in furtherance of the exempt purposes of organizations set forth in Section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code and its Regulations as the same now exist or as they may be hereafter amended from time to time.
FOURTH: The corporation is not organized for profit, and no part of the net earnings of the corporation shall inure to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual. In the event of the liquidation or dissolution of the corporation, whether voluntary or involuntary, no member shall be entitled to any distribution or division of its remaining property or its proceeds, and the balance of all money and other property received by the corporation from any source, after the payment of all debts and obligations of the corporation, shall be used or distributed, subject to the order of the Supreme Court of the State of New York as provided by law, exclusively for purposes within those set forth in Article SECOND of this certificate and within the intendment of Section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 and its Regulations as the same now exist or as they may be hereafter amended from time to time.
FIFTH: The operations of the corporation are to be conducted principally within the State of New York.
SIXTH: The principal place of worship of this Society is intended to be located at No. 26 Second Avenue in the City, County and State of New York.
SEVENTH: The number of trustees of the Society shall be nine.
EIGHTH: The names and addresses of the trustees until the first annual meeting of the corporation are as follows:
NAME ADDRESS
MICHAEL GRANT 110 Bowery, New York, N. Y.
JAN OSLUND 110 Bowery, New York,.N. Y.
JAMES S. GREENE 324 East 6th Street, New York, N. Y.
The names and addresses of the trustees until the second annual meeting of the corporation are as follows:
NAME ADDRESS
PAUL GARDINER 38 East 76th Street, New York, N. Y.
DONALD W. CHAPDELAINE 26 Second Avenue, New York, N. Y.
RAYMOND MARAIS 26 Second Avenue, New York, N. Y.
The names and addresses of the trustees until the third annual meeting of the corporation are as follows:
NAME ADDRESS
KARL YEARGENS 218 Centre Street, New York, N. Y.
RAPHAEL BALSAM 26 Second Avenue, New York, N. Y.
ROBERT LEFKOWITZ 1847 49th Street, Brooklyn, N. Y.
NINTH: The first annual meeting for the annual election of trustees shall be held on July 6, 1967, at 7:00 P.M. at No. 26 Second Avenue, in the City, County and State of New York.
TENTH: The matters set forth in paragraphs FIRST through EIGHTH of this certificate were determined at a meeting held for that purpose pursuant to Section 192 of the Religious Corporation Law on July 6, 1966 at No. 26 Second Avenue in the City, County and State of New York. Said meeting was held pursuant to due written notice as provided in Section 191 of the Religious Corporation Law.
ELEVENTH: All of the subscribers to this certificate are of full age and all are members in good and regular standing of the church seeking incorporation through the filing of this certificate by admission with full membership therein in accordance with the rules and regulations thereof.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF
we have made, subscribed, and acknowledged this certificate of incorporation this 13th day of July, 1966.
[signed:]
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, Carol Bekar, Raymond Marais
STATE OF NEW ‘YORK)
SS:
COUNTY OF NEW YORK)
On the 13th day of July, 1966 before me personally came A. C. BHAKTIVEDANTA, SWAMI, RAYMOND MARAIS and CAROL BEKAR to me known and known to me to be the individuals described in and who executed the foregoing certificate of incorporation and they severally acknowledged to me that they severally executed the same.
STEVEN J. GOLDSMITH
NOTARY PUBLIC, STATE OF NEW YORK
NO. 81-1489875
Qualified in New York County
Commission Expires March 30, 1967 STATE OF NEW YORK )
SS:
COUNTY OF NEW YORK )
STEVEN J. GOLDSMITH, being duly sworn, deposes and says: That he maintains an office for the practice of law at Two Park Avenue, Borough of Manhattan, City and State of New York; that he is the attorney for the subscribers to the annexed certificate of incorporation of INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS, INC.; that he has made diligent search of the records of the Clerk of the County of New York, and as revealed by such search, that no prior corporation with the same or similar name as INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS, INC. has filed a certificate of incorporation in New York County.
[handwritten:] The undersigned affirms this made under penalty of perjury.
[signed:]
Steven J. Goldsmith
His own words
I went in America in 1965. After struggling for one year, in 1966 I incorporated this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, International Society for Kṛṣṇa Consciousness.
Arrival Lecture — New Delhi, November 10, 1971:
My Guru Mahārāja ordered me long, long ago, when I was twenty-five years old, my Guru Mahārāja ordered me to go to the foreign countries and preach Lord Caitanya’s message. But somehow or other I could not assimilate his order until I was seventy years old. But it was better late than never. So also I was trying how to make a successful tour for preaching Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s message. So by the grace of my Guru Mahārāja and by your blessings, I went to the Western countries and had such a very good response, very good response. I went there empty handed with forty rupees in my pocket and free ticket, return ticket, by the Scindia Steam Navigation Company. And for one year I had no place to live, I had no money to eat; still I was going here and there. Then in 1966… I went in America in 1965. After struggling for one year, in 1966 I incorporated this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, International Society for Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. So some of our friends suggested, “Why not make ‘God Consciousness Society’?” and “No. ‘Kṛṣṇa Consciousness.’ If I make ‘God Consciousness,’ that will be a big task.” Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇah (Bs. 5.1). Therefore this distinctly should be the society for Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
In 1966 I started this movement after incorporation in New York under the state religious act, and I began to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra in a park in New York.
Pandal Lecture — Bombay, April 11, 1971: Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you very much for your kindly participating in today’s meeting. And we are known practically all over the world as the Hare Kṛṣṇa people. Wherever we go, they immediately recognize us as the Hare Kṛṣṇa people. So I’ll try to speak something about this Hare Kṛṣṇa people. This Hare Kṛṣṇa people means… Since I started this movement in 1967 in New York, very, in a small scale… In the beginning… I went there in 1965, and for one year I had no shelter, neither any means to maintain myself. I had some books only, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and some way or other, I pulled on. In 1966 I started this movement after incorporation in New York under the state religious act, and I began to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra in a park in New York. What is called? Thompkins Square. Thompkins Square. And these young boys and girls, they began to assemble and chant and dance. This is the beginning. And when one well-known poet… Perhaps you know. He is Mr. Allen Ginsberg. He was also coming and joined with us. In this way, first of all we started our center in new York, Second Avenue, and then gradually expanded in San Francisco, in Montreal, in Boston, Buffalo, and Los Angeles. Now we have got fifty-two branches all over the world, including one in Tokyo, one in Hong Kong, in Australia, Sydney.
Interview with Newsday Newspaper — July 14, 1976, New York:
Interviewer: Yes, I have. You translated all of those. (pause) (break) …I wonder if you could tell me how you came to founding the movement here in the United States.
Prabhupāda: I was ordered by my spiritual master to do this work, so on his order I came in 1965. That is the beginning of this. I came alone with no help, no money. Somehow or other (laughs) I started.
Interviewer: :How did you attract people? You landed in New York…
Prabhupāda: My attraction is this chanting. That’s all.
Interviewer: Did you stand on street corners and chant?
Prabhupāda: Yes, I had no magic. Just like others. They say some…, show some magic. I never showed any magic.
Interviewer: No, I understand that.
Bali-mardana: Thompkins Park.
Prabhupāda: By Thompkins Park I was chanting, and these boys gradually came. First picture was published by the New York Times. Then we started branches in San Francisco, in Montreal, Boston. And then Los Angeles. In this way…
Interviewer: So you just chanted in Thompkins Park, and people came?
Prabhupāda: Yes, I was underneath a tree. I think that picture was published by that Voice, very big article, published.
Interviewer: What did you have to offer then. If you were chanting in the park and I said “What are you doing? Why are you chanting? What’s your thing here?”
Bali-mardana: He said what did you have to offer.
Rāmeśvara: He said, “If someone had come up to you while you were chanting and said, ‘Why are you doing this? What are you offering?’ How would you have replied.”
Prabhupāda: They came… Naturally they came and joined me and began to dance, that’s all. That is the beginning.
Letter to Madhava Maharaja — New York 1 August, 1966:
The American Foundations do not contribute anything to any institution or organization if it is not properly incorporated by law of the land. So far I have knowledge of the Indian residents in America they are mostly engaged in local educational or Indian Government service in the Embassy. Therefore there is very little hope to get from them any substantial help for the proposed temple construction which will require some millions of dollars. But if the Americans take the matter very seriously there are many Foundations one of them alone can contribute such amount.
I have therefore very recently incorporated one organization very recently (within a fortnight past) under the name of INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS (Incorporated in U.S.A.) The Trustees of this organization are all American gentlemen headed by one of the leading lawyers of New York Mr. Steven J. Goldsmith B.Sc. M.A.B.L. who comes regularly in my weekly classes and chants the Mahamantra very devoutly.
Now the chance for preaching the cult of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in the western countries like America and Europe is practically established and if the organization is properly managed I am sure there will be no dearth of financial facilities from the American citizens. But still I think this organization should have cooperation from all countries of the world specially of India and more specially from the Gaudiya Vaisnavas who are pledged to take the responsibility of preaching Caitanya cult in every village and town of the world. I am therefore inviting the first cooperation from my Godbrothers in this great adventure. I am very much hopeful of success of the attempt and I am seeking your good consultation if it is possible to have full sympathetic cooperation of my Godbrothers in India in this adventure.
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