Evening star., 1961-04-30
BY PAUL HOPE
star Staff Writer

BY PAUL HOPE
s-- star Staff Writer
Promoters Of Lakewood
Country Club and dissatisfied
members who have ouSted the
original officers and board of
directors are locked in a battle
for control of the Montgomery
County club.
The fight which started after
funds ran out and construction
halted, has involved several
other club projects which the
promoters have undertaken in
other States.
In the fray are Troy v. Post,
tr., Bill M. Allen and Leroy w.
Pickett, whose past operations
have ranged from selling secur-
tiles to American soldiers over
seas to a plan-which didn't
materialize-for selling land in
Brazil to residents of the United
States.
Lineup in Fight
On the other side are the
new board of directors and their
attorney Manuel J. Davis.
In the center is Vinton Lee,
an attorney and accountant,
who has been appointed CON
servator" Of the project by the
Federal Court in the District of
Columbia.
Dissatisfaction among mem
bers began when work halted
on the clubhouse at the site
near Rockville. It mounted
when members found that a
Rhode Island project of the
PoSt-Allen-P Pickett group wound
up in court and a MasSachu-
sets project was having fl
nancial trouble.
Other country clubs which
the promotional group have in
stages Of construction are near
Baltimore and Pittsburgh. An
other project-which has not
yet gotten off the ground-in-
volved a subdivision and coun-
try club near Centreville on the
Eastern Shore of Maryland.
The disgruntled members OF
Lakewood want their project
finished. They claim that some
Of the SIS million paid in my
Lakewood members went into
other projects and that the
money drawn off for commits
sions, salaries and fees was toe
high.
Mr.. Lee has filed suit in
District Court to recover ap-
proximately $150,000 which he
claims was loaned to other prof.
ectS an dto Mr.. Post, Mr.. Allen
and Mr.. Pickett.
IF they leave us alone, we
would get the club finished, 2"
Mr.. Allen says. He and his
colleagues have filed q counter
suit for sos million against
the clubs new officers claim
ing interference with their
business operations and an at
tempt to obtain improper
dominion and control" over the
club.
Started in 1859
The Lakewood club promo
ton was kicked off in the sum
mer Of 1859 with o good deal oi
fanfare and advertising. Listed
among the advisory board ir
the promotional material were
a District Commissioner, q
member Of Congress, a tele-
vision sportScaster, a retired
general, and professional golfer
Sam Snead.
Mr.. Allen said several com.
plimentary memberships wert
given out, including one Il
former Vice President Nixon
He said this is standard pro,
cedure in promotion Of gol
clubs. Club records indicate
that 10 such memberships wert
given.
Mr.. Snead, who has q con
tract to furnish the professional
staff and supervise golfing &C
tivitieS at the club, made per
sonal appearances at Lakewood
to help the membership drive
An accounting made by Mr.
Lees firm showed that SOM
1900 members (including lis
life members and 672 dues-pay
ing memberS) paid into tn,
club 81, ,287, ,422 In initiation fee
and $270,255 for Federal ex
else taxes on the membership
fees. With additional MONTH,
dues from those who do no
hold life memberships, the &C
counting shows q total of 81,
544,341 paid in as of Decembe
81, 1860.
Lee Reports on Audit
Mr.. Lee said the accounting
shows that $643,230 went 70
capital improvements, whicl
include an 18-hole golf course
two swimming pools and a wad
ing pool, cabanas and bath
house, tennis courts, parkinI
area and q partially complete,
clubhouse. He said operations
expenses, including payment o
$S0,172 to the Federal Govern
ment in excise taxes, amountet
to $3S0,620.
MFR. Lee said this left abou
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