I remember back in the 70’s when the events used to be at the Hollywood Palladium. There was no “call in”, no pressure to go; everybody would just show up and fill in the place.
There were short speeches with live bands playing Disco music, dancing and a lot of fun. It was like a variety show. Theta news, great entertainment, LRH’s kids and everybody was there on their own self determinism.
More often than not one of Ron’s kids, Suzette or Diana would show up and give a speech or simply mingled with the rest of the Scientologists. It was fun, no hard sales and no long infomertials about the ‘new releases’. Back then you got to meet a lot of people and you made a lot of new friends. That was the main thing about the Scientology events, Fun!
I remember coming all the way from San Diego to LA, just to listen to the Apollo Stars or to hear Diana play piano solo.
Today I was talking with a friend of mine who was in the Sea Org for many years, she was on staff at Flag and we were reminiscing about Org events.
Now days, staff ARE actually ordered to go to such events. It’s mandatory and particularly RTC and ASI staff. I suspect that it is mainly to fill the empty seats at the auditorium.
Also, anyone who has had even the most superficial contact with an org is called up and harassed to attend one of those events. If you happen to be on course or auditing lines, the staff is constantly asking, “are you going to the event?” There is a lot of pressure for the public to go to events and I actually heard that if you don’t go or tell them you cannot go, then you may be sent to ethics.
The last time I attended one of those events was on Auditor’s Day 1995. The course supervisor a the Class VIII academy told us that there were going to be special seats for the Class VI and Class VIII auditors. When we arrived at the Shrine Auditorium the best seats were given of course to Patrons and celebrities, the second best to executives and so on.
The rest of the seats were for the general public. The Class VI and Class VIII auditors were assigned the second floor far from sight at the balcony where no one could see them.
My ex Sea Org friend told me that for some events they were required/ordered to dress in civilian clothes depending on the event. Preferably long dresses, evening gowns, etc, which most staff cannot afford on their meager salary. Some staff would go to a thrift shop to get some second hand clothes. However, when Kirstie Alley heard about this she kindly donated a lot of her gowns for the girls to look elegant at events. But, the gowns were sold to staff for the hefty price of $50 dollars a piece, I say hefty because that is a week salary or more for the majority of the staff.
I wonder what Kirstie Alley would think if she knew that her donated gowns were sold to SO members. Here is Kirstie Alley with some of her beautiful gowns. Too bad that she does not know her donations are being used to exploit the Sea Org members.
My ex Sea Org friend told me that she saved money for many weeks and managed to buy three of the gowns, but when she left the SO they confiscated them all.
Sometimes the staff is ordered to be dressed in full uniform and regalia. The Int Crew wear rented tuxedos to look extra sharp and have ‘ethics presence’. All of the staff are supposed to arrive hours early at the venue. To make sure that everybody shows up they do a roll call. Those who don’t show up are punished severely with lower conditions and removal of post.
The job of a staff member is NOT to have fun at the event or socialize with the public. No, their job is to sell, reg, make money and make sure that nobody leaves the place without having bought something or the other. A staff is not allowed to go to sleep until they have made their quota for the event.
Aida Thomas' Blog 
I did not like this guy (DM) from the first time I saw him on stage. (1987)
Big Mouth. Even before SCN I saw “Big Mouths” rather from behind.
I always knew that those guys have something to hide……*gg
See also the stupid Hitler and his hobbling servant Goebbles…same
category.
The two activities I didn’t do was body routing and call ins, in all the years and staffs I was on. I hated receiving the calls and so did not participate.
The two activities I did not do was to FSM for the IAS because I always considered it a rip off.
And I would never agreed to be on Staff at the GO, or spy for OSA….
But those are stories for other topics.
Thanks for the comment Olivia, you had been in Scientology for a long time I know.
Love
Aida
Events used to be fun and were willingly attended with great enthusiasm. People loved being at Orgs to congregate, be friends and have fun. We all shared a common purpose to help mankind. That is why I was in it. I did experience being forced to be at the orgs into the night, and my will taken over, but that was done by individual people who loved sadistic control over others and misused the policies to do so and made life miserable for people.
Yes, events have been mandatory for staff for some time. They have only gotten longer, duller and cornier.
The problem is that staff have no clothes to wear, S.O. members have no time off, make no money and are malnourished.
So when they attend events they look like the night of the living dead. I remember so many of my peers when I was in the S.O. would fall asleep.
It was painful as every minute or so one had to stand up to clap for a full minute. After a full event – everyone’s hands are raw.
Call-in has become a joke. I know of someone who gets called eight times because they have his name on their CF eight times – each time it is spelled differently, so he gets called from every org eight times. He also gets eight copy of every org’s various BS publications.
Talk about waste! I was thinking the other day about the dynamics, $cn has managed to actually be bad for the 5th and 6th dynamics with their highly irresponsible waste.
I believe Miscavige feeds on this applause and it is the only thing that keeps him going (apart from the scotch).
Hi my friend!
I remember the good ole times when staff could choose wheter they wanted to go to events or not. When I was on the Briefing Course we had the annual BC Halloween party and everybody would come, even the staff.
But sadly as you say, the reviews of the events are the same: dull, boring and stupid.
How sad it makes me to read your story about malnourished, overworked staff being forced to do things they don’t want; which is in a way a form of terrorism.
I have friends who have literally changed phone numbers so that they don’t get call in anymore! And some others who never answer their phone but instead wait for the answering machine to filter their calls.
And yes, I do agree with you 100% that $cn management wastes human resources all over the world tallented people are wasted on staff or the SO doing irresponsible irrational orders. I want to think that they are people of good intentions.
Thanks for your comment, I know that you were in the SO many, many years and you have more to tell us.
Much love,
Aida
In late 1996 I was studying at AOSH EU in Copenhagen to become a supervisor for the Prague mission.
There were several events and we – the students – were supposed to attend. When all the speeches were finished, I just went to the exit door to leave the place. There was a Security Chief standing.
He told me point blank that he wouldn’t let me go until I buy something. Unfortunately, I did. It was the “Ron – Humanitarian: The Educator” booklet, which I liked, but which was hefty, as you say.
Unfortunately, I did. I was a thin non-assertive 20yo boy and I seemed to be attracting those high-intention morons who’d try to use me. I had almost no money, not getting any money to spend during the study, I was often hungry because the food was just not enough to feed me properly and I had to borrow to be able to buy that book. I gave it to my brother, who hated Scientology, because he was the only one around me being able to understand some English. I think he just threw it away.
Fortunately, I’ve moved on and now I must be alert to say emphatic no to all the insurance agents and other desperate fellows. 😉
What a sad thing it is to force people to buy the books. And sadder if it is when they are forcing you to spend money you do not have.
I have gotten e-mails from Mexico, US, Colombia, Greece and even Africa as well as yours from Czech Republic telling me similar stories.
I am very happy that you have moved on and you now can say no.
Thanks for your response.
Aida
I have a “funny” story, and it was the last time that I went to an event. It was mandatory that we go. The NYO had recently been exquisitely revamped. And as the event progressed, I saw the message, that it was to have everyone sign a contract with NYO staff before the night was over. And I was on staff at the Ability school! I began plotting my escape.
I looked at the exits and sure enough, each door had a guard. When there came a point before the event was over, I got up and walked to one of the doors and the guard said, “It’s not over Olivia”, and I just reached over her shoulder and pushed the door open and went down the stairs and into the street. Three guys came running after me.
One whom I had known from when I was on staff in the late 60’s, telling me to go back in. I told them that I had to pick up my mother, which was true, and they kept trying to make me go back in and then asked me to come back another day, and I said I would, but not to sign a contract. This went on for about 10 minutes. After my OT lll, and more so, after NOT’s, I no longer feared the SO authority.
NOT’s freed me of whatever power I had agreed to with them. Someone recently tried to have me go back to the cof s, and, I hope that she has been brave enough to look at what has happened to the church. To go back would be a betrayal to myself and everyone who has been freed from the ugly monster it has become, at least with the AH’s at the top.
Olivia, how sad that they have to have guards at the door. The CofS indeed has become a monster. I hope that all of your friends are free.
The guards became a standard fixture at events where people weren’t allowed to leave or who were routed back to their seat or handled. Was that written policy? I had never seen it. It was upsetting. I also received multiple calls from different people for the same event, including wrong indications about one’s case if I or a family member said we weren’t going.
Great post, Olivia! I remember well the events of the 70s and up to ’82 when I said enough is enough and left. They really were fun back then. But now, it truly has become a cult with the tiny tyrant at the helm.
Hi OC:
Yes, many people are leaving more and more because of the tiny tyrant as you call him, but everything sooner or later comes to an end. I am sure that we will see that end.
Aida
OC Rob,
There was an IAS event when a celebrity hollered at us for hours for not pledging enough money and we weren’t allowed to leave.
I had been off lines for years and became involved in the early 90’s and the above was my first event back. I was horrified because I had been keeping my eyes open for how things seemed, and was shocked, but not scared. Since being declared, my family and I are no longer harassed to go to events and our mailboxes are not jammed with promo pieces.
Olvia, who was that celebrity? Can we know? Thank god you no longer received unwated junk mail. I don’t either 🙂
Aida
His name is Michael Roberts. We were yelled at for hours because not enough money was pledged by the different people/factors who were there. He also said, “Do it for Ron”, which Ron abhorred. He never said it was for him, it was for us. But, not the demand for money. He didn’t call those events, at least as far as I know, while he was still alive.
Having been in Scn. for so many years, I know how it was, how it was fun and enlightening, and how it became a controlling evil entity. People still win, because it is based on truth. Things wouldn’t work if it was based on lies. But, more and more, I see the mechanism for making it adhered to. Very clever!
Great blog Aida!!! Fantastic photos and content.
Thanks beautiful! I am glad that you like it! 🙂
Aida
Oh boy, my last event I attended, was 1986, when LRH’s offical death was announced. I was in the SO at that time and I still remember the sober feeling after the event – but at least at that even there was no selling, we were just introduced to the new cadre.
Realized about a year later that LRH must have been gone long time ago – – why, otherwise, would you explain why I instinctively refused to participate in “Writing to Ron?”
See, there is another reason why I was kicked out – I just did not fit in 😉
Merlin, some of us did not fit in and I celebrate that! 🙂
Aida
2002,public was phoned 3 times.First to say “yes” second to confirm,third to re-confirm.And DM is more and more starting to sound like a babbling idiot,making no sense with his superlatives “un-precedented” “epic” “grand scale” “never before” etc,etc ad nauseam..
Tommy
My god! I don’t know how can people stand it! I am sure that a lot of people are changing their phone numbers.
David Miscavige is the MOST boring monotonous speaker I’ve ever seen in my life.,
Yes, they always say the same old thing.
At one event in the 90’s when there was a tribute to LRH, and a very theta piece had just been done by Norman Starky, DM came on, which may have been the first or second time I had heard him, and he came on as a low level being, barking statistics.
I had no idea who he was, because I had just come back “onlines”, after being off from the early 80’s. I used the SO 1 line, which I thought was safe to use to point out out points.
And I expressed along the aesthetics, that after such a theta piece by Starky about Ron, that this person came on barking statistics and that it ruined the whole tone of the event.
I had been on staff at the time as a teacher at the Ability school, where my daughter was a student and I received a phone call from a vicious person at Flag to come down immediately for a court of ethics for daring to say that her leader was barking statistics.
I had my post to be responsible for, my daughter to care for and my mother at home. My knowledge about policy is what saved me from going down, and I presented my upstat graphs and responsibilities. I wasn’t enforced to go down.
Suddenly they became obsessed with stats…the funny thing is, that they are all fake.
Aida
Yes, the stats are all fake now. I remember the photo shopped picture on the cover of a Flag magazine with duplicated people in the photo to look like more people attended than were actually there.
Yes, I remember too…LOL! It was a scandal all over the internet…Who are they fooling? themselves!
Later they put ads in local newspapers looking for ‘actors’ to fill in the venues.
Events have come nightmares for staff as well as for public.
Oh, there’s one more now. It’s “Chase Up”. That’s after most have arrived, staff calls again those who haven’t made it yet, to find out why they haven’t made it yet.
Mebann, I can see how it has gotten worse, poor staff, they are just following the orders and they are trained to do as they told. the tiny tyrant must be getting desperate.
Thanks for your comment.
Aida
They also push public to go and I was one of them about ten years ago.
Yes, and they are still doing it, I talked today to a friend that has just walked out and she said the events are boring, dreadful, long and lots and lots of regging.
If they only were fun!
Thanks for posting,
Aida