Events - Misery 8 Times Yearly

[SarahNW]

I've seen this mentioned here and there, but I've been thinking about it recently and felt it deserved its own thread.

I usually ended up attending events with my parents and/or other staff members at the Shrine Auditorium in LA. I went usually because it was fun to dress up and run all over the less well known passage ways in the Shrine (trying to avoid the SO members who would round us kids up and herd us back into our seats), and I enjoyed the food afterwards (I was too young to get regged for much), but as for the actual event part, I despised it.

Well, not exactly. When I was young and a big gung-ho Scientologist, I remember letting the mood of the event wash over me, like the two-minute hate from Orwell's 1984. I'd stand up and cheer with everyone else, wild-eyed with joy over events that sounded grand, but which I didn't really comprehend. I was there when the tax exemption was announced, and I was just as awestruck as anyone. After all, the cheering went on for a solid 10 minutes, and the huge surround-sound speakers were blaring, while words flashed on massive screens: "NOTHING'S GONNA STOP US NOW!"

Some of my first critical thoughts came into my head at Scientology events. I'd think: If we're really doing that much, why hasn't anyone I know outside of CoS heard of Scientology? Shouldn't we have taken over the world by now?

As I got older and grew into my teens, I started hating events. I didn't want to stand up and clap every 5 minutes. The hip-hip hooraying was a bit obnoxious, and the sonar bombardment was overwhelming. After the first two hours, I was so tired of standing I'd just stay seated, but that drew nasty looks from people around me, so I'd get to my feet with everyone else.

Alternately, my friends and I would have "who could hit the highest note" cheering contests during every clapping session. Drove the people sitting around us perfectly nuts, I'm sure, a bunch of teenage girls squealing high-pitched blasts. But what could they say? We were "enthusiastic".

The last few times I ever attended an event, I sat way up in back so I wouldn't have to get up.

But I always wondered what people around me were thinking. Most everyone had a rapturous look on their face, and events always made me feel very alone, almost defiant, because I'd look out across the sea of people and wonder if anyone else was sick of giving standing ovations, too.

So... were you?

I know it's a small defiance, almost not worth mentioning, but the leaving process for me started with many similarly tiny defiances.

 

[Escalus]

I didn't grow up in Scientology but I felt the same way about the Catholic Church when I was a kid.

Maybe it's a normal progression in life.

 

[Bea Kiddo]

I've been going to events since they were done in the Bonaventure Hotel, prior to the Shrine.

I remember the IRS win. They did the event in another place - the sports arena or something? I remember going in early and noticing that they had the stage very far forward, to use only 1/3 of the seats. And very few seats were filled. It seemed like the upper sections were totally empty. :confused2:

It was eerie. It just seemed like we were in this huge place with few people there. I think it was maybe 5000 people. And they blacked out the upper seats.

I dont remember video or photos of that event, and how they explained that. Maybe camera angles?




Made my hands sore and brain fried.

The events made me feel like all my hard work and messed up hours and screwed up life was all worth it.

It was very hard to get out of the mind-set. Those events are mind altering.

 

[SarahNW]

Actually, I was sitting in the upper section for that event, but really far forward. The seat tiers were really akward there - the seat behind you was really far up, and the seat in front really far down, so it felt like if you leaned forward too far, you'd just fall into oblivion.

Yeah, I remember it wasn't at the Shrine, we went somewhere else.

 

[lrnobs]

Actually, I was sitting in the upper section for that event, but really far forward. The seat tiers were really akward there - the seat behind you was really far up, and the seat in front really far down, so it felt like if you leaned forward too far, you'd just fall into oblivion.

Yeah, I remember it wasn't at the Shrine, we went somewhere else.

Were you at the "Man without a head event"
http://www.lermanet.com/PhotoLIES.htm

I think it was Dec 28, 1999

As is explained in the link, photos were doctored and people stuffed in. We can only imagine the poor junior sea org member being told to "fill those seats", and who probably went to the RPF after the doctoring was exposed. Arnie initially spotted and made public the doctoring of the images.

 

[SarahNW]

Weird. That event was like, the day I got out of Scn. I was a little busy then.

 

[Curiosity]

You skipped the event in order to blow?
You CAUSED the whole flap, then! They were only one filled seat away from getting away with the doctored photos, you know. You are in SO much trouble!

 

[SarahNW]

Heheh. While I'd love to take credit for that, the truth is I blew two days before that, and was a little busy getting screamed at.

 

[Curiosity]

Well, at least there wasn't applause and surround sound accompanying it.

 

[lrnobs]

Well, at least there wasn't applause and surround sound accompanying it.

New directive from COB.
Install mini mics on all chairs at Events to increase the volume of the Thunderous Applause.
:megaphone:
:megaphone:
:megaphone:

(if you think this is irritating... just go to an event!)

 

[Kathy (ImOut)]

I remember the IRS win. They did the event in another place - the sports arena or something? I remember going in early and noticing that they had the stage very far forward, to use only 1/3 of the seats. And very few seats were filled. It seemed like the upper sections were totally empty. :confused2:

It was eerie. It just seemed like we were in this huge place with few people there. I think it was maybe 5000 people. And they blacked out the upper seats.

I remember them saying they had filled the sports arena - doesn't it seat something like 20K.

Those doctored photos are hilarious. How many duplicates of people could be in one place.

 

[grundy]

I remember them saying they had filled the sports arena - doesn't it seat something like 20K.

Those doctored photos are hilarious. How many duplicates of people could be in one place.

Hey I was on the ushers at that event. There really were closer to 9000. I know because I had to work during that damned event.

I think the report was 13000 though. (I don't KNOW how many .. I didn't count them).

The LA Sports arena does hold 20000 but they had blocked off a good portion of it so that it looked more like an ampitheatre. So in the configuration that they had it in, only 13000 could have been seated. (seats at 90 degrees were blocked off etc.) Also the large portions of the upper tier were actually blocked off. There were I beleive three levels but only two were used for the event. No "suite" seating was used (at least by the public).

Adding up all the blocked parts, I can believe that the seating capacity validly was only 13000 for that event.

And as far as this stuff:

I've seen this mentioned here and there, but I've been thinking about it recently and felt it deserved its own thread.

I usually ended up attending events with my parents and/or other staff members at the Shrine Auditorium in LA. I went usually because it was fun to dress up and run all over the less well known passage ways in the Shrine (trying to avoid the SO members who would round us kids up and herd us back into our seats), and I enjoyed the food afterwards (I was too young to get regged for much), but as for the actual event part, I despised it.

As I got older and grew into my teens, I started hating events.

The last few times I ever attended an event, I sat way up in back so I wouldn't have to get up.

But I always wondered what people around me were thinking. Most everyone had a rapturous look on their face, and events always made me feel very alone, almost defiant, because I'd look out across the sea of people and wonder if anyone else was sick of giving standing ovations, too.

So... were you?

I know it's a small defiance, almost not worth mentioning, but the leaving process for me started with many similarly tiny defiances.

I was SO staff. We had to do all the events. Work as ushers. Reg. Setup Tear down. False enthusiasm. It got to the point that I would use various ways and means to get out of actually being AT the events, or, barring that, of actually working the event - leave early, after making sure that someone in authority saw me "working", mill around in the crowd talking to public (I was a very popular terminal and I knew probably 1000-2000 people out of the 5500-6000 that would attend any given event) but not actually really try to sell the product or whatever. Just shoot the sh*t, etc. I wasn't on sales lines so it was easy. And though I was an OL (opinion leader for those who don't know lol) I wasn't in a post where I had to act like an "OL" (NOTs auditors, C/Ses, reg's, execs).

So yes - they could be misery for me too. But I was independant enough that I didn't do everything that they might have wanted me to do. I almost looked at events as a day off sometimes lol.

 

[Curiosity]

What gets me is that they duplicated them so close together. Having the same bald guy sitting a few seats apart from himself is just way too obvious.

 

[SabinaM]

Events were terrible but I tried to look at it as an afternoon off. It was great to just be able to sit down and rest for a while and let the words flow over you. I used to zone out a lot! We'd get screenings of the events in the mess hall at the AO prior to the actual event night, because we'd be working while all the public was around. Even then I thought that standing to attention when DM or other Int execs walked on the screen was slightly absurd.

After events all the crew would be running around trying to sell stuff, but I didn't know any of the public in Sydney so I just hid in a bathroom or tried to walk around looking as if I was going somewhere.

The only event I really remember enjoying was the 2003 Dianetics anniversary event; a guy from Papua New Guinea that I and a few of my friends had been on the EPF with got an award for bringing Scientology there. It was great fun clapping and yelling "Go, Johnny!" and freaking out the public. We got told to shut up pretty quickly though.

 

[Wisened One]

LOL sabrina:

We got married near a popular annual event date, JUST so each year, we could MISS that event, to celebrate our anniversay, lol!

How's THAT for hating events?

Now of course, no more events or scn whatsoever, but it was the main reason we married on the date we did

Wisened One

 

[SabinaM]

Now that is good thinking!

 

[sandygirl]

I think the events have gotten worse in the last few years. I didn't mind them too much (as a public). Then, I think it was in the past 4 years they became another forced sales pitch for staff or stuff.

I really hated trying to get out afterwards! GAT was sales push for new meters and more courses. GAK was push to buy tapes. Also, pushed to buy Human Rights CDs, new Ron interview CD, thank god I left before the basics came out.

The staff swooped on you like hawks the minute the event was over. Towards the end I couldn't even concentrate on what the event was!

The absoute worse were the Freewinds events. Who had the brillant idea of eating up every Sat. in July on these things? The reg. to attend was a nightmare. 20 calls a day and pushs to every student. I finally just said yes I was coming to the last one and blew it off. Can you believe they were calling my house during the event repeatedly asking where I was? Sick, Sick, Sick!!!

 

[Good twin]

The Weirdest part for me

I used to love events. I was always told to bring as many new people as possible. New people hated it. Often their first International event was the last I'd see of them. All that is weird enuff. The weird part tho is to keep hearing the same come on. "THIS IS THE BIGGEST AND MOST HISTORICAL EVENT EVER IN THE HISTORY OF SCIENTOLOGY". After hearing this 6 times a year for some years, you can't help but look around. The last event I attended it was very obvious, if you dared to look or notice, that there were more staff then public attending. Considering that it's mandatory for staff to attend.... well it's just weirder than weird that eventually they will have events where nobody shows up. Can't they see that?

 

[Kathy (ImOut)]

I just remembered about standing up and applauding for a video of an event - Freewinds events were taped and shown later, but people still stood up and applauded.

One event I attended at Flag was so crowded we were watching it on big screen TVs in the HGC. It was the best - sit back on a couch and no getting up to applaud. The room was too crowded and most of us were too comfy on our couches. That was the best event - didn't care about the event, I think it was the announcement of Golden Age of Tech - but the relaxed atmosphere was great.

 

[sandygirl]

Quoted by goodtwin

I used to love events. I was always told to bring as many new people as possible. New people hated it. Often their first International event was the last I'd see of them. All that is weird enuff. The weird part tho is to keep hearing the same come on. "THIS IS THE BIGGEST AND MOST HISTORICAL EVENT EVER IN THE HISTORY OF SCIENTOLOGY". After hearing this 6 times a year for some years, you can't help but look around. The last event I attended it was very obvious, if you dared to look or notice, that there were more staff then public attending. Considering that it's mandatory for staff to attend.... well it's just weirder than weird that eventually they will have events where nobody shows up. Can't they see that?

No they definatly can not allow themselves to see it! Did you ever bring anyone new into an event and see it from their viewpoint? What a bunch of weirdos we looked like? Did you ever have to clap to the LRH bust in the front of the room? Again-freakin' weirdos! And the sad stat.-Not one person brought in by me, mom, sis, husband, -ever converted! How's that for stats?