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Boston - Part 2

Type4_PTS

Diamond Invictus SP
Thanks for the posts Sol, I didn't move to Boston until '88 but I know almost every one of those you mentioned.

Didn't know Lonnie was a CL IV, he was LRH Comm when I arrived.

I took Duncan's Music seminar - it was great.

Surprised you didn't mention Joe and Jeanie Scoglio. They were good friends to me.
Jeanie had a successful career as a voice and performance coach.

I just pulled up her website to post it here, and am sorry to see that she passed back in 2016.

https://jeanniedeva.com/about/jeannie-deva/
http://www.voicecouncil.com/a-tribute-to-jeannie-deva/
https://www.themodernvocalistworld.com/topic/10672-rip-jeannie-deva/
 

freethinker

Sponsor
Tidbits:

As I recall, John Eberhard was
in the GO during the early 80's.
A fine drummer and also composed.

I remember he played the drums,
with another drummer Peter Corona
(Div 6 Reg) backing Chick Corea when
he visited to do an event. I remember
the two drummers accompanied Chick
playing Miles' ALL BLUES. I forget the
trumpeter but there were other players
of quality on stage including Ric Poulin
(a fine keyboardist/guitar/singer).
Though not on that stage; Ric was
then married to a very fine singer:
Judy Poulin. They worked in a band
together. She had a great voice.

Incidentally, at that event, Chick stip-
ulated that guests to the event, who
were non-scientologist were NOT to be
regged before, during or after the event.
He was very sensitive about that and of
course, he had reason to be.

It is true that there was a LOT, ALOT
of musical talent at the org during this
time. It was everywhere. Alan Kleb,
Dave Scimemi RIP and others. At night,
players would get together down
there and rip. Dave and Kleb were
keyboardists and killer.

This was during the Joanie Gambino reign.
Lorraine was (Flag Rep) and Bob Baritz
(Div 4/Class V) were there at the time
along with the Fords. Lonnie was TTC
and then went on to Class IV. Rich
Gambino was down at the Bookstore.

Heather Black came through the Div 6
lines at this time, along with many,
many others. She went on to marry
Lonnie and became Heather Landry.

Chip Payson was chaplain, who worked
for the Pub Sec: Sherry... something.
I cannot remember her maiden name
but Chip later married Sherry and she
became Sherry Payson. Amy Grant was
her reg along with Peter Corona, who
was the Public Reg. Paula Cadman was
also part of Div 6, who helped to process
the routing line reading OCAs.

Ron Savelo delivered (fine sup) Div 6 courses
at the time, with Carl Bredemeier. Fran
was Carl's wife. I believe she became
staff, as well, later on.

During this time, many future Org staff
came through this particular Div 6. Many
went on to higher positions and orgs.

Michelle (forget her maiden name) came
through this line and later became
Michelle Savelo. Not sure what she
later did. Paul Ledoux, Kelley Lott - who
became Paul's wife later. Paul went on
to become the EO. Angus was there with
his wife, upstairs. Cary Goulston, Paul
Coleman RIP came through this line
incidentally. Paul Bradford was there
at the time. I believe he was then a
router along with Cary.

Tech had Ricky Furbush delivering (sup).
He was a great sup. I remember that
Lonnie was TTC at the time and would
later complete his Class IV and audit. It
was later that he would marry Heather,
who came through this Div 6 and would
later go onto becoming ED.

Joe Nucci (Qual Sec), I believe. Bobby Evers
(Word Clearer). Dave Scimemi (Auditor) and
there many others, already mentioned in
this thread earlier. I know I am forgetting
a lot of people.

Perry Yeldman was mentioned. He was
also a musician (bass) and played in a
band with Ric Poulin and Judy Poulin
(then Ric's wife). The alleged transgression
sounds pretty sad, indeed. Perry's first
wife, Robin, died of a brain aneurysm
not long after this time period. Terrible
tragedy. She was a sound engineer for
Ric's band. Who would've guessed? He
was not on staff during this time.

Gerry Mazzarella was on lines during this
time. Nothing but respect for him and his
wife. Last I heard, he was very ill. I am not
sure of the nature of the illness. Learned
Bircher and informed. This is a long time
ago but I think he is still on lines there. I
recall he lost a son tragically in a freak gun
accident. It was horrid.

I remember Carlos Adamson. I remember
him coming in for a tape, here and there,
in Div 6. Had no idea what he would do
later. A real character.

Someone asked about Peter Corona. I know
about him. He was a 5-Year SO but was
Comm-Ev declared. It was a 2D event and
a lawsuit threatened by a family (mob).
I think he was forced to leave (then Div 6
Sec); he then worked in Cambridge. Later
played drums for the Poulin band finally
leaving the Boston area for the financial
exchanges in Chicago. He would later go
on to meet Mike Bennitt there - then, a
Financial operator. Bennitt's story is out
there, most likely.

Peter developed rare tumors in his hip
resulting with amputation of his leg/half-
pelvis. Tragic. He lived. He had married
the sister of Sallee Slagle (dancer/instructor).
She married Duncan Lorian, who is a skilled
musicologist. Both Sallee and Duncan are
on lines, I believe.

Elaine Merkel came through this Div 6. She
would go on to do other things at the Org.
Very enthusiastic girl.

All these people that came through these
Div 6 lines were bright people and if they
had their original intentions encouraged
the right way, like all Scios really, they
would have indeed helped more people
and in the right way.

I am trying to remember as many people
and events as I can but this is a long time
ago and it is hard go back. There were
many public.. There was an expert wood-
worker public person who I am forgetting.
He married a model. I think Milagros was
her name. Maybe someone else here
remembers...

Anyway, there you have another reference.

I have to say that there is reason why
the Second Dynamic is second and in
this org, there was so much 2D aberration
that it made it impossible to continue to
even try and survive on the rest of them.
Many claimed to operate on the higher
dynamics. They did not. They were stuck
with the rest of us.

The foundational First Dynamic quicksand
that staff had to start/work with and
through, even for some of the very well
intentioned people mentioned; for them
to achieve their goals, all of which, AT
FIRST, were honorable, was virtually
impossible. So sad. This was just Boston.
All over the world, we saw similar events
take place destroying individuals and
families time and time again.

Out First, Out Second... Out Third...
Of course, you know/see the result.

There's a line from a movie that goes
something like this:

"If they knew what they were in for, they
would never have done anything."

I think it might apply but then, who knows
what they are in for in life?

PS: Almost all staff smoked like chimneys.
I mean you could burn down Boston with
the smoke these guys would go through
each day. It was incessant.
That filled a lot of gaps.
 

Solpetros

New Member
I do recall that name. I am struggling
with the face (DeVries). The name is
very familiar, though. I will roll it around.
Yes. Birkenshaw is the name and you
are right on target pointing out the
alarming statistic of the divorce rate
in/on staff Scn. How is it possible - I
ask, that an Org is to help families,
when they are breaking at the seams
themselves? It is not possible. Astute
public would ask.

I am sorry to hear about Nermin but I
am not surprised in the least. The
Scoglio's are one of the few. I am as-
suming the are still married.

Rick was very kind but I understand
the pressures. As for Cary, most execs
do what was/is done to them. Cary
was a body router, first. This is around
the time of Gambino, who was not un-
like many other execs that came before
her. Sherry's senior was Joannie.

Sherry's juniors were the Dept Heads
and they were Amy Grant and Peter
Corona was Amy's junior. Paula and
Nermin were directly below Sherry.
It was hard on Cary during that time.

Later on, I believe something happened
and rather than Amy, Peter was chosen
to be the PES. I think Sherry and Chip
left and Amy left and I think this left
Peter to work the Div. I never saw Peter
shout unless it was in enthusiasm. He
was just not that kind of exec. I actually
am not sure what happened that made
him the exec but he certainly was
Cary's senior for a period of time.

If Peter shouted in that manner, I never
saw it. I suppose it could be possible
behind closed doors.

Then, the event took place, which
resulted in his Comm EV and exit,
which may have left Cary to
to the wolves.

I am just reading about Jeannie.
That is very sad. She was a kind soul.
 
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Solpetros

New Member
This type of exec-ing is very
common in Scn. There were a
few that came through that
really tried to use the tech in
their administration.

Remember that most of the
Admins were not tech-trained.
Only a few and these were on
special occasions. These were
the ones that used their extra
time to get tech-hatted. Who
had the time? They were all
broke. If it was not in them
naturally to use ARC/KRC, they
would default to what is reported
that Cary fell into but again, it
was/is everywhere. It was the
modus operandi and what else
do you expect from those who
are traumatized? Sad but true.

Everyone was in Danger and all
the time. Nothing higher. Public
always had it better.

I think another example I can
bring up is Rick Furbush, if any-
one had a chance to study in
his courseroom. He would always
be very even tempered and on
the side interested and enth-
usiasm. I know this was not a
common thing there but that
is because it is not common.

At NY, Chicago, down at the FLB,
it was all the same everywhere.
Very few tech-trained Admins.
All were stuck on the auditing
side of the bridge. The only
light staff ever got was when
there was the opportunity to
attest and I can tell you that
there were many false attests
on Admin, which only made the
issue worse. It was mess and it
had to be considering. Awful.
 
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Solpetros

New Member
We have to accept that for whatever
the reason, all these people that we
are talking about were drawn to some
thing - some 'mission' that appealed to
them. Idealistic or misled and perhaps
both but again, whatever the reason,
these people were there at that time
and for some reason in their minds.

We have to hope that they have
processed these events in some kind
of positive way. People do not im-
prove when there is no reason to.
If there is no need for change, there
is no fear of worsening. To fear
worsening, one must be aware of
a condition. They were not or are
aware at all.

But perhaps there was a reason.
In life, do you know people that are
so busy, that they have no time
even think about their lives? I do.

Doing can take over a being
if it too much. If they are too busy,
doing, they might not be being, if
you get what my meaning. I don't
look at any of them negatively.
Rather, I feel for them. It was
a quicksand and some are still
in it. Yes. Sad for all but they
might realize someday that life
has to be lived and not just talked
or shouted about. KSW showed itself
every single day and it continues
with the ill-will we see present.
 

Type4_PTS

Diamond Invictus SP
This type of exec-ing is very
common in Scn. There were a
few that came through that
really tried to use the tech in
their administration.

Remember that most of the
Admins were not tech-trained.
Only a few and these were on
special occasions. These were
the ones that used their extra
time to get tech-hatted. Who
had the time? They were all
broke. If it was not in them
naturally to use ARC/KRC, they
would default to what is reported
that Cary fell into but again, it
was/is everywhere. It was the
modus operandi and what else
do you expect from those who
are traumatized? Sad but true.

Everyone was in Danger and all
the time. Nothing higher. Public
always had it better.
I suspect that Cary and other exec's "managed" in that way because they witnessed others doing the exact same thing. But Cary had been OEC/FEBC trained back in the early 80's, way before he joined the S.O.

.
 

Solpetros

New Member
I know that certificates are
given and these can have
weight. Trust me. You can
do a course and not get it.
You know it when you see it.
What you describe is not an
OEX/FEBC exec. It is case.
I suspect you are right
about him winessing and
being trained by those who
mis-used Admin/Tech.

There are so many, if not,
MOST people in positions
they could not hope to fulfill
and why? It is because they
are under duress - they are
in 1D Danger and falling apart
and this prevents any gain on'
either side of the bridge.

I said Danger... I cannot exclude
the lower conditions and what
can we expect from that? I
get what you are saying. I am
just pointing out the systemic
issue there. Very little good
can come from it.

At least, we have known some
decent people. We have witnessed
some decent things.

It's life outside, too.
 
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Type4_PTS

Diamond Invictus SP
We have to accept that for whatever
the reason, all these people that we
are talking about were drawn to some
thing - some 'mission' that appealed to
them. Idealistic or misled and perhaps
both but again, whatever the reason,
these people were there at that time
and for some reason in their minds.
We have to hope that they have
process these events in some kind
of positive way. People do not im-
prove when there is no reason to.
If there is no need for change, there
is no fear of worsening. To fear
worsening, one must be aware of
a condition. In life, do you know
people that are so busy, that they
have no time even think about their
lives? Doing can take over a being
if it too much. If they are too busy,
doing, they might not be being, if
you get what my meaning. I don't
look at any of them negatively.
Rather, I feel for them. It was
a quicksand and some are still
in it. Yes. Sad for all but they
might realize someday that life
has to be lived and not just talked
or shouted about.
I also don't look at any of them negatively. It would be difficult for me to do that as I fell into it as well.
I was 21, was idealistic and very naïve, lacked much life experience, and had not previously been educated about cults or the methods they use.

I learned some lessons the hard way! :D
 

Solpetros

New Member
I am not trying to defend it.
It is like talking to the soldier
at war. Can we blame him?

It is layers and layers and
layers of bureaucracy. It can
be like that in business, too.
Without eyes on, it is hard
to know the truth but we
DID have eyes on this layer
of the large org board and
what did we see? We see
exactly what we are talking
about and that is: soldiers
not fed, not healthy, not
sessionable, receiving
very little service, while
having to service. Formula
for disaster. Every smart
staff became public and
when they did, they saw
it from outside and that
is when the light went off,
or ON and things changed
for them.

I hope everyone that went
through that period has
come out of it better in
some way. I hope that.
Glad I could fill in a few
of the holes.
 
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PirateAndBum

Gold Meritorious Patron
Were you on staff?
No, I endured countless recruitment attempts over the years. They did get me to sign a contract after working on me for 4 hours straight (3 SO and 3 staff -- 10pm to 2am) which I told them the next day - I'm not doing it! That bought me a nice condition assignment. Grrr.

I was a foundation public. I did audit in the HGC for a bit as a favor. They had no staff auditor on post other than Frannie who was the Snr C/S. I wonder if her daughter is still in the SO, I was so sad to see her get recruited by the FSO.
 

freethinker

Sponsor
No, I endured countless recruitment attempts over the years. They did get me to sign a contract after working on me for 4 hours straight (3 SO and 3 staff -- 10pm to 2am) which I told them the next day - I'm not doing it! That bought me a nice condition assignment. Grrr.

I was a foundation public. I did audit in the HGC for a bit as a favor. They had no staff auditor on post other than Frannie who was the Snr C/S. I wonder if her daughter is still in the SO, I was so sad to see her get recruited by the FSO.
I must know you, I was on staff for 7 years there.
 

NoIdea

Patron with Honors
Whew, lots of familiar names in the last couple of pages. I got in in 1984, so a lot of those people had departed or moved away just before I arrived, but I knew their names from stories and various records of them in different org files. A lot more I knew very well. Maybe even had a relationship with some. Hung around more than a decade and a half before coming to my senses.
 

Boojuum

Silver Meritorious Patron
Old home week.

Too bad we weren't really saving the planet.

Too bad the OEC/FEBC "execs" were just very well intentioned deluded people.

Too bad that cramming didn't expand the org.

Too bad that some of the brightest, funnest, hardest working, most dedicated people I ever met were flogging a dead horse.

Occasionally, things were just great.

Some of us were given god-like solutions to our life's problems and that was a good thing.

But the pulp fiction world we were stuck in was limited. Once the shine wore off, abuse, poverty, delusion, and cognitive dissonance ruled the day--at least for me. If our group is so brilliant, how come we don't even make minimum wage. If the tech is so terrific, how come so few people are coming in?

After I left, I had a guy working for me who had just finished Bible college. He wasn't that brilliant. He didn't have money. He was really average, a bit slow. He told me that after he got his Christian church going, he'd have to quit but it would probably be 6 months to a year. After about 9 months, his street side mission had enough parishioners for him to make a living. No advertising. I didn't audit the guy to find out how much he made but he wasn't the lying type. I looked back at all the effort we put into getting folks into the CoS in Boston. Thousands of letters out, thousands of pieces of bulk mail week after week, body routers on Day and Fdn, trained auditors, sups, execs, and training, training, training, TV ads, Dianetics campaigns, and virtually NO NEW PEOPLE!!! This dope that worked for me had a viable church in less than a year. That comparison was impressive. Folks really didn't want the Scientology we were presenting.

It's been over 30 years and I've finally gotten to a place where I don't thank, on a daily basis, the powers that be that I'm out. ESMB has been very, very helpful.
 

myrklix

Patron with Honors
Hey @bambino, we haven't heard from you in almost 7 months.
Are you still on staff? If so, would you be so kind as to give us an update on the Boston Org?
Is there still Day & Fdn? How many staff on each?
How many new people have been brought in for either Div 6 or Academy courses in the past half year? Not asking BIS but actual, totally new faces.
How's the GI stat? WDAH's? Auditors made?

What about the plans for moving into the "new" building in Allston?
Curious if the office space there is occupied by tenants in the meantime just to generate some income.
Also, I'm surprised that nobody has put a huge "Scientology" sign up on the side of the building that overlooks the Mass Pike. That would be great PR, huh?

Thanks in advance for the update.
 

Boojuum

Silver Meritorious Patron
I think I'm a witness to the final gurglings of the Church of Scientology of Boston.

We were in, we left, we saw the light, we complained and now we feel better. And now there's not as much to say. I'm not as angry as I was. I'm a LOT more compassionate and even sympathetic to the folks who were in who acted foolishly.

I think the COS was a solution we embraced because what we were doing wasn't working that well. That's not to say we were losers but I would say that we were searching for something better and Scn seemed like a really good idea. (it's taken me 40 years to admit that I was looking for something better, I wasn't doing that bad but that doesn't mean things couldn't have gotten better.) Unfortunately, Scn didn't deliver but was VERY good at controlling the narrative. We were broke-ass broke helping very few people and exerting incredible amounts of effort. We glorified the auditors, the upper level execs, and the OT's. Looking back, we were playing a VERY small game with a massively puffed up sense of importance.

I think the "tech" of Scn had a lot to offer but only in the right hands. The admin tech had some workability. The TR's had some workability. The Berner's "study tech" (ripped off by LRH) changed my life in a good way. Two way comm IS a good thing. Getting off OW can be a good thing. IN THE RIGHT HANDS. LRH could come up with lovely ideas and good plans and a detailed framework but his narcissism and paranoia and sadistic needs derailed what could have been a very helpful organization. This is a bit like saying that Hitler was a great guy except for the Holocaust.

Life is complex. Hopefully, I can take my Scn experience as a great adventure that allowed me to grow where others failed to tread.

The COS is slowing becoming irrelevant. It's a joke. Literally. Folks won't be getting condition assignments for failing to get their stats up by Thursday at 2, and I think that's a good thing.
 

Type4_PTS

Diamond Invictus SP
I think I'm a witness to the final gurglings of the Church of Scientology of Boston.

We were in, we left, we saw the light, we complained and now we feel better. And now there's not as much to say. I'm not as angry as I was. I'm a LOT more compassionate and even sympathetic to the folks who were in who acted foolishly.

I think the COS was a solution we embraced because what we were doing wasn't working that well. That's not to say we were losers but I would say that we were searching for something better and Scn seemed like a really good idea. (it's taken me 40 years to admit that I was looking for something better, I wasn't doing that bad but that doesn't mean things couldn't have gotten better.) Unfortunately, Scn didn't deliver but was VERY good at controlling the narrative. We were broke-ass broke helping very few people and exerting incredible amounts of effort. We glorified the auditors, the upper level execs, and the OT's. Looking back, we were playing a VERY small game with a massively puffed up sense of importance.

I think the "tech" of Scn had a lot to offer but only in the right hands. The admin tech had some workability. The TR's had some workability. The Berner's "study tech" (ripped off by LRH) changed my life in a good way. Two way comm IS a good thing. Getting off OW can be a good thing. IN THE RIGHT HANDS. LRH could come up with lovely ideas and good plans and a detailed framework but his narcissism and paranoia and sadistic needs derailed what could have been a very helpful organization. This is a bit like saying that Hitler was a great guy except for the Holocaust.

Life is complex. Hopefully, I can take my Scn experience as a great adventure that allowed me to grow where others failed to tread.

The COS is slowing becoming irrelevant. It's a joke. Literally. Folks won't be getting condition assignments for failing to get their stats up by Thursday at 2, and I think that's a good thing.
Much of the tech was developed by people other than LRH, like the "study tech" you mentioned, and bits and pieces of that have helped some people to a degree. But others have been hurt by it. Some people who had serious mental health issues were promised those issues would be eliminated and they would reach states of being that made Jesus and Buddha look like degraded beings by comparison. And those people were defrauded out of tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars, eventually coming to the realization that the "tech" would not resolve their issues, but now having financial problems to go with their original issues.

While I like bits and pieces of the "admin tech" and found them useful, I've seen Scientologists who studied ALL the Admin tech (the FEBC Course) and I didn't observe ANY increase in their competence as an executive.

All in all, Scientology doesn't come anywhere close to delivering what was promised. The difference between what is promised and what is delivered is vast, so despite some people being helped the CoS has effectively been engaging in marketing fraud from day 1, and LRH was a con artist. Had LRH opened up a car dealership instead of a "church" he'd of been selling Mercedes-Benz Maybach Exelero's (which cost millions) but then delivering Ford Pintos . Surely the Pintos will help some people, but just like with Scientology, that's not what they paid for nor were expecting.

The biggest benefits I got from my years of Scientology and the years since (while working to understand WTF happened to me) was to increase my understanding and awareness of how our beliefs are formed, the effect those beliefs have on us, how we become blind to those beliefs, and the difference between certainty and real knowledge.
 
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