The Little Thread Which Grew - the Apollo '73 to Everything But

[CarmeloOrchards]

Relatively nice products is a good description of them. Many of the products could be life changers for the better. I think the good products were mostly on the tech side of the bridge, red on white. I once believed in the green on white admin products having a lot of merit as well but a third of a century of working and experiencing the end game of those products has caused me to be thoruoughly disabused of that notion. The tech products can still work miracles if applied properly in today's world, I just had something applied recently by an expert practitioner which changed me from a quivering mass of jelly, unable to sleep back to my calm stable self. It took about 30 minutes. How recently you ask, I say, how about last night.

Carmelo, your feats regarding your above achievments are not boring to me. Then again, it isn't just chance that you have such high personal and friendship stats because as I well recall, you demark the boundaries of your personal sphere of influence and then you check out every person who comes to lives inside your sphere. You use your dogs, your cat and your horses as sentinnels, alerting you to unchecked out intruders settling down in the space. If the new intruders do not pass your litmus test, you or your dogs or even your cat will run them out of the space. Everyone should apply this system but most of us don't have the abilities required to mock up our spaces on your pattern. Maybe if we tried your system some of us might be able to pull it off. I just had an interloper enter my world and wreak havoc and commit crimes while in my sphere. Had I been using your system, he would have been spotted and moved out of the sphere, months ago without doing any damage. I am going to give your system a try. I own a cat, but no dog or horses. I will have to put my cat on full time alert. Seriously, I am going to demark my space from here on out and try and do things your way. My goal is to be "boring" in the manner in which you are!
Lakey

The system that you are describing is the antithesis of OT 3 and above in the Co$. LRH died a Looney Tune (apologies to Porky, Bugs, Daffy, and Elmer for the slur). He was doing his best to drive friends and spirits away from himself.

I'd rather educate, empower, help, free, enable, and organize beings with or without bodies in my areas of influence.

When I finished OT3 in 1973, I felt soooo alone. Getting rid of spiritual teammates was definitely a stupid and counter survival activity. The beings around you enjoy admiration, challenges, training, work, projects. They don't appreciate being exorcised.

I remedied that.

 

[blondy]

Long afternoon

Lakey I have spent about the last 4-5 hours reading all of your installments. They were facinating. I was supposed to be packing up my house and I haven't done a damn thing. Do I blame you for being such a good writer and keeping me glued to my seat. Nah I will take responsibility for all I haven't done.

What initially got me interested was the time you were on the Apollo.
My ex husband was on there for several months about 72ish. All I know was he couldnt hack the filth and conditons. I met him in the UK mid 73 and at that time he was in a low condition which he didn't work out of until about 78. He didn't do any hard sell only told me a tiny bit about Scio and I wanted to know more.
We moved to another country early 74 and unbeknownst to him I walked into our local Org and signed up for the lot the whole bridge. I didn't need selling on it. I just knew. I went the whole way as a Public PC. I studied theory up to Grade IV and the Dianetics C/S course.

I used to be friendly with a lot of the staff and often went to their communal homes and saw how they lived. I saw how hard they worked, How hard done by they were. What they ate, especially when it was sent into the org.
In saying that, no one ever complained, they were mostly a happy bunch believing in what they did towards Clearing the planet.

It all went sour for me when I noticed a creeping change in behaviours after I returned from Saint Hill a Full OT7.

There was certainly the creeping smell of a dead rat. At the time most of us on course didnt know that Ron had died, New OT levels were coming out and the prices were rising 10% a month. I was interested in doing the new OT4 but my circumstances had changed greatly and I was pressured to get a loan and with the blessings of those in authority for $8000, (next month it will be $8800) other members made out references for me that I was gainfully employed and able to service a loan. That was for an intensive but I was told it could be only a couple of hours Yes OT7 and going along with this dishonesty.
Other things were happening and a sense of unrest was in the air. I was hearing and seeing evidence for myself of huge changes from people who were still involved and looking for answers. I couldn't believe what I was seeing such as filmed footage of DM's headquaters and the mast of a tall ship. I thought my friends showing it were in Fantasyland. It was quite shocking to me, and then hearing of a large number of highly qualified staff from Saint Hill being thrown out.

A highly trained married couple from this debacle came to this country from UK and I got to hear that they were delivering the new OT4 so I made the choice and went and got it. It cost me about $77 and it was fantastic. That is when I resigned and I knew I was done with Scn. I cant say I have missed it. I have been very successful in life and all that I have ever learnt in Scio has not been wasted.I am a better person for it.
I am so glad I never studied under the DM regime.

My long winded point here is that without the dedication of ALL staff members and ALL the crap and heartache they put up with and arn't these sites an eyeopener, people like me would not have had the opportunity to have had the experiences we had. I can't say any of mine were bad, but I acknowledge there are many casualties along the wayside both public and staff.


I heartily thank all of you who worked your butts off and endured what you did because however we feel now about it all, we were all believers back then and not all of your hard work was wasted. I certainly appreciate you.

 

[CarmeloOrchards]

Blondy,

Although I'm not Lakey, thank you for writing.

There are Freezoners and Independents galore still delivering services and wins.

there was a Camelot like period. It will come again.

 

[lkwdblds]

Blondy - What a nice win hearing from you!!

Blondy - I echo Carmelo's acknowledgement to your post and welcome to you. Between the printed letters of your wonderful post my computer screen is flashing kindred spirit, kindred spirit !!

I am flattered that you enjoyed my my stories and I know that after reading 4-5 hours, you have noticed the quality of the reply posts being made by others who have been posting here regularly. That is what I and my braintrust wanted to make of this thread when my personal story had finished being told and we made the decision to keep creating the thread.

Your experience and responses reading my stuff and the vast number of quality and super quality replies from the others who post here reflects my initial intentions and hopes when I first started writing the story almost one year ago today. I told the Apollo story first, before the CCLA story because I thought the Apollo story was a more universal story that would interest more readers. In this I was wrong, the CCLA portion of the story, the prequel, if you will, attracted much more interest and had much more response than the Apollo story. It is nice to hear that you especially liked the Apollo story. That is how I intended it and it is always a great feeling when one intends something and it comes to fruition in the physical universe, especially when the person or persons responding to that intention are the exact ones who you targeted and wrote the story for.

Are you Los Angeles area based? If so, you are most cordially welcome to attend a series of brunch and lunch get togethers me and a core group of friends and acquaintences are just now starting. If you are not, there are people who post here all over the globe if making personal contact interests you at all. Of course, we are all interested in your personal story. You have related much of it to us already. Unlike me, who hung on in C of S for decades before wising up to the abuses, you were one of the A to B people who were able to perceive that something not quite Kosher was going on in the church in the early 80's or even earlier and took your quick exit. I woke up from sleep at 2:00 AM in the morning and wanted to check if our thread had moved from 9th place to 8th place all time which it has and in a couple of hours we will move into 7th place all time. It was a win to discover we had moved up another notch, then to read Carmelo's first post, which is very interesting, then to read your post which was the coup de grace for a very successful day for me where I reconnected with my Son who was becoming estranged from me.

I must tell the loyal readers that I promised Mike I would cut down on my reading and posting on the internet from a ridiculous 6 to 7 hours a day to one hour in the morning when I arise and one hour in the evening before retiring, I might even extend it to 1 1/2 hours in the evening. I was becoming consumed with my "virtual world" as my Son calls it and had even dropped out my daily walks for exercise and was letting my business slip as well. I told him that I would never give this website or my newly launched writing career up but I agreed that I had become consumed by it and was starting to lose control. We settled on 2 hours a day on line and I went for a one hour walk on the trail right in the heart of the City where I am located in. There is a nice wooded trail in some rolling hills that runs from a lake all the way to the downtown of the city, a distance of 4 miles in this city of 134,000 people. When one is on the trail, it gives the illusion that one is in the wilderness and not on the outskirts of the Los Angeles megalopolis.

Cheers, Blondy, Carmelo and others (my skype just flashed that Heidrun just went online in Austria). With all the wins and good fellowship of today and an outing planned tomorrow to attend an activity with a friend from ESMB, up in Los Angeles, the world looks rosy, just as it did when I was a kid.
Lakey

 

[hbeer]

Cheers, Blondy, Carmelo and others (my skype just flashed that Heidrun just went online in Austria). With all the wins and good fellowship of today and an outing planned tomorrow to attend an activity with a friend from ESMB, up in Los Angeles, the world looks rosy, just as it did when I was a kid.
Lakey

Cheers back to you, Lakey! My Skype also flashes to me when you go online. What a time to live in - friends all over the world!

I am running the second half of a TR's course at the moment. Coming Tuesday I'll fly to the south to meet a cyber-friend of nearly 10 years - first time we meet face to face.

Mid March I want to go to Copenhagen to see whether I am needed or wanted there (location of my co-auditor and Clearbird). May go to Hungary in April where a very promising lady hosts a convention (date not yet certain). Mid May there is a conference about the future of SCN in Oslo, hosted by VIP dissident Geir Isene, OT8 - I want to be there too - you?

You see, I'm currently exploring my future options in the North, South and East. How about West...?



.

 

[hbeer]

Internet Time Budget

I must tell the loyal readers that I promised Mike I would cut down on my reading and posting on the internet from a ridiculous 6 to 7 hours a day to one hour in the morning when I arise and one hour in the evening before retiring, I might even extend it to 1 1/2 hours in the evening. I was becoming consumed with my "virtual world" as my Son calls it and had even dropped out my daily walks for exercise and was letting my business slip as well. I told him that I would never give this website or my newly launched writing career up but I agreed that I had become consumed by it and was starting to lose control.

That's a very good step to do!

I had that situation in 1997/98. Applied a thorough danger condition which contained a policy called an "internet time budget".

I keep having to apologize to people that I am late with my mail replies, but I do get my work done and even some exercise



.

 

[lkwdblds]

Jawohl, Denmark sounds good.

Cheers back to you, Lakey! My Skype also flashes to me when you go online. What a time to live in - friends all over the world!

I am running the second half of a TR's course at the moment. Coming Tuesday I'll fly to the south to meet a cyber-friend of nearly 10 years - first time we meet face to face.

Mid March I want to go to Copenhagen to see whether I am needed or wanted there (location of my co-auditor and Clearbird). May go to Hungary in April where a very promising lady hosts a convention (date not yet certain). Mid May there is a conference about the future of SCN in Oslo, hosted by VIP dissident Geir Isene, OT8 - I want to be there too - you?

Ja, ich mochte gern nach Denmark reisen fur die versammulung aber es ist jezt nicht moglich. (Yes, I would gladly want to travel to Denmark for the conference but it is, right now, not possible). The impossibility relates to the bad economy and having to work to promote my business.

You see, I'm currently exploring my future options in the North, South and East. How about West...?



.

Coming West is your decision. Why not check out the opportunities in the North, South and East first and how they look. In all honesty, on the surface they offer more potential at this time. When the economy comes alive again, only then will the West be a viable alternative.

Gute Reisen! Please keep us posted with all your travels. You have so many contacts in Europe. It all sounds so interesting. So many exotic places to visit so close by Austria, all within an hour or two of flying time or a 9 or 10 hour train trip. If we drive 9 or 10 hours out here, unless one goes along the coast, which is extremely beautiful, you mostly just drive through desert. I find great beauty in some parts of the desert, especially in the Spring Time when the bloom is on the sage. The line "and the bloom is on the sage" is from an old Western song called "When its round up time in Texas". Ah, the American frontier and its songs, what a total key out!!!
Lakey

 

[SweetnessandLight]

Happy Valentine's Day, everybody!

Well, it's not quite Springtime here yet, but the sage is already in bloom as I watch two horseback riders riding along the trail near the foothills which are green and lovely this time of year...

Thanks Carmelo, for sharing your view. I must say that I am the cheerleader for my spiritual teamates and they all seem to love and appreciate me a lot! I wouldn't dream of shooing them away (how rude!), and they are already free beings...as I am.

So maybe you me and Alan are all in some form of agreement here on this. Nice for me, if so!

I'm sorry that so many Scientologists have been taught to fear and that they should try to control their teammates...

Einstein was right, the first thing you have to do is decide if the world is a friendly place, to me it is, in spite of the abberated people that one has to handle from time to time...
...and I like to help, too!

Blondy, welcome! Thanks for sharing, it's so nice to be able to welcome another appreciator and encourager to the thread! We will look forward to reading more posts from you, now go pack!

Lakey, glad the world is once again looking rosy to you. All will be well, because you will make it so. Trust in your own abilities to learn, grow and thrive!

I'm glad to hear you are not going to give up the writing, I think it has been very rewarding and beneficial to you, and by our stats, to others as well...
it's easy to spend too much time online, there is so much material here...it happens at least once to most of us! Glad you are balancing it with walks and work, etc. That's just wisdom.

Looking forward to getting to give you another hug for your support and encouragement of others at lunch soon!

Heidrun, your travels sound fascinating, give us reports of how you find things...and we'd love to welcome you to the west someday!

It is such fun to have global friends and interests! I have so much more reality on it when watching the news, now!

 

[CarmeloOrchards]

a post by Roger B

This bears reading two or three times through.

http://www.forum.exscn.net/showpost.php?p=374828&postcount=274

 

[RogerB]

This bears reading two or three times through.

http://www.forum.exscn.net/showpost.php?p=374828&postcount=274

I had to read it myself about 5 times through to make sure of it

Moooore to come . . .

Rog

 

[Enthetan]

Hi Lakey,


well that sounds excellent, you have it all worked out in your mind, a complete program!

One successful action of mine is: when I feel the need for a snack, instead of eating a typical snack, I go and make a bowl full of raw "fingerfood": bell pepper slices, cucumber slices, tomatoes, carrots, celery sticks etc., and maybe I take some fresh cheese out of the fridge as a dip. That fills the belly well, without adding calories.

Some people also report successes with "dinner cancelling", i.e. they don't eat anymore after 16:00 or 18:00. I tend to do that too, but not as a plan, more by forgetting to eat because ESMB is so interesting

That is actually a success in itself, because I remember very well the times where I would be hungry all the time, all the time, all the time. Not anymore!

In Italy, the traditional 'big' meal is at mid-day, with the end-day meal being light. This makes nutritional sense since you get the calories from a late dinner digested and in your system right when you are getting ready to go to bed, so the excess calories get stored.

 

[Leon]

Breakfast like a king,
Lunch like a Prince,
Supper like a pauper.

 

[lkwdblds]

I was on it this morning and made some comments.

I had to read it myself about 5 times through to make sure of it

Moooore to come . . .

Rog

I was on that thread this morning and made some comments on Roger's major and long post. I had no idea that thread had been runing until Carmelo pointed it out this morning. Now, those of us who used to post a lot on Vinnaire's Oh!God!! thread have a new place to "hang out" to gain more understanding of the creation of the Universerse, to quote Hubbard, the "Woof and Warp of how it is constructed. The Universe is probably not the right term, it should be Our Universes and how they are intertwined of something of that nature.

You know, we beings of planet Earth are an amazing group! As messed up as we have been we just don't give up and there are enough stellar beings here on Earth and enough able and dedicated semi stellars to support them and prod them that I believe that we are well on the way to solving the ancient riddles of the universe and may soon have full conceptual understanding of how things are actually constructed and interact. Oh yes, there will also be valid therapies, where those who wish to do so, will be able to recover their full powers, and live very happily and very much at cause in their existences.

There is still a lot of work to be done to achieve this, but it is being achieved every day. The internet has made this explosion of information possible, The internet has got to be mankind's most significant invention.
Lakey

 

[SweetnessandLight]

Oh goody!

Oh goody! Another deep thinking thread to hang out at, and hopefully not to hang up on... (grinning at Lakey!)

Roger, have I told you lately how much I love and admire you? Thank you for continuing to write here on the board, I love the interplay between minds and viewpoints!

I understand and agree with what you are seeing as limitations in the Hindu/Buddhist traditions, as much as I love them and see beauty, truth and usefulness there...

One KEY POINT about your snowman building analogy Roger, is that the kids have a warm fuzzy feeling for and attraction to Virginia, that love is the strong force that allows them to explore their creative minds, take risks, learn to cooperate, communicate, want to join in and get such joy, fun, growth and satisfaction from the exerience. You are exactly right in describing their points of view (after a lifetime of teaching, I know kids very well). If the teacher building the snowman was someone they hated or feared, they would not join in, most would merely look on, and go about their own business of play...this is why I think we attract and retain more non-physical or spiritual "helpers" is we maintain a loving and respectful attitude to all life expressions whenever possible.

So why not think that our relationship to our creator (I know this is a sticking point to admit that we have one) even if it is the unknown or unknowable parts of ourselves, is one of Love. That what we experience as love is the strong force or the glue or the energy that makes the whole creative system of life and the universe flow? I call this universal love "God", but I'm fine with others calling it something else, too... that's just my viewpoint. I see it as the "strong force" described in Physics. (And it's not all sweetness and light, some parts of it are very dark, etc.)


To extrapolate on your Virginia building the snowman analogy, in my worldview the same principle is at work in the universe; of God building the snowman, and we children, as our consciousness evolves enough for us to perceive the creative effort, want to join in the fun and play...

I see what we call "God" as the creative source in which all other entities exist, nothing outside of it (no "outside" there). Not starting from a single and becoming multiple entities, but always having exsisted as a totality of entities, with large and small, what we would call "good or evil" valences or attitudes, etc.

I think, for a metaphysical Christian, I am becoming more and more of a pantheist all the time, and that's o.k. with me.

And yes, I attended a Montesorri kindergarten!

So to take the analogy further, if we are Virginia building the snowman, and our spiritual friends and teammates are the children who desire to join in and play with us to help co-create it, then why would we want to shoo them away or deprive them of a growth experience in learning harmonious cooperations, and growth of self awareness or self esteem? How cruel!

All those "kids" turn to the task in their own time and with thier own viewpoints, and attitudes, but all can help co-create a positive group experience, in which each "owns" their own individual viewpoint, thoughts, feelings, perceptions, etc.

Where;s the harm in this as a model for conscious life in the Universe, or the Univers itself, and being constantly co-created by us all?

I think Ron got this all wrong, and what upper level Scientologists are working to do is actually harmful and destructive to themselves and others.

Fortunately, many more of us are counteracting and correcting these mistakes, but sometimes, not in time to spare the misguided practitioner much suffering, both here and hereafter...but there is always hope of healing, recovery and restoration of abilities...

 

[Blue Spirit]

Reversal

Breakfast like a king,
Lunch like a Prince,
Supper like a pauper.

I believe you reversed Breakfast and Lunch, as I recall.
Excellent advice though for health, as the blood will go to the stomach
to handle a late meal, whereas it should be being cleaned in the liver at night.

 

[RogerB]

Well, Sweetness, it seems from what you write below that "LOVE is your item!"

Would be wise to honor it and, to the fullest, appreciate it. You might be amazed at how empowering such an action can be.

Rog

Oh goody! Another deep thinking thread to hang out at, and hopefully not to hang up on... (grinning at Lakey!)

Roger, have I told you lately how much I love and admire you? Thank you for continuing to write here on the board, I love the interplay between minds and viewpoints!

I understand and agree with what you are seeing as limitations in the Hindu/Buddhist traditions, as much as I love them and see beauty, truth and usefulness there...

One KEY POINT about your snowman building analogy Roger, is that the kids have a warm fuzzy feeling for and attraction to Virginia, that love is the strong force that allows them to explore their creative minds, take risks, learn to cooperate, communicate, want to join in and get such joy, fun, growth and satisfaction from the exerience. You are exactly right in describing their points of view (after a lifetime of teaching, I know kids very well). If the teacher building the snowman was someone they hated or feared, they would not join in, most would merely look on, and go about their own business of play...this is why I think we attract and retain more non-physical or spiritual "helpers" is we maintain a loving and respectful attitude to all life expressions whenever possible.

So why not think that our relationship to our creator (I know this is a sticking point to admit that we have one) even if it is the unknown or unknowable parts of ourselves, is one of Love. That what we experience as love is the strong force or the glue or the energy that makes the whole creative system of life and the universe flow? I call this universal love "God", but I'm fine with others calling it something else, too... that's just my viewpoint. I see it as the "strong force" described in Physics. (And it's not all sweetness and light, some parts of it are very dark, etc.)


To extrapolate on your Virginia building the snowman analogy, in my worldview the same principle is at work in the universe; of God building the snowman, and we children, as our consciousness evolves enough for us to perceive the creative effort, want to join in the fun and play...

I see what we call "God" as the creative source in which all other entities exist, nothing outside of it (no "outside" there). Not starting from a single and becoming multiple entities, but always having exsisted as a totality of entities, with large and small, what we would call "good or evil" valences or attitudes, etc.

I think, for a metaphysical Christian, I am becoming more and more of a pantheist all the time, and that's o.k. with me.

And yes, I attended a Montesorri kindergarten!

So to take the analogy further, if we are Virginia building the snowman, and our spiritual friends and teammates are the children who desire to join in and play with us to help co-create it, then why would we want to shoo them away or deprive them of a growth experience in learning harmonious cooperations, and growth of self awareness or self esteem? How cruel!

All those "kids" turn to the task in their own time and with thier own viewpoints, and attitudes, but all can help co-create a positive group experience, in which each "owns" their own individual viewpoint, thoughts, feelings, perceptions, etc.

Where;s the harm in this as a model for conscious life in the Universe, or the Univers itself, and being constantly co-created by us all?

I think Ron got this all wrong, and what upper level Scientologists are working to do is actually harmful and destructive to themselves and others.

Fortunately, many more of us are counteracting and correcting these mistakes, but sometimes, not in time to spare the misguided practitioner much suffering, both here and hereafter...but there is always hope of healing, recovery and restoration of abilities...

 

[Joe van Staden]

From Athena to Apollo - birth of the sea org - the die is cast

From Athena to Apollo – birth of the Sea Org – the die is cast.

Joe van Staden served as captain of the Athena and Apollo at various times.

My inspiration for telling this story comes from reading: The old days – aboard the Apollo – 1973. IKWDBIDS. Thank you, I am enjoying it. . .

Undoubtedly the story of how it all began has been told more than once – each time from a different perspective, obviously. In the following account of my personal involvement in the birth of the SO I hope to provide a perspective which may shed some light on later developments within and around that organization.

Some background. My first contact with Scientology was in Johannesburg (1960). There I met L Ron Hubbard for the first time when he came out to South Africa to run the first South African ACC. Toward the end of 1962 I went over to St Hill UK to do my SHSBC. In 1965 I did my class 7 course after which I joined staff at St Hill. For most of this time LRH was at St Hill, then suddenly one day he wasn’t. As we found out later he had left for Las Palmas.

As I think most people on staff and on course at St Hill in the mid 60’s would agree; it was idyllic. It was a meeting place for likeminded people – people who could not find what they were looking for through conventional institutions and teachings. St Hill prospered. I think that period was even referred to later as the golden age or something like that.

It was very easy to just be and not be concerned as to how you were being. For instance, there was no ethics officer ready to pounce on my friend for doing his yoga exercises on the lawn outside the chapel at St Hill. Nor was there any reason to think that that might happen. The typical molded org persona, with all its heaviness, which became so prominent in later years, just wasn’t there. O, there where rules and discipline at St Hill in the mid 60’s alright, but all within the bounds of socially acceptable organizational activity.

One day several senior St Hill staff members were approached by Joan Thomas. At that point I was Qual sec and my wife Jill was either Dissem sec or HCO at the time. We were recruited into the Sea Project and told to get our sailing skills in order. So, once a week a bunch of us went down to the south coast and had our sailing lessons. It was fun and we also did learn to sail a bit.

Several weeks passed and came the day the group was bundled onto a bus and taken to Hull in the north on the Humber River. By this time we knew we were joining a ship but had no idea of what to expect. As the bus rounded a corner on the dockside we saw her. Listing about 10 degrees, rusted and battered, there she was; the Avon River – a North Sea fishing trawler pushed to her limits by her previous owners. I looked at my fellow passengers. For a moment; stunned silence. Then a kind of confused nervous laughter started spreading around the bus. Was it excitement, I don’t think so. I think at that instant it was more a case of; “What the F….. is this?”

For various reasons I will refrain from using the full names of some of my old shipmates, instead just using initials.

Anyway we settled in. The temporary captain was FM; he and two others had been aboard prior to the main group’s arrival.

Without much delay the crew was put to work cleaning and getting the boat ready for sea. Keep in mind the Avon River was a fishing boat – her decks were covered in about 2 inches of solid petrified fish oil. All of which had to be scraped off. For several weeks we worked long hours but as far as I can remember, not a single crew member lacked in enthusiasm and commitment. In the evenings we worked on our seamanship check-sheets – it was a long day. And tired as we were when we hit our bunks late at nigh, nothing could dampen our spirits and anticipation of what lay ahead. Well, maybe at times the grey damp Hull weather got a bit much.

As far as I can recall the Avon River had room for 140 tons of fish in her hold, which now was filled with all sorts of bits and pieces scavenged from other derelict boats. To this day I don’t know what LRH wanted to do with it. The stuff was later dumped in Las Palmas.

Initially we were to tow a barge filled with even more of this “junk”. Fortunately that Idea was dropped. Looking back and recalling some of the weather we had to contend with on our trip, I can’t imagine us managing to tow a barge all the way to Las Palmas.

While in Hull we did some real live docking and undocking drills. This picture should suffice in getting across what most of it was like. Imagine the Key Stone cops as would be sailors, falling all over each other as the boat rammed up against the concrete dock, snapping mooring lines and breaking anchors. As they say; you had to be there.

Eventually the day of departure arrived. Originally the idea was that the trip be done without any non-scientologist help. In the end however, LRH thought better of it. He told us to hire a professional captain and a professional chief engineer for the trip, which we did

By the way, the chief engineer arrived motherless drunk in a taxi minutes before our departure and had to be carried aboard.

Sailing down the East coast of England something broke in the engine room forcing us to pull into Harwich. It’s possible that this was simply a ploy by the chief engineer to go ashore – maybe to buy booze. Anyway, repairs done we headed south. Up to then the weather had been kind. But, shortly after leaving Harwich old man sea decided to introduce himself properly.

Most of the crew, myself included, had never seen anything like this – mountains and valleys of green sea. The propeller came clear out of the water at times. Perhaps someone who was there will say that they were the exception, but as far as I know everyone, including the professional captain, was sea sick.


Gradually the wind eased and our trip along the south coast of England became quite pleasant. At Falmouth we had to pull in and refuel for the long stint to the Canary Islands. Something went wrong during fueling and the black bunker fuel began to spill all over the decks. Fortunately we prevented too much of the stuff spilling into the harbor. It was during this episode that the tension between the hired captain and the temporary Scientologist captain came to a head. FM packed his bags and left the boat. .

By the time we got well into the Atlantic we had this wonderful gentle following swell and no wind. Most of us very soon got our sea legs and began feeling really at home on the bounding main.

Perhaps this is a good point to deviate and express my admiration and respect for my fellow crew members as well as comment on a particular observation.

During all of those early years, no matter the conditions: be it taking on the most extreme weather with completely inexperienced crew or having to deal with some other dangerous situation, I never worried that we wouldn’t be able to see it threw. Some of the guys and gals may at times have been scared shitless, but I never saw it in the performance of their duties. Some skeptics will say we weren’t aware of the danger we were in, we were naïve – we were blinded by our faith in the “powers” of LRH or our belief in past lives gave us a false sense of immortality or, we thought, with several clears aboard we were safe, or whatever. Be that as it may, I am grateful for having shared some crazy adventures with some extraordinary people.

A significant aspect behind the creation of the SO was to develop effective cohesive teams committed to The Cause. Running ships provide an ideal environment for this purpose. However, traditionally crews of ships and teams involved in extraordinary ventures naturally bond and camaraderie becomes commonplace. Hence, the age old problem faced by leaders of religious, political, military and other similar type organizations throughout history: How to get the team – the crew – the followers, to first and foremost, above all else, be loyal and committed to “The Cause”. No doubt this topic can turn into a lengthy discussion, but let’s cut a long story short.

Two schools of thought are particularly relevant here. There is the one that says when it really comes down to it – when the going gets tuff, the troops are motivated to stand their ground and hold their position based on the bond they have with their comrades. In other words, in the trenches they first and foremost fight for each other. Then there is the school of thought which claims that in the heat of battle the most effective outfit is one where the troops fear their own officers more than the enemy.

In the former the top brass is inclined to see total commitment to The Cause as faltering under certain circumstances. Hence, throughout history the latter has been adopted more often than not. And as is clear to ex SO members, the latter is SOP in the SO. But this wasn’t always the case. Imagine refusing a direct order from LRH because of loyalty to the crew. In the early days a captain of the Athena was given a direct order by the commodore to com-ev his entire crew. He refused and was gladly com-eved instead. It is undoubtedly incidents such as this which contributed to the development of the current SO modes operandi, which first and foremost demands total loyalty and commitment to “The Cause”.

Back to the original story.

On arrival in Las Palmas the two professionals were immediately put on a plane back to the UK. Within a day or so of our arrival the boat was hauled up on the slips and local Spanish work teams began the refit. At the time L Ron Hubbard was living in a Villa outside Las Palmas with some household staff looking after him. We also opened an office in town with a couple of locals as staff.

As part of the refit the boat was sandblasted from top to bottom – stem to stern, during which time the crew remained living onboard. And it was also during this time that it became obvious that LRH was beginning to experiment with some new lower conditions. For instance, Roger Buckeridge and I were the first two people ever to be put in the newly formulated condition of non-existence. There was no condition lower at that time. As part of our formula application we shoveled the mountain of sand left by the sandblasters off the ship. Still, in spite of these developments the general atmosphere was light and at times even festive.

At that time the day to day relationship between LRH and the crew was inclined to be determined more by nautical traditions than by The Cause of clearing the planet. For instance; John O’Keefe, Jill and myself on a visit to the villa one evening were asked by LRH what we would like to drink. John said he would have a scotch, Jill a glass of wine and I said a brandy. The old man turned to Yvonne Gillham who was his personal steward at the time and said; get John a bottle of scotch, Jill a bottle of wine, Joe a bottle of brandy and me a bottle of rum. Yvonne dutifully complied. No, we didn’t finish our bottles, but we all did pretty well. And yes, the rum in LRH’s bottle was real.

It was the early hours of the morning when the three of us got into the car to drive back to the ship. After several attempts the car just wouldn’t start, obviously it needed to be push started. Insisting that the three of us remain in the car LRH put his back to it and pushed us at least 20 meters before we got going. I can’t exactly recall what we talked about that evening but it certainly wasn’t about the evils of booze.

During the stay in Las Palmas there were many seriously funny and memorable times, some of which I am sure has already been told by people who where there. Many an evening a bunch of us would sit out under the stars sipping Napoleon brandy while discussing a wide range of topics. Speculation on what we would do once the refit was complete was rife.

(Las Palmas was a duty free port, hence the Napoleon brandy and Paco’s was a little restaurant around the corner).



A clue as to the direction the Sea Org was heading was provided one evening during a visit to the ship by LRH. He announced that it was time the Sea Org came out of non-existence – it was time to make an impact on the orgs out there beginning with St Hill. For this purpose we were to send a mission to St Hill. The mission’s purpose was mainly to assert and affirm SO authority and presence. As it turned out the three members of this first SO mission was my wife Jill, Fred Payer and me.

That’s about it for now, will continue in a day or so. Joe.

 

[CarmeloOrchards]

WOW
Please come back soon with more stories. We like plot and character development a lot.

 

[SweetnessandLight]

Welcome newbie!

Hello Joe, and welcome aboard our thread! Thanks for sharing part of your story, and please do tell us more, we just LOVE stories around here!

You can fill us in on an interesting time in the history of Scientology! (Lakey will plotz!)

I'm sure your posts will add much to the discussion! Welcome!

What I want to hear about is: the hunt for pirate gold~

 

[SweetnessandLight]

Big hug for Roger and Virginia!

Thank you Roger, I honor, celebrate and appreciate Love to the best of my ability in each moment as life unfolds... to me, that is the warp and woof of reality (and my beingness).

The funnest part about this is that it is an always changing, never ending and constantly expanding practice! Yea!

My laptop battery went to sleep before I got to post an edit of my earlier post, but I wanted to extrapolate further on the snowman building analogy and say; if we are the snowman builder and our spiritual teammates are the kids, why on earth would we want to shoo them away, deprive them of a fun time and growth experience in creative cooperation and expansion of self esteem and self awareness? If we love and respect them as fellow free spiritual beings exploring their own journey of evolving consciousness? :confused2:

I outraged members on one thread about BT's by saying that mine were all harmless (or they are not permitted to hang around me) and they just wanted to cuddle! I was making a bit of a joke out of it, but really, it's largely the Truth of my experience of my team mates. Think mates in the Aussie sense of the word... Why wouldn't I welcome all friendly, helpful, interesting beings into my sphere of influence? Both those who are more and less experienced, advanced or evolved than my own consciousness is? Wouldn't it be lonely???

Maybe this is the schoolteacher's model of the Universe, Reality and Beingness, that we exist to learn how to play together (which is really co-creating the Universe together) nicely, to learn and grow together with love and joy. It works for me!

I do think Ron got this wrong, and the upper level Scientologists are working away at something that is actually harmful to themselves and others. Fortunately, many of the rest of us are also working to help free all beings who perceive themselves as being trapped, by something...and we have all of eternity to work this out, both here and hereafter.

So nobody panic! (And you really DON'T have to pay all that money!)

Breeeiiiiinnnngggg! RECESS!