Being the Bookstore Officer: A view from hell

[Lulu Belle]

http://backincomm.wordpress.com/2013/11/13/being-the-bookstore-officer-a-view-from-hell/#more-208


Robert Berrington was the Bookstore Officer (BSO) of Joburg Org when the basics were released in 2007. During that time it was quite likely that this was the worst possible post to have. The pressure on every staff member was crazy when it came to the selling of the basics but the it was the bookstore officer who bore the worst of it. The natural result was a staff member pushed to breaking point and ultimately declared a suppressive person.

This morning he commented on the article put up yesterday on the Library Donation Fraud. His information on what was going on at the time is invaluable so it is being posted on its own so it is read more widely.


“I was the Bookstore Officer JBGD during the time when the Library Campaign was going on, so I know full well the financial crimes that were happening at that time.

After 10pm the only non-SO Class V staff left in the org were Bob Petri, George Yiango, John Gething, Daryl Berman, and myself, and we would reg until at least 2pm every morning, often till 4am, sometimes even till after 6am, only to return to post around 8:45am.

We’d reg local public till way after a socially acceptable hour, and then move on to regging American Public. As the early hours of the morning approached we’d move on to regging Taiwanese public. Albert would smoke in the org and I’d diligently hide his cigarette whenever Ken or Alex Faust arrived.

At the orders of Ken Krieger and Albert de Beer many accounts were simply debited for books without the prior consent of the public. Some were of public in good standing (which I later corrected), and others were of off-lines public the org had not heard of for many years. Our favourite motto was “Greatest good!”


(rest at link above)

 

[Axiom142]

I was just about to post this!

Good job I checked first.

Well, we all knew this was going on, but to see it all laid out so blatantly is rather shocking.

And my favourite part? No prizes for guessing:


Of course there was the issue that “money” that was being debited off of public accounts for materials was just virtual, as it had been used by the org long ago for running costs and to send money up lines. This meant that the org had to use money which it would otherwise use to buy such things as toilet paper to actually pay for these books, as CPLO wasn’t going to give it to the org for free. So if you ever wondered why there was no toilet paper in the org, wonder no more.

Why does it always come down to toilet paper? :confused2:

Axiom142

 

[afaceinthecrowd]

It's time for me to make another confession here to all Y'all.

In '76 or early '77 the FSO Bookstore Officer was Steve Dryer. He was a bright, hard working and well intended feller. He is the person that originally came up with the idea of selling LRH autographed books at Flag for high prices, wrote El Ron and asked Hisself to do it and Hisself consented. I doubt he was ever given "full credit" for that. Around that time, Ken Delderfield, who was heading up the project to to put together the Red, Green and Discover Series volumes and, with input from yours truly and Dryer, came up with the idea of Leather Bound Collectors Editions. Yours truly then came up with the idea of producing and marketing LRH Autographed Libraries...both "regular" and leather bound...at ultra high prices as a Flag Only item. During that time Dryer and me in a "bull session", came up with the idea of hitting up wealthy FCCI's to donate "Library Packages" to the Libraries in their home cities and countries.

I was so young and foolish. I'm so disgusted and ashamed that I was part of the Genus of what has become such a monstrous abuse and financial waste for so many over these 3 decades I've been long gone.

My sincerest apology to all Y'all.

Face

 

[Dulloldfart]

Thanks, Face. If it hadn't been you, I bet someone else would have done it.

-----

(Yeah, yeah, yeah. And how else did you justify it?

Sorry! )

Paul

 

[Idle Morgue]

I was there during this criminal sales of epic rip off in 2007 - the BASIC SCAM BOOKS! The Book Store officer at my morgue was trying sell a BLIND person the BASICS! WTF? Just WTF?

I told them "they can't see" - so how could they read it. He told me "yeah, but they are thetans and just having the BASICS in their library at home is reversing the "theta to entheta ratio".... Can I get another WTF?

I told them to fuck off and if they continued to pursue selling the books to a blind person - I would write them up!

Most people would agree that it is not ethical to sell a blind person books they cannot use! Bat Shit Crazy Cult~!

He wrote a KR on me! I wrote a KR on him. I think he won - of course!!

It's Scientology - it does not have to make sense!!

 

[afaceinthecrowd]

Thanks, Face. If it hadn't been you, I bet someone else would have done it.

-----

(Yeah, yeah, yeah. And how else did you justify it?

Sorry!)

Paul

Thanks Paul. Maybe so, but we also came up with the "Bright Idea" of hitting up FCCI's to use unused AP's on account to "pay" for this. Oy effin vey...it was a way to reduce unused AP's, raise the Book Sales stats and attract the attention and active work of all Crew so that they could all have a "crack" at getting book commissions. The Flag HGC Auditors were some of the biggest producers as this whole Program was developed and "perfected".

The only "new twist" I see is the utter callousness, viciousness and dishonesty that the Program is predicated on today.

Face

 

[Infinite]

''

What a great insight into the day-to-day functioning of one of L Ron Hubbard's Scientology scams. He was always ripping his franchisees off, setting minimum stock levels and forcing them to buy photographic prints at exorbitant prices. David Miscavige's tweak to that caper is to insist that every library in the world also be supplied with a minimum stock level . . . clever. In effect, the cash will just roll in while, unlike with L Ron Hubbard's version, no (or very, very little) stock will ever have to be delivered. Getting a glimpse at the minutiae of how the stats were twisted, how "parishioners" were ripped off, how the "raw meat" were incentivised . . . amazing. It brings to mind what it must be like working in a busy Mafia boiler-room flogging off pump'n'dump shares.

 

[JustSheila]

It's time for me to make another confession here to all Y'all.

In '76 or early '77 the FSO Bookstore Officer was Steve Dryer. He was a bright, hard working and well intended feller. He is the person that originally came up with the idea of selling LRH autographed books at Flag for high prices, wrote El Ron and asked Hisself to do it and Hisself consented. I doubt he was ever given "full credit" for that. Around that time, Ken Delderfield, who was heading up the project to to put together the Red, Green and Discover Series volumes and, with input from yours truly and Dryer, came up with the idea of Leather Bound Collectors Editions. Yours truly then came up with the idea of producing and marketing LRH Autographed Libraries...both "regular" and leather bound...at ultra high prices as a Flag Only item. During that time Dryer and me in a "bull session", came up with the idea of hitting up wealthy FCCI's to donate "Library Packages" to the Libraries in their home cities and countries.

I was so young and foolish. I'm so disgusted and ashamed that I was part of the Genus of what has become such a monstrous abuse and financial waste for so many over these 3 decades I've been long gone.

My sincerest apology to all Y'all.

Face

Thanks Paul. Maybe so, but we also came up with the idea of hitting up FCCI's to use unused AP's on account to "pay" for this. Oy effin vey...it was a way to reduce unused AP's, raise the Book Sales stats and attract the attention and active work of all Crew so that they could all have a "crack" at getting book commissions. The Flag HGC Auditors were some of the biggest producers as this whole Program was developed and "perfected".

The only "new twist" I see is the utter callousness, viciousness and dishonesty that the Program is predicated on today.

Face

Heya Face,

Others had the idea of autographed book items, it's not an uncommon marketing tool. You were in a position where someone listened then. I'm actually surprised nobody did it earlier.

And monies on account were being used up for booksales, with or without permissions, even for dead people since the 60s. Not sure you knew that, but I worked in the income dept at AOLA and saw the debits (many were transferred accounts from UK) and assure you this is true. That idea doesn't belong to you - it belongs to ruthless reges desperate to get stats up before Thurs at 2 pm.

I remember the big push to use up APs on account - it is when I/we really established call-in as an independent, self-contained unit - which was a pilot I started with Ivan Obolensky at AOLA. I apologise to you and everyone else for this - we started it and public have been hounded by telephone by reges and everyone else ever since.

We all did stupid things, we were blind religious zealot zombies.

 

[This is NOT OK !!!!]

I was right in the middle period of the book lines at Flag and in PAC - from the early '80s to mid '90s.

I sold and bought lots of "limited editions", "numbered editions" and the like.

I've donated everything to Religious Studies Dep. At the University of California Santa Barbara.

Hey, if Gordon Melton to going to read an LRH book - he might as well read it in leather!

I also distinguished myself for recommending to Ken Delderfield that the follow-up to the limited edition leather bound TWTH (500 copies @ $1,000, of which I owned 14 copies ) be an all new hand calligraphied version, which was approved and produced in leather bounds for 1k each and again, yet another limited edition of 500 in a larger format and leather case for 2.5k each.

Finally, I may be the first member of a western cult to take leather bound copies of my cult's works and pass them out to VIPs in India.

:dancer::dancer:

 

[Panda Termint]

The write-up from Robert is excellent, it's great to have this testimony webbed by a Bookstore insider. It's not like it's new news to anyone who experienced that period (or the many similar periods in scientology's history) but it will be NEWS to many who weren't there.

 

[Type4_PTS]

At the orders of Ken Krieger and Albert de Beer many accounts were simply debited for books without the prior consent of the public. Some were of public in good standing (which I later corrected), and others were of off-lines public the org had not heard of for many years. Our favourite motto was “Greatest good!”
[/FONT]

LOL, ANYTHING can be justified by that "Greatest good" BS.

Why does it always come down to toilet paper? :confused2:

The answer to this is actually one of the great secrets of the universe.

Fortunately, I'm almost done creating a course which will bring about understanding of this and so many other secrets.

When it's complete I'll have my Reg contact you to get you started.

I was there during this criminal sales of epic rip off in 2007 - the BASIC SCAM BOOKS! The Book Store officer at my morgue was trying sell a BLIND person the BASICS! WTF? Just WTF?

I told them "they can't see" - so how could they read it. He told me "yeah, but they are thetans and just having the BASICS in their library at home is reversing the "theta to entheta ratio".... Can I get another WTF?

I told them to fuck off and if they continued to pursue selling the books to a blind person - I would write them up!

Most people would agree that it is not ethical to sell a blind person books they cannot use! Bat Shit Crazy Cult~!

He wrote a KR on me! I wrote a KR on him. I think he won - of course!!

It's Scientology - it does not have to make sense!!

Selling the Basics to a blind man?

(I've got to repost that to the Stupid thread!)
http://www.forum.exscn.net/showthre...in-Scientology&p=875796&viewfull=1#post875796

 

[afaceinthecrowd]

Heya Face,

Others had the idea of autographed book items, it's not an uncommon marketing tool. You were in a position where someone listened then. I'm actually surprised nobody did it earlier.

And monies on account were being used up for booksales, with or without permissions, even for dead people since the 60s. Not sure you knew that, but I worked in the income dept at AOLA and saw the debits (many were transferred accounts from UK) and assure you this is true. That idea doesn't belong to you - it belongs to ruthless reges desperate to get stats up before Thurs at 2 pm.

I remember the big push to use up APs on account - it is when I/we established the first call-in unit - which was a pilot I started with Ivan Obolensky at AOLA. I apologise to you and everyone else for this - we started it and public have been hounded by telephone by reges and everyone else ever since.

We all did stupid things, we were blind religious zealot zombies.

Thanks a bunch, Sheila.

I did not know this.

Yep...True Dat!

Face

 

[JustSheila]

I just want to correct one thing, Face. I said we started the first call-in unit, but prior to that, there was a call-in unit way down the org board under the HGC. There were only a few policies about it and it was fantastically unpopular. After our pilot, call-in became part of Div 7, under the C/O. For a while there was even a D/CO Call-in, which later became the D/CO Solo.

 

[Lulu Belle]

I just want to correct one thing, Face. I said we started the first call-in unit, but prior to that, there was a call-in unit way down the org board under the HGC. There were only a few policies about it and it was fantastically unpopular. After our pilot, call-in became part of Div 7, under the C/O. For a while there was even a D/CO Call-in, which later became the D/CO Solo.

YOU WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR CALL IN?

I SHOULD HAVE SHOT YOU WHEN I HAD THE CHANCE.


giggle:just kidding...)

 

[Dean Blair]

I was there during this criminal sales of epic rip off in 2007 - the BASIC SCAM BOOKS! The Book Store officer at my morgue was trying sell a BLIND person the BASICS! WTF? Just WTF?

I told them "they can't see" - so how could they read it. He told me "yeah, but they are thetans and just having the BASICS in their library at home is reversing the "theta to entheta ratio".... Can I get another WTF?

I told them to fuck off and if they continued to pursue selling the books to a blind person - I would write them up!

Most people would agree that it is not ethical to sell a blind person books they cannot use! Bat Shit Crazy Cult~!

He wrote a KR on me! I wrote a KR on him. I think he won - of course!!

It's Scientology - it does not have to make sense!!

Yeah they should have been selling books to dead people in the cemeteries. It might have increased the theta to entheta ratios and woken a few of them up.

 

[Lulu Belle]

I just want to correct one thing, Face. I said we started the first call-in unit, but prior to that, there was a call-in unit way down the org board under the HGC. There were only a few policies about it and it was fantastically unpopular. After our pilot, call-in became part of Div 7, under the C/O. For a while there was even a D/CO Call-in, which later became the D/CO Solo.

D/CO Call In probably became D/CO D&E (Delivery and Exchange). Their major job was to be over Call In, which was considered to be responsible for arrivals.

You realize there was actually a "Call In Exec Int" in Exec Strata, right?

 

[Dean Blair]

It's time for me to make another confession here to all Y'all.

In '76 or early '77 the FSO Bookstore Officer was Steve Dryer. He was a bright, hard working and well intended feller. He is the person that originally came up with the idea of selling LRH autographed books at Flag for high prices, wrote El Ron and asked Hisself to do it and Hisself consented. I doubt he was ever given "full credit" for that. Around that time, Ken Delderfield, who was heading up the project to to put together the Red, Green and Discover Series volumes and, with input from yours truly and Dryer, came up with the idea of Leather Bound Collectors Editions. Yours truly then came up with the idea of producing and marketing LRH Autographed Libraries...both "regular" and leather bound...at ultra high prices as a Flag Only item. During that time Dryer and me in a "bull session", came up with the idea of hitting up wealthy FCCI's to donate "Library Packages" to the Libraries in their home cities and countries.

I was so young and foolish. I'm so disgusted and ashamed that I was part of the Genus of what has become such a monstrous abuse and financial waste for so many over these 3 decades I've been long gone.

My sincerest apology to all Y'all.

Face

Well Face, that was a smart idea. I would hire you to market for my company any day. I don't have a company though. By the way, now that all the corrections have been made by DM aren't they going to have to sell those leather bound mega expensive editions all over again with all the punctuation marks corrected and everything?

 

[Out-Ethics]

http://backincomm.wordpress.com/2013/11/13/being-the-bookstore-officer-a-view-from-hell/#more-208


Robert Berrington was the Bookstore Officer (BSO) of Joburg Org when the basics were released in 2007. During that time it was quite likely that this was the worst possible post to have. The pressure on every staff member was crazy when it came to the selling of the basics but the it was the bookstore officer who bore the worst of it. The natural result was a staff member pushed to breaking point and ultimately declared a suppressive person.

This morning he commented on the article put up yesterday on the Library Donation Fraud. His information on what was going on at the time is invaluable so it is being posted on its own so it is read more widely.


“I was the Bookstore Officer JBGD during the time when the Library Campaign was going on, so I know full well the financial crimes that were happening at that time.

After 10pm the only non-SO Class V staff left in the org were Bob Petri, George Yiango, John Gething, Daryl Berman, and myself, and we would reg until at least 2pm every morning, often till 4am, sometimes even till after 6am, only to return to post around 8:45am.

We’d reg local public till way after a socially acceptable hour, and then move on to regging American Public. As the early hours of the morning approached we’d move on to regging Taiwanese public. Albert would smoke in the org and I’d diligently hide his cigarette whenever Ken or Alex Faust arrived.

At the orders of Ken Krieger and Albert de Beer many accounts were simply debited for books without the prior consent of the public. Some were of public in good standing (which I later corrected), and others were of off-lines public the org had not heard of for many years. Our favourite motto was “Greatest good!”


(rest at link above)

I can attest to this. Someone very close to me was posted with the task of selling the basics. This was not only a 7 day a week job but getting sleep was a luxury. The pressure to sell the Basics was fanatically insane. In order for them to make their never-can-reach quota was to do everything possible whether legal or illegal. This involved using whatever the public had on account either with or without permission, using CC without having authorization from the person themselves, regging dead people (they still had money on account), going straight to houses and not leaving until sold, phone calls over and over and over. I'm sure there was other tactics used but I can say this person was completely burned out and eventually left. After they left the SO held them responsible for out-ethic regging, classified them as criminals, comm ev them and made the out-ethic dollar amount as part of the free-loader debt. Yet while this unit was still regging the basics the same management group turned the other eye because it was the greatest good across the dynamics. Yeah right! Name me one church on this planet anywhere that acts like the Co$$$?

 

[Lulu Belle]

I'm toying with the idea of starting a separate thread on the subject of Call In.

Talk about a fucking Third Dynamic Engram for a staff member....

Sheila, I don't think you have any idea about the monster you created.

 

[Panda Termint]

Weirdest occurrence during the incessant Basics Evolution for me was when they had the Flag MAAs call all their Solo NOTs Public to sell them Basics. A phone message from your Solo NOTs DofP or MAA was one call you were bound to respond to. When my Solo NOTs MAA, Cossima, told me what it was about I said, "Good Gawd, they've got you on Sales! Don't you have Public in need of your services?"