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Explanation of SO church structure

grundy

Gold Meritorious Patron
In chat, there were people asking for clarifications on the structure of the church - who is SO who is not etcetera .... here is a brief explanation. (SOME NAMES HAVE changed since I was in, but the structure is basically this)

These are all Sea Org:

RTC is the top. Legally they do not have control of the organization though in practice they do. This is to prevent lawsuits of organizations affecting RTC.

RTC licenses the use of the trademarks to the Church of Scientology.

The Church of Scientology International Management manages the network through middle management. Theoretically, orders for the whole of Scientology structure come from here and go THROUGH middle management. Think chain of command.

Upper Management consists of different organizations that manage or direct different aspects of Scientology. The main organization (Church of Scientology International) manages all the individual organizations in middle management. Each individual organization is responsible for their own network. Different networks are: Churches, Missions, WISE, ABLE, NARCANON, OSA, and a couple of more.

As sub catagories of Churches are lower service organizations (not sea org), advanced service organizations (sea org) and the celebrity network. Celebrity network is managed directly through Celebrity Centre International (sea org). Other CC orgs are not Sea Org.

Non-CC orgs are managed through lower management at the continental level. Each contintental org manages a section of the world. There are two for the US (eastern and western), Canada, Europe, Latin America, ANZO (Australia, New Zealand, Oceana - basically the far east) and a couple of others I think.

WISE, ABLE and Narconon do not manage directly (theoretically) but license organizations for RTC and advise. In practice, they are usually managed. The difference between managed and licenced is a legal one, preventing lawsuits at lower levels reaching upper levels.

Same goes for Mission Network. Missions are owned by individual scientologists, and these are not technically church staff. The schedules don't have to follow what most organizations have to follow.

Advanced and lower level service organizations are managed by continental (lower) management. There are management/overseeing units at the continental level for WISE, ABLE, Narconon. The individual organizations are NOT sea org. Except advanced service level organizations. The excpetion to this is the managemement of the Flag Service Organization which is an international service organization, not responsible only for certain areas.

There are networks for different specialized departments/posts in organizations. These are in the executive section of each strata.

These networks are LRH Communicator (charged with ensuring standard tech, ethics) Flag Regresentative (charged with ensuring management directives are followed) and Office of Special Affairs (charged with ensuring organizations are on legal footing and to seperate any legal actions from the rest of the organization). These networks are the only networks where at times Sea Org members are part of Non-Sea Org Organizations.

Middle Management is called "Flag Command Bureax" and the most advanced service organization is called "Flag Service Organization" because these started on the Flagship of the Sea Organization when it started in the 60s. They were split by L. Ron Hubbard so that the largest money making organization for the Church was not distracted by trying to manage other organizations. When the newer Freewinds Service Organization started (the only ship in the Sea Org), they were put on the same level as FSO as an international service organization.

Another network that is seperate from the command structure is Commodore's Messenger Organization. These are policing and enforcement organizations structured with the same International, Flag and Continental levels. These get orders from RTC and watchdog, and have wide powers to direct management at their level. This is because they started out as the messengers for L. Ron Hubbard and when he died and the copyright holder became Religious Technology Center.

Four other organizations must be noted. Golden Era Productions is the organization which handles A/V matters. they are at the International level and are managed directly by International Management. There is a CMO org directly responsible for enforcement, etc for that org.

Two more organization that are managed from the Flag level are Bridge and New Era Publications. These produce the books sold by the organizations. Only Bridge, New Era or Gold can provide materials sold by organizations accoring to their licensing.

There is a level in Internation Management which is at the top. This is called the Watchdog Committee. They are charged with running the organization as a whole and making sure each level does what it's supposed to do. It's not organized into the same departmental structure as all organizations below it.

Next Post will be on ranks in the Sea Org.
 
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grundy

Gold Meritorious Patron
Ranks and Heirechy of Ranks

Commodore - L. Ron Hubbard. No one can pass LRH so the highest rank is Captian.

Captian - head of RTC, Watchdog Committee and International Management.

Commander - Head of Church of Scientology International (overall organization) Flag Command bureau, Gold, CMO International, International Liason Office (used to be Flag Bureax) used to be but now I think that is Lt. Commander. Also, Watchdog Committee Members and Deputy Executive Director Interational Postings.

Lt. Commander, Head of sub organizations within Flag Command Bureax, International Service Organizations, Continental level management organizations. Flag Command Bureax head of LRH Comm and Flag Rep networks, some others. Some posts at Int.

Lieutenant - Head of Advanced Service Organizations, Continental heads of LRH Comm and FR networks, Advanced Service Org level of LRH Comm and Flag Rep, Some others, some posts at Flag Command Bureax.

Lieutentant JG (junior Grade) - some posts.

All rankings can theoretically be reached through experience and merit but in practice most of the above are purely according to postings (called Brevitt Ranks). Personal ranks are what they would be without Brevitt rank.

The rest are mostly according to personal achievement with review boards and promotion committes etc.

Ensign

Warrant Officer

Midshipman (lowest officer level)

Chief Petty Officer

Petty Officer First Class

Petty Officer Second Class

Petty Officer Third Class

Able Bodied Seaman

Swamper (new before all but the most basic training, and when busted)

Estates Project Force are new recruits but are not approved as Sea Org

Rehabilitation Project Force are Sea Org Members of the extreme lowest levels. Busted out of organizations and seperated from the rest of the crew. Must work up to the level of being a regular Sea Org Member.
 
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grundy

Gold Meritorious Patron
Anybody have anything to add?

Please add or post corrections as it's been many years since I was in the church and things might have changed or I might have gotten some details wrong.
 

Bea Kiddo

Crusader
Flag Command Bureaux changed to Flag Liason Office (FLO) and then, I believe ILO - or something. I dont know. I heard it changed to that after I left. FLO and FCB are the same thing.
 

grundy

Gold Meritorious Patron
Also of Note:

President of Church of Scientology International is really a Public Relations name. This post in theory is president of the church, but in effect runs the OSA network.
 

grundy

Gold Meritorious Patron
Flag Command Bureaux changed to Flag Liason Office (FLO) and then, I believe ILO - or something. I dont know. I heard it changed to that after I left. FLO and FCB are the same thing.

Well... FLO used to be Flab Bureaux which was a part of the larger Flag Command Bureaux. Flag Bureaux handled churches only, FCB was the overall level of church, SMI, ABLE, WISE, etc.

Now FLO is ILO.

For two months I was at Flag Bureax. Trust me. I had to get all this cleared up lol
 

grundy

Gold Meritorious Patron
Thanks to LBV for Correction

I missed a rank. I thought I did but I didn't remember. so LBV told me .. I fixed it... Warrant Officer .. I forgot. sawwy :bigcry:

:p
 

Dulloldfart

Squirrel Extraordinaire
You asked for corrections.

Brevet, not brevitt.

President CSI is a PR post in OSA Int. The person who runs OSA Int is the CO OSA Int. The person in OSA Int in charge of the PR Bureau is the PR Aide. Pres CSI does not run the PR Bureau OSA Int.

I forget who the senior of the President CSI is.

Paul
 

Pliny Younger

Patron with Honors
I missed a rank. I thought I did but I didn't remember. so LBV told me .. I fixed it... Warrant Officer .. I forgot. sawwy :bigcry:

:p

Ok. Don't let it happen again.:)

Look at this thread. Can you imagine some of these Anons trying to figure out the subject of SCN. I was in and I am totally overwhelmed by the fact that it is this complex. Hell throw in the Fishman video and don't tell me a total outsider can figure this stuff out.
 

alex

Gold Meritorious Patron
snip

RTC is the top. Legally they do not have control of the organization though in practice they do. This is to prevent lawsuits of organizations affecting RTC.

RTC licenses the use of the trademarks to the Church of Scientology.

snip

Technically you have missed the top.

The Church of Spiritual Technology owns the copyrights to all of Hubbards works. And has the corpotate ability to remove RTC's permission to use the advanced materials also, and thus is the ultimate controlling authority.

CST is better know as "The L. Ron Hubbard Library", its "DBA".

Some of the people involved in the CST are not scientologists but lawyers, and there is much speculation about this.

While the RTC may seem to be the highest in the organizational structure, CST is legally.

alex
 

grundy

Gold Meritorious Patron
Technically you have missed the top.

The Church of Spiritual Technology owns the copyrights to all of Hubbards works. And has the corpotate ability to remove RTC's permission to use the advanced materials also, and thus is the ultimate controlling authority.

CST is better know as "The L. Ron Hubbard Library", its "DBA".

Some of the people involved in the CST are not scientologists but lawyers, and there is much speculation about this.

While the RTC may seem to be the highest in the organizational structure, CST is legally.

alex

I just saw that online somewhere, linked from ars. Thanks for clarifying that for the folks. I should have when I saw the article.
 

grundy

Gold Meritorious Patron
DAMN .. that chart should have been in this thread. lol

Of course, my explanations are from when I was in. And explains (somewhat), the reasoning behind it. But no one can understand that anyway ... :confused2:

My advice is open the chart in a window and read the explanations, realizing the chart is more up to date.
 

Old Timer

Patron
Please add or post corrections as it's been many years since I was in the church and things might have changed or I might have gotten some details wrong.

You also missed (or forgot) Loyal Officer. But then again, maybe it doesn't count. Pat and Annie Broker assumed this rank when they briefly took over control of the Co$ for about a year from Jan 86 to July 87. Then they mysteriously "resigned" with no explanation.

FO defined "Loyal Officer" as above captain, but below commodore.

After the Brokers quit, DM issued a very brief FO saying they "resigned", and the rank of Loyal Officer just disappeared 1984 style.
 

Dulloldfart

Squirrel Extraordinaire
You also missed (or forgot) Loyal Officer. But then again, maybe it doesn't count. Pat and Annie Broker assumed this rank when they briefly took over control of the Co$ for about a year from Jan 86 to July 87. Then they mysteriously "resigned" with no explanation.

FO defined "Loyal Officer" as above captain, but below commodore.

After the Brokers quit, DM issued a very brief FO saying they "resigned", and the rank of Loyal Officer just disappeared 1984 style.

I don't think "Loyal Officer" belongs on any quasi-official list of SO ranks and ratings. Not enough evidence for it being a legitimate rank.

Paul
 

gomorrhan

Gold Meritorious Patron
You also missed (or forgot) Loyal Officer. But then again, maybe it doesn't count. Pat and Annie Broker assumed this rank when they briefly took over control of the Co$ for about a year from Jan 86 to July 87. Then they mysteriously "resigned" with no explanation.

FO defined "Loyal Officer" as above captain, but below commodore.

After the Brokers quit, DM issued a very brief FO saying they "resigned", and the rank of Loyal Officer just disappeared 1984 style.
I never heard about this: Miscavige gave up control for a year? Hmmm...
 

grundy

Gold Meritorious Patron
"Loyal Officer" was cancelled as being "written by other than LRH" - it was the same FO that made LRH admiral.
 
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