Jane Kember before the Guardian's Office

[Chris.O]

I'm doing some research at the moment on the origins of the Guardian's Office but I'm wondering about how Jane Kember came to be so prominent. There's a fair bit of information about what she did after becoming Deputy Guardian for Intelligence (in 1966) and then Guardian World-Wide, replacing Mary Sue Hubbard in that role in January 1969. However, it seems to be hard to find info about what she did before then. Here's what I've got:

• Born around 1937 in Nairobi, Kenya
• British citizen
• Success story in issue 15 of The Auditor (1966): "Before Scientology I couldn't have a baby, having miscarriage after miscarriage. I have recently had twin boys, after training and processing in Scientology. Before Scientology I had kidney trouble. I have no kidney trouble now. Before Scientology I had skin trouble, chronic indigestion, was very nervous, very unhappy, highly critical of all around me, felt inferior, inadequate and unable to cope with life. Now the skin troubles have gone and the chronic indigestion. I am no longer nervous, feel happy, have lost my inferiority complex and feel no need to criticize others."
• Executive of the Hubbard Association of Scientologists International (HASI) by mid-late 1960s

She must have been quite a high-flyer - by my estimate she must have been only 29 when she got into her first GO post. What did she do before then?

 

[I told you I was trouble]

I can't believe she's now 80, but she would be ... that success story she apparently wrote is incredible ... by around 1977 she was certainly the polar opposite of the person she describes. She was a warrior, highly charismatic and intelligent and seemed (to me) to be both fearless and extremely confident ... almost to a fault, which as it turned out is what she was ("Snow White" comes to mind ... if anyone doesn't know about that "operation" google it ... Jane, Mary Sue and (from memory) 9 other GOWW staff ended up being jailed).

She could put the fear of God into the average person with a glance when she wanted to but I got the impression her weapon of choice was charm. She spent quite a lot of time up in London working on politicians and they apparently loved her and couldn't do enough for her, she was a shameless schmoozer as all scientologists are when required, especially in the GO/OSA. It's sickening to think of it now.

I know nothing of her prior life but was told by someone who knew her that she told a story about having to shoot someone through a house window with a rifle when her family were defending themselves against an attacking mob, presumably in Kenya, I have no reason to doubt that it's true. I don't recall whether the guy she shot died or not ... but it doesn't sound like the action of someone who was "unable to cope with life".

I expect like many of us her success story was 95% BS ... written purely for PR, cult PR.

 

[Chris.O]

That's very interesting! I can well believe that she might have shot someone in Kenya - the Mau Mau uprising from 1952-60 targeted white settlers, so she could well have gotten caught up in that.

 

[phenomanon]

I'm doing some research at the moment on the origins of the Guardian's Office but I'm wondering about how Jane Kember came to be so prominent. There's a fair bit of information about what she did after becoming Deputy Guardian for Intelligence (in 1966) and then Guardian World-Wide, replacing Mary Sue Hubbard in that role in January 1969. However, it seems to be hard to find info about what she did before then. Here's what I've got:

• Born around 1937 in Nairobi, Kenya
• British citizen
• Success story in issue 15 of The Auditor (1966): "Before Scientology I couldn't have a baby, having miscarriage after miscarriage. I have recently had twin boys, after training and processing in Scientology. Before Scientology I had kidney trouble. I have no kidney trouble now. Before Scientology I had skin trouble, chronic indigestion, was very nervous, very unhappy, highly critical of all around me, felt inferior, inadequate and unable to cope with life. Now the skin troubles have gone and the chronic indigestion. I am no longer nervous, feel happy, have lost my inferiority complex and feel no need to criticize others."
• Executive of the Hubbard Association of Scientologists International (HASI) by mid-late 1960s

She must have been quite a high-flyer - by my estimate she must have been only 29 when she got into her first GO post. What did she do before then?

News to me that she "replaced" Mary Sue as Guardian WW. Wasn't MSH the Guardian until she went to jail?

 

[I told you I was trouble]

News to me that she "replaced" Mary Sue as Guardian WW. Wasn't MSH the Guardian until she went to jail?

No, Jane was the Guardian WW... but Mary Sue was her senior, I think her posting was called "The Controller" but I may be mixing that up with Thomas the Tank engine (lol).

You can see why I would mix them up ... (very funny, short video).

 

[cakemaker]

From OEC Vol 7

 

[RogerB]

Yes, well Jane is one who let power go to her head . . .

Umm, Jane was the Guardian in around 1967 when the Hubbards took off to sea, she was certainly teh Guardian when I was at the Hill in '69 till '77 or so. Here tenure ended when she went to jail . . . MSH was "Controller"

 

[pineapple]

Jane appears (and speaks) briefly in this video from 1968. She was definitely one of the big names in scn when I was in, but I'd never seen her 'til I came across this.

The David Gaiman standing with her is the father of the novelist Neil Gaiman (who is not a scio now, though he was as a child).

 

[Chris.O]

Jane Kember started off as Deputy Guardian for Intelligence in 1966. She was promoted to Guardian World-Wide in January 1969 when Mary Sue Hubbard went off to sea with Ron and was promoted to Commodore Staff Guardian. She also held the title of Controller, responsible for "coordination of all Scientology orgs and activities".