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exthetan

Patron
GETTING OFF THE FENCE

I've been lurking here for a couple of years now so perhaps it is about time for me to come out.

It was 1977 when I first found scientology as a 17 year old. I had just been dismissed from my first job as a bank teller on account of smoking too much weed and getting my numbers mixed up. So having nothing to do I thought I would go into the city (Sydney).

I had just exited the railway station at central when I was met by the woman with huge breast and an engaging smile ( I later learned her name was Cathy Nitche) and she asked me if I would like to do a survey. I said "sure" and before long I was inside having my personality test marked.

The person who discussed my test results was a lady full of warmth and empathy by the name of Peggy. She seemed to take a real interest in me and a sister I have who has been mentally disabled for years. I would run into Peggy a few times in later days and I was amazed when she would remember our conversation and enquire how my sister was going. She never realised but the fact that she cared has always meant a great deal to me.

Well I was reg'ed for the comm course and introduced to the master of the comm course - Nick Cramey. He was the most amazing bull baiter I have ever met and his charm and gregarious nature just made it so much fun for all the participants. The way the RPF later destroyed his soul was criminal but that is another story.

Well before long I had signed up for Fdn staff thanks to some excellent salesmanship by Peter Bevan the HCO recruiting officer. There was also Graeme Barrat, the HCO Sec who was an engineer by trade but a better manager. He ran a tight ship.

I met up with Barbara Ovens (later Allsop) and we used to earn some money singing for supper at a restaurant and the Rocks. She worked in the Guardians Office and was in charge of Social Co-ordination at the time and reporting to Audrey Devlin - a lady who had "presence" by the bucket load.

During Fdn hours I was expediting and one of my first postings was as course admin to David Graham. On the first night of my posting I came dressed like a mafia hit man with a hat, dark glasses, pointy shoes and a very loud shirt. I sat at the desk and put my feet upon it. David gave me one of those "Oh Boy" type looks and you could just feel the thoughts of the students saying "Out Valence!" Well I did last long in the post and moved right along to treasury try to put by banking skills to good use. Terri Morriset was the Treasury Sec and very efficient she was too. She was married to an American name Les Morriset.

Barbara (Barbi) thought it would be good for her stats if we did some entertainment work by going round to nursing homes and cheering up the retirees there. We rounded up a travelling show with Chris Duffy (a fabulous banjo player), Jim Doone (an eccentric gentleman who would regale with old broadway standards) a lady named Harriet who could sing and do comedy plus Barbi and myself with the guitar. We seemed to do well for a while until there were other stats to push but it was fun while it lasted.

Just so you don't think that I liked everyone I came across there are a few that I'm happy never to see again (please forgive my spelling):- Phyll Stevens, Glen Bourne, Gwenda Bourne, Keiran O'Leary, Mark Whitta. There will be others who's names I just can't remember for now.

Anyway this is turning into a long post so I'll give you all a breather and come back later with part 2.

Cheers
 

exthetan

Patron
Thanks to you all for the warm welcome. Here's part 2 as promised.


As a 17 year old I was pretty mixed up. Some would say I have low emotional intelligence which is just another way of saying I was immature and naive. I lasted just a year on Fdn staff but I got up to a lot of mischief in that time. For a long time I was besotted with another staff member named Sally. I learned that all the "tech" cannot make someone fall in love with you although I gave it a bloody good try. I also stole money from the Org and although I could justify by saying that I had no job or means of support at the time, I am very sorry for what I did - knowing that others were also living below subsistence at the time. I came clean about a year after blowing and I remember David Graham doing my HCO sec check before I was duly declared.

In 1984 I had stabilised my life, had a steady job and decided to do a conditions by dynamic analysis of my life. Part of that program involved paying off all my debts which included my freeloader bill and the monies i'd stolen. I came back into the fold under an amnesty at that time and after an endless DCSI I attested to clear. I think the attest was out of sheer relief that I'd run out of hours and money and there was nothing else the C/S could dream up to have run on me. Anyway I did my Sunshine R/D that afternoon and promptly left the Org for the last time.

The next item on my program was to get married. So with cold hearted logic I joined a marriage agency and found an overseas bride. Within two years we got married and I am blessed to still be married 26 years later to the same wonderful lady.

I was still looking around for some auditing outside the church when I heard that Ethel Mackay (nee Carstairs) had left the sea org and had set up a local ACC that was affiliated with David Mayo's in Santa Barbara. Ethel had a copy of the whole bridge up to NOTs and was offering services at rates that I could afford. Since the church had declared me clear I decided to do my solo course and then the OTs levels with Ethel.

I really enjoyed doing the solo course under the supervision of a gentleman who's name I can't remember just now but he used ARC rather than KRC and for the first time I really knew what it meant to have total certainty on the materials and to be able to audit with certainty. I've never experienced that with any other learning I have done since.

I did up to OT3 with Ethel and then I fell on my face. Ethel said I needed a highly trained auditor to give me a review but there were no freelance class 8's around at the time. I heard from someone that Geoffrey Filbert was paying a visit down under and was looking for paying clients so I made an appointment to see him. He decided I was having difficulty as I hadn't had my lower bridge run and proceeded to do Grade 0 to Power on me over the next few days. Do I hear the word "quicky?"

Ethels org closed down due to constant attack by the church at the same time that Davids ACC was closed in the USA. It was soon after that I started hearing about a guy named Capt Bill from Allen Wright (may his heart lie in piece). Allen was getting his electronics business going, out of a house in Roselle, with a partner named Jenny. Allen had recently come back from Europe after studying with Bill Robertson and after Jenny re-did my grades he offered to C/S me through a retread of the OT levels. This went well and I had some specific wins although not all were lasting. I eventually completed the "Excalibur" level which was Bill Robertsons version of NOTs to a good EP and basically felt "done" at that point.

I guess the lesson I learned after leaving the church is that one must take responsibility for there own personal development and you must qualify the auditors you trust before taking services with them. If it goes sour then it is your own bloody fault.

Since 1999 I have been getting on living the middle class dream. Paying off the mortgage, travelling the globe and l now look forward to my retirement in a few years time. I have moved on from scientology although I remain a spectator. My passion remains my music and one day I hope to pay professionally. If anyone remembers me and would like to PM me you are most welcome.

My very best to you all.
 

Petey C

Silver Meritorious Patron
Hello exthetan, and welcome to the land of wonderful, happy SPs here on ESMB.

I know quite a few of the people you mention in your intro as I was there at the time (though about to go to Flag) but can't quite place you. And as Panda said, there are a number of people here who date back from that time in Sydney.

Mark Whitta and Phyll Stevens are still in the SO (as is Chris Stevens, Phyll's daughter and former CO ANZO). I believe Phyll is in a retirement home in Florida, and Chris is in LA. The former ED Sydney Foundation, Cherie Eves, is at Bridge Publications in LA.

Both Ethel McKay and Nick Cramey died some time ago, as did Colin Gow. And Cherie Eves's husband Mike also died of lung cancer in 2009 in LA after more than a decade on the RPF. And you already know about Alan Wright. Too many deaths, too many people, far too young.

Tell us more of your story!
 

Auditor's Toad

Clear as Mud
Welcome !

There are many fine people here that you can easily make friends with.

Take your own time to 'peel the onion' called scientology..... most all of us were there once ( and loved it once ) and have managed to laugh - and cry - our way back to being ( more or less ) ourself.

Enjoy the trip !
 

Miss Pert

Silver Meritorious Patron
A big WELCOME to you Exthetan!!!!!! :wave::wave::wave:

I too am a Sydneyite but probably a bit after your time, though some of the names are familiar to me.
 
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Dukat

Patron with Honors
Welcome Exthetan. Thanks for your story. The more exes who tell it like it is, the more people will wake up and blow this cult. :thumbsup:
 

exthetan

Patron
Thanks again to you all for your welcome. I'm definitely feeling the love!

Petey, glad you read the intro. I guess I was hoping you would remember me but there have been many faces and many years. Perhaps as I go on it may jog a memory or two. I can still remember you performing "i believe in magic" at an event and loved that song. I'd love to hear it again some time.

I was sad to hear of Nick Crameys passing. I knew about the others but not him. I liked him a lot and knew him briefly after we had both left the fold. I recall how much he had been devastated by his time in the RPF. He went from the extroverted, confident and gregarious person I met when first contacting Scn to an introverted shell of a man without self confidence and who constantly second guessed his actions and motives. May he now find the peace he deserves. If you have any further details on his passing and the circumstances I would be grateful to know. As you say, so many good souls have moved onto their next phase of existence.

I have a great deal of respect for Cherie Eves. She was a very competent ED and I admired the way she could lead without losing her feminine qualities. The way that Mike was treated by the organisation was just criminal.

I'd like to throw a some more names in the air - Dinah and Priscilla Steele. They were SO at ANZO FOLO. Priscilla was the LRH Comm at Sydney. A very formidable woman. Dinah I got to know very well after I left as we ran into each other at the place I was working. For the next 10 years Dinah became like a second mother to me. Sadly she passed away in 1998 from breast cancer. Priscilla is now married with children and has moved on from Scn.

When I was on staff I would occasionally provide some entertainment at events. I would sing and play guitar, usually accompanied by Barbi. There was another guitarist who would perform with us named Leigh Walker. He was classically trained at Sydney Concervitorium of Music. He also left the church at some point but I don't know what became of him.

I have many more stories and anecdotes to tell - stay tuned.

Cheers
 

Petey C

Silver Meritorious Patron
Exthetan, I'm drawing a blank. Send me a PM! (Private message.)

I remember that song vaguely, I Believe In Magic (I believe in magic, I believe in miracles and da da da da ... I don't remember the rest ...). Do you have any other clues? I think I wrote it and sang it only the once. What a memory you have, eh.

I don't know much more about Nick but I know someone who does -- not an ESMBer but I'll ask. He used to crack me up. He had this one running joke that used to drive Phyll and others mad. It was about hyperbole + inappropriate adjective. He'd say, "I wrote it down tremendously" or "I saw that guy tremble ordinarily" or "I was understatedly overwhelmed by dinner". Not so funny on the page, but once he'd done 20 or 30 in a row, all absolutely ridiculous and pompous, I'd be dying with laughter. Yes, RIP Nick, and I hope you're in a good place.

I shared a dorm with Priscilla and remember her and Dinah very well. She had a little sister too.

Leigh Walker is also out and has been for a long time.

We know heaps of people in common. You'll find other Sydney exes here on the Board too, so check in some time in the evening.

:yes:
 

exthetan

Patron
Bad Indicators

As promised here is another installment.

It was 1982. I was on lines at Castlereagh street org in Sydney after taking an amnesty and have done my A to E and paid off my debts. I was going through lines and doing my endless DCSI. I had no ideas of what was going on in the USA as there was no internet then.

While standing outside the course room and looking at the notice board there started appearing copies of the SP declares with long lists of senior tech terminals and familiar names. I was thinking "what gives!". At the same time there started appearing nerd issues called "Green on gray" and "Red on gray" issued by someone called the Watch Dog Committee. It all looked pretty strange to me. As soon as I was able to get through lines I said thank you and walked out the door for the last time.

It wasn't until I sought out Ethel McKay that I learnt what had happened. Seems I got out at the right moment.

Cheers

More to come.
 
Bad Indicators

As promised here is another installment.

It was 1982. I was on lines at Castlereagh street org in Sydney after taking an amnesty and have done my A to E and paid off my debts. I was going through lines and doing my endless DCSI. I had no ideas of what was going on in the USA as there was no internet then.

While standing outside the course room and looking at the notice board there started appearing copies of the SP declares with long lists of senior tech terminals and familiar names. I was thinking "what gives!". At the same time there started appearing nerd issues called "Green on gray" and "Red on gray" issued by someone called the Watch Dog Committee. It all looked pretty strange to me. As soon as I was able to get through lines I said thank you and walked out the door for the last time.

It wasn't until I sought out Ethel McKay that I learnt what had happened. Seems I got out at the right moment.

Cheers

More to come.

It was in the early eighties, with no direct contact with any upper org staff 'terminals' that I noticed that something was wrong and for it to be the way it was, the rot had to be coming from the top.
 

Boojuum

Silver Meritorious Patron
Bad Indicators

...
While standing outside the course room and looking at the notice board there started appearing copies of the SP declares with long lists of senior tech terminals and familiar names. I was thinking "what gives!". At the same time there started appearing nerd issues called "Green on gray" and "Red on gray" issued by someone called the Watch Dog Committee. It all looked pretty strange to me. [bold added] As soon as I was able to get through lines I said thank you and walked out the door for the last time.
...
Strange? Strange!? What do you think of an organization that isolates its most successful people and kicks half of them out?

It's nuts. It was nuts in the 50's. It was a nutty organization in 1982. It's an even nuttier organization now.

Thanks for sharing.
 
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