We’re once again indebted to one of our tipsters for sending us something revealing about how things are going inside the Church of Scientology. In this case, we get a really remarkable glimpse inside the mind of a young Scientologist and his dreams for what Scientology could be.
Jeremy Moll grew up in the church and is a graduate of the Delphian School, an unaccredited and very expensive private school in Oregon where wealthy Scientologists send their kids. Jeremy’s a talented 25-year-old today, and had dreams, coming out of Delphian, to be a musician and a filmmaker.
He was thinking of moving to Los Angeles and making a play for the big time. But then, he decided to put those plans on hold and sign a contract at the Portland Scientology “Ideal Org.”
Staff members at Scientology orgs sign 2.5-year or 5-year contracts. (The billion-year contracts are reserved for the even more dedicated members of Scientology’s ‘Sea Org.’)
We have a special affinity for the Portland Ideal Org. When it opened in May 2013, Mark Bunker was on the scene for us, and he had a wild time trying to keep from getting arrested by Scientology’s dirty tricks.
Portland was a classic Ideal Org case — an over-the-top grand opening, followed by a dead facility in a poorly-situated location.
But a guy like Jeremy can dream. After all, he’s put off his plans for success in the arts to man the Portland facility as Scientology itself is dwindling and going through the worst storm of negative press in its history. But here, in the recruiting letter he put out, he paints a remarkable picture of how he imagines it could all be so different.
Imagine how difficult it must be for some to reconcile what’s going on. We remember well the hype around the opening of the Portland building. During the intense fundraising that precedes the opening of all Ideal Orgs, Scientologists are told that once they get their building renovated and open to the public, the rush of new public will be astounding. All they need is for their Ideal Org to open its doors, and the special kiosks that Scientology leader David Miscavige has installed in them will do the rest. They will be magnets for Scientology.
Or maybe not. The subtext of this plaintive letter sent out this week by Jeremy Moll is the unstated admission that the Portland Ideal Org is a total failure. Now, we’re told, the building will actually become the magnet it was intended to be if they can just get a few more staff members hired. That’s the secret to turning the org into a magical lure for the public. And when that doesn’t work, they’ll come up with another excuse.
Please read Jeremy’s letter, and then give us your thoughts. These truly are the end days, are they not?
From: Portland Org portland@scientology.net
To: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Saturday, April 25, 2015 6:04 PM
Subject: Personal Message from Jeremy MollApril 24th, 2015
To my fellow Portland Scientologists,My name is Jeremy Moll. I am a professional musician, and I have been a Scientologist for all of my 25-year life. A month ago, I was making preparations to move to Los Angeles to establish myself as a Global Artist in Music and Film. Today, however, I am adding one more chapter to my story.
This is the Scientology Staff Member Chapter.
Let’s take a moment to look at some present time facts:
Advertisement— We have a beautiful, ideal building in Historic Downtown Portland which accurately represents what Scientology is all about.
— Processing and training are occurring at unprecedented speeds, thanks to our new releases from Phase II of the Golden Age of Technology. This means that Scientologists are getting up the Bridge FAST.
— The successful actions of Scientology’s booming Model LA Org are being carefully studied and implemented in other Orgs around the planet. Our own Portland Executive Directors are soon returning from LA, where they have been for months rigorously studying and drilling the technology that will create this same boom here at Scientology Portland.
— Scientology Media Productions is launching this Summer. This means that every human in the Portland area with access to television, radio, magazines or the internet will have their eye on OUR ORG here on 3rd and Oak.
I am writing you today, on behalf of my more than 100 fellow Staff Members, to deliver a bright and clear message: SCIENTOLOGY PORTLAND IS INCREASING ITS STAFF TO PREPARE FOR THE PUBLIC DEMAND WE WILL BE FACING IN THE COMING MONTHS.
Would you like to know what a fully-staffed Scientology Portland looks like?
Imagine walking through Downtown Portland and coming across members of our uniformed Staff in cheerful conversation with Portlanders on the sidewalk. These new public each have a Personality Test in hand, and they have stopped what they are doing to immediately visit the Church for their first experience with Scientology.
You approach the entrance to our building and take a moment to appreciate the nearby sidewalks and crosswalks speckled with bustling, uniformed staff and Scientology public, similar to what we see on the streets of Clearwater and on the PAC Base in LA.
You walk into the entrance and receive a friendly greeting from our Org Receptionist, who is also swiftly answering and routing phone calls. You look to the left at the testing area (which is fully occupied) and notice that our guests are overflowing onto every available writing surface to fill out their Personality Tests. “Hmmm,” you ponder. “Maybe we should start to think about a separate testing center like the one in Hollywood!”
You arrive on the second floor and head to the Freedom Cafe to order a coffee and grab a snack. Our full-time cafe team, in Action on the tone scale, is busily taking orders from the long but fast-moving line of customers. The sound of the espresso machine steaming milk, the clank of porcelain dishware and the dull rumble of dozens of happy conversations fill the air.
You hear, from several floors above, several voices simultaneously shout: “Are you ready to start?” Several packed courserooms resound enthusiastically, “Yeah!!!”
“Starts” are given, Student Hat lectures are begun, course packs are opened, Mark Ultra VIII E-meters are turned on.
The Survival Rundown area is so successful that co-auditing students are overflowing into the nearby hallways and floorspace, clipboards in hand.
The Examiner is busy all day with a constant stream of SRD and HGC preclears arriving for examination.
You head to the Hubbard Guidance Center where the seating area is a gathering place of people of all types, waiting for their next sessions, all with one thing in common: they are winning preclears who are making consistent, intensive progress on their personal routes to Clear.
Our Friday Graduations kick off with world-class musical performances and end with a stage packed with smiling Scientologists proudly displaying their new certificates. Attendees leave excited and inspired and immediately head to the Freedom Cafe for snacks and time with friends.
Members of our Scientology community reappear after being gone, each with OT levels completed and with wins to share from their visits to Los Angeles, Florida or the Caribbean.
Portland will be known on the Freewinds for sending massive groups at a time for conventions, conventions which have been specially designed for Scientology Portland because of our high and consistent demand for them.
The Scientology Portland community we are building is a close-knit, caring group whose members hold each other to the highest standards of ethics and thereby survival. We take care of each other, and we ensure that each and every member makes it up to Clear and OT. We grow together, we train together, we get up the Bridge together. And, no matter where we eventually end up, we are life-long friends.
This is what we are building here in Portland. Believe it or not, it is actually very simple to achieve. All of the necessary components are in place, save one missing ingredient. We’re not missing the technology; the Bridge is open to us to ascend as fast as we decide to ascend it. We’re not missing a building; this breathtakingly beautiful Ideal Org is ready and waiting to deliver its full potential. We’re not missing a Field of Scientologists; we have an incredibly strong community of thriving Scientologists. There is one missing ingredient, my friends, and that is a full staff.
I will now let Ron do the talking for a bit.
“The mission of organizations is to form the first part of the Bridge up from the wog world up to the level of Clear.” Ron’s Journal 67 (lecture)
“In a smooth organization that runs well and succeeds EACH PERSON WEARS HIS OWN ASSIGNED HAT….Each member is a specialist. He specializes in his own hat….The whole theory of successful organization is to have posts that only do specific things, to have sections and departments and divisions which specialize, and to have people who only wear their own hats and know who is wearing the other hats and send their work to them.” LRH, HCO PL 1 July 1965 III HATS, THE REASON FOR
Now let’s look at the Scientology Portland we are building as described in the paragraphs above. How many “specialists” do we need? What are some of them? How about the staff walking the Portland streets who specialize in talking to new public and in bringing them into the building? How about the Freedom Cafe baristas and servers? And the Academy course supervisors? Examiners? Auditors?
These are only a few of the many hats that can be worn in a Church of Scientology. Each one is an exciting post with specific duties that play a key role in the overall mission of an Org, which again is “to form the first part of the Bridge up from the wog world up to the level of Clear.” (Ron’s Journal 67)
Scientology Portland is stronger than we have ever been. But we can’t stop here or be complacent; we must continue to expand and to push the bar higher.
That is why, today, you are receiving a message from me asking you to do one simple thing: give an honest thought to joining us during this game-changing time for Scientology Portland. Consider putting on a uniform and working alongside us. We cannot do this alone; we need help.
Before you make your decision, I would like to explain (briefly) a bit more about the staff lifestyle. There are two different groups of Org Staff Members: Day and Foundation.
A Day Staff Member works Monday through Friday from 9am to 6pm.
A Foundation Staff Member works Monday through Friday from 7pm-10pm and Saturday & Sunday from 9am to 6pm.
Each of our staff members leads an individual and unique life outside of their Church work schedule. Many are professionals in other occupations, and they maintain strong family lives of their own. We are a diverse crew of all ages, backgrounds and nationalities. We work hard, we laugh, we eat lunch together. But together we form the crew of Scientology Portland. Together we are here to guide people step by step toward their own Total Freedom. And if we weren’t here to help them take that step, who would be?
So, want to be staff? Yes? Great! You’re staff. Come take care of the paperwork, get measured for a uniform and arrive for muster. It’s that simple. We’ll train you up and get you going in your own section of the beautiful and intricate machine that is a Scientology Organization.
Want to arrive but think you can’t because of life’s obstacles? We will help you overcome any obstacle and fast. Don’t believe it? Try us. That’s what we’re here for.
You are important to us. So is your own happiness and spiritual freedom. We want you on our team. There is a uniform and a desk here with your name on it.
Sincerely,
Chief Body Registrar PORTLAND DAY“From here on the world will change. But if it changes at all and if it recovers, it will be because of the Scientologist; it will be because of the auditor and his technical skill; it will be because of the organization and the organization staff member and his dedication. In all the broad universe there is no other hope for Man than ourselves. This is a tremendous responsibility. I have borne it too long alone. You share it with me now….Thank you very much for being here. I appreciate what you’re doing. I need your help and I am very grateful for what you have done. Goodbye for now. I will see you up the line, at the other end of the Bridge.”
L. RON HUBBARD
Ron’s Journal 67 (lecture)
——————–
Happy Birthday, Dear Leader
David Miscavige turns 55 years old today. Hey, Dave, how about picking up the phone and giving us your thoughts on this auspicious day? We know you have the number.
——————–
Bonus photos from our tipsters
Leah Remini makes a joke on Instagram. Actual caption: “Is someone trying to tell me something? Okay, okay I get it! #GoingClear #InsideJoke #SuppressivePerson,Inc”
Tampa Org, actual caption: “Tampa is going Double Saint Hill Size!!! In the last 7 weeks we have had 43 new staff join our team! We still need more though. Who do you know that would WANT to be part of this team and game? We are expanding and looking for upstat, qualified beings to join the crusade. Let us know!”
——————–
BOOK NOTES
On May 14, you will be able to purchase ‘The Unbreakable Miss Lovely’ from Amazon in either electronic or print format, and simultaneously in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia.
The book will not be available for pre-order before that date. It is going live for sale on Thursday, May 14, and not a moment earlier. And hey, that’s just a few weeks away, so you won’t have to wait long.
Our appearances…
May 16: Santa Barbara Humanist Society (with Paulette Cooper), 3:00 pm
May 17: Center for Inquiry-West Los Angeles, 4773 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, 11 am (with Paulette Cooper)
May 17: CFI Orange County (Costa Mesa), 4:30 pm (with Paulette Cooper)
May 20, San Diego We’re getting some help from locals trying to assist the San Diego Association for Rational Inquiry (SDARI) find a venue for us (appearance with Paulette Cooper)
May 22: San Francisco (with Jamie DeWolf and Paulette Cooper)
(Finalizing a New York City event in early June)
June 20: Chicago
June 22/23: Toronto (with Paulette Cooper)
June 27/28: Florida (with Paulette Cooper)
July 12: Washington DC, Center for Inquiry
——————–
Posted by Tony Ortega on April 30, 2015 at 07:00
E-mail your tips and story ideas to tonyo94@gmail.com or follow us on Twitter. We post behind-the-scenes updates at our Facebook author page. Here at the Bunker we try to have a post up every morning at 7 AM Eastern (Noon GMT), and on some days we post an afternoon story at around 2 PM. After every new story we send out an alert to our e-mail list and our FB page.
Learn about Scientology with our numerous series with experts…
BLOGGING DIANETICS: We read Scientology’s founding text cover to cover with the help of LA attorney and former church member Vance Woodward
UP THE BRIDGE: Claire Headley and Bruce Hines train us as Scientologists
GETTING OUR ETHICS IN: Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology’s system of justice
SCIENTOLOGY MYTHBUSTING: Historian Jon Atack discusses key Scientology concepts
PZ Myers reads L. Ron Hubbard’s “A History of Man” | Scientology’s Master Spies | Scientology’s Private Dancer
The mystery of the richest Scientologist and his wayward sons | Scientology’s shocking mistreatment of the mentally ill
The Underground Bunker’s Official Theme Song | The Underground Bunker FAQ
Our Guide to Alex Gibney’s film ‘Going Clear,’ and our pages about its principal figures…
Jason Beghe | Tom DeVocht | Sara Goldberg | Paul Haggis | Mark “Marty” Rathbun | Mike Rinder | Spanky Taylor | Hana Whitfield
