While Rod Keller was doing his usual rounds looking for Scientology’s footprint in social media this week, he ran across a flier that made him do a double take. And we’re glad he did, because he sent over this entertaining look at a slice of Scientology history we thought you’d want to see.
Last night the Tampa Ideal Org hosted veteran Sea Org member Wick Allcock for an evening of stories about his experiences with L. Ron Hubbard. As the flier indicates, Allcock has a long history with Scientology and witnessed many of its key moments. And as you’ll see, he’s perhaps uniquely qualified to talk to Scientologists about where his career in the church has brought him.
Born Warwick Gregory Allcock in New Zealand in 1956, “Wick” and his brothers Richard (known as “Wak”) and John served aboard the yacht Apollo, L. Ron Hubbard’s flagship that he used to run Scientology from sea during the years 1967 to 1975. The Allcock brothers served in the engine room. All three were well liked by the crew.
By 1975, the Apollo had abandoned cruising the Mediterranean and Atlantic and had worn out its welcome in the Caribbean as well. Scientologists left the ship in The Bahamas and split into groups to enter the U.S. in New York, Washington DC, Miami, and Daytona Beach. Wick traveled with a large group to Daytona Beach, where they were charged with preparing for the arrival of Hubbard and finding a land base for Scientology to continue operations. Hubbard and the Sea Org members stayed at the (now demolished) Neptune Inn over the following months.
A photo of Hubbard with Staff Captain Tony Dunleavy on Daytona Beach dates from September 1975, shortly before the purchase of the Fort Harrison Hotel and the establishment of the Flag Land Base in Clearwater, Florida.
As Scientology invaded Clearwater, Hubbard himself hid out in the nearby town of Dunedin until his tailor recognized him and in January 1976 tipped off a news reporter. Hubbard fled to Washington DC, where he spent the next several months while members of Scientology’s Guardian’s Office were breaking into federal offices just blocks away in the notorious Snow White Program. In June 1976, two GO operatives were stopped by FBI agents during one of those burglaries, and Hubbard, sensing that trouble was coming, fled to California.
Wick joined Hubbard at the La Quinta California Winter Headquarters, also known by the code name “W.” Wick served under his brother Wak as Deputy LRH Transport at this highly secretive base, and later became Household Unit Purchaser. It was during this time that Hubbard researched the NOTs and Super Power levels with David Mayo and Melanie Seidler.
In March 1978 W was closed, and Wick moved with the crew to the newly purchased Gold Base at Gilman Hot Springs. In 1988 Wick was sent to Curaçao to supervise renovation of a cruise ship Scientology had purchased two years earlier and renamed the Freewinds. Wick was responsible for the untrained crew that cleaned the ship and prepared it for its Maiden Voyage. It was during this time that asbestos was found throughout the ship and sealed, untreated, until it was finally removed in a complete refit in 2008. Last week Scientology celebrated the anniversary of that Maiden Voyage cruise, and videos recorded there are being shown this week in a series of events at every org on the planet.
In the early 2000’s Wick was placed in charge of purchasing Mad Hatter Studios from musician Chick Corea, and it is now operated as a Sea Org recording studio near the Big Blue complex in Los Angeles.
On March 16th, 2014 Wick was arrested in Pinellas Park, Florida for shoplifting, and he pleaded not guilty. He was released on bail, found guilty and fined $75.00. His court documents list two addresses: the Fort Harrison Hotel in Clearwater and the Hollywood Guaranty Building in Los Angeles, which is the home of the Religious Technology Center and OSA Int.
After 46 years in the Sea Org, Wick Allcock truly is a product of Scientology.
— Rod Keller
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Hey Media, is it really too hard to use the Google?
We have to admit to being pretty depressed about how the world’s media reacted to one of the more ludicrous pieces about Scientology that we’ve ever seen in the Daily Mail, with its very late reporting on last month’s grand opening of the new Scientology Media Productions television and radio studios in Los Angeles.
Not only was the piece nearly a month after the fact (and claimed to be an “exclusive”), but it gushed with nonsense straight out of Scientology PR, pretending that this was ALL ABOUT TOM CRUISE! And Tom is going to make movies there! And Scientology has a studio that is bigger than Paramount Pictures! And two of Tom’s movies, Far and Away and Days of Thunder shot scenes at Scientology’s Hemet base, so this new studio in Hollywood itself is going to be a cinch for Tom’s upcoming blockbusters! And here’s a photo of Tom Cruise, John Travolta, and Kirstie Alley applauding like they were actually at the grand opening!
Sadly, websites large and small jumped on this stuff like there was a shred of truth to it, and none of them — not one — bothered to do a simple search to find out that it was all complete and utter bullshit.
As the readers of this website know, Scientology purchased the old KCET studios in 2011, and have been putting members under intense pressure to renovate the place. Members, including celebrities, were also under intense pressure to attend the grand opening, which happened back on Saturday, May 28. Before the event, Scientology took an overhead photo of the setting, showing that they had set up about 1,000 chairs. We showed that their claims of 10,000 in attendance was an exaggeration. And as for celebrities? We provided a photograph, clear as day, showing that the only “celebs” in attendance were C-listers Jenna and Bodhi Elfman.
Can you wonder why the Daily Mail didn’t use that photo in its story? While such a photo would shatter all the Tom Cruise nonsense in their story, we’re suspecting it’s more likely that the Daily Mail simply didn’t see our story, even though the publication has, in the past, relied heavily on this website for Scientology news. This time, however, they really screwed up.
No, scenes from Far and Away and Days of Thunder were not shot at Scientology’s Hemet base. What a fantasy. Also, we don’t know where the Daily Mail got the idea that Scientology’s studio, at 3.5 acres, is somehow bigger than the Paramount Pictures lot, which is 65 acres. Was that really too hard to look up?
KCET took over the studios on Sunset Boulevard in 1970, and the last movie scenes shot there were for an Elvis film in 1965. What Scientology has is a very expensive facility for making more of its goofy promotional videos, which end up on YouTube. But that doesn’t excite people the way shouting “Tom Cruise has a new studio!” the way the Daily Mail just did.
And this follows another bizarre and completely bullshit story by the Daily Mail which claimed that Cruise was moving into L. Ron Hubbard’s old estate, Saint Hill Manor, in East Grinstead, England. Of course that wasn’t true, as the East Grinstead Courier confirmed, and also found that the main named source in the story said that the Daily Mail had made up what he’d actually told them.
After a record of some really decent reporting on Scientology, suddenly the Daily Mail has gone Type 3. (That’s Scientology jargon for “psychotic.”)
What gives?
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Chris Shelton’s new video
Chris talks about Scientology, language, and thought control.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on June 23, 2016 at 07:00
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Our book, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely: How the Church of Scientology tried to destroy Paulette Cooper, is on sale at Amazon in paperback and Kindle editions. We’ve posted photographs of Paulette and scenes from her life at a separate location. Reader Sookie put together a complete index. More information about the book, and our 2015 book tour, can also be found at the book’s dedicated 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 L.A. 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
Other links: Shelly Miscavige, ten years gone | The Lisa McPherson story told in real time | The Cathriona White stories | The Leah Remini ‘Knowledge Reports’ | Hear audio of a Scientology excommunication | Scientology’s little day care of horrors | Whatever happened to Steve Fishman? | Felony charges for Scientology’s drug rehab scam | Why Scientology digs bomb-proof vaults in the desert | 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 | Scientology boasts about assistance from Google | 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
