Rod Keller is back with his first social media round up of the new year. And once again, he keeps us updated on Scientology’s plans for new buildings around the world…
The Auckland, New Zealand Ideal Org is scheduled to open on January 21. Scientology has set up more openings for 2017, including Ideal Orgs in Mexico City, South Africa and the U.K.
The San Fernando Valley and Miami Ideal Orgs are also undergoing renovation, and Scientology leader David Miscavige, in his New Year’s event speech, said both would open this year. In the past, org openings have been subject to delays of many months, but for now the Auckland date seems firm.
Auckland is the only org in New Zealand, and will be the fifth Ideal Org in the ANZO “continent,” according to Scientology’s classification, joining Sydney, Melbourne, Tokyo and Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The building is the former Whitecliffe Art College at 134 Grafton Rd in Auckland. It was purchased in 2007, but renovations did not start until 2015, when Google took this photo as part of their Streetview service, showing the building wrapped by the construction crew.
Expect Scientology leader David Miscavige be present to pull the ribbon on the new facility, along with a number of local dignitaries. Scientologists from Taiwan and Australia will likely be attending, since many of them have contributed to the purchase and renovation. Scientology is increasingly asking members to contribute to other Ideal Orgs in their Continent long after their local org has opened.
Scientologists paying for courses at the new Ideal Advanced Org in Chatswood, Australia received a special commendation this year for donating to Auckland. Auckland staff members Errol Schmidt and Darien Shea held fundraisers in Taiwan in August to raise money for their org. Singer David Pomeranz performed at a fundraiser in Sydney in November for ANZO Ideal Orgs, meaning Auckland. Pomeranz is the composer of the song “We Stand Tall.” The money raised by all of these events was not enough, and Scientology loaned over $26 million to fund the opening, as reported on Mike Rinder’s blog.
The symbol of the new Ideal Org is the silver fern which is also the symbol of the national rugby team the All Blacks, as well as the New Zealand military since the Second Boer War in 1899. It is instantly recognizable to New Zealanders as the symbol of their country. Scientologists who join the staff before the opening will be awarded a special Founding Staff Member pin featuring the emblem. A recruiting drive for Ideal Org staff is one of the most significant clues that an org is nearing completion.
Meanwhile, in Mexico, ODD, or Organización Desarrollo y Dianética A.C., is being planned as Mexico’s second Ideal Org and the third for the LATAM continent, along with Mexico City and Bogota, Colombia. The current org building is being renovated, and the artist’s conception shows a building that is two stories taller than before to meet the 50,000 square feet minimum for Ideal Orgs.
The Mendoza and Schwartz families were presented with a crystal model of the renovated org for their donations to ODD in October.
A useful tool in predicting an org’s opening is the work being done to bring the central files up to date. In theory, no Ideal Org can open with a messy “CF.” We asked a former staff member what all this work accomplishes.
CF are “Central Files” and form part of Div2 of the org. Every person who has ever done a service or bought a book has a file in Central Files. The files are divided into 3 categories: Book Buyers, Div6 (these would be people who have only done introductory services such as the life improvement courses, Dianetics seminars and Dianetics auditing) and Div4 Training and Processing public (people who have done main org services like grade chart actions/auditing, major academy courses, and auditor training.
Information is kept in the file on which books were purchased, any mailings done to the person, copies of letters written to them, etc. In the Div4 files a list of all services completed by the person would be kept, also copies of letters sent to them, statements of account etc. All invoices generated in the org have a CF copy and all invoices are also filed in person’s CF Folder.
When computerized systems were introduced there was a CF system designed which is supposed to be an exact duplicate of the physical CF. Because LRH wrote the policy on a physical file being kept for every single person, the antiquated manual system is still maintained. The CF system on computer is a total disaster and CF is always a total shambles with backdated filing not kept up to date. One of the golden rules is that once a person makes it onto the CF of an org they are never removed. LRH wrote in a Policy that CF was 80 percent of an organization’s income – and thus crucial to the livelihood of all orgs.
One of the org’s most crucial stats is called BMO, or Bulk Mail Out and every week it is expected that thousands of mailing promo pieces are sent to people from the org’s CF. I would say that 80 percent of the mail does not reach its intended recipient due to wrong addresses, people moved, not interested etc.
The Letter Registrars’ job is to write letters to people in the org’s CF every week. There is a very specific policy of how this is done. A Letter Reg is supposed to pull the CF file, study it, then write a personal letter to that person encouraging them to come take their next step on the bridge etc. The org’s CF lists are printed out used several times a year to phone the public members to get them to attend upcoming events.
These CF volunteers are supposed to be pulling every single file, confirming that the address and telephone numbers are valid, updating the manual files and computer system. It’s laborious as the computer system is so outdated. They use DOS based operating systems running on the same Novell network platform as the telex and finance systems. There are apparently no qualified INCOMM staff that could write a more modern system.
In theory no Ideal Org may open until its CF is 100 percent “in PT,” or Present Time, meaning fully up to date. It’s a target that I doubt has ever been achieved by any Ideal Org to date. The systems don’t integrate, so when a public from one org goes to another to find a qualified auditor for a particular service, that guy is now added to the new org’s CF so now he will get the same mailing from two different orgs. Then he goes to Flag for services and the same thing happens again. A household can get dozens of copies of the same mailing, one for each member of the family, plus duplicate copies from numerous orgs, or with slightly differently spelled names that the system can’t identify as duplicates. When somebody complains about it, they can be threatened for having “CI,” or counter intention to org expansion because they are reducing the BMO statistic.
Johannesburg North has announced to members that they intend to open their Ideal Org in 2017, and have put out calls for new staff and volunteers to work on CF. It will be the third Ideal Org in the African continent, along with Johannesburg and Pretoria.
The new building was purchased in 2014 as an occupied office building, and renovations will be inexpensive compared to other Ideal Orgs in dilapidated historic buildings.
The Birmingham, England Ideal Org made a surprise announcement recently that renovations will start in 2017. It will be the second Ideal Org in the UK, joining London. The Pitmaston building dates to the 1930s, and was purchased by Scientology in 2008. In order to put their postulates in the physical universe, Scientology is displaying a gingerbread version of the building at the U.K. headquarters at Saint Hill.
Keep an eye out for calls to join staff or work on CF as the opening date approaches.
— Rod Keller
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Go here to start making your plans.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on January 2, 2017 at 07:00
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BLOGGING DIANETICS: We read Scientology’s founding text cover to cover with the help of L.A. attorney and former church member Vance Woodward
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GETTING OUR ETHICS IN: Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology’s system of justice
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