Boston was the org spoken of in such glowing terms by L. Ron Hubbard in LRH ED 339R-1:
They are proof — way back in the early 70’s (and written about by Hubbard in 1982) that a new building has nothing to do with expansion. Since Hubbard wrote thus in 1982 there have been exactly zero orgs in the world that have achieved St Hill size and remained so. Yet Hubbard claimed Boston had done it in the 70’s.
And they did it in the OLD building they had on Beacon St. They SOLD that because that one was not good enough (seemed like it was fine for Hubbard?). That was about 10 YEARS ago now. They bought and sold another building in the interim and have been operating out of a small second floor office in Quincy Mass.
Now they are going to do it for real. Apparently they have concluded that their problem is not enough building. And everything will magically go right with the right amount of square footage.
Amazing how the scientology world has bought (at great cost) Miscavige’s second greatest scam (the IAS is the first) DESPITE what Hubbard said — and even more so, despite what they see before their very eyes.
Unfortunately Scientology is getting a bit too much credit here…their office is actually up on the 3rd floor, which is sort of the top floor of an oddly renovated building with an atrium. It´s in the type of cheap office property that has government agencies (which have to seek the cheapest bids/offers) on the first two floors, and keeps the bathrooms locked so that you have to ask for a key at an office. And it´s so inconveniently located, way South of the central area where the org used to be, that it´s taken me a couple of years to carve out time on at trip to Boston to get by to check it out, which has probably hurt member participation over time.
When I went in earlier this year, and it had a very small reception area with a TV screen, that at the time was staffed by an older volunteer who seemed to be involved in a phone conversation about some other business. The very young staff member who came out eventually to talk to me, seemed to have little ideal of how to act with someone who came in off the street acting ¨curious¨ and asking the sort of questions anyone might when visiting a ¨church¨ – where´s the sanctuary, when are services, etc.
I checked property records recently, and they still didn´t seem to have closed the deal announced late this summer, to unload the abandooned historic Hotel Alexandra property that they bought over a decade ago and then decided was´t suitable, after another deal announced last year fell through. My guess is that following a pattern going back to at least the sale of the Apollo, they are being ¨unreasonable¨ and asking too much, not realizing that dealing with the ¨wog¨ business world is not like their captive internal market, and shooting themselves in the foot by sitting on something that´s costing them money and effort unnecessarily. Since they´ve let the property deteriorate but still seem to by trying to get out of it what they paid for it, apparently even in Boston´s thriving real estate market that´s unreasonable for a crumbling white elephant.
and on the theme of “how big is Scientology?” comparisons……..
this morning I have stumbled into the world of Ball Jointed Dolls – there is a whole culture/community involving dolls, and it’s morphed into the Asian anime stream and more…
Just musing through a Wiki article made me laugh as another comparison sprang into view…
“There is a sizeable international community dedicated to BJDs. The largest English language BJD internet community, Den of Angels, has over 43,000 members as of February 2016”
The ENGLISH speaking Ball Jointed Doll Community dwarfs our little cult by a long shot. Apparently these things have an even bigger Asian following.
In the world there are probably more kids crying right now with a pea stuck up their nose… than there are practicing Scientologists.
…………
The scn world IS a bubble, and we were totally deluded with how big and important scn was…and how we were “winning’ and taking over and making it happen. It’s like we were living in a house of mirrors…”see? all there is is Me…it’s all I see all around me”
I think that being drawn to..and somewhat preoccupied with How Big Is Scn Really… is part of the breaking lose and shaking of the head… again and again…as we break out of the bubble forever and see how drawn, boxed, and caged we were in our view of the world and all of our thinking.
We saw bubble walls …thinking it was the endless horizon.
I’m convinced that Miscavige chooses the buildings for ideal orgs based on expected future resale value, not on appropriate location for expanding Scientology.
it’s too funny Mike, once you understand classical rhetoric of the 3 means of persuasion, namely ethos, pathos and logos, why one can see in Hubbard’s birthday game ED directive, that’s all he did, persuade using the 3 means of ethos, pathos and logos.
“directive” meaning follow what I say, why this should happen, if you follow what I say. Everything in dianetics and scientology is pure what would Ron do.
LOL
LRH is a failure and admitted he failed,
DM is a failure as well.
Well, I can’t disagree with anything here, even many of the comments (apart from the usual nonsense from Jesuit George and the vitriol from Foster). Yes, the great change was late 1981 going on into 1982, added to by the donations scamming, unnecessary heavy ethics and Ideal Orgs nonsense.
I think that anyone who really knows anything about scientology has left.
The old building at 448 Beacon St., in the Back Bay neighborhood was a beautiful, if tired, building overlooking the Charles River. It has since been turned into very high-end condos. As an academy student in the 80’s and a bit in the 90’s, there might have been up to 20 people on course, a few in the basic course room, and perhaps half a dozen in the HGC. By the time I finally went back about 10 years ago to get back my money on account, the academy looked pretty empty and the refurbished auditing rooms had “vacant” signs on pretty much all the rooms.
The new location overlooks the Mass. Turnpike so I imagine they could put up a big sign for all to see. However, as an earlier comment mentioned, there’s no foot traffic. No chance of body routing a soul into the place. It’s an old office building. When I went in a few years ago it was obvious that it would need a ton of work to turn it into an Idle Org. Where will that money come from? I think there are a few (but not many) public with some money but they’ve already been likely milked to the hilt to buy this building and the previous Hotel Alexandra on Mass. Ave. (that was sold as not viable for an Idle Org). The only advantage of this building is that it would be back in Boston rather than the current org in the suburb of Quincy, Mass.
Contacts in the current Quincy location say that it’s dead, dead, dead.
To continue what I was trying to write earlier (i cannot seem to fix “spellcheck.” The wasband stopped over to by daughter’s house; entered without knocking & I jumped in shock to see him.. He looked pretty old (i am older & look it!) but not good. Iwas so upset to just she him standing there trying toact normal that i let hi have it. Once again it feel on dumb, stupid ears. I told him that all the millions he hs given went to Miscaviage & never to any “volunteer Ministers ” do good. He just looked as blak as ever. Never listened; never did, never will. Brain dead. I then said when he dies what kind of cemetary do the Sceintologists have??? Again: a brick wall. Why do I try? Because I had 27 years of my life with this fool; and it is difficult to believe we had a marrage
I was there before and during the command team. It did better without them as they brought in high duress
and terrible treatment of staff. I worked 80 plus hours a week for about $60.
After realizing OTs were no better off then I was, I left, blew, basically was set free!
Picture the SS in Nazi Germany and you have the command team!
Below is mentioned a couple of names, Captains etc in the Command etc. Would be interesting to make a list of them and hang them out. Just as is done with COB and the top in the Scn-Cult. And just as done with former KGB, SS and leaders in the Stalin, Hitler -Cult and other “Cult countries”.
Is it even possible to do in the Aftermath?
I think it can be overall good for the Healing and Disclosure and As-is-ness…
What does it matter what LRH says, the guy was a habitual liar who’s academic and war records confirm he was full of it. The man who claimed
he healed himself of war wounds took pain medication when in pain, was addicted to alcohol and cigarettes. He was kicked out of many countries, hid from the law in the US for years if not decades, was married 3 times and never helped to raise or support his children. The man who sold going up the bridge to obtain Super Powers and The Way To Happiness suffered from depression, died paranoid, alone, drugged up, friendless with long hair, a beard and long unkept nails ala Howard Hughes. His world wide followers wouldn’t fill half of a baseball stadium today. Today Miscavage takes advantage of the weak, the old and frail, the lost and desperate and those foolish enough to be attractied to status. As small a cult as $ci is it continues to destroy families and people financially and emotionally while spending countless dollars and PIs and attorneys and and the end of the day just like LRH is built on a mountain of lies.
Bingo
My understanding is that the guy who made it happen in Boston was one – Rick Kimmel. Typically to Hubbard and Micaviege he was later removed and disgraced. They are wondering why they fail.
Not even a painterly depiction can make that drab office building look Ideal. They should hire Thomas Kinkade to paint the picture.
i think Kinkade is dead…but that wouldn’t stop the cult from saying he joined them
yeah…at least in the beginning of this whole Upgrade Farce ..they were picking heritage buildings, beautiful old things to then fix up and turn into show pieces or whatever…..
these clunky office building things off the beaten path, with no charm or foot traffic, no darling neighborhood surrounding….
???
Huh?
I don’t get it.
and I don’t give to it!
🙂
I am not surprised. Scientology indoctrinates its adherents to be obedient. The multiplicity of nonconsensual hypnotic routines locks that in, while deleting, instead of enhancing, the followers’ ” self-determinism “. Do as your told, see what we tell you to see, clap and pay-while bending over, insouciantly, with your cheeks spread- on command, for the privilege of being enslaved, degraded, demeaned, lied to, and ecclesiastically fucked by Captain
Bouffant and his gang of lawyers and private detectives.
THE IDEAL SCAM-for 6 decades!
It apparently doesn’t matter what Hubbard said. I think david miscavige could change anything he wants, say it was what LRH really wanted and those still in would say, “Oh, Okay.” Would think, “What a load.” And would continue to belong to the church of scientology.
Why should it matter what Hubbard said? Hubbard also did it for the money, and could not care less about anybody else.
It doesn’t matter except scientologists like to say that the tech=Source=LRH.
…Mary…here’s a scaryish morning thought…..springboarding from this comment….
I was thinking and feeling how dead certain we were – the certainty in Scn .. was SO absolute… it was…like blood in the veins… LRH was right, LRH was always right in all things…the One True Stable Datum…. ..is LRH….
I have no certainty now. It’s all gone, the only thing I am “certain of” ..in a way… is that Scn is a total crock. And even saying THAT feels …unsteady. It’s like I can never be certain of anything ever again…
and maybe…
just maybe….
that level of certainty…in ANYTHING…is delusion?
I can look at the past and feel the totality of the certainty, I can feel the total emptiness of certainty …complete….for all things…. that I have now…. feel the vast difference…
There was such a comfort of certainty. Perhaps…that comfort is inherently a trap. Perhaps I should be glad for the emptiness of that comfort… and just continue to get used to it…
Life is painful without the certainty… but I’d rather have the pain and uncomfortableness than delusion.
I’ll take painful reality over deluded certainty.
This new building is in an industrial area on the fringes of Boston right alongside the Mass Turnpike. Can’t imagine there is much foot traffic to body route.
We need to go check it out when it becomes “ideal”!
I started on Boston staff in the early ‘70’s, BEFORE the org was at 448 Beacon St. It was in a building above a pizza place that was also on Beacon St, where it always seemed to be packed and bustling with activity. It was far from being upscale, more the total opposite. The auditing rooms were jury-rigged closet-sized cubbies, barely big enough for a little table and 2 chairs, and with no ceilings, where you could hear the person in the next room. And due to inadequate or non-existent AC, it was so hot that sweaty palms were the norm in session! If you showed up for a session just minutes late, you’d miss out because your spot would be filled by someone in the jammed lounge, hoping to get into session. The point is that conditions in the old org were bad – physical plant wise – but it was a very active org. We really needed a new space, and I got to be the first staff member to step into 714 Beacon St. when I was asked to meet the realtor for a first look. After our move to that location, we continued for a time having a lot of activity at the org. The current state of the org is an obvious testament to the cult’s degradation under the current regime.
Hey, Marti! Was Vince Whelton there when you were a staff member?
I had a call asking me to go to one of these fund raiser events, wayyyy too far away from me… and I happily made all the right noises into the phone about time and distance and all that….
and then, while I was on a roll, I started chattering about how busy I’d been with some recent things – going out to dinner and seeing some movies, popcorn and the nice winter weather coming on, good books to read and all my plans for brewing up a storm in the kitchen, thick rich stews and homemade rolls….
I remembered Aaron’s Vid…the one on telling SO members of how much fun one is having LIVING.
I am going to remember to add that type of stuff in… for any call I pick up.
I’ve no magic wand to get them to wake up… but maybe I can make someone…. yearn.
…
just planting some seeds….
🙂
Thanks, Mike.
I remind myself every day of how lucky I am to be out and to have a life to enjoy. It’s SO great to not be part of the fund raising madness and all the ugly pressure.
Rip I love that. Here’s hoping those seeds will sprout and grow! I truly believe in that moment of clarity. I know I’ve had those moments in relationships and other areas of life as well.
Where will this “big booming” org be located?
One has to stop “drinking the koolaid” before the light of truth will shine. DM’s debacle hides behind a bunch of lies.
The Boston Ideal Morgue Org is Ugly x One Billion. Commonwealth Ave, Beacon Hill & Beacon Street in Boston are all extremely sought after addresses & always have been. cob loves square footage and money money. Old Ghost Ron Loved money too but along with celebs that he wanted in Scientology, went after old money & pedigree also in my experience. Thank you Mike.????
Wrong will never be Right. Bad will never be Good. 2 + 2 will never = 5.
No matter who or what says so.
5.4%. If they want to be so accurate they need to bring that out to exact numbers. Bring in one of their OT power people and get it straight. Like 5.431964%. That is real power, NOT! At least when the cult folds miss cabbige can start a new business as real estate agent from his cell. Have people beatup if they don’t sign the sales contract, while his cell mates line up for more.
I worked on staff at Boston Org for 7 years from 1979-86, averaging about 33 cents/hour pay.
During the time I was there we never came close to achieving “St Hill size”.
Many times I had to check every bathroom in the entire building in hope of finding toilet paper.
There were many good people on staff, with the intention to help themselves and humanity, but the actual effect we had on civilization was very tiny. But we did assist Hubbard in accumulating hundreds of millions of dollars before his departure to Target Two.
Swear to Gawd….add this one line to the ruds section beginning the Leaving Staff Sec Check…and juuuuuuust maybe…you crack the case, he rips up his leaving R/F and puts his name back on the 3 basket system on his desk:
“was there no toilet paper?”
…………
overts section:
Did you hide toilet paper?
Did you lie about your stash of paper in your desk?
Have you raided someone else’s stash of toilet paper?
Have you felt guilty watching a public person enter the stall, knowing there was no paper?
feel free to add to this list. The C/S would.
So sorry LRH, I was there with the command team. Staff were not paid well. And the money to Flag? LRH demanded they pay more, which is why they paid a huge percentage. Income? Well, there was a millionaire on staff and when the GI was down — he would push it up with his own cash….
Thanks Nancy! Nice to see you here.
When you are in the bubble, either as staff or public, you get fed all the lies at the events every 2 or 3 months. You assume you are being told the truth and that the orgs are doing well, the world loves Scientology and there is great expansion, etc. It is only a very small percentage of staff that get a chance to visit multiple orgs, usually for recruitment. I had that chance which really helped to open my eyes. Boston was one of the orgs that I did visit and it was just another struggling mess.
Well, that poster makes it official. Moving up in status is now more important than moving up the bridge. So I guess there’s no need for anyone to take $cientology courses any more. Just send the $$$ to the IAS.
It seems like a new pattern is emerging in Scientology. The Flag Land Base is now surrounded by downtown Clearwater buildings purchased by a millionaire Scientologist from Mexico. The battle between Scientology and the City of Clearwater has taken an interesting twist. The City would not participate in Miscavige’s expansion plan. After the City voted for a huge highway restoration project, it seems that Scientology will benefit the most if the public can be lured onto Cleveland street where Tom Cruise is located in his condo. My strategy has been to establish an art center in the downtown area which shows the connection between Blavatsky and Hubbard in pictures. But by extension, it is obvious that the ideal orgs around the world will be surrounded by Scientology owned stores with Scientology TV on the walls. In the end, Scientology becomes a giant department store. So much for Hubbard’s ability to predict with his contracted mind. Cruise grossed $800 million on his last movie. So we have an affluent “religion” which does not even practice its most secret doctrine and refuses to follow Hubbard’s last minute reversals and purify bodies. This is the end. The contradictions are now the core of Scientology.
Fascinating George!
A giant department store! I like your way with words. They can name it Core Contradictions or Mall of Mirrors. (Sorry?)
I got into Scientology in 1968. I know a little about how the orgs became solvent. And the ED Mike posted was the way it was done per LRH till Mighty Miscavige decided it was no longer about human beings interacting with human beings. It was about gaudy physical trappings and slickly produced dissemination videos. I got that straight from David when he was just rolling out the program. That was about 20 years ago. How’s that working for you David?
It’s all about STATUS, pitched at people who have none of their own. At least, back in the earlier days, there was a semblance of greater awareness and, especially in the Grades, a sense of progress. 1981 appears to be the time when the downhill slalom really began. They actually got off pretty light with only a dozen or so higher-ups going to jail. There should have been many more.
And that goes double for the present time!
And the IRS bought the scam too.
I don’t think the IRS bought into it. From what I’ve read, they were sued and blackmailed into submission.
Ugh….leave Boston alone! Sigh.
Yo Dave,
Bout time to fire up yer ole See Ogre command team an git er done good buddy. An then ya better do up a fine video on how all the perps are winning and stuff.
Well, who are you going to believe, Hubbard or your own eyes? — a revised Chico Marx line.
Reminds me of a song.
Hey ramblin’ boy
Why don’t you settle down
Boston ain’t your kind of town…
This whole undertaking (pun intended) will indeed be a Boston Marathon but with no finish line.
I wonder about the long haul of these buildings with so few staff. Who’s paying the bill? The upkeep? I guess he could sell them some day? Weird…no stats just buildings.
…whispers….
I was staff…I wonder what it’s LIKE.
It’s awful to be in an empty org. I was used to being staff in an org of 35 or so staff… range from 28 to 43 and generally ran in the low/mid 30’s. This was Foundation org, nights and weekend org. When I would go into the org sometimes in the Day org, it seemed SO dead. They ran with 10 to 12 staff, and hardly any public, just a smattering.
It felt bad.
I moved about and visited orgs even smaller. I went on course when I was in those towns…in tiny empty academies when I was the ONLY student there….the sup had to twin me on drills…
Those tiny ugly orgs felt awful empty as well…..
I envision being staff in a huge new building.. all the hooplah, help and push now gone. … the org ebbs back to what it was before, and actually…even less …. because you lose people, LOTS of people …during the pushpushpushpush regging of getting the Ideal thing done….
rattling
around in big shiny empty org…
feeling in your bones that it’s your job to save the world and clear the planet……
empty
building…..
*shudder.
The notion that the Church of Scientology of Boston would fill that “Ideal” building with clients is just plain nuts. Like much of Scientology, where the capacity to hope is put on overdrive, reality is abandoned in favor of someone’s dream. At some level, maybe this purchase makes sense. Maybe Miscavidge needs to hide or invest money?
When the Church of Scientology of Boston struggled to get a dozen people in for an event how can building be a good idea. They wouldn’t be able to pay for the utilities. The COS Boston has virtually NO NEW CLIENTS and if anyone comes in with BIG MONEY, they get ripped off by FLAG.
The ex-Scieno community will have another large, expensive building to point to as an example of a wasteful, idiotic organization.
Obviously the problem in Scientology since 1982 is … Not enough booting of the interference off the lines … If I was Miscavige, my command to all the orgs would be … Boots, start walking ! …
This simply screams “anecdote”.
Members and staff are hypnotized and can’t see reality…Those “Flying under the radar” are forced to ignore reality.