Scientology on the High Seas: Posing as Archaeology Students for the Sardinians

In November we started a new feature here on Fridays: the Voice has obtained hundreds of copies of L. Ron Hubbard’s previously unpublished “Orders of the Day,” which he gave to crew members as he sailed the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Our documents cover the period from late 1968 through 1971, and this time we’re looking at what was happening the week of March 18 through 24 during those years.

This week, L. Ron makes sure everyone has the cover story straight before stopping in at Sardinia…

1969

March 21: LRH makes sure everyone has the “shore story” correct…

SARDINIA

We have lots of contact at Sardinia. APOLLO was there as “THE ROYAL SCOTMAN’ in late 67 and got on well.

DIANA has been there as “ENCHANTER”.

ATHENA just came from there as “ATHENA”.

We were interested in a “dig” at the ancient city of Nora, so we have come this time, to look further into it and we are archaeology students serving as crews on these ships.

We are interested in ruins. We talk about them.

The Italians are very friendly people.

But our shore relations are to be very crisp, military. Very formal.

Lots of Italians speak English. “Sardo” is spoken in the north of Sardinia. It is really Spanish which owned colonies there.

We sure are interested in ruins — Archaeology is the study of the past as interpreted by bits and pieces of pottery, beads, skulls, graves, ancient structures. From these the type of civilization and custom is figured out. Anybody with a past life can figure out a lot from “a bit of pottery”.

The new Greek government, if anybody asks, is very mean to the people. The new government hates Italy. British and Communists everywhere. “The poor Greek people”. As for a girl disappearing, she was probably kidnapped by the government.

Archaeologists do camera work, climb hills, look at holes in the ground, ignore military installations, get mad at anybody moving stones or objects.

Reading a handbook on the subject helps.

LRH, COMMODORE

1970

March 21: Is there still time to add a volume to the new biographical encyclopedia — Ron: Veterinarian?

DAILY REPORT

Thank you for your Daily Report.

A flood of Birthday telexes just came in, arriving late. There were other Birthday parties held. Nearly every org and unit in the world has wished me a Happy Birthday — all very appreciated.

—

Vixie is okay. She was taken to the vet this morning. Her leg isn’t broken. It was a torn ligament.

Mary Sue gave her a touch assist last night. Vixie went totally anaten. The pain shock was in her shoulder and went up to her head which she for awhile refused to permit to be touched. The touch assist was done on both sides of the body (other leg too) and near and far areas. You wear thick gloves in giving a dog or cat a touch assist as they snap and scratch and disassociate.

The swelling went down and she came up to growl tone.

On return from the vet she got a bone and sat in the foyer where she could bark at people.

…

LRH, COMMODORE

1971

March 22: When you’re the only ones selling immortality, you can charge what you want!

PRICELESS

In looking over the value of returned FEBC teams to their orgs it turns out that the income rise of the org promptly exceeded the cost of the service received at Flag.

We are dealing with Admin Tech on Flag which is priceless. It would not be possible to set a value on it.

As for personal processing of the students, raised serenity, ability and immortality had no obtainability at all until we came along. These too cannot in fact be priced.

…

LRH, COMMODORE

AL BORNSTEIN DIST SEC FAO is hereby CAUTIONED per FSO 242R for continued Dev-T and hat dump resulting in overwork and extensive handling from Aide level.

Lt. Cmdr. Diana Hubbard

March 24: If the food on board sucks, it can only mean that the old man’s admin tech isn’t being followed to the letter…

GALLEY ORG OFFICER

Gene Juss is appointed Galley Org Officer, senior to the Chief Cook as a temporary solution to earlier non-compliances to repost these posts.

Section heads should be appointed in Div III FSO to stabilize the area.

A new 2nd Cook should be appointed to replace Gene Juss who will nevertheless act as Org Officer even if not replaced.

Failure to Org Bd, post and hat this area contirbutes to its quality deficiencies.

No FSO org bd is posted up to date and the galley org bd is months out of date as well as in the wrong form. This should be corrected.

Failure of HCO FAO to act does not excuse an org fro going off its org board or failing to post it as each org has an HCO person.

LRH, COMMODORE

…

At the wish of Capt. Mary Sue Hubbard, there will be no crew or student traffic in “A” Deck Foyer during the wedding ceremony this evening.

Therefore the area will be closed off at 1830 and re-opened at 2000, or earlier as may be suitable.

Traffic will be via galley to dining room, “B” Deck and “A” Deck during this time.

Limited traffic between “B” and “A” Decks (auditing and pc’s etc.) should occur quietly via the forward stairway.

Port Watch will have guards posted to re-direct any who forget or who miss this notification.

What’s this about a wedding? Ah, more about that next week!

BONUS 1970s AWESOMENESS

While L. Ron Hubbard plied the seas, back on dry land Advance! magazine was thrilling Scientologists with its tales of “OT Phenomena.” Those church members who had reached the higher levels of spiritual training shared their stories of superhuman powers with fellow dupes — er, enthusiasts. This excerpt is from Issue 25, August/September 1974…

Today I had more fun enjoying my newly regained ability to project intention.

I saw a branch about 20 feet ahead of me waving back and forth in a light breeze which seemed never to stop blowing.

With instantaneous intention, I stopped the branch from moving and the breeze instantly was hushed. I guess I was a little bit doubtful I’d really done it, so after the breeze again went into motion, I intended again that the branch stop moving and again it did straight away! It is fun to be able to “stop the wind.” — Carol Worthey

Stop the wind! Now there’s an idea. Funny how all the OTVIIIs in the world have never managed, somehow, to band together and, oh I don’t know, stop something like Katrina. Or that tidal wave in Japan. I guess when you have god-like powers, it’s enough to stop a twig from flapping in the breeze. Or something.

Please check in again tomorrow morning for commenters of the week, and then the next day for Sunday Funnies. We have several big stories brewing, but they do take a while!

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Tony Ortega has been the editor in chief of the Village Voice since March, 2007. He started writing about Scientology in 1995. You can catch his alerts at Twitter (@VoiceTonyO), at his Facebook author page, on Pinterest, a Tumblr, and even this new Google Plus doohickey.

New readers might want to check out our primer, “What is Scientology?” Another good overview is our series from last summer, “Top 25 People Crippling Scientology.” At the top of every story, you’ll see the “Scientology” category which, if you click on it, will bring up all of our most recent stories. As for our regular features, on Thursdays we do a roundup of world press, on Fridays we visit L. Ron Hubbard on the yacht Apollo circa 1969-1971, on Saturdays we celebrate the week’s best comments, and on Sundays we publish Scientology’s wacky and tacky advertising mailers that people send us.

As for hot subjects we’ve covered here, you may have heard about Debbie Cook, the former church official who rebelled and is now being sued by Scientology. You might have also heard about the Super Power Building, Scientology’s “Mecca,” whose secrets were revealed here. We also reported how Scientology spied on its own most precious object, Tom Cruise. (We wrote Tom an open letter that he has yet to respond to.) Have you seen a Scientology ad on TV lately? We debunked some of the claims in that 2-minute commercial you might have seen while watching Glee or American Idol.

Other stories have looked at Scientology’s policy of “disconnection” that is tearing families apart. You may also have heard something about the Sea Org experiences of the Paris sisters, Valeska and Melissa, and their friend Ramana Dienes-Browning. We’ve also featured Paulette Cooper, who wrote about Scientology back in the day, and Janet Reitman, Hugh Urban, and the team at the Tampa Bay Times, who write about it today. And there’s plenty more coming.