Scientology has a history of infiltrating and assimilating into legitimate organizations.
In the past, it has influenced the National Foundation of Women Legislators, ALEC, and the Cult Awareness Network.
Last month, it was brought up that a Rotary Club in the San Fernando Valley was promoting Scientology's dangerous drug detox, Narconon.
This is not unusual. We encounter groups from time to time that are unaware of Narconon, its history and its links to Scientology. Most of the time, we (anonymous/chanology) are thanked by relieved representatives who were unaware of the Scientology connection.
This particular contact with a Rotary Club rep went a totally different way.
To be fair to the organization, I contacted their reps at state and national levels with a copy of this essay, asking for their input. No response.
So, here you go. You never know WHO you're dealing with these days!
Years ago, my parents would open their home for the holidays. This was back in the day where hard liquor and cigarettes were mainstays off parties. My folks had lovely ash tray and lighter sets around the house. The sideboard would glitter with light bouncing off intriguingly colored bottles of alcohol, twinkling in the lights from the Christmas tree.
My dad worked for the City of San Diego as head of the Water Department, so the guests would be nicely dressed, middle class folk. Many of the men, I recall, bore the Rotary Club pin.
To me, the Rotary Club has represented what is good about society, people helping others worldwide. They actually walk the walk, unlike some shady organizations who prey on people of goodwill.
This brings up the "church" of Scientology; a predatory organization which has been convicted of fraud in France and Canada. Their extensive website is not unlike that of the Rotary Club, with one glaring difference.
The Rotary Club actually does help people, while Scientology preys on them. However, the opportunistic corporation is quick to take advantage by infiltrating good organizations and perverting them to their cause. (Make money, make more money, make others produce so as to make more money. --L. Ron Hubbard)
A good example of this infiltration can be seen in this letter from Bruce Wiseman.
In it, he expresses joy at their success at infiltrating ALEC, and seeks money to join the National Foundation of Women Legislators, a group established in 1938, before Scientology was a gleam in its founder's eyes.
He writes, "A terrific opportunity has just arisen that will help us do just that.There is an organization called the National Organization of Women Legislators (NOWL), and as the name implies, this group is made up of top woman legislators from local, state and the Federal Government. Senators, governors, congresswomen and others are members of this group...Two years ago we started a similar project with the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). ALEC is a national organization made up of legislators from every state as well as some federal legislators who meet and draft "model Legislation" for every state. The bean return for that has been enormous! "
Scientology has many front groups designed to appear to address social issues. Look deeper, and you see that they all have ties to the Mother Ship, Religious Technology Center, Inc. This is the governing body of Scientology.
The front group representatives often deny a link with Scientology. "Based on the teachings of L. Ron Hubbard," they claim, conveniently ignoring the fact that their whole racket is based on the teachings of L. Ron Hubbard.
One particularly lucrative (and dangerous) front group is Narconon, Scientology's bogus "drug rehab" program. Narconons are staffed by newly clean addicts harvested from the graduating client base. Not only are their counselors unqualified and only certified by an internal Scientology front set up to certify Narconon counselors, they subject inmates to L. Ron Hubbard's quack notions of drugs, psychotherapy and physiology.
In the 1990s, Narconon's free drug education program was kicked out of California schools after a review board found it inaccurate, misleading and potentially dangerous.
There have been deaths. There have been overdoses, accidents with guns and rapes in Narconon facilities. This is a dangerous, fraudulent program that costs upward of $26,000-$30,000 dollars. An estimated 70% go on to practice Scientology.
What has this got to do with the Rotary Club?
The Rotary Club is exactly the type of legitimate, respected organization Scientology Inc. likes to associate with, in hopes that a relationship will lend them legitimacy as well.
The San Fernando Valley is heavily populated with Scientologists. Their main bases are Los Angeles and Clearwater, Florida, so it follows that these centers would have a high concentration of Hubbard followers.
The San Fernando Valley also hosts a Rotary Club chapter, including the new eClub concept. The problem with the eClub concept is that it is easily exploitable. And it is being exploited. The San Fernando Valley eClub has put up a Narconon promotional video.
Narconon is a dangerous, expensive fraud intended to recruit vulnerable people into the hamster-wheel life of a Scientology staff member. The Rotary Club should absolutely not be promoting it.
There are many critics of Scientology; free speech advocates, ex-members, people whose lives were negatively impacted by this self-proclaimed religion. We have been working to expose this organization for the totalitarian, destructive group it really is.
Of course, we were concerned that the Greater San Fernando Valley eClub was being used by Scientology to promote its fraudulent detox program. One of us left a comment on their YouTube site featuring the Narconon video, warning that Narconon is banned in California public schools and is a recruitment arm of the Scientology organization.
Mr. Mel Powell's response was less than satisfying. He wrote, "Whatever you feel, and you are entitled to your opinion, it is not OK to use our Rotary Club's YouTUbe channel to talk negatively about our information speakers or pursue a political agenda." and banned the writer.
Another writer received this response,
Subject: You're missing the point
"We're now going to trace your ISP and send more lawyers after you than you can count. You are also accusing one of our members, specifically, of a crime. This is called slander. He is also going to come after you with every lawyer on the planet. You might want to change ISPs very soon."
Mr. Powell's Facebook response, "
You will not use our Rotary Club page to promote your small-minded politics or you will be reported to within in inch of your Facebook account, and please advise your friend Dennis that if he starts putting more people up to doing this, the lawyers are coming next. Do not for a moment consider this to be an empty comment. You don't want any part of the mess that will come."
I find this a very odd response, as our concern was that Scientology has influenced the GSFV eClub. Apparently those concerns are real, because Mr. Powell seems very unwilling to even hear any criticism of their support and promotion of Narconon.
The situation breaks down quite simply. We saw a Rotary chapter promoting a con, and warned the organizer, who responded with threats and hostility. One might be tempted to conclude that the organizer is associated with Scientology, Inc.
It is inappropriate, to say the least, to promote the Narconon program through the Rotary Club. It is also inappropriate to respond with threats and hostility to someone who is only trying to protect the good reputation enjoyed by the Rotary Club worldwide.
It is a constant struggle to keep this covert, destructive and predatory cult from misrepresenting itself, from infiltrating good, established organizations and above all, spreading false and inaccurate junk science to the public. The Scientology organization likes to portray itself as a benevolent group similar to the Rotary Club, but the truth is, Scientology is Bizarro World Rotary. Bizarro World was an alternate universe in the Superman comics, where every day was Opposite Day as the world ran 180 degrees opposite of ours.
Clearly, Mr. Mel Powell does not want this story to spread. He thought he could silence us with threats.
Well, Mr. Powell, here's a clue for you. We are anonymous. We do not forgive. We do not forget. We will not be silenced. Expect us!