On Black Friday, Scientology has yet another way it wants your money!

We hope you don’t have to spend your day wrestling over hot deals at your local Walmart or something. Sure, Black Friday is a big day for retailers around the country, but the day after Thanksgiving can also be a day of relaxation and calm reflection as we get into the shank of our annual four-day autumnal break.

We might reflect, for example, on those less fortunate than ourselves. For example, the poor indentured servants slaving away in the name of L. Ron Hubbard at Scientology’s various locations, where the concept of a “weekend” is an alien one, let alone a “long weekend.”

One of our tipsters, a former Scientologist who is still on various mailing lists, forwarded us a posting this week from a private Scientologist Facebook group, where church members were encouraged to set aside some of the money they “flow” to the church for staff and Sea Org members for Christmas bonuses.

Wait, Christmas bonuses?

“I do recall a few times when I was lightly nudged to contribute to this,” our tipster told us, thinking back on their time in the organization. “I often felt sad for Sea Org members who I knew couldn’t afford gifts or a plane ticket home, let alone being approved for the time off. It’s just downright sad.”

Here’s the full message that was posted…

Hello from Saint Hill, "THE HOUSE OF RONALD"

"The VALUE OF SCIENTOLOGY STAFF"

Humanity and Scientology owe them a debt that can never be repaid.

They were and are good people, the best the earth has ever had. They work for a handful of money, they work hard.

They do their job and even though their name is not known. that doesn't change things. In the world are the important leaders who, with confident enthusiasm, always make Scientology win,

L RONALD HUBBARD.

HCO Info Letter November 1963.

"ESSENTIAL INFORMATION THAT EVERY SCIENTOLOGIST SHOULD KNOW."

*Staff Christmas vouchers have begun! Contribute to staff as you flow for services, materials and the IAS. Can you help us?*

LRH Says:

"Christmas bonuses were implemented by me for all staff in the world almost 20 years ago...

With this Christmas Bonus System, staff members have been given the opportunity to really increase their output and earn big Christmas Bonuses every year while creating augments in their Orgs."

L. Ronald Hubbard

HCO PL 8 Jan 1980, Staff Christmas Bonus.

(The Scientologist who posted the item was a Spanish speaker, which is why there is an emphasis on “Ronald” rather than “Ron” in the message. “Ron” is the word for rum in Spanish, so the Scientology founder is referred to more often with the full spelling of his name in Spanish-speaking countries.)

We’d love to hear from our regulars, who no doubt can give us chapter and verse on whether they contributed to Christmas Bonuses for staff in the past, or actually received them as employees.

As far as the scale of pay that we’re talking about, another correspondent was good enough to send us a W-2 they found this week as they were going through some old documents to throw out.

“I left staff a little more than halfway through the year, so if you double this you can see roughly what I was paid for 90+ hours per week, often as many as 120+ hours, and as one of the highest trained auditors in the Org,” they told us.

“They told me that I would fail in life if I ever left staff, but I proved them wrong by going back to school — and I graduated, making more than 10 times this.”

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A very special holiday greeting from Mike Rinder

Last night, Mike posted this message at his YouTube channel, and we thought you’d want to see it if you haven’t already.

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For the full picture of what’s happening today in the world of Scientology, please join the conversation at tonyortega.org, where we’ve been reporting daily on David Miscavige’s cabal since 2012. There you’ll find additional stories, and our popular regular daily features:

Source Code: Actual things founder L. Ron Hubbard said on this date in history

Avast, Ye Mateys: Snapshots from Scientology’s years at sea

Overheard in the Freezone: Indie Hubbardism, one thought at a time

Past is Prologue: From this week in history at alt.religion.scientology

Random Howdy: Your daily dose of the Captain

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