We were very happy we got the chance to catch up with Mark Plummer this week. Mark has been a friend to the Underground Bunker for many years, supplying us with killer documents that he took out of the Church of Scientology when he left it in the early 1980s.
Well … I’d forgotten all about Jack Dirham! For a few more “blasts from the past” I was the “Chief” SHSBC Supervisor from 1975 - 1978. Soon after I started, the price of the Briefing Course (BC) began to go up 10% every month until “some future date”. When that was announced, the BC (both Day and Foundation) grew — and all BC stats went up. Initial, the BC students could fit in one large room at the West Temple address, but with the monthly increase in price, we got to around 200 students. Central Files was moved make room for the “practical” section Mark mentions. The ED for ASHO day prior to Irene was Ira Chaliff (I think). The ED for ASHO Foundation was Carl Carlton. I don’t remember who the area secs were, although one of them was named Debbie. My senior (D of T?) was Nancy Norton (stepmother of Judy Norton Taylor). The D of P was Debbie Carringer, Rocky Stump was the Senior C/S, the cramming officer was Eddie King followed by a guy named Jim, who married a C/S named Linda. My first husband (Robbie Robinson, RIP)) was a Power Auditor, other auditors were George Carringer, John Pardee and his wife Vera, and Neal Pardee and his wife Marianne. I think the Qual Sec was Ron Pook (nicknamed Pooky), who married Debbie Carringer’s sister Becky (RIP), who also worked in Qual.
BTW, once the price increases stopped, the stats for the BC leveled out and income dropped. I think a mission was sent from Flag to find out WHY the stats had stopped going up ... as if stopping a monthly price increase wouldn’t have an effect.
I’ve forgotten too many of the names of people I cared about, including the students. But I remember Mark’s name, and can picture how he looked in the '70s: it’s also likely he was behind some of the paychecks I received which, for me as a non-SO staff member, was usually $80/month, but sometimes half or less that. So I had a day job too.
Many of the people I've mentioned are out and have been for years, and too many of them have passed away. Robbie Robinson and I split up so he could join the SO, where he met and married his long-time wife, Donna. They were in the SO for years before they routed out. After 30+ years of marriage, Donna passed from breast cancer and Robbie married Karen Livingston Scott who, as best I can tell, is still a scientologist.
Truthfully, I had fun at ASHO (for the most part) and might have continued if the decision hadn't been made to turn ASHO Day and Foundation into an "All Sea Org Org", meaning I had to leave if I wouldn't join the SO. That wasn't going to happen, so a replacement was found for me, meaning I'm one of the few people on the planet who didn't need to find my own replacement before I could leave my post ... and, at the time, I didn't want to go! But there you have it: the decisions of scientology's higher-ups has never been stellar. BTW, I left in 1986 after completing the False Purpose Rundown at Flag. (I found my purpose!)
Thanks to Mark for firing these memories off ... it was fun going back to those days.
Mark's eidetic memory has stirred thousands and thousands of other people's memories, which on the old chat sites caused countless other ex's to speak out.
Almost every one of his conversations I've ever read there are names of people who come up, which fills in spots in Scientology history.
He's a walking treasure trove, and eidetic memory for names and places, dates.
Good interview. Even though I was a little girl running around ASHO, I remember the names mentioned. Even Marks. Luckily never went to the Cadet Org. I was gone by then.
Well … I’d forgotten all about Jack Dirham! For a few more “blasts from the past” I was the “Chief” SHSBC Supervisor from 1975 - 1978. Soon after I started, the price of the Briefing Course (BC) began to go up 10% every month until “some future date”. When that was announced, the BC (both Day and Foundation) grew — and all BC stats went up. Initial, the BC students could fit in one large room at the West Temple address, but with the monthly increase in price, we got to around 200 students. Central Files was moved make room for the “practical” section Mark mentions. The ED for ASHO day prior to Irene was Ira Chaliff (I think). The ED for ASHO Foundation was Carl Carlton. I don’t remember who the area secs were, although one of them was named Debbie. My senior (D of T?) was Nancy Norton (stepmother of Judy Norton Taylor). The D of P was Debbie Carringer, Rocky Stump was the Senior C/S, the cramming officer was Eddie King followed by a guy named Jim, who married a C/S named Linda. My first husband (Robbie Robinson, RIP)) was a Power Auditor, other auditors were George Carringer, John Pardee and his wife Vera, and Neal Pardee and his wife Marianne. I think the Qual Sec was Ron Pook (nicknamed Pooky), who married Debbie Carringer’s sister Becky (RIP), who also worked in Qual.
BTW, once the price increases stopped, the stats for the BC leveled out and income dropped. I think a mission was sent from Flag to find out WHY the stats had stopped going up ... as if stopping a monthly price increase wouldn’t have an effect.
I’ve forgotten too many of the names of people I cared about, including the students. But I remember Mark’s name, and can picture how he looked in the '70s: it’s also likely he was behind some of the paychecks I received which, for me as a non-SO staff member, was usually $80/month, but sometimes half or less that. So I had a day job too.
Many of the people I've mentioned are out and have been for years, and too many of them have passed away. Robbie Robinson and I split up so he could join the SO, where he met and married his long-time wife, Donna. They were in the SO for years before they routed out. After 30+ years of marriage, Donna passed from breast cancer and Robbie married Karen Livingston Scott who, as best I can tell, is still a scientologist.
Truthfully, I had fun at ASHO (for the most part) and might have continued if the decision hadn't been made to turn ASHO Day and Foundation into an "All Sea Org Org", meaning I had to leave if I wouldn't join the SO. That wasn't going to happen, so a replacement was found for me, meaning I'm one of the few people on the planet who didn't need to find my own replacement before I could leave my post ... and, at the time, I didn't want to go! But there you have it: the decisions of scientology's higher-ups has never been stellar. BTW, I left in 1986 after completing the False Purpose Rundown at Flag. (I found my purpose!)
Thanks to Mark for firing these memories off ... it was fun going back to those days.
Mark's eidetic memory has stirred thousands and thousands of other people's memories, which on the old chat sites caused countless other ex's to speak out.
Almost every one of his conversations I've ever read there are names of people who come up, which fills in spots in Scientology history.
He's a walking treasure trove, and eidetic memory for names and places, dates.
Mark's description of the 'cadet org' is chilling. How can anyone hand their children over to that type of neglect?
I've posted a brilliant photo at the Bunker (Tony's .org website) of Mark (Warrior) and our Proprietor at an event in 2015. There is much beard!
Love you Mark! 😘
Good interview. Even though I was a little girl running around ASHO, I remember the names mentioned. Even Marks. Luckily never went to the Cadet Org. I was gone by then.
It's so great to see Warrior's face again. I can't wait for this! Another unsung hero.
I forgot about Ron Pook. He showed me photos of his honeymoon in Figi. I totally forgot his wife’s first name.
He was good to me. I recall he left for awhile but came back.
However by that time the GO had me only communicating with a few of their group.Yuck !