Oh joy, new photos of Dear Leader!
Scientology finally uploaded its press release and photo gallery from the return of the annual IAS gala to Saint Hill Manor in East Grinstead, England, the first time it’s been held there since 2019.
Scientologists who attended the three-day event were quick to post a lot of images of the venue, the other attendees, Tom Cruise, their meals, and even some of the musical acts that performed on Sunday night. But for some reason, they were very disciplined about not posting any images to social media of Scientology leader David Miscavige.
But now we can see at Scientology’s website images of C.O.B. giving his usual three-hour speech on Friday night, which was summarized in the press release, and listed these accomplishments that Dave was boasting about…
— Volunteer Ministers delivered 9 million hours of one-on-one help between 2020 and 2023
— 45 million humanitarian materials were distributed
— 29,000 new "partnerships" with government agencies were formed
— Scientology TV gained 20 million new viewers
— Church recognition and tax exempt status in Panama and Netherlands, and "house of worship" license in Greece.
Sounds impressive, to be sure, but as Marc Headley has explained in the past, these facts and figures were always exaggerated for events, so who knows.
Dave also handed out new Freedom medals to three OT 8s: Psych-buster Yuzuru Ogara of Tokyo, Drug Free World warriors Salomon and Lucy Dabbah of Mexico City, and tax exemption victor Giselle Lima of Panama City.
As for the Ideal Org program, Dave said four Ideal projects have been opened or are about to come on line…
An Ideal Org in Paris and a Continental Narconon in Africa are just about ready, and an upgrade to the Nordland (a Sea Org dorm, essentially) in Copenhagen was recently completed, and a new Central Qual unit was dedicated at Saint Hill itself. (This is the one that we believe Miscavige himself was scheduled to preside over, but sent out Erin Banks instead when Apostate Alex’s protest showed up.)
What, no Chicago? No Austin? Those poor Ideal Orgs have been sitting, completed but unopened, for years. When is Dave going to get around to them?
Anyway, Scientology uploaded various shots of Dave with the crowd, which we can see pretty clearly now is not more than about 2,000 people and nothing like the 6 or 7 thousand that Scientology usually claims.
And we were curious about who got to stand in the front row, and we figured you might want to help us identify those lucky folks.
Here is the entire front row, from left to right, with some of them named that we were able to ID.
Tom Cummins and Jim Bridgeforth are degulated electricity barons in Florida who have each given the IAS tens of millions of dollars.
Kathy Feshbach’s husband Matt was the first million-dollar donor in Scientology history, back in the late 1980s, and he was the first to get to try out the “Super Power” processes, years before the Super Power Building (a/k/a the Flag Building) was opened. Matt and Kathy also got dinged in a yearslong tax fight.
Alan and Shiela Atkinson-Baker have also given the IAS more than $17 million, and they have a court reporting business. (Cringe.)
Bodhi and Jenna Elfman were there because Jenna would be emceeing the Sunday night charity concert. Trish Duggan is Scientology’s most wealthy whale. She and her ex-husband Bob Duggan have given the church more than $300 million. And Nancy Cartwright, the voice of Bart Simpson, is one of the most hardcore of Scientology celebrities and has personally given the IAS about $17 million.
Moises Agami is a wealthy Mexico City developer who has many projects in Clearwater, Florida, including the bank building that he rehabbed as condos that include the double-floor penthouse for Tom Cruise.
Lots of Freedom Medal winners here. Help us ID them.
And even more here at the far right end. Recognize anyone?
Scientology also posted a nice photo of Jenna Elfman, who emceed the Sunday night concert. Doesn’t she look thrilled?
Well, Dave, you pulled off quite a party. And sure, you’re looking healthy for your 63 years.
Los Angeles, are you ready for Dave’s next big event, on December 16?
Chris Shelton is going Straight Up and Vertical
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As usual Miscavige likes to spout statistics that mean next to nothing.
“45 million humanitarian materials were distributed”(4500 rolls of toilet paper distributed and each individual piece in each roll is counted as a humanitarian material)
“ 29,000 new "partnerships" with government agencies were formed”(every Scientologist filing their tax return or getting a drivers license renewed is a new partnership)
“ Scientology TV gained 20 million new viewers”(actually people spending more than a minute on the channel to laugh their ass’s off, or watching a film from a clueless non-Scientology director, or what Direct TV says regarding numbers of their subscribers)
What utter meaningless dog excrement David spouts.
From the photos Tony posted I would guess the actual mental age of those attending is between 4 to 6 years old. They love BIG numbers and SHINY objects.
I was there once. Sad and sick.
Far be it for me to criticize anyone's fashion choice, but Trish Duggan's dress looks like it was ripped off of some over the top window treatment. Jenna Elfman's red dress looks like it was taken off some automobile cover. And that upalumpa in the red thing next to the Duggans looks like someone cosplaying a Willy Wonka movie. As for the $cieno statistics, reality never intruded into any of those numbers. Still, it looks like Miscavige got his moment in the klieg lights and his ego stroked. And the Whales got more loving and worship and regging.
All in all, everyone seems to have had a good time and they proved their fealty to the Niblet. As intended.