Profile: L. Ron Hubbard - Scientology founder

L. Ron Hubbard [March 13, 1911 - January 14, 1986] lived an extraordinary and adventurous life. Although best known as the founder of the Scientology religion, he was also a Master Mariner, Pilot, Photographer, Musician, Author, Explorer, Philosopher and much more besides.

He lived at Saint Hill Manor, East Grinstead, between 1959 and 1967 during which time he greatly contributed to the local community. He was the East Grinstead Road Safety Committee organiser, an East Grinstead Parade Marshal and he sponsored children's cycling competitions.

He was Vice President of the East Grinstead Horticultural Society and carried out revolutionary horticultural experiments at Saint Hill. He was also involved with and contributed to numerous community events and local organizations such as the St Johns Ambulance brigade and the Adeline Genee Theatre to which he was an original donor.

The East Grinstead community has profited enormously from Mr. Hubbard's decision to make East Grinstead the place to further his research on the mind and life. Countless visitors have come from all over the world to study his discoveries here since 1959 when Saint Hill was Mr. Hubbard's home.

A brief summary of his life reads as follows:

• At the age of 13 years he became America's youngest Eagle Scout.
• At George Washington University Hubbard studied Engineering, Atomic and Molecular Physics.
• In 1933, Hubbard led the West Indies Mineralogical Expedition which completed the first mineralogical survey of Puerto Rico.
• Hubbard's first fiction publication was in 1934 and in the next six years he completed 138 novels and short stories plus he wrote extensively for Hollywood.
• In 1940 he was elected a member of the prestigious Explorers Club.
• In 1941 he was awarded Master of Sail license for "Any Ocean''.
• During WWII, he took command of convoy escort vessels in the Atlantic and then submarine hunters in the Pacific. He received over 20 decorations during his military career. He had been injured in the war and his earlier discoveries helped him to cure his disabilities.
• In 1947-1948 Hubbard served as a Special Police Officer with the L.A. Police Department which gave him the opportunity to study the criminal mind. This led to the development of Criminon, the prison inmate rehabilitation programme, which is in use in over 750 prisons and has the support of Judges, Parole Officers and other penal system professionals.
• In 1950, he published "Dianetics, The Modern Science of Mental Health ", now the biggest selling self-help book of all time, with well over 17 million copies sold. Further research led him to the development of the Scientology religion.
• Hubbard's researches in the spiritual technology of the Scientology religion comprises over 500,000 pages, more than 3,000 recorded audio lectures and in excess of 100 films.
• As an author Hubbard has sold over 120 million copies of his works and is one of the greats of the Golden Age of science fiction. He was equally prolific as an author of western, adventure, romance and mystery.
• He developed a system of administration, which is used in over 35,000 companies world-wide
• He developed the techniques used by the Narconon drug rehab programme which has helped over 100,000 people to kick the habit in 37 residential centres across the globe.
• Hubbard developed a methodology of study, which is now in use by millions of school children in numerous countries with remarkable success.

Posthumously, Hubbard has been awarded numerous accolades such as:

• Los Angeles City Council have renamed a street in his honour "L. Ron Hubbard Way''
• The National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People has awarded Hubbard its highest honours
• Over 150 United States Mayors and Governors proclaim March 13 as "L. Ron Hubbard Day"

www.lronhubbard.org

Official Scientology News: ScientologyNews.org

Scientologists help organize peace march in Southern California

Scientology Volunteer Ministers participated in a peace march. The whole story is here:

Official Scientology News: ScientologyNews.org

Ideal Orgs

There have been nine Ideal Scientology churches opened this year. Nine if one year! When you walk through the new Church of Scientology of Los Angeles, you get the magnitude of what that means. Bottom line--anyone who wants help can come in and get it. That's pretty incredible. Coming up next are Pasadena, Seattle and a Mexico City church called ITD.

This is all thanks to the vision (and hard work) of David Miscavige.


Official Scientology News: ScientologyNews.org

KCAL 9—Inside the Church of Scientology

KCAL 9 visits the Church of Scientology of Los Angeles’ newly redesigned 64,571-square-foot property at the corner of Sunset Boulevard and L. Ron Hubbard Way.

Sharon Tay of the KCAL news team introduces the piece, saying: “The Church of Scientology is opening up tonight. There’s a newly rebuilt Church center in Hollywood where Scientology was founded and KCAL’s Dave Malkoff was invited to look around and ask questions.”

To watch the story, click here.

Official Scientology News: ScientologyNews.org

Los Angeles Scientology Church Reopens

The official reopening of the Church of Scientology of Los Angeles took place on Saturday. I think the reports of 6,000 people attending is much too conservative. There was no room to breathe at all. It was a glorious LA day--not a speck of smog. And the excitement surged through the crowd when David Miscavige walked on stage.

What I didn't know before was that this place isn't just important because it's the oldest Scientology congregation anywhere -- the first Scientology church incorporated in 1954; it's not just because there are more Scientologists here than anywhere on Earth. It's because in addition to serving the immense Scientology field of the greater LA area and the public of the community with its outreach programs and facilities, this is the Church where every Scientology executive on Earth will be trained and apprenticed. This is where new courses and programs will be piloted and exported to the rest of the world, and to make it perfect every detail was accounted for in the construction and furnishing of the Church and all the electronic systems throughout the org.

It is amazing, and it is well worth a trip to Los Angeles if you don't live here to come see what a Scientology Church is.

And you don't have to be a Scientologist to take advantage of these services. Everyone is welcome to come in and find out "What is Scientology?"


Official Scientology News: ScientologyNews.org

Scientology-sponsored Youth Group Brings Truth about Drugs to Los Angeles Thai New Year Festival

LOS ANGELES—The Los Angeles chapter of the Drug-Free Marshals, sponsored by the Church of Scientology of Los Angeles, joined the festivities of the Songkran Festival, the celebration of Thai New Year, getting kids to pledge to live drug-free lives.

Located just blocks from the heart of Thai Town, the Church of Scientology of Los Angeles joined this year’s Songkran Festival, the celebration of Thai New Year, by helping neighborhood children avoid the tragedy of drug abuse. Scientology volunteers distributed copies of The Truth About Drugs drug-education booklets and “swore in children” as Drug-Free Marshals, a program that encourages youth to pledge to live drug-free lives and help their friends and family do the same.

Thai New Year, celebrated each year in April, is a time of renewal, marked by lighthearted fun and enthusiasm. Several blocks of Hollywood Boulevard were closed to traffic and filled with hundreds of booths, offering a variety of Thai products including food and beverages, clothing and gifts. There were also booths from community programs including the Drug-Free Marshals.

“Every 12 seconds another school-age child experiments with illicit drugs for the first time,” said Noelle North, Outreach Program Coordinator for the Church of Scientology of Los Angeles. “Our aim with the Drug-Free Marshals is to reach children with the truth about drugs before they succumb to peer pressure or pro-drug false propaganda.”

The Drug-Free Marshals program was founded by the Church of Scientology International in Los Angeles 17 years ago. The non-denominational program has been adopted by individuals and organizations throughout the United States and in many other countries as well.

For more information on drug education and prevention programs of the Church of Scientology, visit www.scientology.org.

Birthday of Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard a Religious Holiday in Spain

Scientology event is broadcast to all Scientology Churches and Missions around the world in 16 languages.

Madrid—With the recognition of Scientology by the National Court of Spain in October 2007, the Ministry of Justice in December 2007 and the Ministry of Economy and Taxes in December 2009, the Foundation for Pluralism (Fundación Pluralismo y Convivencia) of the Spanish Ministry of Justice has added the birth date of Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard to its calendar of religious holidays.

Each year, the Pluralism Foundation publishes a calendar of religious holidays in Spain, including those of Christians, Jews, members of Orthodox Churches, Hindus and Baha’is. This year, the Foundation included the birth date of L. Ron Hubbard, March 13, with the following description: “Born Lafayette Ronald Hubbard in Tilden, Nebraska, USA, he is the philosopher and humanitarian who founded the Scientology religion in 1952. Every year, Scientologists celebrate the birthday of Mr. Hubbard with an annual summary of the impact, positive change and social betterment caused by the discoveries of Mr. Hubbard.”

On March 13, in Clearwater, Florida, thousands of Scientologists and their guests celebrated the legacy of L. Ron Hubbard at an annual gala celebration. In Spain the rebroadcast event is Saturday, March 20, at the Church’s national headquarters in Madrid.

New Scientology site!

The new Scientology site is terrific. What an upgrade!

It's much easier to search for the news you need. It has all kinds of videos that weren't available before, like international events, church grand openings.

And it's gorgeous too. Very 2010

Scientology Church in Milan and Human Rights Association of Italy Help Build Schools in Ghana

On January 6, 2010, Annalisa Tissoni, President of the Church of Scientology of Milan, and Fiorella and Gaetano Cerchiara, President and Director respectively of the Association for Human Rights and Tolerance of Italy, presented a special gift to the village of Twewaa—a new school. With the opening of this school, the second sponsored by Italian Scientologists, the children of the village gained an important human right, as stated in Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights—”the right to education.”

The Twewaa school opening ceremony included speeches by village Chief Nana Somua Nyampong II, Assembly Member Paul Adarkwah, and Chief Executive of Kwahu South District Assembly, Samuel Asomani.

“We involved the community in every aspect of the planning and construction of the school because it belongs to them,” said Ms. Tissoni. They also hired local companies and artisans and purchased all raw materials for the construction from local merchants, as well as school supplies, clothes and shoes for the children and classroom furniture.

The project began three years ago when an educator in the Ghana capital city of Accra needed additional funds to complete the construction of a school. He invited Ms. Tissoni and Ms. Cerchiara to Ghana, and when they saw the need, they immediately decided to help. With funds raised by the Milan Church of Scientology and the Association for Human Rights and Tolerance, the construction of the Untoma Oxford International School was completed, opening in August 2008 with some 300 children enrolled.

When the Untoma Oxford School was completed, Tissoni and Cerchiara visited outlying villages and chose Twewaa as their next project. With the Twewaa school now opened, they are focusing on their third project, a school in a nearby village in Eastern Ghana, scheduled to open before the end of 2010.

“We have taken on this project because education is a basic human right and a vital component to creating a better world,” said Ms. Tissoni. “Our Church is very much involved in promoting human rights awareness. Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard said ‘Human rights must be made a fact, not an idealistic dream.’ By helping to build these schools, we are enabling the children to create a better future for themselves and their communities.”

To learn more about the human rights initiatives of the Church of Scientology, visit the Scientology website at www.scientology.org.

Australian Scientology members Fight Human Trafficking

Scientology volunteers demand effective action to knock out modern slave trade. Australia is the destination country for victims trafficked from East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Eastern Europe, says U.S. State Department.

Scientology Volunteers in Sydney circulated a petition at Sydney Town Hall November 16, calling for mandatory human rights education in Australia to eliminate human rights abuses. One of the worst abuses is the criminal practice of human trafficking in the country. As many as 27 million are enslaved in the world today according to the United Nations, earning perpetrators upwards of $34 billion Australian annually. Some estimate half of those trafficked come from Asia-Pacific and that at least half of all victims are children.

According to the US State Department’s Trafficking in Persons Report for 2009, despite major strides by law enforcement, Australia is the destination country for many of the victims trafficked from East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Eastern Europe, particularly the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of Korea, and Thailand.

Members of the Church of Scientology of Sydney held Monday’s petition signing because they believe Australians would never stand for human trafficking and other human rights abuses in their country if they knew of it.

Scientology Churches around the world sponsor the largest non-governmental information campaign the world over, which has made the Universal Declaration of Human Rights known to more than 900,000 people through public service announcements, booklets and petition drives.

For more information about the Church of Scientology human rights initiative visit the Scientology web site at www.scientology.org.

Scientology materials

The materials of Dianetics and Scientology comprise more than 35 million spoken and written words of the religion’s founder L. Ron Hubbard. Scientology is an applied religious philosophy and is the spiritual cornerstone for millions of people across all continents. At the heart of this fastest growing religious movement on Earth today is an absolutely unique view of man as an inherently spiritual being — intrinsically good, immortal and omnipotent.

Thousands of new people discover Scientology each week and take their first step toward true spiritual freedom, while hundreds of new Scientology organizations open doors to meet the ever-increasing demand for

Mr. Hubbard’s technologies. Scientology has become the most broadly inclusive movement to emerge in the 20th Century, embracing people from all walks of life, from every denomination and every faith.

Scientology Members in SoMa Gain from Reading Hubbard Books

Eight Years After Tom Cruise, Jenna Elfman and David Miscavige Helped Cut the Ribbon the Scientology Mission of SoMa is Still Thriving

The Scientology Mission sponsored by Jenna Elfman in the SoMa (South of Market) district of San Francisco gained prominence in 2001 when Tom Cruise showed up to help cut the ribbon along with Church leader David Miscavige.

Elfman took on opening the Scientology center to do something effective to counter the fear and despair spawned by the World Trade Center terror attacks.

Eight years later the mission is thriving, with many Scientology members taking courses on L. Ron Hubbard's books and recorded lectures, which they describe as helpful, indispensable, and most revealing, in testimonials on the Scientology SoMa Blog.

One man described how he learned to "accomplish miracles from a seminar on the Dianetics book," and he's looking forward to "easing the troubles of family, friends, and the society at large."

Describing a course on the book The Way to Happiness, a Scientology member wrote: "It made me realize that even though life can get tough, it doesn't mean that when you fall down that's the end of the road. You get up and keep going."

The Scientology Mission of SoMa is located at 566 Folsom Street between 1st and 2nd in San Francisco. It is open 1:00 PM - 9:30 PM Monday through Friday and 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Saturdays.

For more information call (415) 243-0322 or email soma@scientology.net.

Rolling Stone Beck Retrospective

Scientologist, Beck, is featured in this rock & roll retrospective on Rollingstone.com:



Exactly a month from today marks the 10th anniversary of Beck’s Paisley Park-inspired classic Midnite Vultures. In our effort to find a Flashback video worthy of the album’s tenth birthday, we stumbled upon the above clip — recorded for the French program Nulle Part Ailleurs on April 1st, 2000 — of Beck performing “L’Anamour” with actress Jane Birkin, the cover girl who played the title character on Serge Gainsbourg’s Histoire de Melody Nelson.

David Miscavige Hosts Internationa Association of Scientologists 25th Anniversary

This was no ordinary "tent" -- David Miscavige hosted and more than 6 thousand Scientologists gathered last weekend to celebrate 25 years of accomplishment since the forming of the International Association of Scientologists.

Amazing who far we've come.

Makes me so proud!

Scientology Volunteers Help Victims of Sumatra Earthquake

Australian Scientology Volunteer Ministers bring spiritual first-aide to survivors of devastation in southern Sumatra.

Scientology Volunteer Ministers arrived in Indonesia the day after the September 30 earthquake left more than 1,000 dead and half a million homeless.

The Australian Scientology Volunteer Ministers who traveled to Padang, 28 miles from the epicenter of the magnitude 7.9 earthquake, are no strangers to disaster. They are veterans of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the 2007 Yogyakarta tornado and the 2007 Java quake. But even they were challenged by the enormity of the devastation they encountered.

Here is an account of their first day:

In Padang, 28 miles from the epicenter of the magnitude 7.9 earthquake, they started in Chinatown, left in shambles by the disaster. There, in a medical tent, the Scientology Volunteer Ministers showed the doctors and nurses how to provide Scientology Assists and gave them copies of an instruction booklet. Assists are procedures developed by L. Ron Hubbard that provide relief by addressing the emotional and spiritual factors in stress, trauma, illness and injuries.

A nurse said “So, you can give relief using no drugs and no medicine? This is really needed. We all need to know this!”

On to a Chinese temple serving as a shelter for those whose homes were destroyed. The volunteers met the head of the medical clinic who had relocated his operation to the temple’s basketball court when the earthquake destroyed his offices. He could not keep up with the flood of people who had come to the temple for help so the Volunteer Ministers went to work. They set up tables to provide Scientology Assists and chairs where others could sit while they waited their turns.

As lines of people received Assists and word of the physical and emotional relief spread, and the lines grew longer, the volunteers decided to train those waiting how to give Assists to each other. Their mission accomplished at that location, the Scientology Volunteer Ministers took their leave and moved on to a hospital where they could give assistance.

As they drove on through the city, they saw the eerie capriciousness of the earthquake. A three-story building leaned precariously over its neighbor’s home. Another building looked untouched until they saw that one wall was missing entirely. One house stood with every room exposed to view, a snapshot of a family no longer there.

The first hospital they found was completely destroyed. The next, a private hospital, was still operating despite damage. There, on the steps, a woman holding a baby was crying uncontrollably—her brother was inside dying because she didn’t have the 125,000 rupiah to buy what he needed from the blood bank. The Volunteer Ministers paid for the blood—$15 to save a life.

The volunteers moved into the wards and started giving Scientology Assists to injured patients while others explained the procedure to the nurses and taught them how to give Assists.

One man whose leg was completely numb received an Assist. When it was over, not only was the feeling in his leg restored, but his huge smile attested to the fact that the pain that had wracked the rest of his body was gone as well.

Concrete had crushed another man’s leg, breaking it in dozens of places from knee down to foot. The doctors had inserted metal rods into his leg. Blood was seeping out into the freshly bandaged wounds and he was writhing in pain. By the time his Assist was done he was calm and relaxed, and he smiled when he said, “I feel good… I feel good!”

Another man, whose entire body had been injured, was traumatized to the point of complete unresponsiveness—it appeared he could not hear or speak at all. The Scientology Volunteer Minister explained what she was doing with impromptu sign language and began the Assist. At first he didn’t appear to notice anything, but gradually he began to respond and in the end he was smiling.

As Day One in Padang drew to a close, the Scientology Volunteer Ministers met a team from the Indonesian Red Cross who had booked an extra hotel room where a bucket served as shower at the end of a long, hot and dirty day they will never forget.

Freewinds Refit

When David Miscavige announced the plans for the full renovation of the Freewinds, I don't think anyone could have imagined what it would look like when done. It is really magnificent!

David Miscavige Dedicates the Ideal Org in Sweden

Guests from 32 nations attended the grand opening of the new Church of Scientology in Malmö.

Just two weeks after presiding over the opening of the fully restored Fort Harrison retreat in Clearwater, Florida, Mr. David Miscavige traveled more than 5,000 miles to formally open the new European Church of Scientology in the Swedish seacoast city of Malmö. Those in attendance hailed from 32 nations, including Britain, Belgium, France, Germany, Russia, Israel, Iraq and Uganda. They gathered to celebrate a historic day: dedication of the 72,000-square-foot landmark Church of Scientology, acquired, designed, renovated and opened in less than six months.

The Chapel is used for Sunday Services, weddings and all other Scientology ceremonies, as well as seminars and local community events.

Among those present to honor the occasion were European dignitaries including Dr. Iva Parizkova Ryggestahl, Human Rights Activist and Vice-Deputy in the Swedish Parliament; Dr. Adly Abu Hajar, Director General of the European Islamic Conference, a group of Muslim leaders of 33 nations; Dr. Gunnar Bramstång, Distinguished Professor of Law, Dean of the Lund Law faculty and author of groundbreaking human rights legislation; and Dr. Bertil Persson, renowned educator, Professor of Religion, and Permanent Representative at the UNESCO University for Peace.

The day was further distinguished by Mr. Miscavige dedicating this new Church in the name of a better tomorrow:

“Our ability to uplift generations with Study Technology, our ability to eradicate drug abuse and awaken populations to the inherent moral decency within them—all this is now possible on a previously unimaginable scale.

“So, yes, today is truly just a beginning and, forever after, let us mark this day for freedom, for Sweden, and for all eternity.”

Mr. Miscavige, joined by the other honored guests, then cut the ribbon, officially marking a new era for Scientology in Sweden.

Scientology Volunteers Help Cope with Record Flooding

The Scientology Disaster Relief Team is on site with emergency workers and flood victims helping bring order and relief in the aftermath of Typhoon Morakot.

Southern Taiwan is experiencing its worst flooding in 25 years from Typhoon Morakot and Scientology Volunteer Ministers are helping with urgent services and care of flood victims.

The Volunteers relief efforts are concentrated on getting food to the victims, as well as providing support to emergency services personnel and trauma relief. When officials coordinating the relief effort requested food as the first priority, the Scientologists immediately arranged for 3,000 loaves of bread to be brought to emergency shelters.

In the regions of Bu-Dai and Dun-Shi, the Volunteer Team also provided and taught Scientology Assists—simple procedures developed by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard, that help overcome the emotional and spiritual side of trauma that accompany injury, stress or shock.
Emergency workers also receive Assists to help them remain alert and effective through lack of sleep and extreme stress.

In Chai-Tung, one of the worst hit flood areas, Scientologists and other volunteer groups are serving 200 victims at an evacuation center and a vocation school, while anticipating the arrival of another thousand refugees.

For further information on the Volunteer Ministers and their work, go to VolunteerMinisters.org or the Scientology site.

Scientology YouTube Video Channel Launches Meet a Scientologist Videos

The Church of Scientology International is launching a series of testimonial videos on its official YouTube Channel called "Meet a Scientologist," which showcase the lives and careers of everyday Scientologists. YouTube users will be able to view 50 videos to start, with 100 more videos scheduled to follow in the upcoming months as part of the Church's continuing efforts to expand its presence in the world's largest online video community.

Meet A Scientologist YouTube Videos

The "Meet a Scientologist" videos, which were shot on location, focus on individual Scientologists who explain how the religion has helped them, whether by teaching effective communication skills, learning to be confident in their abilities, or generally improving their life. Videos highlight members of Scientology from all over the world and all kinds of professions, including doctors, educators, inventors, athletes, actors, musicians, students, photographers, business owners and more.

These new videos are based on one of the core principles of the Scientology religion. L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Church of Scientology, discovered that understanding is composed of affinity, reality and communication. With the conviction that this applies to any aspect of life, the Church of Scientology seeks to increase understanding of Scientology and Scientologists by applying this principle to online video, while at the same time, providing information through personal stories.

A pioneer and leader in the online religious community, the Church of Scientology was the first religion to create its own official YouTube Video Channel in April 2008, with 82 broadcast-quality videos comprising nearly three hours of content in a unique video player. To date, it has been seen by over 2 million visitors. The Church of Scientology has also launched an online public information campaign with 30 and 60-second flash presentation conveying the essence of Scientology. These spots address the most fundamental questions people ask about life--questions for which Scientology has effective answers.

To watch the new "Meet a Scientologist" videos, visit the Scientology Video Channel on YouTube at video channel at http://www.youtube.com/ChurchofScientology.

Church of Scientology of Cincinnati Help Kids Make the Right Decision about Drugs

Cincinnati kids helping kids decide to be drug-free.

The Church of Scientology of Cincinnati sponsors a chapter of the Drug-Free Marshals, where kids help other kids learn the truth about drugs and make informed decisions to stay drug-free.

For the past 16 years, Scientology churches around the world have sponsored Drug-Free Marshals chapters. The Marshals pledge to live drug-free lives and help their friends and family make the same decisions.

With the recent publication of statistics showing use of alcohol and marijuana in Cincinnati to be down by 33%, young Cincinnati Scientologists are proud of the work they have done to help accomplish this result.

L. Ron Hubbard wrote, “People mistakenly believe they ‘feel better’ or ‘act better’ or are ‘only happy’ when on drugs. This is just another delusion. Sooner or later the drugs will destroy them physically.” The Drug-Free Marshals of Cincinnati distribute booklets with the truth about drugs to help kids avoid the tragedy of drug abuse and addiction.

For more information on the work the Church of Scientology does to combat the drug problem, visit the Scientology web site.