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Commodores Messenger Book I by Janis Gillham Grady

Free to shine

Shiny & Free
My copy arrived, that was a pretty quick trip from the US.

10 pages into the story and the tears came. Although I wasn't part of that particular and unique environment (my brother was) there were of course similarities at Saint Hill. What struck me so hard was a reminder of the arbitrary and abusive betrayals which were and are so common. But mostly the fact that innocent children and young adults were, and again are, treated so appallingly. It just breaks my heart.

Beautifully written Janis, I'd better get back to reading.
 

tr8theta

I Love Kitties
Hello Janis Re: Commodores Messenger Book I by Janis Gillham Grady

Commodores Messenger Book I, A Child Adrift in the Scientology Sea Organization by Janis Gillham Grady

re: My mother was Yvonne Gillham-Jentzsch, the founder of Celebrity Centre for the Church of Scientology

Hello Janis
Just reaching out to say hello to those I personally knew or at least knew of during my length of stay aboard the Apollo from 1971 to 1975. You may remember me best as one of the Apollo Star Musicians, Tom R. I look forward to reading your book. Your mom Yvonne was a sweet, loving wonderful person! Once when I was Mimeo Files I/C on Flag she came down to get some policy copies and she commented to me "These are the most complete files I've ever seen!" Sure made me feel good.
Once your sister Terri came down to the files and I don't know what possessed me to do so but I just went right up and kissed her on the lips and she remarked "Gee, I didnt know you had it in you!" LOL

I'm married 32 years, have two children a son 20 and a daughter 27. Oh yeah and 11 cats and two pit bulls!

Warmest Wishes to you all. Hope to hear from you.
Tom R:eyeroll:
 
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janisgrady

Patron
Re: Hello Janis Re: Commodores Messenger Book I by Janis Gillham Grady

Commodores Messenger Book I, A Child Adrift in the Scientology Sea Organization by Janis Gillham Grady

re: My mother was Yvonne Gillham-Jentzsch, the founder of Celebrity Centre for the Church of Scientology

Hello Janis
Just reaching out to say hello to those I personally knew or at least knew of during my length of stay aboard the Apollo from 1971 to 1975. You may remember me best as one of the Apollo Star Musicians, Tom R. I look forward to reading your book. Your mom Yvonne was a sweet, loving wonderful person! Once when I was Mimeo Files I/C on Flag she came down to get some policy copies and she commented to me "These are the most complete files I've ever seen!" Sure made me feel good.
Once your sister Terri came down to the files and I don't know what possessed me to do so but I just went right up and kissed her on the lips and she remarked "Gee, I didnt know you had it in you!" LOL

I'm married 32 years, have two children a son 20 and a daughter 27. Oh yeah and 11 cats and two pit bulls!

Warmest Wishes to you all. Hope to hear from you.
Tom R:eyeroll:


Tom - good to hear from you! Its been a long time. I didn't know the story about you kissing my sister. I will be seeing Neil in Feburary.

I have a 26 yr old son, I was pregnant with him when I escaped and a 23 years old daughter. Drop 10 off the number of cats - I only have 1. I had a beautiful black lab for 15 years but she moved on a few months ago.

If you haven't gotten my book yet, I suggest you do, I think you will like it.

Best to you, Janis
 
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janisgrady

Patron
My copy arrived, that was a pretty quick trip from the US.

10 pages into the story and the tears came. Although I wasn't part of that particular and unique environment (my brother was) there were of course similarities at Saint Hill. What struck me so hard was a reminder of the arbitrary and abusive betrayals which were and are so common. But mostly the fact that innocent children and young adults were, and again are, treated so appallingly. It just breaks my heart.

Beautifully written Janis, I'd better get back to reading.

Glad to hear it arrived and you immediatley dug into it. There are some laughs in it too!
 

tr8theta

I Love Kitties
Re: Hello Janis Re: Commodores Messenger Book I by Janis Gillham Grady

Great to hear from you...thank you for caring to reply:yes:
Um...are you jesting with me Janis, LOL because I am very sure that I did NOT ever knock on your cabin door to express anything... much less my love. In fact I was rather fearful of you CMO girls especially since you had a direct line to LRH...so I kept my distance. Doesn't mean I didn't have a crush on a particular CMO girl:eyeroll: ...but I ain't gonna say who.
Do you mean Neil Safarti? I saw him awhile ago...our little Apollo Stars reunion!
I definitely want to read your book. I assume it gives the reader an in depth look at what your life was truly like as a CMO member. There must be so much that went on behind the scenes with LRH that we didn't know was going on nor were privy to.

I can't believe all that has happened since I left Flag...so much controversy.
If you reply can you please tell me how to send a private message to someone here. Thanks.
Give my regards to Terry and ask her if she remembers what I told you.
Best Wishes:eyeroll:



Tom - good to hear from you! Its been a long time. I didn't know the story about you kissing my sister, I thought you were going to tell the story of when you knocked to my cabin door and expressed your love for me. lol I didn't know how to respond but I did thank you before closing the door on you. I will be seeing Neil in Feburary.

I have a 26 yr old son, I was pregnant with him when I escaped and a 23 years old daughter. Drop 10 off the number of cats - I only have 1. I had a beautiful black lab for 15 years but she moved on a few months ago.

If you haven't gotten my book yet, I suggest you do, I think you will like it.

Best to you, Janis
 

janisgrady

Patron
Re: Hello Janis Re: Commodores Messenger Book I by Janis Gillham Grady

Sorry tr8theta I have no idea how to send a private message on here. If you are on Facebook, look me up there and PM me so I can give you the contact information.
 

TrevAnon

Big List researcher
Re: Hello Janis Re: Commodores Messenger Book I by Janis Gillham Grady

Sorry tr8theta I have no idea how to send a private message on here. If you are on Facebook, look me up there and PM me so I can give you the contact information.
Click on the button "Private messages" in the top menu, then choose send new message from the menu on the left. :)

Or click the name of the person and chose the item to send a pm. See below (click to enlarge)

Naamloos.png
 

tr8theta

I Love Kitties
Re: Hello Janis Re: Commodores Messenger Book I by Janis Gillham Grady

Sorry tr8theta I have no idea how to send a private message on here. If you are on Facebook, look me up there and PM me so I can give you the contact information.

Hi there again. I learned that you left click on the user's name and a window drops down inviting you to send a private message, read their forum posts in succession and other stuff.
TR
 

tr8theta

I Love Kitties
Thank you cakemaker.

Book 2 is pretty much written and goes from the end of book one Oct 1970 until Oct 1975 when we all move off the ship to America. I need to add a few things here and there that I have since remembered. So that won't be too long, but book three which will cover Sept 1975 on will be much longer as I haven't even
started it. It has taken me three years just to do the first two books! So don't hold your breath for book three.

Hi Janis
Just wondering - is there anything in book 2 about The Apollo Stars?
Tom Rr
 

CommunicatorIC

@IndieScieNews on Twitter
September 3, 2017: Center for Inquiry Los Angeles - Commodore’s Messenger: A Child Adrift in the Scientology Sea Organization

http://www.centerforinquiry.net/la/...er_a_child_adrift_in_the_scientology_sea_org/

ExcDZ34.png




* * * * * BEGIN EXCERPT * * * * *

Commodore’s Messenger: A Child Adrift in the Scientology Sea Organization

Starts: Sunday, September 3rd 2017 at 11:00 am

Ends: Sunday, September 3rd 2017 at 12:30 pm

Location: Center for inquiry - Los Angeles, 4773 Hollywood Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90027

Scientology Founder L.R. Hubbard has been dead for over 30 years now, but many of those who knew him are still around. Case in point: Janis Gillham Grady.

Janis's mother, Yvonne, founded Scientology's Celebrity Centre and was married to Heber Jentzsch, President of the Church of Scientology International. Her father, Peter F. Gillham, was known as one of the top lecturers on the subject of Scientology in the 1970s.

In the mid-1960s "the Gillhams" were regarded as Scientology's first family in Australia. But when Scientology was banned in the Australian state of Victoria, Janis's family moved to England and eventually lived aboard the Scientology ship, the Royal Scotsman (later the Apollo), where she became an original Commodore's Messenger for L. Ron Hubbard.

Over the next 11 years she spent six hours or more nearly every day with L. Ron Hubbard until he went into hiding with fellow Commodore's Messengers, Annie and Pat Broeker. Hubbard passed away in January 1986.

Janis's book, Commodore's Messenger: A Child Adrift in the Scientology Sea Organization, comes from the earliest days and the epicentre of Scientology's Sea Organization. As one of Hubbard's messengers, she was privy to all his moods and was intimately familiar with everything happening on board the ship as well as throughout the Scientology network.

Please join us for a fascinating, super-insider look at a Scientology even Leah Remini couldn't imagine.

General admission: $8
Students: $4
Planet Level Members (& higher) FREE

* * * * * END EXCERPT * * * * *
 

#1Son

New Member
Commodores Messenger Book I, A Child Adrift in the Scientology Sea Organization by Janis Gillham Grady

Expecting to be released in July 2017.

I'm guessing the book must be out by now. Any chance you regaled the public with the stories of how Commodore's Messengers abused the messengers in training? How they "sentenced" a child of fourteen to the Apollo Chain Locker because she'd been seduced and raped by a 19-year-old? How they tried to break the spirit of a positive, hopeful, but naive child by putting her under a non-communications order and forbidding her to speak to anyone? How they sent her back to the states with $10 in her pocket, stole her passport, emptied her suitcase of her belongings under the false pretense that she had stolen her own things, and sent her back to LA where no one knew she was coming? Guess Ill have to read it to find out.

I guess a few of us from the Flag era ought to get busy writing our books about the craziness that went on long before Miscavige came along. He's not the only Devil SCN has had.

Sure hope you aren't another one of those that expect the downfall of DM to return the cult to some former "legitimacy".
 
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ThetanExterior

Gold Meritorious Patron
Expecting to be released in July 2017.

I'm guessing the book must be out by now. Any chance you regaled the public with the stories of how Commodore's Messengers abused the messengers in training? How they "sentenced" a child of fourteen to the Apollo Chain Locker because she'd been seduced and raped by a 19-year-old? How they tried to break the spirit of a positive, hopeful, but naive child by putting her under a non-communications order and forbidding her to speak to anyone? How they sent her back to the states with $10 in her pocket, stole her passport, emptied her suitcase of her belongings under the false pretense that she had stolen her own things, and sent her back to LA where no one knew she was coming? Guess Ill have to read it to find out.

I guess a few of us from the Flag era ought to get busy writing our books about the craziness that went on long before Miscavige came along. He's not the only Devil SCN has had.

Sure hope you aren't another one of those that expect the downfall of DM to return the cult to some former "legitimacy".

Sounds like you have some interesting stories. I think you'll find that this message board is a great place to talk about any abuses you witnessed.
 
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TrevAnon

Big List researcher
Sure hope you aren't another one of those that expect the downfall of DM to return the cult to some former "legitimacy".

:welcome2:

I think you'll find by far most of the ESMB members think dat Scientology was all nonsense to begin with and that LRH was a con man.

See my sig for lots of more info about exes, and stories from the inside.

(Oh, and never in here.)
 

I told you I was trouble

Suspended animation
Originally posted by #1Son.

Expecting to be released in July 2017.

I'm guessing the book must be out by now. Any chance you regaled the public with the stories of how Commodore's Messengers abused the messengers in training? How they "sentenced" a child of fourteen to the Apollo Chain Locker because she'd been seduced and raped by a 19-year-old? How they tried to break the spirit of a positive, hopeful, but naive child by putting her under a non-communications order and forbidding her to speak to anyone? How they sent her back to the states with $10 in her pocket, stole her passport, emptied her suitcase of her belongings under the false pretense that she had stolen her own things, and sent her back to LA where no one knew she was coming? Guess Ill have to read it to find out.

I guess a few of us from the Flag era ought to get busy writing our books about the craziness that went on long before Miscavige came along. He's not the only Devil SCN has had.

Sure hope you aren't another one of those that expect the downfall of DM to return the cult to some former "legitimacy".


Scientology turns many (not all) good people into complete arseholes ... I think that's fairly well known by now, but once they get out of the cult most people gradually become themselves again.

I'm truly sorry for anything you experienced and saw.

:yes:
 
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janisgrady

Patron
#1son

I am not denying things like that happened and the stories of such that I know of, I will try and cover in my book II. If you want to write me personally to remind me of some of the details, feel free - you can find me on facebook and pm me there if you want.

I don't think my book communicates that the craziness only started with DM - it didn't, its been there all along and I believe my book shows that.
 
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phenomanon

Canyon
#1son

I am not denying things like that happened and the stories of such that I know of, I will try and cover in my book II. If you want to write me personally to remind me of some of the details, feel free - you can find me on facebook and pm me there if you want.

I don't think my book communicates that the craziness only started with DM - it didn't, its been there all along and I believe my book shows that.

I think that your parents willingness to leave you tiny children in the hands of family/ or friends/ or the fooking Sea Org tells truckloads about what scn was , long long before DM . Peter and Yvonne were already locked into the mindfuck by 1962.
 

Free to shine

Shiny & Free
I think that your parents willingness to leave you tiny children in the hands of family/ or friends/ or the fooking Sea Org tells truckloads about what scn was , long long before DM . Peter and Yvonne were already locked into the mindfuck by 1962.

I'm halfway through and that's exactly what I think. To read how it actually played out has already answered a lot of questions for me. I wish my dad was still around to read this. We were headed for the ship in 1968 and thankfully ended up in the UK. Understanding how Hubbard acted explains why scientology is what it is.
 

Enthetan

Master of Disaster

Scientology turns many (not all) good people into complete arseholes ... I think that's fairly well known by now, but once they get out of the cult most people gradually become themselves again.

It follows logically from the underlying assumption.

If Scientology is the "only way out", where its success produces total freedom, and failure condemns every being in the universe to eternal suffering and pain, then it follows that ANY price can be justified, if deemed necessary to advance Scientology.

Sacrifice the years of your life, sacrifice your children -- it's all a small price to pay for the "ultimate reward".
 

CommunicatorIC

@IndieScieNews on Twitter
September 3, 2017: Center for Inquiry Los Angeles - Commodore’s Messenger: A Child Adrift in the Scientology Sea Organization

http://www.centerforinquiry.net/la/events/commodores_messenger_a_child_adrift_in_the_scientology_sea_org/

ExcDZ34.png




* * * * * BEGIN EXCERPT * * * * *

Commodore’s Messenger: A Child Adrift in the Scientology Sea Organization

Starts: Sunday, September 3rd 2017 at 11:00 am

Ends: Sunday, September 3rd 2017 at 12:30 pm

Location: Center for inquiry - Los Angeles, 4773 Hollywood Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90027

Scientology Founder L.R. Hubbard has been dead for over 30 years now, but many of those who knew him are still around. Case in point: Janis Gillham Grady.

Janis's mother, Yvonne, founded Scientology's Celebrity Centre and was married to Heber Jentzsch, President of the Church of Scientology International. Her father, Peter F. Gillham, was known as one of the top lecturers on the subject of Scientology in the 1970s.

In the mid-1960s "the Gillhams" were regarded as Scientology's first family in Australia. But when Scientology was banned in the Australian state of Victoria, Janis's family moved to England and eventually lived aboard the Scientology ship, the Royal Scotsman (later the Apollo), where she became an original Commodore's Messenger for L. Ron Hubbard.

Over the next 11 years she spent six hours or more nearly every day with L. Ron Hubbard until he went into hiding with fellow Commodore's Messengers, Annie and Pat Broeker. Hubbard passed away in January 1986.

Janis's book, Commodore's Messenger: A Child Adrift in the Scientology Sea Organization, comes from the earliest days and the epicentre of Scientology's Sea Organization. As one of Hubbard's messengers, she was privy to all his moods and was intimately familiar with everything happening on board the ship as well as throughout the Scientology network.

Please join us for a fascinating, super-insider look at a Scientology even Leah Remini couldn't imagine.

General admission: $8
Students: $4
Planet Level Members (& higher) FREE

* * * * * END EXCERPT * * * * *
 

CommunicatorIC

@IndieScieNews on Twitter
flyonethewall at Tony Ortega's blog has a relevant observation. Having not read the book yet, I do not know if it is accurate.

https://tonyortega.org/2017/09/02/l...-positive-side-and-failed/#comment-3499546879

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flyonthewall • 11 minutes ago

Speaking of looking for a positive side of Scientology, about 125 pages into Commodore's Messenger and oh boy. Did you know that the root cause of Phillip Wearne's (a key whistleblower in Australia) upset with Hubbard and Scientology was that Scientology made him more ethical and this newfound level of ethics made it impossible for Wearne to make any money at his business? I guess that implies he was a crooked businessman before Scientology and when he became an ethical Scientologist he couldn't make money being a crook anymore so he was mad at Hubbard...for making him ethical....and ruining his business....ok. That's actually what Gilham writes in her book. Oh and also Hubbard was a very practical and grounded person...whose organization ripped Janis's family apart and made their lives a living hell. Yay!

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EDITED TO ADD:

https://tonyortega.org/2017/09/02/l...-positive-side-and-failed/#comment-3499562902

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flyonthewall => Puget Buckeye • 2 minutes ago

it's presented both as what she was told and what she believes. In a following section, she relays a bizarre claim that Wearne was being used by a CIA front and being paid handsomely and then puts in parenthesis that this is what the Guardian's Office said but she has not personally tried to verify the claim.

There are some interesting bits, don't get me wrong, but the apologist stuff is very frustrating. For example, Ron was kicked out of Rhodesia bc he was getting involved in politics down there. Yeah, that's one way to put it. There is a picture of Amos Jessup in it and apparently he was interviewed or contributed to the book. That was interesting. Be curious what, if anything, there is on Susan Meister.

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