LA Event, Dec 28 1999
Ted Mayett
26 Jan 2000

A little delayed, but these things take time. What follows is a report from the inside. BTW, I lost a bet with this event. I had bet this person 25 cents that there would be 6 thousand at the most at this event. S/he said there would be a minimum of 14k. My goodness did we ever argue this. S/he was right though.

(and if you are reading, the bet *was* .25, that is all I ever bet on stuff like this. It was not 50 cents like you say :-)

And for the record, official attendance predictions internally were for 20k showing up for this Event. What follows is not verbatim, to shield the author, who is on-lines at this very moment, I have made changes to grammer and writing style.

I'll be webbing scans of some interesting literature from this event.

-------- 2000 NEW YEAR'S EVENT
SCIENTOLOGY MILLENNIUM CONVENTION
LOS ANGELES
DECEMBER 28Th - 31ST

Personal Experience

I took a cab to the event, not realizing there were free shuttle buses. Someone at the Hotel said it started at 7:30 so I took my time and arrived at the Figueora side of the Sports Arena's parking lot around 6:45 to find a huge crowd and a long entrance line.

People around me were talking about the Pickets and mocking them. As much as I wanted to find them to see for myself, I made a choice to try crashing the gate... Luckily a man in line was in the same boat, without a ticket, and a lady next to him had several, giving one to him and to me.

I passed through a number of security people, wearing earphones, mimicking the Secret Service and through a metal detector. People were rushing for the seats and ushers were urging everyone to find a seat; it was open seating.

Inside, television screens filled the room. I was becoming aware of the magnitude of the production which was about to begin. In the center on the main floor an area was cordoned off for what appeared to be the control area where I imagined the Director and his staff controlled the show.

Fixed cameras were aimed at the stage--podium, LRH's photo, two rear-projection screens. A 30-foot boom carried another camera that appeared to turn in all directions. Directly in front of the stage was a camera on a 20-foot, or so, track that continually moved from side to side, shooting the speaker and the stage behind him. At precisely the right time, this camera and others would turn toward the audience. David Miscavidge was the speaker and it was obvious he'd spent the entire week rehearsing with the production staff When he reached a sensitive, high point in his presentation, the house lights came on and the cameras would record the audience's standing ovations.

The entire production was video taped.

The live orchestra opened the show with a brass ensemble that put the productions of Quovadis, Cleopatra and Ben-Hur to shame. Suddenly, 30 or 40 trumpeters filled the stage and triumphantly heralded in a group of flag wavers from every country imaginable, followed by people in their native costumes as they marched down the aisles. The audience stood and cheered as the processional continued. Finally, somehow the music quelled and Miscavidge came to the podium as the audience continued their uproarious ovation. His delighted smile appeared on every screen.

He spoke to the audience's needs, reliving how LRH began the whole process in 1950, reading quotes from newspapers, politicians and any other "famous" person on record praising LRH. The audience loved it and wanted more. The multi-media show continued as he spoke about the past and how LRH was right in his predictions and how he'd brought salvation to so many, quoting from the Bible and other resources how, over the centuries, man got away from the belief of reincarnation and he, himself, brought it back. More slides of appropriate back up material and the audience wanted still more. After about an hour of a two hour presentation, I'd had enough and left the auditorium.

In the outer ring of the Arena, several displays had been set up, each with pamphlets, video tapes and other promotional materials all designed to enhance the attendees to continue their flight up the bridge to wherever it lead them, all for a few thousand bucks a piece. Without being too obvious, I grabbed a number of various pamphlets.

Every so often I peeked in to see what Miscavige was saying and it seemed like the same old story about how great was LRH, I resigned to staying out of the auditorium and headed downstairs to fight my boredom. Tables were filled with thousands of cookies, cheese, rolls and other goodies, along with all the soft drinks, water and coffee you could drink. I hung around there for a while then went back upstairs to check in with Miscavidge. Same old thing.

In terms of the people themselves, every walk of life was represented. Pre-teens, teens, young marrieds, singles, married couples of every age all dressed to the hilt. Everyone hugging everyone, old home week, lots of laughing, lots of happiness. And scurrying aimlessly through the crowd of happy people were the self important ones dressed in ill-fitting black tuxedos with little black wires running from their single earpieces to a two-way radio tucked beneath a red cummerbund.

The next morning, Wednesday, I went to L Ron Hubbard way, which is a short street between Fountain and Sunset, a block or so west of Vermont. Their actual address is listed as 4810 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027. The street was blocked off on both north and south ends. I met... and she took me on a tour of the "compound" starting with the area she called the AOLA.... It's on the East side of LRH Way and where OT training is presented. I stashed my luggage behind the counter. I was shown LRH's office and told that every location had an office for LRH and they look at them now not so much as a shrine but more as a remembrance. I noticed a wooden framework holding about a hundred folders which I was told were files of those currently enrolled in this training program.

Next we crossed the street to the ASHO (American Saint Hill Org) where their "briefing courses" take place. I noticed about a hundred folders which I was told represented active enrollees in that particular course...

Just next to the ASHO was a huge white tent set up, I understand, for the New Year's event and for a Sunday church service. Across the street on the east side was another tent set up for breakfast and lunch. ...the cost was $10 for staffers and $15 for outsiders, ...She said their security people were extremely concerned that one of the "outsiders" had gotten inside. That would explain the scurrying tuxedos. Additionally, they had a dozen or more staff security people posted at the entrance as well as guards at exits located elsewhere at both upper and lower levels.

Quite a few who passed through the metal detectors were caught and admitted only after they removed their keys and other metal objects. It was every bit efficient as those at the airport.