How Harry Palmer and his ''wife'' Avra Honey Smith ripped off a 12 year old girl
Ronald Cools
Avatar Course.
Official website: www.avatarepc.com
Dutch website: www.avatar.nl
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[This is a letter sent to Michel Langinieux in early 1991, in response to
some questions about Harry Palmer's Scientology center in Elmira, New York.
The writer's last name had been obscured at her request. -- Eldon Braun]
Dear Michel,
I am Maryann _____, long time associate of the Harry Palmer "following" here
in Elmira. I am writing to you at the request of my mother Gale Lyons.
At the age of 11, I entered Scientology. During the first couple of
years I did not know of any of the financial which went on other than the
subject of my Life Repair. When the money for the auditing had run out,
Harry instructed his case supervisor to tell me I was resistant to auditing,
and that I had to go into training to "handle the suppressive tendencies of
my case." At that time of my life repair I was a ripe old age of 12. Somehow
I can't see a 12-year-old having much life to repair; suppressive
tendencies?!
A year later a large DMSMH push was on---everyone had to sell Dianetics
books any way possible. I was asked to purchase $50 worth of Dianetics books
to "aid the cause." Avra had promised to refund my money if I could not sell
them. The reason being I was a child, and this type of thing being sold
door-to-door may be inappropriate for a 13-year-old. Avra assured me again
of a refund backed with words of encouragement: "Everyone will buy from you
because no one says no to a child."
I sold three books out of the 25--one to my grandmother, one to my
great-grandmother and one to a neighbor. After approximately 3 months of
door-to-door effort every day after school--and Saturday afternoons--Avra
said she had made no such agreement, and if I could not sell them as a child
then to wait a few years.
The money I used for the books was birthday money.
Avra had the need to get these books sold on that Thursday's stat
[istic], so my mother advanced me the money to Avra via check. Avra assured
her the check would be held by her personally until I received my birthday
money. She cashed the check the same day and went shopping. From what I can
recall, she had a banking/shopping ritual every Thursday.
In July of 1977, Harry sent me to FCDC [one of the main US Scientology
organizations] for my Dianetic auditor internship with my mother. Upon my
return, he offered me $2.00 per hour to audit Dianetics for him. I am unsure
of how long this had lasted. When old Dianetics had been obsoleted and
replaced with new, Harry again sent his C/S [case supervisor] to speak with
me. I was told I was dis-creating my job by being more interested in being a
child. And since I had decided to be a child instead of Clearing the Planet,
I no longer was needed as an auditor. On my way out the door, Avra took me
in for the "reg cycle." This is when I found out my internship was now
worthless and had to start over again.
To this day I have no idea what he meant by "being more interested in being
a child than clearing the planet."
During my employment, I had put in 25 hours in the chair in one week.
When it was time to get my pay, Avra came to me and said I could not have it
because I needed to purchase the Minister's Course; for " legal reasons."
She handed me my check long enough for me to sign over my pay over to her. I
never received my certificate-- the closest church where I could be ordained
became impossible. Harry and the Church of Scientology of Buffalo were
fighting.
Over the years, I purchased through OT 3 and NED for OTs., R6EW, through
Grade IV, Sunshine Rundown. At this time the court told Harry he could not
offer upper levels. He sold them, collected money for them knowing they
would never be delivered. From the courses and OT levels I purchased, I only
received half of what was owed to me. He said he did not have the money to
pay back. Some are just rich and hide it, no?
During one registration over money owed in refund, I did manage to get
from Harry from a mere $800 settlement to $7,000. Upon completion of our
debate, Harry Palmer offered me $10,000 to negotiate with him against the
remaining students. Did he think my inequity to be the same as his?
In 1984 (by then I was 21), I brought into the center $13,000 in one
week--in cash. The following Thursday, I was suspended from all services
until I came in with at least $5,000 more, and Avra said she wanted cash.
We were encouraged to submit altered tax returns to loan officers, lie
to loan officers of the purpose of the money. The more tragic and effective
the reason, the better Harry liked it. When loan cycles failed, I always was
subject to ethics officer eval. No consideration was ever made about the
income to debt ratio. It made absolutely no difference to Harry if we had
twice the dollars going to payments than came in our paychecks. He also knew
we would never see any of what we were buying--he could not deliver it--he
was going to drop Scientology and go on to Avatar.
When I did Avatar, I was told the money was fully refundable if I was
not happy--refundable without exception. When I came in to start, I had to
sign a statement I would never ask for money from Harry Palmer, Star's Edge
or Avra for any reason. That was the end of "Satisfaction guaranteed or your
money back."
In 1983-1984, I was working with Don Woodfuff. Avra had instructed the
crew chief to garnish my wages until a full $300 was collected for Harry's
birthday gift. According to Avra, paying off loans was not a reason for
failure to donate $300 to his birthday gift.
I find this so upsetting--the entire 12 years following that man is a
nightmare.
$74,000 in debt, my trust, goodwill and believing had been raped. I left the
Harry Palmer "spiritual freedom" path. Over the years, we were "urged" to
buy Dianetics books by the case. The last time I purchased some, I recall
Avra telling me she did not care if I had ten thousand of them, I either
purchased another case or I was suppressive "And you know what that
means...."
The last time a moved, over 300 Dianetics books hit the trash, along
with two complete libraries of LRH [L.. Ron Hubbard] Scientology books.
During the time of "Simon Bolivar" [a Scientology policy letter on power and
politics], we were "urged" to give Harry power-flows--that meant more
money--money to be given as a gift. A ten percent tithe is what Avra
recommended to everyone. she never failed to remind us that buying services
was still expected.
At this time I was co-auditing my lower levels. Our ethics officer
instructed me that the Case Supervisor (who was Harry Palmer) would no
longer accept any "natter" of any kind against Harry Palmer. I was also told
that if I had anything negative to say about Harry, it was my own act which
needed cleaning up. Furthermore, I was told that if I did not clean up my
act, I would be declared suppressive and expelled from the group and lose my
chance at spiritual freedom for all of eternity.
As I write this to you, I am feeling more and more emotional. I had
intended to keep this objective. I am finding I am unable to do so. Also, as
I write this more and more is returning to my memory.
Of all of this, the most upsetting to me is Avra took my birthday money
my grandparents gave me (at 13 year old) and bought something for herself.
I, along with my mother, watched Harry grow, supported him and helped
him. Through all that time. Harry always told us that when times were good,
he would share the wealth with all of us. Some of us stuck it out from the
beginning.
Harry Palmer never shared.
Maryann _________
Elmira, New York