Jon Atack on the Theft in Denmark

from his book, A Piece of Blue Sky

The Independents: pages 316-317

The major obstacle to the continuance of Scientology outside the Church was that the Independents did not have all of the so-called "confidential" materials. They had the OT levels up to NOTs (which was listed as "new OT5"), but not NOTs itself. The NOTs issues are held by the Advanced Organizations of the Church of Scientology. That is to say there were copies at Saint Hill in England; at Los Angeles; at Clearwater, in Florida; and at Copenhagen, in Denmark.

Former Sea Org executive Robin Scott saw the increasing autocracy of the Church, and made grand plans to save Scientology. While most Independent Centers were run from front rooms on a shoestring, Scott purchased a baronial mansion near Aberdeen, Scotland, the breathtaking Candacraig House set in over twenty acres with two lakes. It came to be known as "the castle." Scott attempted to acquire the NOTs materials through a Saint Hill staff member, but failed miserably. His attempt only served to alert Saint Hill, and tighten up their security. So Scott met with Morag Bellmaine and Ron Lawley of the East Grinstead Independent Center, and in December 1983, they mounted their own commando operation.

They did not know that David Mayo, who had written the original NOTs materials with Hubbard, was already producing a new version. They could have saved themselves, and many others, a great deal of trouble.

The trio travelled to Denmark. During the afternoon Scott went into the Advanced Org in Copenhagen to see if anyone was them who knew either of his partners. Scott pretended to be interested in paying a great deal of money for NOTs auditing, so was treated like royalty, and given a guided tour. He memorized the layout of the building, saw no one he knew, and returned to brief Ron and Morag.

Late that evening, dressed to the gills in Sea Org uniform (and with Bellmaine wearing the wrong cap-badge for her supposed rank), Lawley and Bellmaine walked into the Copenhagen Advanced Organization. They had carefully drilled the dismissive attitude of Sea Org missionaires, and demanded to see the Commanding Officer. He arrived, quivering. Lawley said they were "on mission" from the Religious Technology Center, and had come to investigate serious "out-tech." Here they had taken a chance as there might have been an RTC mission there already. To their surprise the CO readily admitted to "gross out-tech," but said he had sent his Senior Case Supervisor to Florida for retraining, and what more could he do? The bullying missionaires told him what more. He could show them a NOTs pack, because they were sure there was something wrong with the materials, so poor were Copenhagen's results.

The Commanding Officer did not hesitate, rounding up every available NOTs pack, and apologizing that two of his Auditors were still in session with theirs. Lawley and Bellmaine found themselves in a private room, with over thirty NOTs packs. They loaded two into a brief case, and their feet didn't touch the ground until they had left Denmark.