How is the CofS generating new members?

[Anne Ominous]

Originally Posted by Iknowtoomuch

Yoghurt, you'll find they don't get many new member at all.
They have been juicing the older members for years now. Many of those older members are starting to figure it all out now.

This is what all the signs point towards. Course rooms in a number of the largest orgs are pretty much empty a lot of the time now. When the community is shrinking so rapidly, even long-term members start to wonder why. And OSA is terrified of them looking for answers outside the Church, or heaven forbid, online.

[thetanic]

Originally Posted by Anne Ominous

This is what all the signs point towards. Course rooms in a number of the largest orgs are pretty much empty a lot of the time now. When the community is shrinking so rapidly, even long-term members start to wonder why. And OSA is terrified of them looking for answers outside the Church, or heaven forbid, online.

How long have the stats been declining for, though?

[Wisened One]

Hey and to ESMB, Cannon.

I think Co$ is relying heavily on FSM selectees at this point.....(but the FSM's are surely dwindling )

I bet any Div 6 actions like promo out/ ads, etc. just generate scoffs from everyone who sees them....

[Lynn Fountain Campbell]

Originally Posted by thetanic

How long have the stats been declining for, though?

A couple of years at least. I could always tell when staff hadn't gotten paid, because nobody could afford to come in for haircuts. At one point, they'd get in trouble with whoever did the inspections for appearances, if their hair was shaggy (guys) or looked "unprofessional" (girls).

Then I started seeing some of the S.O. women with hair getting longer and longer. The other day, I saw one whose gray had grown out. Shockingly out-PR.

Lynn

[Tim Skog]

Welcome to the board Cannon Fodder. That's a darned good question. You've certainly stimulated some interesting speculation. My guess as to what the Church is doing to get new members is still the same, OCA testing, having a friend who is a scilon disseminate to you, booksales, etc. It doesn't appear to be successful and that is probably due in very large part to the internet. The negative PR about the cult far outweighs the crap the Church puts out there on their sites.

With all the internet savy people out there most if not all will have a negative impression of Scientology. It is hard to recruit from limited resources.

So, again, welcome to the board and hope to hear more from you.

Tim

[thetanic]

Originally Posted by Lynn Fountain Campbell

A couple of years at least. I could always tell when staff hadn't gotten paid, because nobody could afford to come in for haircuts.

I'm guessing you're not getting a lot of staff these days.

Even so, SO salaries are small, but that doesn't say how long bodies in the classroom have been declining.

[Dulloldfart]

Originally Posted by Yoghurt

Off topic: I got my nick because I was eating yoghurt when I registered!

Sounds like that story of the Native American kid asking the Elder how the youngsters were named in the tribe. The Elder says, "When the child is brought to me for a name I look around for a sign. Maybe I see an eagle soaring in the sky, and then the child might be called 'Soaring Eagle'. If I see a buffalo snorting, 'Restless Buffalo' might be appropriate. Or perhaps it is stormy, and 'Rolling Thunder' could fit well. Why do you ask, Two Dogs Fucking?"

Paul

[Lynn Fountain Campbell]

Originally Posted by thetanic

I'm guessing you're not getting a lot of staff these days.

Even so, SO salaries are small, but that doesn't say how long bodies in the classroom have been declining.

No S.O. at all. I stopped giving them discounts a while back.

I was in the course room at ASHO briefly in 2003, trying to do my GAT -- all that rote memorization, making auditors almost as good as Paul's Robot. But anyway, they had the Special Courses smushed in with the BC. And then across the hall were the people on endless Pro Metering -- who I bet they wouldn't let graduate because if they were gone, there'd be nobody there.

So the decline was noticeable to me 5 years ago. I bet if I did a rollback... hmmm....

Lynn

[thetanic]

Originally Posted by Lynn Fountain Campbell

I was in the course room at ASHO briefly in 2003, trying to do my GAT -- all that rote memorization, making auditors almost as good as Paul's Robot. But anyway, they had the Special Courses smushed in with the BC. And then across the hall were the people on endless Pro Metering -- who I bet they wouldn't let graduate because if they were gone, there'd be nobody there.

So the decline was noticeable to me 5 years ago. I bet if I did a rollback... hmmm....

ASHO's a pretty high org, though, so one then wonders if the orgs and missions are getting people in, or if there's so little emphasis on auditor training that no one's getting fed to ASHO?

I like Paul's Robot. Fun.

[Dulloldfart]

Originally Posted by thetanic

I like Paul's Robot. Fun.

I'm working 12 hours a day on Paul's Robot 2.0. Should be online within a week or two at the usual place. It's a major upgrade, even playing the audio on Firefox.

Paul