Ron's Org
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Ron's Org is the abbreviation for "Ron's Organization and Network for Standard Technology". "Ron" refers to L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of the Church of Scientology. Standard Technology means the standardized and unaltered application of the practices developed by L. Ron Hubbard to improve personal conditions, i.e. therapies ("auditing") and training to help individuals to overcome mental barriers and improve their abilities.
The Ron's Org was founded 1984 by William Brentan Robertson, aka Captain Bill Robertson or Captain Bill. It consists out of groups which are part of the Free Zone (Scientology) and which apply Standard Technology as well as the OT levels completed by William Robertson. The individual orgs are independent and not part of a hierarchical structure.
Origin of the Ron's Org
In the early 1980s, the Church of Scientology underwent major changes. L. Ron Hubbard was no longer in a position to control his Church. Some contend he was already dead, counter to the official announcement of his death 1986 by the Church of Scientology. Others think that he was kept in arrest by a group of high-ranking officials of the Church who then pretended that the orders and changes originated by them were those of L. Ron Hubbard. Whatever the truth is, in the early 1980s several major organizational changes in the Church of Scientology took place, amongst which the establishment of a new entity, the Religious Technology Center(RTC) was foremost, which from now on ruled the whole of Scientology worldwide. As the changes went along with increasing internal pressure on non-conforming staff members and also changes in the technology took place, many Scientologists and staff members loyal to L.Ron Hubbard but not to the new management either left the Church of Scientolgy or were thrown out.
Amongst these was William B. Robertson or Captain Bill Robertson. He had formerly worked directly under L. Ron Hubbard, got awarded the rank of "Captain" and "2nd deputy Commodore" and also had a quite complete training in the technical application of Scientology, the "Technology".
He analyzed the events and came to the conclusion that the whole matter was an organized attempt to take over the Church of Scientology and bring it into the hands of a small group which would either use it for making money, controlling people or other intentions not in line with the original ideas of the founder L. Ron Hubbard.
Thus Captain Bill Robertson started 1983 the so-called Free Zone, which was meant to be those people who would go on practicing Scientology and adhering to their beliefs outside the Church of Scientology. One year later he founded the "Ron's Org", which was intended as a network of groups (each one itself called a "Ron's Org") who deliver Scientology technology to interested individuals, both those who left the Church of Scientology and those who came into contact with Scientology for the first time in the Free Zone. Through the network set-up Captain Bill Robertson wanted to prevent another hostile takeover as the one which according to him had taken place in the Church of Scientology.
While the term "Free Zone" originally was used more or less as a synonym to "Ron's Org", soon a broad field of many groups and practices emerged of which some still deliverd standard Scientology technology, but many developed and used altered versions of Scientology until practices where only insiders could have traced them back to their origin in L.Ron Hubbards teachings. Nowadays "Free Zone" is used usually in the broad sense to encompass all these practices and groups which deliver therapies and training to help individuals to overcome mental barriers and improve their abilities and which to a greater or lesser degree are built upon Scientology technology.
Historical development of Ron's Org
In the late 1980s the Ron's Org had a broad expansion, especially through people who left the Church of Scientology and joined the Ron's Org, disappointed by the organization but still interested in Scientology. There were Ron's Orgs in over a dozen different countries, including the USA, Brazil, Germany, Switzerland, France, Italy, Sweden, Denmark and other European countries. After the death of William B. Robertson in 1991, the network went into a decline. Many groups which were part of it decided to go new ways and develop the Scientology technology further (and thus became part of the Free Zone in its broader definition).
Only a few groups remained "orthodox" and insisted on using the original writings of L.Ron Hubbard, plus those materials written by Captain Bill Robertson which covered further developments of the so-called OT levels, the higher spiritual degrees which are studied and practiced by the advanced students.
These groups consolidated themselves and started another expansion in the late 1990s, when they got in contact with members of the Church of Scientology in Russia who had become dissatisfied with their organization and wanted to join the Free Zone.
Ron's Org Committee
In 2004 the so-called "Ron's Org Committee" was formed by those members and groups of the Ron's Org who insisted on the use of "standard technology". The Ron's Org Committee (ROC) is an international association legally seated in Switzerland whose members are people working as staff in the different international Ron's Org groups. The ROC certifies Free Zone organizations who want to become a Ron's Org and wants to uphold a standard of teaching and application of Scientology technology. A regional sub-committee was formed in the countries of the former Soviet Union where today the majority of Ron's Orgs is situated.
There are approximately 50 Ron's Orgs world-wide, of which only a few are to be found in America, about half a dozen in Western Europe and the rest in Russia, Ukraine and other countries of the former Soviet Union. In 2005, the number of Scientologists in all Ron's Orgs was estimated by the ROC to be over 2,000. The Ron's Orgs are presumably the biggest organized group within the Free Zone.
See also
External links
References
"Technische Definitionen der Dianetik und Scientology" (Dictionary), 2. Edition, Frankfurt 1999 by Heimdal
"Handwoerterbuch der Managementtechnologie" (Dictionary), Frankfurt 2006 by Heimdal (Golden Phoenix Publishing)
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