A SHORT HISTORY OF

THE CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF DIANETIC AUDITORS

by A. E. van Vogt [1]

It seems worthwhile for the outgoing president who, so to speak, saw it all, to provide a brief history of the CADA.

Dianetics began in May, 1950, with the publication of the book: DIANETICS: The Modern Science of Mental Health, by L. Ron Hubbard. After the publication of the book we began to hear of an organization being set up in Elizabeth, N.J., apparently established by Hubbard, himself, where classes were being offered. Several L.A. people went east and took the course. Among these were Russell Schofield and Bradford Shank. Meanwhile, I had received phone calls from Ron, and I was busy setting up what would presently become the Hubbard Dianetic Research Foundation of California, Inc.



Shortly after mid-summer, Hubbard arrived and gave the first course. It lasted 30 intensive days, and cost $500. Over 300 persons took the course, and more were signing up for subsequent courses. It was in early 1951 that I heard that graduate auditors had formed the California Association of Dianetic Auditors, a corporation. The date of incorporation was February 27 th , 1951. Apparently in its formative stages, when Ron was asked to give it his blessing he did so.

As Director of the [Hubbard] Foundation, I merely took note that Ron was authorizing the association. One of my pre-dianetic friends, Psychologist Charles E. Cook who took Course One  for whom I later wrote a text book (THE HYPNOTISM HANDBOOK, still in print, and steadily gaining acceptance in university psychology courses) gave me additional information. What he said was that the elected officers of the CADA had suggested to Ron that the foundation auditors certificate have on it the words: CERTIFIED DIANETIC AUDITOR.

Ron refused. The Foundation certificate was finally sent to graduates of all classes in Los Angeles with the words: HUBBARD DIANETIC AUDITOR.

It is fairly clear now, in view of a number of subsequent actions taken by Ron and his various local aides, that at this stage he had not taken the time to think through the implications of these various pre-emptive actions.EXAMPLE ONE: There were eventually at least a thousand auditors who were given the certificates with Hubbards name as part of the certification; and nothing in the certificate required that they must later obtain a franchise from Ron to audit  and pay him a percentage of their earnings for use of the word dianetics and/or the word Hubbard.

EXAMPLE TWO: Rons insistence that the certificate designation be HUBBARD DIANETIC AUDITOR was obviously an attempt to keep his name forever connected to the auditing situation, but showed no awareness that he would later object to anyone using his name unless they also paid him a percentage of their earnings



Insofar as the CADA is concerned, I attended a few early meetings; but I was not a member during the first few years and so had very little awareness of the fight that was going on, the consequence of LRHs determination that, even though they had certificates as auditors, other persons had no rights  if what they did seemed in his judgement to conflict with what he wanted to do.

At this time, on the technique and theory level, the system was growing; and it was evident that as a researcher LRH continued to be one of the major geniuses of our period in history.



In Los Angeles, at the end of 1951, I opened the Hubbard Dianetic Center, a large eleven room house, and began auditing and lecturing. And, when the Hubbard Dianetic Foundations Don Purcell suggested (from Wichita) that it would be to everyones benefit if I paid the 10% tithe, it was also innocuously worded, that I wrote his 10% was too high for the benefits promised. So I sent 5%, but signed no agreements.



Almost before we could look around, LRH departed from Purcells org in Wichita, and set up the Church of Scientology in Phoenix, Arizona. In fact, that was the end of my 5% tithe, since I was not religiously oriented.



In 1954, at the urging of James Pinkham, head of the Dianetic section of Hubbards org, I went to Phoenix and took Ability Course training. Jim offered the course to me free, but I insisted on paying the auditors rate: 50%.



While there I was presented with a very special certificate for my time-consuming work in settling the legal affairs of the bankrupt Hubbard Dianetic Research Foundation of California, Inc. without going into bankruptcy. (All of the previous dianetic foundations  in the east and in Wichita  took the simpler bankruptcy route. But as the only remaining officer in sight, I didnt wish to be connected with a bankruptcy.)



Meanwhile, about 1955, I joined the CADA. It turned out that I was just in time to become involved in a struggle by the Hubbard supporters in the membership to take over and make the CADA a subsidiary of LRHs church of Scientology in Los Angeles. When they lost the vote on that, they departed in a body; and one of them later became the head of Hubbards org in Los Angeles.



It was this individual who subsequently filed suit against me, the intention being to stop me from using the word, Hubbard, in the name Hubbard Dianetic Center, and to deny me all use of the word dianetics, which  it was stated in the suit  belonged exclusively to LRH.



The San Francisco attorney, who had helped me close down the HDRF, came to L.A., and we showed the attorney of the local org, my certificates, and established for him that the CADA was now the oldest surviving dianetic corporation in the world, all the earlier ones having either gone into bankruptcy or, like the HDRF, folded legally, with the permission of the creditors.



That was all the org attorney needed. He informed the local Hubbard aide that my situation was legally unassailable, and resigned from the case.



In 1958,  I think that was the year; definitely by 1959  I was elected to, and accepted, the presidency of the CADA.



As president, and continuing auditor  the ability project co-audit supervisor (my auditing and my projects continued on a decreasing scale until about the mid-sixties)  I considered that my job was (1) to oversee the publication of what was initially the DIANETIC JOURNAL, and then the Dianetic Journal Notes, and (2) to ensure that the CADA did all those things necessary to continue going as a corporation.



We maintained a low profile, admitted new professional members, who had proof of training from any reliable source, reported on information about auditing and auditors from various originations  including Hubbards org... and the people who had graduated in the early 1950's grew older. As a consequence, I decided in January 1981, not to run for the presidency; and in my place the CADA members elected an active auditor, who had joined about three years ago.



Within the Hubbard org, Ethics officers have for years been penalizing people who were called troublemakers - one such person was suspended because he questioned the concept of clear. Such actions make us wonder about the future of the orgs.



Consider: Hubbard has remarked that the average Thetan - a Scientology term for the true individual as a sort of spirit - normally, as the saying goes, drops the body at about earth age 84. So that 13 years from now, when the Hubbard Thetan makes the decision to separate Theta from Mest, there will begin, and continue, within the Hubbard orgs, all maneuvering for power which has always characterized such periods of an organizations history. We may picture Ethics officers calling opposing executives troublemakers and suppressive persons. And all this will go on and on.



When that hour arrives, and continues, the existence of a legally incorporated association like the CADA will, in my opinion, provide a safe and sane continuation of the basic methods and ideas without any ulterior motives being involved.

[1] .This history originally appeared in the CADAs Dianetic Journal Notes Volume 17, Number 2. Copyright 1982, 2014 - C alifornia A ssociation of D ianetic A uditors Inc. All rights reserved.