Scientology Recruiting in Washington, DC

Date: May 7, 2006

On May 7, 2006 MSNBC reported:

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/12684262/

Scientology spreads out in push for D.C. members
By Erin Killian
Washington Business Journal

Jackson Wyan, a young Tom Cruise look-alike with short black hair and a black button-down shirt, greets people with laser-focused eye contact, a fixed smile and solid handshake at the Founding Church of Scientology of D.C. in Dupont Circle.

His mission not-so-impossible: Recruit more members.

Would-be Scientologists approach the landmark red building, also known as Fraser Mansion, at 20th and R streets NW, with regularity. Wyan, who's been with the D.C. church six years, gives tours that include a sweep through the first-floor library full of founder L. Ron Hubbard's writings and a basement recruitment center with free stress tests.

So many curious Scientology seekers take Wyan's tours that the church, which has occupied the high-profile site for a decade, says it can no longer handle the traffic at the 22,000-square-foot building -- so it's tripling its size in D.C. with new offices.

By the end of the year, most of the 100-member staff will move into a 50,000-square-foot building at 16th and P streets NW.

The Church of Scientology Religious Trust, a sister organization, bought a seven-story building at 1424 16th St. NW for $17.3 million from Castleton Holdings in November. The Staubach Co. real estate firm helped with the purchase, one of 22 properties the trust bought last year.

The Founding Church of Scientology of D.C. is leasing the space and plans to infuse $5 million into a renovation that includes a 500-seat auditorium and rooftop cafe once it obtains its permits. With the move and a refurbished Fraser Mansion, D.C. will have the third-largest collection of Scientologist facilities in the nation, in terms of square footage, behind Los Angeles and Clearwater, Fla.

[...]

Wyan dismisses the criticisms as just your typical slamming of a new religion. Besides, business is booming and pumping money into D.C.'s economy, he says.

And that's a very important part of the mission.

The church -- which says it has $8 million worth of assets in its D.C. coffers -- generates money not only through donations, but also through classes and counseling, which cost $36 to $2,000 a shot.

Says Wyan, laughing: "We want people to give lots and lots of money."

--

"Roger Gonnet" posted:

Looks that DM puts most of its staffs to RPFs to refurbish old buildings, so as to make more money from the buildings he bought by this "trust" - look, this is no more than money placement with slaves work behind.

Here is a bylaws from one of these "trusts" declared in 1993 to the IRS:

http://www.xenufrance.net/flag-ship-trust-bylaws-and-amendment.pdf [pdf file]

and 1023 forms:

http://www.xenufrance.net/sirt-to-irs-1023.pdf [pdf file]

http://www.xenufrance.net/fst-to-irs-1023.pdf [pdf file]

Message ID: [email protected]
Message ID: [email protected]