Who was Ian Tampion?| Who was Ian Tampion? | | Print | |
| Sunday, 31 July 2011 01:12 |
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by Chris Guider (ex IG MAA RTC) In the late 70's Scientology Australia was really in deep trouble and got itself banned in both Victoria and South Australia by the Australian High Court. With the ruling against them, Scientologists in both Melbourne and Adelaide went underground with meters and materials hidden under floor boards and in attics. They would pull them out when the coast was clear and carrying on behind drawn curtains unbeknownst to the powers that be. But there was one man that stood up and took the fight on in broad daylight, carrying the entire weight of responsibility on his shoulders. His name was Ian Tampion, a member of the local Guardian Office, he filed suit in his own name and got delivery going again by establishing the Church of the New Faith. Ian was the man on the ground and the internationally directed legal battle relied heavily on his actions. Eventually Scientology got the rights to operate again but only after a lengthy series of strategic steps with Ian leading the charge. Ian was a born and bred Victorian and had excelled through school and in his chosen sport of Australian Rules. His career peaked while he played for his beloved South Melbourne Swans (Now the Sydney Swans) in the early 70's and notably he is known for having kicked a drop goal of over 60 meters in length. Athletic, and a gentleman by nature who was always neatly dressed, Ian presented well and with a bright intelligent mind was effective. Later with the legal battle out of the way, he and his wife Judy together teamed up to run many successful tours throughout Australia for the Advanced Org United Kingdom — rounding up Aussie Clears and shipping them off to St Hill for their OT levels prior to the Sydney Advanced Org opening in 1984. The Tampions, were widely known and respected throughout Australia but like many others that had served so devotedly in the Guardian Office, they suddenly had a black mark that would never wash off, affixed to them by the coup initiated and led by David Miscavige that saw the world-wide network that was the GO disappear almost overnight. Judy, who had been the Communicator for Jane Kember, the Guardian International, and Ian were both pushed into a corner and when Ian refused to toe the line it was RPF. It was 1984 and after being disciplined for getting case correction ahead of sec checking he'd had enough. He got Judy and their two young daughters and headed back to Melbourne, out of the Sea Org and out of the mess that had once been a bright and successful staff career for himself and Judy. They took what meager possessions they had and started over renting a small weatherboard house in Box Hill, Melbourne. Over time they re-built their lives with Ian working in the local bank as an investment officer and doing tax returns at night and on weekends. Their daughters were put into local school and things started on a steady climb forward for the family. Eventually they got their own place and with things stable Ian could take time to enjoy his favorite past time on the golf course. So, with things moving forward it was time to get moving up the Bridge. A seemingly straight-forward economic and ethical process of earning enough money and having enough sense to do things that forwarded and not cut across your livelihood. Being ex-GO meant they had to run the gauntlet through a myriad of ethics handling and sec checks to resume moving up the Bridge. Ian payed up and in the way of stops and delays he got more than he bargained for. In the end, despite a good 10 years of trying, he never made it back on the Bridge. He was also under fire with his youngest daughter now in the Sea Org calling home and wanting to leave and yet when he did his duty as a father and supported her desire, the tables were turned and it was he who they blamed as an “external influence.” Ian had a healthy respect for LRH and had communicated to him many times over the years. In particular he had done a bit of a review on study tech and came up with an additional point on words which LRH was delighted with and even had the information issued in an HCOB which included Ian's name. As time went on, with David Miscavige purging and plundering, taking out all the international structure, and any other identity that may have had some cause or responsibility in making Scientology effective in assisting people with their lives, Miscavige made sure that all names of such well-intentioned people who had contributed to creating Scientology were removed. All recorded lectures were edited to delete each mention of students, auditors, staff or Scientologists names. The same went for HCOBs and other issues and even now as of 2007 Miscavige has edited all the books and publicly proclaimed what a travesty LRH left behind that he now had to painstakingly handle. The target was to eliminate any power that had been bestowed or shared on others by LRH and then after that was to supplant Source with Dave. The program was very wide in scope including the star of trust given to Ray Mithoff or the Trustee responsibility given to Norman Starkey or the hat of Executive Director International given to Leserve or the responsibility of Commanding Officer Church of Spiritual Technology given to Russ Bellin, and of course the mere mention of Ian Tampion by name in an HCOB had to go! Ian Tampion was an intelligent person and the removal of these names including his own after LRH had left did not go unnoticed as the violation that it was. He did not complain openly but in his heart he knew something was severely wrong. If they are changing this HCOB and that lecture after they had been around for decades with LRH still alive what else was going on now that he had left. He would never find out the full extent but that knowledge isolated him. With both his daughters now in the Sea Org and in the upper levels of the church he came to experience more heart break than he could stand. Rarely seeing them and then having ethics reports written on Ian painting him as a “disaffected external influence” cost him dearly. If you were ex-GO and “disaffected” the nearest you could ever get to getting back on the Bridge was the door to the ethics officer. By 1997 and still a relatively young man he was battling cancer. There was no real assistance for him from the church and he battled on with Judy but he was a dying man. It should not have ended up this way for someone who was in fact a Scientology hero — a man acknowledged by L. Ron Hubbard for technical contribution, a man of genuine heart and conviction, a leader of the old guard who worked for the broad-scale betterment of others in contrast to parasites that infest the church these days. Judy would say from time to time if anyone should have a freedom medal it was Ian Tampion. But Reverend Ian Tampion was amputated from the scriptures of Miscavige's corporate Frankenstein and the blood ran down the drain. Chris Guider Epilogue
“The point has been reached when truth is revealed, when suspicion, propaganda and slurs stand revealed as shadows with no substance.” — Ian Tampion, 1973 Religion on the march
By JOHN MAY |
"Scientology has been taken over by a self-appointed dictator, David Miscavige, who has turned the Creed of the Church of Scientology, the Code of a Scientologist, and the Credo of a True Group Member on their heads and instituted the virtual practice of Reverse (Black) Dianetics..." 
Comments
I had something not quite a suspicion of DM's activities (of course not being able to identify him) after I entered a mission of Scientology in 1987 and noticed that some of the administration did not to me jive with the flavor I understood from Ron's writings.
Then the massive corrections resulting in all the issues in what 1989-1991. What was especially noteworthy was the Red and Green vols had all those corrected issues which DID NOT FOLLOW policy on noting the corrections -- revisions in script, deletes, etc. Again another "Huh, what's up with this?"
The efforts by DM and his minions to rewrite history are anathema to the fundamental principles of the subject whose history is involved.
Chris -- thank you for the insight you provide into these perverse activities. We are in a better place because of it.
Bruce Pratt
Thanks for taking the time to write an article on Ian. It is important we remember our heroes.
I worked with Ian directly for some years in GO Legal UK in the late 70s. To call him a gentleman is indeed an under statement. He was a true Scientologist. Even when his patience was tested to breaking point he kept his TRs in, remained calm and applied the tech. He was a true hero and role model on all fronts, sportsman, family man and Scientologist.
He certainly was a role model to me and I mourn his passing. But any sadness is assuaged by the thought that he is practicing those long punts some where.
Haydn
TKU very much for the info on Ian. I am Australian and knew and loved Judy Tampion. I did not come to know Ian as closely as Judy but he was always a charming gentleman. Chris is there any news of Paul Sarkany? Another dear person I miss.
One comment on the deletion of changes made in issues, those still exist on mimeo copies of the bulletin or PL but are not included in the bound tech or PL volumes.
Why were they not included?
Thanks.
Bruce
Like Bruce I'd really like to know why regarding your information given: "One comment on the deletion of changes made in issues, those still exist on mimeo copies of the bulletin or PL but are not included in the bound tech or PL volumes."
Why weren't these changes put on each reference before the vols were bound?
I mourn Ian's passing just as I did Mary Sue's two people who were true Guardians of Scientology.
And the other unsung hero's and heroines of the Guardian's Office who we never know of their passing in any "official Scientology" publication now with that officious "Big Brother" and agent of SMERSH Miscavige and his busy little Winston Smiths busily rewriting history and shoving anything that doesn't glorify him down some memory hole.
Personally I always thought that OSA the Office of Special Affairs as in what the KGB called "Special Tasks" was an Orwellian construct of the old Guardian's Office.
Funny the organization that if it operated according to policy would have saved us from the depredations of the coup is the one now most maligned in the official history books of the organization and ones who fought the good fight are the one's who are most forgotten.
However there are many of us who know and we don't forget since we were part of Scientology before its time track was altered.
Ian I wish you the best and look forward to your return. If you decide to come back.
It'd make good reading as well as probably fuel people into more action against the little dictator.
A very articulate and calm but intent man. After reading this, for what he has done, it is such a pity that he was dealt with all of this rubbish.
I was thinking about him the other day and somehow I ended up on this page today. I hope he ended with peace.
Ian and Judy were among the first to do the Clearing Course and OT sections 1 to 4. LRH selected them to re-start Scientology in Melbourne, and in late 1968 they opened a Mission from a house in the suburb of Hawthorn. They contacted as many of the former HASI staff and public as possible, held sunday evening meetings, and later ran PE and HAS courses while sending pcs to Adelaide for auditing. Ian also made contacts in government, media and the universities wherever he could.
By February 1973 when the Commonwealth government's proclamation effectively undermined the state of Victoria's anti-scientology legislation, the Melbourne Mission had already become a fully functioning org in all but name.
In 1969 LRH sent a citation to Ian and Judy Tampion. I hope a copy still exists somewhere. I recall that LRH acknowledged their great contribution to Scientology, humankind "and to Life itself".
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