the building

[shady grove]

I've been reading posts from people from other programs of straight and am struck by the similarities in buildings. I always assumed straight found some abandoned warehouse and simply made-do with what they got, but I am beginning to think there was an actual intended architectural layout. They all had intake rooms? They all had carpet rooms? Was there someone who said, "straight should have two tiny rooms to interogate/abuse people in, and squeeze them into in the mornings when they are too tired to stand while they wait in sweltering heat for hours finally to sit down and begin flailing their bodies around for the entire day. Also, they must sit in a carpetted room twice a week while in front of the executives." Were we too lowly to sit in chairs there?

I thought it was arbitrary.

Also, do the fla people actually know the semblers? As in, did they lead raps? Apparently, these people are the masterminds behind my trauma, but their names are new to me. We had a bunch of exectutive staff. Were executive staff members also shareholders? Was this a corporation or a not for profit?

[Antigen]

No, I don't think the Semblers were ever involved in day-to-day group activities. I never knew their names till a few years ago when I started looking into the history. They were on the founding board of directors along w/ half a dozen other Seed parents.

Either cocaine and marijuana are terribly dangerous substances, and breaking the law by consuming them is a major offense that should be severely punished, or these are minor, personal matters that do not really count in the big picture of a man's life. If the latter is the case, then the rationale for a bloody, costly and futile war against drugs simply disappears.
--Jorge G. Castaneda, Newsweek International, September 6, 1999

[Anonymous]

I would see them occasionally at open meetings in St. Petersburg. Mel and Betty would stand in front of the group and parents and smile as everyone would applaude and hail them.  Very cultish now that I think about it.  When they came to open meeting we always had the AC on.

[dreammagician]

I remember the Semblers attending some of the open meetings. I remember the applause, also remember getting punched or nudged in the spine if not participating in this cult type worship. Yep, always had the A/C on while these big wigs came in the building. They would always take the worse misbehavors and stick them in a intake room far far away, as no one could hear the yells or torcher. I was in there from 1981 to 1984, so all my memories basically consist of Dr. Newton and his followers. The A/C would mysteriously go off as soon as the parents were herded out. They would intentionally close all the doors, turn off the A/C and then they would start a frenzy on who ever embarrased them in front of the group. Arms a flingin, if you had asthma you were screwed, they would give you a paper bag to breath in and then the rest was up to you. I could go on forever but somehow I start getting headaches thinking about the place.

[shady grove]

The rap after the parents left at springfield was called Review. This was a scary time b/c it was basically a shit list rap. Kudos for those who changed phases, etc, but mostly who's fucking up, and who's lying/breaking the rules. Sometimes it seemed to go on forever, ending with most of the group on the floor either restraining someone or being restrained. Does anyone remember the "tasteycake" song. The whole group would sing this to some misbehaver, the implication was that he was a big wuss. Humiliating. Alot of these kids, including me, reverted to a child-like way of acting. I wonder why? A way to cope.

I remember many fridays when review got out late and they didn't have enough homes for everyone that we must have left the building at like 2:00 AM. Not before standing heel to toe for another hour or more with a sweaty hand on my back.

 

When there were lots of misbehaver

[Dr. Miller Newton]

On 2004-09-15 13:30:00, dreammagician wrote:

 I was in there from 1981 to 1984, so all my memories basically consist of Dr. Newton and his followers.  

And what fond memories they must be....

The A/C would mysteriously go off as soon as the parents were herded out.

We had to make sure you little druggies were sweating enough to get the drugs out of your systems---It was part of the therapy.