If you leave a post without turning over your hat and grooving in your relief, you are at risk. You can be called back for the next two years if that post goes wrong.

The other evening, on a request, I said members of the company could do part-time study on the Dianetics Course. This became an absolute order, an arbitrary which was put in full force. Not only that, but nobody would handle it.If anyone had bothered to trace the order that “all must study” they would have found it was a false arbitrary.

You must HAVE a hat in a folder and its write-ups (all of them) and you must turn it over.

Almost every outness around is of this breed of arbitrary.

The Hats Officer is supposed to see this is done. It is really his major duty. He must see that it is done and he must be able to attest that the relief on the post HAS and CAN DO and IS DOING the hat.

A group that insists on sitting in the glorious irresponsibility of orders and only orders will never develop into a true group.

Hats, checksheets and packs are also furnished by the Hatting Section under Hats Compilations. These are issued as prepared. However there is ALWAYS a hat.

If you want to get a real look at what you’re doing, ask yourself this question: Where do I get my orders from?

Anyone on post without a hat cannot be expected to be paid.

I get them from observation of the situation. And I give instructions based on a prediction of consequences.

If a Hats Officer only compiles hats he unmocks the org.

Until you can do that, you will feel harassed, ordered around and oppressed. Not because anybody is interested in oppressing anyone. Just because they try to make a safe environment, bump into people who haven’t observed or acted, and so issue orders.

The Hats Officer must be there in a flash at every post change and see that the hat and duties of the post are turned over and the relief grooved in. Records, Assets and Materiel Dept 9 sees that the materials are turned over and are correctly inventoried or the Dir of RAM or the Treas Sec can be hit for any lost items.

I don’t think anybody fully understands the antipathy I have to authoritarian rule. The reason you see me get cross is in no small part protest at being forced to cope with a situation which occurs by neglect of others. Why elect me to save the day? This ship, this planet and universe are the concern of others too. I have no monopoly on the ability to observe and act.

This is an old, old drill.

The campaign to force into a dictatorship a group which has freedom as its main objective is about as popular with me as a fire in a powder factory.

There are standard ways to do things.

Freedom depends on ability.

Any post not so turned over MUST be turned over correctly with hat and materiel or the org will shatter.