The following table gives the precedence, which is to say the greater value or importance of orders or directions in Scientology. This table shows what order to follow first and if one below is contrary to one above, follow the upper one:
On all orders, orders from an HCO Exec Sec may not cross to Org Divisions, orders from the Org Exec Sec may not cross to HCO Divisions except in the Office of the Org Exec Sec Dept 19. Secretaries may not order other divisions than their own. Directors may not order staff not in the Director's departments. Officers may not order other sections than their own. In Charges may not order other units than their own.
No order lower on the scale may cancel or set aside an order above it on the scale. Any staff member accepting an illegal order who does not file a job endangerment chit when he or she received it has no defence in any resulting ethics hearing. In these organizations one must not permit himself to be led astray by a senior with "private knowledge".
Anyone using policy to prevent statistics rising is liable to an Ethics hearing or a Committee of Evidence. The response to a generalized statement "That's against policy" is "What is the Policy Letter that covers it?" And get it displayed.
It is possible to know where one stands only if one knows the seniority of orders. The hardest position to be in is one where one's senior has thrown the regulations away and is inventing his own — then none knows where he stands.
Any written or published order may be cancelled by a published order senior to it on the above chart except that, traditionally, Board Minutes cannot cancel Policy Ltrs or HCO Bs, these being originated or modified by the Executive Director whose powers only are ratified by the Board. HCO Policy Letters and HCO Bs (Hubbard Communications Office Bulletins) are considered technology and know-how and are outside Admin channels.
The comparable order of a senior org cancels the order of or takes precedence over an org junior to it.
The seniority is:
The Adcouncil WW can cancel or takes precedence over an Advisory Council Continental. An Advisory Council Continental takes precedence over that of an org junior to it.
Advisory Councils are senior to Advisory Committees. An AdCouncil runs the whole org, an AdComm runs only one of its divisions.
Advisory Councils are advisory to the Board of Directors or the Executive Director or the Guardian and have no other powers. They cannot open or close bank accounts or change corporate status. They are appointed by a senior AdCouncil or the Exec Director or the Guardian. An Adcouncil consists of the two Executive Secretaries of an org and the Executive Director.
An Advisory Committee exists for each division in the org (7) and is advisory to the AdCouncil and is appointed by the Adcouncil of the org and consists of the Secretary of the division and the three directors (heads of departments) or in an Exec Division, the three Office Co-ordinators of the 3 Exec Div Offices who are the same as directors but have a different title.
The following table gives the seniority of executives:
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - There is only 1 Exec Director, LRH, and he is Exec Dir for WW and for each org. There are no assistant or deputy Executive Directors. (Orders issued for the Exec Dir must be approved by the LRH Communicator as not against policy and by HCO Personnel when personnel is appointed.)
THE GUARDIAN - There is only one Guardian, WW and each org. There may be Assistant Guardians in larger orgs acting as liaison personnel for the Guardian.
EXECUTIVE SECRETARY - There are two Executive Secretaries at WW, two in Continental Exec Divisions, two in every other Exec Div. They are the HCO Exec Sec and the Org Exec Sec. They head the 3 HCO and the 4 Org divisions respectively. Together they with the Exec Dir, form the Adcouncil. They are appointed by the Exec Dir, the Guardian or the Adcouncil WW. The WW (Worldwide) Exec Sees are appointed by the Guardian by statistics.
SECRETARY - There are 7 Secretaries in each organization. They head divisions. They are the Chairmen of the Divisional AdComm. They are appointed by the AdCouncil of the org with the approval of HCO Personnel and LRH Comm.
DIRECTOR - There are 18 Directors in an organization. They head departments. They are appointed by their Secretaries with the approval of HCO Personnel and the LRH Comm (Communicator).
CO-ORDINATORS - There are 3 co-ordinators in an org. They are the same as directors but head the 3 offices (departments) of the Executive Division. They are appointed by the Division 7 Secretary with the approval of HCO Personnel and LRH Comm.
OFFICER - These head sections within departments.
IN CHARGE - These head units inside sections.
EXECUTIVE - A general term including any In Charge or above.
GENERAL STAFF MEMBER - Any staff member who is not an Executive.
STAFF MEMBER - Any and all persons employed in an org whether an executive or general staff member.
ACTING - A prefix to a title meaning appointed conditionally and if shows good statistics for a year will become of permanent title.
DEPUTY - A prefix to a title meaning "in the place of". There may be a deputy for each executive post in an org in addition to the person with the title. Or it means "filling in until an appointment is actually made".
TEMPORARY - An impermanent assignment, either for reasons of expediency or under trial.
STAFF STATUS - A number following the person's name on the org board that shows the state of Administrative training of the individual as done in the staff training section. Status numbers go from 0 for Temporary, 1 for Provisional, 2 for Qualified general staff member on up for the various executive grades. If no number appears after a name the person is holding the post without check-out for it. A low ranking staff member can have a high status number as it is qualified for, not "appointed to". This prevents qualified persons from being by-passed in promotion.
CLASS - A Technical Certificate in Scientology goes by Classes on the Gradation Chart. The Class of a Scientologist's Certificate is noted in Roman numerals after his name on the Org Board.
GRADE - The case grade of a staff member is shown after his class as an auditor or if no class, after a dash, in Roman numerals on an Org Board. Example: IV - IV - 2 means Class IV auditor, Grade IV pc, Staff Status 2 qualified as a permanent general staff member. - IV - 2 would mean Grade IV pc, 2 qualified permanent general staff member but not trained as a Scientologist.