User:Paranormal Skeptic/Patter drill

Patter drills are a drilling method used in courses in the Church of Scientology which were added to many Church courses in mid-1996, by David Miscavige as part of the Golden Age of Tech development. In order to perform patter drills, students are instructed to read sections of course material to a wall.

History of patter drills
The installation of the drills began in mid-1995 when David Miscavige announced the findings of an evaluation he made of education in the Church of Scientology: He stated that "the blind are leading the blind." After that announcement, patter drills were put on most courses.

Church reaction to objector
According to a 2006 St. Petersburg Times article entitled SP profiles, one Scientologist, Tom Smith, of Clearwater, Florida, found himself declared a Suppressive Person (SP) after he repeatedly challenged the validity of a "patter drill" in which he was instructed to read passages of a course to a wall. He insisted the drill was not based on Hubbard teachings. Smith also stated that he had been previously threatened with an SP declare after a run-in with a Scientology attorney on an unrelated issue. For its part, Ben Shaw of the Church of Scientology called the article "unfair", stated that "police reports would show had a history of obstructive behavior with police." Shaw also said, "Smith also brought a handgun into a counseling session in the church and said he did not have a license to carry the gun." "Smith noted that he has never been arrested, and records show that he had a license to carry the gun.", Shaw stated that the Times was "getting 'facts' from disgruntled ex-members who have an ax to grind against their former Church. Smith replied that Shaw was "grabbing for anything he can do to smear".