Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 9, No. 1, 1992, Page 29
The New Member
At all times, it was understood that a new member was to be integrated as quickly as possible
into the life and norms of the party. This was done by paying a lot of attention to the new
member, and by getting him or her involved in lots of meetings and lots of party work,
surrounded by lots of other party members.
Loss of Identity
Upon acceptance, a new member was instructed to choose a “party name,” just a first name.
From this point on, identification was by this name only immediately members (now referred
to as “militants”) learned others’ party names. Militants were told never to reveal their real
name to other members, not even to roommates. Party names were used in all party
meetings or gatherings, in all party offices, and in all houses where party members lived. For
the new member, taking on a party name was the first stage in losing his or her pre-party
identity and taking on a party-molded one.
Militants who violated the party-name rule (that is, mistakenly used their own or another
member’s real name) were severely reprimanded for committing a security breach. For
example, I recruited a long-time friend into the party. We became housemates while she was
still a relatively new member, perhaps seven months into the party. After a visit by her
mother, my friend was harshly denounced for having called me by my real name during the
time her mother was with us. The short-sightedness here is that her mother already knew me
since her daughter and I had been friends before the party. Certainly it would have seemed
bizarre to her if suddenly I had a different name. To add to this, I, in fact, was the one who
reported my friend for the security violation. This type of behavior is typical of the rigidity with
which members followed party rules and were accustomed to report on one another. It also is
characteristic of what became for each member (and for the leadership) an inability to see
beyond the world we created. The degree of internalization of party norms was profound --
and quite successful from the party’s point of view.
At the same time as being told about party names, a new member was told (1) to get a post
office or rental mail box for receiving all mail (2) to change the name on household utility
bills to an alias (3) to not subscribe to any publications, particularly leftist publications, in a
real name and (4) to change car registrations and driver’s licenses to either a “safe” address
(i.e., the home of an apolitical friend) or the mail box address. This was another step in the
personal burial process.
After being told about party names and instructed in some of the basic security rules, new
members were given meeting assignments. At a minimum, a new member had a weekly
Branch meeting, a weekly New Members meeting, a weekly one-help meeting, and, in certain
years, a weekly Party School meeting. Along with this came an assignment to a work unit.
Naturally, it was expected that more and more time would be given to the work unit.
Eventually, it was demanded.
The “One-Help”
Sometime in 1976, a “one-help” system was set up. This was a type of buddy system. Every
new member, upon joining, was assigned a one-help. The new member and the one-help met
weekly the one-help was to assist the new member in integration into party life. The new
member was supposed to tell everything to the one-help, all thoughts, questions, or feelings
about the organization. One-helps were to help new members get “objective” about what was
really going on, were to assist them in “seeing things from a party point of view,” were to
coach them in scheduling their time and figuring out how they could do even more for the
organization.
The New Member
At all times, it was understood that a new member was to be integrated as quickly as possible
into the life and norms of the party. This was done by paying a lot of attention to the new
member, and by getting him or her involved in lots of meetings and lots of party work,
surrounded by lots of other party members.
Loss of Identity
Upon acceptance, a new member was instructed to choose a “party name,” just a first name.
From this point on, identification was by this name only immediately members (now referred
to as “militants”) learned others’ party names. Militants were told never to reveal their real
name to other members, not even to roommates. Party names were used in all party
meetings or gatherings, in all party offices, and in all houses where party members lived. For
the new member, taking on a party name was the first stage in losing his or her pre-party
identity and taking on a party-molded one.
Militants who violated the party-name rule (that is, mistakenly used their own or another
member’s real name) were severely reprimanded for committing a security breach. For
example, I recruited a long-time friend into the party. We became housemates while she was
still a relatively new member, perhaps seven months into the party. After a visit by her
mother, my friend was harshly denounced for having called me by my real name during the
time her mother was with us. The short-sightedness here is that her mother already knew me
since her daughter and I had been friends before the party. Certainly it would have seemed
bizarre to her if suddenly I had a different name. To add to this, I, in fact, was the one who
reported my friend for the security violation. This type of behavior is typical of the rigidity with
which members followed party rules and were accustomed to report on one another. It also is
characteristic of what became for each member (and for the leadership) an inability to see
beyond the world we created. The degree of internalization of party norms was profound --
and quite successful from the party’s point of view.
At the same time as being told about party names, a new member was told (1) to get a post
office or rental mail box for receiving all mail (2) to change the name on household utility
bills to an alias (3) to not subscribe to any publications, particularly leftist publications, in a
real name and (4) to change car registrations and driver’s licenses to either a “safe” address
(i.e., the home of an apolitical friend) or the mail box address. This was another step in the
personal burial process.
After being told about party names and instructed in some of the basic security rules, new
members were given meeting assignments. At a minimum, a new member had a weekly
Branch meeting, a weekly New Members meeting, a weekly one-help meeting, and, in certain
years, a weekly Party School meeting. Along with this came an assignment to a work unit.
Naturally, it was expected that more and more time would be given to the work unit.
Eventually, it was demanded.
The “One-Help”
Sometime in 1976, a “one-help” system was set up. This was a type of buddy system. Every
new member, upon joining, was assigned a one-help. The new member and the one-help met
weekly the one-help was to assist the new member in integration into party life. The new
member was supposed to tell everything to the one-help, all thoughts, questions, or feelings
about the organization. One-helps were to help new members get “objective” about what was
really going on, were to assist them in “seeing things from a party point of view,” were to
coach them in scheduling their time and figuring out how they could do even more for the
organization.
