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1978February Journal
February 1978 Journal by Edith Roller
RYMUR-89-4286-2018- C-3-A-2- (1) to (127) [FOIA-2009: C-3 Part 1.pdf pp 98-224]
The text transcribed here from Edith Roller's notes may have some missing words or lines due to (1) unreadable, poorly xeroxed text or (2) unreadable writing. Blanks are left in the text for these areas. At the end of the journal is a list of persons and groups mentioned in this Journal.
At the end of the journal is a list of persons and groups mentioned in this Journal.
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1 February –Wednesday 1978
Today guests, Soviet and Cuban Ambassadors to Guyana and a Tass correspondent are expected. Special activities are planned: a few demonstration classes, display of articles invented and manufactured by Temple people; everything cleaned up; clothing taken off lines; use names such as Lenin and Jones Drive, CuffyDrive, Castro Way.
I wrote a letter to Jim Randolph requesting books and teaching materials be sent in travelers luggage.
Wrote yesterday’s journal entry.
Went to lunch. Announcement read. Visit of guests postponed because of weather.
Classes were not held. Students went to fields.
Had a conversation with Jack Barron about plants and crops, unfamiliar to me, mentioned in last night’s meeting. He described some of them and offered to take me to a nearby area where several of them grew not far from the central area. A play area for toddlers has been constructed there but children were not using it then. Jack showed me numerous plants, vines, bushes, trees, flowers and picked two pieces of ripe fruit. He showed me where they planned to back up the stream for ponds for fish and ducks. One problem is that it receives waste water from the village.
Lynetta Jones, Jim’s mother, has died and her grave is here. Jim had mentioned that she was buried among the children to emphasize life.
I stopped at the office and asked Joyce Touchette for an order to Pop Jackson for some chairs for our cottage. She gave me a request for 2. I visited with Mom and Pop Jackson in Troolie No. 1 for a few minutes. Pop let me choose 2 chairs and a footstool he already had.
Saw Tom in one of the school tents and we had a good conversation. He was more liberal than formerly about giving me responsibilities in the English teaching program. He proposed I assume supervision of the untrained English teachers. I told him titles were irrelevant but I was glad to do all I could. I was heartened.
At home I had a nap. It was very pleasant with rain falling.
I took a shower and went to dinner. I have not much appetite and have been cutting down on rice drastically, but I enjoy the vegetables.
Spent a few hours reading Radicalism in America, by Sydney Lens.
I was to meet at 11.00 in the pavilion with Junior and Senior High School English teachers but the film we saw in Georgetown, The Outfit, which was brought here, was being shown for the last time. I decided to watch the film and meet with the teachers afterwards if they were there. I missed the first part but sat through therest of it. The sound had been so bad when the picture was shown in Georgetown that I had not understood it. Because of Jim’s explanation of the theme, I understood better its relevance to our concerns.
After the film I saw no sign of any of the English teachers. I went to wash and saw Dick
Tropp with Shirley Hicks in the dining area, drinking coffee and working. Dick told me he had permission to have coffee when he worked late. He had not been told about the meeting. He did not agree with the idea of having such a meeting now. He thought a meeting of all teachers should be held, as many of them were using extremely faulty methods. I proposed we have regular teacher training sessions and he seemed to agree, but I was not greatly encouraged by his attitude.
Went to bed around 1.00. Didn’t turn the light on.
2 February – Thursday 1978
After the morning routine, I wrote yesterday’s journal entry.
Visitors from North America were expected today. So yesterday’s arrangements were changed appropriately. For instance, the red shirts worn by many of our youth to greet the communist visitors were changed, and other songs were substituted. Everything was very carefully regulated and announced by Jim.
I went to the central area just before the guests’ arrival in mid-morning to help out with the demonstration classes. They were short of people and asked me to join Harriet Tropp’s class. She lectured on the early Dutch settlement in Guyana.
The guests were an official from the American Embassy to Guyana and a lawyer from the U.S. representing his client. When asked where John was, everyone was to say, “I don’t know.”
Jim and staff met the visitors. They watched Harriet’s class briefly. I saw them conferring with Jim and staff in the pavilion where the exhibit was still displayed. A varied entertainment program had been prepared, some of which the guests watched.
I had lunch.
The guests visited the medical facility and then departed.
It had been arranged for me to give my remarks on teaching, which I was unable to do last night, at 1.00 at the Book Depository. Present were Don Jackson, Jan Gurvich, Debbie Jensen [Schroeder], and Barbara Walker (none of which have had an formal training or experience in teaching) and for part of the time, Tom Grubbs and Dick Tropp. I was able to make a few points but did not get to my central thesis. The response seemed to be favorable except that I foresee difficulties with Barbara who remarked that she believed teachers had to develop their own methods.
From the loudspeaker all were called to the Radio Hut for a confrontation with Katherine Domineck, who is a cousin of Bates. While the guests were touring the medical facility, she remarked that “they” made her take a top bunk from which she fell; neither statement was true and she probably did it out of hostility purposely to demand Jim’s attention, Jim said her statements were very harmful and could have broken down all the careful preparations that he had made. Most of the membership was very indignant. Jim proposed a system of isolation of potential troublemakers when we had guests. This confrontation lasted about an hour. It was very hot; we have had no rain today.
I got a big washing out of the way.
Read for an hour.
Went to dinner.
Took a refreshing nap for an hour or so
Spent the evening making back journal entries. The other residents were in the cottage conversing but I managed to work all right.
About 10.00 o’clock a confrontation with Don Fields who had been on the floor at night was on the loudspeaker system. He had justified taking out his hostility on children, by saying that Jim did so. Jim denied he ever took out hostilities on anyone. Fields is a white male from L.A. whom I did not know.
Diane and my other roommates reminisced about some of the dangerous events the mission has been through since their arrival. At one point Jim asked on the radio whether there was any other country that would take our people in and they were prepared to leave with nothing except whatever they had on their backs. Diane spent three nights with the children under a tent.
I went to bed at 11.00.
3 February – Friday 1978
Remembered at breakfast time this morning to go to the medical office and take my Premarin. I tend to forget it.
Returned to cottage and started on journal entries. Phyllis Chaiken requested a typing job. She needed reports on Jonestown medical program to give to visitors. I said I would do it; she said she’d bring paper later.
Jim on public address system commented on fact Communist China giving aid to Pinochet Chile and Somalia’s anti-Ethiopian regime. His opinion is China doing a good job for their own politics but from nationalistic supports U.S. and Europe against Soviet Russia– reprehensible–wanted our staff to be clear on subject.
Went to lunch
Observed Jann’s class, then Tropp’s. Both were interesting. Jann needs more rapport with class. Dick using terms to foster socialistic cooperation.
Gave Jann a critique on her class. She was depressed. She feels a lack of organization. She seems very tired. I gave her some suggestions but she put forth some objections.
Talked to Carolyn Layton when she finished her class and before teachers’ meeting. I asked her about my journal manuscripts. The typed ones in her custody and some later ones sent to her are in a “safe place.” She does not know about the notes and drafts taken from me at the meeting (turned over to Tom Adams) nor the ones I later turned over to the Temple (probably in April 1977). She thinks these may have been destroyed, as the Temple was afraid they might fall into the wrong hands. In spite of what Terri Buford told me, she did not know of anyone using them for writing about the Temple. She will make inquiries. She said there was no problem now about written materiel.
We joined the teachers’ meeting that had started. This Friday’s meeting at 3.00 is a meeting to report progress and problems of all the high school teachers. Apparently there is a Thursday meeting to discuss high school teaching methods. Marie Lawrence questioned whether this is necessary. I believe the discussion was to arrange it on Thursday on a rotating basis.
Tom brought up the question of adult education as a prospective project for me. Barbara Walker seemed to me to show hostility toward me in regard to her adult class in which I find she not only teaches vocabulary and history as well as conducting calisthenics for adult women. She has only eight in former class. Tom also proposed to take a socialism class of people who have trouble with the vocabulary. He will consult Rob Christian who is in charge of the socialism classes.
Bea Morton showed a sample of a full page report which each of us will have to turn in weekly showing all activities of more than fifteen minutes. The amount of paper needed was remarked upon. Perhaps forms can be duplicated in the States. Our high school runs a ten week schedule. In four weeks we will be starting a new ten week period. Dick Tropp said we should start planning for large blocks of time and plan courses actively integrated with work done in the community. This was discussed.
Students who are problems were discussed and disciplinary measures proposed and adopted
I went back to my cottage and typed the paper wanted by Phyllis.
Took a shower and went to eat. I left my poncho somewhere and couldn’t find it.
Socialism classes met at 7:30 – all members of Jonestown are divided into groups for this discussion. Introduction to SocialismbyLeo Huberman and Paul M. Sweezyis used as a text. Only the teachers have copies. The classes are so close together with little barrier between them that it is hard for the teachers to make themselves heard. I joined Don Jackson’s class as he had indicated he would like some help. I volunteered some remarks twice, the last time on thesis-antithesis-synthesis. Something I said or didn’t say seemed to antagonize Barbara Walker who is in Don’s class. Dick Tropp passing by gave me a humorous rebuke for not having recognized her.
A film was shown after the socialism class at about 9.00. I intended to attend but couldn’t find a seat.
Went home in a depressed mood, as so many things had gone wrong.
After the film was over, Jim came on the radio denouncing it and calling for a discussion on its flaws. “Some of you have such impressionable minds, you’d be following Hitler.” Diane came home with others having seen the film and said it was not good.
I walked up with Diane as far as the shower and went on to the toilet. Jim saw me on the path and called, “Hello, darling,” which made me feel better.
I went to bed.
Was awakened at 5.30 by some person inquiring which cabin ours was and didn’t get back to sleep.
4 February – Saturday 1978
The Soviet ambassador to Guyana and a Tass reporter were to visit us today, so arrangements were made to greet them. They were expected to attend the meeting tonight andstay overnight.
I talked with Dick Tropp and my handwritten drafts of my journal, to find out whether he knew anything about them. He did not. He suspected they were burnt, along with other materials which were destroyed (regrettably, he thinks) when the Temple leaders were afraid the investigative agencies might force an entrance and examine our files. We talked a while about Dick’s project of interviewing seniors on their backgrounds.
I told him that in the adult program I intended to use that type of material as much of the content of the course.
Worked on yesterday’s journal entry.
Phyllis made some changes in the paper on Jonestown Medical Services. The last page she wants in two different versions, according to whether the guests are North American or not. Then she made further changes which adapted the report to presentation tonight at the rally by Dr. Lawrence Schacht as physician.
The visit of the Soviet representatives was cancelled on account of an airline strike. Jim indicated that he believed the strike was provoked by fascist elements who are trying to prevent us from having friends. As the Soviet visitors were not coming, I did not have to type the changed version of the medical report yet.
Later Jim came on the loudspeaker and said some high-ranking Guyana military Representatives may visit us tomorrow. I wondered whether this was to show their solidarity with us to our enemies.
Had a nap for two hours in the early afternoon. A grey and white kitten, which I am told may be Chris Talley’s, came to see me today and slept cozily on Diane’s bed. I have picked him up and petted him. I brought him some food from my lunch. I brought him up with me to my upper bunk and he slept with me.
Jann Gurvich came around to ask whether I would come to the pavilion to talk with her and Barbara Walker about their lesson plans for next week. I consented. I suppose that either Tom or Jann herself had initiated this meeting, as I had reported difficulties of communication with Barbara, the latter was not as hostile as formerly though still quite rigidin her thinking. I was able to be of considerable help in suggesting methods of conducting their planned week as recognition of complete sentences. Tom came in on the meeting and added some useful ideas. Jenn felt better because she got some sense of coherence in the week’s lessons which was one of her chief aims.
I got my poncho back. Etta Thompson had picked it up when I left it at the socialism class.
Rally
The people’s rally was at 7.45. We had reports first from areas from which further reports were to be heard. The first subject on which considerable time was spent was insecticide control and spraying on which Marie Lawrence took a prominent part.
Word was received that Cheryl Willhite had given birth to a baby boy.
Jim was in communication with a right wing radio program being conducted in the states on the subject of the Temple. He came into the meeting at 8.30.
A long discussion took place on dogs, begun by arrangements from spaying dogs or performing abortions on those dogs already pregnant. Various views on dogs were heard. Nedra Yates and Wanda Swinney were two of the most knowledgeable people on the subject and James Edwards has much to do with them on the grounds
Reports were heard from Jack Barron on brick-making, on bananas from Danny Katulas,animal feed by Wanda (who had done much research on the subject), and several others.
Jim said material on agriculture was required in the school and everyone would be tested in socialism class on their knowledge of items discussed tonight. We want to help the Guyanese export trade and it is good when this coincides with what is to our own benefit.
There was discussion of fishing Amer-Indian style with poison and our Amer-Indian members are going to bring in the vine which is used. Our people are going to cut through the bush to the river tomorrow and may find the vine then.
Patty Cartmell described her last procurement trip with Rheaviana Beam and Tommy Johnson, giving much amusement to the audience.
A complaint was made about the damage Leon Perry does to equipment (and passengers) when he drives a tractor. He was ordered to change his ways.
LaShea [Kennard Wilhite, Jr.] the new baby, was brought in and placed in Jim’s arms.
A projected tractor trip to get cassava sticks was called off because the road is too dangerous.
Information was received (by radio tonight seemingly) that 250 members in the U.S. want to go to Guyana. Jim felt it as wise to stopwith these people as the CIA was bound to infiltrate if we took in outsiders. Future building plans were discussed in detail. Residential building will not be expanded past its present point.