Founder Karl Loren's Retirement Plan

Company Policy

October 31, 2004

Last Revised: May 23, 2012 4:50 PM

This Company Policy is greatly revised here on this July 3, 2008. then revosed on February 20, 2009.

I had chosen Steven Archibald as the presumptive new owner of Vibrant Life and ED of the Company. This transfer of control and actual ownership depended on Steve's accomplishing a target of reaching the point of the VSD being $22,000 or more each and every week for a period of 5 weeks.

When I instituted the new Company Policy on the vital necessity of our using "Gross Margin" as a more important statistic than VSD, the "target" was changed, but not yet in writing, to "The gross margin must be in excess of an 'FP Number One' for five consecutive weeks."

I then gave Steve the job of figuring an 'FP Number One" which I could approve with the understanding that this FP #1 would include the amount of profit, or net income, that would be distributed to "Loren and Bonnie" starting immediately and to continue when and as they were retired and even when neither of them had anything to do with the Company.

One other criteria for transferring ownership and control of Vibrant Life to Steven Archibald is referred to as "Appendix A," also not yet written, but described as the circumstances under which the gross profit paid to Loren and Bonnie would be increased from the initial amount Steve already has to include in the FP #1 he is still working on.

I have also drafted a Partnership Resolution which describes the change in ownership from Loren and Bonnie to Steven, and some of the other terms of these changes.

My personal attorney has advised me a bit on this Resolution, and Steve has a copy for his comment and guidance. It is still subject to changes. That Partnership Resolution refers to an "Appendix A" which puts some future changes into the retirement income which Loren and Bonnie might receive from Vibrant Life.

I have yet to write anything for this "Appendix A," but it will include a time period when the initial target is to be met with the understanding that if the target is NOT met within that time period, the amount of gross profit to be paid to Loren and Bonnie would be increased.

Alternatively, there might be other changes in the ownership and control of Vibrant Life if the time target is not met.

This possibility became applicable when Steve left in disgrace, his influcene caused long-term Kimberly to become hostile and leave in disgrace. Technician Tim von Hollen was the only person around who could take over and he tried for some months, but drove the statistics down to non-existence, accepted a condition of Treason, then refused and left in disgrace, as did his friend, too much influenced by Tim, Luis Martinez.

These drastic changes came at the worst possible time for Karl, 77 years old, but fortunately, Clifford Woods had been long-associated with Vibrant Life, was well-trusted (as he had been, for many years, already a signatory on all Company checking accounts), had an extensive background of study and use of LRH tech, and was willing to become the ED.

At the writing of this revision, he has been the successful ED for several months and is well on his way to putting Vibrant Life back on the road of expansion and his taking over ownership as well as control of Vibrant Life.

It is also true that as long as the gross margin is not high enough to meet the FP #1 when Loren and Bonnie's gross margin is NOT included, there could be consequences of taking back control and reasserting ownership.

I'll just leave this much as the new Policy Considerations and make more revisions of this Company Policy as needed.

The remainder of this Page is what had been originally published here. It has some validity, but the above is senior.

I had occasion to write some about this when I asked Cliff Woods to step in to help Steven Archibald in a way that I have not succeeded in doing.

Here is that message:

I have had some mutual out ruds with Steven in that I have admitted to him that I have not personally had success in applying LRH ethics tech on my own staff.

When you combine that outpoint with my age and great desire to provide for Bonnie's future security, and mine, I look more at what has always seemed to be MY method of increasing production and income -- it has been personal production -- mostly, in the past, of research, writing and publishing, but many years I took off from Vibrant Life for some years, leaving Bonnie in charge, earned lots of money in that trust business -- even now Bonnie and I benefit from the work I did then-- in the form of reduced personal taxes.

Now, faced with an unresolved lawsuit from the ex-landlord, and an accumulation of credit card debt that I am working to negotiate my way out of, and the need to change the VL structure from a partnership (which may require my personal skills to maintain) to an LLC, and a joyous new activity for me,,,,

I just don't want the distraction of trying to correct VL.

LRH says "the people yo have are the people you have.,"

I have no interest in looking for any replacement for Steve. He is now in line to become the new owner and ED, Initially I appreciate that my efforts to guide will be very much accepted, but, as said above, my own efforts have not done well along the line of applying ethics tech.

So, with all of that, I am very pleased to have Clifford Woods step in, bypassing my own responsibility for applying ethics tech, doing that for me, and leaving me more free to handle the other items I am handling.

Clifford Woods has played a vital role in keeping some stability in succession with both Loren and Bonnie in their elder years.

Here is one way it was described in 2007, although it has been in place much longer. The Company Policy is HERE.

One other important factor that relates to the new organizational changes is the role of Clifford Woods relative to Loren C. and Bonnie J. Troescher as well as to Vibrant Life. Acknowledging that both Loren and Bonnie are elders, it has seemed only prudent to arrange their personal affairs and that has been done with a living trust. Clifford Woods is the trustee of that living trust. In the event of the sudden death of both Loren and Bonnie prior to the time when a new Executive Director has been chosen by Loren or Bonnie to replace Loren as ED, Clifford Woods as a part of the agreement between him and the legal owners of Vibrant Life, assumes total ownership and responsibility for the operation of the Company.

As soon as a new Executive Director has been selected and appointed by the current Executive Director, Karl Loren (or his wife, Bonnie, in the event of Loren's death and her survival), Clifford Woods would no longer assume that level of control, ownership or responsibility as trustee of the living trust. A further part of this agreement is that in the event of the sudden death of Loren, leaving Bonnie in a position of the sole owner of Vibrant Life, Clifford Woods has agreed to take responsibility of management and secure a standard of living for Bonnie in keeping with the activities of the estate.

I have no intention of abandoning VL, and look forward to my personal production with continued writing, new-now, recording more lectures and advising.

So, Steven, I encourage you to regard Cliff Woods as you would regard ME as owner and ED, and respond to his suggestions as if he were the owner and ED. (As you know, he already signs on all checking accounts and is the trustee of my living trust).

Karl

_____________________________

At this writing I, Karl Loren, am 76.5 years old and want to plan for my own succession, and for my work schedule between now and a future time when I am no longer here. I have reviewed this Policy as of the date of last revision shown above, and confirm that is still accurate and correct data, with the couple changes made this date.

I am currently the Executive Director. As long as either I or my wife, Bonnie, is alive to announce a decision on this, it will be up to us to decide when and as someone else may become appointed to be the ED

This plan for retirement has been further modified by my observation of a Plan needed to handle the expansion of the Company. That plan is here. Note that this is NOT a Program, yet, but a Plan.

At the death of either Bonnie or myself, the surviving other would inherit any partnership interests and the control that goes with that.

In the event that neither Bonnie nor I are alive to voice a decision on this, we have arranged for succession as described HERE.

Vibrant Life, as of December, 2007, has hired Steven Archibald as a "prospective" ED and Owner, subject to continued success, as judged by Loren and Bonnie Troescher, Founders, in a training and trial period described HERE.

In that period between now and my personal death, here is my projection and plan for my personal activities.

Ultimately I wish to "Observe and voice "bright ideas' " as the term "observe" is set into the framework of "Key Ingredients" by LRH. In that HCOPL, Mr. Hubbard lays out a "scale" as follows:

Observation

Planning

Communicating

Supervision

Production

Users

Source: HCOPL 14 Sept 1969, The Key Ingredients, Page 191, Management Series #1

Per the above reference, the topmost skill in management is "observing" and that is the role I intend to play for the entirety of my retirement time.

In the meantime I am ready to do "Phase One" in areas where it is necessary, also do "Phase Two" in various areas, thirdly, and generally, to "write up my hat" for any areas that seem needful.

In these tasks I do not offer to assume any particular work or office schedule -- other than what suits me.

The final goal here, for me personally, is to fully and completely apply the Power Formula, and step OFF the Org Board other than being noted as one of the two Founders-- simply reserving the right to originate my observations and one step short of "planning." One step short of planning, as I see it, is that I also reserve the right to originate any bright ideas which Management may use or not, as they see fit. The same is true for the "observations" which I may care to share. They would assume the place of an "observation" not Policy.

I have noted that as this Company has grown without full and smooth application of Hubbard Management Technology, I have generally always been the "resource of last resort" -- doing whatever had to be done, particularly when there was no one else posted to do that thing.

Likewise, I will increasingly expect that my personal work tools, computer, printer, internet connection, etc., will no longer be my responsibility to maintain, but that such maintenance will be provided by Vibrant Life. Thus, even now, I expect a fully functioning set of work tools, at all times, without my having to draw attention to a situation needing handling and certainly without me personally having to do create or correction cycles for such.

I plan for these changes when, in my view, society is rapidly going down hill so that prospective staff and business services will be found to be less and less useful calling for more and more responsibility which our own staff take for the failings around us. Broader implementation of the concepts included in the Hubbard Management System will reverse this downward spiral of society, but until that implementation is wide-spread we will be more and more at risk.

I also intend to continue, indefinitely, as an author, publishing in any way I can and wish, with or without Vibrant Life.

My "Hat turn-over: Here are the hats I have been wearing for Phase One activity and which I am ready to pass on to another. Keep in mind that many of these hats will be the ones which, unworn, pose the largest obstacles to our expansion. They are, after all, the hats which no one else wore and they are the hats which may be the most difficult to pass on. Finally, they would be the hats which I wear only because no other has learned that hat AND that I have not learned well. In these cases I may be wearing a hat so imperfectly that I can hardly help another learn the hat. In this case I suggest we follow the Hubbard Management motto of "Cope and organize."

Income Tax Preparation
1. The long-range plan is for Vibrant Life to get into such a mode of standardness of operation that a "regular" tax preparer could do our income tax forms in a "regular way." Currently I, Karl Loren, have an extensive body of knowledge and skill with the tax code and have been preparing our tax returns personally. That hat should be passed on as soon as possible although the "regular" preparation of a "regular tax return will be a matter for Executive Council decision presumably after I am no no longer able to assist on this. See this link for data about the official address.
2. Master/Entry Program Modernization
  1. I have spend thousands of dollars and hundreds of personal hours trying unsuccessfully to bring our DOS-based Master/Entry program into a modern form, with failed efforts going back years and including thousands of dollars paid to my tech consultant in Japan. I wrote the original program more than 20 years ago. It is sill working, but we are at a point now where I can no longer revise it. For many years I have viewed this hat as the most vital for me to turn over to someone else. Steve Donery had promised a solution to this problem, but that promise ran into bumps in that road and there is now no prediction on that. I view this as the single most important hat which must be worn -0- with the danger condition existing every day that no forward progress is made. Click here for an old PLAN written by Karl on this. A new plan, dated May 2007, is HERE. Finally, in July 2008, with Tim Von Hollen we appear to have handled this problem with a newly designed Master/Entry Program.
3. Computer Guy to handle regular, very frequent, small computer problems such as the installation of anti-virus programs and other similar "small" details and not to exclude the proper configuration of the telephone system at the warehouse.This, and the above need are two that greatly endanger our Company for lack of anyone even pointed toward this hat -- and continuing with machinery and programs operating at grave risk of disaster without notice. [NeitherSean or Mark Warkentin proved to be inadequate for handling this hat.]
4. Webmaster Needed. I have been the only webmaster for more than 20 years and rather than repair and modernize our 100,000 web pages I have generally always opted to create new stuff and leave the old stuff in condition of urgent need of attention. Our 100,000 pages will continue to be useful for some probably long time so this vital need is NOT as urgent as the two next above, but this activity for our Company needs urgent attention if only to identify the method by which we can expect to solve this situation. [Prospectively Sean Warkentin will be handling this hat.]
5. Renewal Regurgitation of Web Addresses. I have registered some 50 different web addresses, including 10 or more where the words are the same as a precept in TWTH and which squirrels might love to own if they were available. Some of our names, such as www.oralchelation.com are vitally valuable to our Company. The process by which these names are "owned" and "registered" is complex. I barely have it in mind and it all needs to be placed under the responsibility of another. Here is a typical reminder from a service that handles some of our names and automatically renews registration, but it must be reviewed to be sure they have a current credit card to use. [Prospectively Mark Warkentin will be handling this hat.]
6. Lease/Option and Selection of new warehouse and office. All these possibilities need to be kept in on area of hat responsibility. Click this link for data about the criteria for location of any new structure, probably outside the City of Los Angeles. [Effective December2007, Karl has entered a new phase of relationship regarding this lease-option and the data reference this paragraph will have changed considerably, not yet recorded on these pages.]
7. Internal source for application of Hubbard Management technology. Karl would appear to have had unique and brilliant "training" in business since he received his Master's Degree from the Harvard Business School, grew up in a family with a father who virtually always was an entrepreneur with his own business, served in the Kennedy White House and was, himself, an entrepreneur businessman at a young age. Yet, Karl has come to believe that his Harvard MBA and past experiences and training have been inadequate for use as the sole management technology for operating Vibrant Life and that only the adoption and use of the Hubbard Management system would ensure the survival and expansion of the Company would be assured. Thus one of the important hats he needs and wants to turn over is the INTERNAL staff source for liaison with the outside source for help and correction in the use of the Hubbard Management system. Vibrant Life is a Member of WISE, the central point of authority on the Hubbard Management system and Vibrant Life must have an executive in charge of keeping Vibrant Life aligned with and using the Hubbard Management system.
8. What needs further implementation is recognition by all staff members that it is the Founder's intention that this Company be operated within and by use of the Hubbard Management system and that Clifford Woods is the person designated to advise and train Staff, in addition to source materials, on the Hubbard Management system.
9. The incentive pay system is vitally needed to create the "owner's attitude among executives and staff. Click here for the page which includes the actual working model of the Excel Spread Sheet that has the example to review.
10. Respondent of Last Resort. Kimberly has been doing well at responding to incoming eMail messages. She has been sending some to me for response. I find that I am no longer responding to them and do not see that this will change for me. I ask Kimberly and Dennis to arrange for full handling of this valuable line of incoming communications without me.
11. My Research Hat is probably one I will never want to lose, but also it may still be a hat which SOMEONE in the Company may need to wear. It may also be true that no other person could ever wear that hat in the way I wore it, but it is listed here to remind staff that I view my Research Hat as the most important hat I've worn in building this business.It is also included here as a reminder of the paramount importance I placed, in developing my own research abilities, for learning new tools that I could use in my work. That learning, and the eagerness for new learning is, I think, the key for duplicating the skills I demonstrated in my research. Click here for My Research Hat.
12. Electronic Interactive Educational System. I am very proud of my development of the "Learning Management System" and the initial batch of electronic interactive Educational courses. I look forward to others learning this system and taking it to its full potential for Vibrant Life and our public. Combining this system with Hubbard Management data, and related data, along with the data already published on our 100,000 pages for accomplishment of our official Vibrant Life purposes.
13. Implementation of Skype. I once dreamed vast plans for extending our electronic communication technology by extensive use of Skype for making live phone calls, virtually at no cost, with customers and prospects outside the US. Click here for some background. We could even have "phone numbers LOCAL from various foreign cities where anyone who called that local number from close by would ring on my phone, on my desk for immediate international phone connection. These vast plans also included the smart use of our Talk Switch system that is languishing at the warehouse.
14. Collector of Stats On Web Popularity. It is interesting to me that I have published some 100,000 web pages, that it is generally acknowledged that this resource is almost the only reason we continue to get new customers and yet that no one other than myself has ever gathered or analyzed the details of the statistics of that resource to our success.We have an "account" with Google, where the user id is lct@oralchelation and the password is raufman, which shows amazing detail of the number of daily visitors (probably over 15,000 per day), the pages getting the most visits the search phrases which people are using to find these pages and, interestingly, the fact that probably MOST of our visitors do NOT depend on a search engine to find us, but find us by some "different route" which certainly includes "word of mouth" and is not a part of our marketing strategy!
15. Marketing, generally, has been handled on an irregular basis and Steven Archibald will be taking on the position of Marketing I/T soon as his first full responsibility in VL.

The sooner I can move out of "Phase One," "Phase Two" and "Hat Turnover" the better for the long-term survival and prosperity of Vibrant Life, and the greater satisfaction and pleasure for me, personally.

This MAY seem like an effort to reduce my reach and do less in life. Rather I think of this change in the goals for my elder years as a great increase in certain hats which I think are even more vital to planetary survival than the success of Vibrant Life .There is an LRH quote that applies:

"And you can put that down as a beautiful maxim. It sounds like one of these horrible truisms, but boy, it'll fish you out of more holes than you could possibly imagine you could get yourself into.

"A poor goal is better than none.

"And you'll find yourself very often squirreling around and spinning around, and you won't know which way you're going or which end is up because you've decided all the goals you could put your eyes on were too vague or too poor or too unwanted to try to attain. And that itself is a bad aberration, and it shows a misdirection on your own part and a misestimation on your own part and a lack of understanding on your own part of what you're doing.

"There is no goal vast enough to absorb your total capabilities. Because your total capabilities are so vast that they make goals.

"You are, yourself, cause."

— L. Ron Hubbard
The Philadelphia Doctorate Course Lectures

Vibrant Life owes much of its business success to my using as much as I could understand of the Hubbard Management System to manage the business. Much of that usage was based on the computer program I wrote in the 1980's -- the program that set the stage for what type of statistics I would gather to evaluate the business and how those statistics would be used to manage. That computer program has been still in use, virtually unchanged, in April 2007, but greatly in need of protection from the reduction in computer support for the brand of computer program I used. In order to modernize that old computer program I have set upon a new goal for myself -- the supervision of the development of a new computer program, including new types of data to be gathered, not only for the future business management of this Company, but to set an example, and to even deliver a packaged system of statistical management, incorporating the Hubbard Management System. That work is in progress and I expect to be more and more full-time engaged on it.

Another very large goal for my elder years is to further develop the electronic interactive educational technology which I have started with my "Learning Management System" and the program that allows me to compose the educational courses that can "teach" health subjects as well as my Company Policies to staff and thereby align with the new package of business management system utilizing the Hubbard System.

Finally, I have come to realize that good health depends, first, on good relationships and that a wrong relationship leads to disease and death. I have developed a web site for introducing the common sense moral code into society, so as to allow good health products, such as my own oral chelating, to perform as they are capable of -- but only in the case of a person leading a life of moral behavior. These three goals have captured my interest and will consume my energy and time as I shed the requirements for ensuring the continuing prosperity of Vibrant Life.

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