‘Vanguard Week’ looking grim; may be canceled this year

Based on reports:

Every summer, hundreds of followers of the Vanguard, Keith Raniere, assemble at the Silver Bay YMCA camp on beautiful Lake George for “Vanguard Week” in late August to early September.

His followers rent the entire camp and it is usually jammed with people eager to have a week to 10 days of time in proximity to Mr. Raniere.

Vanguard or V-Week commemorates the birth of Mr. Raniere, who founded Executive Success Programs, NXIVM, Jness, DOS, SOP, Knife of Aristotle and other teaching programs.

His birthday is said to be August 26, 1960.

The cost for followers to attend is in excess of $2,000 per person.

The event has always attracted an enthusiastic gathering of followers; and organizers say a minimum of 450 attendees are needed to insure the event occurs. Never before did they fail to easily make attendance goals.

Until this year.

Rocked by scandals of blackmail and human branding of women, and people fleeing the group in droves, less than 200 people have made reservation to date.

This has shocked top supporters of Mr. Raniere for reservations – which require payment in advance – are almost always made months in advance to insure lodgings. In the past space has been limited and the best rooms go quickly.

As far as is known, never before have less than 200 people made reservations by this time in June. If organizers are true to their word, the event may have to be canceled, unless at least 250-300 of Mr. Raniere’s loyal followers step forward quickly and pay for rooms.

With the closure of Vancouver and Los Angeles centers, and with San Francisco shaky, it is not to be expected that attendees will come from these cities. Even a number or regular attendees from Albany and Mexico seem to be sitting on the sidelines waiting to see how the upheavals in the companies of Mr. Raniere play out.

Of course, the Albany contingent – the sappers and miners in the Raniere fields will be there. Dependent on Clare and Sara Bronfman’s money for their salaries, their attendance is mandatory. Clare and Sara Bronfman are the Seagram heiresses who fund Mr. Raniere’s operations which usually run at a substantial deficit.

But those not dependent on Bronfman, who often come to V Week, seem to be staying away, even if these folks have not officially left the organization as students.

It may not be just the recent DOS scandal. It may be the parade of scandals over the years:

The loss of more than $100 million of Bronfman money through bad investment decisions by Mr. Raniere.

The suicides.

The people who left and called it a cult.

The revelations of a cadre of women who said they were abused by Mr. Raniere exposing he kept a harem; many of them said they were badly abused.

Mr. Raniere pretending his own son was an orphan. Mother and son fleeing from him and going into hiding.

The allegations of underage sex.

The lawsuits against former friends and lovers.

Judges condemning Mr. Raniere and Clare Bronfman as liars.

The dedication to secrecy for teachings that are supposed to be filled with love and compassion to help all humanity.

Strange early deaths of women close to Mr. Raniere.

When Seattle closed a few years back it was deemed a fluke. Now a rash of centers are closing. Even the loyal Mexican students are beginning to wonder if ‘enough is enough.’

And in the case of V-Week ‘enough may not be enough.’ If not enough people reserve their places soon for V Week, cancellation of the entire event is imminent.

Sources close to Mr. Raniere say that even some of the 200 people who have reserved are shaky and may not even show up because of the growing scandals.

It may be a dismal turn out with around 100 people.

Yet supporters say people should put aside their doubts and reserve now or risk seeing the end of a great tradition. V Week has been consistently held since 2002.

The program includes forums, inquiries, workshops, gourmet vegetarian food, exercise classes, special events and performances in honor of Mr. Raniere.

In the past it has been noted that scheduled performances are liable to be delayed for hours since no performance will begin until Mr. Raniere appears personally.

Regrettably, in the past, during V Week women mob Mr. Raniere seeking personal interviews and hold him up from making a timely appearance at performances in his honor.  Everyone competes all week long to get the attention of Mr. Raniere.

Sources close to Mr. Raniere say women’s ardor is unleashed in the pristine settings of Lake George and the Adirondack Mountain air, and that to accommodate these lubricious women consumes hours of his day and sometimes so exhausts him he falls fast asleep while hundreds await his appearance.

With less people there, supporters are reminded, women will get a greater opportunity to see the Vanguard and delays should be significantly shorter.

Still, despite these glad tidings, people are not coming forward. With the newly revealed secret practices such as master slave relationships, 500 calorie diets, sleep deprivation, branding women on their pubic area, and blackmailing women, combined with an already prodigious internet record that might scare off any potential new students, some people are wondering if Mr. Raniere’s day has come.

There is a time when everyone who sows, reaps his harvest.

Less than 200 people registered for V Week. Last year at this time it was more than double that number.  Is it a sign perhaps of the harvest about to come?

Frank Parlato