Endnotes:

Chapter I

[The following list was compiled from information gathered on the Internet, as well as from additional documents. I do not claim that the list is complete. In all cases possible, I have attempted to list the case number and additional information, unfortunately I was unable to gather this information for many of the cases thus only the date is provided.]

List of Lawsuits against and/or involving the Amway Corporation.
State of Wisconsin vs. Amway, 1982, case # 589806.
 
Federal Trade Commission vs. Amway, 1979, docket # 9023.
 
Compliance Commitment by Amway Corporation, Jay Van Andel and Rich DeVos, 1986, Federal Trade Commission, docket #9023.
 
Complaint in class action lawsuit, Hanrahan et al vs. Dexter Yager, Bill Britt and Amway, 1994, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, civil action #94-4615. The information for the previous four court cases was garnered from http://student.uq.edu.au/~ja333710/amway/refs.htm and is an excellent source of information for further research references on the Amway Corporation.
 
Amway Corporation, Inc., Respondent, v. Director of Revenue, Appellant. No. 72155. Supreme Court of Missouri, En Banc. July 31, 1990. As Modified on Denial of Rehearsing Sept. 11, 1990. For further information on this and other court cases pertaining to the Amway corporation please refer to http://www.mlmlaw.com/library/cases/.
 
Hayden, 7/24/97. The information regarding the following 13 cases was extracted from http://www.vtoy.fi/~teeman/suits.htm.
 
Proctor & Gamble, Texas, 7/16/97. [Refer to Coombe, 1992 for a detailed analysis of the rumors that have fueled this lawsuit].
 
Brig Hart, 4/8/97.
 
Touchton, 3/96.
 
Recording Industry Association of America, 2/96.
 
Proctor & Gamble, Utah, 8/95.
 
All-Tech Telecom, 6/94.
 
National Music Publishers Association, 10/96.
 
Baker, 6/91.
 
Gommeringer, 9/85.
 
Heckart, 1985.
 
Cairns, 1984.
 
Bartlett, 1984.
 
Canada vs. the Amway Corporation, 1983. See [The Reformed Journal, "Amway and Canada&endash;the judge’s report" (Vol. 34, No. 9, Sept 1984: 6-10)] & [Business Week, "Amway II: The Kids Take Over" (February 16, 1998: 60-70)].
 
There has also been filed a recent case (1998) in which 27 Amway distributors have filed suit against the Amway Corporation charging that when they "began to ask questions about profit distribution from the sale of the tools, the group became ‘ostracized and disparaged, and cut out of the tools business.’" For more information please refer to http://www.chron.com/content/chronicle/business/98/01/07/amway.2-0.html.
 
Korea, 1997.

 

A List of Amway Related Terms
The following list is by no means exhaustive. There are many more bonuses, achievement pins, and other awards that are also given out to Amway distributors. The following list merely refers to the major levels of "success" that are recognized by the Amway corporation. All of the information here has been compacted from various sources.
Sponsor: Someone who brings in another person into the business.

Upline: Your sponsor, his/her sponsor, their sponsor, etc. on up.

Downline: The people you sponsor and the people they sponsor and so on down the line.

Line of sponsorship: The whole line of upline all the way to the top.

Crossline: The people that somebody besides you or your downline sponsor.

Silver Producer: A distributor who has achieved 7500 PV (Point Value) [see the definitions at the end of this list] at least one month and less than five months out of the fiscal year, exclusive of any Silver Producers in their downline.

Direct Distributor: Sometimes referred to as a Direct. The Amway Corporation uses the term to mean a Profit Sharing Direct Distributor (PSDD). A PSDD is one who has achieved group volume of 7500 PV for six months out of fiscal year, excluding any 7500 PV Groups in the downline. The system refers to Direct as a Silver Producer and sometimes as a PSDD.

Ruby: Makes 15,000 PV in any one month of the fiscal year.

Pearl: Has three personally sponsored Silver Producers in any one month of the fiscal year.

Emerald: A distributor who sponsors three 7500 PV groups in any six months of the fiscal year.

Diamond: A distributor who sponsors six 7500 PV groups in any six months of the fiscal year.

Executive Diamond: Sponsors nine to eleven PSDDs who are at the maximum Performance Bonus level for six months during the fiscal year.

Double Diamond: Sponsors twelve to fourteen PSDDs for six months in a fiscal year.

Triple Diamond: Sponsors fifteen to seventeen PSDDs for six months within a fiscal year.

Crown: Sponsors eighteen to nineteen Silver Producers who have maintained the maximum Performance Bonus level during at least six months of the fiscal year.

Crown Ambassador: Sponsors twenty or more PSDDs each of which was at the maximum Performance Bonus level during the last six months of the fiscal year.

PV/BV Point Value -- Every product is assigned a Point Value (PV) and a Business Volume (BV). At the end of the month, the PV and the BV for that month are added up and totaled. The PV determines the percentage of the bonus and the BV determines the actual amount of bonus money paid. The formula is the percentage, based on the PV, times the BV to determine the bonus check (PV% x BV=$). Of course, each personally sponsored distributor gets his or her cut of the bonus, so the actual amount of the bonus you get to keep is much less than the total bonus. www.amwayinfo.com/ ("Definitions of the terms")

 

Chapter II

Group 1: The 20 Amway "Profiles of Success."
* Bill and Peggy Britt. Crown Ambassador Direct Distributor.
FO: City Manager/Secretary. Founded business their Amway business in 1970.

(Reside in Durham, North Carolina).

* Jim and Nancy Dornan. Crown Direct Distributor.

FO: Aeronautical Engineer/Speech pathologist. Founded their Amway business in the early 1970s.

(Reside in California).

* Brad and Julie Duncan. Double Diamond Direct Distributor.

FO: Carpenter, Restaurant-Manager Consultant. Founded their Amway business in 1981.

(Reside in Washington).

* Greg and Laurie Duncan. Double Diamond Direct Distributor. FO: Medical Student/Dental Hygienist. Founded their Amway business in 1981.

(Reside in Washington).

* Jim and Margee Floor. Executive Diamond Direct Distributor. FO: Lobbyist/Homemaker. Founded their Amway business in 1979.

(Reside in California, USA).

* Bill and Peggy Florence. Executive Diamond Direct Distributor. FO: Air Force Pilot/Teacher. Founded their Amway business in 1974.

(Reside in Georgia, USA).

* Tim and Connie Foley. Triple Diamond Direct Distributor. FO: NFL player/Homemaker. Founded their Amway business in 1981.

(Reside in Florida, USA).

* Hal and Susa Gooch. Double Diamond Direct Distributor. FO: Furniture Manufacture/Computer Operator. Founded their Amway business in 1972.

(Reside in North Carolina).

* George and Ruth Halsey. Triple Diamond Direct Distributor. FO: Claims Adjuster/Teacher. Founded their Amway business in 1975.

(Reside in North Carolina, USA).

* Jim and Sharon Janz. Crown Ambassador Direct Distributor. FO: Teacher/Homemaker. Founded their Amway business in 1964.

(Reside in British Columbia, Canada).

* Galindo and Carmen Martinez. Double Diamond Direct Distributor.

FO: Grocery-store owners. Founded their Amway business in 1981.

(Reside in New York, USA)

* Jerry and Cherry Meadows. Triple Diamond Direct Distributor. FO: Pilot Manager/Television show host. Founded their Amway business in 1970.

(Reside in Tennessee, USA)

* Paul and Debbie Miller. Crown Direct Distributor. FO: Lawyer/Teacher. Founded their Amway business in 1974.

(Reside in North Carolina)

* Ron and Georgia Lee Puryear. Triple Diamond Direct Distributor. FO: Accountant/Waitress. Founded their Amway business in 1971.

(Reside in Washington, USA)

* Rex and Betty Jo Renfrow. Executive Diamond Direct Distributor. FO: Fiscal

Accountant Officer/Homemaker. Founded their Amway business in 1972.

(Reside in Virginia).

* Dave and Jen Severn. Executive Diamond Direct Distributor. FO: CPA/

Secretary. Founded their Amway business in 1977.

(Reside in Washington. USA).

* Don and Ruth Storms. Diamond Direct Distributor. FO: Television Executive/

Homemaker. Founded their Amway business in 1979.

(Reside in North Carolina, USA).

* Chuck and Jean Strehli. Crown Ambassador Direct Distributor. FO: Lawyer/

Dietitian. Founded their Amway business in 1965.

(Reside in Texas).

* Jody and Kathy Victor. Crown Direct Distributor. FO: College Student/

Bookkeeper. Founded their Amway business in 1970.

(Reside in Ohio, USA).

* Dexter and Birdie Yager. Crown Ambassador Direct Distributor. Sales Representative/

Secretary. Founded their Amway business in 1964.

(Reside in Florida, USA).

(for further reference go to: www.amway.com/usa/people/amdist/contents.htm)

  

Group 2: 13 Amway "Higher Ground" distributors 

* Fred and Dotte Davis. (Caucasian)
Orthopedic surgeon/bookkeeper.

* Charles and Laquette Prince (African-American)

Retail mgr./child therapist

* Tony and Mabel Tang (Asian-American)

Bank mgr./secretary

* Brad and Julie Duncan (Caucasian)

construction/restaurant mgr.

* Frank and Lorraine Mikolas (Caucasian)

T.V. Repair/homemaker

* Jim and Sharon Elliot (Caucasian)

United Way Exec./homemaker

* Quentin Hardy (single) (African-American)

Account Executive

* Colin and Beryl Vincent (Caucasian)

teacher/payroll supervisor

* Eric and Colleen Sowers (Caucasian)

Stockbroker/Executive Secretary

* Bob and Sue Payne (Caucasian)

Fire fighter and gen. contractor/Asst. mgr. bank operations

* Martha Calkus and (Husband is never shown but she refers to her husband or "we" ) (Caucasian)

Art Director

* Mark and Tami Crawford (Caucasian)

Investment Tech./Social worker

* Ron and Partain (Caucasian)

Pharmacy owner/teacher

 

Chapter V

The full text of Foundation for Excellence and Founders Fundamentals is printed here in full. Many of the themes discussed in this chapter are reiterated in the following narratives:

Foundation for Excellence:

The Founding Families of Rich DeVos and Jay Van Andel believe it is vital for everyone in Amway to understand the philosophy upon which this business operates and the strategic direction by which it will move forward. Through awareness of these fundamentals, values, and goals, Amway employees and distributors can partner at the highest levels and build upon our success in the coming years. [http:// www.amway.com.br/english/oque2.htm, it should be noted that this web-site is part of Amway-Brazil's web-site, however, the information and layout is the same you would find if you go to the Foundation of Excellence web-site at http:// www.amway.com.]

Founders' Fundamentals:

Rich DeVos and Jay Van Andel built the Amway business on the following principles, which they and their families believe constitute sound foundation for a meaningful life.

Freedom: Freedom is our natural state and most conducive environment in which to live, work, achieve, and grow. It allows for our belief in God and for the opportunity to build a meaningful, purposeful life. The Amway business recognizes, supports, and expands our freedom, which is both personal and economic. Thus, it is our responsibility to ensure, protect, and sustain our freedom.

Family The family is our primary social structure, providing love and nurturing, heritage, and legacy. The family provides us with a consistent set of values, and a framework for growth and the ability to thrive as individuals. The Amway business respects and supports the family as evidenced by the Amway Policy Board and the prominence of "family" in Amway distributorships.

Hope Hope gives us the power to transform our lives in positive ways. It is a force that allows us to envision dreams, establish goals, and achieve great things. By offering hope, we open windows of possibility for others, and it is why Amway speaks so meaningfully to the needs of people around the world. www.amway.combr/english/oque2.htm] (My emphasis)

Reward Reward involves the shared action of giving and receiving. Reward help us grow, either as the giver or the recipient, and there are many ways we are rewarded. At the most basic, it is to be acknowledged and loved as a person. To be rewarded also means to be recognized for one's commitments, valued for one's contributions, and compensated for one's efforts. Reward helps productivity flourish by providing both closure for one action and impetus for a new action. Reward is integral to the Amway business as we help each other grow as people and entrepreneurs.

{Further on in the web-site is an intriguing list of Amway "Values. " Some of these are quite pertinent to the current discussion. They point to the emphasis placed on distributors that they alone are responsible for the success or failure of their Amway business.}

Values:

Personal Responsibility: Each individual is responsible for achieving personal goals, as well as giving 100 percent effort in helping achieve corporate or team goals. By helping people help themselves, we further the potential for individual and shared success. We also have a responsibility to be good citizens in the communities where we live and work.

Free Enterprise: We are proud advocates of freedom and fee enterprise. Human economic advancement is clearly proven to be best achieved in a free market economy. This last statement could in itself spur an excellent investigation and analysis of the contradictions salient to the ethnomythologies of free enterprise discourses. A proper discussion of this, however, is beyond the scope of the present paper.

 

Chapter V

A List of CNP (Council for National Policy) members#1

(All information drawn from: The Freedom Writer/ifas@berkshire.net)

National Elected Officials:

Rep. Dick Armey (R-TX), Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN), Rep. Tom DeLay (R-TX), Rep. Steve Stockman (R-TX), Bob Dornan (R-CA), Rep. Ernst Istook (R-OK), Barbara Vucanovich (R-NV), Sen. Lauch Faircloth (R-NC), Sen. Jesse Helms (R-NC), Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ), Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS), and Sen. Don Nickles (R-OK). 

Hard Right Leaders

Gary Bauer, president of Family Research Council; Bill Bright, founder, Campus Crusade for Christ; Judie Brown, president, American Life League; Ben Bull, senior litigation council, American Center for Law & Justice; Larry Arnn, president, the Claremont Institute; Alan Carlson, president, the Rockford Institute; Dr. James Dobson, president, Focus on the Family; Bob Dugan, director, National Association of Evangelicals; Mike Farris, president, Home School Legal Defense Association; Ed Feulner, president, the Heritage Foundation; Ron Godwin, senior vice president, The Washington Times; Robert Grant, president, American Freedom Coalition; Rebecca Hagelin, Christian Coalition's Christian American; Reed Irvine, chairman, Accuracy in Media; Bob Jones III, president, Bob Jones University; interacial dating is strictly forbidden among campus students/staff, not to even mention gay or lesbian couples; D. James Kennedy, Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church; Alan Keyes, talk show host; Jerry Kirk, National Coalition Against Pornography; Beverly LaHaye, president, Concerned Women for America; Tim LaHaye, author; Marlin Maddoux, president, USA Radio Network; Rev. Peter Marshall, Peter Marshall Ministries; Connie Marshner, activist; Ed Meese [member of President Nixon's cabinet], the Heritage Foundation; Tom Minnery, Focus on the Family; Sam Moore, president, Thomas Nelson Publishers; Rev. Duane Motley, president, New Yorker's Family Research; David Noebel, president, Summit Ministries; Lt. Col. Oliver North; Howard Phillips, chairman, the Conservative Caucus; Robert Poole, president, Reason Foundation; Larry Pratt, executive director, Gun Owners of America; Edgar Prince, chairman, Prince Corporation; Ralph Reed, executive director, Christian Coalition; Pat Robertson, president, Christian Coalition, Christian Broadcasting Network, Family Channel; R. J. Rushdonny, president, Chalcedon; William Rusher, syndicated columnist; Phyllis Schafly, president Eagle Forum; Alan Sears, Alliance Defense Fund; Maj. Gen. John Singlaub USA (Ret.) [implicated in the Iran-Contra Affair]; John Sununu, talk show host; Richard Viguerie, chairman, American Target Advertising; Paul Weyerich, president, Free Congress Foundation; John Whitehead, chairman, The Rutherford Institute; Rev. Donald Wildmon, president, American Family Association; Rev. Jim Woodall, Concerned Women for America.

Conservative Businessmen:

Howard Ahmanson, wealthy California businessman; Ed Astinger, president of Salem Communications; Robert Bates, president of Guarantee Mutual Life Company, Omaha; John Belk, chairman of Belk Stores; Holly Coors; Jeffrey Coors; Rich DeVos, Amway Corporation; Richard DeVos Jr., president, Amway Corporation; George Gilder, trickle-down economist; and Nelson Bunker Hunt, chairman, Hunt Energy Corporation.

CNP Executive Committee

Officers 
  • Edwin Meese III, President 
  • Foster Friess, Vice President 
  • Reed Larson, Secretary-Treasurer  

Executive Committee

  • Gary Bauer 
  • Beverly Danielson
  • Ed Feulner 
  • Foster Friess 
  • Preston Hawkins 
  • Donald Paul Hodel  
  • Louis "Woody" Jenkins 
  • Marion "Mac" Magruder 
  • Sam Moore 
  • Oliver L. North 
  • Howard Phillips 
  • Lowell Smith 
  • LaNeil Spivy

 Senior Executive Committee and Past Presidents

  • Rich DeVos 1990-1993 and 1986-1988 
  • Paul Pressler 1988-1990 
  • M.G. "Pat" Robertson 1985-1986 
  • Sam Moore 1984-1985 
  • Nelson Bunker Hunt 1983-1984 
  • Tom Ellis 1982-1983 
  • Tim LaHaye 1981-1982