by TheListener 27 Replies latest watchtower bible
The auxiliary counselor's responsibility will be to give private counsel, if needed, to brothers who present Assignment No. 1 and Bible highlights. It is not necessary that he offer counsel after each of such talks by fellow elders or ministerial servants.
I have known several TMSO say that this is only if the brother requests it (per the BOE's policy). If there are any ex-TMSO's, what was the policy in your experience.
Blondie
| Gopher, you said: "Serious question -- Does this mean the school overseer won't say whether the student gets a "G", "I" or "W" for their counsel points? Do they still give "G", "I" and "W" marks on the counsel slip to determine whether the student can move on to the next point?" They revamped the TMS a few years ago so there is no more "negative counsel" given from the platform. They wanted to keep things "positive" feeling that many of the dubs were not in the school because they were nervous enough giving their talks but then to have the counsel was intimidating so they stopped it. Now they have the "Benefit from Theocratic Education" book which you bring to every meeting and after the meeting when you did your talk you sit down with the School overseer and he privately tells you how you did and if there's anything to work on. tp |
Inquirer -- I totally forgot about the grading system! Last time I went to the meetings, I forgot about the previous time I went in the early 1990's where they made it more like a school teacher marking a student... It sounded really ridiculous last time when they kept saying "good delivery", "that was a fine presentation" -- when really these people could do with some constructive feedback at times -- there were some people who were quite nervous at the platform at times and some who struggled with proper English pronunciation -- these people would have greatly benefited from a couple of tutor lessons on how to speak to an audience, instead of having this "left wing" approach. It's very dishonest and it does a disservice to the person who is trying to learn -- how will they ever learn if no one tells them?
I recall the other time they use to use the little room where all the juniors or newcomers would go in and give a presentation as well -- then they changed it thought it was too divisive.
I remember a post on here by Scully who said since the 1980's the JW's have gone down hill with teachings -- and it's so true!
Really, it's like an army barracks. In my short time with the Mormons (about 5 years ago) I noticed they did similar things like this where they have all the younger people in the room and having a Q & A question on the Bible and the book of Mormon! LOL
Finally, the Theocratic Ministry School (TMS) metamorphes into the Autocratic Ministry School (AMS). They could market the format as an effective nighttime sedative for insomnia. The little bit of 'life' there had been in the TMS has been effectively sucked out by the AMS. Another reason to welcom 2006? Roll on, New Year!
was just thinking that if was still an elder i would decline this privelege...in my experience elders did not want counsel
I always asked or counsel - it was the only way I could improve
omg! i was bored just reading that, pity the foo's who have to sit there and "participate" I used to hate the Thursday meetings, specially if i had a talk, always got criticised/commented on "lack of gestures" like how fcuking animated do you want me to be brother!!!!!
Those 3-5 minutes up there, i prayed for my slot to be in the 2nd school! I remember getting commented on my attire once by the scruffiest school overseer who always smelt of wee, because I, shock horror! was not wearing a suit but a lovely navy blue blazer and grey pure wool pants and my Sebago loafers! a right preppy look! My shoes cost more than this morons wardrobe! I think i just laughed at him and said its not really relevant or something!
Do congregations still have a second school and overseer? I seem to recall one congo that was so big it had 3 schools.
Interesting post. Haven't been for nearly 6 months and already forgot some stuff.....
tijkmo...you mentioned most elders would not want counsel, this is very true, MS's also take a dim view of it once they have been allowed into the "inner sanctum" of the "teaching assignments".
Soledad.....the old addage applies, if you tell someone something often enough, it becomes "truth" to them. That is why they keep using the same books over and over. One of my last talks as an elder was from the si book on bible chronology, I got my material straight out of Carl Olaf Jonnson's Gentile Times Revisited!! I thought it was great, and no body questioned it or disagreed with anything that I said about "relative chronology" of the bible.
Blondie... I was the TMSO for a fair while, then when I went up the ladder a bit, I got made the auxiliary counselor, [as an experienced speaker] I found that most elders and ms's wouldn't take it seriously at all. They would stay out of my way and when it came time for counsel, most weren't interested in what i had to say.
So what a dud arrangement. Designed to make people NOT think. Why prepare a comment for the highlights, you only have 30 seconds to say something. When it comes time for preparing for these talks, the TMSO has already given you a slip with the necessary Oral Review question that you need to cover, so dont come up with anything too interesting or that someone might benefit from, just follow the "faithful slave" [driver] and you'll do fine.
TIMING: No talk should go overtime, nor should the remarks of the counselor. Assignments No. 2 through 4 should be tactfully stopped when the time is up. If the brothers handling the opening talk on a speech quality, Assignment No. 1, or highlights from the Bible reading go overtime, they should be given private counsel. .... Total program: 45 minutes, excluding song and prayer.
Interesting that they don't want to embarass the elders for going overtime, yet it's OK for the R & F? Why the heck are they so important as to not interupt? They're just spewing out recycled crap anyway.
Kwin
It'd be interesting to know if different congos used different ways of interrupting an overtime talk. All 3 congos I attended used a simple bell. I even got to ring the bell a few times as the school overseer's official timer. Yay for me! If it sounded like the talk (or the sister, poor poor sisters and their inability to give a proper and dignified talk on stage) was wrapping up, I'd allot a few extra seconds. I wonder if I'd get yelled at these days; they sure seem strict on timing.
Funny the memories you retain. I remember practicing my talks so they'd be 5:10 but I knew I'd talk faster on stage, being a little nervous. One talk was so boring I couldn't develop it for more than 3:30 and got counseled for the talk being too short in length. I remember another dude who was irregular to meetings and half in the bag most of the time gave an 8 minute talk. Never knew why they didn't give him the hook. Why do some meaningless yet unresolved questions burn your brain on an early Saturday morning?
Things certainly have changed from the 50's. I was in a large cong in NYC and we only had one school. In fact, I remember being told we didn't break up into rooms because we didn't want to be like the heathens who broke up into Sunday School classes.
I certainly enjoy reading about what is going on now and how the org has changed over 50 years.
Thanks....
