Notice how #29 sounds a little apostatish? Shame on them for slipping that one in.
REMEMBERING WHEN . . . .
1. When there was a grading system on the Written Review to indicate how well you did.
2. When the Circuit Overseer considered the "Continue In The Things Learned."
3. When all Elders and Ministerial Servants only wore white shirts. You better not come out with a colorful combination.
4. When the WatchTower and Awake were black and white. (Think of anyone20 years old or younger in your congregation. Most of them won't remember a color magazine coming in the mail!)
5. How about when Return Visits were called Back Calls.
6. Auxiliary Pioneering was first called Vacation Pioneering and thenTemporary Pioneering.
7. Instead of a Body of Elders, we had ONE Congregation servant over the entire Cong. Kind of like the P.O. (without the body)
8. The Theocratic Ministry School was called the Ministry School, Theocratic School, and then back to Theocratic Ministry School.
9. The Kingdom Ministry went to being called the Kingdom Service and then back to the Kingdom Ministry
10. There was a 15 minute intermission between the Public Talk and the Watchtower Study.
11. The Circuit Overseer was called the Circuit Servant?
12. Regular Pioneers put in 100 hours per month (and there was no "yearly special"; like when it went to 90 / 1000 for the year). 100 hours per month meant 1200 for the year...
13. Bibles were green?
14. Songbooks were hot pink?
15. How about the CLOSED BOOK questions from the Lamp Book?? That was a toughie for new baptismal candidates..
16. Regular Pioneers getting food coupons courtesy of the society to pay for their noon meals at the Circuit Assemblies and District Conventions
17. The Watchtower and Awake Magazines were 5 cents, 10 Cents, or 25 cents?
18. The Reasoning Book was brand new?
19. You had to purchase food tickets at the conventions and assemblies to get lunch?
20. The Circuit Overseer sometimes gave a slide presentation at the Public meeting.
21. What about the red "Youth" book?
22. My Book of Bible Stories was one of your favorite publications?
23. Better yet when the My Book of Bible Stories was released at the convention?
24. District Conventions were 8 then 5 then 4 days long and it was dark when you left?
25. Shasta!!!!!!
26. Hoagies!!!!!
27. The national average for regular publishers in the US for time spent in field service was always more than 10 hours?
28. There were only 3 million of us worldwide but we were still happy?
29. You got baptized in symbol of your dedication to Jehovah?
30. We called un-baptized publishers approved associates?
31. You gave your first talk on the Theocratic Ministry School?
32. The Kingdom Ministry had a section "Topic for Discussion" for Field Service?
33. You gave a presentation in the field ministry for the first time?
34. Someone you love got baptized?
35. "Jesus' Life and Ministry" was a series in the Watchtower? (Became Greatest Man)
36. You used the Aid to Bible Understanding (Aid Book) to get insight on the scriptures"?
37. The Watchtower Educational Center in Patterson was just a plan?
38. Ministerial servants weren't in their teenage years when they got appointed?
39. The daily text was in the yearbooks.
40. When congregations were legally segregated in the South
41. Divorce was almost unheard of in the organization?
42. When WE paid a specific price for literature and only pioneers got their literature for free or discount
43. If you remember the My Book of Bible Stories, what about the orange book, "From Paradise Lost to Paradise Regained?"
44. When music for the song was either played on the piano by one of our dear older sisters (the only one who knew how to play the piano)! or we sang to music provided by not a CD but an album played on a record player! and every congregation had the servant who just couldn't get the needle on the correct song on the first try!!!
45. When book studies were called Rendezvous Groups or Points.
46. When pioneers reported their time directly to Branch (or the Society as it was called then).
47. When there rarely was a Black brother giving a talk at District or Circuit assembly
48. When Bethelites weren't allowed to get married and stay in Bethel
49. When Bethelites were absolutely, totally part of your family not here today gone in a year. And they had to sign up to stay in Bethel for FOUR years, NOT one year.
50. When any sister (or even some brothers) would take you in the back and "discipline" you if you needed it
51. When just looking at pictures in Babylon the Great book scared you into behaving.
52. When all Kingdom Halls had windows and folding chairs
53. Or even when KHs were store fronts.
54 we had egg muffins, hoagies, big pots of chili, orange floats
55. When you had to be at convention at 5 a.m. to make sandwiches for friends.
56 When you worked in cleaning at district convention you wore a big giant badge that said " REFUSE HANDLER"
57. When they announced specifically why someone got disfellowshipped not just "because of conduct unbecoming a Christian" or "so and so has been disfellowshipped"
58. When Public talks were 60 minutes and now they are 45 minutes
59. When Watchtower Farm had outhouses (extremely clean but still outhouses).
60. Having circuit assemblies that would start on Friday evening and end on Sunday
61. Having a 5th student talk whereas now we have 4.
62. The circuit overseer residing at the friends home.
63. Field service on Saturday afternoons at the District Assemblies so the newly baptized ones could go out.
64. When someone was actually declared "Bad Association" from the platform.
65. The first full color Watchtower
66. There were two drama presentations at the conventions?
67. When you heard Brother Franz give a talk. (Think of anyone 15 years old or younger - they probably won't remember hearing one of his talks)
These are some others that I do not remember...maybe you do.
68. When Bethel consisted of 104, 107 and one factory building
69. When Gilead was way upstate New York and if you knew a Bethelite you could go up there and stay for the weekend.
70. When you had to go to two conventions because you got nothing out of your own because you worked so hard at your assembly.
71. Sisters joining the theocratic ministry school after our International Convention at Yankee Stadium in 1958.
72. The Watchtower factory at, 77 Sands Street being only a factory, then two came to reside there and bro. Karl Klein being the school servant in one of the congregations. Then once again the building being used just for the factory.
73. Pioneer sisters arriving each morning at B'klyn Bethel for 2-3 weeks to assemble the yearly calendars so the friends could enjoy them.
74. We had District conventions at Belmont Racetrack and Yankee Stadium?
75. Park talks on Sundays before the children returned to school.
76. Gilead students assigned to local congregations that met on Friday nights.
77. Before the "hot pink" song books there were the paperback green" song books.
78. Only Bethelites as servants in the congregations, until the local brothers were trained to be servants in the congregations.
79. The special call that went out for all to meet at Yankee Stadium to listen to Bros. Stanley Jones and Harold King who were just released from prison in China. It was a cold windy day, but their heartwarming experiences kept us warm.
80. When sisters were not on the Ministry School
81. Pioneer sisters were all brothers were looking for.
82. When there were only a couple of Black brothers in Bethel and one was in mine (1950's, early 60's in East Elmhurst).
83. Pioneer sisters were all brothers were looking for.
84. LOCAL Congregations gave bus rides to Bethel or the Farm and had a picnic at Bear Mountain...
85. When we studied with people since the flood. Persons would study with you and anyone else they could but yet never dedicate themselves or get baptized.
86. When we advertised talks for district convention with body placards.
87. When we ALWAYS went out in field service BEFORE the book study on Tuesday. It was almost required.
88. When you went to the Watchtower Farm you could help out with the harvesting and keep some of the produce.
89. When you heard Brother Knorr give a talk. (OK, think of anyone 29 years old or younger - yep. Probably won't remember his talks)
90. One for the road.. How about the first time we the 2nd student talk came about. It was just MIND BOGGLING to us that all the person had to do was read the verses (aside from the intro/concl.) It took WEEKS before we got it right. Friends were getting up there, reading a few verses, explaining them and then going on, and so forth.
91. Before the Proclaimers book (about our history) there was a book called "Jehovah's Witnesses in the Divine Purpose." I remember it being like a play. There were names like John and Mary, and the whole book was dialog between them about Jehovah's Witnesses.
92. Since I am letting my age out, I remember the song book BEFORE the pink one. My FAVORITE song was called Consecration (or Dedication). One verse went: Take my feet and take my hands, let them serve your wise commands. Take my heart and bring it lord, with your will in full accord. Take my life, may ALL I do be well-pleasing, Lord to you.