HALL CLEANING

buffalosrfree

I found it fascinating that when 0ur book Study was assigned the cleaning of the hall it always seemed to fall to two familites, mine and the book study conductors. despite all the others in the book study it was me and my family that cleaned the hall on meeting days and on Saturdays. I often wondered what gives, one other in the congregation a ministerial servant and his family almost never showed up. if they did it was the servant and not his family. I guess me and mine were stupid for volunteering to help out all of the time, this included the cleaning or doctoring of the grounds around the hall. Anyone else have this problem?/?????

Gill

I used to turn up with my children. My husband rarely came, and if he did, it was to hold the baby. Once he was asked by the Elder to put the baby in the buggy and go and weed the car park. He smiled politely and said NO!

I nearly passed out from shock! Now I just laugh about it. (I was the brainwashed dumb ass, he had escaped, (mentally) from JW control ten years before me.

Anyway, the Elder always got to Vacuum clean. He was the MAN, so he had to handle the 'technical equipment'!

We humble, 'weaker vessels' had to clean and mop the toilets, dust, pay and arrange the flowers and everything else that needed doing.

I know of groups where the Elders NEVER do the work. They organize the 'weaker vessels' into what jobs they feel they're suited for.

It's funny, but it was always the Elders wives who wanted to do the toilet cleaning.

Toilet cleaning is a prized occupation in JW land, at least in the congs that I've been to.

unclebruce

Isn't the internet a wonderful place to share our memories of Christian Fellowship.

A google search of 'Kingdom Hall Cleaning' came up with the following (titles are as they appeared)

Chennai Kingdom Hall:

So good to be served by JAH!

Getting ready to clean the Kingdom Hall:

Cleaning the Kingdom Hall:

A note to brother Frank:

diamondblue1974

We humble, 'weaker vessels' had to clean and mop the toilets, dust, pay and arrange the flowers and everything else that needed doing.
I know of groups where the Elders NEVER do the work. They organize the 'weaker vessels' into what jobs they feel they're suited for.
It's funny, but it was always the Elders wives who wanted to do the toilet cleaning.
Toilet cleaning is a prized occupation in JW land, at least in the congs that I've been to.

That weaker vessels b/s has really pi**ed you off hasnt it?....its still raw from yesterday lol.

Slightly off topic but I remember when some work was being done on the hall by some trades~~men~~people and there was this elder who 'secularly' was an office manager but thought he was the CEO. He made a big thing about 'someone having to supervise the work' and that it might as well be him....much to the displeasure of pretty much everyone.

Well he didn't account for a grumpy old carpenter who didnt take any shit from anyone, let alone this elder....it didnt take long for there to be an issue between them as he was throwing his weight around something chronic....apparently the carpenter had been asked not to make too much of a mess when it came down to sanding down some woodwork...and his retort was to ask the elder whether he had served a 7 year apprenticeship....and of course the answer was no...he also asked him whether he had 30 years experience as a Joiner/Carpenter and again the answer was no.

His next comment had me in hysterics....he said...'well its saturday morning...why the hell are you dressed in a suit telling me what to do when you should be in an overall labouring on the people doing the 'real work'?

Funnily enough the elder didnt get in overalls....but he didnt have the balls to 'supervise' him any further....I did laugh!

DB74

unclebruce

You highlight an interesting point DB. A lot of trades are pretty tough work. Most tradesmen have to rely on their own abilities and ingenuity and most have little respect for people who can't cut it, or men in suits. Its been a tradition at least since a carpenter once overturned the money tables

Cindyrenee

My husband was the book study conductor, and we had the book study in our home. Every Tuesday night fifteen to twenty people would come to worship. Consequently, I spent many hours making sure the house was spotless before hand, and then, after they left, cleaning up the mess from tracking in, utilizing bathroom facilities, etc. Of course, we had to do our weekly assignment each month of cleaning the KH, too. There was always one sister who would almost always show up to help. I remember one week in particular, I had a huge electical box fall on my head while I was doing some wiring in my barn, I had a concussion; called several sisters to beg them to come clean. Yep, I was the only one that showed up. I cleaned the hall, crying, then went home and went to bed. Missed the meeting that night!!

Ellie

Something Gill said has made me ask this question, you know the flowers in the hall, who pays for those?

diamondblue1974

Something Gill said has made me ask this question, you know the flowers in the hall, who pays for those?

If my memory serves me correctly I remember it being discussed in the accounts report on a thursday night...although not brought up often because we had plastic crap that looked really cheap. On that basis I think it was the people who put money in the contribution box. DB74

james_woods

I had kind of promised myself to not say anything negative in a post this whole week.

So, here goes something positive about cleaning the hall (Oak Glen congregation in NW Oklahoma City) ---

Back in the old days, this little congregation did not have a carpeted floor; it was vinyl tile just like in an old time 1950's kitchen floor.

When hall cleaning Saturday came, it usually fell to me to get one of my dad's company pickups, rent a gigantic floor buffer, and show up for floor polish duty. Running that buffer was the bomb - you could kind of put pressure on different parts of the disk, and just effortlessly send it this way and that...I actually was proud of myself that next Sunday afternoon when you could see your face in the reflections. It also gave a person the illusion that you were performing useful work while getting out of magazine service for the day.

Later, we got carpeting (after a violent argument among the powers that be). Turns out that some of the real old timers thought that indoor/outdoor carpet was just a silly waste of money - end was coming; so why bother?

Anyway, after the deed was done, no more floor buffer. Had to move on to other more important young guy stuff - you know, like riding lawn tractor, .45 automatic pistol practice, model rocketry, etc...

See, that was all positive, wasn't it? Maybe if things are still good midweek we shall post the story of my very favorite Circuit Overseer ever.

Stay trunded,

James

Forscher

You guys remember all those nice littles stories about elders cleaning toilets as an example of humilty for the rest of us? I never saw it happen! Usually they were just like any other white hats, just standing around gossipping among themselves and telling the rest of us what to do. Usually, the toilet job fell to moi, or one of the sisters if my strength or height was needed elsewhere.
What can I say, I was usually the guy who came to mind when there was a dirty jodb to be done and they needed somebody who could be counted on to do it. That, was the story of my life in the Borg.

Forscher

HALL CLEANING

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