convention association

by candidlynuts 35 Replies latest jw friends

  • CaptainSchmideo
    CaptainSchmideo
    I was at a district assembly and they had these security guards with foot long flash lights directing the parking and I thought I'd be retirement age before they ever got us parked. It was worse trying to leave.

    Gary, I believe I was at the same convention.

    I was in a multi-story parking lot where traffic was at a crawl from the top floor all the way down the remaining 10 floors. The cause. A young parking attendant was stopping each and every car at the bottom ramp about 50 feet from the main gate, "helpfully giving instructions" for drivers to take the left exit, not the right exit. He got a blistering explosion of profanity from at least one very angry driver that day.

    If you ever wondered what working was like in Communist Russia, just take a look at how parking, cleaning, (and back in the day, food prep) is done at conventions. Everyone has a job, whether necessary or not, and there are too many Chiefs and not enough Indians. Instead of many workers keeping things running smoothly, you have too many managers (Elders and MS) giving often contradictory orders to the proles.

    It killed my willing spirit years ago, especially after I started working in the "real world" and saw how things can really work in a motivated work organization.

  • CaptainSchmideo
    CaptainSchmideo
    No eating outside food--there is a practical reason for this. The Witnesses don't want the venue's normal vendors to be selling food in there--both because they don't want "commercialism" in "Jehovah's house" and because they don't want the 68% of Witnesses who are window washers and janitors to have to pay $4 for a 6" hot dog and 4oz of watered-down Pepsi. The thing is if the Witnesses are just going to go next door to the McD's for a burger, the venue management is going to be like "WTF dude, next year we're keeping the onsite vendors in." So the Society can actually RELIABLY NEGOTIATE THAT THEIR PEOPLE WON'T GO TO McD's. If this isn't evidence that they are a high-control group, I don't know what is.

    I have to agree in principle about this one. It wouldn't be $4 either. Try $8 at least. Concession stand prices at arenas are atrocious. If I have a choice between that or stadium management allowing us to bring our own food, I choose the lesser of two evils.

    However, this policy about not using vendors seems to be a US thing. I have heard from British friends that they are actually encouraged to use the vendors at the nearby train stations. So, Jehovah has regional rules, apparently....

  • james_woods
    james_woods

    I just want to say that I am completely shocked by this thread. No, not by the poster or anything like that...

    What is shocking to me is this graphic description of what an assembly is like 25 years after the last one I attended. (The one in 1981 where I just walked in and then turned around and walked out of my last meeting ever - ) I had no idea until reading this site for a few months.

    We used to be pretty much free to come and go as family or personal circumstances dictated. No, they didn't serve food during the session but there was ample time to mingle and socialize during the fairly generous intermissions or even during "field service time" during the mornings. There was no such thing as assigned seating or assigned motel rooms. You were not told to clean up an area, this was strictly volunteer work for those who chose to do so. We were encouraged (not discouraged) to make new friends from other congregations and even sit with them, etc. This was called fellowship, and one of the main purposes of the assembly.

    I would suggest that those who are so concerned about Gitmo Bay and the muslims, (all 7 pages of posters on that thread) get busy with a little amnesty or red cross or whatever for these poor witnesses.

    Especially the courageous fading and eyes opened spouses who are going through this hell for the sake of family. Maybe they should ask themselves if this is really worth it...its starting to sound as creepy as Heavens Gate or the Manson family.

    James

  • delilah
    delilah

    UGH!!! I sure do not miss any of the nonsense connected with preparing for, and attending, the summer assemblies. To think that we had to take our holidays then, to accomodate it in the first place....sheesh! We needed another week afterwards just to recover from it!!

    It was a huge ordeal, especially when the children were little, dragging them all over, looking for seats....I feel for all of you who are attending the convention this year.

    Mary....let me know how it goes eh? I'll have a cool one waiting for you when you get back.

  • Warlock
    Warlock

    I think the WTS could negotiate lower food prices from the vendors, if the WTS promised them that all in attendance would be encouraged to buy food from them. What's so hard about that?

    It wouldn't make any difference to me, though, cause I'm not going. The very last time we went, we got up REAL early, so we could get some seats in a certain section, because these seats provide alot of extra leg room, which I need, because I have BAD knees. If I can't stretch out when I'm sitting for a long time, one of them starts to swell up.

    Anyway, we got in the line, which was kind of long, but we've been in a longer line and got the seats before. When the convention opens up, we split up (3 of us) and when we get to the section, ALL THE SEATS ARE SAVED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    With the amount of people being let in, that would have been impossible. So then how are all those seats taken? The attendants saved them before all of us were let in.

    I THOUGHT WE WERE NOT TO SAVE SEATS!!!!!!!!!

  • sinis
    sinis

    I think the WTS could negotiate lower food prices from the vendors, if the WTS promised them that all in attendance would be encouraged to buy food from them. What's so hard about that?

    It wouldn't make any difference to me, though, cause I'm not going. The very last time we went, we got up REAL early, so we could get some seats in a certain section, because these seats provide alot of extra leg room, which I need, because I have BAD knees. If I can't stretch out when I'm sitting for a long time, one of them starts to swell up.

    Anyway, we got in the line, which was kind of long, but we've been in a longer line and got the seats before. When the convention opens up, we split up (3 of us) and when we get to the section, ALL THE SEATS ARE SAVED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    With the amount of people being let in, that would have been impossible. So then how are all those seats taken? The attendants saved them before all of us were let in.

    I THOUGHT WE WERE NOT TO SAVE SEATS!!!!!!!!!

    Ha, ha. Funny you mention that because before I left I was an ignorant prick. If I got there early, like you mentioned, and the whole freakin isle was saved I would dump the books and plop my ass down in that spot. When it came time for the "bros" family to waltz in 5 minutes 'till the session started, and he gave me $hit, I was like brother, I've been here since it opened and I thought we were not to SAVE FREAKING SEATS!!!! They usually stopped bitching. Eventually the whole DC and Circuit assemblies just turned me off as it was the same shit - color, consistancy, and smell - just with a different bow.

  • Warlock
    Warlock

    Sinis:

    I never thought about doing that. Maybe I should have.

    You all know how hard it was to get up at 4 or 5 a.m. to get ready so you could be there when the doors opened. Then, you had no breakfast, unless you brought it or stopped to get it. Leave it in the car while you stand in line to get your seats. Go back to the car and the food is cold. By the time the program starts, you're already sweaty, because it's been a hot morning.

    You go thru all this and you are just dreading lunch time.

    It was alot easier when they provided the food, and it could actually be fun.

    BRING BACK THE SCRIPT, I'LL PAY, I PROMISE! PLEASE STOP THE TORTURE!

    Warlock (surly for the day)

  • garybuss
  • Forscher
    Forscher

    The last assembly I went to was in 2002. I'd noticed that they were carrying the control to new levels. If I'd run into the human toilet paper dispencer, I would've gathered up my family and gone home! Things were bad enough as it was.
    When I first started going (1970s) things were alot different. But in increments more and more control was imposed, kind of like the frog placed in cold water then slowly heated up. Oh well!
    Forscher

  • Warlock
    Warlock

    Nice to meet you, Gary Buss. You know I've been in a real BAD mood today, onery, surly, pissed off, and I don't know why, but.....................THANK YOU FOR MAKING ME LAUGH.

    What year are those from? If you remember, or even care to remember.

    Warlock

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