Subscriptions to the Afake & Witchtower magazines!

by BritBoy 9 Replies latest jw friends

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  BritBoy

  Do any of you remember this... when one subscribed to the Awake or Watchtower magazines, they would, back in South Africa, come in a cardboard roll... kinda like the kitchen roll cardboard thingies... then later they would come folded in half lengthways. Well, where I am going with this is here... It became sort of a status symbol in the congo to have one of these rolled mags and later the folded ones and one would make a point of straightening them out (despite them being underlined to death and well used) to show the fact that YOU subscribe to the magazines! Did any of you do something similar? I remember in my pious pioneering days *tutt tutting* to myself when I spotted someone with a spanking new crisp copy at the meeting. What a f*ckwitt I was!

  But in all seriousness, in my congo it was a status symbol to have one of these magazines.

  Brit
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  fullofdoubtnow

  I never personally had a subscription, but several in our kh did, including Trev, who bought one just before becoming an unbaptised publisher. I know he had one because I sold it to him, and I was the only one in the hall to actually "place" a subscription during that campaign.

  I remember the elders were praising me for placing a sub, until they found out who'd bought it lol! His mags uesd to come rolled up in a cardboard tube, and he always got to read them before me, which made me wish I'd bought a sub instead of selling it him. He used to take pleasure in telling me when we were out in the fs, as we did work together a bit when he became an unbaptised publisher, what was in the mags a week before I had the opportunity to see them.
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  Gordy

  When I subscribed in the early 1970's the magazines used to come rolled with just a brown paper wrapper on them. The ends used to be exposed as they were sent by what was called "printed paper" post, which was cheaper than if it was fully wrapped.

  Back then a few JW's subscribed, especially the Elders, because you usually got the magazines before the congregation did. So you were one up on them, because you knew what was the latest information or teaching.
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  JWdaughter

  I grew up in the states and we always had a subscription until they stopped. I don't remember any particular status associated with it. Must be one of those weird 'ferengi' things:) I only remember them coming folded. Shelly
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  LDH

  Here in the states, they used to be folded in thirds and wrapped in a plain brown wrapper. Then they folded them in half.

  Once I visited Bethel (friends in the Magazine dep't) and asked why the change? I was told that "all this time the Postal Service had been making an exception because they were cooperating with Jehovah's work. However, the volume was exploding and they were asked if they could please fold them in a standard measurement to assist the USPS in distribution of Jehovah's word."

  Of course I bought into that shit lock, stock and barrel. Later in life I realized it was more than likely so they could meet some inane Postal Service Regulation for non-profit Bulk Mailings (cheap!) LOL.

  Lisa

  Media Mail should be reserved for worthwhile publications Class
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  moomanchu

  Never had a sub. dad did

  You would have marked me, I was the one raising my hand at the witchtower study so as to get a copy.
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  blondie

  I thought the folding in half coincided with the use of a WT-designed machine at Wallkill?
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  Blueblades

  Hi Gordy! I use to get it in the mail also, brown paper folded flat three ways. I also would visit Bethel Headquarters as I lived near - by and would see the lastest mags, before I got them in the mail ,on the tables in the foyers of all the buildings.This way I was always one up on the rest of the rank and file and even up with the Bethelites. Sometimes I would mentioned something in an article to the Belthelites in my congregation and they would say,"where did you get that from?" I knew then that they were not keeping up to date on the mags.

  Blueblades
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  GentlyFeral

  jwdaughter said:

  I don't remember any particular status associated with it. Must be one of those weird 'ferengi' things:)

  It appears from the British folks's comments that many brothers did not subscribe. That would have been unthinkable in the congregations I was in (California). Here, everyone is expected to subscribe – not just every household, but every member of every family. Not having a magazine subscription is like not going to meetings.

  (One Awake! sub per household was enough, though.)

  gently feral
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  Sunspot

  As long as I can remember I have had both subscriptions to the mags.....and as the kids got older, three of them had subscriptions too. The WTS was always "suggesting" that our young ones should have their OWN subscriptions (and books being studied, and books being placed, etc, etc) for use in their own libraries. Naturally, I complied and got them the subscriptions.

  I often wondered what the mailman though when he delivered the exact same magazines (what was it----four times per month?)---to the same address under four different names!