I spent the weekend with some relatives. They have an fairly extensive library of JW material going back 50 years in their spare bedroom. I was looking at a few items when I found a program for the Divine Victory convention held in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1973. The convention lasted 5 days. The sessions began around 10 am and ended about 5:30 pm each day (not counting the music played beforehand). Nathan Knorr attended and gave 3 or 4 talks. Knorr gave the Sunday public talk and 25,434 people attended according to the hand written notes on the program. There were 577 people baptized at the assembly. I remember going to Winnipeg for conventions and they were big events held outdoors. I haven't been to a convention in years. I suspect conventions today don't have attendance numbers like this one from 1973.
1973 District Convention
by frozen one 42 Replies latest jw friends
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garybuss
I was there. It sucked.
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frozen one
I seem to remember one of the highlights of the Winnipeg conventions was when the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League would hold practice at the far end of the field. Do you remember anything like that happening Gary or am I mixing memories?
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Wasanelder Once
Of course it was packed, there were only two years till Armageddoon.
W.Once
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AK - Jeff
I was attending the Yankee Stadium convention in NYC that year - it was an 'International' convention. I don't know if they all were or not.
Attendance was about 80K if I recall. And hot!
Jeff
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garybuss
I don't remember anything interesting happening there. I was there with my wife and my 10 month old oldest son. We stopped on the way and introduced my son and wife to my cousin in Grand Forks, North Dakota. He couldn't have cared less. That's the last time I saw him.
Everything that was said at that convention was denied to me 10 years later. That was the last assembly I attended as a believer.
My parents had the hotel room next to us on the right, and my aunt and uncle had the room next to us on the left and I got in trouble with my aunt for giving my uncle a can of beer. I think it was called Black Label. I thought it was pretty good. She wouldn't have said $hit if she had a mouth full. -
Undecided
IF I remember correctly I went to the one in Phil.Pa. that year. I was dating my wife then after my JW one divorced me. I saw the Jackson family there. Don't know why I went, but I drove by myself in my 65 Ford Mustang and stayed in a private home. I saw one of my old JW teenage friends there who previously lived near here and moved there. That was the last time I saw him. Brings back some memories. I stopped by the apartment where I had lived with my wife near DC in 1972. I couldn't help crying as I sat in the parking lot, she wasn't home. I haven't seen her since 1972.
Ken P.
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BrentR
I was nine yrs old for that one. Ours was at the Puyallup Faigrounds and everyone fiqured this would be the last one. I always hated any of the assemblies, they were such a pain in the ass. Since we lived so close we allways had at least one family staying at our house. Almost always they were obnoxious and I was glad when they left and I got my room back.
I also remember the international one in Vancouver BC, I think that one was six or seven days. It rained the entire time and they ran out of food everyday. The restrooms had incredibly long lines, it was a complete train wreck. I do not miss them for a minute.
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JWdaughter
I remember the old conventions. They were part fun and part torture. We took the public bus during the year they had the international convention.THAT was fun. I remember lots of conventions where we got rained on or heatstroke. One year Michael Jackson was there (the huge entourage, big car, lots of bodyguards etc--hey! why did he need body guards among JWs????) They sold pudding that was still partly frozen at lunch time (YUM) and had funny off brand pop. We picnicked in the hard bleachers at the Kingdome (now razed for Safeco Field et al). I remember the big skits with robes and wigs and all, and the baptisms. . .Always funny to pick out the fattest, skinniest, biggest. . .well. . . funniest suits. . .of course, there were always a couple in borderline immodest suits and I could see why most churches choose to do baptisms in robes. I was a kid, I have kid memories. . .I still dreamed the persecution dreams until my early/mid 30's. I really think participating in some of the ex JW boards helped end them. In 1973, I was 7/8. I have vivid impressions of the expectations for 1975.
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Quandary
I was 7. We went to Laramie, WY. I too remember a lot of ranting about 1975.
Q