1973 District Convention (page 2)

pobthespazz

Yeah remember that one and all the shite summer conventions as well , I was 7 then, and they were all held at the Twickenham rugby stadium, a real shit hole then but now a state of the art arena.I always used to remember the smell of the bacon baps being made and the stench of the awful stewed coffee which was historically bad, and the huge catering set up with all those containers that were hooked up to those huge generators. Yes it either pissed down or you got cherry red sun burn, but sometimes looking back there were some good memories believe it or not

juni

I remember that 5 day torture. Though in those days I was happy to be with "God's people". I was doing what I thought was right. It was outdoors at the Milwaukee County Stadium; don't remember the # of people attending, but it was large. I would've been 24 w/two boys in tow ages 2 1/2 and 4 1/2.

It would've been hot. Bathrooms were crowded. Standing in food lines w/tickets in hand. Delicious meals were served and you ate standing up at a makeshift high table and lower "table" for kids. I don't know how I did it. Five days!!! From morning until after supper time. Then getting home late and washing the kids and packing a bag and repeating the process over again.

Juni

steve2

I remember that 5-day convention so well, Christchurch New Zealand:

I'd been baptized two years and believed everything that was said. I stayed in the same accommodation as an elderly witness lady who claimed to be of the anointed. She told me that she knew what was going to be published in the watchtower before it was published! She said the world would not last beyond 1975. I was in total awe.

proplog2

Juni:

1973 wasn't in Milwaukee. It was at the old Comiskey park in Chicago. Drama was about Christians fleeing Jerusalem and waiting for its destruction.

moshe

I seem to remember my first convention was longer than 5 days in 1971 and they had some evening sessions. How did I ever put up with it all.

startingover

I was there too. Physically but definitely not mentally. I read the opening post and what immediately came to my mind was drinking too much beer with some JW buddies after the convention. As I read the posts, I was trying to remember what beer it was, and I seemed to remember the name Black Label. So then I read down a few more posts and Gary confirmed the name for me, and he was there drinking it too. I don't even remember going in the place, nor anything that was said, I just remember hanging out in the hallways cruising.

I seem to remember a bad hailstorm while I was there, bad enough to dent the cars. Gary, do you rmember that?

SirNose586

Thank goodness I didn't grow up in the time of the 5 day conventions. I remember the food--the danishes, the orange juice, and the pudding. When they took them away, people were sad.

They used to spend some time making interesting decorations for the assemblies. For the "Light Bearers" convention, they had a huge Bible and a floral arrangement. Then they took those away. Now it's just a covered stage, with not much in the way of a floral arrangement.

Every convention gets worse and worse. There is less to look at, more work to do, and more people with "PLEASE KEEP MOVING" signs and attendants who shoo me away from looking over the spiral ramp's edge. Literally, I stood and looked down on the people below for no more than 3 seconds, and a guy said, "You'll need to move away from there."

"Oh..." I said, all embarrassed.

Lunchtime is shorter. If you want to go out and eat, they make you feel like you're a disobedient rebel.

I can hardly wait for this year's convention!!!!

blondie

I do believe that 1973 was an INTERNATIONAL assembly (convention) that tended to be more days and in larger venues. I went to Chicago and they filled the ball stadium there. I think the last international was 1978. The largest assembly/convention I attended had almost 120,000 people at the Sunday session. Those were the days.

Blondie

startingover

5 days, those were short, I have been to the 9 day ones. From 9 am to 9 pm. Can you imagine if they tried that stunt with today's JW's?

uninformed

I think I went to Houston Astrodome for that one. Inside, wasn't too hot.

I went to the 69 Round the World Internationals in Kansas City, Arrowhead Stadium.

That one was rough.

One moving part was the prodigal son drama, about the time he was praying and repenting, a thunderstorm hit and sorry to say it was very moving. Probably cost me an extra decade in that crappy place.

Brant

1973 District Convention

Share this