Remember how great the get-togethers were in the 1980's??

by PaNiCAtTaCk 31 Replies latest jw friends

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  onacruse

  Oh yeah! Those were great days.

  At one of those picnics, my youngest (and only surviving) brother fell off the Fire-engine and whacked his forehead big-time on a curb...I'd never seen such a noggin-egg in my whole life!

  I remember that there was a move to remove the local congregation from being involved with "officially" sponsoring such local activities...and the little hand-written notices on the bulletin board disappeared. I'm pretty sure there was some KM article on this, but a quick search of the WTCD didn't give me any results.

  But, at least here in Portland, what really put the kabosh on such things was when about 25 people got into trouble (read disfellowshipped) for having such little "parties" (you take my meaning) after meetings. This was a city-wide thing (and that was in the days when the "circuit" in Oregon encompassed just about the whole state). "Needless to say" (now there's a Freddyism for ya! LOL), there wasn't another "party" around here for years.

  Lots of beer-drinking (but, then, that was before I "knew" about such things).
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  LeslieV

  Yup, I sure remember having lots of fun. Remember how big weddings were in the 70's and 80's? We always had a congregation picinic once a year. Would invite other local congregations also!!! Toward the end of the 80's all that stopped. Replaced by little weddings, no picnics. Making all the get togethers small even made more divisions in the KH. Only certain families got together, ie elders, pioneers etc. It sure never made others that were not in the "in" crowd ever feel a part of the congregation.

  Leslie
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  IronClaw

  I can remember the Skating parties once a month. The get together's where we would play music and associate. I was a lot of fun. Slowly I noticed them all coming to an end. Sad isn't it.

  The Claw.
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  plmkrzy

  I was a teen in the 70's and remember great get-togethers.

  Te term "Pot-Luck" was still allowed as well.

  It was O K to have fun.

  Congregations competing against each other in softball games at the park.

  Trips to the mountains when it snowed.

  Pizza parties at the local restaurant after the Sunday talk.

  Baby showers. Wedding showers. Anniversary parties. Sheesh…is there anything at all left?

  It's sad to see not much more then a bunch of Stepford people these days.
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  LovesDubs

  This party like atmosphere was what sucked me in in 1984! I couldnt believe as a single newly divorced woman that I would have so many friends, so many invitations, so many things to do on weekends! We went to clubs (some of the Chicago "city brothers" would come out to join us in the burbs to go to the clubs) and we'd go to plays and movies and would go for pizza, go dancing, go bowling...it was constant. The congregation would have biking parties and cookouts...huge cookouts...and we would be at the home of the PO which is where I lived for a couple of years. They lived across the street from a school so we would have softball games and set up volleyball nets. We went roller skating a lot and did group WT studies. It was fabulous. I was happy...for awhile. I met my JW husband at one of these get togethers. Then the society said no more large group activities...no clubs...no "Witness Bands" or witness DJs at witness home parties...no NOTHING. Why would they DISCOURAGE people from getting together and studying the magazines?? And it was like they yanked the very souls out of the congregations. We basically only saw each other in meetings and werent allowed to have worldly associations so it became a very lonely life. And they have articles about having too much FUN at WEDDINGS now too!! What the hell is the matter with those old fools??? They cant have fun so NOBODY can??

  assholes
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  greendawn

  This must have been a USA arrangement in the UK I can't recall anything like this except once or twice a year. My impression was always that the dubs were basically totally unconcerned about organising anything outside "spiritual activities" and they certainly didn't care about assisting their members' social life.
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  uwishufish

  Is it possible that those who had the parties have just become "old". As Hank Jr. put it All My Rowdy Friends Have Settled Down.
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  searching99

  happydad, i found your post very interesting. growing up in the truth (i've been out for about 7 years now) there were always certain elders that i felt like "got it". they were fun and easy-going, and it never failed that within a few years something would happen to discourage them, or they expressed some doubt that was not tolerated. i'm curous what your experience was. also, and this is for anyone, how to you go on after you come to terms with no longer believing? do you believe in armagedden? will we grow old and die? i'm young and contemplating a family, how do i raise a child? all of these questions is what brought me here. for years i just surpressed any feeling i had. just ignored it. but i find i want to define what i believe now. THANKS!
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  Merry Magdalene

  Remember how great the get-togethers were in the 1980's??

  No

  ~Merry
• 

  MeneMene

  Bonnie_Clyde, I had forgotten about the orchestra. I was in the Atlanta area during the50s & 60s. We (the orchestra) would practice every week at a brothers house and then play the songs at the circuit assemblies. I played the Cello. We got in trouble with the CO at one assembly because we practiced some more at the assembly instead of going out in service on Sat morning. Everyone seemed to really enjoy sitting listening to the music. Guess we may have kept some others from rushing out to service.