How many remember the 1969 8 day convention?

by seek2find 110 Replies latest jw experiences

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  Justitia Themis

  Perhaps you are wondering what actually takes place at one of these larger assemblies. Let’s take a look at the activities of one day as noted in a typical program. At nine o’clock in the morning the first brief session opens with song,

  Mulan:

  I don't remember it starting in the afternoon! I remember we stayed in a campground about an hour from the assembly site, and we had to get up while it was still dark in order to get to the assembly on time. And, by the time we returned, everyone else had taken their showers, and there was no hot water left. Ugh.

  Justitia
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  Mulan

  Okay, as I recall, they did have a very short consideration of the text and "off to the field", starting with song and ending with prayer, totally about 20 minutes. The general sessions started at 1:30 or for some reason I am remembering 1:40.

  Your right of course it was 1966 for the first drama.......the older you get your mind starts to go.

  The only reason I remember that exact year was that I had a new baby at that convention, and had to go back to the hotel because it was too cold and windy to have him out in the open. I found out that night about the first costume drama and was devastated that I missed it.
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  Justitia Themis

  I hope this doesn't double post. I received an error message on the last one.

  Here is the convention program:

  http://tvgonline.bravepages.com/ConventionPrograms/1969.htm
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  Mulan

  Aha! I was right. It was 1:40. http://tvgonline.bravepages.com/ConventionPrograms/1969.htm

  Sundays did have a full day program. I concede that one.
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  NanaR

  Hey Ruth, That talk that Franz gave. Was that the one that just about the time it was over with a Thunderstorm was brewing and just before he released the book there was a big bolt of lightning and then it started pouring rain? Or am I thinking about another year. I went to Atlanta more than once. seek2find

  seek2find, I remember a thunderstorm and having to flee inside the stadium while lightning flashed, but I don't think it was during this particular talk (there was probably more than one release at this assembly, but I don't remember what the other or others might have been). Franz's talk releasing the "Then is Finished" book was in the afternoon. It was about 100 degrees outside. I heard the talk through the sound system as I washed pots and pans, then ran into the stadium to get the book after the talk. And while performing this wonderful menial labor (for nothing) I was wearing a dress with a too-big apron over it, pantyhose, and 1 inch heels. My parents wouldn't let me wear sandals and leave my legs bare. It's a wonder those pantyhose didn't melt right on my legs... Ah, the smell of dirty dishes and sweaty people... Some of those brothers in the kitchen were really HOT too *g* Ruth
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  Justitia Themis

  Unless you had parents like mine that went "to the field" every morning! I remember them speaking of how "shamful" it was that some were "sparing themselves" and participating only in the afternoon sessions.

  Mulan, I remember this poor sister who sat in front of us for several days of the session. She must have been 9 months pregnant and overdue. There were times when I thought she was just going to start crying she was so miserable. It was so hot...and all that sitting in one spot!

  Justitia
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  misguided

  I was 4 years old. We went to the Vancouver BC assembly (we lived just blocks away from the PNE grounds.) I believe I recall spending most of our days out on the stadium field under an umbrella.

  My brother was 2 at the time. My dad spent virtually no time with us, as he was volunteering somewhere...lucky him. He left my mother alone with the 2 of us in the heat. The sad thing is, he thinks this is how a spiritually minded father should act.

  About 16 years ago at the Coliseum on the same grounds, a little girl fell over the bleacher bars and onto the concrete below. It's a miracle she wasn't killed but they did rush her off in an ambulance. I think this happens fairly regularly at these large stadiums and Coliseums

  Yes, her name is Jessica, and she survived pretty much unscathed (just a big goose egg and some bruising) after falling about 10 feet onto the cement floor on her head. It was around 1990. She was playing with my daughter when it happened.

  Rose
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  Justitia Themis

  I believe I recall spending most of our days out on the stadium field under an umbrella.

  Ah, the sea of umbrellas. Since my family was there so early, we usually sat in the stands, but even there, many were exposed to the sun. People brought these HUGE umbrellas. I remember not being able to see because of all the umbrellas. That meant hours of looking at the people near me and nothing else, and listening to the endless droning of a bodyless man, followed by more endless droning of some other bodyless man. That's probably why I watched that miserable pregnant woman in front of me so much!

  I think that convention is when I began to despise conventions and assemblies. I don't think I ever emotionally recovered! Oh, BTW, THAT was our family vacation that year, and since we traveled from Sacramento, CA, my dad had to struggle to get the extra time off work. He had only seven days vacation. To make it "seem" fun, we camped two nights along the Canada side of the coast on the way back, and entered at Washington State.

  But, we didn't have much money left because we spent more than expected at the convention. I remember eating oatmeal with no sugar for breakfast, because we didn't have the money to buy sugar. Good times...making fond family memories.

  Justitia
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  Emma

  New York 44M: Yes, we were on one of the society's tours. Luckily, we took the charter flight but made most of our own travel arrangements in between assemblies. We mostly did sight-seeing as we'd attended the assembly in Chicago.

  Makena1: My uncle was probably in that orchestra. My dad and uncle were both musicians but my dad was completely our of the org by that time.
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  mimimimi

  I was at the Kansas City assembly also, camped out in the farmer's field. We rented one of those big canvas tents that were so hot. There were makeshift showers set up, women's and men's separate, with big black plastic sheets dividing it up for privacy. And riding the bus. I was 17 years old.

  I remember talking to a girl about my age who was also camped out at the farmer's field and her telling me about her brother who had been disfellowshipped, had gotten into all kinds of trouble and murdered someone and went to prison. As far as the assembly itself, I do not remember what was talked about. Probably was as boring then as it is now.