by Crooked Lumpy Vessel 20 Replies latest jw friends
For Scotsman, from the Canadian Charities database, WATCH TOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY OF CANADA, 2006:
| F1 | What were the total expenditures on programs outside Canada during the fiscal period, excluding gifts to qualified donees? | 5400 | $ 15,549,684 |
That's half of all their expenditures. To repeat, half of all expenditures by the Canadian parent charity left the country.
To be honest the Convention also reminds dubs of what is expected because its so intense, meaning that for a good month or so after everyone is at their maximum giving it all they have out of guilt.
To Scottsman:
You said: " ...the forum for the faithless is still going"
That's an interesting coment. Some here have lost faith. Some of us also have found real faith. I think the thing about this forum and the reason it's so popular is that all who seek support and fellowship here have lost faith in an organization who set itself up in the place of Jesus Christ and by doing so profaned his Holy name. So yes I guess I have lost faith, faith in promises that didn't materialize, prophecies that never came true (1975 and Generation of 1914) but that I was fully expected to beleive in. Yes Scottsman, I'm sorry I lost my faith in those things and the Organization they came from. But at least for me there is some good news, the Apostle Paul also lost faith in an organization he spoke about it in Phippians the 3rd chapter and summed it up in verse 8 "What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ" (NWT highlighting mine) seek2find
They make too much. There never is a surplus, since they siphon it off during the lunch break on the last day with a donation to the Mother Organization. They always siphon off too much, leaving a deficit for the final session. And then they hound the people to put more in those boxes. No matter how big a surplus they had, it will be p*#$ed away in this fashion at the lunch break. Best not to even bother: if they finish in the red, oh well.
Interesting link jgnat.
Looking at the big Kahuna itself:
WATCH TOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY OF CANADA
BN/registration number:
119288918RR0001
"THE SOCIETY WORKS WITH THE ORDER OF SPECIAL FULL-TIME SERVANTS OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES TO ADMINISTER A BIBLE EDUCATIONAL WORK. THIS INCLUDES THE CONDUCTING OF SPECIAL TRAINING SCHOOLS FOR THOSE WHO TAKE THE LEAD IN THE PREACHING ACTIVITY OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES. DURING THE 2006 FISCAL YEAR THE SOCIETY FINANCIALLY SPONSORED 36 ANNUAL CONVENTIONS IN 22 LOCATION WITHIN CANADA TO PROMOTE OUR BIBLE EDUCATIONAL WORK. WE PRINT AND DISTRIBUTE RELIGIOUS MATERIAL WHICH IS USED IN PROMOTING BIBLE EDUCATION. DURING THE 2006 FISCAL YEAR, WATCH TOWER, AT ITS PRINTERY IN GEORGETOWN, ONTARIO, PRINTED THE FOLLOWING ITEMS: 12,497,084 COPIES OF THE SEMI-MONTHY BIBLE JOURNAL THE WATCHTOWER; 9,233,804 COPIES OF AWAKE! (A COMPANION JOURNAL TO THE WATCHTOWER); 3,853,495 BIBLE-BASED BROCHURES; 77,831,752 BIBLE-BASED TRACTS. DURING THIS SAME YEAR, WATCH TOWER SHIPPED 7,506,217 BIBLES AND OTHER BIBLE STUDY PUBLICATIONS (NOT INCLUDING THE WATCHTOWER AND AWAKE!) TO CONGREGATIONS OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES IN CANADA FOR DISTRIBUTION TO MEMBERS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC AT NO CHARGE. WE DONATE FUNDS AND RELIGIOUS LITERATURE TO SPECIFIC COUNTRIES IN SUPPORT OF THE WORLDWIDE BIBLE EDUCATIONAL WORK OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES. WE WORK WITH THE ORDER OF SPECIAL FULL-TIME SERVANTS IN ADMINISTERING AN ONGOING PROGRAM OF CONSTRUCTING AND RENOVATING PLACES OF WORSHIP KNOWN AS KINGDOM HALLS."
If the WTS sponsors these conventions, why are donations taken to cover the cost?
I don't recall amounts as District Conventions were out of congregation elders' hands.
WTWizard has it right though. Just like a circuit assembly, they get rid of all the surplus
by sending it to Mother. Really, it's all hers, anyway.
It isn't like the old days, though. They used to make money on the food and the literature.
The food should have paid for the rental of the space and the literature was all profit.
Anything beyond that was pure bonus. Nowadays, they still come out ahead, but no
pure bonus. So many low-wage earners scraping by to stay at a hotel and take the
kids out to eat for three days just don't contribute as much as, say, educated people.
The deals they work out for facilities is the kicker. They sign contracts that best serve
themselves and not the dubs. In my city, there are great places in town for rent that could
serve as excellent local Conventions spots. The donations would cover the costs but the
added expense of great location would cut into profits, so they go out to the sticks. Many
local dubs could skip the hotels if they stayed in town. Many out-of-towners would love a
real city vacation with their stay instead of Motel 6 overlooking the Amoco and driving past
corn fields.
Facilities get their places cleaned by the JW's as a special bonus. Even if this doesn't save
WTS money, they will continue to have rank and file clean it up, as it makes new negotiations
easier for them. Plus it keeps the sheep busy.
They double dip, then triple dip.
It seemed like they were always running a deficit when they announced the status of the accounts halfway through the convention. Was this orchestrated as well or did more people simply choose to donate closer to the end of the session?
Facilities get their places cleaned by the JW's as a special bonus.
I believe our local facility is NOT pleased with the "extra cleaning". Their own contractor is insulted that his work is not considered good enough.
I think this senseless activity is yet another marker that Witnesses can console themselves that they are not only different than their neighbours, but better.
If the WTS sponsors these conventions, why are donations taken to cover the cost?
Imagine the sponsors of a charity auction, for instance. They host the dinner, plan the entertainment, and line up the donated items. They expect to take in more than they invested. I guess the question remains however, what is done with the received funds? Is it given back to the community? With the Witnesses in Canada, it seems not.
