Do you have any assembly memories/stories? (page 2)

R.F.

I'm 6'1, so it was very difficult to sit down for a long time depending on where the district conventions were held because of the seats being so close behind one another. Sometimes my knees were about an inch from the back of someones head, and that made it extremely difficult to take notes and use my bible.

Jim_TX

Yeah. Here's one.

As a kiddo - I had no father figure, and was left on my own to learn whatever I figured out. Anyway... I was interested in electronics - and as a natural extension of this - the 'sound department'.

Whenever we got to the assemblies, things were usually already set up (they used to string their own speaker wire, and hang their own speakers - in those days), and so I usually wasn't allowed to 'volunteer'. Not wanting to sit... I would usually hang out behind the stage anyway... hoping to learn something (electronics related).

I also wanted to 'talk shop' so to speak... perhaps getting feedback on what I was doing.

Anyway... there was many an assembly that I got shooed away from backstage.

I guess either I got old enough, or they gave up - cause later on - I was allowed to help out.

Regards,

Jim TX

brunnhilde

The circuit assembly hall in Woodlburn, Oregon has a long dark hallway that runs behind the length of the stage. My dad was in charge of cleaning so we were always the ones to lock up. When I was still little enough, I remember taking my courage in both hands (both because it was dark and because "this is Jehovah's House") and pelting down that long hallway that was so dark you couldn't see; just holding my hand on the wall as I ran, breathless with the joy of running and the terror of getting caught being "disrespectful." So many memories, but so weird looking back at how twisted and distorted our lives were. No wonder so many of us are struggling.

brunn

OnTheWayOut

I was a seating attendant at a DC. The auditorium had entrances half-way up the sloped seating, but
also had a limited amount of parking on one side of the building for the handicapped, and that side of
the building had lower entrances so you would come in on the auditorium floor.

Older folks were generally directed to enter the building on the lower side, then would be given seats
on that lower lever or a few rows up from the floor. This way they wouldn't have to climb. This was a
very difficult steep auditorium, and many were quite upset when they couldn't sit in the reserved seats
for the elderly and handicapped. Many handicapped brought their own chairs and were allowed to set
them up on the floor. We would provide chairs for some of them or their family members, but were
limited on who we could allow on the floor.

Anyway, this lady enters the auditorium at the midway point and comes all the way down to me. She
tells me her mother is still standing up there by the exit. Her mother has a broken leg and needs a chair
on the auditorium floor. I go up to assist the woman. She is in terrible pain while she walks with a crutch.
RIGHT THERE BY THE EXIT SHE STANDS BY, there are seats. I tell the Mom there is a ladies' restroom
outside this exit and she could sit right there without any climbing. She looks happy about that. Her
daughter will have nothing to do with this. She says, "Don't you give floor seats to the elderly and handi-
capped?"

"Yes."

"That's what we want."

"But she's already up here. If she sits there, she will have to walk all the way down there. The closest
bathroom is on the same level but several hundred feet away. Here, she wouldn't have any of those problems."

"No, we want chairs on the floor so she can be comfortable." (Mom starts to object with daughter, but daughter
basically shushes her.)

Well, I refused- so she asks to see the person in charge of attendants. Rather than allow this to escalate, I
tell her, "If you insist on making an issue of this, I will let you sit down there with your mother. Please remember
how close these seats were when you have difficulty down there."

She proceeded to walk down, her mother with great difficulty taking the steps down one-at-a-time. They had great
seats, granted, and I think the daughter merely wanted a good view (for what, I don't know- it wasn't Sunday so the
Drama wasn't on today). I laughed silently when I watched the mother go to the bathroom a few times that day
during the sessions. She really struggled. For some reason, I didn't see these folks the next day.

keyser soze

Back in the late '70's/early 80's, we used to go up to Green Bay for our district convention. One year, during intermission, my dad, my two brothers, one of my brother's friends and me went to visit the Packer Hall of Fame, under the belief that we would make it back by the beginning of the afternoon session. We ended up missing half of the afternoon session. My brother's friend's parents were not pleased at all, nor was my mom. This definitely rates as my all-time favorite convention.

ohiocowboy

I remember the Victorious Faith International Convention 1978 in New Orleans. It was when My Book of Bible Stories came out. After returning home, I wrote the Society and told them how thankful I was for the book, and told them how incredible it was. They actually responded, and told me how young ones are such a blessing, and how Timothy was appreciative of the "Truth" when he was young-Yadda Yadda Yadda....At the time I was so proud of that letter, and even framed it for my room. Double

Also, I remember the story going around at that Convention, that a Sister gave birth, and named the baby "Victoria Faye". Triple

That, and the Cheese Danishes!

samiam2b

As a boy with a non-JW divorced father I followed all the brothers around. I used to like working in the kitchen (late 70's) because I could miss most of the morning session and felt important when the cooking crew was dismissed for the afternoon. Later, it was the parking lot thing that was even better. You could go outside when the convention really was dragging on. Also found the sound department where you could focus on something other than the talks and first aid where you were hidden somewhere and always had a distraction.

They have me a CA talk when I was 11 years old and I spent five months working on and writing that talk. Last weekend I threw out the tie I wore that day but I remember my mom having to save up to buy the special suit that I wore.

District Conventions were all about the girls. Sit with your friends and scan the audience looking for the hotties, so you knew where they were sitting. If you brought binoculars than you might be a perv. ;-). Walking around the dome at lunch and during songs, occasionally changing directions to make sure you didn't miss any potential hotties... those were the days.

Lots of memories - most of them being miserable.

samiam2b

DaCheech

I can't remember if it was 1981,82 or 83.

But I went to the Giants stadium convention in rutherford, nj................ and it rained 3 out of the 4 days.

out of 40+ thousand in attendance, maybe 8 thousand could fit in seats under some sort of shelter........... the best I could do was walk around the corridor and try to evade

delilah

Oh the memories..... Getting up early, a long drive too and from....trying not to fall asleep, getting poked if we did nod off.

Trying to find suitable seats, that weren't already taken.....

Dad was not impressed about going, and was crazy grouchy about it.

Asking to use the bathroom every chance I could....then wandering the halls looking at the cute guys.

I met this one guy, at an assembly in Toronto, and he was manning one of the service elevators....he looked like Angus Young, from AC/DC, only MUCH better looking, and he had curly blonde hair that was past his collar. I fell totally in love with him. We'd sneak off on his break and find a quiet spot to "get to know each other better". We exchanged addresses and phone numbers, and he came camping a few weeks later. It was one awesome weekend. Then we never saw each other again.

I think I still have his picture in my old photo album.....

Tyrone van leyen

I remember hearing a speaker from the annointed at a convention in Ottawa in the early 80's. His name was Brother Grey. I was actually impressed with his speaking ability. Thats not suprising, when you consider the fact that they weed out all the good speakers in the congs, so all the kudos and firey speeches and glory end up in their laps.

His speech was on memory and he was reminiscing of his war years and how he never forgot his serial number. While he was giving the talk he said his old number was something like R2186978. Anyways I thought it would be cool to meet this guy afterwards and congradulate him on his talk, but I needed a way to introduce myself. I thought the perfect way to do this would be to walk over and tell him his old army number, to impress him with my memory.

I was looking for the right opportunity , but he was either busy or talking with folks. Finally I decided to follow him to the washroom and get his undivided attention. While he whipped his pecker out to take a piss, I told him his old army number. He looked at me and with scowl and said "What's it to Ya!"

I thought that was very rude, coming from a member of the annointed. I thought these guys had more humility than that. Oh well it didn't go very far but at least I wasn't the the servant of god looking like a moron holding my dink after talking to thousands of people. A little humility never hurt anyone

Do you have any assembly memories/stories?

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