The Bristol assembly hall scandel (page 2)

hillbilly

We built one in Broward Fl back in the 80's. The thing is a "temple" all right. Was 'sposed to cost about $5-7 M -god only knows how they kept the books- this thing had to go $10M even with the "free" labor.

They had kids working in confined spaces, on the 3 story roof etc. Damn lucky sombody didnt get killed. Hand digging ditches for pipes, mechanical systems in petrified coral. Lotsa dumb stuff that a professional construction manager would'nt allow. Lotsa wasted capital dollars. Old folks and working stiffs donated every buck- what a waste.

I did electrical work on the site about 30 hours a weekend for over a year. This building had a complex electrical system (and few quailfied workers) I spent most of the time supervising unskilled people (then spending half the night making corrections) I guess it taught me how to be a diplomat.

Somebody donated a stainless steel kitchen- state of the art- now waiting to go the the scrapper. We probably did over $ 500K just in mechanical and electrical for food service and It was used maybe 6 times before the "new" food service kicked in.

Story has it that the architect was a "new brother". He donated his services in designing this hall, lotsa great expensive features. Story has it that some of the GB/home office types gave council about how showy the place was.

The "construction manager" ended up gettin a "promotion". Last I heard he was the manager at the Jersey City, NJ assembly hall, named Fayad (?), ran into him when we visited there in 90 or so. He was a pant load. Got into it with him one day - he expected us to work on ladders all day, installing heavy light fixtures working bare- footed cause HE had ordered the carpet installed early. Pulled about 20 electricians of the job because he wanted us to work under unsafe conditions. I won the battle, but got a little reamed for being "vocal". The same guy had some folks install about 400 sheets of drywall brown side out (backwards) on walls that didnt have electric and plumbing installed yet. That was at least a $2K Oh Sh*t. His logic, " we had willing Brothers here with NOTHING to do!" So have 'em waste a bunch of sweat and materials. What a crock!

Was installing some HVAC control work in a rooftop "penthouse". It was about 150* degrees up there so I had shed my shirt. I was working alone most of the day up there. Stepped out to the nearest water keg and good ol' Bro Nitwit jumped my case about "modesty and going shirtless and how young girls.... (if you've seen me without a shirt you'd be LYAO). I told him to get bent. He's all flusterd now and starts to go into "banning me from the site..bad.attitude..greive the Holey spirit...." So I ask him if HE can finish the HVAC work and keep the project on schedule- now I'm indespensible!

Oh well Live and Learn

edited cause I forgot something.....

individuals wife

Sleepy - I remember the Bristol Assembly Hall oh so well... The first time I walked through those doors I remember thinking how overly ostentatious it was, what happened to keeping your eye simple? Everyone was saying how wonderful it was, the marble floors and sweeping staircases, the impressive toilet facilities, the murals on the walls, the huge indoor waterfall and associated jungle in the corner of the dining hall, all the very expensive trimmings everywhere... I just thought it was a huge waste of money and was way over the top.

Pathofthorns

There are a lot of politics that surface when KHs and assembly halls are built. In the areas of decorating and 'options' that go into these buildings, certain individuals often make what seem to be unusual and excentric choices.

Many halls have extra cash in the bank and some POs seem to go on spending sprees upgrading things that are presently adequate. In many cities, it seems like the society began using standardized sound equipment, when the old was working fine.

Many times tens of thousands of dollars are poorly spent or lost due to bad decisions. Those responsible should be held accountable in some way because that money was meant for what was believed to be a sacred cause, often by brothers and sisters who don't have much materially.

Many of the luxuries and upgrades or money lost due to poor management and bad decisions could go to foreign countries where our dollars go much further in building what the Society says are "badly needed KHs".

Path

Pathofthorns

LOL @ your post hillbilly.

The emphasis on spiritual qualifications should go out the window when selecting people to oversee these projects.

I think lately lots of brothers who are qualified to work on building projects are simply fed up with the incompetence and often dangerous work environment.

There was probably a ratio of 3:1 of people standing around like they just stepped off the pages of a Sears catalogue to workers actually working. There was nothing like a quick build to get sisters to come out of the woodwork for miles around.

What they have gotten people to do for free is just astounding. God knows most of us wouldn't be there had it not been for a damn hour credit or to get out of field service.

Path

sleepy

Another thing about those assembly halls was how far they expected people to travel to use them.
The one in Bristol was intended to be used by people from the far west of wales down to cornwall across to southhampton and I'm not sure how far noth as there was a hall in Birmingham.
It ment that people who had to just travel up to say 20 minuets to half an hour now were expected to make a trip of up to 3 hours to get there.
Imagine the stress for people who worked full time and had kids. You now had to also get up at at 5 or 6 in the morning after working all week get your food and kids ready then drive for up to 3 hours and sit through 6 or 7 hours of talks then travel all the way home get there at 7 or 8 o'clock make your tea do the washing up oh yeh and discuss the days encouragement ie: do more on min , study more go to more mettings .Then go to bed knackered and do the same the next day.
I bet everyone felt thery refreshed by monday morning.
Coming from wales you had to pay all that extra petrol money plus the toll for the brigde and also contribute to the debt of the Hall.
Some in the far of places protested and now I belive they only go on the special day event not the circuit weekend.
What was the point of all this expence and the extra effort the brothers had to make to travel.
I bet the decisions to build were made by people far detached from the normal poeple who were to use the hall.
How does it bring Glory to Jehovah to put all this extra burden on people who were happy to meet localy for assemblies?

sleepy

individuals wife
Oh yes that indoor fountain.
Another waste of money as they aren't allowed to use it anymore.

Sunspot

<<How about the state of the art kitchen only to have it deemed useless when meals were no longer provided!>>

Wouldn't ya just love to have packed THAT up and taken it home!

MY main "beef" was with those highly polished marble FLOORS, all looked like an Italian villa or something, but were SO dangerous to walk on! I slipped and slid on many occasions and saw lots of kids and sisters fall on them.

Have you ever seen a running toddler fall and smack their head on that
rock?

Then they had to have helpers scurry around with buffers-on-a-stick to rub out all the scuff marks that marred the floors. Many times I secretly wanted to grab a sander and put some serious traction down just for safety's sake.

I can't even imagine what all that flooring must have cost when something more practical but just as attractive could have been used, and a lot easier on the "budget".

(But didn't it LOOK beautiful and bring praise to Jehovah's name though?)

hugs,

aslipping and asliding Sunspot

The Bristol assembly hall scandel

hillbilly

individuals wife

Pathofthorns

Pathofthorns

sleepy

sleepy

Sunspot

hillbilly

sleepy

Matty

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