by bronzefist 101 Replies latest jw friends
As a youngster and a teenager I found the snack tables the highlight of the assembly ;-) Great things like potato chips, sandwiches, pizza, all kinds of goodies I wasn't allowed generally but could have at assemblies.
Velvet,
I don't remember ever having a snack table... was that just in your area...??
I also worked in food service at the Quick builds. A whole kitchen on an open trailer. We would prepare 3 hot, full meals a day until the quick build was completed.
Loved it.
Cas
I remember, as a little kid, my first large convention where they served hot meals in tents. You had to eat standing up at these sawhorse and plywood tables. The only problem was that they were built for adults and I couldn't reach my plate. More food fell on the sawdust than got to my mouth. But it was the first time I remember eating rehydrated powdered eggs...
I remember the meal tickets. I never understood why we had to stand in one line to buy a ticket, then stand in another line to give the ticket to someone to get a sandwich. Why not just stand in one line, give the dollar to the guy with the sandwich and be done with it? Less volunteers required that way too... For a couple of years they used the same design ticket, so I used the left over tickets from the previous year. I guess others were doing the same thing because they started changing the design and the old tickets were no good. It never made sense to put left over tickets in the contribution boxes...like the bank's gonna recognize that as legal tender. They probably hoped we would all comply with that counsel so we'd have to buy all new tickets the next time.
I worked in foodservice (until it ended) after reaching the age of 15 or so. It was great. I got to miss half the program because I was in "expediting" which meant going around delivering the food to all the stands before the session broke for lunch. Then we had to restock the preparers tables, so we got to go to the reefer trucks and and unload them.
I remember when they ended all foodservice and everyone bought into the "simplification" program that was being spouted as the reason. I never gave one moments thought to the idea that maybe they were making profit on food sales and had to stop because of tax issues.
I never got the chance. Before my time.
I remember bringing your own food inside or going out for lunch was not only looked down upon but people would give you shit about it. My dad was never the Hoagie type, he was very much into eating a proper meal, I actually can not say I even remember him eating a sandwich, so he and my mom would bring in our own lunch, my uncle's use to give him shit over it but then they would come and eat with us anyway.
I know a family or two who bring in real food - fried chicken, squash casserole, potato salad, red velvet cake, many-greens salad, etc.
The smell is so awesome that you feel like attacking them!
Sylvia
yeah my mom would make Enchiladas, Rice, Beans, Salads, or Roasted Chicken, Potatoes, Baked Beans, my dad also had one of those conversion vans, and we would kind of camp around the van and eat. It wasn't really store bought food it was home cooking so I don't get why they gave my dad such a hard time
When I first came in in 84 they were still making meals from scratch at the Circuit Assembly Hall in Janesville, WIS. So being as I was single and in 84 I was living with an elder and his pioneer wife who had no kids, we went up early to the convention every day even a couple days BEFORE the assembly and started the food prep. We actually had a ball. I have to admit I loved doing that and we had a wonderful time. We were telling stories and singing and laughing...all while we were washing lettuce or making baggies with fruit in them or peeling potatoes or whatever we were doing. I think we had different meals on each day, but we had country fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, fruit, cookies, pastries, corn...it was GOOOOOOD food! And the bonus was I got to miss the stupid meeting! Twisted...thought we were reaaaallly working for Jehovah in those kitchens and at the same time we were MISSING the bountiful spiritual MEALS going on in the auditorium LOL!! Which is why we were THERE supposedly LOL!
Then after we cooked we would be standing in the dish washing area IN our Kingdom Hall Clothes washing, steaming and drying plates and silverware with 80s hair-up-to-Jesus wilting in the humidity and makeup dripping down our faces... and enjoying the experience! How nuts is that?
I remember we were standing there finally finished and were relieved we could finally take off those hot aprons and one sister reached down and grabbed hers to yank it over her head and took her blouse with it!!! She was standing there in her bra and you could have heard a pin drop....then we all just FELL OUT laughing LOL!
Yeah...I miss the people. The rest of it SUCKED.
The hot food was great and very cheap! It was the best part of the assembly.
The society discontinued it because they were making a profit on it and the authorities said they would have to charge tax to keep selling it. They sold out the brothers and discontinued the program because they didn't want to be bothered with the paperwork and loss of profit.
Actually, the profits had nothing to do with the tax. The reason for the discontinuation of food at assemblies was a Supreme Court ruling that said that religous organizations are not exempt from collecting and remitting sales taxes (sales taxes are not based on profits). The case was SWAGGART MINISTRIES v. CAL. BD. OF EQUALIZATION, 493 U.S. 378 (1990). In that case, the Watchtower filed an "amicus brief" (i.e., a brief filed by an individual/entity not party to the lawsuit but whose interests could be affected by the outcome) that essentially urged the Court to rule in Jimmy Swaggart's favor. Neverthless, the Supreme Court ruled against Swaggart and the Watchtower's efforts to influence the outcome.
The amicus brief filed by the Watchtower lawyers in that case is quite interesting; it contains a rather questionable claim (i.e., "every one of Jehovah's Witnesses is an active door to door minister, preaching the good news of god's kingdom to willing listeners and offering printed sermins in the from of religous tracts, pamphlets, magazines, books and Bibles for a suggested nominal contribution.") and what amounts to an explanation of why food is no longer served: "the burdens imposed on retail merchants (to register, file quarterly returns, collect and pay license or sales or us or whatever taxes) should not encumber the right to freely or receive a sermon, printed or otherwise." Food is no longer served and publications are free to the public because the ruling in that case subjected these activities to sales tax, and the Watchtower didn't want to deal with the "burdens imposed on retail merchants." They obviously preferred that the "Great Crowd" shoulder the burden of having to leave the assemblies to buy food.
144001 - I am in total agreement with what you just said.
However - I am still totally puzzled by the Watchtower logic on this: So what if they collected sales tax and remitted it to the government? This is forbidden by some weird sense of religious rights that they have?
The last I heard, they told the individual members "render to Ceaser that which is his" - so they, as an organization, are just too good to do what they tell their members to do?
I don't get it - wouldn't they have been better off to just obey the law, and keep selling the food and magazines?
We actually had a ball. I have to admit I loved doing that and we had a wonderful time.
LovesDubs,
I can so relate to that..... Some major good times.
It's the only thing I miss ...
Cas
