Recently a few threads have remarked upon how restrictive the JWs have become in the last decade or so in terms of activities and the amount of freedom alloted to individuals.
Well, I can ballpark estimate when it started in my area. It was the mid to late 80's. Throughout most of the 80's, my congregation frequently had potlucks and days at the park when all the local congregations would gather for fellowship.
There was a lot of laughs, lots of grilling, and easy interactions with other JWs. Sometimes someone would bring music, like Jazz or Big Band. Us younger folks would have prefered some more modern music, but we all knew how the bOrg felt about rock.
Anyway, my folks and a few other JWs, discovered Square Dancing. They had a ball. It was "wholesome" and fun and great exercise. Most of the JWs were stoked because not only were they having fun, they were dropping a few pounds. As more of the local JWs learned how to Square Dance and Line Dance, they got the bright idea to have "Witness Square Dances" about twice a month. Here they taught other JWs how to Square Dance and they usually had potluck dinners along with it.
Most of us younger people thought Square Dancing was kind of boring, but our parents liked it. Generally the younger, single, JWs didn't participate in it because 1) we weren't married, and 2) most of the JWs thought it was somewhat inappropriate to dance closely with someone who wasn't your wife/husband.
And then.......[ominous music].........a rigid, staunch, humorless, judgemental prick of an elder decided that all this Square Dancing and fun was Satanic in nature because it encouraged "immorality." Yes, you read that correctly. IMMORALITY!
He began lecturing the Square Dancing JWs that it was inappropriate for a man and woman who were not married to "hold hands" and "touch one another." Let me explain.
In Square Dancing, frequently you may change partners briefly as part of a move. Or, you go around in a circle weaving in and out and grasping one of the opposite sex's hands until you make your way back to your partner. Or, the men would cross the square to spin the woman directly across from them.
This elder singlehandedly brought an end to not only "Square Dance Nights" but also Square Dancing in general. He even had a Local Needs talk on the subject. Actually, he had more than one Local Needs talks based on activities that may lead to immorality, like "dancing." This guy was a Grade A prick!
Soon after the Square Dance ban, the potlucks at the parks stopped too. Nothing was much fun anymore and everyone was worried about "stumbling" others.
By the early 90's, all JW get-together's had effectively stopped. The only time the JWs would associate outside of the KH and FS, was at restaraunts after the meetings.
It has been this way ever since.