Room:
Has anyone noticed that, with regard to these tours, more is required to sign on that merely having enough money to pay one's way? You've gotta pass muster with the local elders before being allowed to join in any ot their international junkets.
This is apparently quite true. I never knew what the deal was, but I was certainly aware that our “application” had to be approved. I think you hit on it precisely with your following observation:
Another example of how the control freaks in Brooklyn seek to orchestreate the very atmosphere of these overseas conventions, likely to portray as idealized a picture of American dubdom to the poor yokels in Eastern Europe, Latin America and Asia, whereever, as they do with their revisionist history lessons.
This makes a lot of sense to me now. At the time I was completely bewildered. As just one example, the American tour groups were absolutely forbidden to wear casual clothes of any sort on
any tours. So there we were in Athens knocking about the utterly filthy, dusty, rocky, broken down ruins of the Acropolis dressed for the Memorial. Not to mention, it was August and hot as a …anyway…
The curious thing I kept noticing, though, was that none of the friends in the European tour groups had this ridiculous restriction placed on them. They simply wore their lapel badges over t-shirts and jeans, tennis shoes on their feet (like people with good sense!). Of course I grumbled and complained enough so that many in our bus group started to agree that the whole thing was absolutely ridiculous. The most rebellious any of us dared become, though, was that many of the brothers left off wearing their neckties and we sisters kicked the heels and hosiery to the curb in exchange for “sensible” shoes .
Now you cause me to think that we probably were serving the WTS as ignorant little JW propagandists on display for our lesser-privileged brethren. What nincompoops we were---and at our own expense!
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JT:
I know of bros who had the money to go on the trip-- the elders didn't and the bro had to be APPROVED by the elders
he got the shaft - was told his hours were not high enough since he would be representing the local congo-
What a load. As if anyone other than they would know what his hours were. Obviously any unscrupulous means are justified by their end.
Our “application” was submitted right at the time I’d decided I was not doing any more door-knocking. In fact, my husband was hoping, as was I, that the trip might “rekindle” my enthusiasm for the faith and “sacred service.” That’s another long story. Anyway, my field service hours had still become quite low---I was just going through the motions. As the approval process for our application occurred and completed just before we incurred the incendiary wrath of the local BoE, the CO, the DO and Brooklyn, we slipped in at the buzzer. What a joke. The irony is, once we returned from the trip, I was more convinced than ever that I had to make my break.
YES THE SYSTEM WORKS his wife was so hurt cause she was telling folks in the hall about how she was looking forward to the trip - little did she know that they would get TURNED DOWN
I feel bad for the sister, especially if she’s still a true-believer. There were those we knew, too, who did not get selected who really wanted to go. I had no business going as I was dreadfully disillusioned with the WTS by then and a tour of heaven itself was not about to help me. Truth be told, I envy those who weren’t selected. I’d love to have back in my pocket the Benjamins we blew on that tour.
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JT:
I will say this though- while the society may not be making money the friends of certain bro who select the travel agency do
Aha! This gets to where my initial inquiry was headed. Are you able to elaborate a little more on what you mean by “friends of certain brothers who select the travel agency?” How would this work, if you happen to have any idea?
I personally know a sister in cleveland who told my wife and i that she had called to bethel a few years back trying to find out how she could get on the list of vendors for Travel agency services and the bro almost but SPIT IN HER FACE –
as you know the male mindset of the org is one of: "There ain't no way in He!! a sister is going to be "Organizing Nothing" where a bro will have to be told what to do"
LOL! I’m shocked, shocked I tell you. [8>]
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Larc:
My remark was uncalled for and unfair. I was mad at something else, a guy named Hyde, and took it out on you, sorry.
And you, my dear brother, are a real man in the truest sense of the word.
-AMNESIAN
