What exactly are men at the back of the hall taking care of? (page 3)

When I served as an elder I was up and down ALL the time. I did as much of my WTBS administrative work as I could during the meetings so I would have more time at home for myself. I stood in the back as much as I could as it made the time pass by quicker.

I remember the first meeting I attended after I was no longer an elder. For the first time I realized how incredibly BORING the meetings were. One sister, who is a close friend of mine could see how bored I was. On her way to the restroom she leaned over and whispered in my ear: "Now you get to suffer like the rest of us."

I laughed out loud. The I got up and went outside. I do not miss the meetings at all.

Dave Brown

life is to short

DesirousOfChange you are so right. My elder husband never listened to an assembly. I was so naive when we were first married and I thought that all elders had this vast knowledge, it truly took me years to see that they KNOW NOTHING. They do not listen to any of the crap, I do not know why it took me so long to wake up.

OTWO you are so right last spring when I went to the one day with my husband there were five COBE's from five different hall sitting in the hall behind a table taking and joking. I knew everyone of them and I just looked at them like they were idiots. The COBE from my hall actually looked down at the ground from the look I gave him. I truly have no RESPECT for that man to allow child molesters free run, and he knows it. Allowing a man who has raped babies to hold a baby shower!!! And than thanking me for putting aside my differences to go. Yeh I went to get pictures of a pedophile holding children during a JW gathering so I could use it later. The stupid COBE is so clueless.

Anywho I can really get on a rant when it comes to the elder and child abuse. But in every hall I have ever been in all the elders did the standing in the back, adjusting the thermostat until the would break it and they the hall would have to vote to pay to have the repair man come and fix it.

It is all so stupid.

LITS

LongHairGal

howdidithappen:

I don't know if this is true or just hogwash but I was told a rumor by a brother many years ago that they like to have tall or large sized brothers in the back of the hall to "greet" or face any threat that may come in the door, like some hoodlum or troublemaker. He told me they would go up to him and surround him and ask how they can "help" him, etc. This sounded to me almost like they were bouncers of a sort.

blondie

I had and still do have severe back troubles. So I had "permission" to stand in the back. I think the elders thought I could not hear standing up....in 2 congregations they discussed sports, their secular job, and the most recent vacations. Also that for some it was a sign of the "specialness" in the congregation. I do know that many men never heard a word at a convention between working in food service and having "deep" discussions at the tables for literature, etc., in the hallways. If it came to talking during the convention, the men had it down pat, it was not the teenagers that had looped out.

LostGeneration

A few years before I left, I had a PO who was never in his seat until at least 3/4 of the way through the ministry school. He was always doing the "elder whisper" to someone, or tapping elders on the shoulder and bringing them back to talk.

It was one of the seeds planted in my mind that the information being presented really wasn't all that important if the PO had other stuff to tend to while the meeting was going on.

WontLeave

I know actually paying attention to the meeting makes my brain hurt. The more I listen, the more I laugh at the speakers' ignorance, mutter at the lies in the literature, and shake my head at the blatant idolatry in the comments. I can't blame anyone for doing anything to lessen the mental torture. Sitting quietly and listening at a meeting would be like calmly and quietly allowing someone to put a cigarette out on my face. I have to squirm, wince, roll my eyes, shake my head, sigh, gasp, groan, look around in astonishment. But I'm not a MS or elder, so when I can't take it I just don't go. They have to be there to keep their precious position, so they might be escaping the agony of the insane, dogmatic rantings as much as they can, while keeping their attendance up. Have to punch that time clock to be paid in full by the glory before men. One of Satan's best tools is instant gratification.

charlie brown jr.

: What exactly are men at the back of the hall taking care of?

Looking at the Young Sisters.....of course!

AK MCGRATH

Speaking of assemblies~I came in the "truth" in '93 and our hall was part of the sandwhich wrap people. Although I always liked to help out and thought I was doing something for my brothers, I NEVER understood why we would still be wrapping after the program started.

We would be there, some singing the song, and then when it was time for the prayer, we would immediately stop in whatever position we were in (sandwhich in hand, etc.) and try to glean what the prayer was. Then the first part of the program would be missed. I felt like the program was more important than making sandwhiches (some of you might disagree with that statement..lol), and I even said something to a few people. Since I was new in the "truth", of course I was probably seen as weak or going against the arrangement.

Years later when I had the "privlege" of watching the money boxes, the same thing happened. You miss some of the program. What is the point? I know, I know. It's all about the Benjamines regarding the contribution boxes.

I had mentioned that I thought it would be beneficial if a different curcuit would handle such matters, so when your own assembly came up, the brothers and sisters wouldn't have to worry about missing any of it. It would be handled by volunteers from other areas. I mean, when we did cleaning, it was volunteers from within the circuit or district, but there was no program to be missed.

Course, being a sister, I am sure they thought I again was overstepping my "position". But hearing all of your comments, it surely explains a lot and is quite sickening about the good 'ol boys club.

Oh well, things I don't have to be concerned with anymore. Yay me!

What exactly are men at the back of the hall taking care of?

breakfast of champions

MrDarkKnight