How much power do Elders have in a Kingdom Hall? Do any Elders help their friends become Elders?
"Depends. I've seen first hand elders get away with anything and everything. Traveling elders come around and give them a slap on the wrist or turn a blind eye. Other times, i've seen elders get deleted, assignments changed, and even seen an entire body of elders removed in one night. And yes, there is a buddy club involved."
Elders have implicit power from their brothers and sisters , whether their sheep know it or not, it's comes expected! The role of Elder is suppose to be, or a claim is made, they are to be "servants" (to serve means to serve, not to be waited upon or served!) Jesus Christ said "The Son of Man came to serve man, not to be served" http://bible.cc/matthew/20-28.htm Review each of these parrallel Bible versions and ponder how often your elders behaved like Jesus Christ. *
There are many good elders who do their best to try to obey Jesus Christ, often they become depressed and sick, from the flack the sheep, other elders and middle management from the the Watchtower Society give them. It makes a grown man want to cry, when you find out good elders are being treated by dirt! Bullies exist and push their buddies into positions ( The appointments demanded by the Bully Elders, forces other BOE members to approve this new appointment, even if they feel it's a terrible idea. This will provide "a unified B.O.E." pretense, while ulcers run havoc on fine elder's stomachs), providing plenty of wine, business and ingratiating speech go along way at massaging dictator elder and T.O.'s egos!
These same qualities would apply to securing the position of Traveling Overseer and Governing Body Member, they are not going to want anyone who would think against the "Collective Borg", that's a one way ticket out, read "Frantz's Book" C.O.C.
" get on the good side of someone
Synonyms: attract, blandish, brownnose, captivate, charm, crawl, flatter, get in with, grovel, hand a line, insinuate oneself, kowtow, play up to, seek favor, truckle
Antonyms: deter, disgust, repel" http://thesaurus.com/browse/ingratiate
* "Main Entry: implicit  [im-plis-it] Show IPA
Part of Speech: adjective
Definition: included without question, inherent, absolute
Synonyms: accurate, certain, complete, constant, constructive, contained, definite, entire, firm, fixed, full, implicative, implied, inarticulate, inevitable, inferential, inferred, latent, practical, steadfast, tacit, taken for granted, total, undeclared, understood, unexpressed, unhesitating, unqualified, unquestioned, unreserved, unsaid, unshakable, unspoken, unuttered, virtual, wholehearted
Notes: implicit means implied though not directly expressed; explicit means precisely and clearly expressed
Antonyms: explicit, specific