Why did the organization stop providing food during conventions?

by redvip2000 27 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  redvip2000

  I'm sure many of us still remember these times when the organization used to sell food at conventions.

  I also remember that when this was stopped, the official reason was that the "brothers" were missing some of the program because of all the preparations. Typical Watchtower "pretend we care" excuse.

  I've wondered if there is another reason behind it, tied to perhaps finances or logistics that was the real deciding factor. History and typical "modus operandi" of the society tells me that if there was some money to be made that way, they would not have stopped.

  Wonder if anybody has more info on this.
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  OnTheWayOut

  It really is that simple. They stopped "selling" anything so that it wasn't considered profit. After going to donations-only for the literature, they tried to guilt us into contributing enough money to make a profit for the food for a year or two after that point. The profit wasn't there, so the food went away.
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  redvip2000

  Ahh yes, i didn't think of the "Tax issue". I guess they would have to pay taxes on that as well, so it went away along with litter-a-trash sales.
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  Gopher

  I remember when they stopped. The reason they provided (as I remember it) is that they wanted to simplify things, that too much time was being spent preparing the food and dealing with handling the finances involved. They wanted everyone to spend more time "enjoying the convention".

  Maybe they were having problems with convention sites insisting that if any food would be served, it would be by THEIR vendors rather than the WT's food service arrangement. So the WT decided it was easier to make their conventioneers drag coolers into the arenas than it would be to deal with the onsite non-JW food vendors.
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  sir82

  1) When it went to donation basis, they started losing money.

  Ever see JWs at a Golden Corral after a Sunday meeting? Imagine that with free food.

  Kids would walk up and request 4 sandwiches "for my family", then go to the next stand and do the same.

  2) Safety concerns. The last year they had food service, I saw a bunch of guys scurrying around with thrmometers, jabbing them into piles of hoagies, then walking away shaking their heads.

  Mayonnaise and grade Z lunchmeat, sitting at room temperature for hours, is a food poisoning lawsuit just waiting to happen.
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  Gopher

  I posted this on the "favorite convention foods thread" too. I think you might enjoy it.

  http://www.facebook.com/pages/I-miss-the-cheese-danishes-at-the-conventions/320158803526

  On this FB page, several loyal JW's had posted - seemingly complaining about the WTS taking away the food service. What, isn't the fine spiritual food reason enough to gather at the assemblies and conventions?
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  prologos

  as anything offered "no strings attached", it was probably abused. like the love feasts in early christianity.

  I remember the the kids of all ages feeding the alligators in the lake in front of the Griffin road Assembly Hall in FL with the free food.

  next step would have been Lion petting zoo if the GT would have come.

  reason to stop: high cost, uncertain income, no controlled income in 3rd world countries. could not have been a sustained world wide work.
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  wha happened?

  Honestly after watching how the food was prepared and then stored at room temperature for several hours, I was surprised there wasn't more poeple sitting in the bathrooms.

  I did see the effects on the "free" lunches. As someone mentioned, kids walking up and ordering food for the family, then taking it for themselves. Walking around the convention after lunch we would see a ton of uneaten, or barely eaten sandwhiches in the trash. What a disaster that was.
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  00DAD

  Health inspection!
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  villagegirl

  Sikh Temples serve food for free, and so do Buddahists and Hindus, and Seventh day Adventists, here in Canada, US and in India. Communal eating can be very bonding and spiritual feeling. Of course its about charity and the WT wants to avoid the appearance of being charitable : )