"Pst! You CAN go to an international convention even if you're poor, but don't tell everyone!"

cedars

Hi everyone

The 2014/2015 international conventions have been announced, and will be held in the following cities...

Melbourne, Australia – October 2014
London, England – August 2014
Quito, Ecuador – January 2015
Frankfurt, Germany – July 2014
Athens, Greece – June 2014
Seoul, Korea – September 2014
Mexico City, Mexico – November 2014
Harare, Zimbabwe – August 2014

As always there is a long list of requirements for those wealthy enough to attend - including the requirement to keep your "exemplary status" right up to the day of departure or lose all your money.

There is also a curious paragraph that seems to indicate an element of subterfuge...

“Special rooming: Confidentially, we will be asking the host branch office to poll local brothers to determine if some might be able to provide limited rooming provisions in private homes. This information is not to be made known to the applicants in general. However, if the elders are aware of a longtime, faithful servant, perhaps with many years of full-time service, who is not able to fully finance such a trip, he could be encouraged to apply and the secretary can check the box on the electronic jw.org application that this delegate qualifies for the special rooming provision, if available.”

Basically, Watchtower is admitting that it IS possible to attend an international convention even if you can't afford the hotel, but they don't want everyone to know because they want as many full-paying delegates as possible.

My article on this can be found on the link below...

http://jwsurvey.org/cedars-blog/watchtower-announces-new-international-conventions-while-downsizing-district-conventions-for-2014

Cedars

Comatose

I think it's incredibly dumb how they try to regulate this stuff. Saying you CAN'T go unless approved. It's also incredibly stupid to think that a janitor elder would know enough about everyone's finances to decide if they could afford to go.

Most people wouldn't want to have everyone think they were struggling financially. So, some dork sees you drive car that's slightly newer than his and that you in a nice apartment and go to eat on the weekend and decides you could afford it? So silly.

All of us who read this should tell their relatives that we heard from another brother or sister that assistance is available.

gingerbread

Eight cities abroad for each eight members of the governing body.

What a nice vacation itinerary.....

DATA-DOG

I know the Elders read at least some of the info at the meeting. How much was left out? I don't think most R&F know this. To be honest, most are never going, so they don't really care to examine anything.

What I found disgusting was the fact that you are discouraged from attending if you need a wheelchair, or help. The GB do not want the Convention/marketing tool to be marred by unsightly infirm ones sitting on the floor. After all, they are disgusting to look at, and would make for a bad picture in the upcoming yearbook.

Oubliette

gingerbread: Eight cities abroad for each eight members of the governing body.

Coincidence? I'm thinking no. Imagine this hard-working meeting of the FDS/GB:

AM III: "So the wife and I were thinking it'd be nice to go to Greece next summer. Where do you guys wanna' go?"

DS: "Put another shrimp on the barbie, mate!"

SL: "I'm in the mood for some Mexican food. I'll take Mexico City."

GL: "wer spricht Deutsch?"

SH: "I really need to get in touch with my African roots!"

....

cedars

I've updated my article regarding wheelchair users having found the following in the "Applicant Instructions" document...

"All applicants should be in good health and not in need of the assistance of someone else, nor dependent on a wheelchair, an auxiliary oxygen supply, or similar health-related devices."

Apparently God is not as impartial as we are led to believe.

Cedars

Gayle

wow,,,

"we are so poor, financialy strapped. we can only go overseas 'once' this year"

life is to short

"Others suffered from severe obesity and could not walk long distances or stand for extended periods of time."

So it not only those who are in need of wheel chairs but also those overweight? Wow

LITS

zound

Another great article from you Cedars. Keep up the good work.

frankiespeakin

They could have just said it this way:

Fat, blind, hearing impaired, or otherwise handicaped, and poor people need not apply, you'll just be wasteing our time and your's.

"Pst! You CAN go to an international convention even if you're poor, but don't tell everyone!"

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