Elderette Stories

by SumnerSloan 3 Replies latest jw friends

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  SumnerSloan

  SimpleSally's mention of the "elderette" making her own rules for streetwork, got me thinking: Does anyone have any amusing (or more likely, totally obnoxious!) elderette stories to share?
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  Eyebrow

  I remember one Elderette had a husband that was studying with a man that was a transvestite. Now this guy was totally into it...beautiful long polished nails, the hair, clothes...everything!
  Well, he had just started studying with her husband, so you couldn't really expect much from the guy yet. But she took it upon herself to point out that if he wanted to become a witness he had to start acting and dressing like a man.
  Well, that scared him off right away!
  hahah
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  SYN

  Hehe, it was actually amazing how little influence and power the Elderettes in my old KH really had. All but one were totally disregarded, and luckily very few of the Elders gossiped (very bad thing where I come from, people take it quite seriously!).

  There was one Sister who I'll always remember, I don't even recall her name anymore, but she was just so nice. Her husband was one of the bigwigs at our Bethel, and all the Sisters were always going to her for advice. It was quite interesting how authoratative she could be sometimes with the Sisters when they asked for her help, but she did it in a nice way, not for the greed of power. I feel if there were more like her in ruling positions in the BORG the BORG would be a better religion. I actually liked her quite a lot, because she understood the responsibility which had been thrust upon her, and didn't use it to her advantage, but rather tried to use it to help people out.

  Apart from her, most of the Elders' wives could be counted on to be conceited etc, according to their status!

  "Until they become conscious, they will never rebel. Until they rebel, they will never become conscious." - George Orwell
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  arachnia

  There was one particular elderette at the Rochester, Michigan congregation where I grew up that I grew to despise. We'll need some history to understand what happened. Bear with me. ;)

  I was about 13-14 when this happened. I was friends with her daughter (we'll call her Sally) who was my age. She had another daughter sixteen years older who studied with my mom (we'll call her (We'll call her Patrice), so our families were semi-close. Well, Patrice was married to a brother who we will call Bill. Bill and Patrice ended up getting divorced. One of them was DF'd for a time if memory serves. Bill ended up marrying a sister who moved here from Eastern Europe, who we will call Lisa.

  Bill had a large family, who in theory were JW's but were considered "weak" in the congregation. Bill's brother married a sister who had two kids from her previous marriage, and her biological sister also attended the same KH, and was considered strong/outspoken. She definitely wore the pants in her family, although her husband was not JW. I was friends with all of those kids, who were cousins.

  "Sally" had told me before that her mother had told her she was not permitted to associate with the kids mentioned in the above paragraph due to their association with "Patrice's" ex-husband, who was now their Uncle by marraige.

  So, one time when I spent the night one of those girls' house, she asked me why "Sally" seemed to ignore her and would never attend any sleepovers she held, etc. I reluctantly explained what Sally had told me because I didn't want the girl to think it was something about her personally that Sally did not like.

  Well, that was a mistake.

  The next day at the meeting, the elderette ("Sally"'s mom) very sternly orders my mother and I into the back room along with the two biological sisters, "Sally" and the daughters of the two biological sisters. With much fanfare, she shut the accordion doors and from there the interoggation ensued. Turns out that one of the biological sisters gave the elderette a note inquiring about her banning "Sally" from associating with the other kids, as she did not feel that this was fair to the kids. Ms. Elderette turns it all back on me. She tells my mother I am a liar, breeding hate in the congregation. As "proof" she interoggates her daughter, "did I ever tell you that?" and Sally denies it. Whether or not Sally's mom said it or Sally made it up, who knows. But I didn't make it up. I was intimidated but also furious. But, it all ended with the elderette basically leaving things with me being a liar and everyone angrily left the room. Oh, how wonderful it is being someone's scapegoat. Not! :p

  There were no elders present for this meeting, but they were aware of it taking place, and had given her permission to conduct it. A-holes.

  OK, I know it was complicated to retell, but the story itself isn't simple, so thanks for bearing through to the end if you got this far. ;)

  Cheers,
  ~arachnia

  Say not, "I have found the truth," but rather, "I have found a truth."
  -Kahlil Gibran