How Many Remember the Mass Skating Rink Parties of the Late 70's ?

by Perry 47 Replies latest jw friends

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  HappyDad

  We had quite a few of those in the Pittsburgh area along with organized square dances in the 1970's and 80's. It all came to a halt when the new CO Ken Alms came to town. He was like the old west sheriff who came to town to clean it up. He put a stop to everything. So what did the young JW's do? They still went out but now they were around nothing but "worldly' people. That move by the society probably drove as many people away from the "truth" as finding out how twisted all their doctrine is. The TATT (truth about the truth) for those who didn't know, is a wonderful thing.

  HappyDad
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  cofty

  A load of us from the circuit used to go to Hamilton (Scotland) ice rink on a Sunday night. That was in the late 70s.

  Discos were not allowed but the elders didn't seem to work out that it was a disco with skates on.

  Did you hire the rink just for JWs? Ours was just a normal public session. Fights weren't uncommon.
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  Perry

  I have many fond memories of the weekly skating parties. Especially "couples skate!" I can't hear Nights in White Satin"

  Yep! I can remember skating to "Free Bird" by Lynyrd Skynyrd like it was last week.
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  FadeToBlack

  How much immoral activity can go on at a skating rink or a picnic? So it seem the best WT advice is to stay at home and study the WT unless you are going out in service? Otherwise, you might get involved in some type of immoral activity. What about grocery shopping? Getting a haircut from some young, worldly girl? I never thought about it before, but evidently there is danger everywhere for a JW. They might give some though to starting there own monastery/convent system. But I guess that would cut into contributions...
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  LongHairGal

  Perry:

  I remember the skating rink and I thought it was a good idea. I felt it was an opportunity to get to "know" some of the people in the hall in a more relaxed setting. It was wholesome fun (if you didn't fall down, that is).

  Then at some point somebody decided to do away with these gatherings for whatever reason.

  The religion is so paranoid about people getting together and having a conversation that is not overheard and monitored, that it decided to do away with large gatherings. Never mind liability, I think it is really all about control.

  I don't know if they know it, but they lost this battle of control. They have been defeated by the INTERNET.
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  sir82

  evidently there is danger everywhere for a JW.

  Bingo!

  That appears to be the goal of the GB - to get the typical JW so freaked out about "danger" that they feel threatened in virtually any non-JW activity.

  Which of course makes the prospect of being DF'ed utterly terrifying.

  Which in turn makes the JW far more willing to comply with even the most nonsensical, or even truly dangerous (e.g. blood transfusion DPA), GB directives.
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  confusedandalone

  In NJ maryland they are still going strong resulting in lots of adultery and fornication
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  KateWild

  South London. Richmond, near Wimbledon, used to have an ice rink. Me and my Jewish friends used to go a lot. We saw no JWs though. Kate xx
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  konceptual99

  They were all at Streatham Kate, and more recently Guildford.
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  designs

  we even had them in the ancient 1960s, great times!