DC Follies: Will SOMEBODY please come to Atlanta? Anybody? Pretty please? Don't make us beg!

sir82

"A friend of a friend" applied to go to an international convention this year.

They have not heard anything about whether they were accepted or not.

But recently, they received this e-mail:

Brother XXXXX:

According to our records, you applied and were approved by your body of elders to be a delegate to international conventions outside of the United States, but were not selected. At this time, we are happy to offer you a unique alternative. Some of the foreign delegates that were approved to attend international conventions in the United States have cancelled due to difficulties with travel documents and other matters. Therefore, you are being invited to be a delegate to an international convention within the contiguous United States.

If selected, you will share in the ministry, evening gatherings, and visit points of interest with local brothers and sisters. Your lunches during each convention day will be paid for and arranged by the branch. Additionally, your transportation between the hotel and the convention, the hotel and field service arrangements, as well as other activities will be paid for and arranged by the branch.

Please note the following important requirements for accepting this invitation:

1) You are required to arrange for your transportation to and from the convention city, including any airport transfers, at your own expense.

2) You are required at your expense to stay a minimum of 6 nights in one of the hotels on the approved lodging list, 3 nights of which include the international convention. (The maximum stay is 9 nights at any one hotel)

3) There is no provision for special needs room requests. Only those who are able to afford the hotel and travel expense should apply.

If you accept this invitation, respond and are selected, we will inform you and your congregation secretary. Thereafter we will send an approved lodging list, tour package and general guidelines to you through your secretary. After you are selected you should obtain this information from your secretary immediately.

The international convention you are being invited to is: United States: Atlanta, Georgia (English #1), United States July 2014 (July 4-6, 2014).

Please give this invitation your prayerful consideration. If you are able to accept this invitation, please reply IMMEDIATELY to [email protected], indicating that you would like to be a delegate to the United States: Atlanta, Georgia (English #1), United States July 2014, international convention. We must receive your response by March 24, 2014. Also, please let us know if the members of your travel group (already in the system and grouped with you) are in a position to attend as well. If you are not able to make yourself available for this privilege, there is no need to reply.

Thank you for considering this invitation. We send with this note our warm love and Christian greetings.

Your brothers,

International Convention Desk

Interesting, especially when considered in light of this thread:

http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/jw/experiences/275912/1/Atlanta-International-Convention-Hotels-Not-Being-Filled-Up

"Sorry we didn't pick you brother, but we're positive you will be giddy with ecstasy at the thought of spending 6+ days in the 95 degree, 95% humidity environment of Atlanta in July...."

dozy

"Transportation and lunches paid for by the branch"...?

No it isn't - the "delegate" pays an excessive amount for the hotel room which includes lunch and out of the WTBTS commission it pays for the coach transporting the hapless delegates to ministry arrangements and the convention site.

I know exactly what I would do with that email if I had received it after not getting any response from the society. It would seem that the WTBTS plan to try to set up a travel and hotel agency to provide an additional revenue stream isn't really working out.

Laika

Anyone who can fit the word 'contiguous' into an email is wasted at Bethel.

kneehighmiah

Comatose

Wait... So I have to go to the convention AND THEN go in field service too???? aaaahahahahahahahahahaha. no.

As if sitting for days dutifully in a seat isn't punishment enough.

piztjw

Let me get this straight....First you get invited. Then if you should be giddy enough to accept the invitation....you MIGHT BE selected by the WT$?

I wonder what one of those bone-heads would think that was a good way for them to be invited to someones home for a meal? Brother Pious, I wish to invite you to my home for a meal. And if you say yes I will perhaps select you to come over. Am I seeing a level of goofiness that isn't there?

Pistoff

NO special needs provisions; wow, seems regressive and shortsighted.

Many who could afford this are elderly, probable in wheelchairs.

DATA-DOG

Let's be 100% correct about this.

1) You have to pay out the yin-yang to get there.

2) You have to "pay" more by missing work and losing wages.

3) You must pay for breakfast and dinner for 6 days. [ They provide lunch. I bet it's lame.]

4) You must attend the Convention. [ LAME!!]

5) You are forced to take other JWs around town, dressed in GB approved clothing. [ LAME!!!]

a) You are also told what to wear while traveling and while in your leisure time at the Hotel.

6) You are forced to go in service in addition to attending the convention.

7) Let's not forget tips and contributions.

Am I missing anything??

DD

mynameislame

Pistoff I had to re-read that a couple times because my first reaction was the same as yours. But it looks more like they referring rooms for those who are financially needy, not people who are handicapped.

It does seem a bit ambiguous, maybe they are trying to say no handicapped people without actually saying it. If that were the case I would imagine they could be in some sort of legal trouble or at least get some nasty press from the ACLU.

They obviously made some sort of deal with the hotels if they have to stay in an aproved hotel for the whole 6 days.