When A Whole Branch Went Bad (or Was it Good)? Part 1.
I guess it's too late to get much of the details of this story (outside of the official versions), but we ought not to lose it altogether.
So I'm committing to print what i know of this story, and hoping that somewhere out there will be someone else that knows more than i do, about one of the more exotic incidents in the history of the WTS. A history, so bizarre and yet normal, that it came to be used at gilead (according to one graduate) to illustrate what could happen at the end of the 1000 years, and the release of satan from his binding. Please!, if you can add information, then do so, that we do not lose our history!!!
I never set out to research this story, i was too much the good little dub, but in 1953, the year i started to associate, it was only 9 years since nathan knorr had visited sydney and taken the opportunity to tell a large crowd, in sydney town hall, that they had been disobedient. But there were so many around in those days that had a story to tell about the "great disobedience". so there were many brothers who could talk of little else, so much had it all burned a hole in their soul!!
and the congregation, i first associated with (haberfield) had it's share of people damaged by all those years. harry webster was one. he had been the accountant at 2HD, the newcastle nsw. based radio station**, that took commercial advertising. The sales reps. for the station, as harry tells the story, soon found out how advertising reps. should entertain their clients. Harry no longer associated, but his wife Vi still did, and daughter narelle (who since she had, in those days a suitable flat chest, became an object of interest to a suppressed little gay boi - but, last i heard of narelle, she was sleeping with here arts professor).
Another brother, was Jimmy Connolly, who had been on the "Lightbearer" - a sailing ship bought by the WTS in Australia to preach the good news in the Islands to the North of Australia. But after the Lightbearer, jimmy had been assigned to work in some commercial enterprise or the other, and thoroughly stumbled by the 'bosss' of that enterprise.
The pleasures of such entertainment (well, the grog part anyway) soon came to be shared by all who worked at the station - who, of course, were all volunteers. When i pioneered in newcastle, in the early 1960's, there were lot's of brothers still alive, that could tell you about the prodigious drinking parties at 2HD.
from what i could piece together, the story started when the Australian branch was given permission to buy a property in Beresford Rd, Strathfield. A brother named McGillivray was branch servant (overseer).
The purchase took all funds available and left no money for anything else.and this was, i believe during the 1930's depression. however, Mc was a practical guy, and noticing a lot of paper in one of the storerooms of the old place, got a guillotine, and cut the paper into useable sizes and made enough money to get on a bit with the "work of the Lord".
from such small acorns -- mighty enterprises can grow!!!!!!!
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Notes:
** 2HD still exists. tho long since sold by the WTS. it was one of a number owned by the WTS. a cryptic broadcast from one station was the basis of govt. action against the WTS during WW2 as the goverment alleged that the station was broadcasting msgs about troop movement to the enemy. I really don't believe that happened intentionall, but i do believe that there were some brothers that could be a bit dumb, and say stupid things. I no longer remember which station is supposed to have broadcast that msg. but someone else may.