Seattle Convention - any updates?

Lynnie

Was wondering if anyone attended the Seattle Intl Convention and what it was like? Saw some pics from Instagram, seems like quite the

big production for sure! How many were baptized and how many were children being baptized?

Yes, I was there with my wife. I spared my kid and he stayed with a relative. Lett was the GB member there along with a 'GB helper', kind of like assistant to the regional manager. (lol 'Office referance)

Some quick thoughts.....traffic there was horrible. We left at 8am from the east side (Bellevue / Kirkland area if you're familiar with Seattle) and it took us 1.5 hours!!! Normally a 10 min drive max. We heard horrer stories from handicapped bro/sisters (I use that term out of habit) parking was very far for them to walk to the stadium. Didn't seem like many details were well planned out.

I heard after the 1st day they called in Attendant reinforcements from other areas (who werent invited originally) just for help.

Other than the korean delegates walking around in their native garb, acting like disney characters, taking pictures and giving out trinkets, the talks felt the same as any other DC. They did ramp up the emotion though in video taped interviews and a mini-drama about the ressurection that made many cry in anticipation. It was like a trailer for a bad lifetime movie. Unfortunately my wife cried too!! It worked :-/

People did get caught up in the emotion of being at an international convention and acted a little goofy, like they were on cloud 9.

I'll add more as I think of it. Just flew back home today.

TD

tresdecu

oh to answer your question....I think around 400 were baptized. Can't remember the exact number. Didn't watch close enough to count kids.

LostGeneration

Was Lett as goofy as he usually is?

I'm sure he was puttin' on quite a show with 40,000 sitting at attention.

insidetheKH

394 were baptised

leaving_quietly

294 baptized in Seattle. Among all the tied in Regional Conventions, there were over 400 (424, if I recall). In Seattle (I was there), mostly kids. There was one presumably paraplegic adult (they baptized him on a stretcher... had one leg amputated), and I believe a blind teenager (or somehow otherwise challenged... couldn't really tell... at first, he was led by two people, but when he got into the pool, he was just acting a little off).

tresdecu, you flew in? Where from (general area)?

Yes, tear jerker resurrection video... even yours truly shed tears. I'm a big sap anyway. I told my wife later that they did NOT need to show that video, that is was completely heartless to do so since so many people have lost loved ones. There was NO NEED for that kind of emotional tugging at the heartstrings. She didn't disagree.

Yes, Lett was just as goofy. The attendance was substantially lower than anticipated. They expected between 36,000 and 44,000. Friday was a little over 31,000. Saturday about the same, and Sunday morning, a little over 32,000. With all the regional tie-ins, the grand total attendance was just over 73,000. You can see from the baptism numbers that it's considerably less than 1%.

Friday morning traffic was a mess. People staying just 20 minutes away had to endure a 2.5 hour backup. Parking was pretty bad. Most people had to park a mile or so away. They hired school buses to shuttle people to and from the parking lot, but there were only 3 or 4 of them. Saturday and Sunday, they had their stuff together, so it went more smoothly.

I'd give you a blow-by-blow, but if you read any of the other convention threads, there's no need. They're all the same. Every talk was scripted. Every brother said the same thing at this convention as at others, practically word for word.

The only brothers who gave talks at the International were either bethelites or COs or DOs. No one below those ranks gave parts. Most days, the morning program went overtime significantly, leaving very little time for lunch. The interviews with the international delegates were long-winded. Most afternoons were overtime, too, but not by too much. It was tolerable.

I wouldn't call it a historic occasion. Aside from having the international delegates there, it was just another convention. Although I would say, this one seemed to hype up all the JW accomplishments more than usual. A huge amount of boasting and self-aggrandizing took place. There was more of that than "do more, do more, do more", I thought.

leaving_quietly

insidetheKH, did you hear 394? I heard 294. When I counted from my seat, I came up with 318, but I thought I messed up along the way. If it was 394, that would be over 1%, which I don't think it was. I wrote down 294. I didn't write down the other regional tie-in numbers. I didn't really care.

insidetheKH

@leaving oops typo 294

Bye bye birdie

There were a lot of kids.....neck deep....literally.

tresdecu

Leaving Quietly...your post was spot on. I am ashamed to say, during the ressurection video, I got the 'goosebumps'...it was weird. I guess just human emotion I can't control. I wish it were true, but alas...Yes, We flew in (went rogue, un-invited) we have family in the Seattle Tacoma area, and the PNW is one of my fav places. Will post more...

Seattle Convention - any updates?

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