Room Bids at Bethel

by Black Man 32 Replies latest jw friends

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  Black Man

  Any bethelites remember the rite-of-passage for Bethelites, BIDDING ON ROOMS. For new-boys that basically translated into moving from one 5 x 5 room to the next (unless you started pioneering at the age of 9). For senior bethelite members, you're basically lickin' your chops because all those years of seniority can be used to obtain a room with a ...............BATHROOM. This was the time for Bethelite wives to rouse themselves and be vigilante. If they played their cards right and scoped out the competition and intelligently placed their bids they could even get a room with a view. THE LEVEL OF GREED AND MATERIALISTIC COVETING WOULD OFTENTIMES COME OUT.

  I remember when I first came to Bethel I got into a room with a bathroom and was paired with another new-boy. About a week or two before room bids there were house keepers coming up to scope the room out. I even had one tell me " well you guys have had your fun, maybe after you've been at Bethel for 10-15 years you'll be able to bid and get a room with a view and a bathroom." Rooms with kitchens and a view were highly sought after. It was like a bidding war at an auction. If the husband did not have enough seniority (years in full-time service) then the bid would go under the wife's name if she had more years in. Needless to say, my room-mate and I lost our room, the couple that bid on it had WAY more years of service in. We were reduced to a one-room 5 x 5 hole in the wall, but hey at least we had a sink, so we could sometimes get away with not having to go down to the community restroom down the hallway. If you were a new-boy the only hope for you to get a cool-room with a lot of space would be took hook-up with brother "I've been at Bethel for 30 years and I'm still single", who resembled an out-of-the-closet pedophile.

  Sisters would be so intense when room bids came. You gotta remember, they gave up on the idea of ever having a house, garage anything that your normal family would have. So their hopes and dreams hung upon what room they could get and whether it had a bathroom and/or a view. Sad, just a damn shame. THE ONLY THING THAT WAS MORE SADDER LOOKING THEN ROOM BIDS WAS GLEANING.

  Edited by - Black Man on 16 September 2002 20:36:8
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  minimus

  I've heard these stories before. Every work of the flesh comes out of these holy bethelites!
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  abbagail

  Hi BlackMan: I'm so sleeping my face is about to fall into my keyboard, but I just HAD to stop and tell you how much I thoroughly enjoyed THIS post of yours and the OTHER one I just read about MTS'. This first-hand-insight into the world of Bethel is amazing, sooo interesting, and full of juicy tid-bits I would never have imagined or heard otherwise. I hope you intend to write a SERIES of articles! I never heard of the Bidding Wars for rooms, but then hardly ANY bethelites ever sprouted from our cong nor came to visit my former cong (only 1 that I remember in 11 years a JW). You've got me hanging on the edge of the seat as to what the next chapter on this GLEANING is about???

  Your colorful descriptions of human nature in Bethel is very humorous! And to think I used to envision it as the "most holy place" on the planet!

  Please keep up these great little remants of your history. They are fun fun fun to read! Some of your lingo is hysterical funny too! (congo, the "house," etc.)

  Grits

  Edited by - Grits on 16 September 2002 20:55:16
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  Joyzabel

  LOL @ BlackMan,

  You are sooo right. "THE ONLY THING THAT WAS MORE SADDER LOOKING THEN ROOM BIDS WAS GLEANING"

  It got to be that when rooms were up for bid and you could go look at them, you were eyeing everyone else there and trying to figure out who had the most senority!!! Oh such silly things that used to be so important.

  Hubby and I were there when the great Towers went up for bid after the first remodeling. You would think the holy ones were ignoring the temple because of all the paying attention to their own homes that was going on!

  As far as gleaning goes. Gleaning was the term used to take left over food back to your room after a good meal. When it was really good, everyone was there with their little tupperware trying to get some good "leftovers". (that would mean you can have a quiet meal up in the room instead of with 3000 people) Think about it, how would you like to live everyday eating, working. sleeping with everyone in the circuit!!!!
• 

  outnfree

  joy2bfree could tell everyone how SHOCKED and full of DISBELIEF I was when she and another ex-Bethelite were describing the frenetic, materialistic annual Bethel rite called "BIDDING FOR ROOMS".

  I was just SO naive!

  (Never knew about all the envelopes that were passed to the traveling overseers, either! LOL)

  Now, I have to go read that TMS thread....

  Thanks, BlackMan!

  out
• 

  me2you

  this is all a lie you r former bethelites for a reason if u ever were and god will deal w/ those blasphemeing his name and his house i fear for u
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  ozziepost

  Oh, not another one
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  PopeOfEruke

  Hi me2you

  welcome to this forum! Have you ever been a Bethelite? If so, in which country?

  Greetings from The Pope
• 

  Satanus

  This seems to be mainly a guy thread, so i'm going to ask a guy question. Girls cover your eyes. Do you think some of those bethelites who only had a sink in their little apt would sometimes use it as a urinal, instead of running down the hall? Girls, i warned ya not to read this.

  SS
• 

  TR

  Heck, I wanna know if the girls used the sink as a urinal!

  TR