Did anybody get The Bell?

by Nickey 17 Replies latest jw friends

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  Nickey

  During the thocratic school during our Tuesday meetings, I dreaded hearing the bell. *DING* Someone had run over 5 minutes and had to cut their talk short.

  This part always disturbed me. Nevermind the fact that these people worked hard to prepare their talk about something they felt was worthwhile, they have to be humiliated and cut off in front of the whole congregation. I've seen some people walk off the stage with tears in their eyes or a red face. And then be critiqued on what errors were made...

  I always sunk low in my chair when I saw the brother's hand hover over the bell... I knew it was coming.

  I'm curious,

  Did anybody get the bell? And how did it make you feel?
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  jimbob

  What always pissed me off about the "bell" was that anybody who gave student talks in the school were given the bell if they went overtime, but anytime a brother giving a part on the service meeting went overtime, there was never any counsel given. They could go overtime as much as they wanted. We just had to sit there and listen to them go on and on and nobody told them that their time was up. What pissed me off even more is when the brother before them didn't use up their allotted time, so when they got up to give their part, they had 20 minutes to do a 10 minute part. Now......heaven forbid the service meeting end early....we can't have that!! So they'd stretch their 10 minute part into 20 minutes because they felt they had to use up all the time. God!! I just wanted to scream....."Get the F*** off the stage, your part is over!!" I think all parts should get the bell if they went overtime...of course, since I don't have to sit through that drivel anymore.......I couldn't give a rat's ass!!! But man, did it piss me off!!!
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  freedom96

  It has been about 8 years since I have gone to any meetings on a regular basis, and I had forgotten all about the bell. I do remember people be counciled to get off the stage as quickly as possible. Some would screw it and leave even if it was in the middle of a sentence. Others would quickly wrap it up. But if you kept going, boy did you get some shocked looks.
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  blondie

  I never "got the bell" because I always tended to be a little short on time going about 4 1/2 minutes rather than 5. I had female JW relatives that just kept talking until they were done. The school overseer feared them. They were dragon ladies to be sure.

  What bothered me were the elders that had the instruction talk and Bible highlights that consistently went over time and weren't allowed to get the bell. These were the same ones that went over time in the service meeting eating up the time of the brother after them. I heard constant complaints but never saw anyone counsel them.

  The astounding thing to me is that the brothers were the ones that had to give public talks and other parts where timing mattered. What sister ever had to worry about timing on a Bible study or a return visit or an initial contact door to door. "Oh, excuse me, it's been 5 minutes, I have to go," at a return visit.

  Blondie
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  DFWnonJW

  Wouldn't it have been great to be one of them "fast talkers" like in some commercials...have it all rehearsed so you could squeeze that last minute into 15 seconds and end right as the bell dings. Just a thought. :)
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  Banshee

  I don't think I ever got the bell, but I remember seeing my mom get it. She looked so emberrassed and humiliated and I felt awful for her. And, yeah, it pissed me off!

  By and large, the Theocratic Ministry School overseers were ignorant nimrods. One I remember was counselling on pronunciation and said the word this way: pronownciation. Another was trying to counsel a sister on grammar and said at the end of it, "You done real good."

  Others I remember, who were perhaps not quite so ignorant were awfully sharp in their criticism of pubs, especially to the sisters. Not teeribly surprising, since that religion attracts mysoginists.
• 

  Funchback

  jimbob stole my thunder.
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  Marcos

  I don't remember getting the bell, but I'm sure I did.

  On the positive side, I learned how to sum up or pad my matierial as needed. This has actually served me quite well. I have given non-witness public talks and have a fairly extensive number of television and radio interviews as well as commercials. This sense of timing has really helped me.

  Additionally the KM School cured me of my stage fright. I am still pretty shy (or reserved, I guess) but can block that out when I need to to deliver good information in an allotted time-frame.

  This is one of the very few positive things I took away from the JWs.

  Marcos
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  abbagail

  As I remember in our cong, it seemed the bros were almost more "shy" than the students, like they dreaded having to hit the bell. As a matter of fact, I remember THE PENCIL TAP more than the bell. (But good thread, hilarious!)

  The TMS counselor would sit in the very front row, which was harrowing enough -- practically "eyeball to eyeball." Instead of the DING!!!! I remember moreso them tapping their pencil on the wooden-arm-rest of the chair: Tap Tap Tap Tap (waits for student to STOP talking)... Tap Tap Tap Tap..... (is student getting the HINT YET?)..... Tap Tap Tap Tap.....

  Oh well, you get the idea.

  And Blondie, I always love reading your stuff. It's been enough years I tend to forget alot of the details, but you always bring "Watchtower World" back to life with your words and stories (all of you do, and it's a real hoot!)
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  jimbob

  Sorry Funchback.....I don't mean to steal anybody's thunder.....

  I do actually remember one instance where an elder was giving the next to the last part on the service meeting. He went so far overtime, that he completely used up the time for the last part. You could definitely see that the elder who had the last part was totally pissed. So when he was finally introduced for his part, he calmly went up on stage and said..."well friends, that's all the time we have. Lets stand and sing song # ....". So at least he ended the meeting when it was supposed to instead of going way overtime trying to give his part. I do happen to know that the brother who went so far overtime got a nice ass whoopin' after the meeting, because the brother he cut short happened to be the PO and a former Bethel heavy! But for the most part, they always go overtime on their parts. Not me though.....I was always short on my time because I couldn't wait to get the hell of the stage!!!!!