An interesting story from our local cong:
So within the past year, a young brother who everyone always loved (really nice kid) was reinstated and the congregation spontaneously exploded into applause. So, the COBE then runs up to the stage immediately after this happens and rather brusquely announces, "we'd like to inform the congregation that there is not to be clapping during a reinstatement announcement. Thank you."
This did not go over well in the hall, as the congregation here is actually quite warm and loving (in their weird JW way) and most thought this was a bullshit move. In fact, there were even folks complaining about the COBE incident on Facebook.
Evidently, the kerfluffle over this got so big, there was a "local needs" in which another elder tries to do damage control, half-apologizing for the rather uncaring way this was handled by the COBE, yet going over the information from the society as to why the practice of clapping after a reinstatement is forbidden (it's all scripurally-based, of course )
Then a few weeks later, another young guy was reinstated, and the response is --- crickets.
I would just LOVE to know what is going on in the minds of both these elders when they get this letter. In the end, they were just doing what they were told, company men, and now they have to eat their words. . . .