Disctrict conventions and hot days

by JH 25 Replies latest jw friends

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  JH

  As far as I can remember, the district convention was always the last week of June or first week of July in my region. In either case it was always very hot out, and where we gathered for the convention it was always very hot there also. This year would have been no exception since it was in the upper 80's and lower 90's since a few days here.

  I can remember a couple of times when the temperature inside the olympic stadium in Montreal was about 90F. Some 30 or 40 thousand people fighting the heat and hard seats wasn't very pleasant for a 3 or 4 day convention.

  I can imagine how bad it could have been at other conventions down south.

  So, tell me, were your district conventions in air conditioning or in sweaty heat like we had?
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  Big Tex

  Here in Big D, it was always held indoors. The one exception was in 1976 when it was held at Texas Stadium where the Dallas Cowboys play. It was VERY hot (100 degrees; more in the sun) and of course the men had to wear ties. Back then the convention was 5 days. What a thrill.

  Was it just me, or did anyone else notice that the administration office was always noticeably cooler than the rest of the auditorium? That used to really irritate me. Greatest of the equals, eh?
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  maxwell

  I went to DC's mostly in Memphis, TN, one in Birmingham, Alabama, a few in Arkansas, and one in Nashville, TN. We visited a DC in Amarillo one year. I was younger 7 at the time. We visited the a few times with DC's in Springfield since my grandmother lived there. We were always indoors inside the MidSouth coliseum in Memphis and similar arenas in the other cities. The Mid-South coliseum has a capacity of about 11,000 but our assemblies usually had 5,000 to 7,000 in attendance. So much smaller facilities than those stadiums but at least well air-conditioned. I remember my sisters always complaining about being too cold. I used to wander about those of you who attended outside in the heat and the rain.
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  pamkw

  Back in the early 70's when I was little, the conventions were always outside at some ball park or other, usually in Kansas City. We sweated and were miserable. I am a red head, I was always sunburned. Later they moved indoors and now they are all air conditioned. I can't believe the stuff we went through just because my mom couldn't miss an assembly. So glad I don't go anymore, air conditioned or not.

  Pam
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  plmkrzy

  Ours is held at the Long Beach Convention Center now and for at least the next 5 years I believe. It is probably going on right now. I forgot about it. I haven't heard from my dad though. He usually calls me during the conventions to make plans for lunch or breakfest while he's in town. hmmm.
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  rocketman

  Sweateran's Stadium, Philadelphia. The concrete just made things worse. Almost every year, it seemed like there was a heat wave right in time for the DC. One year, the heat index hit 135 as the temps soared to 100. I opted out that year, but sat through 98 degree, 99 degree, and many 90-95 degree days. Concentration was impossible, yet were were exhorted to do so. They had to be kidding, but of course, you know them.
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  JeffT

  Spokane, WA summer of 1975. We were in a big dumpy old indoor stadium. It was so hot that they were allowing sales of pop and Italian ice during the sessions, although it didn't occur to anybody to ask for a donation to pay for turning on the AC.

  My wife's parents came with us for the Sunday session, to appease his parents (wife's grandparents). At one point my father in law, who worked in a lumber mill at the time leaned over to me and said "this is hotter than work."

  I can't for the life of me figure out why we thought we had to put up with that.
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  Banshee

  The only one I remember attending that was EXTREMELY hot was when I was 4 years old. 1978 in St.Louis, Missouri held at Busch Stadium. It was sweltering and I can remember begging my parents to take me out of the sun.
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  sonoita

  Rose Bowl, Pasadena CA. 1963, 8 days in the sun, cant believe the physical stress on families, not to mention the expense involved. Then Knorr rambled on for two extra hours into the darkness. My poor Dad then had to drive 10 hours all night, then go to work (Mon) at noon. Unbelievable.
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  plmkrzy

  Rose Bowl, Pasadena CA. 1963, 8 days in the sun,

  OMGAWD! I remember it!!! I had nosebleeds everyday from the heat! I was 6 years old and STILL remember the long days and the heat! Ice chests and umbrellas people lying on blankets fanning themselves, sweating profusely! I think that was the time we had a house full of Spanish speaking people from out of state staying at our house and we didn't speak Spanish. They didn't speak English. There was a lot of laughing because everyone was talking but nobody understood each other.