1958 Convention Program. 8 days from 9am till 9pm. Anyone attend?

by StopTheTears 76 Replies latest jw friends

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  Dagney

  Newly found picture of me at the 1958 convention, never saw this before. You can tell by the look on my face I was having a great time.

  
  
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  Gayle

  I was there at 12 yrs. old, already baptized. We drove to NY from CA, (no a/c then) We stayed on a ship for rooming, a cargo type, with bunk beds. I was the oldest of 4. I know it was hard on mom. To see so many JWs in one place (& Polo grounds) was amazing to me. (Going to school for a young JW with all the issues felt like the only JW in the world - lonely). Sitting in the sun all those hours, dressed up, at those assemblies back then contributed to the brain-(d-numbing).
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  steve2

  My dear mother - now deceased - said she never knew how I would behave at assemblies. Sometimes I was well behaved, other times she and Dad had to repeatedly reprimand me.

  My maternal grandfather told my mother she was too soft on me.

  When he and grandma sat with us, he took over the discipline and I got smacked on my little legs quite a lot - which troubled my mother because she never hit us. I have a vivid memory of him hitting me on my arm with one of the earlier editions of the New World Translation.

  I can still remember Mom saying to me before we left for assemblies, "If you don't want Grandad to smack you, keep still". I don't think it made a blind bit of difference to my behavior.

  I had a lot of respect for my grandfather but I kept my distance from him whenever I could. Ah! Such sad and mixed memories from over 50 years ago! All those improtant people in my life who lived as though the end was just around the corner are dead.

  The end did come for them - just not the end they were indoctrinated to expect.
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  Dagney

  My mother took a train, alone with a 3 yo from CA to NY without any rooming arrangements. She just landed at the train station with a suitcase and a toddler, followed the signs, and stood in an endless line to receive a room, which we indeed did receive.

  I to this day can't believe she did that. She was basically quite fearful of everything. I don't remember the convention but do remember a little about the hotel. I was just together with my older brother and sister last month and they were teenagers during the convention. They got to go by themselves with their mates to the convention, again, from CA to NY.

  A different time.
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  Lostandfound

  And...... How many of the current Governing Body had been born then or were out of nappies (diapers) ?
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  Doubtfully Yours

  The 3 days, 9:30 to 5 p.m., I now have to deal with is not that bad in comparison.

  I still want the Friday gone.

  DY
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  Poztate

  I was there. I remember long ,long days and evenings. We then had to take the subway back to where we stayed the night in someones apartment (rooming service)

  One night after getting off the subway and walking the last few blocks we passed three large trucks parked with armed soldiers standing around. I assume they were national guard troops but why there was a need for them on city streets I do not know. It didn't make me feel any safer.
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  dropoffyourkeylee

  I wasn't at that one, but we were having 12 hour sessions into the late 60's
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  fulano

  I was at Nürnberg 1969...what a hell on that trailer-park, sand everywhere. Anyway the second day I didn't attend as I had a fight with another 10 years old german kid, nose-bleeding etc.
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  blondie

  I did but was too small. Remember the 1963 final convention in September, Pasadena.

  Field service in the morning (did not go out)

  Program after lunch through 9 p.m.

  Hot, sunburns, kept ice water at our seats and large umbrellas....

  Took 2 days off rainy day to Marineland, waterfall down the seats at the Rose Bowl and one day for Disneyland.

  Stayed in Hollywood with heated outdoor pool....had burritos for lunch at a stand across from our hotel. Driving was not good, partly that LA was bigger than any city we had ever lived. Also Billy Graham was having his convention nearby. It was great for us. There were pipes elevated to drinking height that cold water ran through and bubbled up through holes.

  Babylon the Great book

  Scripture Inspired book released

  Many talks by Knorr and Fred Franz and Harold King was released from China and gave talks about the preaching there. Everyone one seemed think Armageddon was right around the corner. Many foreign jws were there to tell their stories.