1958 Convention Program. 8 days from 9am till 9pm. Anyone attend? (page 4)

prologos

I was there, and afterward, drove an ex concentration camp survivor to his gilead assignments on the way home

I was there as a 5 year old. I clearly remember the LONG days and nights. I was bored to death, but I do have rather fond memories of the 35¢ meals and the excitement of riding the subway to and from the stadium.

We were back for another dose in 1961. I have my dad's 8 mm films from that one, including shots of us on the way there and on the way back home. Besides the dizzying shots of NYC (he moved the camera much too fast), there's footage of a little excursion we took up the Hudson River to Bear Mountain one day. No sound on any of it, but the films do bring back some good memories. Note that none of the good memories have anything to do with the assembly itself.

sir82

I wasn't there but my parents were.

My impression was that for the 8-day assemblies, it was pretty usual, and not really looked down upon, to skip some sessions, or even a couple of days.

Juan Viejo2

I was at the 1958 New York Assemblies at Yankee Stadium and the old Polo Grounds (former NY Giants) baseball park. I turned 15 on the last day of the assemblies. My father, my brother and I played catch in right center field at Yankee Stadium near the orchestra tent on Sunday just before Knorr's final talk.

Do you remember that many of us who drove all the way in our family cars scotch-taped WT and Awake! magazines in our rear window or left side back-seat windows. Every few miles on our way going or coming back we would get honked at by fellow JWs also on the road. We met up with several along the way when we stopped at roadside parks or at a hamburger joint along the way. We thought the whole thing was a lot of fun.

I also attended the International Assembly at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena in 1963. It was hot and there was no shade at all during the summer. We all got cooked and sunburned and were miserable through most of that convention. But it was close to where we lived, so did not have to worry about accommodations.

For the 1953 and 1958 conventions, there was a tent city set up over in New Jersey (please correct me if I am wrong about the location). A lot of the folks who parked their trailers and set up tents there never actually went to any of the sessions in NY City, but just hung out for 8 or more days in the tent city. We went over and visited a couple of folks from our Kingdom Hall that were there and for them it was mostly a picnic except for the excessive heat, mud and dust that was everywhere. The talks were piped in and played over loudspeakers scattered around the parking areas.

As "under the radar" mentioned, our fondest memories were when we took a morning or afternoon off and went site seeing around the city. In those days the Empire State Building was still the tallest in the world, so in 1958 we decided that we would take a break and go to the top one afternoon. When we got up there the viewing area was crammed full of JWs doing the same thing - must have been over 100 up there. We never for a moment considered taking off our badges. Now that I look back it was clear that we had our priorities right - as the morning and afternoon talks were boring unless a new book or tract was being released.

JV

tornapart

I was a baby so can't remember this one but I remember others that were as long. Particularly the 1969 international. As a child I always remember them as an adventure but it must have been a nightmare for my parents with small children!

tiki

I was there.....we got rooms through the society and lucked out with the Plaza. I was 7 and turned into Eloise for the week. We did a lot of Fifth avenue shopping...my mom and aunt were fashionistas.....we only went to afternoon and evening sessions....I was thrilled at being in such a huge crowd....they did fs in the mornings but that was beneath our dignity...scouring filthy N.Y. streets....I remember the food tents, those tall cheap pine board tables...but we did our real eating in the Palm court. The program meant nothing to me and as a kid I really don't recall sweltering heat...only in the subway where we stuffed in so tight and I'd always get smushed between sweaty smelly fat women. Later NYC conventions I recall more vividly the horrendous lines to the bathrooms and they d open mens rooms to sisters and that stench....omg.....it was worse than nasty.

jookbeard

wasn't born then,but as a kid attending Twickenham ( I was born in 1966) still remember those evening sessions and darkness looming over the badly lit stadium, no floodlights back then, what a H&S nightmare! how long were conventions in the 1960's early 70's? and when did they stop evening sessions?

zeb

So these long day shockers were a pre run for the great tribulation?

I recall going to the Sydney big one in 1973. The most humid time of year in Sydney, No seating avail. and one elder after the other having his moment in the sun outdroning the last.

One sr says to us "well its made Sydney sit up and take notice" yep it sure did the traffic was hell, the trains out were packed out and I decided then to be much more considerate of attending such things.

Just a few years back they held another big one again in Sydney.

Did we go no way in hell! and guess what a whole lot of others in the cong didnt either!

I met a young couple with baby who did and they told quietly a worse experience than myself all those years before. They had heavy handed security to deal with and were 'trapped' in the event by oh so slow moving crowds (those notorious knots of stupid sisters who have to stop every time they talk) after and on one day didn't get back to their accommodation until 8-30PM and of course had long run out of baby essentials by then.

But none of the gb/bethel types would know thing about distressed babies would they!

All the Sydney gb types were well into the dinners and booze by then.

punkofnice

Jook - Twickers. Oh, yeah..the joy. Watching people sit on concrete with plastic sheeting over their heads to protect from the rain. ...and all for nothing!

jookbeard

we did Punky, that old south terrace, getting pissed on! I see the AMEX and the MK Dons arena are the only two stadiums being used now in the UK for ass'emblies, I wonder for how much longer?

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

Share this