Polyester skirts and recipe cards

joannadandy

Ahh yes.

Eyegirl and I were taking that long dirty and shameful walk down memory lane. Tonight's topic. The second school, and why it sucked monkey nostrils to be a sister back there giving a talk.

You would think, no sweat, smaller crowd, less pressure. But no. If your hall was anything like ours, you didn't get a table in the second school. You had to balance your bible on your lap, try to hoist whatever book you were pretending to be "preaching" from out to your householder, and pray your Bible didn't skid off your polyester skirt sending all your recipe cards flying into the audience which was usually seated 1-2 feet away from you.

Not to mention the added joy of thinking up the totally implausible settings. For example, my hall was on a huge kick that informal witnessing rocked the casbah. So all sisters should try to use that as their setting. No points deducted for chickening out and pretending you were conducting a bible study, but serious brownie points were scored if your setting was, "Talking to a stranger on a city bus about why 607 b.c.e was a pivitol time in history." GIVE ME A FREAKIN BREAK PEOPLE!

But don't get me wrong. Being a sister in front of the hall was no picnic either. You got to stare at your notes out of the corner of your eye bobbing your head around the microphone, while trying to keep your "conversational" tone. But at least you got a table.

Then there was always the joy of being paired with Sister Improvisiation. You cross your fingers that she would just read from the card cuz it's all right there, but God help you if she totally rewords everything and doesn't even ask the right question to get to jump into all your material. Also a joy to work with was Sister always five minutes late. Who would, despite you calling her a week in advance and asking her to meet you early to go over the info, still walked in as the first song began to play.

*sigh*

The boys had it SO easy!

And now I hear if you get the Bible reading, you don't even have to comment on it, you literally JUST READ it. What a freakin cake walk that is!!

But ofcourse, we can't teach. So instead we must make up these contrived infomercials for the WBTS.

*stumbles off to go burn some nylons and recipe cards to blow off some steam*

happyout

I, too, fondly look back upon my days on the stage. The wonderfully interesting topics that blended so easily into everyday conversation, the knowledge that you really did know all the scriptures in your talk by heart, the fact that your "householder" was guaranteed to show interest and practically beg on bended knee for a bible study. The understanding elder always praising your efforts, the congregation applauding politely as you exited the stage knowing you had made a "pleasing odor" to Jehovah.

Aaaahhhhh, I remember it well.

Happyout (whose drinking is obviously out of control)

joannadandy

knowing you had made a "pleasing odor" to Jehovah.
Aaaahhhhh, I remember it well.
Happyout (whose drinking is obviously out of control)

*laughs so hard she falls on the floor!*

Ohh that's good stuff Happy!

anglise

Hi Joannadandy

we must have gone to the same hall.

2nd school in my last cong was tiny, about 10ft x 6ft with most of 1 side an enormous window shielded by curtains from the main hall.

The part designated as the front tapered to about 4 ft wide. You where VERY close to the audience almost touching knees. Any closer would have been indecent!! lol.

We too had to use informal settings and if possible not a BS.

Most often used was "Talking to daughter who had a question on the MS school item". It was useful to have an available pliant younger sister to work this one with.

I remember another one was discussing a question a BS had asked. How inane.

I always thought that the brothers talks were easier to put together. No silly settings to contrive.

Towards the end of my life as a JW I found it very hard to pull together enough convincing argumentation to put a talk together. I thnk that was when we had just a few obscure scriptures to cover. I cant remember all the details but it was about 1997/8.

I came of the school in 1998 and had finally left by about 2000/001

Anglise

yxl1

The boys had it SO easy!

Pah!

You girls had it so easy! You had company whilst on the platform. You only had to look at your "Householder" and you didnt even have to flap your arms about (gesturing). We boys had it hard. Trying to avoid eye contact with your mates who were pulling stupid faces. Reading the bible while waving your arms, not slouching on the podium AND looking up every now and then. Add to that the shirt done up to the top button, the noose like tie and the cheap catalogue suit, I think we boys had it much harder than you girls!

yxl1

talesin

yx|1

Hah!

Try wearing pantyhose in JULY!!! With a polyester dress over them! Or even worse (depending on yr age) garter belt and stockings. Trust me, they may be provocative in the BR, but were no fun to wear back in the day, always breaking and falling down at the most worst moments. And don't get me started with platform performances while menstruating. Let's just say 'fear of overflow' was always present and sometimes became a reality. How embarrassing!

Also, having a 'clueless' householder that you had to rehearse with for 1/2 hour and then she still couldn't ask a simple question or nod her head on cue. Duh!! All that work when I could've done my own talk just like that! (snaps fingers)

(Hope ya know I'm just yankin yer chain, we ALL had it bad; actually, I appreciate getting the male POV. Guess it wasn't all roses for you guys, either.)

tal

Prisca

Jo,

Are you sure you weren't in my congregation? Just goes to show how homogenised the congregations were/are in Western countries if I can recognise my own congregation in yours (with the same situations when giving talks).

Great post as usual from you. I enjoy reading your posts

Maverick

The impression I got on sisters in the school, A or B, was that they were second class duds and should be grateful they were in front of the membership at all! Sisters are mostly props. It is my contention the GB allowed the sisters on the platform so new ones would notice sisters being used and be fooled into thinking that women have an honored position in the Organization. Generally sisters got a pat on the head and then were dismissed back to their rightful place...three steps behide their men! They treated y-all like lightweights and many acted in line with the image they set up for you. A fine example of not utilizing avaliable talent to its maximum potential. But you have to remember the WatchTower is just a crazy corporation with delusions of godhood! Maverick

smack

My brother, the twit, volunttered do do a sisters talk (skit) when someone didn;t show up. I got to be the other girl, no script, no card, no ferkin practice. Worst 5 minutes of my life.

The bible readings came in about 6 months before I did the Harold, only did it once. That was enough.

Steve

freein89

Wow, this sure brings back memories, stuff I haven't thought of in years. ( Mem-ries light the corners of my mind.) As my kids got old enough, I always used my them as householders, because I could drill that crap into their poor little heads. One time when I had a talk in the second school and my second son was about 6 months old, I tried to get him to go to a sister while I gave my talk, well he wasn't having any part of it, so I had to give my talk with no table, my notes, bible and other liturature along with a squirming 6 month old on my lap.

Timmy had two shiny knew teeth that he just had to try out on my thumb during my talk. He took my hand in his chubby, dimpled little baby hands and inserted my thumb into his mouth and clamped down. He kept the pressure right on my nail and I couldn't pry him off because I was holding all my other stuff.

I went cross-eyed from the pain and my householder could see what was happening and started to giggle. The audience was two feet away and could also see what was happening, so there was stiffled giggling from all of them. I started laughing too, in spite of the pain on my thumbnail. I gave my whole talk like that.

The brother that was grading my talk was sucking in his cheeks trying not to laugh while he was offering his words of wisdom. The general silliness lasted until the second school was over. (Misty water colored mem-ries of the way we were.)

Deb

Polyester skirts and recipe cards

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