Looong assemblies.

by avishai 24 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  LDH

  GF,

  You're right. We turned in our slips to the "Coordinator" with extensive remarks so that a local Dud could follow up.

  My family never missed a chance to sell magazines preach the good news of the KingDumb.

  Wow, what fun. Sitting all day long and then going out to sell rags and then the Theocratic chat on the car ride home. Where you could discuss such stimulating topics as:

  • Balaam's ass
  • That whore Jezebel!
  • APOSTATES! This was a favorite, especially after an assembly in Niagara Falls in the late 80s early 90s where "they" disrupted our goings on!

  Ahhhhh, to get back to those good old days!

  Lisa

  Not in Service this morning Class
• 

  Gadget

  I remember deliberately not going out in service during conventions for what seemed a perfectly theocratic reason:

  So what happened at the assembly when everyone else was supposedly out on the ministry?
• 

  Gopher

  They're down to 3-day assemblies for some reason -- perhaps to save cost, or to not push the length "too far" past the short attention spans of modern people. Or because they realized people were not taking the early days of the convention seriously. Now the Society's emphasis is on "be at every session" or else you're an unappreciative slob.

  It seems that we used to have intermissions of about 15 min. on sundays between the talk & the watchtower study. Anybody remember this?

  I remember from the 1960's, the Sunday meetings went like this:

  Opening Song

  55 minute talk

  15 minute smoke break

  Song and prayer

  60 minute Watchtower study

  Song and prayer

  The dang meeting would finally be done almost two and a half hours after it started!! Too bad if you wanted to catch part of a football game.
• 

  mizpah

  The 1952 and 1958 assemblies in NYC were eight days, Sunday to Sunday. The sessions were held in the afternoons and evenings. As I recall, they ended around 8 or 9 PM. Everyone was always encouraged to stay until the evening prayer. Mornings were suppose to be for field service such as street work advertising the main talk on Sunday.

  At one of these assemblies, I was shocked to find out the "higher ups" sat in air conditioned club rooms and had all meals served to them. They usually watched the procedings on closed circuit TVs. The rank and file, in contrast, sat in the hot stadium and waited in long cafeteria lines to eat. After the sessions we had to take the subway back to our rooms. Many of us stayed at private homes that were often cramped and hot. Most families arranged their vacation time to attend these uncomfortable events.

  It was a far cry from the air conditioned convention centers that are often used today. But we faithfully attended these assemblies because each one was going to be the "last" before Armageddon!
• 

  mizpah

  Correction:

  1953 Assembly!
• 

  blondie

  Assembly programs 1969-2002

  http://www.geocities.com/jrista/master.htm

  1st day 1969

  1969 "PEACE ON EARTH" INTERNATIONAL ASSEMBLY

  (CONVENTION AND PROGRAM REVIEW: 1970 Yearbook pages 37-49 Awake! 1-22-70 pages 17-26 WT 9-1-69 pages 517-524 WT 10-1-69 pages 600-606 WT 2-15-70 pages 121-127) 
  DAY 1 DAY'S THEME: We thank you Jehovah with all our heart.--Psalm 92:1 (Notice how, prior to 1978, there was no mid-session song, only announcements.) (Notice too how, prior to 1973, evening sessions were still held.) (Song numbers are from the 1966 songbook, "Singing and Accompanying Yourselves with Music in your Hearts.") 
  MORNING 9:45 Music 9:55 Song No. 110 10:00 Comments on the Day's Text and Prayer 10:15 The Good News of Peace from Far and Near ANNOUNCEMENTS 11:05 Address of Welcome: Welcome to the "Peace on Earth" Assembly 11:20 Address of Chairman: "Come Before Jehovah with Thanksgiving" (See WT 7-1-71 pages 392-403) 12:05 Song No. 19 
  AFTERNOON 2:00 Song No. 48 Our Brothers in Malawi and Zambia Report They Are Pursuing Peace 2:15 Using the Gift of Music to Praise Jehovah ANNOUNCEMENTS 3:35 KEYNOTE ADDRESS: Acquaint Yourself with God and Keep Peace (See WT 11-1-69 pages 649-662) 4:35 Song No. 18 
  EVENING
    6:30 Music 6:35 Song No. 13 and Reports from: Nigeria Morocco Senegal Sierra Leone Liberia Ghana Togo Dahomey Cameroun Central African Rep. 7:00 How Do You View Authority? (See WT 5-1-72 pages 261-273) ANNOUNCEMENTS 7:45 DRAMA: Show Respect for Jehovah's Appointments 9:00 Song No. 72 and Prayer 
• 

  SadElder

  The last 8 day conventions were held in 1969 giving way to the 5 day, then the 4 day, and now the 3 day district convention. Circuit assemblies at one time were three day bginning on Friday evening, Saturday morning was for field service. This gave way to the single two day Circuit Assembly and one day Special Assembly Day.

  I hated those 8 day conventions. Too much, too long, too boring listening to people like Knorr, who was no great speaker drone on and on and on. BTW Knorr always went overtime on his closong remarks at the conventions sometimes by more than an hour. Why he thought people would love to hear him dribble was a wonder. Met him backstage at a convention once when I had a part, what a pompous ass he was, acted like the world shoould bow to the earth for him.
• 

  avishai

  How late did the circuit assemblies go in the evening? I seem to remember being there til at least 8 at night.
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  Flowerpetal

  I was there at those long assemblies in the '50's and '60's. I don't know how people with more than one child kept their sanity, now that I've had 2 of my own, one in the late '70's and the other in mid'80's. When they were both babes, I could hardly stand it!
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  stillajwexelder

  yes I heard about 7 and 8 day assemblies -- but even since I came into the truth there has been a shortening -- used to be 4 day District Conventions -- the norm is now 3 days -- used to be 2 two day circuit assemblies - now down to 1 special Assembly Day and 1 2-day circuit assembly. Do not know why the WTBTS has gone this route -- but these days peoples attention spans are shorter -- there is nothing new -- it is all the same stuff as before -- there is a huge cost in money and time in preparation of long assemblies -- elders are getting drained and resigning and leaving in droves --so if you load them up with even more work you make matters worse. So to me it makes sense to shorten everything. I can even see in the longer term cutting a whole assmbly out -- not sure which one it would be -- probably the 2 day circuit assembly. Everything can be achieved at the one day -- or at circuit visits.