by ElderBerry 33 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
I’m going this year just to see how many beards there will be.
But actually it’s really great to catch up with old friends. I don’t spend that much time sitting listening to the program
it’s interesting asking a few key questions to get an idea who is on the way to being PIMQ or who is already way past it and now PIMO
We were always told to support the rooming list as the best prices had been negotiated for us. This discussion suggests that the r and f are being lied to, but rather, it is the best deal for the org to make money. If this is the case, the r and f need to be told! So PIMOs tell it out! It was always a hardship to travel and stay in motels. ( and a struggle to get to the rooming list when it was posted because everyone wanted first shot at the best or cheapest places.) Again, I hope someone posts more info about how the rooming is actually managed if they know.
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
As a committee we send you our warm greetings as we look forward to the ‘Declare the Good News’ Regional Convention in 2024. More information will follow in the coming months, but in the meantime we wish to draw your attention to the following.
As in previous years, the branch has negotiated competitive rates at many of the hotels for the convention weekends. Unfortunately, the onsite hotels are unwilling to negotiate and offer competitive rates as they believe that delegates will book the hotel regardless.
Therefore, please support these arrangements by only selecting hotels recommended from the approved hotels listed. This will strengthen the negotiating power of the organisation for future conventions.
May we take this opportunity to thank you all for your cooperation.
Warm Christian love,
The Hotels were right when they said they feel that delegates will book the hotel regardless.
That is exactly what has happened.
This is a classic example of the sea change that rank and file are slowly becoming JWlite and ignoring direction if they don’t agree
We ignored them years ago and went where we wanted to stay. Better room, better pool, better!
Way back in the 1980's we stayed at one convention and booked privately, not through the society.
When we went down for breakfast we were asked if we had booked through watchtower. I said no we had made a private booking.
We were then shown into a lovely breakfast area and were served a beautiful full English breakfast with all the trimmings, tea, coffee, toast etc. All this was included in our room rate.
Later, in another area of the hotel, a congregation friend showed me where he and his family and all the watchtower guests had been served breakfast.
It was a large featureless room with just the bare essentials. A piece of toast a bit of cereal, all served by sour faced, unfriendly servers.
As I walked out I heard one server say to a colleague, 'I hate these watchtower people, they are a complete pain in the arse!!'
I realised that I had made the right choice, and never ever again booked through the society with their so called 'special rates'...to add insult to injury, these obedient brothers in this horrible large breakfast room had paid MORE for their stay than me!
You can get the same or better discounts by asking. AARP, AAA, NRA, senior, ex military.......
We once had a witness run hotel, the rooms lacked the mini fridge, no breakfast.
I once asked for the old codger rate and got 25%
In the denser populated area we live in the convention was 70 miles, heavy traffic so some wanted to avoid the 80 minute drive; the hotels were 30 to 40 miles from the venue.
Don't forget your badge and tie in the pool
We never did a hotel stay. But I can remember that there was emphasis on making sure to use the WTS rates and stay only at the hotels that had made deals with WTS. The idea was that area hotels would not offer the deals if they knew that individual JWs would pay the going rate. So a "good JW" would only stay at the hotels that reached a deal with the WTS.
I don't know how that worked out. The only horror stories we ever heard were the 'approved' ones, designed to show why it was important to follow the WTS's lead.
Is the org that desperate for money that they try to make a profit from hotels?
I remember we used to have food made by volunteers at the convention and then they simplified it and said bring your own pack lunch. This was much more simple.
Why do the brothers at Bethel spend so much time talking to hotel managers and trying to get some of the profits from JWs staying with them. Just like the pack lunches wouldn’t it be better to just say please plan out your own accommodation.
These brothers spending all that time ringing hotels would be better spending that time doing something else
Yes. They make a profit from hotels.
And they even intimidate the $heeple by telling them if they don't abide by the approved 'list',, that the assigned city may "not have them back".
But really,,who would know,,or care?
