Anyone Remember the Skating Parties From the 70's ? (page 3)

Jim_TX

Yes, I remember these in the '70s. How I HATED the 'couples skate' - as I had to sit on the sidelines. No gal in her right mind wanted to skate with a geek (I hadn't yet graduated to 'nerd').

Very painful memories... but the skating was fun.

When my daughter was growing up, locally - a JW couple would 'sponsor' a monthly skating party - and they had everyone sign in. I always tried to go - in support - and also because I figured that I wanted to be there - if anything went awry. Nothing ever did. The host - he looked like a wrestler, and no kid in their right mind dared to cross him.

Anyway... my daughter got to associate with her friends. Kinda funny... there were 'geeks' in that crowd, too.

.....

My mom - bless her heart - tried to start a gathering type of thing for the youngsters... which involved 'square dancing' & folk dances (Virginia Reel? *shudder*). She rented a large party room, and we set up all of our equipment, and provided refreshments, etc. It was well organized, and very well received by folks both young and old. (I was in charge of the 'sound system'. *grin*)

I remember well, the trouble she got in. The local eldership (although back in the late 60s and early 70s, they weren't called 'elders'), threw a monkey wrench into this and she got called 'on the carpet', so to speak.

They had a big meeting, and I remember that there was this one elder that was deadset against any sort of 'fun'.

Folks... they put all sorts of 'restrictions' on the gatherings... like needing an off-duty policeman... making HER personally responsible for the actions of folks AFTER they left the gathering (ridiculous), etc.

She met most - if not all of those silly requirements... and held another party. It was boycotted. (The policeman... he just milled around - and helped himself to the cookies. Nothing else for him to do.)

She had ALSO researched the issue - and sent a letter to Brooklyn - without telling the local eldership.

She provided the folks in New York with a well prepared case - promoting her parties - and backing it up with quotes researched from THEIR own literature. They responded. Supporting her.

She then called the eldership back together... and presented THEM with the two letters - first the one she sent... then the reply from the boys in New York.

The local boys weren't too happy at all. You coulda heard a pin drop.

Anyway... they STILL put all sorts of restrictions on her... and she finally gave up.

I may have left out a few details... but you get the gist of it.

Regards,

Jim TX

Beans

Yes, the first few times you could hold hands on the slow songs but then that was banished and soon after were the skating parties.

Beans

http://Quotes.JehovahsWitnesses.com

Makena1

Ahhhh - yes. Skating parties. That is basically how I met, and courted Sabine (wife of almost 30 years). Used to go a skate rink in Reseda, CA on Sundays after the meeting. Mostly witnesses, and if you showed your witness ID card you got a discount.

We were good JW kids - no smoking or sex though!

Lady Lee

I guess I don't have to answer this. I can take personal responsibility and say no way

but

yes I remember them.

My mother had been parading me around trying to marry me off to some older and not-quite-all-there 'brothers" (no one else wanted them). After a few of these and my insistenece that I would not marry them (I was 16-17 at the time) we had this new guy show up at the meetings. His brother was studying and he came to the book study with his brother to try to learn enough about the JWs to convince his brother to leave.

Well he developed a crush on me and my mother noticed. I guess she figured if I wasn't going to go for the older guys maybe she could marry me off ot this new guy (despite him not being a JW).

So she invited him to the skating things which we had never been to before and made it my job to make sure he wasn't left alone and ignored. Since neither of us skated we wound up out on the rink trying to hold each other up.

Well as you can imagine that was enough to get the tongues wagging. We went skating twice. That was the extent of our "courtship" and dating.

He first came to a meeting at the end of January. Before the end of June she had us engaged and was planning the wedding for the week after he was baptized at the beginning of Aug.

Ya think maybe she wanted me out of the house again?

Perry

Jim TX,

That is just terrible what the elders did ! Talk about paranoid and unloving.... when even the society chooses to decide in your favor against the Elders.

I wonder where the local eldeers got the paranoia and unlovingness though?
They just wanted to out-do momma..... sad isn't it?

Jim_TX

Perry,

Thanks for the reply. Naw - in all actuality, it was mainly one of the 'elders' that had the most issues with the gatherings. The other two just went along with him, afraid to go against him.

He didn't like anything that had to do with fun.

Years later... I had drifted away from being a JW - but would still accompany the now ex-wifey and daughter to events... there was this 50-yr wedding anniversary that I had to go to for some friends of the ex-wife who were JWs.

Anyway... if you followed that and are still reading... this one 'elder', who has worked his way up the food-chain, and is thought of very 'highly' by... well, I think he is the only one who thinks highly of himself. Anyway, he was there.

I was surprised to see that he would even attend something like this. It was a gathering that involved... people, food, live music, and laughing.

I leaned over and told the ex-wifey - "Watch this guy. When the live music starts... he'll get up and leave."

She asked me, "How do you know?"

I told her, "Just watch."

Sure enough, after all of the cake and punch had been served and eaten, the band arrived, set up, and then began to play. As if on cue - this fella stiffly stood up, and walked for the door, leaving to go home.

My ex-wife was astonished as she looked me, mouth open... "How did you know?"

I laughed.

I just know this jerk and how he is. This was over 20 years later, too. Some people never change.

As for my mom... she never quite recovered from her ordeal - and having to 'fight' the local elders. She gave up on trying to have parties - and almost went to the extreme of boycottig others' parties - just on principle.

Regards,

Jim TX

plmkrzy

OH YA!

sheesh I can hear Earth Wind and Fire now! LOL!

Who sang "Natural High" I went blank. That was a real big couples skate song. swoooooooon

plmkrzy

oops double post

lovinlife

Every Sunday for us too! Many bethelites attended...it was the highlight for all us girls to see if the ones we had crushes on would ask us for the couples skate!! At that point, we were just thrilled to hold their hand!!

orangefatcat

You lucky guys who had all that fun.... My father a very strict Elder,( he wanted himself to look good) hardly allowed us the opportunity to go out skating or anything for that matter unless it involved the whole family.

He would never like it if we were not close as a family so we had to set the PERFECT EXAMPLE. And of course the WTS had brassed all for armeggadon and paradise in 1975 so there was no time to play but preach and teach and preach and teach.

Seeing how armeggadon didn't come in 1975 and things didn't look like anything was going to happen my dad eased up a little. By this time I had long left home to jump into the preaching and teaching work in Quebec. I enjoyed it for a while and then I married and no more talk of 1975, I wanted to leave. But daddy had his little spy network out in montreal and I had to take my 16 yr. sister with me and she of course told dad and mom anything I did that she didn't think was right. God I felt like I was being watched by a magnifing glass. and becoming victomized by my family. But finaly she went specail pioneering and I did what I wanted ,which was primarly all mistakes as I still stayed in the borg. But I partied and drank and didn't give a shit what anyone thought anymore. We use to go roller skating in Montreal, alot of witness went there. and also some had parties at their homes.

But like most of you that I posted it seemed your folks let you do thinngs on your own more than my parents. And for that I am a little jealous. Put not that much.

The religion stiffles people and that is what happened to me. I guess as the yrs passed by since 1975 I see now many are not worried in the c ong. and that is why they do the things they want to do as so many familys had become disallusioned by that notorious date.. What another error by the WTS little men!!!!

Love Orangefatcat

Anyone Remember the Skating Parties From the 70's ?

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