by got my forty homey? 48 Replies latest jw experiences
Anyone remember those Kingdom Ministry parts we had to attend a month before the summer convention about not saving seats and not eating during the program. Even our behaivor in the hotel pool was admonished! And don't walk around the halls during the program, hold that boo-boo till intermission holmes!
I look back now and I can't remember anyone saving rows of seats with rope, and wouldn't understand why the hell they would!
I think it's hilarious, that they had to make a long list of rules.
Others included:
-- Don't take any of the "free breakfast" food from your hotel along to the convention for use at lunchtime.
-- Wear your badges at all times when in the convention city, in order to give some sort of witness. (I wonder if it was okay to remove your badge before going into the swimming pool or when you went to bed, LOL?)
-- Don't cook food in your room unless you're staying in a kitchenette-type of room.
-- When eating out at sit-down restaurants, be sure to pay the waitress a proper tip.
-- Don't talk to opposers who may be protesting near the convention grounds.
-- bla, bla, bla let us insult your intelligence with more rules (they probably came up with more since I left about 3 years ago)
Homey:
They gave those KM parts every year, at least until 2002 (the year we left the borg). Pathetic that they treated everyone like children. They were only concerned with outward appearances.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE JW CONVENTION TALMUD
This especially applies when we attend congregation meetings, assemblies, and conventions. These are occasions when we must listen carefully.
Stress the importance of everyone being in attendance all three days of the district convention.
Emphasize the importance of fully cooperating with the procedures that have been put into place for our benefit. Review ways that all of us can show proper respect and avoid needless problems.
We should plan to arrive early each day and remain until we join in saying "Amen!" to the closing prayer.
Getting time off from our employment to attend the convention may present some difficulties. We need to take a firm stand, not leaving anything to chance.
If we need accommodations and/or transportation, we should make arrangements early
Cooperate With Rooming Arrangements: It is vital that all of us cooperate with convention arrangements. This is especially necessary when we arrange for our rooming accommodations. Literally hundreds of rooms are needed for each convention. The majority of our brothers have limited funds and must depend on inexpensive room rates. Extensive efforts have been made to negotiate the best possible hotel rates. We must lovingly consider the needs of others and ?keep an eye, not in personal interest upon just our own matters, but also in personal interest upon those of the others.??Phil. 2:4.
Our adhering closely to convention guidelines for obtaining rooms results in benefits for all concerned. Ignoring these guidelines creates needless problems. How so? When we cooperate with these suggestions, hotels know in advance how many rooms they have booked and thus how many guests they will have. This helps them with their planning and can result in continued rate reductions in future years. If many of us cancel our reservations or make alternative plans, this inconveniences the hotel management as well as our brothers and sisters who may have wanted accommodations in the same facility. The management may make fewer rooms available for our conventions in the future, feeling that we will not honor our commitments. How much better it is when we are true to our word, letting our "Yes mean Yes"!?Matt. 5:37.
1) Do not reserve more hotel rooms than you plan to use. (2) Send the appropriate deposit to hold your room. (3) Do not abuse complimentary breakfast provisions that may be offered to guests. (4) Remember that hotel owners properly expect us to abide by their rules.
To benefit fully from what is presented, we need to be in our seats and in the proper frame of mind when the program begins.
Get to bed early the night before. Wake up early enough to give everyone in your group time to get ready and to have something to eat.
Arrive early at the convention site so that you can find seating and care for necessary matters before the program begins.
To that end, all are encouraged to be seated before the opening song is announced.
What does that mean for each of us? When you see the chairman seated on the platform during the musical prelude, promptly take your seat.
Make note of the points that you plan to use. Take time to discuss them at the end of each day?s sessions.
Therefore, resist the urge to turn your head at every noise or movement. Keep your eyes focused on the speaker. Follow along in your copy of the Bible when a scripture is read, and keep your Bible open as the text is discussed.
This is "a time to keep quiet" and listen. (Eccl. 3:7) Therefore, avoid unnecessary talking and moving about. Minimize trips to the rest room by planning ahead
Those who bring cellular phones, pagers, camcorders, and cameras should not use these in a way that distracts others
Parents should arrange for their entire family?including teenagers?to sit together so that they can properly supervise their children.
We are known as honest people. (Heb. 13:18) Hence, we should be truthful about the number of people staying in our hotel room. We must not cook in the room if this is not permitted.
Surely we would not take "souvenirs" from the hotel.
Rather, where customary, leave an appropriate tip to show appreciation for services rendered. And always be courteous and patient in dealing with hotel personnel.
Parents, please supervise your children so that they do not become a disturbance to others, including when they use the swimming pool or other recreational facilities.
All should avoid slamming doors or making loud noises, especially late in the evening.
We can do good by being considerate of non-Witness hotel guests who are also using the premises. Some hotels complain that convention delegates use all the ice in the ice machines to fill their coolers.
Likewise, it is inappropriate to take complimentary food items or fill containers with coffee for later use. Never should we feel that we are an exception with regard to hotel policies.
It has been noted that some delegates have refused to cooperate with the attendants, even speaking to them in an unchristian manner.
Because of failing to follow the instructions of the brothers and parking where not legally permitted, some delegates have had their cars towed away.
When the convention doors open at 8:00 a.m., some brothers and sisters can be seen running, pushing, and shoving to obtain the "best" seats. Injuries have resulted because of this type of behavior.
While it has been suggested that we bring a light lunch to eat at noon, it is not appropriate to set up tables in the parking lot to serve a large meal
This would give the impression of the tailgate parties that are common at sporting events.
No parking tickets will be used, but convention badge cards will serve as identification for parking.
Being aware that considerable expense is involved, we can show our appreciation by making voluntary contributions to the worldwide work at our Kingdom Hall or at the convention.
Last year at some of the "God?s Prophetic Word" District Conventions, however, the attendance on Friday was substantially less than on Saturday and Sunday. This means that a large percentage of our brothers lost out on hearing convention parts that presented vital information about the prophetic word. They also forfeited delightful association with fellow believers.
Some of the hotels offering a complimentary breakfast have complained that our brothers are abusing the arrangement by taking large amounts of food items with them even after they have eaten at the hotel. When a hotel provides food in the morning for its guests, it is to be regarded as what it is?a complimentary breakfast for those who are staying there. It is not intended that we take these food items with us to eat later or to share with friends at the convention. If we abuse this provision, it could result in the hotel?s canceling this service, wanting higher room rates, or refusing to negotiate with us in the future.
By arriving early, we will have time to converse before the program starts. Some, though, engage in conversation during the program, mistakenly thinking that this causes little distraction in a large auditorium.
While Moses was receiving the Law from Jehovah, "he ate no bread and he drank no water." (Ex. 34:28) Similarly, it would be inappropriate to eat or drink while convention sessions are in progress. Unless serious health factors are involved, wait until the "appointed time" for this.?Eccl. 3:1.
At some conventions, there continues to be a problem with many brothers and sisters and even young children milling about in the corridors during the sessions. Attendants will be instructed to ask such ones to return to the auditorium.
Unless volunteers are assigned to do essential work during the sessions, they should be in their seats, listening to the program. They should not linger in the departments, visiting with one another while the program is in session.
Both during and following convention sessions, brothers and sisters should avoid wearing immodest or faddish outfits, which reflect the spirit of the world and make us hard to recognize as being wholesomely different. Sisters should be careful that the style and length of their skirts and dresses are suitably modest.
It states that we "ought to treat baptism with appropriate seriousness. It is not a time for outbursts, for partying, or for hilarity. But neither is it a somber or grim time." It would be most inappropriate for those getting baptized to wear very skimpy or revealing bathing apparel, whether men or women.
If a child is running or becoming unruly, the attendant can gently stop the child, and he can explain to the child why such actions are not acceptable. The child?s parent also should kindly be told of the problem and of the need to supervise the child. The parent should respond appropriately.
You may save seats only for those in your immediate family or car group.
It is not possible to set aside special rooms at the convention site for those who have environmental illnesses or allergies.
In order to assemble in large numbers for our district conventions, we are required to comply with local laws, fire regulations, and other safety considerations. Therefore, baby strollers and lawn chairs should not be brought into the building where we are assembling
Are you getting baptized at the district convention? For the Saturday morning session, a section of seats will be reserved for baptismal candidates, and the attendants will direct you to this location. If at all possible, please be seated there before the session begins. Bring along your Bible, songbook, towel, and a modest swimsuit. Cutoffs, T-shirts with slogans, and similar attire are inappropriate for such a dignified occasion.
This requires purchasing foodstuffs and beverages ahead of time and packing them in a small container or cooler that can fit under the seat.
Lately, building managers and food vendors in the facilities where our conventions are held have observed some brothers leaving the auditorium to purchase food from street vendors and fast-food establishments nearby. Some of the food vendors in the convention facilities being used are now demanding that they be allowed to open their food stands and serve the delegates attending our conventions. If this were permitted, many worldly people would be mixing in company with us during the day. Also, congestion and long lines around the concession stands would return, disturbing the relaxed atmosphere of our conventions. Therefore, we ask that each one endeavor to bring his own food and beverage to the convention each day.
Revealing clothing of any sort brings into question the individual?s claim to be a spiritual person
During the sessions, unsupervised younger Witnesses have caused disturbance to brothers and sisters trying to benefit from the program. During last year?s conventions, some young ones were found sitting in upper seating sections, sweeping laser pointers around the audience. The light from these pointers is intense and can cause eye damage, even at long range. It is obvious that these youths were not benefiting from the spiritual program that had been prepared with them in mind
Television and video services available in hotels often provide access to channels that feature pornographic programs. If requested, most hotels will block out certain channels or features from your room for the duration of your stay. As at home, please supervise your children?s use of the television.
The directions that have been given for a number of years will continue to apply, namely, SEATS MAY BE SAVED ONLY FOR YOUR IMMEDIATE FAMILY MEMBERS AND ANY WHO MAY BE TRAVELING WITH YOU IN YOUR CAR. It has been good to see fine improvement in this matter, and this has heightened the loving atmosphere displayed at the conventions.
Remember, they treat us like brainless idiots, and that's exactly how people are in a cult. Give them an inch, they'll break the rope!
This sort of reminds me of the "additional" rules we had at bethel when I was serving. One that always made me curious was no gold chains or bracelets could be worn in Bethel. Yet I remember congregation MS and Elders wearing gold bracelets and neckchains. Another rule was never to discuss with "outsiders" any thing negative that does occur at Bethel. I remember in my year there that regularly disfellowshipped anouncements of Bethelites were made yet we never discussed these at the local congregations.
Remember the opening scene of Full Metal Jacket where the new recruits were getting haircuts. We had our version of these types of barbershops at bethel also. No perfume or after shave, just a haircut zip zip zip.
After reading all of that I felt like the Jews in Jesus time did after reading the Pharisee book of happiness!
My family never had the luck (fortune!) of staying in a hotel, we always did the commute thing. Either via school bus charter or subway train schlep. And after eating those burritos those bumpy school bus rides were not pleasant for me or anyone sitting around me!
Do you remember when the org also use to tell us not to attend assemblies not in our area because they would not have enough food or seats for unexpected visitors.
-- Wear your badges at all times when in the convention city, in order to give some sort of witness. (I wonder if it was okay to remove your badge before going into the swimming pool or when you went to bed, LOL?)
You could always pin it to your thong when you go for a dip in the hotel pool. I wonder what kind of subsequent warnings THAT would provoke!
Some of the food vendors in the convention facilities being used are now demanding that they be allowed to open their food stands and serve the delegates attending our conventions. If this were permitted, many worldly people would be mixing in company with us during the day.
Yeah, right. I know that when I go to closed industry seminars and trade shows, the general public is just clamoring to get at those $6 hot dogs and $5 pizza slices. Get real! It would be interesting, though, to see a District Convention with the draft beer concession open for business, wouldn't it?
But that is not what caught my eye about that paragraph. I know I've been out a long, long time, but this "closed session" attitude is 180 degees from what it used to be. JWs used to blitz the host city with the door-to-door during the convention with an open invitation to attend.
For blocks around the convention site, JWs would stand wearing sandwich boards emblazoned with the logo of that years convention theme, passing out handbills with that days itinerary printed on it. Having "worldly people mixing in company with us" was considered the best possible witnessing of Jehovah's spiritual paradise that those poor wretches could ever hope to receive.
So what happened? Too many wolves and foxes cavorting in the coop? Too many mid-session walkouts trying to shake a blank stare of disbelief off of their faces?
Sorry to take this thread off track a bit, but can anyone comment on the official, published rationalization for fearing the presence of worldly persons at the spiritual banquet, and more interestingly, the actual reason?
Eric
Well, Eric,
Worldly people tend to come in and make disturbances... so you need security to follow them to ensure that they are not nasty old apostates!
You see, people hate witnesses, and the general public has had about enough of them.
