GoodBye Veterans Stadium, you smelly convention site!

by WingCommander 8 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  WingCommander

  Forum:

  Greetings! Wanted to pop in and say hi, and also to ask if anyone is saddened by "The Vet"'s dimise? I'm not. It was nothing more than a sweltering cesspool in which the JW's had their yearly conventions. (usually in July) God, it was awful. The 1984 convention was the worst.....usually about 25,000 Borg members were in attendance there. I was 5 that summer, and I could barely stand it. This was back when conventions were about a week long, and 8 hours a day at least. Sheer hell on earth. The same information you've heard all year with a spin being pounded into your head. How my parents ever kept me in my seat I'll never know......oh wait, I remember, walks with a spanking attached to them. Pffffht. I never once attended a baseball game there - bad association, worldly habits, etc. So I have no fond memories of The Vet. I would have much rather have spent a day with my father at the Vet watching the Phillies and Mike Schmidt, my favorite player at the time.

  Oh, and when the days talks were over, the speakers and higher ups got into their big Lincoln Towncars that were parked in the priviledged sections, and left, while the rest of us were expected to sweep and clean the stadium, to set a good example of course. Nothing like sweeping that cesspool of a stadium in your best clothes! Sure, what the hell! I'm sure the CO is thinking of you while he is chuggging down a beer at the local watering troff. Yeah, right. :)

  Anyone else want to share their fond District Convention memories? Anyone else ever attend them at The Vet?

  Thanks, Wing Commander :)
• 

  rocketman

  Good riddance.

  I sweltered in that concrete hell hole for three dacades worth of conventions. It was pure hell - the stadium and, of course, the program too.
• 

  rocketman

  Oh, and here's my "fondest" memory:

  During one convention we were not allowed, for some unexplained reason, to park in the stadium lot or in the Spectrum lot accross the street. Instead, we had to drive to Roosevelt Park and the walk back to the Vet after parking. It was of course hot and humid. By the time we reached the stadium and walked the ramps all to the top (to get a seat in the shade) we were exhausted.

  Just one of many $%$#@&*&((**&&^ wonderful memories.

  Oh, and another one:

  Four years ago, again for some unexplained reason, the lot attendants would not open one of the sets of stadium gates to allow cars to exit, thus cramming all other exits. I was told later that it took nearly an hour to exit the stadium. We left early that day (thankfully) and were not caught in that traffic.

  There was always, and I do mean always, some hassle when we went to conventions there.
• 

  Big Tex

  Rocketman, your parking experience sounds very similar to one we had here in Texas at a couple of conventions held in Fort Worth. Turns out what it was is that the Society got "good rates" at a lot a couple of miles away and "strongly encouraged" folks to avoid parking across the street.

  The last Memorial I ever went to, the attendants forced everyone to park in the KH lot backing in, rather than the more usual way as they wanted everyone to be "united" in parking. They literally would not let me park unless I backed in.

  Chris
• 

  ColdRedRain

  The Vet ended more carrers in football and baseball than drug tests and being a member of the Cincinatti Bengals combined.

  I'm glad to see that peice of crap stadium torn down too. Next up: The Metrodome; It's so bad, they had to put a roof over that thing so god won't vomit on the feild.
• 

  rocketman

  Tex,

  One detail I forgot to add about my parking experience is that we had already prepaid and had our tix in advance, expecting a decent spot in the Vet lot, and then getting routed to Roosevelt Park instead. So the WTS got the $$ and we got crap. It only happened once, but once was enough to make me hate the Vet, the city of brotherly love, and the WTS all in one swoop.
• 

  MorpheuzX

  I couldn't agree more! I attended the 1994 District Convention at Veterans' Stadium and let me tell you it was awful! I was up in the second deck. The temp was easily 110F. I hear down on the field the temp was somewhere around 135F. I believe one of the older brothers actually collapsed on the platform from the heat while giving a talk. It was an awful three days.

  Digression time: The next year, 1995, I went up to the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, NY, and it was much better: no insane heat, no sweating through your clothes, no brothers collapsing on the platform. I was also baptized at that convention. (Why did I ever do that?)

  Anyway...my thoughts on the demolishing of the Vet is good riddance!
• 

  Roddy

  < Wanted to pop in and say hi, and also to ask if anyone is saddened by "The Vet"'s dimise? I'm not. It was nothing more than a sweltering cesspool in which the JW's had their yearly conventions. (usually in July) God, it was awful. The 1984 convention was the worst.....usually about 25,000 Borg members were in attendance there. I was 5 that summer, and I could barely stand it. This was back when conventions were about a week long, and 8 hours a day at least. Sheer hell on earth. >

  I was there for 1985. It was a sauna and a heat torture. One time I just took a bottle of water and just poured it on myself. Each day I looked forward to its ending so I can go back to the motel and run into the pool. People were fainting from the heat. Every so often you'd see stretchers carrying people to first-aid where there was air conditioning. Interestingly in the club house they had closed circuit tv showing the assembly program, very cozy air conditioning, and delivered food or available food and drinks. Visiting WTS bigwigs, the highly connected, and their families enjoyed the convention in comfort while the rank and file sweltered in an open pit stadium. I think one person died in my convention due to heat stroke.

  That's when I've noticed at other convensions the VIPs would take their seats in the prime closed areas of the stadiums, coloseums, sports arenas, etc. That was an eyeopener.
• 

  Siddhashunyata

  Just wanted to add that it was at this stadium that I realized how mindless was the Administration. I climbed the ramps to the third level with one child in my arms and another at my side with my wife. We arrived at the top level hot and exhausted only to find a rope between us and hundreds of empty seats. Did I say "rope" ? No it was a rope and ......... a Ministerial Servant. " Sorry but this section is closed " Me: "But wer'e exhausted can't we just sit and rest a while ." NO! THIS SECTION IS CLOSED!" " WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO LET ANYONE SIT IN THESE SEATS!" Me:" But we will have to go all the way down and we are exhausted!!" Servant " This SECTION IS CLOSED!!" Me ( to myself) "This is unbelievable! Please, someone help me understand what is going on. WHERE IS THE SPIRIT OF REASON AND MERCY?" All that was left for me to do was assault this mindless drone or retreat and go down. I went down with my family. But I could no forget what I saw.