JW Convention First Aid

Quotes

I just had a flashback that reminded me of one of the only times I saw my elder-father somewhat "fed up" with his fellow Brethren.

Once upon a time, my father had some sort of first-aid badge from his workplace. He was assigned the task of managing the First Ais station at the Circuit assembly. (I think they also thought our station wagon was to be a make-shift ambulance. No, I am not making this up.)

This should be your first clue you cult has a problem: a "Systems Management Coordinator, Logistics" was acting as a nurse. Next thing they'll have window-washers acting as Ministers... oh, wait a minute... never mind.

So apparently (he told us on the way home, after the assembly) some brother or sister came into first aid complaining of a headache (hhhmmm.... I wonder how all that refreshing Good News(tm) could have caused a head ache????)

The fisrt aid station was poorly stocked, and I think my Dad offered what he could: Aspirin.

"Oh no, I can't take Aspirin, it upsets my stomach. I get headaches all the time, and my doctor says I should never take Aspirin".

They way my dad told it, this person seemed personally offended that my dad had even DARED to offer Aspirin.

I don't think he said it to their face, but he confided when retelling the story, he was thinking "If you get headaches ALL THE TIME and have special medicine needs, why don't you CARRY your headache medicine WITH YOU???!!!???!!! *SIGH* "

As a chronic migraine sufferer, my dad always carried his prescription pain-reliever with him, just in case. So he wasn't just talking out of his ass.

~Quotes, of the "know what caused Dad's Migraines" class

blondie

In today's WTS, First Aid staff cannot offer medications, even aspirin to the rank and file. In this area, they were lucky enough to have a JW doctor and RN staffing it. For insurance reasons though, they could not do much. They even made announcements not to go to First Aid expecting them to supply OTC medications. Man, they were even afraid to hand out bandaids.

Blondie

Mamacat

I got sick at the District Convention when I was 7. It was actually my birthday too. I kept throwing up, and my mom took me to first aid. I had a fever, and I could barely stand up. They couldn't do much for me, but they actually told my mom to take me home! She wasn't up for the idea, but she decided to run it past my grandma (who had rode with us). She wouldn't leave, so my mom spent the whole day running me to the restroom. At least I got to stay home the next day.

Quotes

Blondie said:
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They even made announcements not to go to First Aid expecting them to supply OTC medications. Man, they were even afraid to hand out bandaids.
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I guess that is what you get when the LAWYERS are, by far, the largest and most significant part of the bOrg. (not that there is anything wrong with lawyers, I just think a "charity" should have more doctors, nurses, and engineers, and less lawyers).

Let's think this through:

(1) I suspect (but don't know for sure, I Am Not A Lawyer) that in some places there is a law requiring event organizers to provide emergency medical aid stations. Even without such a law, I'll bet event insurance underwriters require it (in fact, I know they do).

(2) Most events hire St. Johns's Ambulance service (or similar services) to fulfill this obligation.

(3) WT's solution to this is to provide their own volunteers (doctors, nurses, or in the case of my father, 1st level biz managers) to provide first aid.

(4) To limit their "vicarious liability" the WT instructs their own volunteer doctors/nurses/whatever to NOT ACTUALLY PROVIDE EVEN OTC MEDICINE (like Aspirin) and to (according to Blondie, assuming you are being serious) think twice about handing out bandages/band-aids/plasters.

So, in other words, we can see WT provides the *APPEARANCE* of complying with the law/insurance requirements but actually are doing nothing at all IN ORDER TO SAVE THE COST OF STAFFING which every other, legitimate event, pays for.

Once again, a short-sighted business decision explains the actions of "God's Channel of Communication".

*sigh*

~Quotes, of the "Maybe if they changed the name to Apostle John Ambulance Service they would score the big WT contract" class

P.S. I wonder if the WT's insurance underwriters know about the game they are playing.

Quotes

Mamacat,

Sad to see your Grandma put a day of lectures filled with information she likely already knew by rote ahead of the health of her grandchild.

In the real world, Grandma's typically sacrifice anything and everything for their children.

*sigh*

~Quotes, of the "only missed an assembly day once due to (feigned) illness" class

HEAVENS DESTINY

Thats true my mom would give up anything for my child regardless if she's going out shaking her thang..........:) If I were the childs mother I wouldnt evan think twice about taking my child home, now if you have a fever than most likely you have an infection of a sort, so I guess grandma wanted to expose everybody......So unthoughtful to her JW brothers and sisters.

coffee_black

We actually had a doctor (well, and eye doctor) in our congregation. He always worked in the first aid department at assemblies. When I was 4 at a district assembly I was sucking on a lollypop and it came off the stick and lodged in my throat. I couldn't breathe and my mom rushed me to the first aid dept. They managed to remove the lollypop and I was fine. (no more lollypops for me...ever) My mom was a basketcase though, and they had to give her something to calm her. I have no idea what they gave her...it was back in the '50s...

Coffee

Mamacat

My grandma was/is a real piece of work. She only ever visited once a year, (from 3 hours away) and it was always when the District Convention was. That usually coincided with my birthday, and she would give me money as a present. I would ask my mom why grandma gave me something for my birthday, but she would downplay it: "Since she doesn't see you that often." LOL That didn't explain the birthday cards she gave! We always referred to her as a "hypocrite"

I always liked that I got to see my Grandpap, but since he wasn't a JW, I didn't get to spend much time with him though because my days were stuck in the assembly. :(

I believe my mom would have really taken me home if not for grandma. She could have went to the same program the following week at the same place. I just kept feeling worse that day. I had gotten ill at the meetings several times over the years, and she always left right away with me.

willyloman

So, in other words, we can see WT provides the *APPEARANCE* of complying with the law/insurance requirements but actually are doing nothing at all IN ORDER TO SAVE THE COST OF STAFFING which every other, legitimate event, pays for.

Once again, a short-sighted business decision explains the actions of "God's Channel of Communication".

So astute!

rwagoner

Back in the 70's my buddy and I were not quite old enough to be "Attendants" yet, but we were looking for a way to get a little freedom and scope out hottie sisters our age so we put our heads together...and got about 1/3 of a brain at that point....and we took an advanced first aid class at school...

Once we passed we put our "jump kits" together and volunteered at the first aid department, sadley we had more supplies than the whole first aid room had. We spend most of the circuit assemblies roaming around with our bags ready to pounce if needed.....LOL After a couple of years we were old enough and could roam around without carrying the bags and tell people to move along LOL

JW Convention First Aid

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