by Englishman 18 Replies latest jw friends
Mt me too! I would skip as much of the convention as possible working in food prep. Hour after hour.
Yeah no food, now food vendors with carts have caught wind of it and will often set up shop just across the street from the convention site. That goes over really well.
Same here... when I was a kid we volunteered in the food service area (bagging sandwiches or something) at a few DCs and it was bliss compared to having to sit through the entire sessions. After the first time, I always wanted to do it again.
I can't imagine why they'd have stopped doing it. Even after 'rendering unto Caesar' I would have thought having a captive audience for the day would mean they could turn a profit and underwrite some costs.
The explanation about having to meet commercial food prep codes, etc, probably makes the most sense.
The official line was SIMPLIFICATION - came shortly after pioneers sending reports to the congregation rather than direct to society - there were other simplified procedures put in place also
Its a money issue. Always has been, always will be.
Crumpet, that's what I was thinking. Many regulations have to be adhered to in Canada if you are SELLING prepared meals ... it would be very costly, and much more work than it was back in the day.
tal
I worked in the kitchens at the circuit assemblies and expediting (moving food etc. to the food stands) at the district assemblies. Some of my favorite memories from the assemblies come from then. By the time the gov't started eyeing possible tax revenues, the food service was already in decline. By then, the late 70's, the society was already purchasing pre-cooked food and selling it from food stands. In fact, the first burrito I ever ate was one I purchased at the international assembly in 1978.
My guess was that the GB didn't like the fact that many were using the food service department to escape the long hours of mind-numbing indoctrination and decided to put a stop to it. That was why the pre-packaged food in stands that only had to be manned a few minutes before the sessions. It was all about control! When the Gov't decided to tax the revenues, then they eliminated it altogether.
Its to do with health and safety, incase anyone gets food poisoned I suppose
Gee, I'm glad I don't go any more......I'd really miss the 8 day DC's in New York City...working in the food prep tents and watching the brothers (CO's etc.) having their beer parties out of the trunks of their cars. It used to be that the US Military would come and watch how the JW's fed thousands in a couple hours and cleaned up afterwards all for .65 per meal and all labor volunteered!
That article caused a memory flashback.
I remember the cafeteria tents as a kid. Crowded and hot. Straw on the ground. Tables made from plywood and 2x4s. You had to stand to eat. Get em in and get em out. Table too tall for kids. I couldn't reach my plate....no, it was a tray. Metal trays sorta like they use in the army. Uncooked scrambled eggs. Apple juice or water, no soda.
Later they changed to prepackaged food just handed out at tables. They wouldn't use the concession stands as that was part of the "world" so they just put a table in front of the concession stand and had styrofoam coolers full of sandwichs, etc. Then they quit using money and change to WT script. You had to buy the script at booths at the entrance and then use the script to buy food.
Then even later, after the Swaggart deal, they started giving food away on a "donation" arrangement. That didn't last long. After that, food was done away with altogether. They asked people to bring light lunches. Some people always went out to lunch even though there were some half-hearted attempts to discourage them.
The latest change is that they really are putting pressure on the friends to not eat out at lunch during the convention. The colisuem concession people see all these JWs hoofing it to MickyDs after the WTS told them that concessions would not be required and they wonder how much money they are losing. So the WTS really tries to keep the R&F in line by highly discouraging them from eating out.
How the times have changed.
