What Simon said!
It was always a monumental "show off" for all involved.
The ones who were "chosen" to hand the books out were the "spiritual youth" who got to claim bragging rights.
Then as Simon said, the clamouring to get the books first was mind blowing in the stupidity!
The hype the GB created was always uncomfortable.
When I was in Bethel, the new releases were even in a sectioned off area of the Shipping dept that was restricted so that no "ordinary non approved" bethelite could see the books before the convention!