Posts by MerryMagdalene

is it really a cult, or good sales ability, or what's the difference? I also wonder who came up with these techniques first -- the direct sales companies or the WTBS?

I think this is a valid question. I can't answer it, but I did post this once on another thread: (William Heath II was closely associated with Rutherford, and his father was said to have paid for a couple of Rutherford's Cadillacs and Beth Shan.)

I did want to share the interesting similarity beween the early Coca-Cola company and the WTBTS company around the time when William Heath II and Ross Treseder were both salesmen for the former... An article at http://www.businessweek.com/chapter/tedlow.htm quotes Ross's remembrance of Asa Briggs Candler (Coke Daddy and devout Methodist) who would have the salesmen sing Onward Christian Soldiers with him at the close of the sales meeting. But here's the words that really stood out, making me wonder how much the Coca-Cola sales methods influenced the development of the JW door-to-door work?...just a thought... [red highlights mine]
The sales force was of critical importance in achieving national distribution for Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola under Candler relied heavily on a personal, face-to-face selling approach. Although there are other ways to reach the customer--such as mass-media or direct-mail advertising-- personal selling has the advantages of high impact on the customer and flexibility. The salesperson can tailor the message to the individual customer, answering questions and responding to objections. At Coca-Cola, management worked to maximize sales force performance in such subtle exchanges. "Sales demonstrations can be staged," explained a Coca-Cola vice-president at a 1923 bottler convention, "one salesman taking the part of a merchant and the other taking the part of a salesman. Questions can be asked, ideas can be brought out, and a general discussion of territories can be gone into."

Looks like religion influenced business and business may have influenced religion?

~Merry

9

SEPERATED AT BIRTH.....

by Mary in

jw
friends

geeze, if these guys were related by looks, it would explain alot about the religion!.

adolf hiter j.r. rutherford.

milton henzchel mister clean!

MerryMagdalene

Those are great, Mary.

But I agree with Room 215. Whenever I see that pic of Rutherford I hear, "My little chickadee" or, better yet, this little WC Fields gem: " Attitude is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than what people do or say. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. "

~Merry

10

Watchtower Properties Website

by Apostanator in

i was wondering if there is a website available that lists all of the properties the watchtower owns, as well as the current value of those properties?

if not, what would it take to establish one?

i think people would be very interested in what the watchtower holds as property or as businesses.

MerryMagdalene

So whatever happened with their DUMBO project?

Some tidbits from http://www.brooklynpapers.com/html/issues/_vol27/27_26/27_26nets4.html

The new development — on an immense, vacant plot of land bounded by Jay, Front, York and Bridge streets — would include 1,000 one-bedroom apartments divided between four towers reaching 20, 18, 16 and 14 stories. The tallest of the planned towers would be 220 feet. Four courtyards within the complex would be gated, but remain open during the day.

The plans include a three-story assembly hall with a seating capacity of 2,500, a 1,600-person dining facility and an 1,100-space underground parking garage.

In addition to the residents, approximately 60,000 to 70,000 people would be visiting the center each year.

If approved, the Watchtower Society expects to complete the project in 2006.

The group originally planned a printing facility on the site, which is zoned for manufacturing, and even began demolition that has left the plot vacant for the past 12 years.

But the organization this year shifted its printing facilities 90 miles outside the city to upstate Wallkill, N.Y., and decided to use the site for apartments instead.

It is currently being used by the Watchtower Society as a parking lot.

Last month, the Watchtower Society certified plans with City Planning, starting the clock on the seven-month city land use review process.

Richard Devine, a spokesman for the Jehovah’s Witnesses, said if approved the project could lead to a surplus of Watchtower property that the religious order might want to sell off.

The Watchtower Society owns 33 properties in the Brooklyn Heights and DUMBO area including 20 residential buildings ranging from brownstones to apartment buildings.

Devine declined to comment on which buildings would be sold off.

But he said the overall development would “bring significant benefits to the community at large.”

The application also includes a request to rezone the nearly 100-year-old Thompson Meter Building, later home to an Eskimo Pie ice cream factory, for residential use.

The 64,000-square-foot building at 110 Bridge St. was declared a city landmark in February.

~Merry

30

How many "favorite" sites did you store on your computer, and post one

by JH in

jw
friends

every time i find something interesting, i add it to my favorites, and it's adding up... .

for fun i counted how many favorites i had, and i have about 140 .

here is a random one i have .

MerryMagdalene

oops...I forgot to say how many: 430...I didn't realize I had so many until nowI see Nina has even more tho'

~Merry

30

How many "favorite" sites did you store on your computer, and post one

by JH in

jw
friends

every time i find something interesting, i add it to my favorites, and it's adding up... .

for fun i counted how many favorites i had, and i have about 140 .

here is a random one i have .

MerryMagdalene

Another vote here for LittleToe's page...and now for something completely different:

http://www.chateaubizarre.com

~Merry

51

heard back from my dad - you won't believe it!

by freedomlover in

hey all you great people - in case you read my letter i sent to my dad the other day you may be interested in his reply.

(see topic history for letter to my dad) .

i am so happy and relieved.

MerryMagdalene

WOW. That is so nice to read, FreedomLover!!! I have tears in my eyes. I hope all goes well as you continue to talk.

(((((DavidChristopher)))))

~Merry

60

name your addiction

by BlackSwan of Memphis in

jw
friends

ok, what's your junk food addiction?.

is it chips, doritos, taco bell or mcds?.

i'm polishing off a bag of doritos as i write this and wondered what other people chow on.... meagan

MerryMagdalene

Sounds like a game show. Maybe I should give you clues and let you guessNah...

I like Mediterranean Vegetable Chips, Red Hot Blues, Rice Crackers, popcorn, Gardettos Snack Mix.

~Merry

5

HELP PLEASE

by MerryMagdalene in

does anyone have the mailing address for the governing body/wtbts ?

i need to send my letter to them and it won't go very far without it.

of course it probably won't go much farther with it, but i gotta give it a try.. ~merry

MerryMagdalene

Good enough for me, Rebel8. Thanks. (Coulda done that myself, I guessbut was kinda wondering if they hade a more direct address...as if.)

Greendawn, I want to write to them cos "I'm mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it any more!" *LOL* (I will, however, refrain from throwing anything out the window.) I want them, and everyone else, to know how their policies affect individual people like me who just want a "normal" relationship with their families. (Not everyone does want that, I know, but I do, and I can't have it because of their shunning policy.) So I wrote them an open letter that is being shared around as freely as possible.

~Merry

5

HELP PLEASE

by MerryMagdalene in

does anyone have the mailing address for the governing body/wtbts ?

i need to send my letter to them and it won't go very far without it.

of course it probably won't go much farther with it, but i gotta give it a try.. ~merry

MerryMagdalene

Does anyone have the mailing address for the Governing Body/WTBTS ?

I need to send my letter to them and it won't go very far without it. Of course it probably won't go much farther with it, but I gotta give it a try.

~Merry