I am trying to forget my 5 years as an elder (2001-2006, with a 10 month break in 2002).
However, I will never forget what one elder told me when I was still a wet-behind-the-ears-newly-appointed-ministerial servant back in 1986:
"Rich, be glad you are not an elder. Once you become an elder, you can never walk in to the KH and look at people the same way ever. You know who hates who, who has done what to/with whom, you know all the business and gossip of everyone. Ignorance is bliss."
Was he ever right. As to the books and things...the elder book (at least the ks91 edition) is on the internet as a PDF...some even have "elder notes" which are the real "juicy" stuff that WT would never publish in a copyrighted book but will transmit as verbal heresay at elders meetings/schools for them to write in the 2 inch margins. MTS (Ministerial Training School) was that times 10. It was at MTS that I realized the utter bull$hit of the organization. Only took me another 5 years to leave it all.
I am so glad I am not an elder or a JW anymore.
Snakes (Rich )