I wish I could share my first name here.... no, its not Snakes (or even Sankes)...... to the few here who know it, then it must mean you are my friend.
It is interesting what you said Jeff. It neverwas about us, was it? Once, when I was secretary, I received the updated list of pioneers in the congregation from the Society. The married sisters were not listed by their first name...they were listed as Mrs. John Pioneer. Not Mrs. Sally Pioneer. Only the single pioneers kept their first name (Miss Sarah Single)... and note it was never Ms.
We even had a DO (briefly) insist that married sisters be introduced on the assembly programs as "Sister John Pioneer"...and after that only as "Sister Pioneer." That did not last long... it was just too strange. But it reminded me how strange ("cultlike" did not enter my mind then) some things were.
As to kids calling adults by their first name... I didnt much care for it myself.. my dad (not raised as a dub..converted in his 30s) was raised to call adults "Mr. Smith" not "John." That was how I was raised.
I finally started relenting and letting kids at the KH call me "Brother {first name}" instead of "Brother {last name}. I still think kids (in and out of the Borg) are waaaaaay to casual (or disrespectful) in their interactions with adults. Even now, I am often the oldest student in college classes and I have difficulty referring to instructors by their first name, even when they are (as is often the case) are younger than I. I finally decided if the instructor refers to me by my first name, that is how I will refer to them...especially if they are younger than I.
There was an older elder in our congo that everyone called "Uncle {first name}"...not ever "Brother {last name}." He was not my uncle. We were very close. (and very likely if he had been alive, I would not have left the Borg..he would have been the only one able to keep me in). I asked him about the whole "Uncle" thing once...he said.."you can call me by my first name...unless we are around some that might be offended by you doing that." I thought that was fair.
Snakes ()