"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."
How true this statement is, being an elder actually alienates you from many people. All my close friends are outside of my congo.
From day one of my "privilege", I think there were only a few times, were I thought, I can do something good, mostly its either administartive stuff, or judging of people, based on their field service reports or meeting attendance....thats at least what we do at elder meetings....
Some in the congregation view you as kind of chieftain, others observe you and your family closely, to spot some flaws, and then we have the CO-visits and elder schools, were sometimes you are treated in a very condescending way.
Additionally to elder book, we get letters from the branch, that are only for elders. Often deal with some details on judicial things, for example, how much pornographie, before someone looses privileges or get dfd, how much contact can a serving brother have with dfd relatives, etc...
Most elders I know do not seem to be happy in their "privilege"...