Will definitely be......... "the best convention ever." So excited!!
respectful_observer
JoinedPosts by respectful_observer
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75
Brooklyn Layoffs and Halt to Kingdom Hall construction projects
by James Jack ina good source just just told me that at morning worship today that the governing body announced that a total of 1600 bethelites will be let get go and not transferred to warwich when the last property is sold in brooklyn and all kingdom hall building projects are on hold for at least a year so that all the focus will be on the preaching work.
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respectful_observer
Is there confirmation this affects all kingdom hall building projects or that it is just large projects (Bethels, assembly halls, etc.) as was stated in another thread?The kingdom halls are plausibly far more expensive than the larger projects and it seems more reasonable. Can anyone confirm or disconfirm?
I can't officially confirm, but my contacts tell me that the construction freeze applies to "assembly halls and larger" (e.g., branch expansions), and therefore would not affect kingdom hall construction.
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Rumor Confirmed!: Bethel Downsize First Hand
by freemindfade ini just texted a very good remote worker friend, said i heard that there is a reduction in force coming at bethel and i hoped he wouldn't be affected.
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he said its true, its not a rumor.
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respectful_observer
Bethel downsize. They are having a RIF, reduction in force. That much i have confirmed. Someone also said KH building is stopped, that I have not confirmed.
freemindfadean hour ago
Beth Sarim
I tried to clarify this from my source, he didn't seem clear himself on the scope of the construction stoppage. He was under the impression it only applied to new York and wouldn't affect kingdom halls. But again he was uncertain. He is also a remote worker in the US so he may have gotten limited details.My contact indicated to me that the construction freeze applied to "assembly halls and bigger", so it would not affect Kingdom Hall construction.
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Revolt Brewing At Headquarter and Different Branches and The Governing Body Is Losing Credibility Among It's Staff
by Brokeback Watchtower inin my mind i see this as a very real situation developing rapidly world wide as these child molestation pay out become public knowledge and can no longer be denied or kept secret from the r&f.
pretty soon the governing body will be the but of many jokes at headquarters and abroad.
they are being caught red handed while robbing the cookie jar.
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respectful_observer
As an aside, Bethel recently introduced a "Suggestion Box" where Bethelites could drop in anonymous suggestion. (SERIOUSLY!!) The Bethelite who was telling me about couldn't even believe it. Since then, they can now watch Morning Worship on the TV in their rooms, have a lot more staple food in the commissary so they can avoid the institutional food served in the dining room, etc.
Who knows what else some of these Bethelites are unhappy about (food, doctrine, or otherwise) that they are slipping into the box as suggestions!
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Latest rumor - all WT construction "suspended", except for Warwick
by sir82 inheard 4th-hand, but from a full-on believer, so not likely to be an "apostate lie":.
apparently, at bethel's morning worship this morning, it was announced that all worldwide wts construction is "suspended" for an indefinite time, except for the new world headquarters at warwick.. also, the "relocation" of remote translating teams is also suspended.. finally, there will be a "worldwide" reduction in bethel personnel.. all this came to me in a non-english language, and,as noted, 4th-hand.
so it is possible something may have been lost in translation and/or in the multiple steps between bethel morning worship & me.. but if true, it would be quite stunning.
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respectful_observer
He did marvel at the high quality of material that they used. He said that this was waaay beyond what is necessary.
I was thinking the same thing. I can't find it right now, but one of the latest Warwick photo gallery updates has a picture of workers laying a beautiful cut block granite faced retaining wall. Where is this beautiful (and expensive) granite retaining wall? Based on the photo's caption....at the loading docks.
Obviously a normal concrete retaining wall would not have been good enough.
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Latest rumor - all WT construction "suspended", except for Warwick
by sir82 inheard 4th-hand, but from a full-on believer, so not likely to be an "apostate lie":.
apparently, at bethel's morning worship this morning, it was announced that all worldwide wts construction is "suspended" for an indefinite time, except for the new world headquarters at warwick.. also, the "relocation" of remote translating teams is also suspended.. finally, there will be a "worldwide" reduction in bethel personnel.. all this came to me in a non-english language, and,as noted, 4th-hand.
so it is possible something may have been lost in translation and/or in the multiple steps between bethel morning worship & me.. but if true, it would be quite stunning.
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respectful_observer
Just heard from a contact and was told that the construction freeze applies to Assembly Hall projects and bigger, so does not seem to affect Kingdom Hall construction (at least right now). -
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Brooklyn Layoffs and Halt to Kingdom Hall construction projects
by James Jack ina good source just just told me that at morning worship today that the governing body announced that a total of 1600 bethelites will be let get go and not transferred to warwich when the last property is sold in brooklyn and all kingdom hall building projects are on hold for at least a year so that all the focus will be on the preaching work.
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respectful_observer
Similar situation here in Australia. Although no mention
of KHall construction on hold yetJust heard from a contact and was told that the construction freeze applies to Assembly Halls and bigger, so does not seem to affect Kingdom Hall construction (at least right now).
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Latest Leaked BOE letter to Elders Oct. 4th
by Watchtower-Free inoctober 4, 2015. to all congregations.
re: new provisions announced atannual meeting.
dear brothers:.
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respectful_observer
The target audience must indeed be developmentally disabled persons or those who are completely illiterate--those least likely to see through the craziness.
I don't know about you, but in my area that's a pretty apt description of most "interested ones" who show up for their first meeting.
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What is the most bizarre counsel you received as a JW, from a JW?
by Funchback inthere were many addressed to me.
for example, i once had a sister tell me i was gambling because i liked playing skill crane (the machine where you have to try to pick up prizes like stuffed animals) at the arcade.
i then fired back a her: "you saw the r-rated movie 'backdraft.
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respectful_observer
There was a couple in my congregation dating each other. They worked nearby one another, so would often meet for lunch.
On multiple occasions they were pulled aside by the elders: "someone reported seeing you together at [restaurant] without a chaperone." or "Someone told us they saw you walking down the street together without a chaperone."
As they were both in their late 20s and had dated others in the past, they both knew the "rules" and when they tried to explain that because they were in public there was no need for a chaperone. The elders' response was that that was technically the case but they should "give no cause for complaint" and "not be a cause for stumbling" in the congregation.
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A note on the Watchtowers property investments
by Saintbertholdt inabout a year ago there was a thread regarding the 2008 watchtower bible and tract society of new yorks tax return.. http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/287098/2008-watchtower-income-tax-return?page=1.
a reference was made to the provictor property fund iv which was listed as their primary alternate business activity.. turns out that at that time 75% of the chrysler building was owned by the provictor property fund iv until it was sold during that year.. http://money.cnn.com/2008/07/09/news/international/chrysler_building/?postversion=2008070913.
just thought you should know :).
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respectful_observer
respectful observer...so what you are saying is that they lost BIG and have no where near that now.
@millie210: Not all. In fact money market funds are considered one of the safest, most stable investments. The whole purpose of a money market fund is to basically stay completely stable (e.g., the goal of the fund's portfolio manager is to keep the value of 1 share as close to $1 as possible at all times). You would never buy shares of a money market fund if you wanted any profit at all. Corporations and large investors will often stash large amounts of cash in a money market fund for easy access for when they need it. In fact, even in the depths of the financial crisis, only a single money market fund was affected to the point where the value of 1 of its shares dropped below $1. When that happens it's called "breaking the buck".
If the WTB&TS is no longer listed on this fund's SEC filings, it's only because of these reasons:
1. The WTB&TS no longer owns any shares of the fund (and likely invests in other money market funds)
2. The WTB&TS has reduced the number of shares it owns in that particular fund. (Funds are required to report to the public/SEC when they have shareholders who own over a certain % of the fund. That way investors are forewarned that if one or more of the big shareholders decided to leave the fund at once, there could be a liquidity issue in the fund.)
3. The number of shares of the fund owned by the WTB&TS has not changed, but the fund itself has grown in size since 2014, where the % of the fund own by the WTB&TS is now below the reporting limit requirement of the fund.
But if you add up all those percentages, it comes to way more than 100%. So I am guessing it does not mean that each of those parties owns that percentage of the fund. I have no idea what it does mean though!
@matsutov: if you look at the second column, you'll see that there are different "share classes" (i.e., institutional, agency, premier). The ownership % likely is tied to what % of that share class the investor owns.
That being said, the WTB&TS's 7%+ ownership is likely of the institutional shares only, not of the entire fund itself. So the WT ownership values we were discussing earlier are probably way bigger than the WT's true ownership value.