from the O.P :
" It’s almost as if Jehovah is now the puppet and the GB is pulling his strings." LOL , yes what a surprise ! But that does explain why they are never proactive, never ahead on ANYTHING, but always reactive, and usually WAY too late, as in this case.
I know of a number of suitable guys who would have made good Elders, but were rejected for wearing a beard, despite having been given "counsel", so what was that "counsel" based upon ? Scripture, no, only by twisting what is said.
In 1975 a sister I knew well wrote to H.Q in N.Y. and asked about the wearing of a beard by her husband, would it preclude his being an Elder ? The reply from Bethel was that they COULD NOT MAKE RULES about dress and grooming, because different standards were found in different parts of the World. But they never made that known via the literature did they ?
The brother in question decided way back then that as in the U.K many professional men and other men well respected in society, wore beards, it was fine to do so. LOL
He was an excellent M.S, but, strangely ,never made it to Elder.