Remember when?

[jwhess]

12 hours ago, Maʹher-shalʹal-hash-baz said:

I love your library. So many memories.

While you are doing bible pictures... do you have pics of the Green, Red & Purple ones?

 

Well, there are different kinds.  Here are some.  First is the "Green" 1961 version NWT (our standard).  Then is a couple of the "Red" variants.  They are both like the green hardcover.  My personal copy is so worn you can hardly see the New world title so I added a photocopy I have.  As far as "Purple" goes, I have to guess.  I show the NWT Interlinear original (it was larger like the green one).  Then the original 1942 King James was "purple-ish" brownish).  The KJ does not have a cover title, only on the back binding. Then I show the Am Standard in a solid brown.  This was the Bible we mostly used because the 1901 edition uses God's name in the Old testament.  I hope I got the ones you wanted...🙂

 

[Miss Bea]

My pocket editions are in my, “go bags”.

From long ago. 

[Old]

 

Weekly service reports instead of monthly.

 

Remember when you were supposed to turn in your own weekly service reports without giving the reponsibility to your book study conductor.or even expecting a reminder? A couple of years prior to this we were told to drop the 1st and 15th list of those not having reported, the reason "We do not want to put pressure on the publishers." 

 

There were no assingment slips for the TMS, the assignments were posted well in advance and students were expected to read of them on their own, hard to imagine nowdays. Next weeks assignments were announced at the end of the TMS meeting.

Edited July 16, 2020 by Old

[Miss Bea]

Jerry, remember Opre McCoy?
We actually had someone who would, “conduct”, our singing!

[➕👇 ꓤꓱꓷꓠꓵ🎵Tone]

 

 

 

Well, there are different kinds.  Here are some.  First is the "Green" 1961 version NWT (our standard).  Then is a couple of the "Red" variants. 

They are both like the green hardcover.  My personal copy is so worn you can hardly see the New world title so I added a photocopy I have.  As far as "Purple" goes, I have to guess.  I show the NWT Interlinear original (it was larger like the green one).  Then the original 1942 King James was "purple-ish" brownish).  The KJ does not have a cover title, only on the back binding. Then I show the Am Standard in a solid brown.  This was the Bible we mostly used because the 1901 edition uses God's name in the Old testament.  I hope I got the ones you wanted...

 

Thank you. They are the ones - and then some! I should have said 'Interlinear', but I was fixated on the colours. I had the KJ and ASV 1901 as well. Then there was the 'Fat' Darker Green Study Bible. (same colour as the 'original' 6 volume set).

{Not to forget the Byingyon Blue... the list goes on.}

I cannot remember why, but my Red copy was a tad smaller than the green. I think the print was the same size, but they trimmed the margins down.

Your Red copy sure was well used!

Thanks again.

That was fun...

 

Old (Downunder) Tone

 

 

 

[Tortuga]

1 hour ago, Miss Bea said:

Jerry, remember Opre McCoy?
We actually had someone who would, “conduct”, our singing!

I remember a brother conducting the singing at our Circuit Assemblies. He stood on stage with a baton and conducted the singing like an orchestra. My brother and I nicknamed him "Birdman" because of the way he flapped his arms...😂

[Amygdala]

Just until the past few years, the German congregations had brothers and sisters getting up and actually playing instruments for all the songs. The first time I moved here and attended my first German meeting 15 years ago, I was surprised at them doing that. But at the same time, really enjoyed watching the talented bro/sis play kingdom songs!

[Qapla]

I very heartily remember the orchestra at the assemblies and conventions ... especially since I played in them.

 

I remember being that, if you started regular pioneering when the service year began in Sept and were still a reg pio when the DC was held - you received your new releases without cost ... this was a real help when the Aid Book came out.

[Old]

1 minute ago, Qapla said:

I very heartily remember the orchestra at the assemblies and conventions ... especially since I played in them.

 

I remember being that, if you started regular pioneering when the service year began in Sept and were still a reg pio when the DC was held - you received your new releases without cost ... this was a real help when the Aid Book came out.

... and don't forget free meal tickets for assembies and conventions.

[dove]

Bea,

 

Thank you for starting this thread of things and times gone by. It's been a wonderful trip down memory lane for some of us and fun learning experience for others..it's good to see all the progress and memories we've made over the

generations-----and that we're still here making more  

[Old]

8 minutes ago, Dove said:

Bea,

 

Thank you for starting this thread of things and times gone by. It's been a wonderful trip down memory lane for some of us and fun learning experience for others..it's good to see all the progress and memories we've made over the

generations-----and that we're still here making more  

I will be glad when this Covid-19 episode is just a 'do you remember?' memory.

[Eejay]

10 hours ago, jwhess said:

I am not sure of your baptism count, 

Oh! Sorry it wasn't clear. Is this better?

 

1949  - 42,524   - WT 1 Jan 1950 Page 15

1950  - Not published

1951  - 63178    -YB 1952 page 32

1952  - 54707    -YB 1953 page 29

1953  - 50665    -YB 1954 page 36

1954  - 57369    -YB 1955 page 43

1955  - 63642    -YB 1956 page 38

1956  - Not published

 

So... if 

12 hours ago, jwhess said:

 

The 1957 Yearbook stated that the number baptized between 1949 to 1956  totaled 394,024 for all 7 years.

It is actually 8 years! Anywaye recorded total for the individual years of the same period above = 332,085, then by deducting this actual total from the accumulated total of 394,024, this indicates a figure of 61,939 in total for the two missing years of 1950 and 1956, which annually would be considerably less than the average of 55347.5 annually for the given years of that period.

 

 

10 hours ago, jwhess said:

the 1957 Yearbook (about the 1956 report).  they show less than 19,000 baptized in 1956. This may be the US total?

As this figure is prefaced by the comment "Another year of intensive witnessing was carried on in the United States.",  I would agree that the figure in question 18,968 is referring to those baptised in the US only.

Edited July 16, 2020 by Eejay

[Eejay]

7 hours ago, Luisabola said:

Sitting on the steps at Norwich football ground before seats were put in for the convention. We brought lots of blankets!

I was there sitting on benches in a building site with no sound. I went to the car and listened on FM eventually! it was so cold there!

 

7 hours ago, Luisabola said:

when I was 13ish we were part of the Italian congregation

Did you know Les and Philomena Zanelli?

Edited July 16, 2020 by Eejay

[daydream]

4 hours ago, Old said:

... and don't forget free meal tickets for assembies and conventions.

We didn't have the ticket system for our District Conventions because the attendance was only in the hundreds. Each congregation would take turns to cook the lunch meals. The loudspeakers were attached in the makeshift kitchen area beside the hall and we just listened while we prepared the food. I don't think we benefited much from the program because of all the activities in the kitchen. It was fun watching the brothers trying to slice the vegetables for the 1st time in their lives. The food was so delicious. After a while this kind of food catering was terminated and everyone just ate out.

[Eejay]

Please ignore my earlier reply on this, Editing cut out prevented a correct post.

 

 

11 hours ago, jwhess said:

I am not sure of your baptism count, 

 

Oh! Sorry it wasn't clear. Is this better?

 

1949  - 42,524   - WT 1 Jan 1950 Page 15

1950  - Not published

1951  - 63178    -YB 1952 page 32

1952  - 54707    -YB 1953 page 29

1953  - 50665    -YB 1954 page 36

1954  - 57369    -YB 1955 page 43

1955  - 63642    -YB 1956 page 38

1956  - Not published

 

So... if 

12 hours ago, jwhess said:

 

The 1957 Yearbook stated that the number baptized between 1949 to 1956  totaled 394,024 for all 7 years.

Actually I have noticed that 1949 to 1956 as quoted would actually be 8 years not 7! So, really, as the YB talks about the last 7 years, this would be 1950 to 1956. So that is where some confusion lies, 1949 should actually be discounted. So, as the recorded total for the individual years of the 7 year period above = 289,561, this indicates a figure of 105863 in total for the two missing years of 1950 and 1956, which annually averaged would be actually 52,581, a bit less than the average of recorded numbers for the period.(57912).

 

 

10 hours ago, jwhess said:

the 1957 Yearbook (about the 1956 report).  they show less than 19,000 baptized in 1956. This may be the US total?

As this figure is prefaced by the comment "Another year of intensive witnessing was carried on in the United States.",  I would agree that the figure in question 18,968 is referring to those baptised in the US only.

[Gary910]

5 hours ago, Mephibosheth said:

I remember a brother conducting the singing at our Circuit Assemblies. He stood on stage with a baton and conducted the singing like an orchestra. My brother and I nicknamed him "Birdman" because of the way he flapped his arms...😂

I am guessing that was Brother Don Casper.

[Wren]

I remember staying in BILLETED  accomodation for a convention. I was very young and totally freaked out by their taxidermy snakes. Wonderfully strange 🦕 times

 

Another time camping in tents en masse on a farm  for a convention. Storm and snow meant we all evacuated during the night.  

 

Sitting on wooden benches into the night, wrapped in blankets at conventions.

 

Edited July 17, 2020 by Wren

[daydream]

Those days when after a convention, we would have 1 part in the KM whereby we would discuss material from the 3 day convention. It was good training to always take notes during talks. I notice nowadays with this discussion no longer been practised, quite a few of the younger generation are not taking notes.

I had the misfortune of sitting next to 2 sisters in one RC. While the non English program was going on, these 2 decided they wanted to discuss their pictures in their phone gallery. After enduring for a 15 min. of this nonsense, I thought as an older person, I could tell her to show more consideration towards others. She who was in her late 30"s got angry, said she had already attended the English convention but was there only for the cleaning duty. She also reminded me that she was a pioneer. I quite sheepishly retorted that I was APing for that month. She merely sneered at me. I don't know why some of the pioneers look condescendingly on the lowly publishers and think they're God's gift to men. On hindsight I should have held my tongue and give her some leeway as regard her unseemingly behavior. Why make enemies when she could be my friend. Unlikely.

I found in such situations, it is better to let Jehovah discipline them.

Edited July 17, 2020 by Mephibosheth

[daydream]

Left out this part.

I apologised to the pioneer sister for my seemingly lack of manners after the session was over. It didn't placate her, maybe she knew I wasn't being sincere. Sometimes we may not fully understand the reason for a person acting in the way that they did but it is better to give them the benefit of the doubt. After all she as a foreigner had offered to pioneer in a neighbouring country and making sacrifices that I know nothing of.

Always having to learn the lesson the hard way.

Thanks Sister Bea, I really like the way you worded your title. It is really hard for the mods to come after me for being off topic. 

No time frame given, so I'll feel free to ramble on about some recent events.Never mind if it is irrelevant. 🙂

Edited July 17, 2020 by Mclove

[AH173]

4 hours ago, Mclove said:

I had the misfortune of sitting next to 2 sisters in one RC. While the non English program was going on, these 2 decided they wanted to discuss their pictures in their phone gallery

From enduring similar distractions, had/have the habit of wearing headphones to listen to fm broadcast. 

Edited July 17, 2020 by Mephibosheth

[Eejay]

12 hours ago, Wren said:

I was very young and totally freaked out by their taxidermy snakes

When I was at circuit assembly way back, the chairman announced that "tea and hot snakes would be served at the back of the hall at close of sessions".

[Tortuga]

12 hours ago, Gary910 said:

I am guessing that was Brother Don Casper.

I don't remember his name, I vaguely remember that he was tall and thin.

[carlos]

Do you remember when the 15 minute break for the public meeting was done with? I think I vaguely remember it, but not sure if I just recall what others told me.

 

I also remember the demonstrations at the service meeting, sometimes very elaborate. I remember one in particular where the brothers were trying to show the new donation arrangement for food at the conventions. The elder had some 15 people on the platform for that demo. There was a table with some sandwiches and a sister dressed with an apron, and we made a queue to get the sandwiches. Crazy!

 

I remember when I was a kid in service, in the 80s, and you had lots of discussions with people about the trinity, hellfire or the immortality of the soul. Women used to accuse us of not believing in the Virgin Mary. Nobody wants to discuss those subjects anymore, now the few discussions we have are about the many problems we have in life and how the kingdom will fix them. Very different times.

[cme]

Does anyone remember in the preaching work putting your foot in the door?  Here in the NYC area thats what my mother did back in the late 50s early 60s.

[dove]

2 hours ago, carlos said:

 

 

I also remember the demonstrations at the service meeting, sometimes very elaborate. I remember one in particular where the brothers were trying to show the new donation arrangement for food at the conventions. The elder had some 15 people on the platform for that demo. There was a table with some sandwiches and a sister dressed with an apron, and we made a queue to get the sandwiches. Crazy!

 

 

There was a time where in the middle of the meeting a brother burst in from the back door of the hall shouting, 'the Great Tribulation has begun!' 

Everyone was so shook up that the elders never did anything like that again.

I remember my first thought was , 'I wish I'd gone out in Service more'..

Edited July 17, 2020 by Dove