2023 Governing Body Update #8 / BEARDS!!!

[Adam!]

4 hours ago, Ross said:

Well it felt very strange being on the assembly hall platform with a beard! I wasn’t the only one, quite a few throughout the program.

Well done. I know of a brother in the UK (who doesn't attend Dudley by the way) who couldn't partake on the platform in his circuit assembly 2 weeks ago because he had a beard. The CO wouldn't allow it.

 

Wouldn't want to imagine whose contacting who following yesterday's news.

[Pabo]

There was an Australian poet "Bango" Paterson who wrote about "The Man from Ironbark" regarding beards. There is group of musicians who formed Wallis & Matilda who put the music to "Banjo" Paterson poems. 

 

 

The peom (lyrics) can be read here

 

http://www.middlemiss.org/lit/authors/patersonab/poetry/ironbark.html

Edited December 16, 2023 by Pabo

[Cheeks]

My wife came into the room where I watch sports. It was a hockey game, the NHL. It was between periods where the NHL analyze or break down the game. As she came in, I said look at Henrik Lundqvist, the man on the far right. Look how sharply dressed he is. And I like the beard on him. I thought one day, we will get to wear beards, look sharp (most brothers already are well dressed). I looked at Henrik and thought how he was appropriately dressed. I told Debbie, one day at the meeting we will have brothers on stage like this. Little did I know a few days later...Here is a photo of former New York Ranger, Henrik Lundqvist. 

One of my favourite players & always dressed with class. Unfortunately he never won a Cup but def should have.


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Hopefully, it was a game where the Tampa Bay Lightning were winning

 

 

:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

 

As long as it wasn’t the Leafs


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[Tortuga]

7 hours ago, Prism said:

This week's Watchtower Study article about obedience seems even more timely now 

True, it was a good reminder to accept the arrangement, whatever it may be at the time. 

[Tortuga]

At our meeting this morning only one MS looked like he was starting a beard. I didn't see anyone else in the congregation starting a beard yet.

[LeolaRootStew]

2 minutes ago, Tortuga said:

At our meeting this morning only one MS looked like he was starting a beard. I didn't see anyone else in the congregation starting a beard yet.

[Fiona]

I don’t think the sisters really understand how happy this makes some of us brothers. Imagine if you had to wear short hair or couldn’t wear makeup for decades. Especially when you thought the opposite made you look more feminine. Then imaging hearing the news that you now can. That’s how some of us brothers feel
 
 
Edit: I’m not saying short hair and no makeup aren’t feminine. I love short hair on a woman with the right head shape and a woman that wears little or no makeup. I’m just saying generally speaking, many women seem to find long hair and tastefully applied makeup to be a feminine look. Many men find beards to be a masculine look.

On the other hand , I am a sister who HATES beards. I've begged my husband not to grow one. I've told him, if he stops shaving so will I. He can have my hairy armpits and legs.

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[Daxsector]

5 hours ago, Ross said:

Well it felt very strange being on the assembly hall platform with a beard! I wasn’t the only one, quite a few throughout the program.

Looking good! I can't wait super excited. I know I will feel nervous if I am selected again to give assembly and convention talks but I am glad the message was clear!

[Hope]

12 hours ago, TheKid23 said:

It would be great if we could! Much warmer in the winter 😅

I wear flannel tights or black sweatpants under skirts & dresses in the winter. Works beautifully.  

 

I like wearing dresses 😉

[Hope]

5 hours ago, Desert Dan said:

 

I hard a rumor that some of the brothers in the areas of the US like the Pacific NW wore beards.   That could of been false information, but had you seen that?

I'm in Oregon and no appointed brothers were wearing beards in my area. It will be fun to see who starts. 😊

 

I'm very happy that spirituality will not be connected to facial hair anymore.. 

[BLEmom]

One of the elders in our service group has started growing his in. He’s in his 50’s. There a younger elder who everyone expects to have a full beard by tomorrow. 😂 He’s got a thick and fast growing one. My son who lives with us was sporting a growing one today as well. Our area will definitely have quite a few growing them. 
However as my husband said, those who have been waiting to grow them might find the upkeep too much and end up shaving them off. 
The razor and shaving companies are not going to know what is going on!!! 😜

[Qapla]

42 minutes ago, Tortuga said:

At our meeting this morning only one MS looked like he was starting a beard. I didn't see anyone else in the congregation starting a beard yet.

 

A brother from Canada told me the announcement was read at their meeting from the platform this morning - at the direction from the Branch.

[Bosko]

18 minutes ago, Qapla said:

 

A brother from Canada told me the announcement was read at their meeting from the platform this morning - at the direction from the Branch.

Yes, it's the same announcement brother Lett read.

[Tortuga]

35 minutes ago, Qapla said:

 

A brother from Canada told me the announcement was read at their meeting from the platform this morning - at the direction from the Branch.

This one?

Spoiler

 

 

 

Edited December 16, 2023 by Tortuga

[Michael]

There were five of us at the PT and WS this morning  myself included. A couple of MS and one of our finest elders. 

[Lee49]

54 minutes ago, BLEmom said:

Our area will definitely have quite a few growing them. 

Your next get picnic get together - 

 

[Qapla]

 

Edited December 16, 2023 by Qapla

[jwhess]

I wonder how many brothers are reminded of safety rules.  In food service, restaurants, canning factories, food prep (and slaughter), plus industrial areas with moving machinery may have company, state, federal or OSHA requirements to wear "beard nets.  It is like the requirement of women to wear hair nets or coverings.

 

I have been in such environments and the nets looked uncomfortable.  Hard to wear one and get a snack or drink.

 

 

[LuGover17]

On 12/15/2023 at 10:12 PM, Gimestr said:

I'm not young anymore but still ask my self this same question! 

[jwhess]

46 minutes ago, Tortuga said:

This one?

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

 

The announcement carried directions to the elders (confidential).  A couple of lines that I paraphrased give us the point.  Not a quote but a reasonable general idea.  The word "POLICY" is a direct quote.

 

Some might have strong feelings. They might feel they have been vindicated. “I have been saying this for a long time and it proves I was right all along.”  Some might be disappointed.  They supported the policy of being clean shaven for years. “I feel let down.”  Neither reaction is appropriate.

 

The letter goes on for more than a page.

[Paul s]

The key is are we going to be distracting from Jehovah's message in how we keep a beard. Some brothers I've seen keep a very neat well groomed beard but I've seen men in the world with beards you could lose small mammals in that would be detrimental to our service. As in all things we need to keep a balance between what we would like to do and what would be a stumbling block to newly interested one

[Sweetpea]

As always when we receive direction from the GB, it is proper direction at the proper time. The questions raised over brothers with beards and associated privledges, was time consuming and devisive  to a degree. Finally we can move on now and continue to focus on the ‘more important things’.

[kejedo]

JUst saw a chia commercial with new " man growing beard" item. My little grl dog has a small beard. It doesn't distract her from listening to meeting music.

[1MKnight]

7 hours ago, Desert Dan said:

 

I hard a rumor that some of the brothers in the areas of the US like the Pacific NW wore beards.   That could of been false information, but had you seen that?

 

I've yet to see a single brother in person in my 12 years of full-time service in the PNW sport a beard in any official capacity.

 

However... I have seen an image of a brother a few hours away giving his first public talk. I asked my wife: "Why are you showing me this?"

"Look at his face."

*squints*... "OHHH."

 

Brother had a beard and was giving a public talk. I do not personally know him but I have it on good authority that it was authentic, local, and recent. (last year or so) Funny, beards are so common in this area for everyone (except for Witnesses) that I didn't even notice he had one haha.

 

I also know that beards haven't been seen at any PNW assemblies as far as I know.

[Tortuga]

I attended my first elders school back in the late 80s, brother Albert Schroeder was the instructor. I remember a brother with a full beard attending the class. I was told that he was from Alaska and beards were common in that area. That sounded reasonable to me and I never thought about it after that.

Edited December 17, 2023 by Tortuga