I recall a
very few of the more reasonable brothers try to slow down this train wreck in around 1974 and the first months of 1975. At the same time, the society speakers were milking this for all it was worth because they liked the big increases from the hysteria.
The society itself pretty much hid under their desks until it was obvious that the numbers were really dropping by 1977 and 1978.
I will never forget a CO giving a talk to the elders (with invitations to comment) in 1978 on "why are the numbers going south?" Talk about some embarrassed silence, with a few limp-wristed things said like - "materialism", "Satan is very active", etc...
Finally, one good old honest brother about 75 yrs of age and from a little country cong. stuck up his hand and said "
Maybe its because things just did not come to pass!"He just got stared down and told that there was nothing ever taught by the society that "did not come to pass". This jerk of a CO then went on to say that it was all the lazy brothers fault and that the slackers were probably the ones who assumed "for themselves" that 1975 meant something.