The WTS has sent a letter to all Convention overseers expressing their increasing concern at sisters "directing brothers" at district conventions.

With immediate effect (ie for DC 2008), sisters are no longer to be used as volunteers in Parking and Security / Watchman departments. Any sisters volunteering in other departments (eg toilet cleaning) must be subordinate & follow the direction of appointed brothers.

This move will put a huge burden on the DCs in my area - nearly half the volunteers for parking are sisters and there aren't enough volunteers as it is. The sisters that I know are really upset by the news - volunteering at assemblies was one of the very few things they are allowed to do in the truth.

Further thoughts - this has been a growing trend at assemblies. A couple of years ago the visiting Bethel rep insisted on his tour that all sisters took off their "tabards" that identified them as volunteers , including the sisters that worked as care-givers with the elderly & disabled. This caused mass confusion with the delegates and a couple of sisters walked off in disgust. He also wanted the sisters in parking to do so , but the head of the department refused , as the sisters had to wear bright yellow reflective tabards for health & safety reasons. The brother was reprimanded and told that Jehovah's law supercedes Caeser's law. The brother dug in & refused the request - unsurprisingly he was quietly removed and replaced after the assembly.

The sisters in parking were also informed that they could only direct traffic if standing beside or behind a brother , but not on their own. They could only stand bolt upright and were unable to point the direction cars were to go unless a driver stopped to ask directions.

Bizarre.....

No - absolutely true. The letter confirming that sisters were no longer to be used in parking was read out at the KH last week , so it is now in the public domain.

On certain occasions, legitimate safety is a factor.  Security is one area where physical strength is necessary, and most "brothers" are more likely to have that (remember, they are not allowed to carry a gun, which would even things).

That aside, this is blatant discrimination.  Parking attendants, regardless of gender, should be allowed to perform on equal footing.  "Sister" volunteers should not have to submit to "brothers" while doing their assignment, except if they are trainees (in which case the purpose would be for the "sister" to learn the job) or if safety and strength are issues.  But there is no reason why a "sister" would have to be in submission for a simple cleaning assignment or to distribute littera-trash.

I am hoping that this causes enough of them to take the job and shove it.  It doesn't matter who is holding up that sign (as if I would obey it anyway).  Hopefully, there aren't enough men to go around, positions go unfilled, and the whole a$$embly degenerates into such a mess that they have to cancel the whole thing (and I am not going to even show up, let alone lift a finger for them).  I am also hoping that, when such blatant discrimination against women becomes the norm, that they will all start walking out of the organization.

I wonder if it also takes a guy to handle those extra S-77 forms for delivery to the congregations for the extra disassociation letters I am hoping this generates.

Can you imagine what affect this is going to have on that VOLUNTEER SPIRIT!!  After all, isn' t the entire convention arrangement based on VOLUNTEERS? Perhaps the sisters will just say CRAP! and then you'll see brothers cleaning up all the nasty stuff in the women's bathrooms. It takes a strong sister to clean up after another.

What about the contribution boxes??? They sit there faithfully, smiling, gaurding the box. Shouldn't perhaps a strong male be doing that?? There is a considerable amount of responsibilty invloved in gaurding god's assets, isn't there? After all, Sisters aren't assigned as the treasurer in the cong. are they??

This org is full of power hungry males that are constantly throwing their BIBLE based weight around. I have known many sisters that were eager to have ANY share in the org other than what was denied to them at the local level.

NMG

The only thing the sisters did here was clean and watch the contribution boxes. My late BIL was in charge of parking, no sisters, or "hens" as he called them,  there. They really are becoming strict in the total control areas. But I am free, thank whoever almighty I am free!

momz

Watching- They think this is a dangerous job that women shouldn't do. 
You watch.  If something happens, you call 911 or the appropriate people.
You don't do anything.

Parking- you are directing brothers all day.  Granted, it's just directing
them to parking spaces or the exit.