I've met Samuel Herd and Guy H Pierce. Both stayed in my Bethel room (during my foreign assignment in Central American branch). Samuel Herd came for a Branch dedication and Guy Pierce for the Zone visit. We had the nicest room with all the gadgets and best setup so the Branch Committee decided that we had to move out for a week and move in the Witness Popes.
Both where very reserved and distant to everybody.
The first experience was with Guy Pierce (grandfather like)
Everybody at the branch was s******g their pants because of the zone visit - the Branch Committe because he wanted to do a revision of the finances (always a difficult topic for any branch) and the rest because they thought he was Gary Glitter and touching him would bring you directly to heaven. On Saturday morning everybody left and only half a dozen Bethelites stayed with him on the table (he conducted morning worship). So we stayed there having the most relaxed chit chat and out of the blue one of the locals asks him the question that was on everybodys mind: How do you know that you are annointed? BAMM. Everybody glued to their seats looking at him. Then the friendly, relaxed, grandfather-like face changed, he answered.....(drum roll, drum roll):
"We just know. Easy as that." One of the Bethelites spontanely said: "Yes, but how exactly does it work? How do you feel you are one?" He said: "How do you know that you are a male?" and standed up saying that everybody should go back to work and that he has to leave now. I will never forget this.
The second experience was with Samuel Herd. He was there for the Branch dedication and the BC had a full agenda of "spiritual" and "cultural" activities (god, it took MONTHS of f****** work to prepare that week and a shit ton of money too). Anyway, to everybodys surprise he only gave the main talk and excused himself for the rest of the days, staying in my room (I had to go there once to pick up some personal stuff, he barely opened the door, said nothing, I had to hurry and was hushed outside).
After the show was over my room smelled for days of some strong medicine. Our room had cable TV, Wireless Internet and I had a DVD player with LOTS of movies (god forbid, me bad bethelite: action movies and thrillers). I saw that he had been through my movie collection. No doubt searching for porn to watch or taking notes or maybe he settled in for a marathon movie session (I think the latter as the TV was moved towards the Bed).
Poor guy was either very sick, bored of "Branch Cultural Shit Fanfare" stuff or both. Anyway, for everybody it was the most disappointing GB visit that we had.
I felt that I knew some of the others personally through another Bethelite that was a good friend of mine. He used to work for the health department in Brooklyn and had to take care of the old timers: Swingle, Jaracz, Barr and Gangas. Most of the stories where about Gangas and I had good long laughs and he was my favourite guy.
Treatment: Yes, people would roll out the red carpet (almost literally! The Branch drove them in a Mercedes to the Stadium to give the talks) and locals at the stadium gathered around waving their Bibles and Song books to get an autograph. Basically like Rock stars.
I can write something more if I remember and if someone is interested.
