Edmonton Convention 200 kms Away

by jgnat 19 Replies latest jw experiences

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  jgnat

  Vidiot, then you are left with the hard-core. If the WTS has a declining membership strategy, they can spend less on administering this smaller group. I suspect not, though. Both decline and spectacular growth are more expensive to administer. Slow, steady growth works best for the bureaucrat. Then he doesn't have to adjust his budget.

  Also, if a group falls below critical mass, you have the problem of excess real-estate and even death to the organization. This happened to the Shakers and the Quakers. Given enough time, it could happen to the WTS as well.
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  hoser

  The old fellow also mentioned that the Colusseum has a new manager and he was insisting that the concessions be left open through the convention. So instead of bowing to the manager's demands, the local coordinating committee changed venues....200 kms south. I am sure the Edmonton Colusseum management won't have any trouble finding a replacement tenant for that weekend, with the added revenue from the open concessions. The WTS, however, will be shorted I am sure. I just don't think the sheep are as cooperative as they give them credit.

  We have heard this same story for years now. how do we know it is true or just watchtower spin? Supposedly that is why there are no conventions or assemblies in the northern locations. No matter where you go the reason we can't use this or that venue is about the food service. Personally I think the watchtower got a better deal on the red deer facility and don't give a shit how far people have to travel as long as the watchtower got a deal on the facility.
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  jgnat

  Point well taken, hoser.

  I have a friend who works for a private company in Grande Prairie, whose head office is somewhere in Montreal. He'd get the same stupidity from some bureaucrat in some office in a large urban center, challenging his travel expenses, putting off necessary IT repairs because of the "expense" of bringing up a tech from Red Deer. My friend found out they had techs in Dawson Creek and couldn't they come from there? The fella down east had never considered that because duh, he'd never looked at a map.
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  talesin

  *ahem* Montreal is not 'down east'... ;)

  I have friends in Red Deer, and it is small ........ this is just another example of WTS control, and I wouldn't be a bit surprised if the rental price is cheaper. Let the "sheep" pay for the trip instead!

  Round trip from Edmonton, each day? Nuts.

  tal
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  Laika

  My family are being asked to travel abroad and stay in a hotel, the usual convention site is a 10 minute drive away, so I wonder if this is a worldwide cost cutting exercise or unique for international conventions this year?

  Although, the convention they're attending happens to be 20 minutes from where I live now but they can't stay with me for free because it might stumble someone, so it's hard to feel much pity.
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  nugget

  Conventions are already hard work for anyone who is infirm or who has young children. Every time they make these crazy arrangments some find it too much and don't attend. To ask people to travel these distances daily is cruel. When they stopped car parking at our local venue and insisted everyone travel by coach I refused to go, it forced the decision because we needed to be able to leave or find somewhere quet if the convention got too much for our son. People have different needs and need consideration, making arrangements that only suit the young, fit and single really shows who are important to them.
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  A.proclaimer

  Every time am assembly comes up, we're always told to stay within the assembly and parking lots, and to not go out and eat and later come back. I think one of the places I go for the conventions use to have a place where they sold food but stopped doing that years ago. The food thing could be one reason why they left.
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  Scully

  Bigger venues are wising up to the WTS's tactics - they are finding out that JWs are being instructed to bring lunches from home and not utilize restaurants outside the venue, in an attempt to weasel out of having the added expense of concessions. They are also learning that JWs are being asked to pay for a parking voucher at the KH and the venue is being asked to provide free parking.

  It's weaselly practices like these that get business people in a snit, and frankly, I think they're justified to be offended at these practices. The venues have agreed to their facilities being used for "charitable" purposes - and then the "charity" takes that generosity and tries to make a profit off of it.

  Just because The Brothers™ go in and clean an arena before and after a convention, it doesn't excuse the underhanded practices of weaselling money out of people - both Worldly People™ and the JWs who attend the conventions. It would be a rare JW who would stand up against these practices if they were aware of them, but Worldly People™ won't put up with that kind of $h!t - they will refuse to deal with the WTS for future events, and who can blame them? Would you have repeat business with someone who intentionally ripped you off in the past?
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  WTWizard

  I have a tip that makes it even easier on everyone: Just don't go at all. Even if you only have to travel 200 centimeters, it is still better to not go. No attendance, no bother with expense, no wasting your time, no motel (the bedbugs are free, at least), no worrying about food. And no stupid rules, no donations, and no headache.
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  NAVYTOWN

  Why spend the entire weekend sitting thru a convention that is a total buzzkill? Spend the money saved to take an ENJOYABLE trip somewhere else. You don't owe anyone an 'explanation'. If the Elders or anyone else asks why you were absent, just say: 'I have nothing to say about the matter'. Keep repeating this until they stop asking.