to JT and other ex- (current) Bethelites

by teejay 12 Replies latest jw friends

  • teejay
    teejay

    hey, James,

    if you would, and you have the time, give us
    a run-down on your views of the Governing
    Body members as far as your experience
    with them is concerned. i saw a comment
    on another topic that you made about Barber.
    i always liked his speaking style, but of course
    didn't know him personally and never observed
    him in a congregational setting.

    what about Jaracz? Henschel? the others. did
    you know Ray before he left?

    could you do that? thanks, man.

    peace

  • JT
    JT

    Gangas:
    was a very nice old fellow, very humble-- one of the few GB who was actually known for Preaching- he was always doing street work
    i recall seeing Gamga getting into the backseat of the bethelites car that he rode with and Gangas was riding on the HUMP - to me it says the Slave is humble- he could have had a Driver like the other GBs but nope he rode on the HUMP IN a little Toyota

    Grant Suiter_ Mr Biz Man himself- i recall one day that someone accidently took his Hat out of the coatroom - he annouced at the lunch table to return it and all you have to do is look inside to see his Intials were engraved inside- truly a corporate man- i have heard the stories of all the Diamonds and jewels he used to have that he got from the bro and sisters who died and willed everything to the society he ran the Treasurer dept- he would pay for it but i'm sure it was pennies on the dollar

    Freddy- we use to go and sit in the Steam room 25 deep with guys to hear him tell stories and answer bible questions

    I used to live on the 9th floor of 124 and he was down the hall- one day i came in early for a watchman duty and i asked the housekeeper if i could see his room and it was so PLAIN JANE AT that point i had it reaffirmed to me that this was the truth a truly humble man

    Potzenger- the german bro_ we had him and Getrude up to our room one night when we had some bro from Harlem up and he related exp of being in the concentration camps DEEEEEEEEEEP

    BOOTH - he was just so slow good man but just so slow

    smile

    Barry- loved the japaness bro and always dogged the western bro for not pioneering enough he was a missionary over there and it was like his home

    BArr- i truly loved this bro - he was so much like a father to many of us- his mild tone and soft voice everyone loved him

    Swingle - he could scare the Sh!t out of you- he had these eyebrows man that were like 3 inches on both sides of his head-

    Henschel- we always thought that his dad work as an SS officer- very tall mild manner guy thogh

    Dan Sydlick - my favorite --he was like a "Brotha" cool white dude
    he was an old dog who married this young tender fine thing out of europe i understand- i will never for get oneday about 5 of us single guys were on the elevator in the Towers building, it stopped and Dan and Mariana got on -then it went up and stoppe don thier floor and they stepp off and Dan SMACK her right across the BUTT, looked back at us and said "YOU CAN'T DO THAT!"

    WE ALL WENT TO OUR ROOMs ACHING -------smile
    HEY JUST KEEPING IT REAL_______

    now here is the MACK DADDY OF THEM ALL

    TEDDY JARAZ- NOW this was one guy who i was scared of- this dude had like LASER EYES

    I saw him dogged this bethelite one night- we used to be able to exit out of the 107 building 24/7 that is the one with the nice garden and fountain-

    anyway it was about 10PM we were coming into the 124- this guy was exiting the 107 and Teddy was coming up the hill from 25 columbia
    he he failed to slam the gate close-

    Jaraz yelled at him and the bro came back and he gave this young guy a tongue lashing like i never seen - WE WEre ON THE GROUND LAUGHING AT HIm. at the time we thought it was the funniest thing we had ever seen - hey i was dumb in those days i worked for free_

    then in less than 24 hours an annoucement was made NO MORE NIGHT EXIT

    A THAT point i came to understand what was often times called the 2400 RULE where one person does something wrong and they make a rule that Dogs 2400 other folks

    well i just merley skimmed the surface, but what makes it so sad looking back is that i'm sure some of those old dudes after yrs of sniffing WT dope they actually believed they spoke for God

    just my 2

    James

    PS Ray had just left when i got there

  • teejay
    teejay

    JT,

    thanks very much for the stories. i'm sure
    you have many more to tell. it's good to know
    that some of them were humble and didn't
    totally believe they were worthy of worship.

    since you missed Ray, what was the word on
    him after he was gone? did any know the real
    story? did many REALLY think that he had turned
    apostate or were there some who felt that he had
    been done wrong?

    when a brother came back home from Bethel,
    he told a story, i think it was about Jaracz. they
    were playing softball and Jaracz was thrown out
    trying to steal second. he refused to live with
    the call. when asked why, he replied, "because
    i can." and he would not leave the base but
    continued playing. it was just a game, but it
    showed a lack of humility to me. that was years
    ago.

    thanks again. tell some more when you feel like
    it.

    peace.

  • JT
    JT

    TJ says

    since you missed Ray, what was the word on
    him after he was gone? did any know the real
    story? did many REALLY think that he had turned
    apostate or were there some who felt that he had
    been done wrong?

    #########

    they dogged him-- it was usually Carey Barber he would go off about returning to the Vomit all the time
    and man to hear that kind of stuff while you were looking at Quice for breakfast was rough

  • chester
    chester

    JT,

    Thanks for the stories. Enjoyed them.

    Keep on keeping it real, Brother.

    Chester

  • NothingMan
    NothingMan

    I was at Bethel for 7 years. I recently left.

    Here are my observations about a few of the G.B.

    I'll start with Loesch(spelling is incorrect, sorry)

    It was his way or the highway. He heard my friend playing the guitar and basically made him perform on "family night" (the bethel talent show). He felt American football was too violent and had scathing denunciations to those who watched it, he voiced this opinion during his chairmanship of morning worship. He also liked to expound on the females response to sex, this was very weird and awkward, he actually got chewed out for this one. finally, one day on the way to my meeting I saw him almost run over his wife who was waiting behind the car, he didn't see her, and almost flattened her. He got out of the car and yelled at her. Sorry if I sound negative but there really wasn't much good that I observed about him, he was cold and arrogant.

    David Splane, a recent inductee to the body pioneered in canada for a while and worked in the service dept. for many years before being called to the G.B. He spoke French and was some what of a Renaissance man. His speaking was prosaic but his person kind and humble. He was a little strange at times though. I called him to ask for advice on giving a Memorial talk and he was irratated that I called but begrudingly gave me a few terse words of advice. But on the whole he was good person.

    I ate breakfast with Barber for about 6 months. He was a crack up. He always cut me down but it was great. It was like if he made jokes about you, you knew he liked you. His wife was great, always giving motherly advice about clothing, hairstlye, etc. it was actually sort of cool.

    These were the ones I saw the most, for what its worth.

    "Once divided, nothing left to subtract, some words when spoken, can't be taken back"

    Exit stage left>NothingMan

  • Tanalyst
    Tanalyst

    I was around 16 when CO Carey Barber came for a week's visit to the congo.He blew my mind out in field service talking about his history with org.He was the first BA (bad attitude) I had ever run into.He came to Bethel the same time Knorr did,(the 1st time).He said Knorr let everybody know that he was in charge of their 4 man-bedroom.I guess he slacked up a bit & told it the way it was.He was not impressed with Knorr.I wondered if Knorr would have let him be GB if he had known that.When Barber did return to bethel in late 70's I didn't speak with him or his wife.

    When GB's passed new 1 yr stay versus 4 yr. stint at bethel,Knorr was the only guy not clapping for the change.He was dead set against that.

    I offered prayer at lunch when Grant Suitor was presiding,thought for sure I'd get a service talk for wearing a handlebar moustache. He didn't say a word about it. When i came to Bethel in 1974 ,they just received new light,white boys were finally allowed to have moustaches,before that new lite, they were natural for non-whites only.

    However I was approached by a couple bethel elders, they were considering me for tour guide, but handelbar moustache had to go.I told them,"Why the problem, our 1st president had a full beard." With those guys you're just wasting your time attempting to reason.

    When I had a text comment to prepare for I complained to my roomate that I had to walk all the way to the library to do some research on this hard topic.He says,"I have a good friend down the hall who has all the wt. volumes,he'll let you borrow them".So I knock on his frinds door and John Booth answers,I stumble through my reason for being there,he was very nice got the volume and explained what the spiritual 2nd meaning was in our day.I was so lost,I had no idea what he was talking about, but he let me borrow the volume.He used to be Wt. Farm Overseer.

  • JT
    JT

    tan says:

    When i came to Bethel in 1974 ,they just received new light,white boys were finally allowed to have moustaches,before that new lite, they were natural for non-whites only

    *********** great post
    do you recall Lee Watters and Bob Jones in service and writing
    too real cool black bro- they both told me how the white bro got Doggged for having a "stach" smile

    the life and times of Bethel

    james

  • JT
    JT

    no problem

    keep me posted on the other issue

    thanks

    james

  • Moxy
    Moxy

    something that makes me a bit uneasy is the younger members, losch and on. i mean what kind of personality comes to the conclusion that they have been chosen to replace a fallen anointed in an atmosphere where they have been told that this is very unlikely? the original GB members lived during a time when their decisions that they were anointed were status quo. and if today someone suddenly decided that they were anointed, what does everyone think? wacko? proud? well, these people are different, very different from the original GBs i would presume. and as they gradually comprise a larger proportion of the body, i will expect to see some wierdness.

    ps, not to be kinky but could you elaborate on this, nothingman

    > He also liked to expound on the females response to sex

    not sure what u mean...

    mox

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