by minimus 42 Replies latest jw friends
Hi Alco Cop,
I too had the issue of being in law enforcement and thus not "exemplary". It was interesting that though I was a low time publisher and a "cop", they still had me read the WT and at the book study. It was also interesting that when it came time for security assistance during the district convention, guess who they called? Hmmm....
TYA
I hate that word in the JW context: "exemplary"
My field average slowly dropped from being a pioneer to under 5 because I got disheartened by the obvious lack of interrest, so they started removing "privileges". That got me down even more, so my field service slowly crawled down to a steady 1 hour per month By that time all I was accepted for was cleaning toilets, and they imported an elder from an other congregation to help out (we had very few "qualified" brothers). They gave subtle, and sometimes not so subtle hints that I should be reaching out more, technically the place was waiting for me. Once an elder told me confidentially, that the elders discussed my appointment with the CO, but the CO thought my FS average was too low, so he wanted to wait a bit more (I was already on the downward slope back then); and that he (the elder) hoped that maybe when a new CO comes he will think differently. Well, gladly he didn't.
I remember now being allowed to 'vacation pioneer' one summer. I was sooo relieved. I just applied because I was being pressured.
I remember not being allowed to clean the KH, so had to sit in the car and the rest of my family went in with the bros and sisters, to clean..I listened to music in the car. I couldn't believe this was my punishment. I pretended to be upset.
I remember not being allowed to give 'talks'. ha..i hated giving them, so I didn't care.
lisa
So, lisa, did the elders ban you from KH cleaning or was it done specifically by your family? I assume it was your family punishing your for something.
I was not allowed to carry the mikes because I was attending college...living at home, making the meetings and service, but attending nonetheless. Stupidly, I succumbed to the pressure from a pioneer at the time to quit school and pioneer. I quit college and told one of the elders. He smiled and said I would be "truly blessed" for my decision. Next meeting I was carrying mikes.
Blondie, ..yes it was my parents. I never let on that I was glad they left me in the car. Who wants to clean?
lisa
Once I wanted to get back on the regular pioneer™ list after recovering from an injury. About a week before I was supposed to start the PO and SO took me downstairs, handed my application back to me, and said, "We don't know what your financial situation is, and we don't want to get too personal". I came to the next meeting in a brand new 2 seater van. It took a full 3 months before any elder would even say hello to me.
In 2002 I was removed as account servant as well as from running the sound department. The reason given me was that I was taking some part time courses. The courses didn't interfere with meetings or service™, but I was a "bad example". They also said I was materialistic. I responded by kicking the book study out of my house. I felt that, if I was materialistic, and if that was a bad thing, then it was inappropriate for them to benefit from my alleged materialism. I took the BS chairs and stacked them up on the porch of the conductors home, blocking the door.
W
:How Many Here Were Turned Down For "Privileges" Because You Weren't "Exemplary"?
“Respectability is a strange thing; the one virtue for which it has no use is the truth.” - Isabel Paterson
Farkel
In reality everyone is "turned down" or passed over at some time and they usually do not know that their name had been considered.. I must say that where I was, jobs like running the mike or monitoring the car park were given to anybody that would do it, and wore a suit and tie. It was only for M/S that hours came into it.
That requirement varied from cong to cong. I believe you had to be meeting the average of the cong, so if you were unlucky enough to be with a bunch of high achievers, it was tough..
I always found that at times when I was feeling high , I was not used, but appointments to M/S and elder came when I was low and knew in my heart that I did not qualify...So much for "Spirit Appointments"!
