Tips on Building An Assembly Hall

metatron

I won't go into all the advice that could be given on actual
construction - just a few thoughts on how to scam the flock
to get things moving.

First, "lowball" the estimates of what construction will cost.
Honesty is irrelevant here - it doesn't matter what the final
price tag is - the poor saps in the circuits will end up being
billed for it, with dunning letters, if they don't come across
with the cash. ("Dear Brothers, We are looking for your contribution
of $$$$$$...'). A nice low estimate won't ruffle any feathers,
at least initially.

Second, if you want to build an assembly hall, you need to
prevent any cheapminded opposition from occuring. It's easy!
Tell the brothers in the circuits that a meeting is planned
to 'discuss building an assembly hall'. They then show up to
find out that, in effect, the matter is already decided!
Brothers, (your cronies) get up and tell what a wonderful idea
the whole thing is. Nothing but cheerleading is permitted.
It's a done deal, publishers be damned.

Third, don't worry about competent management - or mismanagement
of the building process. If one brother installs the plumbing
and tiles for a bathroom - and you don't like it, you can always rip everything out again and start over
(after all, it's not your money). You can buy
the most expensive marble flooring - and then cover it all with
carpeting, when elderly sisters fall and break a hip.
(even though professionals warned you that marble was stupid).
You can allow the whole thing to drag on endlessly and blame
it on somebody else (Turnersville?). The publishers can always
be counted on to wait - and cough up more bucks.

Finally, remember that anyone who doesn't want the best or most
expensive articles for this temple may not be loyal. Brothers
who question the whole project and it's practicality are suspect.
Furthermore, building stuff is a good substitute for real growth.
Every circuit has plenty of brothers who love to build halls
just because they like building - even when there is no realistic hope
of publisher growth from the field. These useful idiots often
will express thoughts like "if we build it, Jehovah will bless us
and fill it". Does this remind you of a movie? (hint: Field of
Dreams)

metatron (I think it's called an "edifice complex", folks)

Skeptic

Sometimes the Assembly Halls do come in on budget. I was not in the "In" group, but the announcements made said that the Hull (Alymer?),Quebec, Canada Assembly Hall came in at the budgetted amount.

And it had two unexpected expenses:
1) $900,000 to hire a worldly architect...the city "hinted" that they required it; it is a beautiful hall, with curved walls everywhere.
2) They had to buy a house at an outrageous price to remove opposition to a permit...I didn't know Jehovah could be blackmailed, but that is exactly what the seller did.

Richard

jeffory

metaron,

How true it is.
I worked on the branch project in Igaduma, Nigeria in 1987 and a fellow plumber took issue with the pace of the project and what he correctly perceived as the gross inefficiencies,, foolish person that he was he thought the G.B. should know so he wrote a letter detailing such things. And the result ...gratitude for immense cost savings you might think... of course not. when Underhill visited we got a special talk on how we might be resisting the Holy Spirit when we talk about the work there at the branch.
jeffory

Room 215

You're on a roll, Meta! Once again, right on the money!

Now I know for sure you were at Bethel, and got a first-hand glimpse of how access to limitless free labor and sweat equity have emboldened the bunglers who pass for planners up there to do and redo the same project over and over, squandering hundreds of manhours in the process. But a dollar or two misspent on a gallon of paint will get the Bethel bean counters to squeal like a stuck pig!

And the book? They keep getting skimpier and chintzier! What was that scripture about offering lame sacrifices at the altar?

Scully

Douglas Cardinal was the architect for the Aylmer Assembly Hall Complex, and notes it as one of his projects on his website.

http://www.djcarchitect.com/projexp.htm

Too bad there are no photographs of it. Like Skeptic says, it's a beautiful structure. It has movable walls inside so that it can open up as an Assembly Hall, or have the walls in place to provide up to 5 meeting rooms. It's near the banks of the Ottawa River, so the view from the SINGLE window is quite breathtaking.

Cardinal was also the architect for the Canadian Museum of Civilization, which is about a 5-7 minute drive from the Assembly Hall. This picture of the museum gives you an idea of the interesting designs he produces:

uncle jimbo

you wouldn't happen to be describing Henrietta, NY assembly hall.

I remember there was a big scandal because it was discovered after the projet was complete that one of the brothers in charge of the project (Bro. Oswald) was romping around with his mistress in his truck at the building site.

Surely that was a theocratic romp!