by african GB Member 35 Replies latest jw friends
I recall hearing about a retirement home of sorts for very old very long time missionaries, COs, etc. somewhere in the Caribbean.
Does that ring a bell with anyone?
I suspect the entrance requirements are pretty stringent, if such a place really exists. I've seen more than my share of 80+ COs, who clearly should have retired decades earlier, struggling on with very limited abilities.
As of a dozen years ago in the US, most of these guys (former DO/CO and special pioneers) got a small pension from the society after retirement. It wasn't as much as social security, but they did have a pension program or whatever they called it. I don't know if they still have this program, but yes they gave older retired ones who had give long time service financial aid.
To paraphrase the old British song, "old witnesses never die, they simply fade away..."
They get nothing. They are not supposed to retire--they pio-sneer right up until they die. If they become unable to pio-sneer, they are usually left at the curb--some get welfare (helping stoke hyperinflation), while others get help from their children (stoking those children getting old and dying before their time). But they get nothing in Social Security or pensions.
It sounds as though any arrangements made to assist them are discretionary. In my present church, everyone is aware of the salaries of the priest and music director. Certain expectations are made of them. There isn't the line blurring as here.
I grew up in a very downscale KH. It annoyed me no end that all these pioneers were collecting disability. People rejoiced to get disability so they could door to door and do sales work. If you can pioneer, you can work.
Why worry about it when the New System is so close?
No one expected to die...
satinka
Prostate cancer usually.
My uncle was the zone servant in Alaska in the early 60s. He had a sudden massive stroke and died. Up until then, they lived in an apt. over the kh. After his death, my aunt was given 2 weeks to leave the apartment. There were no funds to support her, even temporarily. My family paid to get her back home to Massachusetts. She found a job, and went to work.
Coffee
