Letters — buying cars for Watchtower reps

by Marvin Shilmer 6 Replies latest jw friends

  • Marvin Shilmer
    Marvin Shilmer

    Letters — buying cars for Watchtower reps

    Today I uploaded a new article to my blog showing how automobiles were provided to Circuit and District Overseers prior to the centralized leasing program started in late 1988. Goings on behind the scene are mostly unknown to Witnesses today, and in large degree the same was true back then.

    My article is titled Letters — buying cars for Watchtower reps and is available at: http://marvinshilmer.blogspot.com/2011/09/letters-buying-cars-for-watchtower-reps.html

    Marvin Shilmer

    http://marvinshilmer.blogspot.com

  • blondie
    blondie

    Just a technical point, I understood that the cars were leased not purchased and then when they were returned for a new car, the lease business then sold them to their other customers.

  • cedars
    cedars

    I think the CO and DO car situation is a bit of a mystery to say the least, and may merit some further investigation since it seems to vary on a country-by-country basis.

    I know that in the UK cars are bought by the Society for travelling overseers, but they have to return them to the society after a period, whereupon the Society sells them on (at a loss) to the BROTHERS! The last I knew the COs and DOs were being issued with brand new Vauxhall Astras for everyone across the board. Prior to Astras, they were issued with Vauxhall Vectras (which is now the Insignia). Every four years or so the COs and DOs would have to turn in their cars to bethel who would then flog them to brothers via announcements made at congregation meetings throughout the UK!! I always thought this was a very distasteful practice, reminiscent of the traders in the temple, and I felt that way even though I was a die-hard witness at the time. I don't know whether it has changed in the last couple of years, but I can't imagine it will have done (I would welcome any needed correction from UK witnesses on this).

    However, I know that this method isn't used in poorer countries such as the Eastern European country in which I currently live. By the sounds of things, in the US cars are LEASED for travelling overseers, and BOUGHT in England - whereas I know for a fact that in poorer countries, COs and DOs get no car from the Society at all! Yes that's right, they need to fork out for a car out of their own pockets, or hope that some of the brothers they visit will feel sorry enough for them to donate a car, which often happens. Whatever car they end up with, you can be sure it isn't a top of the line brand-spanking new model like it would be in the US or UK, but an old banger that nobody else wants.

    The injustice of this situation was driven home to me when my wife and I had lunch with a CO and his wife while we were in the UK. The CO had just had to return his Vauxhall Vectra and had received a brand new Astra as his new car. He was actually COMPLAINING because his new Astra wasn't as big or as comfortable as his beloved Vectra that he had just been forced to return. Mrs Cedars and I were quietly disgusted because (1) at the time we were driving around in an old 1997 Rover 25 which had all sorts of problems with it, because we were pioneering and had little money with which to fork out for anything better, and (2) because Mrs Cedars came from a country in which COs weren't given cars at all, but had to make do with any old rust bucket they could get their hands on - and here we were listening to a CO complaining about his brand new Astra that he didn't need to pay anything for!

    Seriously Marvin - it would be VERY interesting to do a country-by-country analysis of the travelling overseer car arrangements, as I think everybody would be surprised by how much such a simple thing varies in our "united" global brotherhood.... Why don't you ask everyone to PM you with how things are done in their respective countries? The results might be eye-opening.

    FYI - here is what a Vauxhall Astra looks like...

    Astra

  • Marvin Shilmer
    Marvin Shilmer

    Blondie,

    Thanks for your comment. I added an end note to my article so readers would not be confused.

    Marvin Shilmer

  • Marvin Shilmer
    Marvin Shilmer

    cedars,

    Do you have any Watchtower related documentation showing what you speak of? I’d like to see more, if you have it or can get it. It could work in tandem with other documentation in my library (or otherwise at my disposal).

    Marvin Shilmer

  • DarioKehl
    DarioKehl

    Marvin...

    I know and have personally spent time with the family who owns the dealership where the society leases their vehicles. Hit me up. I know the elder/owner of the dealership. They're a typical "$$$mega dub$$$" family who always seemed to get away with certain behaviors that would land any ordinary dub in the B-room. I could go into detail, but I'd rather discuss it in PM so I don't reveal anything about my identity.

  • cedars
    cedars

    Marvin

    I haven't been an elder for three years now, and when I was I turned in all my documentation. However, there are many elders on here and you are bound to find some who serve in the UK. Just start a thread entitled "calling all UK elders" or something, and I'm sure some will step forward. The announcements about opportunities to buy ex circuit cars were read out from the platform, so there must be letters in circulation with it all in writing. You would only need to wait for the next switchover (unless you're really lucky and bag a congregation secretary!), and your undercover elder could sneakily scan the letter and forward it to you.

    Don't you think there is any merit in my country-by-country analysis idea? You could ask people from different countries to PM with how things are done in their respective countries, and keep this thread updated with requests like: "we still need Spain, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa..." etc. I bet it would be truly shocking to most witnesses to see how such a simple thing differs. Basically, if it's a wealthy country the brothers get a free car, if it's a poor country (often involving larger territories and requiring sturdier vehicles) they get precisely nothing.

    If I can help in any other way at all, please PM me.

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