What are married women called who attend pioneer school?

usualusername

Many many many years ago I attended the pioneer and have just recalled that the married sisters were listed on paper as Mr Jane Doe (Mrs) or something peculiar like that.

Is that custom still followed?

UUN

BluesBrother

I have known in formal letters from "The Society" that a sister, married to Bro John Doe, might be referred to as Sister John Doe.

But I have been out of the loop a long time. I would hope that the stiff formalism had changed by now.

NB In the Bible, the 1st cent. women were called by their first names, the same as the men were.

blondie

I do know that any correspondece to or from the WTS (and on your publisher's card) will say Mrs. HusbandFirstName HusbandLastName. At the book study, WT study, or other venue where you make a comment they will use your husband's last name even if legally it is your family last name or hyphenated. Doesn't matter if you are a pioneer or not. If you divorce and legally go back to your single name they will switch to that or not.

Every congregation has it's own rules. I married later in life and the elders could never get it straight, and used my single name by mistake and would freak out.

But I don't think they look out in the audience in pioneer school and say, "sister Bob White, what do you say."

Splash

Last summer my wife and I volunteered as attendants at the DC.

We turned up at the attendants desk to pick up our badges. I was given one, my wife was told she couldn't have one since she was a sister.

I found her a hi-vis vest to wear instead. Madness.

Splash

usualusername

Is this terminology for married women namely Sister John Doe unique to JWs?

It just seems bizarre.

blondie

If the husband dies she becomes Mrs. MyFirstName MyHusbandsLast Name. Understand that this appears in written documents. No brother from the platform is going to call on a woman and call her Sister HusbandsFirstName HusbandsLast Name.

Calling a woman in print by the husbands first name and last name, is saying she BELONGS to her husband, as property. The bible has vocabulary that says the same things, the husband is called the wife's owner. It could explain why woman could not own property since she was property.

jgnat

Back in the 50's it was common for the woman to drop her name for her husband's. Yes, it has the feeling of property. The WTS is simply holding on to an antiquated tradition.

This gets complicated when researching the family tree. The woman's maiden name may only be mentioned on the marriage certificate.

wallsofjericho

it will be interesting in a generation or two when both a husband and wife with hyphonated names will then hyphonate their already hyphonated names for these ridiculous surnames 4+ names long.

Southpark did a great skit on this in the hygrogen car episode.

Husband = Smith, wife=Parker which becomes Smith-Parker

Husband = Jones, wife=Wilson which becomes Jones-Wilson

So then what? their kids marry and become Smith-Parker-Jones-Wilson? Its not about ownership anymore, its about having a family name. I'd rather see the husband take the wifes last name than to hyphonate.

prologos

adressing sisters, if married, by their husbands name would be appropriate. At pioneer school in bethel even that would not protect them from being propositioned though,

Adressing the husband /elder of the ueber-elderette* by her maiden last name would be truthful and funny.

*see original Organisation chart on page 11316.

LisaRose

Although it is seldom used these days, referring to a married woman in this way was considered proper etiquette, it wasn't something the society made up. I think I was referred to this way once or twice when I was first married, It never seemed right, I have my own name, thank you very much. My sister got divorced and remarried. She didn't like her husband's last name, didn't want to keep using her ex husband's name, so they picked out a new last name together, sort of randomly, by sticking a pin in a map of India, it was the name of a town.

What are married women called who attend pioneer school?

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