Assembly Food

by El Kabong 50 Replies latest jw friends

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  El Kabong

  If I remember correctly, the Monroe Assembly hall had a full kitchen where a hot breakfast and lunch would be served. They also had a refreshement counter on the other side of the dining area where one could get danish, pie, juice, sodas, and such. There was even a soft serve ice cream counter as well.

  Several of us would even go to the Pizza Hut down the road on occasion where I would see several witnesses there eating pizza.

  When the switch was made from Monroe to the Stanley Theater in Jersey City, I think all they had at that time was the refreshment counter. It seems a shame that the food service was done away with. It was nice getting together with different people and sit at the table and enjoy a meal and "warm fellowship"

  Seriously, Do the witnesses still hold circuit assemblies at Monroe? All in all, it was in a beautiful location in the country. I for one was kind of upset that we had to switch to Jersey City.
• 

  RAYZORBLADE

  Hippikon, that thing about the fishes and loaves etc., had me in stitches .

  But you all got to admit, those damn hoagie sandwiches. Where I was in Atlantic Canada, they'd have a tiny little Kraft salad dressing thing to pour onto your sandwich. What a mess! But occasionally, there'd be some added special item for so many tickets: roast/fried chicken or some seafood item.

  Then there were hotdogs, and some sections of the assembly smelled like a kids birthday party: an ammonia-like aroma of ketchup, mustard and fetid relish: even better in the summer without air conditioning at the assembly location.

  It was pretty much the same old, same old...and sometimes you'd be given the watchful eye if you decided to eat outside of the premises.

  When I could, I'd meet up with my American JW friends and go to their assemblies, because they had the coolest restaurants not far from the assembly. Always great!

  Back in Atlantic Canada, variety was a word only found in the dictionary.
• 

  Soledad

  The Monroe hall was sold to the Hasids in the area, it's now a synagouge from what I understand.
• 

  rocketman

  undercover - yep, I knew of several elders who would work one assembly and then attend another so they could "concentrate on the program".

  Actually, that still happens around here. I know of one who works in the Literature area and one who works in parking, and then they attend a second convention for the "nourishment".
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  Yerusalyim

  I was thinking about this very subject Saturday. The Knights of Columbus (Catholic Men's group) in South Carolina had it's state convention this weekend. I was a delegate. Lunch was provided for $5.00. As I stood in line I thought "This must be what it was like for my wife at the Assemblies years ago." Turned out the food was awesome. One Knight made it all, for all 200 of us. Smoked BBQ brisket, bbq beans, potato salad, sweet tea, rolls, chocolate cheese cake. It was great stuff. I've also had rubber chicken at these things before too. Luck of the draw i guess. This time I went back for seconds...and thirds...all for the same $5.00.
• 

  dedalus

  Rayzor, dude, I lived for hoagies at convention time. It was the only time of the year I even spoke the word "hoagie," and even today it conjures up summertime memories in rich, Proustian detail. Who needs madeleines and tea when you have salami-stuffed hoagies and lemon-lime shasta?

  For whatever reasons, fetid condiments weren't a problem for us, though your vivid description convinces me that our far-north brothers didn't fare so well.

  Remember the ice cream lines? Or was this unique in my circuit?

  Dedalus
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  Matty

  We always had nice ice cream at the conventions, both circuit and district, in England and I remember the very long queues. In fact there were always long queues for everything.

  Let me throw some memories for the UK posters here: Soggy ham sandwiches, Just Juice cartons that fermented and turned alcoholic, weird chocolate that you never saw anywhere else like Seranata bars (similar to KitKat but without the fingers), Hellas bars (disgusting plastic chocolate that didn't melt even in the hottest sun). Those bacon baps first thing in the morning - fresh ring doughnuts and warm Pepsi. Those were the days!
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  TresHappy

  Actually, I remember some of the convention being pretty good. It's what kept you going because you had to endure a hot sticky convention with men in cheap Sears suits saying blah blah blah, the same old thing every year. But I remember all the sisters wanting to make sandwiches so they could meet men and find their potential new spouses. But since Jehovah took that away from them, it was time to round the halls looking for men.
• 

  expatbrit

  Ah the sweet memory of Hellas Bars!

  They weren't even chocolate. I think they were labelled something like "chocolate product." And they were filled with goo. There were a choice of goos. Yellow goo, pink goo, brown goo, white goo.

  But they did get you through sessions without having to gnaw off your own arm. In fact, it got ridiculous. People were throwing down gigantic wads of tokens and scooping up boxes of the things. Often the speaker was drowned out by the sound of goo slurping. Occasionally the medical volunteers would race onto the side of the field wheeling an elderly person who had been overcome with too many Hellas Bars. After the closing prayer there would be many who simply stayed in their seats with brown chins and goo-besmirched shirts, paralysed with sugar let-down.

  And no-one ever knew where the Hellas Bars came from! There was a theory that they were the Society's equivalent of Soylent Green. An explanation as to why they were always solicting for new Bethel recruits, but the place never filled up!

  Expatbrit
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  blondie

  I can remember the assembly line setting up the food on the trays. I had to do mashed potatoes. Then snack food entered the world of the WTS phased out the trays at the DC and finally at the CA, in spite of the complaints of the JWs. I personally think the WTS got a kickback from the "simplified food" arrangement and that the providers were probably some brothers making a killing too.

  Side Note:

  A new assembly hall was built in Newburgh, NY, to replace the one sold in Monroe NY.

  Blondie