Theocratic School Talks, they were the worst ! hated doing them, did you ?

by run dont walk 33 Replies latest jw friends

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  run dont walk

  Remember back to the days you were in the Theocratic School and had to give talks, were they the worst or what, I remember they were suppose to run about 6-8 minutes, I had some short as 3. The talks were pointless, you would just throw some mumble jumble together and go up and talk, first the introduction (and don't forget your gestures), then read the weekly scripture and then the conclusion, all your words of wisdom.

  I would rank this second on the worst list next to field service (still # 1).

  How about you, did you enjoy doing them ? did you even prepare for them ? or just happen to be sick the night you had to give a talk.

  Remember if someone didn't show, then they would move you from the #2 school downstairs, up to the main floor, that was always a pleasant surprise.

  Do they still do the school the same ???

  Any great experiences out there ???
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  Hamas

  I used to get so nervous thinking about my talks.

  I gave so many, over a 12 year period. I always felt that Jehovah was there for me; but it never helped my nerves.

  When I was 13, I gave a talk on Sex and dating in front of over 120 people. I always felt that this method was so patronising .... here was a little kid telling older members of the cong what to do.

  Man, it was hell
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  asleif_dufansdottir

  We only had one school (we were small). I was pretty good at giving talks. I worked really hard making them interesting, at first, but after a while I realized no one put anymore effort than absolutely necessary, so why bother?

  My husband hated it. He was always so nervous about public speaking...I felt so sorry for him when he gave a talk. (yes, of course I helped him write them...big time)
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  little witch

  Oh, Hamas, you poor thing !

  Good thing for those ''outlines'',

  what else could a 13 year old do, on the subject of ''sex and dating''.

  Egads...
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  kgfreeperson

  So how does this work? Does WTS provide outlines that the speaker is to fill out and deliver? Does anyone ever speak on their own or is there always "direction" from the organization?
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  little witch

  Well, I can only speak from my own experience, albeit many years ago...

  But we were ''assigned'' a topic,

  and given ''proper scipture''

  The creative bit was our responsibility, as long as we got the borg's point across....
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  maxwell

  Outlines were only provided for the the elders giving talks on Sunday and on Assemblies. But in the school you were eventually supposed to progress from writing out your talk word for word to just writing yourself an outline and giving your talk extemporaneously. But you better believe that if your outline wasn't based on Watchtower publications you would probably be counseled about that. Even for the #2 talk. Your background material and outline for talking about application was supposed to be based on a little research in the Watchtower publications. I used to look up the scriptures in the index and on the CD and find some application and compose an outline using that. There's always direction from the organization. But I'm sure a few were brave enough to make up their own stuff, but that would have been at least frowned upon.
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  little witch

  and BTW,

  It was called an ''OUTLINE''
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  Undecided

  It's so strange that I can't remember what the talks were about and I was Ministry School Servant for years. I started giving talks when I was 8 years old. My mother would write them and I would study it and give the talk. It was in a room on the side of a store about a block away from where I live now. My wife lived next door to where we live now back then. That was in 1943.

  The talks were just some rhetoric from some WT publication I think.

  Ken P.
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  Ariell

  I think most witnesses hate doing them. Only a select few may actually look forward to it, more than likely the same ones who look forward to going out in field service. What's the purpose of the school anyway? Does anyone actually practice these suggestions and gestures out in field service? Sisters don't give public talks. So what's the point in learning how to speak in front of an audience?