Why are Pioneers so obsessed with time?

by truthseeker 24 Replies latest jw friends

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  truthseeker

  Does anyone have this experience. In our cong, there are a lot of pioneers, I know most of them. Yet, all I hear when I ask how they are doing is that 'I need my time!' or 'I have to do my time' or 'I have to get in 8 hours today.'

  Some of the pioneers get up in the early hours of the morning, just to count time. They will go to gas stations etc, handing out mags and doing all sorts of strange things, just to get time in.

  It seems that 'saving people's lives' is less important than 'getting their time in.'

  I'm sure Minimum would have a thing to say on this topic.

  What is it with this 'time' business? All they do is 60 hours more than most publishers. OK, that is a lot more, but good for them if they have the time to do it.

  Why is it necessary to clap when someone is announced as a reg pioneer, or even an auxiliary pioneer. Ask them one month later if they can remember who they clapped for - they haven't a clue.

  I was recently told by a pioneer that pioneers are the example to the congregation.

  Yeah, with all that worry over time, some fine example they are.
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  Xena

  I suppose it is all they have in their lives to make them feel important, so they have to make a big fuss about it so everyone else never forgest just how important they are.

  I knew a brother once...that was how he introduced himself...HI my name is Brother Self-Rightous and I am a pioneer at WhoGivesADamn Congergation.
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  sens

  HI my name is Brother Self-Rightous and I am a pioneer at WhoGivesADamn Congergation.

  lol...yer so many of them out there :S

  obsessed with time is putting it mildly...I knew one sister who would say ''I have return visits who are catholic and very stubborn...they are great to get my hours up..."

  Such great attitudes...lol

  3 Sens 4
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  Brummie

  I knew a brother once...that was how he introduced himself...HI my name is Brother Self-Rightous and I am a pioneer at WhoGivesADamn Congergation.

  THAT is so smarmy of him, blerk. But in saying that, it was typical JW talk, like "hello I am sister so & so's bible study from whogivesaphook congregation"

  I gots to say, those pioneering hours where quite a challange and where often mentioned in an anxious context rather than a show off context. Febuary would be very challanging with only 28 days to get in 90 hours so you would probably hear them saying things like that more so during this and winter moths. A reg pioneer had to hold a part time job as well as look after other affairs and to have all those hours to do would bring a lot of anxiety. They were working for Jah and he doesnt tolerate slackers or broken promises of 90 hours. It all goes with the territory of the cults
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  iiz2cool

  A lot of the pioneers in my first cong used to make it a practice to mooch meals from elderly sisters, and count their time while they were there eating. They figured it was ok to count their time since they were "encouraging" elderly ones.

  Walter

  Ontario District Overbeer
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  micheal

  They were working for Jah and he doesnt tolerate slackers or broken promises of 90 hours.

  I remember when I pioneered hearing all of that garbage. Sheeeeesh it was like I was working for the frigin gestapo.
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  sens

  They figured it was ok to count their time since they were "encouraging" elderly ones.

  That is horrid....
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  Brummie

  Sheeeeesh it was like I was working for the frigin gestapo.

  My sentiments exactly.

  The time you really find out how gestapo like they are is when you step down from reg pioneering, and you are held in high suspicions and questioned accordingly, tis quite a bad experience.
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  UpAndAtom

  ...for the same reason people enjoy their "Emperor Class" status. It makes them feel good, even though it means nothing. Same as the JW's isn't it?
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  blondie

  Pioneers are obsessed with their time because the elders and the WTS are obsessed with their time.

  I regular pioneered in the days of the 100 hours a month/1200 hours a year days. Later it was changed to 1000 hours/a year/83.3333 hours a month average. Now it is 70 hours/month/840 hours/year.

  100 hours a month means 3.3 hours a day. Seems easy except when you factor in working a minimum of 20 hours a week and meetings 2 evenings a week and Sunday morning. You can't be banging on doors before 9:30 a.m. or after 8 p.m. (there are exceptions). Most pioneers have a schedule and must adhere to it or get behind. And if you get behind then the elders will be talking to you. Get too far behind and you might be removed from the pioneer list and lose that wonderful glory.

  All the WTS wants to see is hours. Pioneers are not held to quotas for magazines, RVs, or bible studies (they used to be). If the WTS required pioneers to have report a bible study every month, it might change, but then no one would stay a pioneer long. In the 100 hours/month/1200 hours/year era, a person was required to already have a bible study in order to be appointed a regular pioneer.

  Kingdom Ministry

  2/71 p. 3

  The "Lamp" book (pp. 194-200), of course, outlines the basic requirements that must be met by regular and vacation pioneers. But for the benefit of some of you new ones who have only recently started associating with us, let’s review briefly some of these points. First of all, before you can enroll as a regular pioneer you must have been baptized for at least six months, and during the past six months you must have been a regular publisher reporting at least ten hours and six back-calls on the average each month. You must currently be conducting at least one home Bible study.