More on Maryland Conventions, 1970-1975! Do you Remember?

Atlantis

1970 Circuit Assembly Program, Sherwood High School, Maryland.

Rented schools were the accepted places for assemblies before 1970. The high school was used all the time. The last one in a school in Maryland came in January 2,3,4 1970.

It was very hot for three days, Friday evening, Saturday all day, and Sunday all day. I think sandwich boards, or the advertising signs worn with the message in front and back of you were stopped, but I don't remember the year.

There might be some names on the program you may recognize.

https://docdro.id/QiwwJ6E

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1970 Dedication Program, Principal Speaker, N.H. Knorr

Assembly Hall in Crownsville Maryland, the original one in 1970. An old brother of the remnant had this farmland in his family for many years, and willed it to the Society.

The executor was to sell it and give the proceeds to the Watchtower. Coincidentally, the Society was in the process of trying to acquire land to build an assembly hall in Maryland, so they applied for permits and were able to build it.

Crownsville is in the middle of nowhere. There's nothing there! The assembly hall in Crownsville was the first to be built in the United States from scratch.

The others were converted movie theaters, like in new York. Quality was 50/50, and water leaks etc., were common.

Pappy himself, (Knorr) gave the tribute dedication talk. April 10-12 1970 however, it was torn down around 2010.

https://docdro.id/jUSr4jj

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"Divine Victory" International Assembly of Jehovah's Witnesses.

1973, Wednesday through Sunday! How did we ever do it? At least the call "to the field" got stopped. Five days of it! Recognize any names?

https://docdro.id/bWrMco9

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1975 "Divine Sovereignty" District Assembly, Laurel Race Course.

District Convention June 1975. They were emphasizing 1975 then. Notice the talk "Facing the Great Tribulation With Confidence"!

The Watchtower Society attempted to rewrite history by claiming that some of the witnesses went ahead of the Society, and got the wrong understanding.

This is in complete denial of what actually took place. 1975 was a battle cry! The organization themselves pushed this 1975 teaching.

https://docdro.id/fX2T9QE

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BrotherX

BluesBrother

I remember these .... I was in Britain but the programmes were the same. It's true that 1975 was a really big deal at the time, with expectations raised entirely by the WTS.. I mean, did they think that we made it up ourselves? Of course not !

By the Summer of the year '75 we could see that a lot still had to happen and we thought that maybe the old system would go a bit over ( due to a glitch in the calculation) perhaps a few months or a year, but never did we think it would be decades past.....

As for living in the twenty-first century ? Come on.... "the world can never last that long! "

John Redwood

Well, this is very interesting.

Just a few days ago, a victim who is now 60 years of age came forward about a Circuit Overseer and Special Pioneer who raped and impregnated her as a very young teen. He was from Pennsylvania but also served in Maryland all the way up to Massachusetts.

That man gave the Saturday pioneer talk at the 1970 Circuit Assembly and is listed on the program posted here.

More to come on this

Atlantis

BluesBrother:

Thank you so much for your comments! Never thought a whole year would go by did you Blues. That is some very poor calculating for the Tower. Perhaps it was the Scotch that made them come up with that date.

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John Redwood:

Quite an interesting story! Will be looking for more of your comments with interest.

Petra!

Phizzy

Thanks Petra !

The year 1975 was not actually ever really emphasised in our little rural Congregation, personally I thought it was basically an overblown expectation by the time 1975 came. So much so that though only just in to my 20's, I started paying in to a Private Pension, the rules of which said I could not draw it for almost four decades !

I guess in some Congregations I would have been branded as disloyal and lacking in faith, well I was ! faith in their predictions. I was not alone either, as I say, the Elders never hyped 1975, and a couple of them I know started private pensions around that time, though they were about 10 years or so older than me,and may have been under rules that said they could draw on it earlier than me, but they were still looking years ahead. Hedging their bets like me.

Atlantis

Phizzy:

Would it have been rare for elders in your congregation not to emphasize 1975? Were there other congregations that believed the prediction, but didn't really talk about it much?

It seems like that would a little odd for that time period, as much as the governing body was pushing the date. Sounds like the elders you mention were more concerned with their pensions than 1975. I am glad that you were putting some savings away for yourself, that probably came in handy at a later date.

Thank you!

Petra!

sparky1

1973 DIVINE VICTORY ASSEMBLY

"Recognize any names?" - Petra!

I most certainly do!

R. Franz, A. Schroeder, V. Wisegarver : Bethel heavies one and all who I never met personally or had any interactions with during my Bethel career.

A. Flowers : Bag of wind, bullshit artist in love with his own mirror image. Company man to the core. When I left Watchtower Farms he asked me : 'So will you become a Jehovah's Witness after you leave here?!' His only claim to fame was that he married a much younger woman.

Phil Wilcox : Very nice, down to earth man. He is a Bethel heavy. Treated me like a younger brother. Told me when I left : 'Sparky, you got some bad breaks here at Bethel and I am sorry that things turned out for you the way they did. Why don't you go ahead and leave, take some time to think about your life, get married and come back to Bethel. If that is what you want, don't reapply through the normal channels. Call me and I will get you back in.' One of the finest, most non-judgmental men I have ever met!

George Couch : Here is Sparky's original bete noire! Interestingly enough, I first met ole Georgie boy at a meeting for those interested in Bethel service at a District Assembly. We had a long conversation together...just we two! (How sweet! ) When it was over, he ripped me a new asshole and called me arrogant and smug. I wish I had the guts to return the favor but he got his comeuppance when the Governing Body took more control of Bethel operations. Grifting Georgie Boy soon learned his place when Nathan Knorr could no longer cover for him.

Ah! The memories! Some good, most bad.

Atlantis

sparky1:

Wow sparky, you really were close to these heavies! You cracked me up with some of your descriptions. You really must have seen a lot of crap going on when you were there. I am so glad you are free now.

Petra!

Phizzy

Hi Petra ! yes, we were an unusual Congregation for the time, nearby Congregations more than likely made more of the 1975 rubbish than ours did.

We were made up of very old folks who numbered only a few, and young ones who had grown up there, or moved in. The Elders were all "young" at the time, bar one. All of these young guys were NOT " Little Grey Society Men" as they used to call those who used to blindly tow the line.

Shortly before I moved in, an Elder was moved there to be Congregation Servant, just pre-Elders, as the C.O was concerned things were not being done properly. He was a a reasonable guy, and told me when he got there, nobody wore a Tie on the Platform etc, none of the normal Rules stuff. That attitude continued for years, though ties were agreed to be worn. One C.O told me that he had been told by the outgoing C.O to fear going to us, we were all rebels ! The young Elders were pretty well equipped with bullshit detectors, for J.W's.

I never owned a suit for many a year, and gave Public Talks in a jacket and kind of matching trousers (pants). And gave those talks wearing a beard, for many years.I think the easy going attitude of our probably unique Congregation, and its very good Social Life, delayed my waking up and departing much longer than if I had been elsewhere, sadly.

TD

The A Conte, if I'm not mistaken was Anthony Conte, a quirky Circuit Servant in the late '60s / early '70s.

More on Maryland Conventions, 1970-1975! Do you Remember?

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