Fibbing about your time

by SC_Guy 44 Replies latest jw experiences

  • Yerusalyim
    Yerusalyim

    This got me thinking today...One of my duties as Grand Knight for the Knights of Columbus is to collect the number of volunteer hours our members spend helping in our five program areas...those areas are Church, Family, Community, Council, and Youth. We report this to our National organization. We only collect the times at meetings....We have 86 members but never get more than 15 or 16 at a meeting...and I know for a fact that most of these other 71 members are volunteering time...but we can only count the time our members turn in....In the past decade, the Knights have raised and donated nearly $1 billion to numerous charitable causes and volunteered nearly 400 million hours of service. Last year alone, the Knights donated more than $125 million and more than 60 million volunteer hours to charitable causes. from 1.6 million members. The true number is OH so much higher. Why can't the dubs undershoot?

  • Winston Smith :>D
    Winston Smith :>D

    Hi SC_Guy, and welcome!

    Your post is very interesting to me. I never grew up in a JW household, I came in by myself when I was 12 [stupid, I know]

    So I always wondered how family heads handled the fam study and other 'taking the lead' duties.

    Yep, it sounds like your poor pop is feeling the crushing effect of 'doing more'. His response is comical to me, "I'll help you get it in next month."

    and come next month......

    "Hey Pops, guess what? I informal witnessed to my friends at school and got those 3 hours in, so don't worry about dragging me in FS"

    Your sister's repsonse is funny too.

    Guess your Dad's attitude towards the WTS is setting the tone for the whole family, especially since you are here.

    I say good for him! He's doing the right thing.

    Raising a JW family on the edge of the Troof so that when the kids leave the house they leave the bOrg as well.

    Plus he's another overwhelmed JW who is messing up the WTS fabulous numbers of growth every year

    He's OK in my book.

    I wonder how gun-ho your Mom is about the Troof. Sometimes in situations like these, it's the Mom who is busting her rear-end to live up to the do-more mantra.

    If this is the case, your poor father probably gets an earfull every once in a while from Mom to 'do more' as well, and take the lead spiritually.

    But i guess I'm assuming alot here; sorry.....

    Anyways, nice to have you here!

    Post again soon

    .

  • got my forty homey?
    got my forty homey?

    Whats really cool is that governing body members get to count thier time when giving talks! Sounds like they have the control to turn of the monitor, like in 1984.

    And my Father always said that this is the truth because every one is equal!

  • johnathanseagull
    johnathanseagull

    "What I have trouble with is the percentage of JWs who do street work in Sacramento on Saturday mornings, who just walk around looking businesslike, displaying the magazines and talking amongst themselves"

    Yeah I can totally relate to this, I was in a Cologne in December and there was this one Witness doing street work, just standing there, with a watchtower half heartedly poking out of a book bag lol........I broke my neck to walk by, and made eye contact, in the hope they would stop me........Nope not a sausage lol, seems if my life is dependant on their presentation of the goodnews to me, I've had it.sheeeesh

    JGull

  • AlanB
    AlanB

    Hmmm interesting post.

    When I was growing up in the Congregation it was felt that anything less than 10 hours per month was 'token service'. I never lied about my hours but always felt guilty about managing 3-4 hours per month, which was not bad considering I was 15.

    There was lots of pressure to go out from my father. I remember all the talks about the 'joy' of spending time in service... LOL.

    My sister was a pioneer for while and had a book of calls, she had a list of old ladies who she could call on in various areas. I remember seeing an entry marked "Good for a cup of tea" <g>.

    I tried Pioneering a few times when I was older. 60 hours is a lot when you have a full time job, when you consider you left home at 9:00, group at 9:30, first door at 10:00, finish by 11:00, home by about 11:30 it took two hours of effort to do one hours time.

    When I started fading, I did the odd hour just to keep the elders off my back, very poor quality time, then eventually stopped going out.

    Interesting I have two teenage boys being brought up as JW's. They were telling me the other day how they hate going out in service in areas where their friends from school live..... Does anyone remember that !!!! That was the worst, being recognised by someone from school wearing a suit and carrying cases. I remember my parents telling me stories about how Daniel had to endure, and I remember thinking I would prefer to opt for the Lions.

    When I left, I used to have nightmares about field service, anyone else have this. I would dream I was about to go out in the ministry, I would wake up in a cold sweat and remember, 'I dont have to do that any more'

    Ahhhhh the joys of service....

  • got my forty homey?
    got my forty homey?

    I remember knocking on schoolmates doors and then hearing the laughter about it on Monday morning in school. It was truly a horrible thing that your forced to do this till your of age to get out of the house. I have those nightmares but more about having to meet a deadline in preparing a talk for the KM school. I hated meeting those deadlines as a kid, on top of homework, family study, meetings, field service. UGHHHH!

  • Purple
    Purple

    interesting question and interesting answers. Many reflect my view about what the f* is the constant emphasis on time about? Simply put - statistics. It looks more impressive to say our good little girls and boys put in over 1 trillion bazillion hours of preaching this year bringing Armaggedon closer and closerer. I cant recall deliberatly fudging my hours even when reg. pion.

    What I can remember is thinking why is time so important, didnt jesus set the example by how he lived his life and treated people. I cant recall him giving speaches about recording time. When did he ever say blessed are those who spend over 100 hours a month in field service but neglect their family and dont actually help anyone do anything. Blessed are those who have more than two people studying with them at any one time, the kingdom of heaven belongs to them!

    I think the org has lost sight of what following Christ was all about - helping where and when we can, leading a good life - drinking wine and helping anyone no matter who they are, showing love to all. Forcing people to lie so statistics look impressive is also not scriptual! Your dad has now lied twice over one small act - once on the paper and once to you. Who's purpose does this serve???? What does this achieve in the end? A person with a guilty conscience and a daughter who doubts? What has it achieved?

  • Daniel.J
    Daniel.J

    Are not all the hrs spent in the field ministry, counted by the org and published once a year ,and if others have fudged the books through pressure put on them by the org where does the blame really "LIE"???

    DJWWhip The Worker


  • greatteacher
    greatteacher

    I frequently added imaginary hours to my time slip. That's how I became an M-ass.


    Elder meeting dialogue:


    Brother S- Brother Satori reports 15 hours a month. Shell we recommend him? (holy spirit descends on the brothers)


    Brother P- Yes, we should recommend him!


    All four elders- Hooray!!

  • Big Shooter
    Big Shooter

    I like how you had to write on the back of your slip why you couldn't meet the hour requirement if you pioneered.. but you never had to write on there why you got more hours than you were required to.

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