Governing Body Stories

GenericMan

I was wondering if anybody here has any stories about members of the Governing Body? Has anyone here personally met one of them?

I met Fred Franz when I was a child.

He came to the Norval Assembly Hall (serving the greater Toronto area) to deliver a "special talk". I was approx. 1977 (I would have been about 10 at the time). I guess it was a post-1975-fiasco-morale booster.

My father took me (why me???? I have 4 brothers. I must have misbehaved) backstage to meet him. He (my Dad) was quite proud of the fact that he had met Freddie before, in ~1965, on some stupid around the world tour thing that JWs did that year (can you imagine going to several conutries and hearing the same assembly over and over? Sheesh! My dad must really like drinking Kool-Aid!).

Of course, Freddie didn't really remember my Dad; my Dad had to remind him that they had met on the 1965 tour, at which point Freddie pretended he did remember, now.

So yes, I met Freddie, the Oracle of the Watchtower. I do recall mixed feelings: I knew this was the Oracle, the big cheese, and yet in person he was simply a very short, very frail old man. If memory serves, I may have even shook his hand. I have vague memories of a cold fish like handshake.

I can't remember if this backstage meeting was before or after the talk he delivered, but I do recall an extremely long, extremely boring talk, where he kept repeating the same stuipd scripture, over and over, in Freddie-Style:

Watchmen...... What of the Night?
Watchmen...... What of the Night?
The Morning Cometh, along with the Night!

I guess that somehow was supposed to stop the Post-1975 mass-exodus.

Yeah, OK Freddie, whatever you say; Watchmen, night, morning, light. Got it. Forget about 1975 False Prophecy. OK.

~Quotes, of the "Should have Killed Hitler When I Had the Chance" class

Farkel

I've met and dined with Lyman Swingle. I knew his dad, "Doc" Swingle, too. I introduced Lyman's sister Betty to her future husband in the late 1960's. I thought Lyman was funny, earthy and "real." Lyman performed the marriage ceremony for his sister and new husband and I played the piano at it.

Farkel

PopeOfEruke

I saw old Fred at an assembly in Germany in the '90's, he reminded me of Mr. Burns (from The Simpsons).

To tell the truth, a felt a chill pass over me as he walked past accompanied by his 2 minders. Certainly there was not much human spirit left in the old bag of bones.

The Pope

Special K

You guys are making me chuckle.

I do believe I saw freddy as well. As a young child at a Big convention in Montreal. Maybe?

You are a gazillion miles from the stage at those things and all you see is this tiny speck on the platform.

Anyways your descriptions make me chuckle, for sure.

Mr Burns from the Simpson. Now I can really see this guy now. Because there is only one Mr. Burns.lol

sincerely

Special K

qwerty

I've been introduced to 2 or 3 GB members at Bethel meal times......... I could find their names but I carn't be bothered sorry!

Who's the one from Scotland?

The one that looks like Hermon Munster?

One I remember Dan Sydlik?

Qwerty

Room 215

I knew and conversed with a number of them many times: Knorr, Fred and Ray Franz, Dan Sydlik, Klein. It was Henschel (who I met when we played softball on his weekend visits to our congregation) who got me into Bethel. Besides them, there were Suiter, Groh, Couch, Harley Miller, Ulysses Glass, Malcolm Allen, etc. etc. Bethel in the sixties was a much smaller place than it is now, so it was no big deal to interact occasionally with everyone (it was of a size that was almost possible to know everyone there-- factory and home-- by name at that time).

exjdub

My Brother-in-Law (who for the sake of the story we will call "Sam"), who is an elder, once had Sydlik visit his congregation. Sydlik, from what I have been told, is quite cranky and does not suffer fools very well. To appreciate the story you have to understand that "Sam" is quite enamored with himself and, because he has had many talks at the district conventions, has quite an ego. Well, "Sam" was invited out to eat, along with a group of the other "special people" (hand picked elders and their wives from surrounding congregations) with Sydlik.

Well, as they were all making chit chat, "Sam" turns to Sydlik and asks his opinion about some obscure point. I forget the exact question, but something along the line of "Brother Sydlik, what do you think about the usage of the greek word rouloff instead of relspoff for the translation of...blah blah blah. I am sure "Sam" sat all day thinking of a question that would impress Sydlik. As "Sam" eagerly waited for his reply, Sydlik turned to him, gave him a his best whithering look..and barked out in a very loud and cranky voice, that he didn't come to dinner to answer questions and shut "Sam" down real quick. From what I understand, he was not very gentle about the way he did it, and everyone at the table was listening. What makes it even better is that "Sam", the cheapest bastard I know, had already volunteered to pick up the tab for the whole dinner in his efforts to impress. Brother Sydlik will never know how much I appreciate him for that night. He may be an idiot, but he made my day with that one.

The way I found out about "Sam's" humiliation was that he and my sister were fuming and were quite offended at the way he was handled, so of course my sister had to vent to me about their experience. I couldn't laugh out loud when my sister told me what happened...but I sure laughed out loud when I was telling my wife, who happened to enjoy it as well.

An interesting side story: I found out through my sister that members of the GB came to their district for the DC one year. I forget which members were there, but there were 3 or 4 of them. While they were backstage, the elders and their wives were approaching the GB members with copies of the JW's in the 20th century book and a marker in their hands and asking the GB members to autograph their photographs that are contained in the back of the book! I was still a MS at the time and remember being appalled, not only that people would ask for the autographs, but also that the GB members would sign their autographs!?!!!!!!! But sign they did... What a bunch of hypocrites. Anyone else see this?

exjdub

Room 215

exjdub, I'm delighted that Sydlik made your day, but he was (is) a blathering buffoon. I remember one weekend whne I was at Bethel in which I was given a speaking assignment in a congregation in which, by coincidence Sydilk was invited by friends. He was incommunicado for the entire two days, neither showing up for service talk, public talk, WT study or field service, soaking up all the perks.

exjdub

Room215,

I have heard that about Sydlik. I hear he is a real ass...but my brother-in-law is a monumental ass, so I was glad that Sydlik inflicted his lovable personality on him.

exjdub

Governing Body Stories

Share this