My wife and I left the WT in 1973, around the time of the great shift from Congregational Overseer and lesser mortals to that of elders. It was an interesting time having been told for decades how useless elders were, we now saw everything turned upside down as congregation committees gathered in holy conclaves to try and find some elder material in the KH. Rumours flew about. One CO was expected to move house and congregation as he just could not face seeing the coming ruin of the congregation. A joke circulated among a few cynical JWs. Having seen the CO dispatched to some central point, to meet with other COs, there to be directed by some full time dub about how to select elders,
Tthe following emerged
CO, So what you are telling us Brother is that the Socierty would have us be on the constant lookout for inteligent, open-minded men. Men who can think for themselves, have kindness, sympathy for the weak, generous in spirit with the ability to reason from the Bible alone."
DUB, Yes Brother got it in one. You must avoid placing anyone with those qualities as an elder.
You know from what I read on the great site...it looks like they still do.