Okay, I need to tell the "OTHER SIDE OF THE STORY" here.
(I put in some major hours myself dear, I hear ya)
I understand sky's platform here, but there is definitely another side of this story.
(thank you for adding this)
Alan Brown
(what a fun man, I love him, in fact some of the wildest conversations I've ever heard where between he and Ed Horny)
I was working the swb the last day of the roa 85 when ther was a horrible fatal car accident involving out going wows. Calling lcm, and mrs vpw and every freaking body else and telling them we had dead wows was horrible, to say nothing of the fact that I was still dealing with the Highway patrol, police, etc. When I got off my shift...........I went back to my unit on grounds to find out that the surviving wows were staying there with us (I lived with Duke Clarke who was the trunk coordinator.)
(that had to have been heartbreaking for you to handle, my gawd)
I really take offense at the idea that all of us were freeloaders, sitting at home watching tv while the field corps were working their asses off.
(yup)
Sure, the field corps and believers worked their butts off, but so did many of us on staff.
These people have families to support, jobs to perform, and lives to maintain.
If they leave, it's because they HAVE to, not because they WANT to, simp!
At the very least, you owed them profound thanks.
To insult them after they worked for free
is lacking in character, lacking in integrity,
and lacking in Christian values.
First, foremost and always...........wierwille (twi) did not comprehend and accept THE DYNAMIC AND CHANGING RESPONSIBILITIES OF CORPS GRADS who were attempting to get established in a community (physically, financially, socially, etc.) and live a lifetime of Christian service.
Those who lived furthest from New Knoxville, Ohio.....like say California, Alaska, Hawaii (what about those international corps???) had to pony-up some serious cash for taking 16-18 days off work. And, as the years passed.....marriage, family, career advancement, growing responsibilities, etc confronted each corps grad who made the yearly trek to ohio.
And, let's not forget to mention......throughout the year, for these corps grads there were Limb mtgs, Branch mtgs, Corps mtgs, weekly Twig mtgs, and all the VOLUNTEER WORKLOAD of overseeing a good-sized Branch.
Pregnant corps wives were becoming a part of the equation. Guys left their pregnant wife back home....and prayed that she wouldn't go into labor until they got back. And, as the years passed....little babies were a disturbance at corps week. Now what??
THE DYNAMIC AND CHANGING RESPONSIBILITIES OF CORPS GRADS......and cultdom had no answer. Wierwille's only way of dealing with it was to confront the corps on their commitment to "a lifetime of Christian service." Yeah.........that worked.
Why not give profound public thanks at corps week for all corps grad participation?? Why not take a day at the roa and credit the way corps for their on-going faithfulness and countless hours of giving to twi?? Rather than just having corps promos.......why no have a few select corps give testimonials of their lives and growing responsibilities as a result of their corps training? Why not??.........because wierwille was so ego-driven that he couldn't see beyond his nose and the scriptures on the podium.
From one corps grad to many............THANK YOU CORPS for your amazing labor of love.
I really take offense at the idea that all of us were freeloaders, sitting at home watching tv while the field corps were working their asses off.
Sure, the field corps and believers worked their butts off, but so did many of us on staff.
Radar......no offense intended to you and other hq staff who put in excessive hours at roa. Hope you got my private message that I sent you.
And yeah.....I, too, was an hq staffer for three years. During Living Victoriously, I was working 18 hours a day to keep up with the workload. So.....welcome to the backside of major events.
I didn't in any way mean to belittle the staff who DID work their butts off for the HQ events. I know there were lots of you who did. And switchboard... geez, I woulda been a basket-case at the end of ONE shift!!
In my experience it was (as always) the higher-ups on staff that did more "directing" and less "working" during the busiest times on grounds.
I seem to remember some years where some of the elite got those white hats ... it looked to me like they were just cruising around shooting the breeze. But I had it pretty easy after working WOW burgers a couple years ... I got to ride around in a cushman and pick up money from the stands. We got to just sit around a lot. The first year I did that I remember walking across grounds with one of those cardboard file boxes full of cash from people registering ... that would have been a good parting gift
I had a beer one time during corps week. I admit it. But I gave thanks before I brake beer wth my brother so as not to offend him. And I cooked more than one WOW burger in those days. I coordinated that tent one or two years. All I remember is working the 1st 36 hours straight, all the while looking for other "volunteers" to help out. The graveyard shift was the most interesting - maany strange things happened in the night. Then sleep for maybe 4 hours and right back to the WOW burger tent to get more blessed than I already was...
And every summer, if not on staff, you'd seek out a buddie who was on staff for a place to stay for the 2 weeks of brian Bliss, preferrably off-grounds. One year I was afforded a fire-engine red hotline telephone to the MOG hisself, courtesy of our own wunnerful Exie and he who smoked pot with the bee-uls. Thanks again you two - that alone made the trip worthwhile. I will always be indebted!!!! We, along with IGOTMILK, prayed fervently for those on-grounds during the evening teaching. It was indeed unfortunate that the local TV stations did not offer live audio/video from The Way Big Top...
In my experience it was (as always) the higher-ups on staff that did more "directing" and less "working" during the busiest times on grounds.
Yup.....desiring the upper seats of the marketplace (Board Mtg rooms and USA Pavilion Tent) and rub elbows with twi's mogs. Here a mog.....there a mog......everywhere a mog mog.
teddy, i still have the special red thread connection, you must come stay with me !!!!! you can actually hear the fountain of lustful waters in the background :)
---
again, from georgio's description of life, i wanted to tell him and hopper and anyone else how horribly awful it must have been growing up as a wayfer head. obviously what doesn't kill you makes you nuts, i mean stronger ;)
But ya know what? We had the option of bowing out. We did it, in '86. That was the total last straw. We (hubby and I) as well as my brother and sis-in-law bowed out, kicking and screaming about how screwed up it was. And I gotta tell ya. My hubs was Way Prod, but Orchestra, not up front, afforded all the perks, etc. He worked his butt off for that, and I gotta say, those guys were some of the least appreciated of all time. That and branch/territory coordinators.
We got the brunt of the work load, as far as dealing with people, just showing up for their freeking jobs. I know staff worked hard, lordy I was one of them too. One of the worst summers of my life was doing my staff job during the first corps thingy ever, and then the Rock. summer of '78. But.......whatever, I'm not one to gripe, just one to say, "to heck with you, I gotta real life."
We always had the option, and if more of us hadda kicked and screamed, it woulda changed things, maybe. Too many were willing to take the stuff, and ask "what is your problem? Where is YOUR committment?" when many of us bowed out.
Thanks for your sentiments, but honest, I wasn't looking for any pats on the back. I just wanted everyone to know that (some) of the hq staff worked as hard and long as the field corps did. My point is, that we all worked long and hard for <what we know now> a misbegotten cause.
My first roa was 1972. The rock was only a weekend event then, and tents were not required.........those pix of Steve Abella bring tears to my eyes. His early passing still breaks my heart....like Jim, the Abella family was very important to my life, having met them all when I was 14. I am from the SF east bay, I DEFINITELY know what it was to save my ALLOWANCE and then my money from my job at McDonalds to drive all the way across the country to participate in the Rock of Ages. I think I missed two Rock of Ages.......two, from the first til the last....breaks my heart that I joined a cult sooooo early in my life.
When I was outlining the difficulties of being on staff during roa time.........I overlooked explaining what it could be like to be IN RESIDENCE corps during the rock. In April of my first year in residence (April 83) I broke my ankle while on an 8 mile run in Emporia. They packed me up and sent me to HQ.......where it was discovered my ankle healed wrong and had to be re-broken. I was still in a fiber glass cast by the time corps week/rock of ages happened. My in residence job had been in the Adv Class Office working for Mrs. Owens and great 9th corps staff gal, Judy B. When it came time for Roa set up 1983........even Mrs O wasn't able to keep me out of the clutches of B Winegarner......broken ankle and all........I worked all the way thru set up and roa.......WITH A BROKEN ANKLE, still in a temp cast. I guess that explains why the theme song of the 13th corps was the Tina Turner hit.........WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT?
I hope I didn't minimize the topic Sky was trying to expose. Sure the backside was ugly, and SOME limb coordinators etc, thought that some jobs were cushier than others......but in actuality, they were only swallowing what they were being taught on corps night and by the actions of their "elders."
Radar
PS.......To Jim........to even mention NATION'S burgers here is to cast pearls before swine. GOD CREATED those burgers to help us survive our munchies.
The ROA was not a drunkfest for me. I started going to them in 1983 when I was 19 (almost 20). I did get hit on a few times at the ROA. One guy was walking behind me making comments about my cute OP shorts. Then he ran up beside me and said "I know you don't know me, but I am your brother in Christ. How about a kiss?
EWWW!!!!! I felt like I had been violated. I thought it was a one-time incident. But I thought those incidents were one-time for 20 years. It takes some of us more time to smarten up.
Can't say everything about the ROA was bad. If it wasn't for ROA, I wouldn't have found Mrs. Patriot (ROR, you would understand what I mean :) ).
I'm with Radar - I think I'm one of those folks who worked my a** off for months before the event. Work your 8 hour job, work elephant dung off of the big top before raising it up, and then be up all night long every single time it rained, making sure the tents didn't collapse due to water pockets. By the time it was over, we were riding vapors and didn't think, didn't care...just wanted everyone to friggin leave so we could put it all away and get back to a normal 10-hour day.
One event at the ROA really shook me. A 1st year Corps guy crawled into a tent and started fondling a minor who was, I believe, Junior Corps from Indiana. She woke up and freaked. He took off. The two Corps coordinators (RM and EH) knew what happened, knew it was sexual assault...at least sexual misconduct, and "yelled" at him before dropping him from the Corps...but the authorities never were notified. Safety was involved, and the coverup was established. I was bothered, and asked Mr. Safety ( ) about that. The attitude was, if it was one of my daughters, it would have been different. That girl didn't have a dad - just a single mom who just finished in residence and going on the field. Just some more "DISPOSABLE PEOPLE" of TWI.
For those of you who are still in, ask yourselves a Biblical question:
If in Acts 2:47, it says the Lord adds to the church daily - why do you not see much expansion results for your outreach activities? Because, if your twi is of God today, why are not the people coming in droves? Because they are not being made whole in your outfit! People to TWI (particularly the higher ups) are DISPOSABLE. God hates what twi does to His precious children, and, for the most part, wouldn't entrust His precious children to an organization of child abusers. YMMV. WAITRESS!! MAKE IT DECAF!!!
The ROA was not a drunkfest for me. I started going to them in 1983 when I was 19 (almost 20). I did get hit on a few times at the ROA. One guy was walking behind me making comments about my cute OP shorts. Then he ran up beside me and said "I know you don't know me, but I am your brother in Christ. How about a kiss?
EWWW!!!!! I felt like I had been violated. I thought it was a one-time incident. But I thought those incidents were one-time for 20 years. It takes some of us more time to smarten up.
SEE YA HERE, THERE, OR IN THE AIR!!!
Wait a minute...Ocean Pacific shorts? I remember you! Sorry, I was just trying to impress Loy.
Well, I have to say I quite enjoyed RoA - once I got past my first one, which was also my first time at HQ and I was apprentice Corps. Couldn't understand why I couldn't go to some of the meetings (working, kitchen duties, washing up, etc, all regular appr Corps duties!!) My second one, I was in IO and appeared to be "overlooked" and not dismissed so that I could get ready for Corps meetings. Taking the view that I'd be in trouble if I missed going and in trouble if I stayed (with nothing to do) in my "job". I went to the meeting.
I really quite enjoyed the set-up for RoA whilst in res. It was quite good fun though very hard work.
Later as with many grad Corps, I ended up doing toilet cleaning. Which could be quite good fun and an opportunity to laze around and (did I say laze?) meet up with field folks.
What REALLY got to me was the set-up for other events. I think for an Advanced class (perhaps LCM teaching it live, really can't remember) we were on duty from about 6 am and one night we didn't finish until 1.30 am - bed for a few hours and then ready to start again at 6 am. (The joys of being on Beverage Crew.) Part of our task was to take drinks to other crews like AV, who were working so hard (and we weren't?) late at night getting ready for the next day (not knocking you, AV, glad to bless your lives with a cuppa Java). It made it hard to do things like laundry so that you could appear in clean clothing when facing the public. I do remember crying from sheer exhaustion and I was thought pretty weird by the CC. He must have said something though, because one of my Corps sisters not on such an intensive duty offered to do some laundry for me.
Most events, Easter, Pentecost, etc, were like that. Too intense. Lovely to meet people and energising, but getting ready to bless them - -
For those who lived at HQ, Indiana, etc. some version of ROA happened several times a year at every "big" weekend event. LOTS of prep-work, LOTS of behind the scenes work to keep the field folks happy.
I remember working a family camp at Gunnison and being told our job was to get things done without the attendees KNOWING how hard we were working. If they were eating, we were setting up their class. If they were in class, we were setting up the hillside sing. If they were singing, we were setting up their meals. To them, it was supposed to be as if God himself just made it ready for them.
Again, let me say, MOST of the time I truly enjoyed this work. It felt good to know that we were a part of treating a bunch of good folks like royalty. It was fun.
It only got awful when you had some pinhead overseer who thought they needed to control your every moment. <_<
Let's face it, the more regulated ROA got, the worse it got:
MUST attend morning teachings as well as evening teachings.
MUST work in your designated work area with the rest of your state.
MUST attend your local fellowship's gathering in the afternoon.
Word wolf....one expense....one thing that was once explained to me....the power co there works really wierd in nk....something about the rates they charged were somehow determined by the month that you utilized the most.
I was told that they paid an enormous amount year round because of usage during roa.
There was money spent on av equipment electronics etc.... tractors..wagons ... porta johns/tp. cleaning supplies...garbage cans /bags...fees to dispose of the garbage...diesel generators/fuel...gravel for roads...bushhogging the fields...fans just a few expenses that I can think of off the top of my head.
Not that I don`t agree with you, that roa was a money maker....
For those who lived at HQ, Indiana, etc. some version of ROA happened several times a year at every "big" weekend event. LOTS of prep-work, LOTS of behind the scenes work to keep the field folks happy.
I remember working a family camp at Gunnison and being told our job was to get things done without the attendees KNOWING how hard we were working. If they were eating, we were setting up their class. If they were in class, we were setting up the hillside sing. If they were singing, we were setting up their meals. To them, it was supposed to be as if God himself just made it ready for them.
Yeah.....for me as a staffer, I looked forward to those "big weekend events." It took the monotony out of the humdrum routine at a root locale.
Does anyone remember the growing concept of having an East/West ROA? Some even thought it could grow to Regional ROA....??? Could the free labor pool (way corps) pull that off..?
I HATED how they tried to shove us in and out of the shower tent like a bunch of cattle. How in the heck were you supposed to get your legs and arm pits shaved in a 3 minute shower? We were walking around in shorts for crying out loud! We couldn't have stubble on our legs. I HATED that they tried to tell me I couldn't take my towel with me to cover up. I did it anyway. I HATED that people were so darn anal about small things. But that was/is the way of The Way.
The ROA was fun when I was single and had no responsibility. I could take off for a week with little consequence financially, sleep in a tent, or in a hotel room with 12 other people, and look at it as an adventure. The road trip aspects of ROA week were part of the fun.
But as others have pointed out, it wasn't nearly so friendly for families, nor for people with carreers or professions, as opposed to minimum wage jobs.
Word wolf....one expense....one thing that was once explained to me....the power co there works really wierd in nk....something about the rates they charged were somehow determined by the month that you utilized the most.
I was told that they paid an enormous amount year round because of usage during roa.
No doubt. I have no knowledge of this particular case, but in general, there's always a surcharge for customers who use a large amount of power over a short time. The reason is that the power company has to install lines, transformers and circuit breakers to accomodate the peak load. The equipment costs alot of money. Normally, this expense would be spread over 20-30 years of relatively even usage, but in this case, the power company only sees a return on it's investment for one week per year. So they have to get payment for both the kilowatts used and their capital expense over the one week period.
One ROA, I think it was 87, I figured out how many people I had crossed paths with over the years.
The numbers were staggering for an old country boy like me from a town in South Texas. Most people in the school I grew up in never left. The ones that did were never heard from again. As I calculated and took into consideration that I had worked Bless Patrol most of the years, attended the Advanced Class in '78, 10th Corps started off with almost 600 people on Emporia's campus (maybe more including 8th Corps), and the 14th, 12th, and 16th Corps I arrived at a number of about 10,000 people that I knew by name or face.
I loved working BP because of the people that would pass by. I'd make conversation with everyone, or at least try. Usually, they just kept on going. (Gee, the story of my life). But I almost always saw a smile as they left.
The final ROA was the worse. I worked Pizza and hated it. I felt smothered by the constraints of the walls, there was no time to really say anything to the customers. It was like delivering bails of hay to cattle on the range. (no offense to any of us who may look like a cow today).
On post #20, Georgio Jessio mentioned that orgies was a bit strong in describing our activities. I fully agree. I never heard of orgies untill I heard it from people who left while I was still in. But I will admit, there was more fun than God probably appreciated.
I remember the 2nd ROA at HQ. The teaching was over one night and I was walking back to my tent. I heard 2 or 3 guys laughing up a storm walking in front of me. One was particularly excited and was saying, "All I saw were arms and legs and an Axx." I rolled my eyes and felt like Father McCahey on Mash. I wasn't supose to hear that. It was the first indication I had that this went on there.
Talk about naive and pure hearted. I was 19 years old at my first ROA. I got so turned on for God, that I had stopped thinking about girls for months. And yet, it was pretty difficult to stay focused at the ROA the way most of you ladies were dressed... Good grief, some of the best looking, sexiest women in shorts and halter tops I ever saw.
Gee, those dreams are coming back.
Despite the error of their ways, please splain to me one more time:..... why couldn't leadership keep their pants on.
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skyrider
When some post about those warm, fuzzy feelings from the rock of ages.........I've got to admit, I had some of those experiences too. But after about my 4th roa....and being corps....those 6 hr - 12
rascal
Skyrider...first off though too little too late.... THANKYOU! :) I always volunteered to work at each roa...but it was only one shift a day so had no idea what the rest of you guys endured to put o
skyrider
(((rascal))) Awww......another worker bee in our midst. Wowsers....you bring to mind the DANGEROUS SITUATIONS that we endured time and time again. Wasn't it 1985, at corps week, when that major
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ChattyKathy
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skyrider
First, foremost and always...........wierwille (twi) did not comprehend and accept THE DYNAMIC AND CHANGING RESPONSIBILITIES OF CORPS GRADS who were attempting to get established in a community (physically, financially, socially, etc.) and live a lifetime of Christian service.
Those who lived furthest from New Knoxville, Ohio.....like say California, Alaska, Hawaii (what about those international corps???) had to pony-up some serious cash for taking 16-18 days off work. And, as the years passed.....marriage, family, career advancement, growing responsibilities, etc confronted each corps grad who made the yearly trek to ohio.
And, let's not forget to mention......throughout the year, for these corps grads there were Limb mtgs, Branch mtgs, Corps mtgs, weekly Twig mtgs, and all the VOLUNTEER WORKLOAD of overseeing a good-sized Branch.
Pregnant corps wives were becoming a part of the equation. Guys left their pregnant wife back home....and prayed that she wouldn't go into labor until they got back. And, as the years passed....little babies were a disturbance at corps week. Now what??
THE DYNAMIC AND CHANGING RESPONSIBILITIES OF CORPS GRADS......and cultdom had no answer. Wierwille's only way of dealing with it was to confront the corps on their commitment to "a lifetime of Christian service." Yeah.........that worked.
Why not give profound public thanks at corps week for all corps grad participation?? Why not take a day at the roa and credit the way corps for their on-going faithfulness and countless hours of giving to twi?? Rather than just having corps promos.......why no have a few select corps give testimonials of their lives and growing responsibilities as a result of their corps training? Why not??.........because wierwille was so ego-driven that he couldn't see beyond his nose and the scriptures on the podium.
From one corps grad to many............THANK YOU CORPS for your amazing labor of love.
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skyrider
Radar......no offense intended to you and other hq staff who put in excessive hours at roa. Hope you got my private message that I sent you.
And yeah.....I, too, was an hq staffer for three years. During Living Victoriously, I was working 18 hours a day to keep up with the workload. So.....welcome to the backside of major events.
:)
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ChattyKathy
((thank you)) from me
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TheHighWay
Radar, my apologies.
I didn't in any way mean to belittle the staff who DID work their butts off for the HQ events. I know there were lots of you who did. And switchboard... geez, I woulda been a basket-case at the end of ONE shift!!
In my experience it was (as always) the higher-ups on staff that did more "directing" and less "working" during the busiest times on grounds.
Thanks for all your heart and good work!!
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rhino
I seem to remember some years where some of the elite got those white hats ... it looked to me like they were just cruising around shooting the breeze. But I had it pretty easy after working WOW burgers a couple years ... I got to ride around in a cushman and pick up money from the stands. We got to just sit around a lot. The first year I did that I remember walking across grounds with one of those cardboard file boxes full of cash from people registering ... that would have been a good parting gift
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tomtuttle1
I had a beer one time during corps week. I admit it. But I gave thanks before I brake beer wth my brother so as not to offend him. And I cooked more than one WOW burger in those days. I coordinated that tent one or two years. All I remember is working the 1st 36 hours straight, all the while looking for other "volunteers" to help out. The graveyard shift was the most interesting - maany strange things happened in the night. Then sleep for maybe 4 hours and right back to the WOW burger tent to get more blessed than I already was...
And every summer, if not on staff, you'd seek out a buddie who was on staff for a place to stay for the 2 weeks of brian Bliss, preferrably off-grounds. One year I was afforded a fire-engine red hotline telephone to the MOG hisself, courtesy of our own wunnerful Exie and he who smoked pot with the bee-uls. Thanks again you two - that alone made the trip worthwhile. I will always be indebted!!!! We, along with IGOTMILK, prayed fervently for those on-grounds during the evening teaching. It was indeed unfortunate that the local TV stations did not offer live audio/video from The Way Big Top...
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skyrider
Yup.....desiring the upper seats of the marketplace (Board Mtg rooms and USA Pavilion Tent) and rub elbows with twi's mogs. Here a mog.....there a mog......everywhere a mog mog.
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excathedra
teddy, i still have the special red thread connection, you must come stay with me !!!!! you can actually hear the fountain of lustful waters in the background :)
---
again, from georgio's description of life, i wanted to tell him and hopper and anyone else how horribly awful it must have been growing up as a wayfer head. obviously what doesn't kill you makes you nuts, i mean stronger ;)
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ex10
But ya know what? We had the option of bowing out. We did it, in '86. That was the total last straw. We (hubby and I) as well as my brother and sis-in-law bowed out, kicking and screaming about how screwed up it was. And I gotta tell ya. My hubs was Way Prod, but Orchestra, not up front, afforded all the perks, etc. He worked his butt off for that, and I gotta say, those guys were some of the least appreciated of all time. That and branch/territory coordinators.
We got the brunt of the work load, as far as dealing with people, just showing up for their freeking jobs. I know staff worked hard, lordy I was one of them too. One of the worst summers of my life was doing my staff job during the first corps thingy ever, and then the Rock. summer of '78. But.......whatever, I'm not one to gripe, just one to say, "to heck with you, I gotta real life."
We always had the option, and if more of us hadda kicked and screamed, it woulda changed things, maybe. Too many were willing to take the stuff, and ask "what is your problem? Where is YOUR committment?" when many of us bowed out.
Just my experience....Whatever.
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ex10
PS I wasn't sitting on my rear getting drunk at the S&W. Forgive me.
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Radar OReilly
Sky and Highway,
Thanks for your sentiments, but honest, I wasn't looking for any pats on the back. I just wanted everyone to know that (some) of the hq staff worked as hard and long as the field corps did. My point is, that we all worked long and hard for <what we know now> a misbegotten cause.
My first roa was 1972. The rock was only a weekend event then, and tents were not required.........those pix of Steve Abella bring tears to my eyes. His early passing still breaks my heart....like Jim, the Abella family was very important to my life, having met them all when I was 14. I am from the SF east bay, I DEFINITELY know what it was to save my ALLOWANCE and then my money from my job at McDonalds to drive all the way across the country to participate in the Rock of Ages. I think I missed two Rock of Ages.......two, from the first til the last....breaks my heart that I joined a cult sooooo early in my life.
When I was outlining the difficulties of being on staff during roa time.........I overlooked explaining what it could be like to be IN RESIDENCE corps during the rock. In April of my first year in residence (April 83) I broke my ankle while on an 8 mile run in Emporia. They packed me up and sent me to HQ.......where it was discovered my ankle healed wrong and had to be re-broken. I was still in a fiber glass cast by the time corps week/rock of ages happened. My in residence job had been in the Adv Class Office working for Mrs. Owens and great 9th corps staff gal, Judy B. When it came time for Roa set up 1983........even Mrs O wasn't able to keep me out of the clutches of B Winegarner......broken ankle and all........I worked all the way thru set up and roa.......WITH A BROKEN ANKLE, still in a temp cast. I guess that explains why the theme song of the 13th corps was the Tina Turner hit.........WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT?
I hope I didn't minimize the topic Sky was trying to expose. Sure the backside was ugly, and SOME limb coordinators etc, thought that some jobs were cushier than others......but in actuality, they were only swallowing what they were being taught on corps night and by the actions of their "elders."
Radar
PS.......To Jim........to even mention NATION'S burgers here is to cast pearls before swine. GOD CREATED those burgers to help us survive our munchies.
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Nottawayfer
The ROA was not a drunkfest for me. I started going to them in 1983 when I was 19 (almost 20). I did get hit on a few times at the ROA. One guy was walking behind me making comments about my cute OP shorts. Then he ran up beside me and said "I know you don't know me, but I am your brother in Christ. How about a kiss?
EWWW!!!!! I felt like I had been violated. I thought it was a one-time incident. But I thought those incidents were one-time for 20 years. It takes some of us more time to smarten up.
SEE YA HERE, THERE, OR IN THE AIR!!!
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Patriot
Can't say everything about the ROA was bad. If it wasn't for ROA, I wouldn't have found Mrs. Patriot (ROR, you would understand what I mean :) ).
I'm with Radar - I think I'm one of those folks who worked my a** off for months before the event. Work your 8 hour job, work elephant dung off of the big top before raising it up, and then be up all night long every single time it rained, making sure the tents didn't collapse due to water pockets. By the time it was over, we were riding vapors and didn't think, didn't care...just wanted everyone to friggin leave so we could put it all away and get back to a normal 10-hour day.
One event at the ROA really shook me. A 1st year Corps guy crawled into a tent and started fondling a minor who was, I believe, Junior Corps from Indiana. She woke up and freaked. He took off. The two Corps coordinators (RM and EH) knew what happened, knew it was sexual assault...at least sexual misconduct, and "yelled"
at him before dropping him from the Corps...but the authorities never were notified. Safety was involved, and the coverup was established. I was bothered, and asked Mr. Safety ( 
) about that. The attitude was, if it was one of my daughters, it would have been different. That girl didn't have a dad - just a single mom who just finished in residence and going on the field. Just some more "DISPOSABLE PEOPLE" of TWI.
For those of you who are still in, ask yourselves a Biblical question:
If in Acts 2:47, it says the Lord adds to the church daily - why do you not see much expansion results for your outreach activities? Because, if your twi is of God today, why are not the people coming in droves? Because they are not being made whole in your outfit! People to TWI (particularly the higher ups) are DISPOSABLE. God hates
what twi does to His precious children, and, for the most part, wouldn't entrust His precious children to an organization of child abusers. YMMV. WAITRESS!! MAKE IT DECAF!!!
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Georgio Jessio
Wait a minute...Ocean Pacific shorts? I remember you! Sorry, I was just trying to impress Loy.
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Twinky
Well, I have to say I quite enjoyed RoA - once I got past my first one, which was also my first time at HQ and I was apprentice Corps. Couldn't understand why I couldn't go to some of the meetings (working, kitchen duties, washing up, etc, all regular appr Corps duties!!) My second one, I was in IO and appeared to be "overlooked" and not dismissed so that I could get ready for Corps meetings. Taking the view that I'd be in trouble if I missed going and in trouble if I stayed (with nothing to do) in my "job". I went to the meeting.
I really quite enjoyed the set-up for RoA whilst in res. It was quite good fun though very hard work.
Later as with many grad Corps, I ended up doing toilet cleaning. Which could be quite good fun and an opportunity to laze around and (did I say laze?) meet up with field folks.
What REALLY got to me was the set-up for other events. I think for an Advanced class (perhaps LCM teaching it live, really can't remember) we were on duty from about 6 am and one night we didn't finish until 1.30 am - bed for a few hours and then ready to start again at 6 am. (The joys of being on Beverage Crew.) Part of our task was to take drinks to other crews like AV, who were working so hard (and we weren't?) late at night getting ready for the next day (not knocking you, AV, glad to bless your lives with a cuppa Java). It made it hard to do things like laundry so that you could appear in clean clothing when facing the public. I do remember crying from sheer exhaustion and I was thought pretty weird by the CC. He must have said something though, because one of my Corps sisters not on such an intensive duty offered to do some laundry for me.
Most events, Easter, Pentecost, etc, were like that. Too intense. Lovely to meet people and energising, but getting ready to bless them - -
By contrast RoA was quite relaxing.
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TheHighWay
You bring up a good point, Twinky...
For those who lived at HQ, Indiana, etc. some version of ROA happened several times a year at every "big" weekend event. LOTS of prep-work, LOTS of behind the scenes work to keep the field folks happy.
I remember working a family camp at Gunnison and being told our job was to get things done without the attendees KNOWING how hard we were working. If they were eating, we were setting up their class. If they were in class, we were setting up the hillside sing. If they were singing, we were setting up their meals. To them, it was supposed to be as if God himself just made it ready for them.
Again, let me say, MOST of the time I truly enjoyed this work. It felt good to know that we were a part of treating a bunch of good folks like royalty. It was fun.
It only got awful when you had some pinhead overseer who thought they needed to control your every moment. <_<
Let's face it, the more regulated ROA got, the worse it got:
MUST attend morning teachings as well as evening teachings.
MUST work in your designated work area with the rest of your state.
MUST attend your local fellowship's gathering in the afternoon.
BLAH!!!!!!
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WordWolf
Please refresh my memory, and adjust it where I'm remembering incorrectly.
After the first few years,
ROA was held on-grounds. (Rental fees for site: $0.)
90% or more of the total setup was performed by way corps and staff who were already there,
staff receiving regular pay, corps working for free. (Setup cost: $0.)
That includes pipes for showers, rows for Tent City, stages, etc.
I'm not sure if the big tents were set up by twi'ers or by contractors,
and what the cost for the tent rentals were.
(I know the Big Top was not owned by twi-no idea about the other stuff.)
There was an admission for the week for the event.
There was a (small) fee to take a shower on-site.
Housing was either a tent onsite in Tent City, provided by you (cost to twi: $0)
a large tent for corps or intl outreach or whoever, provided by them (cost to twi: tent rental)
RV on site (which was charged a fee to the user for all services)
or staying in a hotel offsite (cost to twi: $0.)
Camping supplies were staffed by twi'ers and sold at retail. (Earning a profit.)
Food services were staffed by twi'ers and sold at retail. (Earning a profit.)
The bookstore was staffed by twi'ers and (always) sold at retail. (Earning a profit.)
Events were either the keynote teachings or performed by volunteers
(musical groups, etc.) (cost to twi: $0.)
===========
So,
except for the tent rentals,
twi incurred NO expenses,
and provided no free services except a few of the group tents,
and a place to pitch your OWN tent.
Since those staying in the tents paid for showers and bought all food (retail)
from twi, even that turned a profit-and people DID pay for the entire event.
Seems to me that for a "non-profit" organization, twi-as always- turned a tidy
profit on the event. Rental of the tents could not POSSIBLY match the admission
fees alone, plus the bookstore sales-retail and food sales-retail
turned a tidy profit on their own.
(Anyone who thinks they didn't after giving it thought, well....)
Does anyone remember differently?
Am I overlooking some great expense incurred by twi?
Ok, electricity, I expect, cost something, since the main tents and stuff
had full power.
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rascal
Word wolf....one expense....one thing that was once explained to me....the power co there works really wierd in nk....something about the rates they charged were somehow determined by the month that you utilized the most.
I was told that they paid an enormous amount year round because of usage during roa.
There was money spent on av equipment electronics etc.... tractors..wagons ... porta johns/tp. cleaning supplies...garbage cans /bags...fees to dispose of the garbage...diesel generators/fuel...gravel for roads...bushhogging the fields...fans just a few expenses that I can think of off the top of my head.
Not that I don`t agree with you, that roa was a money maker....
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skyrider
Yeah.....for me as a staffer, I looked forward to those "big weekend events." It took the monotony out of the humdrum routine at a root locale.
Does anyone remember the growing concept of having an East/West ROA? Some even thought it could grow to Regional ROA....??? Could the free labor pool (way corps) pull that off..?
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Nottawayfer
I HATED how they tried to shove us in and out of the shower tent like a bunch of cattle. How in the heck were you supposed to get your legs and arm pits shaved in a 3 minute shower? We were walking around in shorts for crying out loud! We couldn't have stubble on our legs. I HATED that they tried to tell me I couldn't take my towel with me to cover up. I did it anyway. I HATED that people were so darn anal about small things. But that was/is the way of The Way.
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Oakspear
The ROA was fun when I was single and had no responsibility. I could take off for a week with little consequence financially, sleep in a tent, or in a hotel room with 12 other people, and look at it as an adventure. The road trip aspects of ROA week were part of the fun.
But as others have pointed out, it wasn't nearly so friendly for families, nor for people with carreers or professions, as opposed to minimum wage jobs.
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Jim
Rascal said...
No doubt. I have no knowledge of this particular case, but in general, there's always a surcharge for customers who use a large amount of power over a short time. The reason is that the power company has to install lines, transformers and circuit breakers to accomodate the peak load. The equipment costs alot of money. Normally, this expense would be spread over 20-30 years of relatively even usage, but in this case, the power company only sees a return on it's investment for one week per year. So they have to get payment for both the kilowatts used and their capital expense over the one week period.
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YIdon'tgotochurch
The people we knew.
One ROA, I think it was 87, I figured out how many people I had crossed paths with over the years.
The numbers were staggering for an old country boy like me from a town in South Texas. Most people in the school I grew up in never left. The ones that did were never heard from again. As I calculated and took into consideration that I had worked Bless Patrol most of the years, attended the Advanced Class in '78, 10th Corps started off with almost 600 people on Emporia's campus (maybe more including 8th Corps), and the 14th, 12th, and 16th Corps I arrived at a number of about 10,000 people that I knew by name or face.
I loved working BP because of the people that would pass by. I'd make conversation with everyone, or at least try. Usually, they just kept on going. (Gee, the story of my life). But I almost always saw a smile as they left.
The final ROA was the worse. I worked Pizza and hated it. I felt smothered by the constraints of the walls, there was no time to really say anything to the customers. It was like delivering bails of hay to cattle on the range. (no offense to any of us who may look like a cow today).
On post #20, Georgio Jessio mentioned that orgies was a bit strong in describing our activities. I fully agree. I never heard of orgies untill I heard it from people who left while I was still in. But I will admit, there was more fun than God probably appreciated.
I remember the 2nd ROA at HQ. The teaching was over one night and I was walking back to my tent. I heard 2 or 3 guys laughing up a storm walking in front of me. One was particularly excited and was saying, "All I saw were arms and legs and an Axx." I rolled my eyes and felt like Father McCahey on Mash. I wasn't supose to hear that. It was the first indication I had that this went on there.
Talk about naive and pure hearted. I was 19 years old at my first ROA. I got so turned on for God, that I had stopped thinking about girls for months. And yet, it was pretty difficult to stay focused at the ROA the way most of you ladies were dressed... Good grief, some of the best looking, sexiest women in shorts and halter tops I ever saw.
Gee, those dreams are coming back.
Despite the error of their ways, please splain to me one more time:..... why couldn't leadership keep their pants on.
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