I don't think I did much of what was expected on the WOW field...I remember a whole lot of hype about it and I had great expectations about it...The way your year panned out pretty much sounds like mine. Come into your assigned town like gangbusters – maybe half or three quarters of the way through the year everyone ran out of steam and just try to maintain a positive attitude about everything after meager results from witnessing...usually witnessed about 4 hours a day...worked part time jobs...had little money...scraping to get by...
If I remember accurately we were a WOW branch of 7 WOW families sent to DC in 1975-1976, bicentennial year. Our WOW family barely got one class together – can't remember how many in the class – but it was under 7. Our landlord's girlfriend was in it but dropped out part of the way through. The only other student I still remember was a sweet young black lady named Alice who we met going door-to-door – she lived down the block from us; she invited us in and played some gospel records for us – one was about the troubling of the waters miracle in the gospels...anyway she was poor – my WOW brother got us all (our WOW family + Alice) a weekend house painting job – that helped Alice pay for the class...other classes were run – mostly Branch classes - comprised of new students from the various WOW families...
A guy in another WOW family had committed suicide – which none of the other WOW families found out about until after an emergency WOW Branch meeting was called for...I just remember reeling from the shock – I was troubled and depressed for a while – I think that was the first time I ever heard of someone in The Way committing suicide and it did not compute with my romanticized concept of what life as a Way-believer should be like...
...at the end of the WOW year we were told that our prayers, witnessing and just standing on “The Word” kept our country from being taken over by the communists...Illuminati...wrong-seed boys...or some such bull$hit...I guess they were giving us some kind of a mental consolation prize for failing to make wierwille's delusions of grandeur a reality – translation = a poor turn out of new recruits...They even made a WOW promo video with a lot of pictures from our WOW Branch – just a lot of hype and propaganda – but we always enjoyed seeing it because it was like a family photo album to us.
Like you said “When August and the ROA arrived we felt like we had endured, not served. We were relieved that it was all over. “
The best thing out of my WOW year was getting to meet my future wife, Tonto...we're still together and have returned to DC a few times...not to witness but to sight-see, have fun and enjoy our freedom from a controlling cult.
I can only say that I led a WOW team, we set goals at the beginning (I had to scale back on what some of my team wanted, they were so enthusiastic) we worked really hard and in fact I drove the team hard. Because in Corps training I had myself been driven really hard and had somehow lost my kindness and compassion.
We had some good times, very good times, during the WoW year; we ran a couple of classes, and a couple of lads to whom we'd witnessed went out WOW the following year. Some amazing things, miraculous things, happened at various times. As a WoW family, we were successful. The other family in the team, led by my Corps bro, totally unsuccessful.
But I made it unnecessarily hard for some in particular of my family, despite that I dearly loved them. I knowingly set a wrong example on many occasions (even a couple of times is too many). I wasn't the example of Jesus Christ that I should have been; I was the example of VPW and LCM and their thuggishness. Yes, I was the Corps Nazi that you all hated.
Confession time: I made it hard for my WOW family and for my team (we were two families). If I could find any of them, I would most abjectly and humbly beg their forgiveness for giving them such a hard time.
...But I made it unnecessarily hard for some in particular of my family, despite that I dearly loved them. I knowingly set a wrong example on many occasions (even a couple of times is too many). I wasn't the example of Jesus Christ that I should have been; I was the example of VPW and LCM and their thuggishness. Yes, I was the Corps Nazi that you all hated.
leadership by example is a double edged sword - when you emulate a good leader you'll probably be successful like them; on the opposite edge - imitating a bad leader you'll tend to have more unfavorable consequences...you hit the nail on the head citing vpw and lcm as your examples to follow...they knew nothing about inspiring others to follow – but they sure knew how to demand folks follow them...that may work as a role model in the military but that's not how you motivate people in the business world or in religious and social settings...when I first arrived at Rome City campus they should have had a huge welcome sign across the front “welcome to the clone factory – where dreams of being a mini-wierwille come true”.
Contrary to way corps Nazi boot camp, a few years ago I heard a preacher talk about I Thessalonians 1 on how good leaders are produced. Paul wrote “You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia”. There's several generations illustrated here. Paul and the other leaders with him followed Christ's example of leadership and service...the Thessalonians initially mimicked their good example – and eventually grew to emulate Christ's example...a mentoring program. Then the Thessalonians became the role models in Macedonia and Achaia.
don't be so hard on yourself, Twinky - we were all taught wrong...I've met you...I know the kind of person you are - I am blown away by your compassion for your community...such genuine leadership and service! you are the real deal !
I think wierwille misspoke in PFAL – “The Word” doesn't take the place of the absent Christ...for all practical purposes wierwille took the place of Christ...and what a poor example of leadership and service wierwille was.
Edited by T-Bone editor-in-chief...I always wanted to write that
"...you hit the nail on the head citing vpw and lcm as your examples to follow...they knew nothing about inspiring others to follow – but they sure knew how to demand folks follow them...that may work as a role model in the military but that's not how you motivate people in the business world or in religious and social settings..."
Actually, that's not how it works in the military with the POSSIBLE BRIEF time in Boot Camp. vpw used that as an example- but he had no experience with the military, neither direct nor through family members in the military. So, his total exposure to the military was how movies depicted the military- and that didn't reflect reality. lcm used vpw's example, and used the partial example of coaches who yelled at him in modeling his own behavior. Outside of training a sports team, that doesn't work, either- and there's plenty of examples of people who thought you could take "jock ethics" (from colleges that allowed their winning athletes to get away with a lot) into real life and got into a lot of trouble.
don't be so hard on yourself, Twinky - we were all taught wrong...I've met you...I know the kind of person you are - I am blown away by your compassion for your community...such genuine leadership and service! you are the real deal !
Thanks, T-Bone.
That "Corps Nazi" wasn't "me" at all, I've never been that sort of person. Not the way I was brought up; not the way I ever was before. Which shows you how badly bullied I was in WC training, that I should turn out like that. How my head had been screwed around with.
Thankfully, I'm now with a truly outstanding, caring, church that really reaches out to the poorer part of our community. There's a strong, loving Christian presence in this city, and there are truly awesome people to look up to.
I look on that WoW year and how I handled some aspects of it as my "What Not To Do" manual. And I have so much more compassion now than I had before going in the WC.
We did see some awesome things, though, in that year. We saw deliverance in many people's lives (and in our own). Our twig was thriving, and people stuck around - one was so enthusiastic that we could hardly get him to leave our house (he was one of the two who went WoW the next year). We prayed, and lots of things came to pass. Once, one of our twig members went missing for some weeks. No idea where he was or why not responding. In a city of 1 million, we thought a bit, narrowed it down to a likely area, then went there as a WoW family, walked up some random street, knocked on the first door, and there he was. Bit like Acts 9:11.
A guy in another WOW family had committed suicide – which none of the other WOW families found out about until after an emergency WOW Branch meeting was called for...I just remember reeling from the shock – I was troubled and depressed for a while – I think that was the first time I ever heard of someone in The Way committing suicide and it did not compute with my romanticized concept of what life as a Way-believer should be like...
I can't imagine how awful and completely bewildering that was for you all.
I hope you all didn't get blamed for your lack of believing, that left him vulnerable.
I can only say that I led a WOW team, we set goals at the beginning (I had to scale back on what some of my team wanted, they were so enthusiastic) we worked really hard and in fact I drove the team hard. Because in Corps training I had myself been driven really hard and had somehow lost my kindness and compassion.
We had some good times, very good times, during the WoW year; we ran a couple of classes, and a couple of lads to whom we'd witnessed went out WOW the following year. Some amazing things, miraculous things, happened at various times. As a WoW family, we were successful. The other family in the team, led by my Corps bro, totally unsuccessful.
But I made it unnecessarily hard for some in particular of my family, despite that I dearly loved them. I knowingly set a wrong example on many occasions (even a couple of times is too many). I wasn't the example of Jesus Christ that I should have been; I was the example of VPW and LCM and their thuggishness. Yes, I was the Corps Nazi that you all hated.
Confession time: I made it hard for my WOW family and for my team (we were two families). If I could find any of them, I would most abjectly and humbly beg their forgiveness for giving them such a hard time.
I am very sorry.
I pray their hurt has healed.
In some ways, your WOW year sounded a lot like my year before I went WOW. I was a twig leader for most of the year and we too had a lot of fun, got good results from our witnessing and ran multiple classes, as well as seeing things that we interpreted at the time as miraculous. Not to say that there weren't red flags, there were, but overall that year was a positive experience. In retrospect, the reason probably was lack of leadership. Not that there weren't leaders, we were in Queens NY that had two active branches plus a Spanish-language branch, part of an Area that had 7 or 8 branches, with another big Area nearby. No, we technically had leaders, it's just that the first couple of layers weren't Way Corps, they were people who naturally rose up to take leadership positions. None of the branch leaders were Corps grads, most of the twig leaders weren't even advanced class grads and the Area leader was interim Corps, not a grad.
But some points have been made about the lack of genuine leadership qualities of Way "leaders". For quite a while I was influenced by that leadership model. I was in various roles in retail management for many years and unfortunately brought the Way template of leading people into my day job. I was a horrible manager until I was able to shed the Way influence.
Oh, and while I was leading this team, the overall coordinator visited the team, spent time with each family, and then spent time with me to discuss team activities etc. He used to stay with my family to begin with, but later rented a nearby motel room. Asked me to visit him there, as my household was so busy. He did this two or three times.
It seems he was after a different sort of teamwork, the sort that needs only two people and a bed. Tough. Unlucky in that.
Oh, and while I was leading this team, the overall coordinator visited the team, spent time with each family, and then spent time with me to discuss team activities etc. He used to stay with my family to begin with, but later rented a nearby motel room. Asked me to visit him there, as my household was so busy. He did this two or three times.
It seems he was after a different sort of teamwork, the sort that needs only two people and a bed. Tough. Unlucky in that.
Yikes
Not at all unusual in Wayworld, sadly enough
My own WOW family coordinator attempted this maneuver multiple times. One of my WOW 'sisters' was a no-nonsense woman who shut him down pretty emphatically. When we would get together with other Way groups he would make sure to mention to any women within earshot that I had a girlfriend (who was a WOW in another state) in order to remove me from competition
There was no alcohol or relationships allowed Way D, which I guess was like WOW but no WOW Burgers at the end.
I invited a girl over for fellowship and she thought it was something else. Oops. She was ....ed. The Jews in the neighborhood told us they were here first.
I was told I ate too much, cause I ate more than middle aged women, so I should contribute more $$$.
I got reamed by the Limb coordinator a few times. After one night of being yelled at I went out and was the only one in my group to sign up someone for the class over the entire 6 months.
Once it was over, don't think I ever spoke to my "Way D" brothers and sisters again.
I remember now before the last time and most intense of the evening face melt . . . I had shut down.
I was supposed to be witnessing with my Way D sis . . . At some point I just stopped in my tracks and couldn't move. She started yelling at me but I couldn't here what she was saying. Just stood there. Couldn't move. Zoned out. Why do we do this?
Later got it from the Limb coordinator.
I don't know how anyone participates in this stuff without pure rage as fuel.
A guy in another WOW family had committed suicide – which none of the other WOW families found out about until after an emergency WOW Branch meeting was called for...I just remember reeling from the shock – I was troubled and depressed for a while – I think that was the first time I ever heard of someone in The Way committing suicide and it did not compute with my romanticized concept of what life as a Way-believer should be like...
I knew four people who committed suicide. ALL of them had been associated with TWI at one time or another. One of them was totally screwed by TWI. He was offered a job at HQ, so he quit his lucrative legal profession, only to find out when he got there that they reneged. He killed himself from despair a few months later. The others' suicides were less directly due to TWI, but I'm sure the guilt over "not believing God enough" was a factor in all of them.
Skyrider's thread TWI-Servitude got me thinking about the levels, duration and impact of commitment in the various TWI-programs. The following is just mere speculation on my part and it makes me wish there were some sociological studies of TWI-programs...but anyway here goes some things I've wondered about... just thinking out loud, folks:
1. Level of commitment:
for programs like WOW, the degree of intensity and amount of difficulty is scaled down proportionately to “accommodate” new recruits while at the same time taking advantage of their new-found enthusiasm; without any surveys or hard data on numbers I venture to say judging on my own experience and initial feelings of excitement (I took the PFAL class in 74 and went out WOW in 75 ) perhaps new PFAL grads riding high on the excitement from the class - usually young, single and no great career yet, are more likely to go out WOW than more seasoned grads - maybe married with kids, own a home have well-established careers - so they couldn't just drop everything and go out WOW - and oddly enough these seasoned grads are the financial backbone of TWI - they sponsor folks they usually make more money than WOWs and corps in secular jobs - and so they proportionately give more to the pseudo-spiritual elite moochers - I mean, the ministry.
...in TWI there's always a push to do more...to take more classes participate in more programs...you've got to grow, grow grow!!!! if you're not growing you're dying...stagnation is anathema...
...another thing...
...and maybe this is not the most accurate way to differentiate the level of commitment for WOW, Fellow-Laborers, etc. compared to the way corps program – but I compare it to the difference between a local militia of citizens in a small community , a volunteer police officer, a volunteer firefighter, etc. compared to enlisting in one of the military branches, becoming a police officer or firefighter in a big city. I tend to think the “social contract” for someone who freely offers to do something is not as binding as when you enlist in a formal institution. You have a lot more freedom in a volunteer-based program – perhaps even some autonomy – because you find you can deviate from the rules or even flat out quit – of course this is all relative to various factors of one's personality – how self-confident one is, how susceptible one is to being guilt-tripped over disobeying rules, how sensitize is one's sense of boundaries being encroached upon, , etc. ...I think people tend to deviate from the rules or flat out quit when there's big disappointment from what one expected of a small potatoes program
2. Duration of commitment:
This is kind of related to #1 the level of commitment in that it sets a limit to how long you have to endure the situation. One year is drop in the bucket compared to “a lifetime of Christian service” of the way corps. A definite span of time gives you the advantage of knowing how to pace yourself to sustain your efforts. When I was 18, I got on this kick I would be a pescatarian for a year. My friends all balked at the idea that I would give up meat forever. But I countered with it's only for a year...and I did it – from January 1st 1971 to January 1st 1972 I did not eat any meat products.
I loved doing cross-country track in high school – I wasn't the fastest but I had great endurance – I knew how far I had to go and how to pace myself...a funny story though – a few years later I decided to run in the New York City Marathon. I didn't train for it but assumed I was still in pretty good shape by continuing to exercise with my friends – running, weightlifting, taking Taekwondo . Long story short, I only ran 18 miles in the marathon. It wasn't that I couldn't last the whole way physically – there were some aftermath details I had not considered . I took a bus and subway to get to the marathon. I didn't look forward to the long trip home. Also going through my mind was the fact that I had to go to work on Monday as a carpenter's helper – my boss would run me ragged and my legs already felt tired and achy...sheesh - there's a lot more to running 26.2 miles than just running the 26.2 miles!!!!!
I'm not saying the WOW commitment was easy but compared to the lifetime commitment you make in the way corps it's a walk in the park...but in my simplistic thinking I always thought going corps was just like WOW only a little more regimented...ok, a lot more regimented...for a little longer length of time...ok, a lot longer length of time...oh ok, until the end to time.
Another thing - in the way corps there's mission creep – the constant shift in objectives and it could mean big changes – like a new assignment...again...
3. Impact of commitment:
Another sociological study that I would be interested in seeing is how the span of time between graduating from PFAL to going in the way corps program would somehow shape one's leadership style. I first took the class in 74 and went in the way corps program in 84. I know this is purely a subjective viewpoint but by the time I went in the corps I felt that my way of leadership was more laid back than what I had seen in dogmatic way corps still wet behind the ears...but hell, I ain't perfect - so maybe it's one of those you-can't-use-new-indoctrination-tactics-on-old-dogs kind of a thing.
...Maybe this is comparing apples to oranges but I think in general whatever your career is, it's important to pay your dues – to work hard, gain the necessary skills and experience, tough it out through hardships and earn respect and the right to influence others...was going WOW ever a prerequisite of going in the corps? I don't remember. Speaking just from a practical aspect of preparing someone – I think going WOW was good prep for getting a taste of the way corps lifestyle – don't get me wrong I cringe at the thought of both programs now – I'm just thinking pragmatically...and honestly ...what better way is there to find out that a lot of the stuff in PFAL is of no practical use than through your frustrating efforts of putting PFAL's theories and ideas to the acid test on the WOW field...oh, here's a hot tip for ya -when putting the PFAL principles to the test you can't go by your five senses or worldly logic cuz the results of your test could be "misleading" … if I had known that the way corps program was just the nonsense of PFAL as applied to real life situations like in the WOW program and then extrapolated to the Nth degree in the way corps program – (btw, I've always sucked at math )...I probably would never have gone in the corps...so forget what I said about WOW being good prep for the corps program...if as a WOW I would have been honest and clear thinking I probably would never have been interested in wasting anymore of my time.
...yeah I got caught up in all the hype and bull$hit of what TWI leadership told us - that somehow - even though it doesn't look like much - we were doing and accomplishing great things...it's too bad I was one of one of those starry-eyed believers on the WOW field who looked up to way corps like they could do no wrong and had all the answers...sure you could say they were more committed than I was...but to what?!?! - wait – I'll answer that question for you – more committed to a parasitic and controlling cult...more adamant our mission was of the utmost importance...more dogmatic...more indoctrinated...more deceived.
Edited by T-Bone my editor went WOW so I had to do it myself
...yeah I got caught up in all the hype and bull$hit of what TWI leadership told us - that somehow - even though it doesn't look like much - we were doing and accomplishing great things...it's too bad I was one of one of those starry-eyed believers on the WOW field who looked up to way corps like they could do no wrong and had all the answers...sure you could say they were more committed than I was...but to what?!?! - wait – I'll answer that question for you – more committed to a parasitic and controlling cult...more adamant our mission was of the utmost importance...more dogmatic...more indoctrinated...more deceived.
I like your 3 points, T-Bone
I often wondered what we were doing Way D . . . In fact I was Way D because wondering what the point of TWI was nearly pushed me over the edge . . Literally. . . .
But voicing questions led to being yelled at every angle. After being goaded into action I was told to speak to the entire Limb.
At twenty one years old I looked out to an audience of every age. My mouth moved but I don't know what I said. Regurgitated whatever.
The response was extremely positive. It made no sense.
I was simply an object to reflect a collective projection.
...(perhaps new PFAL grads riding high on the excitement from the class - usually young, single and no great career yet, are more likely to go out WOW than more seasoned grads - maybe married with kids, own a home have well-established careers - so they couldn't just drop everything and go out WOW - and oddly enough these seasoned grads are the financial backbone of TWI - they sponsor folks they usually make more money than WOWs and corps in secular jobs - and so they proportionately give more to the pseudo-spiritual elite moochers( - I mean, the ministry.
This is a leetle bit , but your remark quoted above reminded me of something that was going on in the mid-nineties. The area that I was in was mostly the "seasoned grads" and their children. There was a smattering of younger people who had stuck around after their WOW year, but the majority were people in their late thirties, early forties, some who had taken PFAL and been WOWs themselves in the seventies. There was a big push for outreach by Way Corps who were full-time Way employees. I started hearing those of us with careers, kids in school etc denigrated as "old grads" with our thinking mocked as being "old wineskins".
I often wondered what we were doing Way D . . . In fact I was Way D because wondering what the point of TWI was nearly pushed me over the edge . . Literally. . . .
But voicing questions led to being yelled at every angle. After being goaded into action I was told to speak to the entire Limb.
At twenty one years old I looked out to an audience of every age. My mouth moved but I don't know what I said. Regurgitated whatever.
The response was extremely positive. It made no sense.
I was simply an object to reflect a collective projection.
Bolshevik, that sounds like a really scary experience...I don't know how I would have handled it.
3 hours ago, Oakspear said:
This is a leetle bit , but your remark quoted above reminded me of something that was going on in the mid-nineties. The area that I was in was mostly the "seasoned grads" and their children. There was a smattering of younger people who had stuck around after their WOW year, but the majority were people in their late thirties, early forties, some who had taken PFAL and been WOWs themselves in the seventies. There was a big push for outreach by Way Corps who were full-time Way employees. I started hearing those of us with careers, kids in school etc denigrated as "old grads" with our thinking mocked as being "old wineskins".
the young and naive were always easy targets for TWI to exploit...they could very well expand on that old familiar phrase “youth is wasted on the young” and turn it into a sales slogan:
youth is wasted on the young
so let us do that for you
Edited by T-Bone editing is for people who don't think before they speak...guilty !!!!!!
Bolshevik, that sounds like a really scary experience...I don't know how I would have handled it.
. . .
I've only scene VPW on PFAL, Intermediate, some pictures, and listened to some sunday tapes of him. . . . I'm picturing what the crowd did for him (narcissitic supply). Was he not in that position often? That's where Wayfer leaders always jockeyed to be . . . I assume. I'm assuming it's a dynamic he enjoyed.
I've only scene VPW on PFAL, Intermediate, some pictures, and listened to some sunday tapes of him. . . . I'm picturing what the crowd did for him (narcissitic supply). Was he not in that position often? That's where Wayfer leaders always jockeyed to be . . . I assume. I'm assuming it's a dynamic he enjoyed.
WOW always ended in The Rock of Ages. Obviously that's a marketing strategy . . . but did success really matter? It really served to feed the leader, did it not?
I've only scene VPW on PFAL, Intermediate, some pictures, and listened to some sunday tapes of him. . . . I'm picturing what the crowd did for him (narcissitic supply). Was he not in that position often? That's where Wayfer leaders always jockeyed to be . . . I assume. I'm assuming it's a dynamic he enjoyed.
Whether it was classes, Sunday Night Teachings, or the main stage of the ROA, vpw always sought to be the biggest deal around. When people got to talking about how this one expert on hunting and stuff was excellent at hunting, vpw couldn't stand someone getting more credit than him, even if it was something about which he was incompetent. When he overheard that people were saying the guy could stalk and catch anything without it hearing him, vpw went on the microphone (at lunch) and asked, with a skeptical voice, if people really thought the guy could sneak up on him. When asked later, he clarified that he meant that God Almighty would tell him if someone was sneaking up on him. But vpw couldn't stand the guy getting a compliment, even if it was about what he was supposed to be teaching them.
WOW always ended in The Rock of Ages. Obviously that's a marketing strategy . . . but did success really matter? It really served to feed the leader, did it not?
The ROA was primarily about welcoming back the returning WOW's. That's why they had "WOW Festivals" on other continents to welcome them back. That having been said, I'm sure it was obvious from early on that the ROA served both to increase group cohesion, and to serve as yet another revenue stream for twi. After all, all food was paid for with RETAIL prices, and all the workers were volunteers working for FREE. So, everything above cost went to twi's coffers. The bookstore, of course, did very, very well during the ROAs. So, the first few ROAs were at campsites, but were hosted at HQ as soon as they could figure out the details. That helped twi's bottom line. Furthermore, it was a chance for the people at HQ to get their messages more directly to people and make them look more lockstep. So, win-win for twi.l Naturally, lcm did away with the ROA while he was otherwise driving twi directly into a ditch. I can't think of one decision of his that actually benefited twi in the long run.
The arguable exception was charging all the grads to retake everything, but since they had to push a cheaper, inferior version of the classes, I don't call that a long-term win but a short windfall.
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Twinky
I can only say that I led a WOW team, we set goals at the beginning (I had to scale back on what some of my team wanted, they were so enthusiastic) we worked really hard and in fact I drove the team h
Oakspear
Did anybody do what was was expected of them on the WOW field? If I remember correctly there was a requirement that you witness 48 hours a week (average 8 hours/day since we were supposed to take one
Rocky
Amen to that!
GeorgeStGeorge
You clearly weren't expecting God to meet your needs.
Or maybe you were.
George
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Oakspear
That whole year was just another one of many red flags that I foolishly ignored
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Rocky
Amen to that!
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T-Bone
I don't think I did much of what was expected on the WOW field...I remember a whole lot of hype about it and I had great expectations about it...The way your year panned out pretty much sounds like mine. Come into your assigned town like gangbusters – maybe half or three quarters of the way through the year everyone ran out of steam and just try to maintain a positive attitude about everything after meager results from witnessing...usually witnessed about 4 hours a day...worked part time jobs...had little money...scraping to get by...
If I remember accurately we were a WOW branch of 7 WOW families sent to DC in 1975-1976, bicentennial year. Our WOW family barely got one class together – can't remember how many in the class – but it was under 7. Our landlord's girlfriend was in it but dropped out part of the way through. The only other student I still remember was a sweet young black lady named Alice who we met going door-to-door – she lived down the block from us; she invited us in and played some gospel records for us – one was about the troubling of the waters miracle in the gospels...anyway she was poor – my WOW brother got us all (our WOW family + Alice) a weekend house painting job – that helped Alice pay for the class...other classes were run – mostly Branch classes - comprised of new students from the various WOW families...
A guy in another WOW family had committed suicide – which none of the other WOW families found out about until after an emergency WOW Branch meeting was called for...I just remember reeling from the shock – I was troubled and depressed for a while – I think that was the first time I ever heard of someone in The Way committing suicide and it did not compute with my romanticized concept of what life as a Way-believer should be like...
...at the end of the WOW year we were told that our prayers, witnessing and just standing on “The Word” kept our country from being taken over by the communists...Illuminati...wrong-seed boys...or some such bull$hit...I guess they were giving us some kind of a mental consolation prize for failing to make wierwille's delusions of grandeur a reality – translation = a poor turn out of new recruits...They even made a WOW promo video with a lot of pictures from our WOW Branch – just a lot of hype and propaganda – but we always enjoyed seeing it because it was like a family photo album to us.
Like you said “When August and the ROA arrived we felt like we had endured, not served. We were relieved that it was all over. “
The best thing out of my WOW year was getting to meet my future wife, Tonto...we're still together and have returned to DC a few times...not to witness but to sight-see, have fun and enjoy our freedom from a controlling cult.
Edited by T-BoneThe WOW editor
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waysider
That pretty much describes my FellowLaborer experience, as well
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Twinky
I can only say that I led a WOW team, we set goals at the beginning (I had to scale back on what some of my team wanted, they were so enthusiastic) we worked really hard and in fact I drove the team hard. Because in Corps training I had myself been driven really hard and had somehow lost my kindness and compassion.
We had some good times, very good times, during the WoW year; we ran a couple of classes, and a couple of lads to whom we'd witnessed went out WOW the following year. Some amazing things, miraculous things, happened at various times. As a WoW family, we were successful. The other family in the team, led by my Corps bro, totally unsuccessful.
But I made it unnecessarily hard for some in particular of my family, despite that I dearly loved them. I knowingly set a wrong example on many occasions (even a couple of times is too many). I wasn't the example of Jesus Christ that I should have been; I was the example of VPW and LCM and their thuggishness. Yes, I was the Corps Nazi that you all hated.
Confession time: I made it hard for my WOW family and for my team (we were two families). If I could find any of them, I would most abjectly and humbly beg their forgiveness for giving them such a hard time.
I am very sorry.
I pray their hurt has healed.
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T-Bone
leadership by example is a double edged sword - when you emulate a good leader you'll probably be successful like them; on the opposite edge - imitating a bad leader you'll tend to have more unfavorable consequences...you hit the nail on the head citing vpw and lcm as your examples to follow...they knew nothing about inspiring others to follow – but they sure knew how to demand folks follow them...that may work as a role model in the military but that's not how you motivate people in the business world or in religious and social settings...when I first arrived at Rome City campus they should have had a huge welcome sign across the front “welcome to the clone factory – where dreams of being a mini-wierwille come true”.
Contrary to way corps Nazi boot camp, a few years ago I heard a preacher talk about I Thessalonians 1 on how good leaders are produced. Paul wrote “You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia”. There's several generations illustrated here. Paul and the other leaders with him followed Christ's example of leadership and service...the Thessalonians initially mimicked their good example – and eventually grew to emulate Christ's example...a mentoring program. Then the Thessalonians became the role models in Macedonia and Achaia.
don't be so hard on yourself, Twinky - we were all taught wrong...I've met you...I know the kind of person you are - I am blown away by your compassion for your community...such genuine leadership and service! you are the real deal !
I think wierwille misspoke in PFAL – “The Word” doesn't take the place of the absent Christ...for all practical purposes wierwille took the place of Christ...and what a poor example of leadership and service wierwille was.
Edited by T-Boneeditor-in-chief...I always wanted to write that
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WordWolf
"...you hit the nail on the head citing vpw and lcm as your examples to follow...they knew nothing about inspiring others to follow – but they sure knew how to demand folks follow them...that may work as a role model in the military but that's not how you motivate people in the business world or in religious and social settings..."
Actually, that's not how it works in the military with the POSSIBLE BRIEF time in Boot Camp. vpw used that as an example- but he had no experience with the military, neither direct nor through family members in the military. So, his total exposure to the military was how movies depicted the military- and that didn't reflect reality. lcm used vpw's example, and used the partial example of coaches who yelled at him in modeling his own behavior. Outside of training a sports team, that doesn't work, either- and there's plenty of examples of people who thought you could take "jock ethics" (from colleges that allowed their winning athletes to get away with a lot) into real life and got into a lot of trouble.
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Twinky
Thanks, T-Bone.
That "Corps Nazi" wasn't "me" at all, I've never been that sort of person. Not the way I was brought up; not the way I ever was before. Which shows you how badly bullied I was in WC training, that I should turn out like that. How my head had been screwed around with.
Thankfully, I'm now with a truly outstanding, caring, church that really reaches out to the poorer part of our community. There's a strong, loving Christian presence in this city, and there are truly awesome people to look up to.
I look on that WoW year and how I handled some aspects of it as my "What Not To Do" manual. And I have so much more compassion now than I had before going in the WC.
We did see some awesome things, though, in that year. We saw deliverance in many people's lives (and in our own). Our twig was thriving, and people stuck around - one was so enthusiastic that we could hardly get him to leave our house (he was one of the two who went WoW the next year). We prayed, and lots of things came to pass. Once, one of our twig members went missing for some weeks. No idea where he was or why not responding. In a city of 1 million, we thought a bit, narrowed it down to a likely area, then went there as a WoW family, walked up some random street, knocked on the first door, and there he was. Bit like Acts 9:11.
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Twinky
I can't imagine how awful and completely bewildering that was for you all.
I hope you all didn't get blamed for your lack of believing, that left him vulnerable.
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Oakspear
In some ways, your WOW year sounded a lot like my year before I went WOW. I was a twig leader for most of the year and we too had a lot of fun, got good results from our witnessing and ran multiple classes, as well as seeing things that we interpreted at the time as miraculous. Not to say that there weren't red flags, there were, but overall that year was a positive experience. In retrospect, the reason probably was lack of leadership. Not that there weren't leaders, we were in Queens NY that had two active branches plus a Spanish-language branch, part of an Area that had 7 or 8 branches, with another big Area nearby. No, we technically had leaders, it's just that the first couple of layers weren't Way Corps, they were people who naturally rose up to take leadership positions. None of the branch leaders were Corps grads, most of the twig leaders weren't even advanced class grads and the Area leader was interim Corps, not a grad.
But some points have been made about the lack of genuine leadership qualities of Way "leaders". For quite a while I was influenced by that leadership model. I was in various roles in retail management for many years and unfortunately brought the Way template of leading people into my day job. I was a horrible manager until I was able to shed the Way influence.
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Twinky
Oh, and while I was leading this team, the overall coordinator visited the team, spent time with each family, and then spent time with me to discuss team activities etc. He used to stay with my family to begin with, but later rented a nearby motel room. Asked me to visit him there, as my household was so busy. He did this two or three times.
It seems he was after a different sort of teamwork, the sort that needs only two people and a bed. Tough. Unlucky in that.
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Oakspear
Yikes
Not at all unusual in Wayworld, sadly enough
My own WOW family coordinator attempted this maneuver multiple times. One of my WOW 'sisters' was a no-nonsense woman who shut him down pretty emphatically. When we would get together with other Way groups he would make sure to mention to any women within earshot that I had a girlfriend (who was a WOW in another state) in order to remove me from competition
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Bolshevik
There was no alcohol or relationships allowed Way D, which I guess was like WOW but no WOW Burgers at the end.
I invited a girl over for fellowship and she thought it was something else. Oops. She was ....ed. The Jews in the neighborhood told us they were here first.
I was told I ate too much, cause I ate more than middle aged women, so I should contribute more $$$.
I got reamed by the Limb coordinator a few times. After one night of being yelled at I went out and was the only one in my group to sign up someone for the class over the entire 6 months.
Once it was over, don't think I ever spoke to my "Way D" brothers and sisters again.
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Bolshevik
I remember now before the last time and most intense of the evening face melt . . . I had shut down.
I was supposed to be witnessing with my Way D sis . . . At some point I just stopped in my tracks and couldn't move. She started yelling at me but I couldn't here what she was saying. Just stood there. Couldn't move. Zoned out. Why do we do this?
Later got it from the Limb coordinator.
I don't know how anyone participates in this stuff without pure rage as fuel.
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GeorgeStGeorge
I knew four people who committed suicide. ALL of them had been associated with TWI at one time or another. One of them was totally screwed by TWI. He was offered a job at HQ, so he quit his lucrative legal profession, only to find out when he got there that they reneged. He killed himself from despair a few months later. The others' suicides were less directly due to TWI, but I'm sure the guilt over "not believing God enough" was a factor in all of them.
George
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T-Bone
Skyrider's thread TWI-Servitude got me thinking about the levels, duration and impact of commitment in the various TWI-programs. The following is just mere speculation on my part and it makes me wish there were some sociological studies of TWI-programs...but anyway here goes some things I've wondered about... just thinking out loud, folks:
1. Level of commitment:
for programs like WOW, the degree of intensity and amount of difficulty is scaled down proportionately to “accommodate” new recruits while at the same time taking advantage of their new-found enthusiasm; without any surveys or hard data on numbers I venture to say judging on my own experience and initial feelings of excitement (I took the PFAL class in 74 and went out WOW in 75 ) perhaps new PFAL grads riding high on the excitement from the class - usually young, single and no great career yet, are more likely to go out WOW than more seasoned grads - maybe married with kids, own a home have well-established careers - so they couldn't just drop everything and go out WOW - and oddly enough these seasoned grads are the financial backbone of TWI - they sponsor folks they usually make more money than WOWs and corps in secular jobs - and so they proportionately give more to the pseudo-spiritual elite moochers - I mean, the ministry.
...in TWI there's always a push to do more...to take more classes participate in more programs...you've got to grow, grow grow!!!! if you're not growing you're dying...stagnation is anathema...
...another thing...
...and maybe this is not the most accurate way to differentiate the level of commitment for WOW, Fellow-Laborers, etc. compared to the way corps program – but I compare it to the difference between a local militia of citizens in a small community , a volunteer police officer, a volunteer firefighter, etc. compared to enlisting in one of the military branches, becoming a police officer or firefighter in a big city. I tend to think the “social contract” for someone who freely offers to do something is not as binding as when you enlist in a formal institution. You have a lot more freedom in a volunteer-based program – perhaps even some autonomy – because you find you can deviate from the rules or even flat out quit – of course this is all relative to various factors of one's personality – how self-confident one is, how susceptible one is to being guilt-tripped over disobeying rules, how sensitize is one's sense of boundaries being encroached upon, , etc. ...I think people tend to deviate from the rules or flat out quit when there's big disappointment from what one expected of a small potatoes program
2. Duration of commitment:
This is kind of related to #1 the level of commitment in that it sets a limit to how long you have to endure the situation. One year is drop in the bucket compared to “a lifetime of Christian service” of the way corps. A definite span of time gives you the advantage of knowing how to pace yourself to sustain your efforts. When I was 18, I got on this kick I would be a pescatarian for a year. My friends all balked at the idea that I would give up meat forever. But I countered with it's only for a year...and I did it – from January 1st 1971 to January 1st 1972 I did not eat any meat products.
I loved doing cross-country track in high school – I wasn't the fastest but I had great endurance – I knew how far I had to go and how to pace myself...a funny story though – a few years later I decided to run in the New York City Marathon. I didn't train for it but assumed I was still in pretty good shape by continuing to exercise with my friends – running, weightlifting, taking Taekwondo . Long story short, I only ran 18 miles in the marathon. It wasn't that I couldn't last the whole way physically – there were some aftermath details I had not considered . I took a bus and subway to get to the marathon. I didn't look forward to the long trip home. Also going through my mind was the fact that I had to go to work on Monday as a carpenter's helper – my boss would run me ragged and my legs already felt tired and achy...sheesh - there's a lot more to running 26.2 miles than just running the 26.2 miles!!!!!
I'm not saying the WOW commitment was easy but compared to the lifetime commitment you make in the way corps it's a walk in the park...but in my simplistic thinking I always thought going corps was just like WOW only a little more regimented...ok, a lot more regimented...for a little longer length of time...ok, a lot longer length of time...oh ok, until the end to time.
Another thing - in the way corps there's mission creep – the constant shift in objectives and it could mean big changes – like a new assignment...again...
3. Impact of commitment:
Another sociological study that I would be interested in seeing is how the span of time between graduating from PFAL to going in the way corps program would somehow shape one's leadership style. I first took the class in 74 and went in the way corps program in 84. I know this is purely a subjective viewpoint but by the time I went in the corps I felt that my way of leadership was more laid back than what I had seen in dogmatic way corps still wet behind the ears...but hell, I ain't perfect - so maybe it's one of those you-can't-use-new-indoctrination-tactics-on-old-dogs kind of a thing.
...Maybe this is comparing apples to oranges but I think in general whatever your career is, it's important to pay your dues – to work hard, gain the necessary skills and experience, tough it out through hardships and earn respect and the right to influence others...was going WOW ever a prerequisite of going in the corps? I don't remember. Speaking just from a practical aspect of preparing someone – I think going WOW was good prep for getting a taste of the way corps lifestyle – don't get me wrong I cringe at the thought of both programs now – I'm just thinking pragmatically...and honestly ...what better way is there to find out that a lot of the stuff in PFAL is of no practical use than through your frustrating efforts of putting PFAL's theories and ideas to the acid test on the WOW field...oh, here's a hot tip for ya -when putting the PFAL principles to the test you can't go by your five senses or worldly logic cuz the results of your test could be "misleading"
… if I had known that the way corps program was just the nonsense of PFAL as applied to real life situations like in the WOW program and then extrapolated to the Nth degree in the way corps program – (btw, I've always sucked at math 
)...I probably would never have gone in the corps...so forget what I said about WOW being good prep for the corps program...if as a WOW I would have been honest and clear thinking I probably would never have been interested in wasting anymore of my time.
...yeah I got caught up in all the hype and bull$hit of what TWI leadership told us - that somehow - even though it doesn't look like much - we were doing and accomplishing great things...it's too bad I was one of one of those starry-eyed believers on the WOW field who looked up to way corps like they could do no wrong and had all the answers...sure you could say they were more committed than I was...but to what?!?! - wait – I'll answer that question for you – more committed to a parasitic and controlling cult...more adamant our mission was of the utmost importance...more dogmatic...more indoctrinated...more deceived.
Edited by T-Bonemy editor went WOW so I had to do it myself
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Bolshevik
I like your 3 points, T-Bone
I often wondered what we were doing Way D . . . In fact I was Way D because wondering what the point of TWI was nearly pushed me over the edge . . Literally. . . .
But voicing questions led to being yelled at every angle. After being goaded into action I was told to speak to the entire Limb.
At twenty one years old I looked out to an audience of every age. My mouth moved but I don't know what I said. Regurgitated whatever.
The response was extremely positive. It made no sense.
I was simply an object to reflect a collective projection.
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Oakspear
This is a leetle bit
, but your remark quoted above reminded me of something that was going on in the mid-nineties. The area that I was in was mostly the "seasoned grads" and their children. There was a smattering of younger people who had stuck around after their WOW year, but the majority were people in their late thirties, early forties, some who had taken PFAL and been WOWs themselves in the seventies. There was a big push for outreach by Way Corps who were full-time Way employees. I started hearing those of us with careers, kids in school etc denigrated as "old grads" with our thinking mocked as being "old wineskins".
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T-Bone
Bolshevik, that sounds like a really scary experience...I don't know how I would have handled it.
the young and naive were always easy targets for TWI to exploit...they could very well expand on that old familiar phrase “youth is wasted on the young” and turn it into a sales slogan:
youth is wasted on the young
Edited by T-Boneso let us do that for you
editing is for people who don't think before they speak...guilty !!!!!!
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Bolshevik
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Bolshevik
WOW always ended in The Rock of Ages. Obviously that's a marketing strategy . . . but did success really matter? It really served to feed the leader, did it not?
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WordWolf
Whether it was classes, Sunday Night Teachings, or the main stage of the ROA, vpw always sought to be the biggest deal around. When people got to talking about how this one expert on hunting and stuff was excellent at hunting, vpw couldn't stand someone getting more credit than him, even if it was something about which he was incompetent. When he overheard that people were saying the guy could stalk and catch anything without it hearing him, vpw went on the microphone (at lunch) and asked, with a skeptical voice, if people really thought the guy could sneak up on him. When asked later, he clarified that he meant that God Almighty would tell him if someone was sneaking up on him. But vpw couldn't stand the guy getting a compliment, even if it was about what he was supposed to be teaching them.
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WordWolf
The ROA was primarily about welcoming back the returning WOW's. That's why they had "WOW Festivals" on other continents to welcome them back. That having been said, I'm sure it was obvious from early on that the ROA served both to increase group cohesion, and to serve as yet another revenue stream for twi. After all, all food was paid for with RETAIL prices, and all the workers were volunteers working for FREE. So, everything above cost went to twi's coffers. The bookstore, of course, did very, very well during the ROAs. So, the first few ROAs were at campsites, but were hosted at HQ as soon as they could figure out the details. That helped twi's bottom line. Furthermore, it was a chance for the people at HQ to get their messages more directly to people and make them look more lockstep. So, win-win for twi.l Naturally, lcm did away with the ROA while he was otherwise driving twi directly into a ditch. I can't think of one decision of his that actually benefited twi in the long run.
The arguable exception was charging all the grads to retake everything, but since they had to push a cheaper, inferior version of the classes, I don't call that a long-term win but a short windfall.
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