1993 “Divine Teaching” District Convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses
1 All 1,419,889 attending the 1992 “Light Bearers” District Conventions in the United States branch territory heightened their appreciation for the privilege of serving as light bearers in a bedarkened world. (2 Pet. 1:19) How thrilling it was to have 14,049 dear ones symbolize their dedication by water baptism and join the grand throng of light bearers! To be effective, light bearers need to imitate both our Grand Instructor and the Great Teacher. We indeed have a message of “substance,” and this year’s “Divine Teaching” District Conventions will help us to be more effective in reaching people’s hearts with this vital information. (Ps. 119:160; Matt. 28:20) Missionaries all around the globe are already making plans to attend these conventions in their home country. Are you and your family making similar plans? Why not encourage your Bible students to attend this rich spiritual feast?
2 Be sure to make your convention arrangements carefully and prayerfully so that you can be there to enjoy all four days of the delightful spiritual program, from the opening song to the closing prayer. Lovingly include in your plans those who may need assistance, especially newly interested ones, so that they also can attend every session. (Gal. 6:10) The program starts at 1:20 p.m. on Thursday and ends at approximately 5:00 p.m. On both Friday and Saturday, the program begins at 9:20 a.m. and closes with song and prayer at approximately 5:00 p.m. The Sunday morning session begins at 9:20, and the day’s program concludes at approximately 4:10 p.m. The following information will assist you with your preliminary preparations.
3 Instructions for Obtaining Rooms: After the Service Meeting for the week of January 4, congregations should post on the information board the Recommended Lodging Locations list for the district convention to which the congregation is assigned. This list gives all the motels presently cooperating with the Society’s rooming arrangement. Your cooperation with these arrangements will assist the convention organization in its efforts to provide sufficient rooming accommodations for everyone at reasonable prices.
4 What You Should Do: After—NOT before—your congregation posts the Recommended Lodging Locations list containing the addresses, phone numbers, and agreed-upon rates of the motels, you are free to phone the motel of your choice and make reservations. Identifying yourself as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses or as a delegate attending the Watchtower convention will qualify you for the rates listed, which in most cases are greatly reduced.
5 One night’s DEPOSIT IS REQUIRED to hold the room. Your deposit should be sent directly to the motel AS SOON AS you make reservations. If your deposit is not received by the motel, your reservations can be canceled at any time. MOTELS ARE NOT OBLIGATED TO HOLD ROOMS WITHOUT A DEPOSIT. If you must cancel your reservation, you should immediately notify the motel, making the room available for other delegates.
6 If the motel you call first is filled, call your next selection from the list and so on. Often, everyone calls the motels closest to the convention facility being used; therefore, you may find it beneficial to try some motels farther away. These often have quality rooms at lower rates. The convention Rooming Department will continue to provide the congregations with revised lists, deleting motels that have been filled and listing additional motels until everyone has a room. Thus, if all the motels on the list are filled, please wait patiently for the next list, and you will be able to obtain a room.
7 Dormitories: A few conventions use school dormitories in addition to motels in order to accommodate everyone. Usually, congregations will receive information on these a month or so after receiving the first motel listing. Those needing accommodations of this type should follow the instructions on the list that is sent to the congregations by the convention.
8 Special Needs: This provision is only for exemplary publishers, including their well-behaved children, who are approved by the Congregation Service Committee. Arrangements to care for persons with special needs should be made by the congregation where they attend. Elders and others who are aware of the individual circumstances can lovingly extend help. This often requires that publishers consider the needs of those in full-time service, the elderly, the infirm, and perhaps others. Publishers may extend help by taking such ones with them or by caring for their needs in other ways.—Jas. 2:15-17; 1 John 3:17, 18.
9 Of course, the Rooming Department will endeavor to provide suitable rooming accommodations for publishers with special needs if they cannot be assisted by those in the congregation. These publishers may discuss their situation with the congregation secretary. The secretary should speak with the Congregation Service Committee to see if it is possible for the congregation to assist these individuals to care for their own rooming accommodations. If the congregation is unable to render the needed assistance, the secretary may give such persons a copy of the Special Needs Room Request form. Only those with special needs should fill out this form. It is to be filled out by the person making the request and returned to the secretary, who will check it for completeness, accuracy, and verification of the circumstances that qualify the person for such consideration. The circumstances are to be EXPLAINED IN DETAIL by the secretary in the space provided on the form. All of this should be done well ahead of the convention. The secretary will then forward the form to the Rooming Department. The individual making the request will be notified directly about the accommodations.
10 Those with special needs should NOT go to the convention and request a room when they arrive because the Rooming Department must have the verification of the Congregation Service Committee.
11 Private-home accommodations are set aside for those who would experience real hardship if such accommodations were not available. They are not intended for those who can afford motel rooms but who want free or inexpensive rooms just to save money. Neither is it proper for those making such requests to presume upon the hospitality of brothers by expecting to be accommodated extra days before or after the convention. These rooms are provided for the convention period ONLY. Those receiving such accommodations should see that they and their children act respectfully toward the home of their host and do not rummage through or damage the host’s possessions or enter private areas of the home. If householders experience any difficulties along this line, these should immediately be brought to the attention of the rooming overseer at the convention and he will be happy to help.
12 Delegates Attending From Outside the Assigned Area: In nearly every case, the location assigned for you to attend is the one nearest your congregation. Having adequate seating, literature, food, rooming accommodations, and so forth, is based on the premise that the majority of publishers will attend the convention to which their congregation is assigned. However, if for good reason you will be attending a convention other than the one assigned and need accommodations, the congregation secretary can give you the address for that convention headquarters from the list on the back of the Special Needs Room Request form. Then you can request in writing a copy of the motel listing for that location, sending along a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Upon receipt of this list, use it to make your reservation.
13 Your Cooperation Needed: The success of this rooming arrangement depends on the cooperation of all of those involved. (Heb. 13:17) Thus, we are asking everyone to cooperate fully with the Society’s rooming arrangement and USE ONLY THE MOTELS ON THE CURRENT RECOMMENDED LODGING LOCATIONS LIST so that major difficulties we still experience in negotiating with the motels can be prevented. Most publishers are taking to heart the clear direction that has been given in previous convention inserts, and many good results are being experienced. However, it is still necessary to request that everyone PLEASE OBSERVE THE FOLLOWING GUIDELINES FOR OBTAINING MOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS:
(a) Do not locate and call motels in the convention city and ask them if they are on the current list or have special rates for the convention. Also, please do not use the same motel year after year without first checking to see that it is definitely on the current list.
(b) Do not accept a higher price for a motel room than what is quoted on the list.
(c) Please do not make reservations at a motel you do not intend to use or at more than one motel with the idea of checking them, selecting the best, and canceling the others. (Matt. 5:37) This is unfair, as it prevents the motels from getting business they could have had and deprives other publishers of the use of those rooms, which are often vitally needed.
(d) Do not reserve rooms for yourself or others without giving names and immediately sending the deposits for each room.
(e) Do not put more people in the room than the law and the management allow, which is normally no more than four or five persons, including children. Remember, you are paying a rate based upon the number of persons you AGREED would be in the room.
14 Violations in these areas make it difficult to negotiate good rates, and they bring reproach on Jehovah’s name and organization. (Ps. 119:168) Therefore, the Society will be asking the Rooming Department to check with the motels to determine if any are experiencing such problems and who is involved. The convention organization is working hard to save our brothers as much expense as possible, so it is in the best interests of all to cooperate fully with the Society’s rooming arrangement so that this provision can continue. The listing gives a choice of good-quality accommodations at motels that cooperate. With this arrangement, our aim is to help delegates to be accommodated as comfortably and economically as possible so that they can enjoy the fine spiritual program at the convention.
15 Sign-Language Sessions: As you will note in The Watchtower of February 15, 1993, sign-language interpreting will be provided AT ONLY 16 specific convention cities. NO PROVISION for sign language will be made at any other conventions. This arrangement provides good-quality interpreting and larger groups for enjoyable, upbuilding fellowship. Deaf individuals should immediately make their plans to attend one of these 16 sign-language sessions. The elders should also check with each deaf person in their congregation to see if assistance is needed.
[Note to Body of Elders: Please read the Society’s December 15, 1992, convention assignment letter and the first and last paragraphs of the Recommended Lodging Locations list for your congregation during the Service Meeting for the week of January 4. After that meeting, post the letter and the list on the information board. NO ONE, INCLUDING THE ELDERS, SHOULD MAKE MOTEL RESERVATIONS BEFORE THIS SERVICE MEETING. In this way all congregations will receive the information the same week. The congregation secretary should handle convention-related material and announcements on future Service Meetings.]