New World Society Assembly of Jehovah’s Witnesses
THE Watchtower magazine has had much to say about the New World society and how it is now forming and manifesting itself throughout the world. People have come into this society from all walks of life and they are looking forward to the wonderful and blessed time when the new earth will be in full operation with lovers of righteousness as its inhabitants. How wonderful it will be living together in peace and happiness! Students of God’s Word want to be of that New World society.
If you are one praying for God’s kingdom to come and asking to be blessed by it, why not plan to be at the New World Society Assembly of Jehovah’s Witnesses July 19 to 26? They will be coming from almost all the nations of the world and will gather together at Yankee Stadium in New York city to worship Jehovah in holy array.
What time are you going to arrive at the New World Society Assembly? In time, we hope, for the start of the first session. You will want to be there all the first day from the time the program begins Sunday morning, July 19, and especially for the afternoon session when you will see the graduation of the twenty-first class of Gilead. This will be a heart-gladdening scene to witness.
In order to be in New York for the initial meetings, it is good for you to plan to arrive in the convention city Saturday, July 18. The first thing you will want to do is to get located in your room so you will be all set to enjoy the very beginning of the convention. You will be looking forward to every day, because the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society has planned a full program. Take it all in; do not miss a thing. While you will not be able to get into the stadium itself on Saturday, the 18th, you may be interested in looking around the stadium, meeting friends and getting acquainted with the grounds, particularly to know how to get into the cafeteria lines and to know where refreshment stands are located. Every conventioner should get settled in his room Saturday.
If by the time convention period comes along you have not received your room assignment through the mail, you can go directly to the rooming department, where you can get a room to your liking. If you arrive before Saturday, you will find the rooming department operating at the rooming headquarters’ address at 557 W. 157th Street through Friday, July 17. However, starting the first thing, early Saturday morning, July 18, the rooming department will be in full swing under the bleacher portion of Yankee Stadium. You may gain entrance to this department at the corner of 161st street and River avenue.
If until this time you have thought it impossible to attend the convention, you might take inventory of your circumstances again. Maybe you can attend. Think of the convention in terms of eight days, not just the two week ends or the days that you think will be high points. Why not be there every session? Make out a room request form now showing the accommodations desired. You can get them from the congregation servant of any congregation of Jehovah’s witnesses or through the branch organization of countries other than the United States. We are sure there will be accommodations for all, as the New York brothers are diligently working to obtain rooms in the homes of the people as well as lining up rooms in the numerous hotels. When you ask for a room keep in mind that Jehovah’s witnesses of New York have worked hard to get these accommodations, and they hope an excellent impression will be left with the householders while you make your stay with them, as was done by those who stayed in the homes of New Yorkers in 1950. We hope that all will take the assignment that is given them by the rooming committee.
Maybe you are just an interested reader of The Watchtower and not one of Jehovah’s witnesses, and it may be that you think that the New World Society Assembly of Jehovah’s Witnesses is just for them. No, all the meetings will be open to persons interested in the work carried on by the witnesses. We invite everybody to come. Maybe some of the readers of this magazine go to New York once a year on business or for a pleasure trip. Why not make it during this summer from July 19 to 26 and drop in at Yankee Stadium? You will see something and hear something that the imagination cannot comprehend. You will read about it later in The Watchtower, and you may hear friends of yours tell you about it, but still you will not feel the full force of the New World Society Assembly of Jehovah’s Witnesses unless you are there in person. So be sure to come. You are welcome. Drop in and say hello if you are in the city for even a few days.
Now getting back to living in New York. We are going to have a New World Society trailer city. If you wish to stay in the trailer city, which will be equipped with loudspeakers tied in by direct wire with Yankee Stadium, space will be available for you. Many brothers are working diligently, laying the foundation work for this trailer city. We expect to have more facilities at the New World Society trailer city than we had in 1950, such as additional showers, washrooms, refreshment stands and larger stores for the convenience of those residing there. Many of those staying in the New World Society trailer city will decide to come to Yankee Stadium at certain times during the week if not for every session. Anyway, it is expected that enough automobiles will be coming to New York daily to bring in those who want to come. That will all be worked out at the trailer city.
We expect that all attendance records will be shattered again at this assembly of Jehovah’s witnesses and that things will be really crowded around Yankee Stadium, but we hope that we will be able to take care of your needs through all the departments that will be set up for your accommodation. Most of the departments, such as the bookroom, administration, etc., will be located where they were in 1950, but you may familiarize yourself with the general layout of the stadium by studying the diagram in the program. Those who come to the stadium on Saturday, the 18th, will be able to get copies of the program, and they will also be distributed at the trailer camp on the 18th.
Very likely the bleacher section of the stadium will always be filled this time. You may recall that this part of the stadium has no covering; therefore we suggest that in order to keep from bleaching in the sun everyone bring along a sun hat or a shade of some kind that you can wear if you have to sit in this section of the stadium. Those who will not want to sit in the bleachers will have to come early to get their seats well before the sessions begin, but please follow the instructions of the attendants when they direct you to places where seats are available. Always be prepared with a shade for the sunny days.
The cafeteria and refreshment stands on the lots outside the stadium will be opened on Saturday afternoon, July 18, for the convenience of brothers coming for rooms and to use the day for fellowship and visiting. No one except assigned workers will be allowed in the stadium, because big preparations must be made to get things running Sunday morning. During the convention we know you appreciate that we cannot serve everybody at once in the cafeteria, so please be patient and just keep in line. If everyone keeps moving in the cafeteria lines and does not use the cafeteria tents for conversing, we think we can feed all the people who want to eat there between the sessions. There will be no need for brothers to rush out of the stadium after the meetings in order to get in line. Take your time. Talk to your friends. Stay in your seats a little while if you wish, because not everyone can be served at once. If you do this it will certainly be a co-operative gesture, and your patience will help the organization.
Since parking facilities around the neighborhood of the stadium are extremely limited, we suggest that the brothers travel to and from the convention grounds by subway or bus. If your room happens to be a little distance beyond the last station of the subway train, you may find it best to drive to a suitable subway stop and park your car there and then take the train on to the stadium. A word of caution is appropriate here. When you park your car in New York city or anywhere else be sure you do not leave anything inside the car, even though you lock it well. The New York police department advises us to tell you to take this precaution. It is very easy to lose valuable things in New York when they are kept in cars. You will find the New York policemen very courteous and they will be pleased to help you with directional information.
Arrangements have been made with the police department so the private buses arriving at the stadium may unload their passengers on 161st street near Rupert Place. After the passengers are discharged the buses will be directed to a street-parking location about five miles away, where they can be left for eight days. Of course, it is up to the driver to decide where he wants to keep his bus.
All who attend the New World Society Assembly of Jehovah’s Witnesses will want to bear witness to Jehovah’s kingdom sometime during the assembly. This will be done largely in the door-to-door work, witnessing to the people in their homes where you stay, talking to people you meet around New York and in the street work advertising the public meeting and distributing magazines. We want to give New Yorkers a warm welcome to attend our assembly, and we sincerely hope that you will plan to be there.