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*** km 12/89 p. 7 Question Box ***

Question Box

• What are the duties of those who serve as attendants at congregation meetings?

Attendants are to extend a warm greeting to all who come to the meetings. Their duties include
seating latecomers, recording attendance, maintaining order and security, and caring for the
ventilation of the Kingdom Hall. Attendants should be friendly, responsible brothers who take
the initiative in caring for their responsibilities.—om pp. 63-4.

Attendants should be alert to the needs of new persons, make them feel welcome, and help them
to find seats. All in the congregation should be ready to help new ones get acquainted and feel
welcome. When guiding latecomers to available seats, attendants should endeavor not to disturb
those already seated. At times they provide new persons with the magazine being studied.

Maintaining order during the meetings is essential. Since we encourage parents to bring their
children to the meetings, there will be some disruptions at times. But when children continue to
be restless or unruly, an attendant should kindly offer assistance, perhaps suggesting that
the parent take the child out of the auditorium for a time. If parents with young children sit
where they can easily exit when necessary, caring for the needs of their small children can be
done with little distraction.

In areas where security is a problem, attendants should be assigned to protect against vandalism
or disturbances by opposers. If someone inside the Kingdom Hall tries to disrupt the meeting, he
should be asked to leave. If he refuses and persists in causing a disturbance, the elders may
contact the authorities. (Elders have additional written direction that will be helpful to them in
such a situation.) In some areas it may be necessary for assigned brothers to check the Kingdom
Hall parking area during meetings.—km 11/84 p. 4.

When the attendance count is taken, all adults as well as young children who are listening and
benefiting, even to a limited extent, should be counted.—km 7/79 p. 4.

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*** km 5/00 p. 7 Question Box ***

Question Box

· How can attendants assist parents in helping their children maintain proper decorum at
meetings?

Children are naturally energetic, unaccustomed to sitting for long periods of time. After a
meeting, children have pent-up energy that may incline them to run and chase other children in
the Kingdom Hall or at other meeting places, in the parking lot, or on the sidewalk. However,
true is the proverb: ‘A child let on the loose will cause his parent shame.’—Prov. 29:15.

Sad to say, some of our older brothers and sisters have been seriously injured because children
ran into them and knocked them down. This has caused undue suffering as well as unnecessary
expense for the parents and the congregation. For their own security and the safety of others,
children should not be allowed to run and play inside or outside the Kingdom Hall.

Parents have the Scriptural responsibility to train their children to treat our places of worship
with proper respect. (Eccl. 5:1a) At our Christian meetings, assemblies, and conventions,
attendants are assigned to see that “all things take place decently” and that there is “good order.”
(1 Cor. 14:40; Col. 2:5) They must remain alert before, during, and after the program, both
indoors and outdoors. If a child is running or becoming unruly, the attendant can gently stop the
child, and he can explain to the child why such actions are not acceptable. The child’s parent also
should kindly be told of the problem and of the need to supervise the child. The parent should
respond appropriately.

It is understood that at times infants and small children may cry or become disruptive during
meetings. Attendants, arriving at least 20 minutes before the start of the program, can reserve the
last couple of rows in the auditorium for parents who would like to sit there with their young
children. The rest of us should cooperate by leaving those seats available to them.

If a child is causing a disruption, the parent should take some action. If the parent does not
and the disturbance becomes distracting, an attendant should kindly ask if the parent
would like to take the child out of the auditorium. When we invite new ones with young
children to the meetings, we should sit with them and offer to help with the children if they
cry or disrupt in other ways.

It brings us joy to see children of all ages at the Kingdom Hall and to observe their good conduct
within God’s household. (1 Tim. 3:15) By their respecting Jehovah’s arrangement for worship,
they bring him honor and are appreciated by all in the congregation.

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:-)