door to door recruitment..

[Tonus]

I had some JW approach me as i was sitting outside the laundromat a few blocks away..
I just let them talk.
They gave me a real full hardcovered copy of there book..
I have never gotten a free book for them.
I think they thought i was homeless because this homeless guy that lives at the laundromat showed me a copy they had given to him... Weird shit.

"Activity" is highly regarded by the JW leadership, and any preaching activity is to be carefully logged and recorded, with the report handed to the congregation each month. It's one of the ways they determine how strong or weak a person's commitment is, and whether or not the elders need to visit them in order to encourage them to do better. The number of hours preached is important, but other line items (books/tracts/magazines 'placed' with people, number of return visits, number of bible studies conducted) are viewed very favorably, as they indicate that the person isn't just going through the motions.

The door-to-door work is considered the primary way of showing dedication to the cause, and is a good way to advance through the local (and eventually, regional/national) hierarchy. It's the only way that a woman can advance as a JW, since women cannot hold any position of power service in the organization. In the past, the number of hours demanded of individuals each month could be staggering: in the 1920s they were told that they should be logging 175 hours every month (ie, a full-time job's worth). The president of the organization logged zero hours himself, since he was apparently too busy ordering everyone else around.