2018 Teaching Committee Report - HFS



2018 Teaching Committee Report

Many are aware that extensive travel arrangements are needed to assist special full time servants in a foreign field to attend one of the 2019 international conventions. What role does World Headquarters Travel play in these arrangements? How are donated funds saved? How has travel been arranged in the past?

The following report will not only give us a brief history of organizational travel, but will also help us to see the behind the scenes activities that are necessary to help with this year's International Convention series.

WHQ Travel Department

Travel has always been an integral part of our organization's spiritual activity. Jesus said, as recorded in Acts 1:8, "You will be witnesses of me... to the most distant part of the earth." In 1880 Brother Russell followed the example set by Jesus and embarked on a preaching tour.

(David Schafer - Helper to the Teaching Committee) At first brother Russell travel throughout the northeastern United States and then internationally. In 1911 he traveled some 35,000 miles to lands including China, India, Japan, and the Philippines. Then in 1914 more than 300 brothers were sent to what they referred to at the time as "practically every city and district in the world" presenting Bible lectures. Well brother Rutherford and brother Knorr likewise traveled extensively encouraging the Household of Faith. Then in 1943, with the inception of Gilead School, this involved inviting hundreds of students every year, training them, and then dispatching them to various missionary assignments around the world.

(Charles Molohan -Service Dept.) One day I received a phone call to go upstairs in the 10th floor and see brother Knorr. Usually that put a little bit of fear in you. But I knew I hadn't done anything terribly wrong. So they said: "We want you to come up and work in the office and take over the desk that took care of the missionary's visas, getting them to their assignments." Well back in those days, this was in the fifties, generally airfares were pretty high, but most were sent out at that time by not a fancy ship but a cargo ship. The missionaries didn't mind that slow boat trip to their assignment. Gradually airfares came down and we began to use airplanes to get most of the brothers to their assignments. Brother Knorr, as the branches expanded, saw the need to get out and visit the branches. So that desk, which became the Travel Desk, would arrange for flights. So the work got started for travel in that way and then we expanded later on and of course.

Since 2013 World Headquarters Travel department has continued to manage this ever increasing task. What travel is arranged? International transfers for special full time servants. Travel for medical reasons. For Gilead and other theocratic schools, and much more. Some 80 branch offices around the world have thus far been assisted. How does World Headquarters Travel save valuable Kingdom funds?

Imagine yourself on a plane. You paid five hundred dollars for your ticket and you were happy with that price. Talking to the person on your left, you learned that he paid eight hundred dollars. Now you're really happy. But the person on your right paid just three hundred dollars. This is often the reality with travel. Using a global booking tool World Headquarters Travel works hard to avoid paying the higher prices. We lock-in the middle price and then search for the cheapest.

(Gisela O'Neill - WHQ Travel) Sometimes we search for weeks for prices to drop. I have searched for some bookings for months to get better prices, and I found them. Also we use donated airline credits and mileage to purchase tickets.

(Daniel Pang - WHQ Travel) By consolidating various travel that is done worldwide, we're able to obtain discounts with airlines and suppliers, and by these agreements we're able to have access to lower fares, additional checked luggage, along with free day changes. Many automated systems are also used. For example, even after a ticket is purchased we have a program that will continually re-price the ticket checking for a lower fare, up until the departure date.

In 2016 a program was released in the United States to allow for donations of transferable hotel points, airline miles and credits, along with gift cards. The program "Donate Rewards Points" helps us to reduce travel costs.

(Mileivi Trisler - WHQ Travel) One couple that we're determined to simplify their life redeemed many of their rewards programs. Their donations save thousands of dollars, and many of their rewards points would have otherwise just expired.

(Pamela Ford - WHQ Travel) One Bethel couple decided to donate their personal airline miles, over 200,000. Their donation allowed the organization to save 7,000 dollars.

Along with air travel the organization's wise use of hotel points has conserved donated funds.

(Randall Turcot - Teaching Committee Office) When our brothers and sisters plan to attend conventions and assemblies or visit Bethel. They're often provided a list of hotels with room rates the branch has negotiated. Just as frequent flyers earn mileage, the organization earns hotel points. These points are then redeemed to meet travel needs throughout the world.

Preparations for the Missionaries

For over 100 years theocratic conventions have brought encouragement excitement and joy to God's servants. In 1886 the Watchtower invited readers to a three day general meeting following the memorial of Christ's death, thus beginning our rich history of annual conventions. The year 1922 saw a landmark convention in Cedar Point, Ohio with attendees from the United States and Europe. By 1950 delegates were attending conventions from 67 lands, and by 1958 from 123 lands. Over 50 years later our conventions continue to grow.

In August 2018 congregations learned that in 2019 international conventions will be held in 24 locations. A record number of invited delegates are receiving help in planning their travel.

(Michael Banks - Teaching Committee Office) Once selected as delegates, Brothers and Sisters log-on to , a web site organized under the teaching committee office. Delegates can select hotels and airlines with discounted rates. For activities, besides having a day planned for field service and an evening gathering with the local friends, delegates can also indicate which branch sponsored activities they prefer such as a visit to the branch office or possibly a tour of local attractions.

Similar preparations are made for thousands of missionaries and full time servants. Brothel's travel web site allows them to search for flights, select an itinerary, and submit their choices to World Headquarters Travel for processing. Then the excited missionaries along with their family and friends can focus on the spiritual refreshment that the conventions bring, and all of us are looking forward to meeting these missionaries from many distant lands.

What an exciting year it will be with the international conventions. No doubt, God's organization will keep traveling to the most distant parts of the earth, to accomplish Jehovah's will, until the end comes.

(Narrator - Rodney Speck - WHQ Travel)

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