Meetings question

[littledolly]

Hi all

I joined a SW group a couple of weeks ago. When I went for my second WI, the girl taking the money said that there would be no class tonight as the Consultant's Mum was ill and she was keen to get back to the hospital to see her. We were just getting weighed and that was it.

Now, I totally understand how worrying it is when a parent is ill, but I still had to pay my £4.95 to just get weighed and nothing else. Is this the norm? It was my first proper meeting after joining (and we didn't have a meeting this week, as our class is on a Monday) and I just feel that I lost out a bit.

 

[Shirleen]

I think that's a bit much to be honest, but then you do get access to SW online as well, but if you wanted to do it at home alone then you would have!

 

[*Emsie*]

Thats a difficult one I would feel the same as you but maybe it was less frustrating than having got there and there be no class at all? At least you got weighed...and hopefully it was a good one? Are you on the computerised system? Its probably difficult to weigh the group without taking the full payment with that?
Maybe the C will give you all something back next time?
Our class is closed during the school hols often as its in a school and I find it a bit frustrating that we are told to go to other groups to wi and that we would have to pay for missing group when the group we are at isn't even there...if that makes sense?
But I suppose it keeps me going and on track!

 

[Debs154]

unfortunately things like this can happen - I think I'd rather there was a weigh in at least - is there another class you could go to near by? As a member you can attend any class.

 

[Laddiesboy]

I would rather have the class with no weigh in than the weigh in with no class. I wouldn't have paid and got weighed, just gone.

Hope her mum is ok though

 

[lemon_fizz]

is there another class you could go to near by? As a member you can attend any class.

Hi Debs, I was interested to read this. I go to Class on tuesday but there is one also held near me on fridays (different C), would I be allowed to go to the friday group to top up my willpower if I felt I needed to?

Obviously not weigh in, just sit in for Image Therapy. I could show my Card to prove I was a paid up member. Or under the rules, are you only allowed to attend one group a week?

 

[Debs154]

Ooh I'm not sure Lemon_fizz - I just meant as a one off - but of course you will have only paid at one - but I'm sure someone will come along and will know. I'm doubting my own suggestion now lol! I seem to remember seeing it somewhere though

 

[lemon_fizz]

Thanks, Debs. I can always ask my C at the next class.

I think a mate of mine who does WW told me you can pop into any WW meeting for willpower top up but could only weigh at one (the one you pay at). Was just a thought anyway.

 

[Mrs V]

Yes you can Hun. As a paying member you will not need to be weighed as this has already happened. Just explain to the Consultant what has happened and that you have missed Image Therapy and need a boost. Just prove that you are a member.

 

[jaylou]

There could be more to this than meets the eye, her mum could be at death's door and she at least turned up to hold a WI! That would have taken a fair amount of her time as the consultants turn up at least an hour before class starts normally.
Also, some hospitals have set visiting hours so perhaps she had to get back?

I'd show a little bit of compassion. I know it's your second WI and your a bit fed up but she did show up rather than cancel the class.

 

[lemon_fizz]

Thanks, Mrs V.

 

[littledolly]

Thanks for the replies. I think it was just because it was my 2nd meeting and I was really looking forward to it, so I was pretty disappointed when I got there.

I am totally sympathetic to the fact that her mother is ill (I've been there myself), so that's not the issue at all. I just wondered whether someone else, perhaps those who help out at the class, would have been able to take the Image Therapy - especially given that it was the week before Easter, and there was no class the following week. We didn't get the SW password either.

Anyway, hopefully things will be back to normal on Monday - and sure I've had plenty of motivation from here in the meantime!

 

[malaika]

I am so glad that this site can keep you motivated until next week.
All groups are different.
A few years ago I belonged to one, where the consultant had 2 groups a week.
The main class was on Tuesdays, but she also had a drop in weighing class on Fridays. Those members just came to weigh in and have a 1 to 1 chat but she did not have a group image therapy. We could come in to weigh, though it was not recorded if we attended on Tuesday.I used to go just to see how I have done in the few days.

 

[avisk]

I believe that for someone other than a consultant to take image therapy is against the rules.

What is supposed to happen is that if the consultant can't be at the class for whatever reason she is supposed to arrange for another consultant to cover for her, but that is difficult even with some notice - at the last moment it is nigh on impossible.

 

[Woodsylou]

my C couldn't make last week and we had another consultant stand in, but i think obviously they'd need notice to arrange cover. i think this is probably a one off in awful circumstances (poor thing) and will be back to normal soon.

 

[JosieDelonge]

My consultant missed a meeting a few weeks ago but one of the other regulars took over and did image therapy.

 

[Smokes]

I can understand her wanting to get and visit her mum but why didn't you have a meeting Monday just gone? I'm a Monday weigher and my C held a meeting! My C always says slimming world is there 52 weeks of the year including bank hols so Easter Monday was no different! Most people did just weigh and go but you could stay if you wanted.

 

[Wacky Jacky]

As a member who has had this happen to our group, more than once, I can feel for the Consultants, the helper social team members, and the other members in this situation.

One Consultant I had couldn't make her group, but phoned around the Social Team members and asked us if we would mind doing a weigh-in as she couldn't organise another Consultant to take over the group for the night. As the person who would often take in the money or do the weigh-in part, I didn't mind doing the weighing-in bit in the Consultant's absence, but I didn't feel it was right to take money in from the members, without them getting a full group session, and I'm afraid I certainly didn't feel confident enough to take the group through a full "Image Therapy" session myself, but the Consultant had said not to worry about any of that .... she just wanted to make sure the members could see someone, get weighed and go WITHOUT PAYING! She didn't want any of her members to feel "abandoned" but she couldn't make it to group herself that night, so she took the scales into the group, set the room up as normal, and left a note for us all. When I arrived, and another Social Team Member, we explained to the group members as they arrived that our Consultant couldn't make the group and that we would be doing a weigh-and-go session, without any charge, and that they could call or e-mail the consultant if they had any queries in the meantime! The note the Consultant had left was in the form of a "letter to members" apologising for the situation and explaining what was happening.

This went down fine with everyone, although we were ALL a bit disappointed that we didn't get a proper Image Therapy, but some of us stayed for a while after weighing in, and we had a cuppa and a chat .... it was just as good as "Image Therapy" as a one-off! We just made the most of the situation!

However, I've also had another Consultant who couldn't make her group, couldn't get another Consultant to cover but expected the Social Team Members to weigh people AND take money from them, and to give an Image Therapy session ...... but we didn't feel comfortable with it at all!

I don't think the members would be too happy turning up to their usual group to be weighed-in, charged and talked to by someone who wasn't a trained Slimming World Consultant!

We all felt for the Consultant and realised that there may be times when a Consultant just CAN't make the group and CAN't get another Consultant to cover ....... but SURELY they can't expect members to pay? This all happened to me BEFORE the new computerised system was in place, so it may have been easier then for a Consultant not to charge members ...... Not really sure what Slimming World's rules are on this one at all though?

 

[avisk]

I can understand her wanting to get and visit her mum but why didn't you have a meeting Monday just gone? I'm a Monday weigher and my C held a meeting! My C always says slimming world is there 52 weeks of the year including bank hols so Easter Monday was no different! Most people did just weigh and go but you could stay if you wanted.

It depends on the venue being used. Some are not available on certain days - for instance on a bank holiday there might not be a caretaker available.

SW venues which are also used as polling stations will be off-limits on May 6th, which will cause problems for some groups.

 

[avisk]

I was at a SW class some time ago where the consultant had arrived at the hall and set everything up, then was suddenly struck down with some kind of food poisoning and had to be taken home.

The weighing lady took over, read out the losses, and we had a general chat about things. No-one minded because obviously it was an emergency, and anyway everyone loves our weighing lady!

But we all paid, and it never occurred to me (or anyone else, as far as I was aware) that we shouldn't.