Rolling Programme for Foundation Members

I just mentioned on another thread that my stand-in LLC has informed us that things are changing and early next year the Foundation will be a rolling programme where people can join at any time. I've been sitting her trying to decide what I feel about that. I've only been doing it four weeks and for the first three someone new started, but then there was only five of us in the group still. Now that they've merged loads of groups throughout the week into one evening, there will be a lot more of us and we won't know each other.

I'd love opinions of whether this rolling programme would affect what you'd get out of your counselling session.

I love that in my group we all started at the same time (give or take a week) and we are all going through it together. Its been a great help we all encourage each other. We have also all got to know each other quite well.

I think that having a rolling group will have benefits, when you your at the start there will be people who are near the end of foundation and I guess it will be good to get inspiration and advice from them. Like we have with BL, LS and Tange. Not all people feel happy coming on forums.

I dont know I guess if I had a choice at the start to join a rolling group or new group all starting together I would have choose to start with all newbies together!

For men, it's always been a rolling programme and I like it. I started with people to have as an example, and now I have others in the group I can be a support to (I'm now the "old man" of the group).

If I am honest though; I would rather the groups were mixed but I understand the reasoning behind having single sexes but just look at this forum - and how much I've gaine by being around women on the programme.

I agree SV I would have liked to be in a mixed group.

Hmmm. I did like the fact it was all closed groups. That meant you were all on the same page, and got to know each other in a balanced environment. As a lot of personal details emerge in group, it is easier to divulge things in the company of people you know.

Our group ended up merging with another towards the end of development. There was some anxiety at first among some of the ladies from each group. ANd I was a bit concerned as I had yet to touch on my biggest issue, and worried I had maybe missed my opportunity as I was unsure if I would feel comfortable to discuss something of an extremely personal nature with ladies I did not know.

But the new ladies came, and we all gelled straight away. (shout out to SPlenda Blenda ) In short time we were all understanding each other and I felt comfortable addressing my issue with them and got nothing but support, where I feared I might have been judged. But it was not like that at all.

But then later, a LLC in a neighbouring town abandoned her group - and more ladies came from that group.

It then felt very clique - 1 became 2, then 2 became 3 - by that stage, people had gelled in their own groups and I never felt like it was the same after that. I am not saying anything negative about the third group that joined group 1/2 - it just felt like them and us, if you know what I mean.

But - we are creatures with the ability to adapt. So it may change the dynamics somewhat, but it should work out alright as long as people keep an open mind. It didn't feel very nice when it began to feel cliquey - so the trick will be for with each addition, the group to gell as one.

I think the way to approach any change in the program, is that you are there for YOU and YOUR purposes, and nothing should stop you from succeeding, so just shine it on - keep focused and carry on with your own work to hand.

I would not like the foundation to be a rolling group. I felt comfortable expressing how I felt in a small group.
We all understood each other and got on well.
When my small group of 4 moved into development we merged into another group coming out of foundation also.
The group changed completely, I didn't know the others so felt awkward.
Some of the Ladies from the other group took offence to someone from my group talking about her lapses and eating food. Although she didn't identify the food she ate, the other Ladies couldn't cope because they had abstained, I think they felt this lady was sabotaging their diet.
I think you can only learn from others and hopefully you'll be more aware of your own triggers by knowing everyone elses.
The two who objected actually left LL.
I do think they were a bit over the top though!!!

Cherry Plum said:

Some of the Ladies from the other group took offence to someone from my group talking about her lapses and eating food.........

The two who objected actually left LL...

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Now to me, that's pathetic.
The group is supposed to be there to support everyone in it, these 2 ladies were obviously well up on their High Horses and probably deserved to be knocked off anyway.


As Andy said, it's rolling for men anyway, and it suits me fine.
We had 2 new guys last week, and it felt great for me to be able to talk them through the beginning stages and give them the benifit of my "wisdom", if you know what I mean

But I accept that it's probably going to be different for women, who are, after all, more intricate and emotional creatures than us men (at least, from my experience of the fairer sex )

take BL's quote for example;

Our group ended up merging with another towards the end of development. There was some anxiety at first among some of the ladies from each group. ANd I was a bit concerned as I had yet to touch on my biggest issue, and worried I had maybe missed my opportunity as I was unsure if I would feel comfortable to discuss something of an extremely personal nature with ladies I did not know.

Click to expand...

I can honestly say I wouldn't feel anxious if I were told some new people were joining my group, if anything I'd be interested to meet more people on the same journey as me; and that's nothing to do with not being shy, as in the "real world", I generally don't like meeting new people, but in LL, we are all there for one reason and the same reasons, which is nice

Also, the fact that I don't really know the guys in my group makes it easier for me to talk about myself in ways I couldn't talk about myself to a friend/family member - if someone at my LL meeting judges me and doesn't like me, well, what do I care? They are just some random people who happen to sit in a meeting I go to once a week, when I'm mainly there to see my LLC anyway. If they do like me, great!

Thinking about it - most of the problems you have had with groups merging have been two (or more) established groups being merged together, and getting cliquey. I think a rolling program would actually stop that happening - newbies won't be cliqey and if they joined every 4 weeks, the more experienced members would just take the newbies under their wings.

It would also mean that you could keep the number of people in the group at the sort of level that it'd never need merging with other experienced groups.