Hello,
I am a new Area Captain for my area and I want to encourge my chapters to hold Open Houses as a way to try to recruit members.

How many of your chapters have done this and what sort of things did you do at the open house or have available.

Your input in much appreciated! Even if your chapter hasn't had an open house all ideas are appreciated.

Thanks!
Susie

Hi, I am leader of a group in Missouri. This year, we made a real effort to have an open house to get a few new members. Thie first thing that I did was place a public service announcement on the local cable station's free announcement channel. I got several replies, but several were too far away to join our particular chapter. Those I referred to our area captain.

Next, we placed an ad in our local journal newpaper in their public service announcements, placed notices on supermarket bulletin boards, and offered those who brought someone for the evening the chance to be in a drawing for $10.00.

We put together introductory information folders for those who attended. They contained information on Tops in general, our group, various diets (I included a diagram of the divided plate method, information on an exchange diet and on calorie counting. Ended up with three new members. That was a lot of work for a small return.

It's really hard to attract new people to Tops. All the big time places such as WWatchers, LA weight loss, and all the expensive programs are for profit and can advertise. An awful lot of people who actually know about us think of us as the group their mothers and grandmothers belonged to years ago and that we are old fashioned. Trying to overcome that impression is extremely difficult. I wish that Tops had the money to run a few national ads so that people know what we are about. It literally saved my life, and I'd like to see it continue and grow.

Owensgram pretty well said it all. Most other leaders I know have never done well with open houses

We have a large open house every January. We place announcements in the local papers, put posters wherever we can. Members invite anyone they know that might be interested.
We always have a theme. One time it was a western theme, then we had a Hawaiian theme, but for the last few years, we have had an Open House Tea Party. We invite our coordinator, and area captain and they come. We invite a special speaker, like a state king or queen or runner ups. We have a hat contest with different catagories, like: most glamorous, most unusual, prettiest, etc. We give door prizes. And we serve a healthy lunch with tea.
Last year, our meeting place was full and we got several new members from the open house. At our last workshop, an area captain from another area asked to be invited this year. Our members love it and look forward to it each year.

Nita

Hi Susie, A few years back, TOPS sent an OPEN HOUSE folder to all chapters explaining how to hold one. It included lots of examples, post cards, flyers, follow up cards and ideas, etc. Field Staff should have one. Ask your Coordinator. In the past Field staff (A.C.'s) got all programs that had been sent out previous years to chapters. Things may have changed since there is a new Director.

The ideas mentioned here are typically what occurs. I, too, have had disappointing results with Open Houses, and that's with good advertising. We've basically given up on them. I wish everyone the best of luck with theirs. It certainly helps if you live in a bigger city.

Hi Nita, Nice to see you too. Hope things are going better for you than me in the weight loss arena....and that your husband is doing well.

{{{{{{{{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}}}}}}}
Summer

Thank you so much for all your ideas and sharing your experiences.

I do think that you are correct that a lot of people think we are an old fashioned group that our mothers and grandmothers belonged to and while that might me true, it doesn't mean that TOPS is not effective. I say that we change the image and the best way to do that is for our members to get to goal and gain our lives back...when they ask..tell them that TOPS support you the whole way!

TOPS Hugs to all of you! May you reach or keep your KOPS status in 2006.
Susie

Reaching our goals is the best thing we can do for Tops....but we really need to get the word out about the advatages of Tops as a support group as well. One of the things that seems to really throw people when they come to a meeting is that we do not have an "official" diet. Everyone wants to walk out of the first meeting with clear instructions on what they need to do to get their weight off. I know that we have lots of handouts to get people started, but some people are truly clueless about the process of losing weight. That's why Jenny Craig, LA Weight Loss and Weight Watchers do the big biz that they do. They are handing peole something concrete that they can take home and start the next day.

That's why I think it's so important that we have a really good handout booklet or folder to give potential members when the visit. A little more guidance on what each chapter should be handing out on a first visit would be very helpful.

If you went to 10 different chapters for the first time, you'd get 10 completely different views of what Tops has to offer.

Actually TOPS does have a "diet plan" I give out info on it with the food chart that goes with it to all new members. I have a meeting on it several times thru the year. Altho we concentrate on support and giving out info on all health issues members do have a diet plan they can use. But I also see many people who do not return because we don't stress the plan but stress them doing what works for them. We do programs on all the healthy plans out there and there are some good ones.
All chapters are different in some ways But a good chapter should be using it's by-laws and chapter Guide book as their bible so to speak. And your local by laws can be changed if you as a group agree.
Unfortunately you will always have those that will work and support tops and those that come to visit or complain. But those that come with a positive attitude always do good and are a great example for those that struggle. You get out of tops what you put into tops. You may not always lose and may be struggling.But just by coming and never giving up you are an inspiration to others.
Ok I will be quiet.The old lady is rambling.

Perhaps I misspoke when I said Tops has no formal diet. I, too, give out information on the 1200-1500 calorie exchange plan that is featured in the Tops books and the handout with sample meal plans for new members.

I also encourage new members to keep a calorie chart. However, the requirement to keep a written chart is no longer in our by-laws. A lot of the older members just don't want to do this, and the requirement was dropped even before I rejoined.

I feel that we need to do more along these lines, though. I think that I am going to make myself a New Year's Resolution to encourage members to keep a written chart, either every week or the week following a gain.

I am afraid that most members see the chart, or food diary, as a drag or some sort of punishment. However, I see it as a good way to check where we are going and why we are doing well or poorly.

I think that weekly food jounrnals are a big help to me to keep on track. I find that when I'm off track if I start doing one I start to see the scales go down.

I think it would be helpful to me if I had someone to give my food journal to each week that way I would keep one more consistantly. Maybe that is something else you could incorprate to help those who want to keep a food journal stay accountable with it.

It's just a thought

As a weight recorder, I hear a lot of people complaining because they aren't losing weight and I recommend that they keep a food journal and it does help them. A lot of people don't want to bother writing down everything they eat, but when they try it, they are the first to admit it helps and that they didn't realize how much they were eating.
We try to include keeping a food journal in our contests, giving points for bringing in their weekly journal. We also have a box where they can turn in their weekly journals and at the end of the month, draw one out for a prize. We keep a box of wrapped gifts that they can choose from for the prize. Some of the most successful losers are the ones that keep a journal.

Nita