Hi,
I received your E-mails but I can't E-mail you back. Something is wrong with my E-mail so it is impossible to receive or even give messages. Just a quick note, Yes, I will be at the Innovations on October 28. I am looking forward to it. Hopefully we will have name tags on so we can recognize each other.

See you then,
Fran

Fran-
Maybe you could answer a question for me-
I am a returning LT member. I became LT in 1984, and have returned several times over.
If I pay monthly (because I am over goal), but would like to attend meetings weekly, why do I have to pay to just attend the meetings? I don't see why if I don't get on the scale, but like to attend the meeting (for support),that I have to get on the scale and pay anyway. I was informed that I need to weigh-in everytime I come in. Why is that? Sometimes I am not able to afford the meetings, and coming in for the support of the meetings really helps me.
I hope you can anwer these questions for me.
thanks.

Hi there. In answer to your question about membership: Here are the technicals: As a lifer, as you know, you only pay when you are more than 2 lbs above goal. Ideally, we'd like you to attend WEEKLY as that is the arrangment for success. The MONTHLY requirement is for those at goal, who should come in on a regular basis (and monthly is the MINIMUM, but many lifers at goal continue to come weekly) to keep their weight and "attitude" on course. Now, as a member who is OVER goal, you can come in monthly, and pay for those weigh ins, and hope that an every 4 week visit will help, OR, you can "stalk" the meeting, show up, Don't Weigh in, and don't pay. Just don't advertise that that is what you are doing. The idea behind the weekly weigh in for those "off course" is that you get that weekly support, stimulation, etc. that you need to get you in the right direction again. Hope this helps.

Thank you for your response. "Stalking" the meeting is what I have been doing, and weighing in at least 1x/month, sometimes more. However, my leader noticed that I had been attending the meetings, but did not weigh in each time. She noticed in the last time I weighed in and "gently" reminded me about the policy. I sort of took offense to the way she handled it. Personally, I don't always have the $9.95 to weigh in each week, but always need the inspiration. Attending the meeting is sometimes better than weighing in. I'm actually going to try a different meeting with a different leader and see how that goes.

Disclaimer: This is just my opinion, so please take it with a grain of salt. I don't mean any offense.

That being said, I feel that if one attends the meeting, then one needs to pay the meeting fee. The meeting is led by a WW Leader. WW Leaders do not make a whole lot of money and they are not paid on salary. Also, WW is not a non-profit company. Rather, it is a for-profit company. The weekly meeting fee is not just for weighing in...stepping on a scale is the easy part. If stepping on a scale was all there was to WW, then I wouldn't be going. The weekly meetings, the leaders, and information received in those meetings is one of the major things that makes WW so great. And I think it is justified for one to pay the $9.95 meeting fee if you are *just* staying for the meeting (and not weighing in).

Also, I know from prior experience that if there are insufficient paying members at a certain meeting time, WW will cancel that meeting time due to low attendance. WW has to recover their costs of running the meeting. Think about it this way...if everyone else who went to WW all across the country did what you do (go to the meeting, don't weigh in, and don't pay), then WW would probably have to go out of business entirely.

I certainly understand your financial situation. I've been there before. And I also feel strongly that I should pay my weekly meeting fee even if I just attend the meeting and don't weigh in because I think that is the honest thing to do. In the end, you should examine the situation and do what you think is best.

I'm confused now. I am a past leader also. I have always understood that life time members - those at goal and those over goal - had to weight in at the first meeting of the month that they attended, but then could attend as many meetings a month there after without paying (if they are over goal, as long as they did not weigh in). If you are over goal you need to pay each time you weigh. But were only required to weigh in once a month, so if I'm 10#'s over goal and I attend a meeting this week (first week of October) I must pay the weekly fee, but if I attend the meetings every following week in October, but don't weigh, I don't pay. Of course if I'm at goal I CAN weigh and not pay as long as I haven't missed a monthly weigh. If this isn't true when did it change and if it did change why do they (W.W.'s) continue to take privileges away from the lifetimers?

CSHLAH: You are absolutely right about the policy. (I didn't make that clear about the first meeting of the month, etc.)

FLAVOR32: i LOVE what you said, how you said it, and hooray for standing up for leaders... we don't make a lot of money doing the meeting -- and we also haven't had a raise in the time (more than2 years that I'm doing meetings). That having been said, Thank you.

Dip1959: If the fee is too high for you on a regular basis (that is, once per month) then you can ask for a scholarship. they have them for certain members who can prove financial hardship.

Thanks for all your replies. After reading them, I now have made a conscious effort to attend meetings, pay and weigh in. It's a two-way benefit, and I thank you all for setting me straight.