Enrichment Meetings: Prospecting for Future Leaders
Marie Beam
Kensington, Maryland, USA
From: LEAVEN, Vol. 36 No. 2, April-May 2000, pg. 32
When a mother's breastfeeding
questions have been answered and her initial needs have been met at
our meetings, often she simply stops coming. After attending a full
series, she has learned enough about breastfeeding to handle most difficulties
that might arise. Her focus and time now turn to classes, a playgroup
for her growing child, or a mother's group. On the one hand, it's gratifying
to reflect that we have met this mother's needs and helped her move
on. On the other hand, though, the absence of the knowledgeable, experienced
mother represents a loss to the Group's vitality and to the future of
LLL. How do you keep this mother interested in coming to meetings after
her initial needs have been met? Enrichment Meetings!
If you have never tried them,
Enrichment Meetings may seem like just an extra monthly meeting that
adds to the burden of an already overworked Leader. They are extra work,
but only at first, and the payback may surprise you. The beauty of Enrichment
Meetings is that they build the enthusiasm of other mothers to contribute
to the Group. They fill an important gap, helping meet the needs of
mothers of older babies and toddlers. They offer the perfect opportunity
to ask a Group member to take on a job at Series Meetings, and they
give you a chance to get better acquainted with someone who might be
a potential Leader Applicant.
As the LEADER'S HANDBOOK
(1998 ed., p. 126) notes, the introduction of enrichment topics "can
add an extra spark of enthusiasm to the Group," fostering close
contact among Group members and an appreciation for the support that
LLL provides. A Group may choose whether they prefer unstructured socialization
and discussion, a topic led by a Group Leader, or a discussion led by
a Leader Applicant or Group member. A combination of these different
styles may also be used.
Mothers enjoy having an opportunity
to get together and discuss breastfeeding related issues that are not
limited to the four Series Meeting topics. On page 271 of the LEADER'S
HANDBOOK is a list of suggested enrichment topics. Mothers in my Group
have particularly enjoyed relevant topics such as "long-term nursing,"
"handling anger," "dressing for discreet nursing,"
"motherhood stress," and "sex and the lactating woman."
Where else but at a La Leche League meeting can mothers discuss such
things?
Even if you are feeling overwhelmed
by your Leader responsibilities, I hope you will give Enrichment Meetings
a try. They offer a chance to build a team to share your workload. And
at the same time, they offer you an opportunity to sit back and enjoy
some fascinating conversations with some of the most interesting women
you know.
Page last edited Sun Oct 14 09:31:27 UTC 2007.
