The Growth of RC -- Discussions from the 1993 World Conference

It was proposed at the 1993 World Conference, and there was general agreement, that GROWTH -- in exposure of people to RC ideas, in numbers of people using these ideas, in numbers of Community members, in numbers of Areas, in all constituencies -- is top priority for the coming period.

Proposals presented:

We hope to establish an average growth rate for the number of RCers and for the number of Areas of doubling every two years. We hope to make persistent GROWTH a characteristic of all Community organizations.

We propose to require the teaching of at least one series of Fundamentals classes every year for an RC teacher to retain certification.

We propose to encourage Reference People to be bold in encouraging new teachers to teach, to not be timid in issuing one-time credentials to people who seem rationally committed to RC.

Small groups met, discussed this proposal, and reported back to the Conference with these ideas:

• Establish the perspective that the growth of RC is linked to all of our survivals.
• Introduce an attitude and expectation in Communities that people stay, recruit others, and lead.
• Establish the perspective that it is everyone's responsibility to assist RC growth, not just leaders'.
• New people often bring in other new people quickly. Therefore, the more new people we have in classes, the more new people will come in.
• If you are a leader or teacher, teach Fundamentals as a first priority; teach ongoing or specialty classes as you have the time in addition to teaching Fundamentals classes.
• Make it a requirement that Fundamentals classes be meeting in an Area in order for that Area to continue to exist.
• Adopt the perspective that RC teachers teach Fundamentals "non-stop," that there is no "graduation" from teaching Fundamentals.
• Adopt the perspective that lengthy "breaks" from teaching RC are the exception, not the rule.
• Expand the use of introductory lectures, introductory workshops, "each-one-bring-one" workshops.
• Think about the implications for growth when deciding which workshops to hold, where to hold them, who will lead them, etc.
• Encourage discussions in our Communities that clarify our expectations for Fundamentals classes:
  • What is important in recruiting, and what successful experiences have we had?
  • How important is it that a teacher take the time to recruit a diverse class before teaching?
  • What has worked to bring along new teachers quickly?
  • What kinds of experiences and support have enabled new teachers to teach well and be eager to teach again?
  • Should a Fundamentals class be viewed primarily, and recruited for and taught, as the nucleus of a new Area? At the same time, how important is it to teach Fundamentals to many people, even if they do not go on to teach or lead? What are the relative merits of each approach, and what are the implications of each in terms of growth?
• Can we establish the climate and resources in our Communities so that teaching Fundamentals is experienced as exciting and possible rather than as difficult or intimidating?
• Find out why people have sometimes hesitated to teach Fundamentals. What distress and confusion interfere? What factors have led to someone having "another failure experience" vs. succeeding at their first attempt at teaching? Systematically develop strategies to overcome such difficulties.
• What structures, relationships, ideas have worked best for keeping Fundamentals students actively involved in RC after their Fundamentals class? Do we need a more systematic approach?
• Discuss the "one-time" vs. the "full" teaching credential and clarify the meaning of each. We need to be clearer and crisper about one-time credentials. Teachers need to take time to think and evaluate between teaching their first class and gaining full-time credentials.
• Work systematically with all Community members on fears and embarrassments about recruiting and about talking about RC.
• Publish stories on how Communities have been developed -- details of what work has been done, the process, the organizing, the activities, the successes, the failures. (Please send these stories to THE RC TEACHER for the next issue: c/o 719 2nd Ave. North, Seattle, WA 98109, USA. Thanks.)
• What made it possible for you to progress from being a Fundamentals student, to an Ongoing student, to an active Community member, to a teacher, to a leader? Sharing such information will help us devise strategies.
• Clarify the role of "specialties" within RC and the teaching of specialties. Basic counseling theory and skills are essential to fuel liberation work; discuss the optimum balance and where to put teaching time.
• Find out whether proliferating RC activities at the Regional level inhibit growth of members and of leaders at the Area level.
• Make full use of RC literature -- distribute it widely.
• Discuss which additional publications might be needed, or what modification of publications we might need, to promote growth.

Questions:

• How do we maintain "quality" while emphasizing "quantity"?
• How do we achieve sustainable growth?
• How do we go "deep" as well as "wide"? That is, what resources, what relationships, need to be present so that people can go beyond exposure to RC to emergence from chronic distresses? How do we achieve both depth and breadth as quickly as possible?
• How can we best assist new people to discharge about, understand and internalize the often difficult issues -- e.g. "the no socializing policy," the importance of individual leadership, overcoming one's own oppressor patterns, the policy on "attacks" -- so that an increase in our membership also means an increase in solid and sound Community members?
• We need to continue to reach oppressed populations, as well as populations that may not fit comfortably at this time with current RC "culture." It may be more difficult and take longer for some oppressed groups to participate in RC or assume leadership, in contrast to groups that are more easily attracted to RC and to leadership. We cannot bypass these populations or difficulties as we strive for quick growth; we must improve our ability to reach and counsel these groups.
• What are the different locations where we would like RC to grow rapidly? Do we need different strategies for a new geographical location than for an organized Area? Is it easier to "double in numbers in two years" in an existing RC Community than to start in a new place and do the same thing? Is it more important in some locations or situations that a teacher be well-prepared? How can we organize support and "mentors" for people in isolated locations?
• Many teachers begin a Fundamentals class and then take that class through to where all the students are teaching. This can take two to three years. To enhance growth in numbers, can such a teacher take in new students at least every year?
• What kind of relationships, and how much resource, time, energy are needed to bring people through their heaviest chronic distresses? Is experienced resource essential for parts of this, or can fairly new Co-Counselors do this for each other? What are the implications for rapid growth?
• What additional ideas do you have for bringing about the rapid growth of RC?

(Present Time No. 94, January 1994)