Use this skit to present a fun reminder of the diversity of our recovery literature and our approaches to the Twelve Steps.
This skit is intended to be exaggerated and read in an over-the-top style. Please feel free to change the names as you see fit.
The Inclusive Group of Overeaters Anonymous is opening its meeting.
Dee: (Forceful) Hello all, and welcome to the Inclusive Group of Overeaters Anonymous. My name is Dee, and I am your leader for this meeting. I’ve asked Leo to read our Unity with Diversity Policy.
Leo: (Greatly, overly dramatic, reads) “The Fellowship of Overeaters Anonymous encourages and promotes acceptance and inclusivity. All are welcome to join OA and are not excluded because of race, creed, nationality, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other attribute. We welcome all who share our compulsion. Everyone with a desire to stop eating compulsively is welcome in Overeaters Anonymous.”
Dee: I love that. This is why this is my home group, the Inclusive Group!
Fiona: (Overly confident) Hi all, my name is Fiona, and I’m a proud member of the Inclusive Group. It makes me feel good to know we welcome everyone, that we really are inclusive.
Dee: At the Inclusive Group we use the Blue Book1 as our means of recovery. We find it to be the only method for getting well. Who would like to share on how the Blue Book saved their life?
Fiona: (Superior) It’s clear that the Blue Book is inspired—the way to recover. Everything else is just noise.
New-to-Group: (Timidly) Well, my name is New-to-Group, and I hope this doesn’t offend anyone, but, um, I, ah, I work the Steps through the purple workbook, The Twelve Step Workbook of Overeaters Anonymous.
The group reacts and overreacts, with shock, jaws dropped.
Dee: I’m sorry; here at the Inclusive Group we stick with the Blue Book.
Fiona: Like I said, it’s inspired, the way out.
New-to-Group: Oh, I believe its inspired, but I also use a lot of OA literature and I’m recovering.
Dee: (Sternly) Well, we use the Blue Book!
Milly: Hi. I’m Milly and, ah, yeah, I’ve been keeping something from the group. I . . . I . . . I use the For Today and Voices of Recovery daily readers. Sorry.
Dee: Well sure, those are just meditation books, but the program of recovery is only in the Blue Book.
New-to-Group: (Offended) And the purple book!2
Milly: Well, to be completely honest, I also use the OA Twelve and Twelve.
Dee: Ugh, I read that book and just kept eating.
New-to-Group: Well, maybe that had more to do with you at the time than the book.
Fiona: I have to admit, I did a Step study with the green Twelve Step Workshop and Study Guide, and yeah, it pushed me into recovery.
Dee: Fiona! You know that if you didn’t use the Blue Book then you really didn’t do the Steps. The Blue Book is inspired and inspiring.
New-to-Group: All OA Conference-approved literature is.
Leo: I love the Blue Book, but have to admit, I relate to other OA literature too.
Dee: Leo—you?!
New-to-Group: OA literature is proposed, created, and approved by OA group conscience—the voice of our loving God, for our group purpose. That’s pretty inspiring.
Fiona: Well . . . maybe . . . you know . . . maybe . . . we could study the Blue Book here but encourage the use of all OA literature.
Dee: Even the pamphlets!?
Milly: Why not? After all, we are the Inclusive Group!
1 Alcoholics Anonymous, Fourth Edition
2 The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Overeaters Anonymous, Secont Edition
OA Responsibility Pledge
Always to extend the hand and heart of OA
to all who share my compulsion;
for this I am responsible.
OA Board-approved
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