Media Category: Secretary Materials

These guidelines have been developed through the experience of OA members and the Board of Trustees who have contributed to their creation. They reflect OA Traditions and Concepts of Service as reflected in our OA Conference-approved literature. These guidelines are strong suggestions based on those who have gone before. The guidelines do not replace the group conscience of local OA members, but we encourage OA groups and service bodies to consider carefully before acting contrary to these suggestions.

While most OA groups start small, meetings in small towns often face challenges different from those in larger cities. These guidelines share some of the experience, strength, and hope that other meetings have found useful in carrying the OA message in smaller communities. They are intended to be a companion to the OA Handbook for Members, Groups and Service Bodies (#120), also known as the OA Handbook, available at bookstore.oa.org. Additional resources are listed below.

Does Size Matter?

The size of a meeting does not determine its quality. Small meetings can be, and often are, successful. They may be more intimate and provide more time for members to share. Members may make personal connections more quickly, and it may be easier to see and hear fellow members in a small meeting.

Flourishing groups go out of the way to make everyone—newcomers, longtimers, and members in relapse—feel welcome. The group makes OA approved literature available at the meeting, takes time to reach out and encourage new members, and establishes service opportunities. Offering service roles for members in all stages of abstinence and rotating service positions strengthen a meeting. Giving service is an honor and a privilege.

Tradition Five makes clear that the primary purpose of every OA group is to carry the message of recovery through the Twelve Steps to those who still suffer. Meetings that grow and thrive stay focused on abstinence and recovery from compulsive eating and offer help to those who are struggling to get abstinent. Abstinent members are willing to serve as sponsors and have sponsors. Healthy meetings do strong Twelfth Step work, and members make a sincere effort to contact those who haven’t been at meetings for a while. Hope is the greatest gift we give to all members. The message is clear around the world: Together we can. You are not alone.

Those who consider their meetings to be strong frequently credit the presence of committed members who identify the meeting as their “home-group”; these members may have long-term abstinence and are at or working towards a healthy body weight and are working the Twelve Steps of OA. Their meetings follow a specific format, with an emphasis on working the Twelve Steps while honoring the Twelve Traditions of OA. Decisions are made by group conscience and not by an individual or individuals dictating policies and procedures.

Small Meeting Challenges and Solutions

One of the challenges of small meetings or meetings in a small town is that there may be few or no people with long-term experience in the OA program. There may not be many abstinent members who can share their experience, strength, and hope. Abstinent sponsors may also be hard to find, especially if sponsors avoid sponsoring personal friends. Such meetings can still prosper, and newcomers can still find inspiration if individual members focus their shares on how working the Twelve Steps can lead to recovery.

Fortunately, technology provides many ways for small meetings to reach out and plug into the abundance of abstinent experiences in OA. For example, abstinent speakers might be brought into a meeting via speakerphone or videoconferencing services.

Members might also supplement their regular face-to-face meetings with virtual (phone, online, or non-real-time) meetings. Lists of phone, online, and non-real-time meetings can be found on the Find a Meeting page on the OA website. Virtual meetings can provide an excellent means to find abstinent speakers for face-to-face meetings as well as experienced, abstinent sponsors. Going to “ninety meetings in ninety days,” which is one suggestion for accelerating recovery, is now something anyone can do via virtual meetings.

OA events, such as workshops, retreats, marathons, and conventions, are held frequently around the world. These are an excellent way to strengthen recovery and meet abstinent members who may make good speakers or sponsors. Gathering a group of OA members to travel together to these events can turn the journey itself into a valuable recovery experience, as members share their experience, strength, and hope along the way.

Email and social media are other methods for OA members in recovery to stay connected. Non-real-time meetings (meetings that do not meet in real time or meetings that do not occur immediately, taking place over a period of hours or days) can provide support for those in isolated areas. For a list of non-real-time meetings, see Find a Meeting on oa.org. Intergroups/service boards, regions, and the World Service Office also use email to share OA information, and members can sign up to receive news. Members might volunteer to serve as designated downloaders, responsible for passing on information from the WSO and OA service body websites, especially to those who might not have access to computers.

OA’s magazine, Lifeline, is “A Meeting on the Go” and back issues can be ordered from the OA bookstore at bookstore.oa.org. Using Lifeline is another way to bring the experience, strength, and hope of the worldwide Fellowship to a meeting. Many groups use past issues of Lifeline as a source for discussion topics at meetings.

Another way to keep a meeting connected to OA’s worldwide network of recovering compulsive overeaters is to elect a representative to serve at the local intergroup/service board level, even if attendance is only possible virtually. A representative attending intergroup/service board meetings may be selected to serve as a region representative or World Service Business Conference delegate. (If the meeting is not affiliated with an intergroup/service board, it may still be able to participate in region meetings and events.) In this way, group members contribute to the group conscience of OA as a whole and find out what is happening at the region and world service levels. Giving service as a representative provides excellent opportunities to strengthen recovery and meet abstinent members who may be available as speakers and/or sponsors.

Actions Abstinent OA Members Take

There are thousands of recovering OA members around the world who have access to only one or two small face-to-face meetings. In fact, many members have long-term recovery precisely because they have been willing to go to any length to get it. They:

• Work OA’s Twelve Steps of recovery, one day at a time.
• Assume the higher level of responsibility that comes with participation in smaller meetings.
• Reach out to nonlocal OA members by phone, email, text, and social media, for example. There are meetings and members with strong recovery around the world.
• Travel to visit other meetings and go to OA events, such as workshops, retreats, marathons, or conventions.
• Sponsor to the level of their experience.
• Search for sponsors outside their local area, if none are available nearby.
• Study and practice the Traditions to strengthen their meetings.
• Be the only person attending a meeting for weeks or months, to ensure that newcomers have a chance at recovery.
• Listen to OA recordings or podcasts and attend virtual (phone, online, and non-real- time) meetings.
• Set up a public information booth at community events.
• Be the meeting treasurer, secretary, leader, or service body representative.
• Start new meetings or an intergroup/service board.
• Do service beyond the group level.
• Visit an intergroup/service board meeting or a region assembly.

The challenges of a small town or a small meeting can be a positive incentive to strive for recovery. As has been said many times, OA is a simple program but not an easy one. These guidelines identify some of the challenges that small meetings or meetings in small towns might face. We hope this provides ideas and possible solutions. Know that you and your small meeting are not alone. Welcome to OA. Welcome home.

Recovery on oa.org:

To find the following resources on the OA website, go to oa.org/sitemap. You will find links to all of the pages named below on the Sitemap list.

Abstinence (Document Library page):

• Abstinence Literature Resource Guide
• Strong Abstinence Checklist and Writing Exercise
• And more, including the Abstinence Presentation

Meeting Formats (Document Library page, under the “Meeting Formats” category):

• Guidelines Group Conscience Meeting
• Suggested Meeting Format
• Suggested Step Study Meeting Format
• Many other meeting formats

Guidelines (Document Library page, under “Guidelines”):

• Guidelines for Addressing Disruptive Behavior
• Guidelines for Membership Retention
• Website Development Guidelines
• OA-Approved Literature List

Public Information (Guidelines: Events & Outreach page, under the drop-down menu):

• Types of public information events
• Publicity suggestions
• PI posters found in Document Library under category “PI Posters”
• OA Press Kit found on the Media & Press Kit page
• OA podcasts and videos at oa.org/podcasts

Groups (Group Resources page):

• OA Group Inventory
• Temporary Sponsors: Newcomers’ First Twelve Days
• Strong Meeting Checklist
• Unity with Diversity Checklist
• Twelve Step Workshop and Study Guide, Second Edition (#960-2), available in the OA bookstore

Virtual Services (Document Library page under “Virtual”):

• Guidelines for Anonymity in the Digital World
• Suggested Telephone Meeting Format
• Virtual meetings may be found by clicking on Find a Meeting
• Virtual Intergroup Registration/Change Form available from oa.org/sitemap

Group registration and meeting information changes (Find a Meeting section):

• Click on Find a Meeting to “Add, edit, or cancel an existing meeting”
• Click directly on Add a Meeting, Edit a Meeting, Cancel a Meeting, or Manage a Service Body from the Sitemap

Find additional resources on oa.org in the Document Library (oa.org/document-library):

• “Secretary Materials”
• “Treasurer Resources”
• “Service Body Resources” (also on the Service Bodies page at oa.org/sitemap)

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OA Board-Approved
©2018 Overeaters Anonymous, Inc. All Rights reserved. Rev. 10/2020

Overeaters Anonymous, Inc. World Service Office
Location: 6075 Zenith Court NE, Rio Rancho, NM 87144, USA
Mailing address: PO Box 44727, Rio Rancho, NM 87174-4727, USA
Telephone: +1 505-891-2664

1992a (Amended 2013, 2021, 2023) The following policy statement was adopted:

“Unity with Diversity” Policy

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 the desire to stop eating compulsively is welcome in Overeaters Anonymous.

THE FELLOWSHIP recognizes the existence of individual approaches and different structured concepts to working our Twelve Step program of recovery; that the Fellowship is united by our disease and our common purpose; and that individual differences in approaches to recovery within our Fellowship need not divide us.

THE FELLOWSHIP respects the rights of members, groups, and service bodies to follow a particular concept of recovery within Overeaters Anonymous and encourages each member, group, and service body to respect those rights as they extend the hand of fellowship to those who still suffer.

THE FELLOWSHIP encourages each duly registered group and service body to affirm and maintain the Twelve Traditions of Overeaters Anonymous by allowing members to share their experience, strength, and hope in meetings regardless of the individual approach or specific concept that member may follow. Duly registered is defined as being in full compliance with Bylaws, Subpart B, Article V.

— OA Business Conference Policy Manual

1994b (Amended 2008, 2023) The following policy statement was adopted:

The Fellowship of Overeaters Anonymous recognizes the existence of specific-focus meetings (for a full list, see the oa.org Find a Meeting page) which have been formed of persons who can more readily identify with fellow members of Overeaters Anonymous with similar attributes. According to the Traditions, bylaws, and policies of OA, the only requirement for membership is the desire to stop eating compulsively; therefore, we ask each person attending a meeting to respect and consider the group conscience of the whole Fellowship and welcome and give a voice to any person who has the desire to stop eating compulsively.

— OA Business Conference Policy Manual

2021 (Amended 2023) The following policy statement was adopted:

Diverse Voices Policy

When developing new and updating existing literature published by Overeaters Anonymous World Service, the Literature committees will make a concerted effort to include stories and/or quotes from members of diverse populations that are underrepresented in OA.

— OA Business Conference Policy Manual

The following checklist for OA groups and service bodies is offered in the spirit of Overeaters Anonymous’ Third Tradition and the OA Unity with Diversity Policy statement. This checklist is not meant to be exhaustive, nor can it be. As we continue to grow, so does our understanding of diversity. These questions are only a starting point for reflection and discussion. We hope that newcomers who are used to “closed doors” can find not only a welcome in OA, but also a home if they wish. As OA’s Responsibility Pledge states: “Always to extend the hand and heart of OA to all who share my compulsion; for this, I am responsible.”

1. In what ways do we welcome all who share our compulsion, regardless of race, ethnicity, language, culture, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other attribute?
2. What measures do we take to provide meeting access to OA members who have challenges such as mental or physical disabilities or illnesses, or those who have allergies? What about those who have small children or those who rely on public transportation?
3. How do we welcome members such as anorexics, bulimics, or those who have had weight-loss procedures? Do we welcome OA members in relapse as authentically as we welcome newcomers or any other members?
4. Does our group meeting format use the Unity with Diversity statement included in OA’s current Suggested Meeting Format?
5. Do we avoid suggesting that all OA members have the same issues with food, such as an addiction to specific foods, a need to weigh and measure, and so on?
6. How do we communicate to newcomers—and reinforce to all members—that Higher Power means a God of our individual understanding and is not specific to any particular religion, faith, or concept?
7. Do we respect each member’s way of practicing the OA Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions in a manner best suited to their own needs?
8. Do we emphasize all three aspects of recovery (spiritual, emotional, and physical) equally, or do we focus only on one or two?
9. Does our OA literature table stock items that highlight our common solution through diversity, such as:
   • A Common Solution: Diversity and Recovery
   • Black OA Members Share Their Experience, Strength, and Hope
   • Focus on Anorexia and Bulimia Packet
   • Many Symptoms, One Solution
   • OA Members Come in All Sizes
   • To the Young Person
   • To the Man Who Wants to Stop Compulsive Overeating, Welcome
10. How do we reflect diversity when we conduct business meetings, elect trusted servants, or choose speakers and workshop leaders?
11. In what ways do we carry the OA message to groups who are currently underrepresented in the rooms? Speakers? Workshops? Specific-focus meetings? Other methods of attraction?
12. Having completed this checklist, what other areas can we examine in order to better “extend the hand and heart of OA” to all who share our compulsion?

For guidelines on how to hold a Group Conscience Meeting, see Guidelines for a Group Conscience Meeting. More information is also available in the OA Handbook for Members, Groups, and Service Bodies.

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© 2020 Overeaters Anonymous, Inc. Rev. 12/2024. All rights reserved.

Overeaters Anonymous, Inc. World Service Office
Location: 6075 Zenith Court NE, Rio Rancho, NM 87144, USA
Mailing address: PO Box 44727, Rio Rancho, NM 87174-4727, USA
Telephone: +1 505-891-2664

The following guidelines are offered as suggestions only; they are guides to aid you in deciding what information to collect.

We invite any and all of you to participate in recording your local history and in gathering local historical memorabilia. This will help to ensure that your history is not lost. The World Service Office (WSO) invites you to submit your histories for safekeeping to allow historians and scholars, as well as OA visitors from around the world, to gain a broader perception and appreciation of OA history in different areas. Anonymity and confidentiality will be protected. Please note: the WSO is only able to accept electronically formatted files due to storage limitations.

We suggest that the content and interpretation of local histories be approved by the group conscience of members involved in your area.

You may want to begin by interviewing longtime members or writing the history of your own OA experience.

On a personal level:

• Where did you first hear about OA?
• Did you have a sponsor? If so, how did it help you as a newcomer?
• Do you continue to have a sponsor?
• What contributions did you make to the Fellowship’s growth? (Please don’t be modest.)
• How has OA changed since you first encountered it?

On the birth of OA in your area:

• When was OA started in your town or area? Where were the first meetings held (homes, churches, etc.)?
• Who was responsible for starting the group? Which early members contributed to the growth and success of the group? How was it started: as an offshoot of a parent group, as a split from the first or main group, or by one person starting the group?
• What was OA like in the early days in your area?
• How were new members contacted? How was Twelfth Step work done?
• Was the cooperation of local community agencies and professionals—ministers, doctors, etc.—looked into?
• Who were the founders and group officers of the early groups?
• How often were meetings held and what kinds of meeting formats were used?
• If English is not the local language in your area, how did the founding members start the group? What literature did they use and how has this changed? How has translation of OA literature been carried out?
• Did any special problems arise during the early years? Did the early groups suffer growing pains?
• Was your group ever given a name? What was it? Is it still the same? If it has been changed, what is the present name of the group?
• Do you know how the community received the first group when it started? How has it affected the community since?
• Do you have an intergroup/service board or central office in your area or community? Do you know when it started? How? By whom? Were there any problems?
• Was there any opposition to OA or were there intergroup/ service board feuds in your area? Please elaborate.
• Does your area sponsor OA events such as conventions, marathons, retreats, or assemblies? When were they started? How often are they held? Are they well-attended?
• Do you participate in events outside your area, such as those hosted by other service bodies? Do other members from your area attend also?
• Have you experienced growth in your group, in your area? Who approaches OA today: mostly young people, women, men, minorities? Are all welcome? Are there any special problems?
• Does your area have a website? How was this idea received when it was proposed? How was the website created, and how is it maintained?
• Has your group ever completed a public awareness/information project? Have any members ever written articles for, or been interviewed by, local newspapers?
• Do you celebrate individual and group anniversaries? How?

OA Responsibility Pledge

Always to extend the hand and heart of OA
to all who share my compulsion;
for this I am responsible.

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OA Board-Approved
©1991, 2008 Overeaters Anonymous, Inc. All Rights reserved. Rev. 5/2023.

Overeaters Anonymous, Inc. World Service Office
Location: 6075 Zenith Court NE, Rio Rancho, NM 87144, USA
Mailing address: PO Box 44727, Rio Rancho, NM 87174-4727, USA
Telephone: +1 505-891-2664