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.
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
Purpose
Public information events are excellent ways of informing the public about the Overeaters Anonymous (OA) program of recovery.
Types of public information events
Newcomer nights
These are usually open OA meetings whose formats may vary to meet the needs of a particular audience. They commonly feature speakers and a question and-answer period. OA literature is provided as handouts if possible. The focus is on people new to or interested in Overeaters Anonymous, whether potential members or not.
Young adult events
Colleges and universities are the usual settings for these events, whether as an intimate classroom talk or in an assembly. They commonly feature two or more speakers and follow a format similar to that of a newcomer night, above. Another way to reach young adults is to participate in a school health fair. Many intergroups/service boards have display booths that can be used for this purpose. For information about participating in a health fair, see the Guidelines for Health Fair Participation on oa.org.
Presentations to Employee Assistance Program (EAP) staff
EAPs are counseling centers that some large companies employ to help workers deal with personal problems in a confidential setting. Staff members and/or counselors are often quite receptive to learning how OA can help their clients.
Other types of Public Information (PI) events
There are many other settings for public information outreach. For more information about the above or other types of public information and professional outreach events, refer to the Public Information and Professional Outreach Service Manual.
When to hold public information events
Anytime is a good time!
Strategic times:
Before holidays
After New Year’s
Early spring
We also recommend holding events on OA related days:
OA’s birthday (third full weekend—Friday included—of January)
Unity Day (last Saturday of February in even years and last Sunday of February in odd years)
Sponsorship Day (third full weekend—Friday included—of August)
International Day Experiencing Abstinence (IDEA) (third full weekend—Friday included—of November)
Twelfth Step Within Day (December 12)
Preparation and planning
(about three to four months prior)
Form a committee and choose a chairperson.
Encourage participation within your intergroup by enumerating specific tasks and the time commitment needed to accomplish them.
Determine your budget. Keep in mind that the purpose of Public Information (PI) events is to get information out to the community, not to make money. Things such as suggested donations or raffles should be saved for retreats and conventions. If your intergroup does not have the funds to put on an event on its own, contact your region. Some regions will provide funding for PI events.
Select a site. If your event will be in a school or institution, make sure the arrangements are made with the proper authorities. The site should be easily accessible, with well-lit parking. Besides schools and hospitals, libraries and churches are usually good locations.
Decide on format. The format will determine your needs. You will need to consider:
How many will attend?
Will you have one or more speakers? A panel? (Microphones, a podium, table)
Will there be a question-and-answer session? (Paper, pencils)
What special interests does the audience have? (Specific literature, topics)
Inspect the site and ask questions. Tell the facility’s manager what you’ll need and find out what’s available. Questions to ask:
Are there any fees?
What about parking?
What is the maximum legal occupancy of the room?
Will someone from the facility be there the day or night of the event? If so, is there an additional fee, such as for janitorial staff to close the facility?
Materials
(about two to three months prior)
Order the literature and other materials (videos, etc.) you may need: We suggest that only OA Conference- and Board-approved literature be used. Be sure to bring along local meeting directories that clearly list phone numbers of meeting contacts, the oa.org website, and your intergroup’s website if you have one. Remember: The internet is one of our most important public information resources. Newcomers who do not approach you at the event may wish to find out more about OA after the event. You may wish to bring along wallet cards with your local intergroup’s number and website address.
Speakers should be chosen carefully; they’ll be representing the OA program and should demonstrate recovery on all three levels: emotional, spiritual, and physical. You may wish to have abstinence requirements. It is highly recommended that speakers have at least one year of current abstinence and are maintaining a healthy body weight. Look for members who have suffered from different symptoms of the disease.
Speaking to young adults
Two speakers are preferred, since two stories provide more diversity. Two people can also answer questions more effectively. Each should share for fifteen minutes. Speakers should be the same age or just slightly older than those in the audience. They should focus on their younger years, and share personal problems and health risks of compulsive eating.
Speaking to Employee Assistance Program professionals
In the spirit of cooperation, not affiliation, tell them how helpful OA can be for their clients who struggle with eating disorders to stress that we are not in competition with them, but an outside source of help.
Make these in time to be distributed four to six weeks prior to the event. They should contain the event title; the sponsoring intergroup’s name; event location, date, and time; and the contact phone number (no names). Flyers should make it clear that it’s an event for the general public and not just for OA members. Suggested distribution sites: public health clinics, student health centers, exercise clubs, Twelve-Step bookstores, doctor and professional offices (obtain permission first), and OA meetings. Provide plenty of extra flyers for OA meetings, and urge members to take a few and post them on bulletin boards at their grocery store, laundromat, church, school, etc.
Get the word out to the community
Contact radio and TV stations and ask them to run public service announcements. Tell them OA is a nonprofit organization. Make sure the Public Service Announcements (PSAs) include a local contact phone number. Also, local, regional, senior, school and free newspapers often have calendars of community events; send them announcements. (For sample PSA scripts and press releases, see the Public Information and Professional Outreach Service Manual; to arrange to use WSO PSAs, contact the World Service Office.) Consider free advertising on online local classified ad sites. These sites often have community events/meeting announcements sections. Even if they don’t, you can still create an ad inviting people to a public information meeting or to just make contact for more information about OA.
Inform the Fellowship
Announce the event at all OA meetings, telling members of the planned content. Ask them to attend and bring a non-OA guest. List tasks for which volunteers are needed and provide a contact name and number to call if interested in helping.
Final preparations
(about one month prior)
Get firm commitments from volunteers and assign duties.
Areas of service include:
Registration table
Literature
Cleanup
Door greeting
Making and distributing ID badges
Writing flyers
Distributing flyers
Decorating, if necessary
Making signs to direct participants to the right room
Call all volunteers and remind them of their commitments.
Checklist for one week prior to event
Call all volunteers again to verify their participation.
Make sure the facility is ready for you.
Give a flyer to the person answering the phone at the facility.
On the day
Arrive at least an hour before the event starts.
You will need to:
Set up the meeting room
Coordinate volunteers
Check the literature
Check the registration table
Check the refreshment tables
Follow-up
Have a post-event meeting: Evaluate what happened and make recommendations for the future.
Send thank-you notes to those outside OA who helped, such as radio, TV, and facility personnel.
Retrieve recorded Public Service Announcements (PSAs), if any, from TV and radio stations.
For more information on putting together public information or newcomers nights, consult the Public Information and Professional Outreach Service Manual (#765 in the OA bookstore at bookstore.oa.org).
OA Responsibility Pledge
Always to extend the hand and heart of OA to all who share my compulsion; for this I am responsible.
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
Using Technology without Compromising Traditions
Content
Introduction
What format to use on a website
Mobile technology
How do the Traditions affect what we put on a website?
Unity: deciding on content
Security: inside and outside
Welcome newcomers!
Avoiding endorsement and/or opinions of outside interests
Technical issues
Summary
Introduction
These guidelines have been developed specifically for OA service bodies that wish to use the internet to help inform others about the presence of Overeaters Anonymous in their area. As with most things in Overeaters Anonymous, these are not meant to be “rules.” They are provided to help OA members with specific interests related to developing or maintaining an OA-related website.
What format to use on a website?
Generally, OA-related websites contain information presented in a structured, logical format. The main or “home” page contains general information about OA and the service body sponsoring the website. In addition, it may provide links to any or all of the following:
The sponsoring service body decides what information it wants to provide and maintain. Remember that the more complex a website is, the more difficult it is to maintain and, probably, to navigate. “Keep it simple” applies here.
Mobile technology
Staying relevant and attractive to visitors means enabling them to access your website anywhere, anytime, from any device. Recent statistics from a large city’s OA website indicate that 50 percent of its visitors were using mobile devices. It’s likely that visitors already coming to your website are also on mobile devices.
Service bodies should strongly consider having a mobile-optimized version of their website. A single website can be designed to be mobile-friendly. Or, in more and more cases, a separate but identical website exists that only mobile users are directed to. Often website development software includes an option to include a mobile version of the website.
How do the Traditions affect what we put on a website?
Our Eleventh Tradition states: “We need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, films, television and other public media of communication.” The internet is one of those “other public media of communication,” and we must be aware of all Tradition issues related to this medium. No matter how modest a website may be, its audience is potentially large and diverse. Unlike other public information efforts, once it is published, a website is accessible by anyone and everyone. Worldwide.
As an example, in keeping with our Tradition of anonymity at the level of “other media of communication,” it is advisable not to include full names or personal addresses. However, posting the first name (with or without a last initial) and email address (with the member’s consent if it is a personal email account) of a service body’s contact is vital to helping suffering compulsive overeaters find the help they seek in Overeaters Anonymous. For OA’s main website, there is a policy not to use an email address that includes someone’s last name. It might be a good idea to adopt a similar policy. There are several ways to do this. One is to use a service position, for example, secretaryIG or Reg_Treasurer; or a name with initial, for example, maryt or johnt; or something silly, for example, justaboutwonderful.
Unity: deciding on content
Unity is best maintained with broad-based, inclusive information. Remember that, “Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon OA unity” (Tradition One). Keeping the information general allows us to reach as many compulsive overeaters as possible.
No one may republish OA copyrighted material, including on the internet, without permission from the World Service Office. Any registered OA service body may receive permission to publish OA copyrighted literature by completing the Reprint Permission Request form on oa.org. OA material currently published on the OA website is exempt from this policy. All registered service bodies may reprint those pieces without submitting a written request for permission. Additionally, any registered service body may apply for blanket permission to use the OA logo on any of its publications (e.g., flyers, posters, newsletters, meeting lists, websites, stationery, and business cards) for a two-year period (renewable). The OA Logo Permission Request form (PDF or DOCX) is on oa.org.
The service body is responsible for the contents of the website it sponsors.
Security: inside and out
The internet has made getting the OA message out easier. It has also made it easier for malicious actions to take place. Your website, if not protected, is vulnerable to malware, phishing, viruses, spying, and/or hijacking of visitor information.
Website visitors these days are more tech-savvy than in the past and are generally aware of the potential security risks of visiting any website, OA-related or otherwise. They also likely use antivirus software that not only warns them of a potential threat but can also report your website as unsafe.
If you haven’t done so already (or recently), it’s a good idea to review your website’s security and take necessary action to assure visitors that it has all the proper security systems in place to ensure the safety of their visit.
Administratively, make sure that at least two service body board members know the website’s passwords. Use strong passwords; “serenity” is not a good password for a Twelve Step organization. It is recommended that passwords are at least sixteen characters and contain a combination of numbers, symbols, and upper- and lowercase letters. Change the passwords at least annually or when you have a rotation of service with password-holders.
Protect against the change of status of the person with website responsibility by having more than one person with information about the process. If you use an outside resource for your website, make sure that your group is listed as the owner of the website’s hosting account, domain name, and any other assets. Generally a specific person is listed, so when that person rotates out of service, make sure the contact details are changed with the vendors your service body uses.
Welcome newcomers!
Websites have little time to keep a visitor’s attention. Most often a newcomer will visit your website looking for something specific, perhaps a meeting nearby or someone to speak with. Make newcomer information easy to find by creating a clear path.
Include an obvious newcomer field on your home page.
Make the newcomer message inviting.
Create a separate newcomer page.
Include OA-approved content that is already available.
Include links to stories of recovery. These can include reprints from Lifeline, local stories of recovery, “Welcome Home,” and reprints from local and region newsletters.
Provide a current meeting list (or link) within the newcomer page.
With permission from the World Service Office (WSO), include reprinted excerpts from OA publications. For more information, see above or the Copy Requests page on the OA website.
Provide easy-to-find contact information, including telephone numbers, emails, and postal addresses.
Avoiding endorsement and/or opinions of outside interests
As stated in the Tenth Tradition: “Overeaters Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues.” This consideration is clear when we look at websites developed and maintained by non-OA organizations. When a visitor sees a link on those webpages, it’s as if the website’s owner is saying, “This is a website I think well of. This page can provide you with information you may want to know.” It is an unspoken endorsement of the linked-to site. OA does not endorse, so OA-related websites do not link with websites not affiliated with OA.
Summary
General things to remember:
Design the website with newcomers in mind.
Keep content current, especially meeting lists.
When using OA copyrighted material or the OA logo, use the permission forms on oa.org.
Link only to websites sponsored by Overeaters Anonymous service bodies or the WSO (oa.org).
After your website is developed, send the URL (website address) to the WSO.
As a courtesy, send copies of your website publications (e.g., newsletters, flyers, etc.) to your region office and/or region trustee on a regular basis.
Create a website technical information document within the service body that includes login and passwords, vendor identification, process instructions, and other important information.
OA Responsibility Pledge
Always to extend the hand and heart of OA to all who share my compulsion; for this I am responsible
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.”
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?
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?
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?
Does our group meeting format use the Unity with Diversity statement included in OA’s current Suggested Meeting Format?
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?
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?
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?
Do we emphasize all three aspects of recovery (spiritual, emotional, and physical) equally, or do we focus only on one or two?
Does our OA literature table stock items that highlight our common solution through diversity, such as:
How do we reflect diversity when we conduct business meetings, elect trusted servants, or choose speakers and workshop leaders?
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?
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?
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.
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 group secretary is a link in a chain that disseminates important information in two ways: from the World Service Office to group members and from the group to the World Service Office.
Sending current group information or changes to the World Service Office is a job that usually falls onto the broad shoulders of the group secretary. The secretary also has the responsibility to distribute information from the World Service Office and service body, such as newsletters, surveys, and other mail, to members of the group.
Has this two-way flow of information been running smoothly in your group? If not, the place to start is to make sure your meeting is registered correctly with the World Service Office. These are some important points to remember when registering or making changes:
Use the Group Registration/Change form to make any changes to your group information. On the OA website, click on Edit a Meeting to make changes to your meeting. Contact the World Service Office if you have any questions.
When your group chooses to affiliate with an intergroup or national service board, include the intergroup’s/national service board’s number or at least the correct name of the intergroup/national service board.
With ANY change it is important to give complete information. The critical areas to complete are those marked “*required.” Make sure all information is accurate, and check that apartment numbers are included, as these are often overlooked.
Use your group number on all correspondence to the World Service Office. Once a group is registered, its group number will remain the same, regardless of changes to the meeting information.
Update the World Service Office with meeting detail changes as soon as you can, no matter how small the change. It is the group’s responsibility to do this. Some groups assume the intergroup/national service board will pass changes on to the World Service Office, and this is not always the case.
The group secretary can work with other members to make sure pertinent OA information reaches everyone. For instance, the secretary can make sure someone reviews OA News from the OA website and makes it available to members in the meeting. A group may also receive mailings from the intergroup/national service board with information that needs to be distributed. Each OA group should be sure the secretary receives adequate help and materials to do their job. The smooth flow of information between the World Service Office and the group depends on the secretary.
Other tasks of group secretaries are outlined in the OA Handbook for Members, Groups, and Service Bodies. The secretary’s tasks may include presiding at group conscience and/or steering committee meetings or seeing that the meeting place is ready each week.
If you have any questions about registering or recording changes for your group, please call, write, or send an email to the World Service Office’s group registration coordinator (info@oa.org). We are interested in hearing your ideas on how we might improve the group registration process and on group registrations in general.
Revised March 2023
Starting an OA meeting in your area is easy.
The World Service Office is here to support you in your efforts to carry the message of hope and recovery. This form of service will add to your own program of recovery! All you need is a desire to stop eating compulsively and the willingness to start the meeting.
Order the “Starter Kit”, item #730 at US$20 (plus shipping and handling).
It contains items to help get your meeting off to a good start. The kit also includes Where Do I Start? and the Suggested Meeting Format. You will also receive a sampling of our pamphlets. (Note: Your service body may offer these materials for a lower cost.)
Purchase the OA Handbook for Members, Groups, and Service Bodies, item #120 at US$13 (plus shipping and handling).
The OA Handbook will come in handy with ideas for spreading the news in your community about the meeting and as a guide to your group as it grows. The OA Handbook is also available in e-book format. Visit bookstore.oa.org for more information.
Find a meeting space.
Be sure to check out churches, community centers, schools, and libraries, as well as the hospitals. Each group ought to be self supporting, so be sure that your group considers a donation, should the facility you choose not charge you rent. For virtual meetings, there are many audio and video conferencing platforms that offer services for free or at a nominal fee.
We suggest you do this as soon as you start your meeting so it can be listed in our Find a Meeting database and people searching for a meeting in your area can find you. Please be sure to keep the World Service Office informed of any changes that occur regarding your meeting. Contact name (first name only) and phone number are important. This is how the newcomer or traveling member gets more information about the meeting. Each meeting must have a contact name and number. If there is no one in your group who wants to be listed as the contact, you can use the intergroup or service board name and number should you choose to affiliate with one.
We strongly suggest that your group affiliate with an intergroup or national service board.
An intergroup/national service board is made up of several groups in a locality or a virtual community. Its purpose is to serve and represent the groups of which they are composed and act as the guardian of the Twelve Steps, Twelve Traditions, and Twelve Concepts of OA Service. Affiliation gives the group access to this support. At some point, your group will need an intergroup/national service board representative to attend the intergroup/national service board meetings and be part of the OA community in your area. The intergroup/national service board can be helpful in supporting your meeting during this initial phase of your development. Please contact the World Service Office if you need assistance in locating an intergroup or national service board.
Check out other meetings!
If there are no OA meetings in your area and you are not very familiar with OA, you might want to consider taking a “field trip” with some other potential members to visit the meetings outside your area that are more established. It can be great fun traveling with a carload of compulsive overeaters and great for your recovery. It is also helpful for the groups that you visit. They may want to return the favor and bring members to your meeting once your group has started.
Get the word out!
A good idea is to investigate the Public Information and Professional Outreach Service Manual in the future. Its focus is on carrying the message in your community and offers several helpful suggestions and examples. It is item #765 and sells for US$20.
You are welcome to contact us at any time at info@oa.org or 1-505-891-2664. Thank you for carrying the message of recovery.
Our OA Responsibility Pledge states:
“Always to extend the hand and heart of OA to all who share my compulsion; for this I am responsible.”
Where are the people who were at your first meeting? How many of them are still coming to OA? There are many things that each of us and our groups can do to keep people coming back. In an effort to extend the hand and heart to those who share our compulsion, we offer the following suggestions for membership retention.
Welcome newcomers to your meetings. Have volunteers telephone newcomers to answer any questions they may have.
Hold newcomers’ meetings.
Start and support a recovery from relapse meeting based on the meeting format available in the Twelfth-Step-Within Handbook, p. 9, and as a free download on oa.org.
Have a regular group conscience meeting.
Have the service body sponsor a Service, Traditions, and Concepts Workshop.
Encourage your service body to regularly distribute a newsletter to keep all groups informed about area events.
Start and end your regular group meetings on time. Meet on holidays, too! Our disease never takes a holiday!
Have volunteers telephone, email, or text members who haven’t been at the meeting for a while. Build a network of support.
Create a phone chain for the entire group, especially during the holidays; put all members’ names in a hat and have each person draw one name to call.
Provide service opportunities that have no abstinence requirement at the group level so everyone can benefit from doing service!
Rotate service positions, no matter what.
List all meetings in both large and small local newspapers.
Encourage members to post information cards about meetings in grocery stores, libraries, and other public places.
Share that sponsoring and doing service are rewarding and exciting ways to benefit your recovery.
Hold sponsorship workshops so members aren’t afraid to sponsor.
Reach out to help a group member in trouble; remember-relapse is not contagious. Recovery is!
Work together to reach common goals.
Let go of expectations of yourself and others.
Most of all, do it with love and KEEP COMING BACK, NO MATTER WHAT!
These suggestions are not intended to be all-inclusive. We can take many other positive actions in order to encourage members to keep coming back. Share what works, and what doesn’t, with your fellow OA members around the world through OA newsletters, letters to your region or WSO, and Convention!
OA is a Fellowship in which thousands of compulsive overeaters find and share recovery. It is a program of attraction and a positive way of living. Together, we can recover, and together it works when we all keep coming back!
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
Purpose of participating
An OA display at a local health fair is an excellent way of doing Twelfth Step outreach work.
Funding
In addition to funding through your service body, funding may be available through your region, or in cooperation with other local service bodies. The Reduced Cost Literature program can assist groups and service bodies purchasing bulk literature for public information and outreach projects. For an application, go to oa.org/document-library and search under “Public Information” category.
How to locate health fairs in your area
Your group’s or service body’s public information committee may already have a list of contacts, which can be a great starting point in finding local health fairs. Other great resources are the internet, newspapers, and local community news, television, or radio programs. Search for online community calendars or health-related resources. If you find out about an event too late to participate, ask to be added to the notification list for next year’s event.
Preparation and planning
(about three to four months prior)
Form a committee and choose a chair
Encourage participation within your service body at meetings or through the service body’s newsletter. Describe specific tasks and the time commitment needed to accomplish them.
Questions to ask the fair organizers
What are the days and times of setup, operation, and breakdown?
Are there any fees? Ask about not-for-profit rates. If participation is cost prohibitive, ask the organizers if your group or service body can place OA information, such as business cards or flyers with contact information and meeting times, on a table at the event.
What is the event’s projected attendance?
Who else will be exhibiting?
Will other Twelve Step programs be participating?
Can your group or service body be located near them? Will there be a speaker on compulsive eating?
Can you hold an open OA meeting at the site?
Are there size limits or special requirements for the display?
Will rental tables or chairs be available?
Will an electrical outlet, if needed, be accessible near the booth?
Will a copy machine be available if needed?
Materials
(about two to three months prior)
Prepare the display
Your service body might own a professional exhibit booth. If not, use a table and chairs. Create a display using the Public Information Posters (available for free download at oa.org/document-library; “PI Posters”) and a selection of OA-approved literature (see below). Consider a professionally made banner, which can be used again. To use the Overeaters Anonymous logo, request permission from the World Service Office using the OA Logo Permission Request Form found on oa.org. (Go to oa.org/document-library; “Copyright.”) One way to appear professional is to avoid a cluttered look.
Stocking the booth
To prepare, use this list of supplies you may need.
extension cord
tape
markers
scissors
glue
rubber bands
stapler and staples
paper clips
volunteer badges
correction fluid/tape
pens and/or pencils
camera or mobile device to take photos of your booth and/or the event for your website or newsletter. (Remember not to photograph faces or distinguishing features in order to protect members’ and visitors’ anonymity.)
clipboards and notepaper
Literature
Only OA Conference- or board-approved literature should be offered. (See the OA-Approved Literature List. Bring enough so that people may take some. To avoid clutter, store extra literature under the table. The literature suggested below is high in newcomer interest and low in cost. It’s available from the OA bookstore at bookstore.oa.org.
Booth volunteers should be chosen carefully. They will be representing the OA program and should demonstrate recovery on all three levels: emotional, spiritual, and physical. You may wish to have abstinence requirements. It is highly recommended that booth volunteers have at least one year of current abstinence and are maintaining a healthy body weight. Look for members who have suffered from different symptoms of the disease.
Make sure volunteers know their areas of responsibility
Responsibilities include setup, breakdown, general staffing, backup, etc. Arrange the schedule so that two volunteers are working the booth at all times in case one has to leave temporarily. Shifts no longer than three hours, with two hours being optimum, are suggested. Make sure all volunteers are comfortable with the fact that they’ll be seen by the general public, who may ask them about their OA membership or may assume it. Call volunteers again one month before the fair and again one week before the fair to confirm their participation. Give copies of Guidelines for Health Fair Participation to all volunteers.
Day of fair
Setting up
Do this as early as possible. It’s easiest to have those who put up the display and lay out the literature to take the first shift.
Demeanor while working the table or booth
Be friendly, but don’t push information or literature. Sit back from the table—this allows people to feel free to take material without feeling intimidated. Look alert and interested, letting people know you’re ready to speak with them if they wish. Be careful about socializing with others staffing the booth; if you appear too “busy,” attendees may be hesitant to approach. When speaking with them, make eye contact. Remember that this is a program of attraction, not promotion (Tradition Eleven). There should be no eating, drinking, or smoking at the booth. Dress neatly and appropriately. Record the number of visitors to your table.
Answering questions
Telling people that OA is “a Twelve Step program patterned after Alcoholics Anonymous” will answer a great many questions. Keep in mind that you’re not expected to be an expert on compulsive overeating. You may, however, share your experience, strength, and hope; you might wish to bring your “before” pictures. If you give an opinion, make it clear that it is your opinion and not representative of OA as a whole.
Give people literature and meeting lists. Be sure to mention that if they have any questions, they are welcome to call the contact numbers on the meeting list or visit oa.org.
Follow-up
Send thank-you notes to the fair organizers
Ask them to put your group or service body on the mailing list for next year. Have a post-fair evaluation meeting with the volunteers to discuss how it went and collect suggestions for next time.
For more information
For more information about doing health fairs or other public information work, consult the Public Information and Professional Outreach Service Manual (#765), available from the OA bookstore at bookstore.oa.org.
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
