Business Conference Policy Manual

A Summary of Continuing Effect Motions 1962–2023

Introduction

It is noted that all motions appearing in this summary were adopted by the group conscience of the World Service Business Conference of Overeaters Anonymous. Furthermore, until changed, these motions set self-imposed limits on the Fellowship. According to the Bylaws of Overeaters Anonymous, Inc., Subpart B, Article VIII, Section 1a) which states:

“… The Conference shall serve as the collective conscience of the Fellowship of Overeaters Anonymous as a whole…”

Continuing Effect Motions

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1977b
It was adopted to:
Adopt a responsibility pledge: Always to extend the hand and heart of OA to all who share my compulsion; for this I am responsible.

1978   Amended 2023.
It was adopted that:
Service bodies may obtain permission to translate and/or publish or republish OA literature, including translated literature, through the established licensing process. Published translated literature shall conform to existing OA-approved literature.

1979c   Amended 1989.
It was adopted that:
The treasurer’s report be prepared and sent out to delegates prior to the Business Conference to allow each person time to study, assimilate, and prepare any questions they might have for the Board of Trustees.

1979e   Amended 1989, 2001, 2012, 2016, and 2023.
It was adopted:
To ensure personal anonymity be maintained, the online version of the Final World Service Business Conference Report will only include first names and last initials in minutes and reports. The contact section of the report, which includes names, phone numbers, and email addresses of delegates will be emailed to all service bodies and delegates following Conference. “For Use Within OA Only” will appear at the top of this list.

1980b   Amended 2013.
An anonymity statement was adopted:
Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of our program, always ensuring principles before personalities. This means that OA itself is not anonymous, but its members are. There are no exceptions. While OA may be publicized, we do not break our individual anonymity at the level of press, radio, films, television, and all public media of communication; and the recognizable facial exposure of persons identifying as OA members at the level of press, films, television, and all public media of communication is a violation of our tradition of anonymity, even though the first name only is given or the entire name is withheld.

1980c   Amended 2002 and 2013.
It was adopted that:
All OA events sponsored by registered OA groups and service bodies referenced in Bylaws, Subpart B, provided they uphold the Twelve Traditions, be placed in the World Service Office calendar upon request of the sponsoring body.

1980d
It was adopted that:
A Conference committee member can petition the Board of Trustees to consider by a two-thirds vote of the Board of Trustees to remove a nonfunctioning chairman of a specific Conference committee. The vice chairman will then assume the chairmanship.

1982c   Amended 1989, 2018, and 2023.
Group (meeting) definitions of Overeaters Anonymous are as follows:
Meeting with Visitors (Open): Open to everyone. All meetings are considered open to visitors unless otherwise indicated.

Meeting without Visitors (Closed): Open to those who desire to stop eating compulsively. (This includes newcomers, OA members, and others who think they have a problem with food.)

Specific-Focus Meeting: Designed for individuals who may feel they can more readily identify with fellow members of Overeaters Anonymous with similar attributes. For a full list, see the oa.org Find a Meeting page. All OA members are welcome at these meetings.

Specific-Topic Meeting: Designed for a specific subject matter or format. For a full list, see the oa.org Find a Meeting page. All OA members are welcome at these meetings.

1982e
It was adopted that:
Through announcements in Lifeline and A Step Ahead the Fellowship be invited to attend and observe the Board of Trustees’ meetings held prior to the annual Business Conference and Convention. The board is to make available sufficient facilities to accommodate all who choose to attend.

1983   Amended 1989.
After a presentation/discussion on requirements other than the Twelve Steps, the following statement was adopted:
Overeaters Anonymous respects the autonomy of each OA group. We do suggest, however, that any OA group which imposes a special purpose, task, or guideline should inform its members that this special purpose, task, or guideline does not represent OA as a whole. The only requirement for membership is the desire to stop eating compulsively. Anyone who says they are a member is a member. We of Overeaters Anonymous welcome all members with open arms.

1984a   Amended 1990, 2013 and 2015.
Upon the recommendation of the Literature Committee, a preamble for Overeaters Anonymous was adopted to read:
Overeaters Anonymous is a Fellowship of individuals who, through shared experience, strength, and hope, are recovering from compulsive overeating. We welcome everyone who wants to stop eating compulsively. There are no dues or fees for members; we are self-supporting through our own contributions, neither soliciting nor accepting outside donations. OA is not affiliated with any public or private organization, political movement, ideology, or religious doctrine; we take no position on outside issues. Our primary purpose is to abstain from compulsive eating and compulsive food behaviors and to carry the message of recovery through the Twelve Steps of OA to those who still suffer.

1984b   Amended 1993 and 2001.
It was adopted that:
The World Service Convention will be held at a time and place to be determined by the Board of Trustees.

1984c
It was adopted that:
Business Conference committees not raise or maintain funds.

1984d   Amended 2013 and 2014.
The following procedure for Business Conference presentations/discussions was adopted:

1. Items for presentations/discussions at the annual Business Conference are selected by the board from those recommended by the Conference Planning Committee. Selections for topics are made from recurring problems, topics of major interest, and topics requested by the Fellowship.
2. Service bodies who propose presentation/discussion topics will be sent a letter stating how topics are chosen and that their recommendation has been referred to the Conference Planning Committee for consideration.

1984e   Amended 2014.
After a presentation/discussion, a statement on the sale of merchandise was adopted:
It is the will of the Business Conference that sale of merchandise, per se, is not prohibited by the Traditions. With regard to sale of merchandise, “Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or OA as a whole.” If you choose to sell merchandise, the following guidelines are suggested:

1. All sales be made by and for OA service bodies.
2. Each sale item be approved by group conscience.
3. Sales at OA events and functions should be conducted in such a manner so as not to divert or distract from our primary purpose to carry the message to the compulsive overeater who still suffers.

In accordance with our Traditions, each group and OA service body may choose to sell or not sell merchandise as they determine. Overeaters Anonymous must be ever mindful of our Traditions, which warn against endorsement of outside enterprise.

1985   Amended 1993 and 2017.
Upon the recommendation of the Literature Committee, the following revised procedure for granting the Conference Seal of Approval was adopted:
The Conference-approved seal that appears on the back of our literature means that the material has broad application to the Fellowship as a whole and is intended primarily to distinguish OA literature, not to censor other literature.

The Board of Trustees oversees the production of literature at the world service level. The Conference Seal of Approval shall be granted to OA literature upon receiving a two-thirds vote from the delegates present and voting at the annual World Service Business Conference.

All refining will be processed by the Conference-Approved Literature Committee, Board-Approved Literature Committee, and the Board of Trustees, according to their procedures, prior to recommending any literature for approval of the delegates.

Prior to the Business Conference, pamphlets and books that are recommended for the Conference Seal of Approval will be posted online as downloadable files. At the Business Conference, delegates will vote either to approve or reject, rather than to edit or refine the material.

(Note: Originally adopted in 1976; revised 1980, 1985, 1993 and 2017)

1986b
It was adopted that:
The annual World Service Business Conference Delegate Binders include a copy of the current fiscal year budget as adopted by the Board of Trustees.

1987c
It was adopted that:
All policies adopted by the Business Conference shall be placed in a document entitled Business Conference Policy Manual which shall be distributed to world service delegates as part of pre-Conference delegate materials and also updated and included in all final World Service Business Conference reports.

1988a   Amended 1989, 1992, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2010, 2014 and 2018.
It was adopted that:

1. Functioning
   Service bodies may join together in order to help carry the message of OA recovery, providing they adhere to the Traditions and the Overeaters Anonymous policies for the use of OA-approved literature and print material.
2. Business Conference Delegates
   1. In addition to the requirements set out in Article VIII, Section 3c) of the Bylaws, Subpart B, it is suggested the delegates should be selected for judgment, experience, stability, willingness, and for faithful adherence to living within the concepts of the Twelve Steps, Twelve Traditions, and Twelve Concepts of Overeaters Anonymous. It is further suggested a world service delegate be a current or past regional representative.
   2. As participants, delegates shall not be bound by the wishes of their service bodies, but should not vote against these wishes unless situations arise at the Business Conference that make it necessary for the best interests of Overeaters Anonymous as a whole.

1988b   Amended 2002, 2009, 2011, 2019, and 2021.
The following policy statement was adopted:
The World Service Business Conference 2021 accepts the following definitions:

Abstinence is the action of refraining from compulsive eating and compulsive food behaviors while working towards or maintaining a healthy body weight.

Spiritual, emotional, and physical recovery is the result of living and working the Overeaters Anonymous Twelve Step program on a daily basis.

1989a
It was adopted that:
In order to reaffirm the special relationship between OA and O-Anon and in keeping with the spirit of Tradition Ten — cooperation without affiliation — the following be adopted:

Overeaters Anonymous, Inc. recognizes the special relationship we enjoy with O-Anon groups, a separate but similar fellowship. OA wishes to recognize the contribution O-Anon has made and is making to friends and families of compulsive overeaters.

It is the desire of the Conference to affirm the relationship between OA and O-Anon, and it is also the desire of the Conference to acknowledge OA’s appreciation for O-Anon groups.

1990   Amended 2011 and 2014.
It was adopted that:
The World Service Business Conference of Overeaters Anonymous suggests that individual groups and service bodies refrain from publishing the names or non-OA titles of speakers/leaders at OA functions in any informational materials (flyers, newsletters, etc.). OA service titles (but not names) may be used when a speaker/leader is performing the service responsibility of his or her OA office.

1991a   Amended 2003, 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2022.
It was adopted that:

1. The Conference committees listed in Subpart B, Article IX of the Overeaters Anonymous, Inc. Bylaws should confer with the corresponding board committees.
2. Committee membership will be limited to a delegate cochair, a trustee cochair, and an equal percentage of the year’s registered delegates (with exception listed in 1991a 6). Each committee will include delegates from across the regions, whenever possible. Additionally, a combination of up to six former trustees, current trustees, and nondelegate members may be appointed to participate in the work of the committee during the year.
3. Cochairs consisting of a Conference delegate (elected by committee members at World Service Business Conference) and a trustee (appointed by the chair of the Board of Trustees) will coordinate the efforts of the committee. The Conference delegate cochair will preside over the committee meetings at World Service Business Conference and throughout the following year. The trustee cochair will act as liaison between the committee and the Board of Trustees and will report to the Board of Trustees regarding committee activities.
4. Committee members not responding to two consecutive mailings of the committee which require answers will not receive future mailings unless the member has notified one of the cochairs of a reason for a temporary absence from committee work.
5. The committee meetings at World Service Business Conference will be open; however, only committee members will have a voice and vote.
6. Delegates should be registered by March 1 and have submitted a committee preference form by April 1. Committee assignment is made on a first come, first served basis except the Conference-Approved Literature Committee and the Reference Subcommittee (OA, Inc. Bylaws, Subpart B, Article IX, Sections 1 and 2). Delegates will be notified of their committee assignment at or prior to World Service Business Conference. Service on a committee is expected and the commitment is maintained until the following World Service Business Conference. It is recommended that those serving at the world service level rotate committee assignments every two years.

1991c   Amended 2018.
It was adopted that:
The terms “compulsive overeater, compulsive eater” and “compulsive eating, compulsive overeating” be used interchangeably in OA literature, as determined to be appropriate to the topic and context by the Literature Committee during the regular literature writing, editing, and approval process.

1992a   Amended 2013, 2021, and 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.

1992c   Amended 2002 and 2016.
It was adopted that:
AA literature sold by the OA World Service Office shall be available for purchase at all World Service Conventions.

1993a
It was adopted that:
We, the 1993 Business Conference of Overeaters Anonymous, suggest that OA meetings and events be closed with one of the following: the Serenity Prayer, the Seventh-Step Prayer, the Third-Step Prayer, or the OA Promise I Put My Hand in Yours.

1993b   Amended 2010.
It was adopted that:
It is the group conscience of the 1993 World Service Business Conference that the sale or display of literature other than OA-approved literature and AA conference-approved literature (as described in World Service Business Conference Policy 2010a) is an implied endorsement of outside enterprises, and therefore in violation with Tradition Six.

1993c   Amended 1994, 2001, 2002, 2012, 2014, and 2023.
It was adopted that:
The World Service Office shall contact all service bodies annually requesting contributions for the Delegate Support Fund to help delegates to attend World Service Business Conferences. Delegates selected to receive funding will be those from intergroups and service boards demonstrating need. Priority will be given to those intergroups and service boards that have not previously sent delegates to Conference.

1994a   (updated 2013 due to amended 1984a)
The following policy statement was adopted:
Our primary purpose in Overeaters Anonymous is to abstain from compulsive eating and to carry the message of recovery through the Twelve Steps of OA to those who still suffer. Other addictions and problems may have contributed to the intensity of our disease; however, OA is not directly concerned with recovery from these issues. They should be shared in OA meetings only as they relate to compulsive eating. It is in our best interest to concentrate on our primary purpose and not be distracted by focusing on issues such as alcoholism, codependency, abuse, or the treatment thereof. These and similar outside issues should be addressed in other programs or with professionals.

1994b   Amended 2008 and 2023.
It was adopted that:
Overeaters Anonymous recognizes the existence of specific-focus meetings comprised of persons with similar attributes. For a list of these meetings, see the oa.org Find a Meeting page. According to the Traditions, bylaws, and policies of OA, the only requirement for membership is a 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 a desire to stop eating compulsively.

1996a   Amended 1999 and 2014.
It was adopted that:
The 2014 World Service Business Conference of OA suggests OA’s Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions be read at every meeting. In addition, we suggest all service bodies and the World Service Business Conference read the Twelve Concepts of OA Service.

2000a   Amended 2005.
It was adopted that:
No OA members shall be prevented from attending, sharing, leading, and/or serving as a speaker at an OA meeting due to choice of food plan. Groups sharing food plan information must adhere to OA’s policies on outside literature, as well as copyright law.

2000b
It was adopted that:
Terms used in the bylaws and policies that refer to communications, including report(s), response(s), document(s), and notice(s), shall be understood to include suitable electronic transmissions. The term “postmark” includes appropriate electronic date/time stamping.

2001   Amended 2023.
It was adopted that:
There will continue to be a delegate registration fee adjusted as deemed necessary by the Board of Trustees. A portion of this fee is nonrefundable based on cost.

2003   Amended 2014.
It was adopted:
To ensure the personal anonymity of members, an encryption program will be maintained to allow for secure transmission of all meeting information submitted via the OA website.

2004b   Amended 2009, 2014 and 2018.
It was adopted that:
Appeals process for service bodies denied credentials at World Service Business Conference because they do not meet the requirements of OA, Inc. Bylaws, Subpart B, Article VIII, Section 3c – Qualifications/Selection.

1. The World Service Office shall notify the service body of any challenges to delegate credentials within seven days of receipt of delegate information by the World Service Office.
2. The service body shall notify the World Service Office if it wishes to appeal denial of delegate credentials within fourteen days of this notification.
3. The Appeals Review Committee shall be composed of two members of the Board of Trustees (the Board of Trustees chair and one other trustee), two region chairs, and two representatives of the region bringing the appeal. It will be chaired by the Board of Trustees chair.
4. The Appeals Review Committee, via electronic communications, will collectively decide the final disposition of each appeal with a deadline of one month prior to the first session of the upcoming World Service Business Conference.

2005a   Amended 2016.
It was adopted that:
Business Conference policies that have been completed or the purpose of which have been served and are no longer required shall be presented by the Bylaws trustee cochair to the Board of Trustees for consideration of removal at the next Business Conference.

2005c   Amended 2017.
It was adopted to:
Combine World Service Business Conference Policies 1987d, 1988c, and 1999b to read: The World Service Business Conference adopts as policy the following procedures for the submission and consideration of all a) New Business Motions, b) policy motions, and c) Bylaw Amendments to Subpart B of the Overeaters Anonymous, Inc. Bylaws.

1. All submissions of proposed New Business Motions, policy motions, and/or amendments to Subpart B of the Overeaters Anonymous, Inc. Bylaws shall include a) a statement of intent; b) a statement of the procedures necessary for the implementation of the proposal (if necessary); c) a statement of estimated cost associated with the proposal; d) a history of related new business items or Bylaw Amendments that were voted upon by the World Service Business Conference in the past five years and the results of those votes; e) up to one page of arguments in favor of each new business item or Bylaw Amendment submitted by the maker of the motion at the time of submission; and f) an explanation of how this motion will help carry the message of recovery to those who still suffer.
2. The Conference Agenda Questionnaire include all proposed new business, policy motions, and Bylaw Amendments that have been submitted within the announced postmarked deadline, including those deemed out of order with the exception of those motions and Bylaw Amendments that, based upon opinions from legal counsel, are deemed to be defamatory. Proposals included in the Agenda Questionnaire that are deemed out of order must include within the World Service Business Conference Motions Review Committee Comments an explanation of this determination, and at the end of the Proposed Wording the parenthetical comment “Deemed Out of Order: See World Service Business Conference Motions Review Committee Comments below.” Additionally, the World Service Business Conference Motions Review Committee must also include an explanation of the general nature of the motion or Bylaw Amendment that resulted in it being deemed defamatory by legal counsel and therefore not printed in the Conference Agenda Questionnaire.

2008a   Amended 2019.
It was adopted that:
OA literature may be discontinued, removed, or changed in format for the following reasons:

1. Low Demand. When it is no longer cost-effective to print and maintain inventory of Conference-approved OA literature due to low demand, the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees may decide to move the piece from print to digital form after the depletion of remaining stock.
   1. Pamphlets will be made available for download from the OA website.
   2. The Executive Committee may choose other methods to make low-demand books available.
   3. A copy marked “digital only” with the date the piece was converted to digital only will be maintained in literature archives.
2. Removal of Conference Seal of Approval. World Service Business Conference delegates may remove the Conference Seal of Approval by a two-thirds vote. Sales of such literature will cease immediately. A copy marked “removed” with the date the piece was removed will be maintained in literature archives.
3. Non-Observance of Traditions. If any previously approved literature is found by the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees to violate our Traditions, sales of that literature will cease immediately, and it will not be distributed for any reason. Conference-approved literature determined to violate Traditions will then be submitted to the Conference for removal of the Conference Seal of Approval. A copy marked “removed” with the date the piece was removed will be maintained in literature archives.
4. Discontinued Literature. A copy of literature that is discontinued for any reason other than noncompliance with Traditions will be marked “discontinued” with the date the piece was discontinued and maintained in literature archives.

Notification to the Fellowship shall be through appropriate World Service Office publications.

2008f   Amended 2023.
It was adopted that:
The Overeaters Anonymous World Service Office sell recovery chips marked with years from 1 to 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, and 50.

2010a   Amended 2012 and 2023.
The following policy statement was adopted:
Statement on Approved Literature
In accordance with our Traditions, we suggest that OA groups maintain unity and honor our Traditions by using, selling, and displaying only approved books and pamphlets at their meetings. This includes OA Conference- and board-approved literature; AA Conference-approved books, booklets, and all future editions thereof, with original edition copyright 2010 or earlier; and locally produced OA literature. Although groups may choose to focus on only one piece of OA-approved literature, individuals and groups are encouraged to use any and all OA-approved literature. Locally produced literature must be developed according to the OA Guidelines for Locally Produced Literature, and should be used with the greatest discretion. Local literature should be considered temporary and discontinued when OA literature approved for general use is available to cover the topic.

2010c   Amended 2015.
It was adopted that:
The World Service Business Conference Final Conference Report be made available electronically.

2010d   Amended 2014 and 2021.
It was adopted to:
Establish an OA Young People’s Conference Committee.

2010e   Amended 2014 and 2018.
It was adopted to:
Require all groups and service bodies wishing to register with the WSO to provide at least one email address and name when submitting their registration request. The required email address is for use within the OA organization and will not be published.

2011a   Amended 2016 and 2019.
The following policy statement was adopted:
Statement on Public and Social Media
While Overeaters Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues, including social media, the delegates of the 2019 World Service Business Conference recommend that any OA member, group, or service body using social media for OA public information and public awareness maintain the personal anonymity of OA members.

Members of Overeaters Anonymous are anonymous. The Fellowship is not. Members of Overeaters Anonymous are responsible for maintaining their anonymity and respecting the anonymity of other OA members. When attending an OA meeting, whether face-to-face or virtual, members are encouraged to seek appropriate means to protect their own anonymity and that of fellow members.

All registered virtual meetings shall inform members that their anonymity is not fully protected when attending a virtual meeting.

Find options for protecting anonymity at Guidelines for Anonymity in the Digital World.

2011b
It was adopted to:
Include the Tools of recovery of OA in the Conference Policy Manual.

The following are the Tools of recovery of OA: A Plan of Eating, Sponsorship, Meetings, Telephone, Writing, Literature, Anonymity, Service, and Action Plan.

2011c
It was adopted that:
Overeaters Anonymous Fellowship bestow the title of founder to Rozanne S.

2012a   Amended 2018.
The following policy statement was adopted:
Statement on Creating Service Centers
Service bodies may form service centers to assist them in communicating with the groups and to help carry the message, providing that they adhere to the Traditions, as guided by the Twelve Concepts of OA Service, and adhere to Overeaters Anonymous policies for the use of OA-approved literature and print material.

2012b
The following policy statement was adopted:
Statement on Group Where Access is Restricted
A group which, for compelling reasons over which it has no control, where access is restricted (i.e., national security, military security, ships, military bases, or institutional setting), cannot welcome all who have the desire to stop eating compulsively will be considered to be in compliance with the points defined in Bylaws, Subpart B, Article V, Section 1, if:

1. It has provided the Board of Trustees, in writing, the specific compelling reason.
2. The Board of Trustees specifically approves the exception.

2012c
The following policy statement was adopted:
Statement on Group Liability Insurance
As per OA, Inc. Bylaws, Subpart A, Article III – Members, the legal structure of OA, Inc. does not allow for the provision of liability insurance for OA groups or service bodies.

2012d   Amended 2014.
It was adopted that:
The terms of World Service Business Conference delegates from service bodies shall be limited. After completing four consecutive years, service shall not exceed an additional two years. A one-year rotation out of service shall then be observed. Request for a waiver of this limitation shall be submitted to the Board of Trustees.

2013   Amended 2023.
The following policy statement was adopted:
Statement on Individual Member Donations to the OA World Service Office

1. A member may contribute up to US$7,500 per year to the general fund, up to US$7,500 per year to any special fund, and up to US$7,500 per year to honor the memory of a deceased member.
2. OA, Inc. may accept a bequest from the will of a deceased member in cash or cash equivalent. There is no limit on the amount of such a bequest.

2014b   Amended 2023.
It was adopted that:
Meetings of Delegates
Annual Business Conference

1. Oral committee and workshop reports shall be made on the final day of the Business Conference when time allows. Written reports are due in the World Service Office four weeks following the close of the Business Conference.
2. Special meetings of delegates or committees of delegates during the Business Conference for any purpose or purposes may be called at any time by the chair or by a majority of the trustees and/or delegates.
3. Communications concerning the Business Conference from the trustees and the World Service Office shall be through the registered delegates and service bodies.

2015
It was adopted that:
World Service display the name “Overeaters Anonymous” on all displays, banners, and other signage at its events. This does not apply to badges.

2017b
The following policy statement was adopted:
Overeaters Anonymous will establish a special fund to assist in translating OA literature, forms, correspondence, website, and other materials to languages other than English. Money contributed to this fund is in addition to the International Publications/Translations Committee’s budget. The Board of Trustees will establish guidelines to allocate the funds.

2018b
The following policy statement was adopted:
In keeping with Tradition Ten, Overeaters Anonymous has no opinion on bariatric (weight-loss) surgery. In the spirit of Tradition Three, Overeaters Anonymous welcomes anyone with a desire to stop eating compulsively, including those who have had bariatric surgery or are contemplating it.

2019a   Amended 2021.
It was adopted that:
The term hybrid is used to describe a group composed of members attending a single meeting where all can hear and share but may be present either in the same physical location (face-to-face) or through some form of electronic device (virtual).

A hybrid group may register only once and is assigned one group number but may appear on oa.org in both the face-to-face listing and the virtual listing and will clearly indicate that they are a hybrid meeting.

2019b   Amended 2023.
It was adopted to:
Apply for and, if approved, accept non-profit status from Google.

2019c   Amended 2021 and 2023.
The following policy statement was adopted:
The World Service Business Conference established the following annual events.

OA Birthday: The third full weekend (Friday included) of January as the annual celebration of the January 19, 1960 founding of Overeaters Anonymous.

Unity Day: The last Saturday in February in even years and the last Sunday in February in odd years at 11:30 a.m. local time.

Sponsorship Day: The third full weekend (Friday included) in August.

International Day Experiencing Abstinence (IDEA): The third full weekend (Friday included) in November.

Twelfth Step Within Day: December 12 (12/12) each year be designated as OA’s International Twelfth Step Within Day, the purpose of which will be to encourage OA service bodies, meetings, and individual members to reach out to those within the Fellowship who are still suffering from compulsive eating behaviors.

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.

2022a
It was adopted that:
The OA Responsibility Pledge be included in/on all published OA literature, social media, newsletters, and bulletins maintained by the World Service Office except where space is prohibitive in a printed document. The World Service Business Conference further suggests that all OA registered service bodies use the OA Responsibility Pledge on all OA locally produced literature.

2022b
It was adopted to:
Create a policy that OA makes a Portable Document Format of the board-approved newcomer-oriented pamphlet, Where Do I Start?, available to anyone to download and print.

2023a
It was adopted that:
All official documents and communications issued at the World Service level will avoid, wherever possible, the use of acronyms and abbreviations. The acronym for Overeaters Anonymous, “OA”, and literature will be exempt from this policy.

2023b
The following policy statement was adopted:
Public Communications Policy
It is proposed that Overeaters Anonymous adopt a Public Communications Policy. The purpose of the public communications policy is to assist Overeaters Anonymous to continue to grow the Fellowship and to carry its message to the compulsive eater who still suffers.

We fulfill our primary purpose most effectively by attraction and cooperation—not promotion or affiliation.

Overeaters Anonymous is attracting when it tells people why we are, what we are, what we do, and how; we let them know that we are available if and when help is needed. We state the facts, which are communicated via all available forms of public media, always stressing personal anonymity at the public level. Overeaters Anonymous is cooperating when it works with others, rather than alone. Working with others broadens our scope and contacts, and we reach more of those in need.

Overeaters Anonymous and registered service bodies may purchase ads or send press releases and public service announcements, including those in relation to special events and promotions, in all forms of public media, provided personal anonymity is maintained for members of Overeaters Anonymous (contact names on media communication can include any special worker associated with public communications, as well as the first names of individual members).

For more information on the implementation of this policy, see Overeaters Anonymous board-approved guidelines.

**END**

Note: The World Service Office shall oversee that the Business Conference minutes are researched annually in order to update this summary with any Business Conference motions which have a continuing effect. This includes new, revised, or rescinded motions adopted by the World Service Business Conference.