Posting Local Podcasts The German Language Service Board would like to upload audio recordings of meeting speakers to our homepage. I know such podcasts already exist on oa.org, so we wanted to learn the procedure. I’m especially interested in whether the contributions are reviewed beforehand and whether any violations of Tradition are removed. I would also like to know if the people who … Read More
Connecting to Recovery Q. How can I feel hopeful about recovery when folks at the meetings I attend have been going to meetings for seven, ten, even twelve years, but still haven’t got thirty days of food sobriety—abstinence—under their belts? I need to see abstinence at work. A. Actually your question feels less like an inquiry, more like an expression of your desire … Read More
Alternative to “Abstinence” I object to the word “abstinence” in the OA pamphlet A Commitment to Abstinence. Alcoholics abstain from booze or they don’t. Overeaters cannot avoid eating (unless they go down the rabbit hole of anorexia or bulimia). I know you justify “abstinence” as refraining from overeating or other eating disorders. It sounds fake to me. Would OA as an organization consider … Read More
Effective Avenues Q. I am a just a member of OA; I hold no special service position. Our face-to-face meetings are floundering with a steady decline in attendance. May I ask for assistance to change this? I know I can place brochures and OA materials out in the community as long as our Tradition of anonymity is not broken. Would it be … Read More
Ask-It Basket Q: Since sponsors are one of the strengths of our program, why is there not a Sponsor Appreciation Day? A: Sponsors give endlessly and deserve their own day of thanks. I agree with you that sponsors are one of the strengths of this program. I can’t work the program without one, and I am very grateful for my sponsor. The … Read More
Donations Recently, someone made a sizable donation to our intergroup and specified that the money go toward a public information campaign we are doing—bus ads. My question is: Should we have a policy on directed contributions? Our intergroup did not announce a fundraising drive for the bus ads. The person making the donation just decided to help pay for them. I … Read More
What is the source of the OA Promise? I haven’t been able to find it in the OA Twelve and Twelve or Overeaters Anonymous, Third Edition. The OA Promise, which begins “I put my hand in yours,” first appeared in 1968 in the booklet titled I Put My Hand in Yours. Written during a time of intense growth in the Fellowship, the booklet was essentially the first OA … Read More
