Fellowship Better Defined After reading about the new definitions for “abstinence” and “recovery” approved by the World Service Business Conference 2019, I had a couple of questions: 1) What were the original definitions? 2) What were the reasons for changing the definitions? The 1988 WSBC approved this first Statement on Abstinence and Recovery: “According to the dictionary, the word ‘abstain’ means to refrain … Read More
Ask-It Basket 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
Fellowship Recovery A Little Food Plan History Q. When did OA stop publishing gray and orange sheet pamphlets? A. At the 1987 World Service Business Conference, a new policy statement was adopted, after which the gray and orange sheet food plans were removed from publication. The policy was amended and then rescinded but last read: “The OA 1997 World Service Business Conference, after careful consideration, believes that … Read More
Ask-It Basket 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 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