Types of Meetings
NOTE TO LEADERS: The following section does not need to be read aloud at each meeting, but you may wish to read the definition of the chosen meeting format that is being conducted.
Some meetings may choose to be a specific kind of meeting each week to delve more deeply into various aspects of our program. Some examples might be:
- STEP & TRADITION MEETINGS: This is a Step/Tradition Meeting! We are reading Step/Tradition ________. Members will take turns reading a paragraph from The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Overeaters Anonymous. Each member is given the opportunity to in between each paragraph. If you do not wish to share, please pass.
- TOPIC MEETINGS: This is a Topic Meeting! Today’s OA program topic is __________. [insert one or more topics] Members are invited to share for three to five minutes on the topic[s].
- SPEAKER MEETINGS: This is a Speaker Meeting! The speaker[s] describes his/her story for about twenty minutes and shares their experience, strength, and hope. Members are invited to share for three to five minutes.
- LITERATURE MEETINGS: This is a Literature Meeting! Today we are reading __________.” Members may read and share between paragraphs or read the entire text, and then take turns to share at the end. Please choose from any OA-approved literature:
Please remember that when we read Alcoholics Anonymous literature aloud in a group, we read it exactly as written. When reading it silently, many of us find that we can identify more easily by substituting words such as ‘compulsive eating’ for ‘alcoholism,’ and ‘food’ or ‘binge food’ for ‘alcohol.’
- DAILY READER MEETING: This is a Daily Reader Meeting! Today we are reading today’s entry in the following daily readers. Please open your {Daily Reader} to page # ________ on { _____________date} to read along. May I have a volunteer to read this passage? Following each reading, we will open the room to shares:
- FOR TODAY
- VOICES OF RECOVERY
- BIRTHDAY MEETINGS: This is a Birthday Meeting! As we celebrate _________________’s ___________ milestone in the program! This is an OPEN meeting, and truly welcomes their friends and family to join in this celebration! We have a number of speakers and readings set up to share their experience, strength, and hope. If time permits, members will be invited to share towards the end of this meeting.
- COMBINATION MEETINGS: Some meetings vary or combine options, as decided by group conscience. The above is a sample list of options to work from, if needed.