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World Service Business Convention Report - 2014

HIGHLIGHTS

Four hundred fifty eight members attended from Australia, Canada, Germany, England, Scotland, the District of Columbia, and 26 of the United States of America. Eighty four of these members were attending their very first FA WSBC.

Friday included the recording of four new qualification CDs, a writing workshop for connectionmagazine, and an FA sharing meeting.
Saturday morning included: a general overview of FA’s structure, acknowledgements, opening remarks, treasurer’s report, a report on publicizing the FA book, two main motions, election of the 2014-15 World Service Board, and committee meetings.
Saturday afternoon included three segments: 1) Highlights from the Maine Chapter, WAI, EAI, and several WSI Committees, 2) a PI Q &A and 3) an FA Sharing Session on attracting the newcomer and effective sponsorship.
Saturday night afforded the fellowship its 2nd annual mocktail party, including a photo booth, lively entertainment and fun for food addicts from all walks of life. To those of you who were center stage, thank you for your bravery and good humor!
Sunday morning included committee meetings, sharing of experience, strength, and hope from FA members with 20 years or more of continuous abstinence, and closing remarks.

REMINDERS

As of the close of the convention, 11,210 books had been sold worldwide. In order to continue with projects like the book, and other services to reach the newcomer, members are encouraged to continue to give generously to the 7th Tradition.
Please go online to review changes made to the “Meeting Guidelines;” these changes are relevant to all FA meetings. Editable versions of all documents can be requested by emailing docrequest@foodaddicts.org.
The new “FA Resources List” and both “Call For Service” documents can be found on the FA website, on the For Members page, under “WSB Support for Meetings and Members.”
Please mark your calendars: The next FA Fellowship Convention will be held October 24-26, 2014 in Santa Clara, CA. The next WSBC will be held May 29-31, 2015 in Danvers, MA.

On behalf of the Board, I would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to every member of this wonderful organization. Together we ensure that our program will continue to be available for every food addict who desires to get well. On a personal note, I would also like to express my sheer gratitude for being given the privilege to serve as WSB Chair for the last four years. It has been a joyous and heartwarming adventure that I will cherish forever!

Yours in service, Elissa P, WSB Chair (outgoing)

OUR PRIMARY PURPOSE

Practically speaking, the World Service Business Convention fulfills our legal obligation. As an international non-profit organization, we are required, for instance, to meet annually to provide conference members with a financial report and an opportunity to elect board members.

Spiritually speaking, each year’s convention helps us keep FA strong and helps us further our efforts to reach the newcomer. This practice is working. Since our incorporation in 1998, we have grown from less than 100 members then to over 5,000 members now, collectively attending 562 meetings worldwide.

It is important to know that structurally, FA is a “bottom- up” service organization. World Service, Inc., or WSI, is here to help reach the newcomer by serving FA as a whole and by supporting intergroups. Intergroups support chapters and meetings, who in turn support the most important entity- the individual FA member. WSI officers, committee chairs, and committee members are not here to exercise power or authority. It is just the opposite. Our role is to humbly serve and support.

To be useful to the overall fellowship, WSI needs some amount of formal organization. This includes a board comprised of 4 officers, and 9 committee chairs. The specific committees are: Bylaws, connection, convention planning, literature, office, PI, Service Group Support Committee, Traditions review, and the 12th-step committees. Forty subcommittees support these WSI standing committees.

Six additional committees, including finance, personnel, design, inquiry response, board motions review, and the book committee, support the board. Each year, if needed, the resolutions committee and the emergency new business committees are available to support the conference with main motions.

SELECT ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

In concrete terms, during this past year, our fellowship and its committees have:

Participated in national conventions
Sent hundreds of correspondence to healthcare professionals
Obtained increased media coverage
Hired a PI Program Manager
Designed and produced PI materials with the new FA logo
Maintained a central service office with two paid employees
Responded to dozens of inquiries related to meeting health and the 12 traditions
Continued to produce literature in multiple languages
Supported local service areas in their quest to strengthen FA in their particular regions
Supported many members on the frontier from China to Mexico, to Alaska to Uganda
Sustained our magazine
Sustained our website
Sold over 11,000 copies of Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous

Commentary from the WSI chair

Wow! All this, and so much more! Who’d ever imagine that a bunch of addicts could be so productive and useful?

I can’t help but want to pause for a moment to take all this in. The spirit behind of all of this good work, and many other unnamed works, reminds me of one of my favorite commitments in the AWOL kit. In the second part of Step 11, we are asked to consider whether or not we know G-d’s will? Contemplating this question seems daunting at first. But in the keys, we are given a simple answer: G-d’s will is for us to be abstinent, appreciative, able to forgive others and ourselves, and to practice unselfish service. Our accomplishments are a demonstration of these essential principles. How inspiring it is to see G-d’s will in action. How comforting it is to know we have, in doing G-d’s will, created a channel for helping the newcomer. We are truly blessed!

So many recovering food addicts in our fellowship have generously given hundreds, if not thousands of hours of service. If I were to try to thank each person who contributed to all the service acts just mentioned, it would take all day. So instead, let me extend a genuine, heartfelt, “thank you,” to EVERYONE. Together we are clearly a committed and dedicated bunch, all “tiny, but essential,” all doing our best to help reach the still suffering food addict. Thank you everybody, and thank you, G-d!

It does seem a bit unfitting not to mention a few specific acknowledgements. These individuals and committees worked especially hard, tending to the logistics of the weekend.

Adrienne P., in her role as convention planning committee chair, is charged with completing and watching over many tasks that ultimately determine if hundreds of food addicts are pleased or displeased. With faith, trust, courage and genuine humility, Adrienne has once again, graciously and calmly carried out this service. A big thanks too, to the entire convention planning committee support team, and the EAI financial aid and resource committee. We owe everyone involved a debt of gratitude for handling so many complex details.

Michael Malamut, our parliamentarian and lawyer, thank you. Michael understands the spiritual base of our work as well as parliamentary procedures, and continuously makes himself very accessible. With no motions at last year’s convention, we carried on without Michael. While we did ok by ourselves, we are glad you are back this year- it just wasn’t the same without you.

And, to the staff of our World Service Office-- Adrienne C, our Office Director, thank you. To our Office Manager, Lynne Johnston, formerly Lynne Guzinski, thank you. Congrats Lynne on your recent marriage! An enormous thanks to both Adrienne and Lynne for working tirelessly in regard to this convention, while also maintaining the daily operations of the FA World Service Office. We are very grateful for your diligence.

Thank you to all of you for your contributions!

OPENING REMARKS

(Delivered June 6, 2014 by Elissa P., WSB Chair)

These remarks start at the end—at the end of our FA book. On page 429 of Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous, it states:

“FA members everywhere remain united by the fundamentals of the FA program and the 12 steps. We have admitted our powerlessness over food, have accepted the boundaries and necessities of abstinence, and have turned to a higher power to help and guide us. Whatever our differences…we believe we can and must reach out together to help anyone who needs and wants FA. This is the responsibility and privilege of our abstinence.”

To me, this passage supports exactly why we are here at this convention. In addition to hanging out with over 300 gorgeous, healthy, happy people, we are here to help-- to help ourselves, and FA as a whole. Most importantly we are here to fulfill our primary purpose: to do whatever service needs to be done to carry the message to the still suffering food addict.

My belief is that every person in this room is invested in helping one another so that we may get well and be of utmost service to the newcomer. I feel too that sometimes we may also be faced with uncertainty about how to attract newcomers, and then once here, how to support and sponsor them effectively.

I do not have one single answer for these challenges. At times, I am insecure about my interactions with newcomers and sponsees. I have on occasion worked too hard with a sponsee, only to find out that I wanted recovery more for that person than she wanted it for herself. I have grappled with that fine line between simply sharing my experiences with a newcomer, versus doing so while also insinuating that my way is the only right way. I’m not cured and I will continue to make mistakes. But, a fundamental truth has developed inside of me: I personally believe that a genuine trust in G-d is paramount to the process of giving this program away.

Reflecting upon this process brings to mind my only sibling, Nina, who struggled with addiction her whole life. Last August, on her 46th birthday, Nina, died from her addiction. Nina’s primary drug of choice was crack cocaine, but food was not far behind. Once when she was two years clean, she broke her sobriety. When I asked her why, she said she picked up because she didn’t want to get fat again. She knew what was waiting for her—earlier during a period of incarceration where cocaine was not available to her, she gained 100 pounds in just nine months.

While Nina lay in a coma after suffering heart failure from her final high, I rummaged through her sparse belongings that came with her to the hospital. Among them were a pack of cigarettes, her driver’s license, and, her Big Book. Nina admired 12-step recovery, including FA recovery. Two months before she died, she texted me and told me she read excerpts from our book- our FA book- at a 12-step meeting she went to in the shelter where she was staying. Over the years she attended some FA meetings, maybe 10 or 12 times. In fact, the last place I saw my sister conscious was at an FA meeting.

More than anything in the world, I wanted Nina to embrace FA. It was so hard to trust that G-d was in charge of Nina’s recovery- not me. I tried all kinds of methods to make her get this. It was hard at times not to feel both angry and frustrated— two emotions that tell me that I did not entirely trust my higher power. It was so hard to accept that while FA is right for me, that maybe it wasn’t right for my sister. It was so hard to trust that this program truly is for people who want to embrace this way of life.

In hindsight, I see the error of my ways. More than ever, I fully understand the words from the Big Book, “That probably no human power could have relieved our alcoholism.” Whether enabled, abandoned, treated with tough love or unconditional love, the choice ultimately needed to be Nina’s. I could not persuade, convince, twist, demand, berate, control, or pressure my sister into getting abstinent.

I see now, wholeheartedly, that only G-d is strong enough to help another addict admit his or her powerlessness. It’s tempting to want to sway people into seeing it for themselves. However, that option is simply not viable. Nina has given me the gift of reminding me how scary it is to take Step One.

In my heart I believe Nina wanted to want to get well. But, just like any newcomer, she was terrified to live life without the substances that provided her the most comfort. That fear likely prevented her from being able to surrender. What a powerful message Nina’s struggle has shown me: Step Two restores us to sanity by replacing fear with faith in G-d, and by believing that G-d is bigger than our addiction.

I see now, wholeheartedly, that all I can ever do- with anyone-is share my experience freely and gently, as directed by G-d (not me), and without expectation. My role is to put G-d in charge of my fellows, my sponsees, and my recovery. My mistakes with Nina have not been wasted; it has become abundantly clear that I must turn my life and my will over to the care of G-d.

No matter how good our intentions regarding an obese loved-one, a bulimic co-worker, or an FA member who won’t or can’t stay abstinent, we can never insist that FA is another person’s solution. We can be most supportive through prayer, love, and tolerance. Ultimately though, we can only be responsible for our personal recovery.

As the Traditions remind us, our personal recovery depends on FA Unity: the most damaging thing I can do is to feed a newcomer a message of judgment or divisiveness. If I send a negative message about “different lines,” “meetings filled with crazy people,” “peas and corn,” or, “mood altering meds,” the newcomer will be confused-- and quite frankly, so will I. I choose to trust that as a fellowship, G-d will guide us to share a message of honesty, hope, faith, and a common solution.

When I am talking to a newcomer, the message I choose to send is something like this: I work my program in the way that was given to me by some healthy looking people who seemed to glow with happiness. Taking their suggestions took 100 pounds off my body, has kept me thin for almost 18 years, and eliminated my need to spend thousands of dollars on diets and therapy. Living this way gives me freedom from food. It also gives me a relationship with a fellowship and a higher power, both of whom I can turn to for anything. I am not here to tell you that my way is better or worse than anyone else’s. I’m just here to share what works for me. If this sounds good to you, then I would like to be of service to you.”

My responsibility as a food addict in recovery is to stay abstinent, drop to my knees in prayer, and take quiet time daily so that I may deepen my relationship with the G-d of my understanding. Blind faith regarding ALL aspects of life- recovery, family, job, and even regarding differences in the way each one of us works the FA program—this blind faith, I believe, is the answer to all our concerns. With it, each one of us is better able to give back, and to sponsor in a way that allows us to be used by G-d to help others find their own relationship with their higher power.

This is exactly the kind of support my sponsor and my fellowship provided for me in my time of need. Because of it, despite the pain of it all, I am walking through the tragedy of the loss of my sister, abstinently and sanely.

When I first received the call that Nina was in the hospital, I was 400 miles away, sightseeing with my husband and 2 young children in Washington DC. The seriousness of Nina’s condition was unclear at first. I was in a quandary whether or not to stay with my family, or immediately fly home. I reached out to my sponsor and she lovingly said, “Go back to your hotel room and sit quietly. G-d will show you what to do next.”

I didn’t know how to put that exact plan in place. Instead, I put one foot in front of the other and robotically continued sightseeing with my family, while asking G-d for help every step of the way. Within a short time, my sister’s doctor called to tell me that Nina’s condition had worsened. The decision was made for me and I needed to head straight to the airport.

When I arrived in Boston 2 hours later, a fellow picked me up. My sponsor had called her and asked her to meet me. That fellow had two meals in hand to get me through dinner and the next morning’s breakfast. For the next 12 hours, my father and I watched my sister suffer two more heart attacks, and then quietly pass away. During those hours and for the days and weeks to follow, phone calls, text messages, and cherished visits from my fellows poured in with the same consistent message: “G-d is with you. I’m praying for you.”

God’s grace and the power of this fellowship carried me and steadied me during the initial shock of it all, and then through every “first” that has accompanied these last 10 months of grief. Our family dynamics have changed. At times I have felt so incredibly lost and rudderless; even as an adult, it is confusing to become an “only child” and to help divorced parents grieve.

But, recovery has been my anchor. I have repeatedly been reminded to turn to G-d and to keep doing service. As such, my faith and trust have remained strong and active. G-d has graced me with a deep-seated feeling that in Heaven, Nina is experiencing a peace and joy that was never possible for her here on earth.

Strangely enough, I myself, was given the opportunity to console one of my sponsees, in an eerily similar way: Just days before I learned of Nina’s critical state, my sponsee lost her only son to his addiction. My sister died the morning of her son’s funeral. It is oddly comforting to be walking this path together, albeit a strange twist on service!

I am grateful to know that I do not have my sponsee’s answers. Despite the likenesses of these two situations, it is impossible to walk exactly in another’s shoes. My role as her sponsor and fellow is simply to remind her to, “Ask G-d for help and don’t eat no matter what.”

With G-d as “the Divine Third,” I seek to be a person to whom any sponsee can turn, no matter what it is he or she needs to share or divulge. For more help, I turn to the wisdom found in our FA book. There we are reminded that a sponsor’s role is to explain the boundaries of abstinence, introduce quiet time and the tools, reiterate the misery of eating addictively, acknowledge that each day of abstinence is pure and simple evidence of a higher power, gently aid a sponsee to see that we cannot change ourselves without the help of a higher power, and also explain why we must be of service whenever we can. Regarding trust in G-d, I heed the words of one old-timer. On page 86 she writes, “I’m a person who can’t face my life by myself. I have to have a hand to hold and a rock to stand on. G-d gives me a hand to hold. My trust and reliance on G-d’s hand gives me my rock.”

These fundamentals define a common approach to recovery, to which we can all continuously strive to achieve. They define a method that, if practiced honestly, humbly, and without judgment, allows us to pass on a program that leads each person to find his or her own recovery, a recovery that foster’s faith, not fear. When we pass it on in this way, FA will grow and attract others. We will flourish and thrive as a fellowship. We will be food addicts in recovery who are happy, joyous, and free.

These remarks began at the end of the FA book, and end at the beginning. Early on in, it is stated:

“No matter what we believe or don’t believe . . . we stand together on only one foundation: our admission that we are beaten by food and our willingness to try asking a higher power for help. The rest is an experiment—a journey of discovery. ” [p.33]

I feel privileged to be on this journey with a fellowship that continuously reminds me that all will be well, as long as we put our faith and trust in the hands of a higher power.

Thank you.

TREASURER’S REPORT

(Delivered June 7, 2014, by Holli N., WSB Treasurer)

The WSB Treasurer presented an overview of how WSI funds are managed and reported the income and expenses estimated for this fiscal year (July 2013 -June 2014) and the planned budget for the next fiscal year (July 2014-June 2015).

The primary purpose of 7th Tradition funds is to carry the message of FA, and to ensure that FA continues to be self-supporting. All FA service levels (meetings, chapters, intergroups, and WSI) continue to rely in large part on meeting donations to meet operating expenses and to carry on the work of FA, so please continue to contribute generously.

Concept 12 guides all WSI and all FA service levels -- to use prudent financial principles & have “sufficient operating funds, plus an ample reserve”. In financial matters, we follow the spiritual and practical principles of ‘corporate poverty’ to:

Be self-supporting (Tradition 7)
Use FA funds wisely (Concept 12)
Keep focused on our primary purpose (Tradition 6)
Keep a prudent reserve (Concept 12)
Pass on extra funds to support more FA work (Tradition 5)

WSI Financial Practices

The World Service Board is responsible for managing WSI funds and is supported by its Finance Committee. Each year the Board makes a budget, which has specific plans for how to balance income, expenses and projects. To start each year, the remaining funds at the end of a year are separated into two parts: a prudent reserve and a project reserve.

The Prudent Reserve is one year's Operating expenses plus one year of magazine expenses. The purpose of this prudent reserve is to ensure that FA work (and subscriptions) can continue in case our income or costs suddenly changed.

The Project Reserve has the rest of the funds from previous years, and it is used to fund special projects, which don’t occur every year or which extend over a longer time. Current projects include: the FA Book, the Website and Design changes, Translations of FA literature, and PI participation at health conventions. The project plans are reviewed carefully by the Board with respect to the long-term goals of World Service before they are approved.

The Operating Expenses are the costs for WSI’s ongoing Services & Functions that are needed every year (the Office, website, PI materials, and corporate expenses). The budget is planned so that donations cover operating expenses. Publications and conventions are planned so that their income covers their expenses. Extra funds support projects.

Please see the illustrations below for more detail on 7th tradition funds, a summary from fiscal year 2014 and the proposed budget for fiscal year 2015.

Additional Notes on Treasurer’s Report:

During the session, an important conversation emerged, clarifying the projected losses for fiscal years 2014-2015, and 2015-2016. When asked why the board is approving a budget in which FA is set to lose money, the treasurer clarified for the conference the nature of the projected losses: the finance committee forecasts that over the next two years, FA will utilize some of its “prudent reserves” to fund special projects that have been approved by the board, for example, the FA book. The treasurer clarified that this is actually the function of the prudent reserve.
When asked about whether donations to WSI are increasing as the number of FA groups increases, the treasurer noted that donations have not increased at the same rate as the rise in FA groups. She encouraged groups to send in their donations, and not hold onto a large reserve.

PRINCIPLES FOR FA FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

Guiding principles for FA finances: to carry the message

Concept 12: use prudent financial principles and have “sufficient operating funds, plus an ample reserve”
Corporate poverty:
- Be self-supporting (Tradition 7)
- Use FA funds wisely (Concept 12)
- Keep focused on our primary purpose (Tradition 6)
- Keep a prudent reserve (Concept 12)
- Pass on extra funds to support more FA work (Tradition 5)

From your “7th Tradition Pamphlet”

(illustration from pamphlet not included here)

How WSI Manages its Funds

WSB with WSB Finance Committee

(illustration not included here)

SUMMARY Fiscal Year 2014: July2013 -June2014

(FY2014 actual through April plus forecast)

	Income	Expense
Donations*	$148,958
Operating Expenses		$156,694
Publications		$148,217
Convention (Business)	$195,195	$ 53,500
Projects	$ 59,816	$ 50,722
Totals	$403,969	$409,133

*Individual donations and subscriptions are up - thank you!

Total Net Income (Income- Expense) $ -5,164

FY2014 Year End Balance: $228,000 (BOTTOM LINE)

Remaining funds for next fiscal year: FY2015 Prudent Reserve $203,000 Project Reserve $25,000

BUDGET Fiscal Year 2015: July 2014- June 2015

(FY 2015 ba sed on moderate estimates)

	Income	Expense
Donations*	$152,150
Operating Expenses		$169,995
Publications (includes e book)	$174,564	$128,485
Convention (Business)	$ 52,000	$ 46,700
Convention (Fellowship)	$ 91,000	$ 67,000
Projects (Web and Design, e book, PI health conv & program coord)		$ 71,300
Totals	$469,700	$483,500

Total Net Income (Income- Expense) $ -13,800

Budgeted FY2015 Year-End Balance: $214,300 (Bottom Line)

Remaining funds for next fiscal year: FY2016 Prudent Reserve $203,700 Project Reserve $10,600

Suggestions, Reminders, & Request

A Call for Service
- - Quick Books Clean-up
- - Finance Committee Procedures
Mail meeting & other donations to WSI
- - Avoids cost to FA for online transaction fees {4-5%)
- - Use online donation to WSI for foreign funds only

Subscribe to connection for yourself.
Donate what you can when you can
- - The recommended donation is $2-$3 per meeting
- - To WSI: a member can donate up to $2,000 per fiscal year

FA BOOK REPORT

(Delivered June 7, 2013 by Fran M., WSB Book Committee Chair)

One year ago, the FA Book was published. Since then, we have sold 11,136 copies of the book. This could not have been accomplished without the Office Committee and the office staff. The level of service in this organization is astounding.

Last June, we asked that the members not bring the FA Book outside of our fellowship, but instead to read it and study it themselves. The conference was faithful to that request. Since then, the FA Book has been used in our individual recovery and in AWOL, but most effectively at meetings. At an FA Book meeting, the sharing is focused and powerful. We believe that FA is as ready as it will ever be to respond to newcomers who want this program as a result of book, and the Board is ready to support the meetings in that. The Board and the Book Committee believe that it is now time to take the FA Book to the public.

The Board and the Book Committee proposed that the FA Book continue to be sold exclusively through the FA website. The Internet is the contemporary marketplace of ideas and information. The FA Book as a magnet that will attract suffering food addicts onto our website. There, newcomers will learn about meetings and recovery. Selling the book through the FA website will provide buyers with additional resources about FA recovery. We should remember that FA’s primary purpose is not to sell books but to carry the FA message.

At some point in the future, perhaps within a year, it will be right to place our book in retail channels. The Book Committee doesn’t believe that time is just yet. But we propose that the WSC delegate that decision to the Board because it would be unwieldy to have it made by the full conference. Restricting this decision to an annual vote by the WSC means we can’t move quickly or between conferences. The Board should be empowered to make this decision.

For all of the above reasons, the Board is presented a motion to continue to self-distribute our book and give all future distribution decisions to the World Service Board. The conference approved that motion.

To date, we have done nothing to bring the FA Book to public awareness. Now, we are asking the fellowship to participate in introducing the FA Book to the world. Our public relations policy is attraction not promotion so that we cannot do book tours, or book launches, or author talks. But book sales are driven by word of mouth. We plan to put our faith in word-of-mouth recommendations between FA members and their friends.

If you are connected to a journalist or writer who trusts you, you might talk with them about the FA book, your program, and what FA has done for you. Perhaps, after you take it to quiet time, you could ask the reporter if he or she would like to write about the book—a review, maybe. Discuss it with your sponsor, use discernment, and if it seems well-guided, take the action. If the writer seems disinterested, then do not press it. On this, please remember the principle that no one person represents FA as a whole. It is best to pursue this with the help of other experienced FA members.

If you are successful in developing the writer’s interest in the book, then have the reporter –or you--contact the Book Committee. How? A reporter could call the FA Office, or reach us through our email address: BookPI@foodaddicts.org

Is this promotional, a violation of traditions? Our Traditions Committee thinks not. We have researched the history. Bill W. was clear that AA needed to be made known to the world, but that AA could not promote itself. We have already been testing this process, although it has not yet borne fruit. But we believe that by relying on word of mouth to people in the media with whom we have credibility, rather than press releases, the news about the FA Book will seep out organically into the world.

Anyone who is a caregiver, who knows you and your recovery, is someone important to introduce to the book. Give it to your minister at your own expense. We can’t afford to send free books to everyone’s doctors, so you decide if the relationship is strong enough for you to invest $12. If you give them the book personally, it is unlikely they will pitch it into the recycling bin. It is more likely that it will stay on their bookshelves and be re-gifted to someone who really needs it.

Lastly, talk to your local librarian. Give the library the book or ask them to buy it. If they do add it to the library, notice if the FA Book goes on the shelf of new books, and is listed in their bulletin of new books.

As for other efforts to put the book before the public, we suggest you follow the same guidance we have given before. Do not press the book on anyone; let the book sell itself. Remember that we have sold over 11,000 copies of this book, without a word of promotion.

Lastly, the FA Book will be available as an e-book this summer. The buyer will go to the FA website, find buttons to buy the physical book and also the e-book; it will be formatted for iPad, Kindle, and the Nook. We expect the FA e-book to be available approximately August 1, 2014.

WSB MAIN MOTIONS:

Two motions were submitted for the body’s consideration.

Motion One:

The World Service Board moves the Conference adopt the Book Committee’s recommendation to: 1) make the FA Book available to the public solely through the FA website at this time, and 2) delegate further distribution decisions to the World Service Board.

What is the purpose of this motion?

The Book Committee seeks authorization to distribute the FA Book to the public but only through the FA website. The rationale is for FA to retain greater control over all aspects of the distribution process.
The Book committee holds the FA Book in trust for the fellowship and has no ownership over it. The Conference, not the Book Committee, should decide the next step for the book.
Placing authority for decision-making about distribution in the hands of the World Service Board ensures that such decisions will be made in a timely manner, and not be hindered by the need to make decisions only on an annual basis.

Motion One passed with a significant majority.

Motion Two, Part I:

The WSB Bylaws Committee moves to amend Article V, Section 1, (b) and section 4 (e) (2) as follows: to substitute the following proposed new text (underlined) for Article V, sections 1(b) and 4 (e2)

Article V. Officers and Trustees

Section 1. Officers and Trustees

(a) The Officers of WSI are WSI chair, vice-chair, secretary, and treasurer.

(b) The trustees are the elected chairs of the standing committees, which are Bylaws, Service Group Support, Convention Planning, Literature, Office, Public Information, connection, Traditions Review, and Twelfth Step.

Article V. Officers and Trustees

Section 4. Nomination Procedures and Election Rotation

(e) Elections will be held annually at the WSBC on the following rotating schedule:

(1) Even years: WSI chair, vice-chair, bylaws chair, convention planning chair, office chair, connection chair, and traditions review chair.

(2) Odd years: secretary, treasurer, service group support chair, literature chair, public information chair, and twelfth step chair.

Current Wording:

Article V. Officers and Trustees

Section 1. Officers and Trustees

(a) The Officers of WSI are WSI chair, vice-chair, secretary, and treasurer.

(b) The trustees are the elected chairs of the standing committees, which are Bylaws, Chapter and Intergroup Support, Convention Planning, Literature, Office, Public Information, connection, Traditions Review, and Twelfth Step.

Article V. Officers and Trustees

Section 4 Nomination Procedures and Election Rotation

(e) Elections will be held annually at the WSBC on the following rotating schedule:

(1) Even years: WSI chair, vice-chair, bylaws chair, convention planning chair, office chair,

connection chair, and traditions review chair.

(2) Odd years: secretary, treasurer, chapter and intergroup support chair, literature chair, public

information chair, and twelfth step chair.

Motion Two, Part II:

The WSB Bylaws Committee moves to amend Article IX, Section 2 of the FA WSI Bylaws as follows: to substitute the following proposed new text (underlined) for section 2(b) and 2(c).

Article IX. Committees

Section 2. Service Group Support Committee

(a) Members are appointed by the service group support committee chair.

(b) A local service group consists of two or more FA members from more than one FA meeting group who combine resources to do service for FA. In situations requiring a formal decision, only members with at least 90 days of continuous abstinence in FA who are working with an FA sponsor shall have a voice and a vote.

(c) The service group support committee assists with the development and maintenance of local service groups, chapters, and intergroups and facilitates worldwide communication among them.

Current Wording:

The WSB Bylaws Committee moves to amend Article IX, Section 2 of the FA WSI Bylaws as follows: to substitute the following proposed new text (underlined) for Article IX, section 2(b) and 2(c).

Article IX. Committees

Section 2. Chapter and Intergroup Support Committee

(a) Members are appointed by the chapter and intergroup support committee chair.

(b) The chapter and intergroup support committee assists with the initiation and maintenance of chapter and intergroups, facilitates communication between the WSB and its constituent groups, and develops and executes programs that impart the experience of FA service leadership.

What is the purpose of this motion?

The focus of Chapter and Intergroup Support Committee has changed. As FA has continued to grow and develop these last two years, the CISC conference call is now attended by members in developing areas that have been creating smaller, less formal service groups. Some of these groups contain as few as a handful of people from two or three local meetings who have joined together to get information to their communities about recovery from food addiction. Other groups are larger.

The service committees have found attendance at the CISC meetings beneficial. The CISC has responded, giving them the support they need in a forum where they can meet to share ideas and support each other.

Changing our committee name to Service Group Support Committee better reflects our focus and is general enough to support any type of service committee that develops in the future. The intent is to offer support to all service groups, no matter what size or where they are located.

Note: The motion requires members of the smaller, informal service groups to have 90 days of continuous abstinence in FA, to take part in formal group decisions.

Motion Two parts I and II passed by substantial majorities.

ELECTION RESULTS

Many thanks to the 6 retired board members, who stepped down after several years of service. We thank Elissa P., Dave I., Adrienne P., Anna B., and Susan H., for their respective service as WSB Chair, WSB Vice-Chair, Convention Planning Committee Chair, connection Committee Chair, and Bylaws Committee Chair. We also thank Tracy M., for her service this past year as Literature Committee Chair.

Newly elected Officers:

David I. ran unopposed for WSB Chair and was elected to serve a two-year term.

Jamie M. ran unopposed for WSB Vice-Chair and was elected to serve a two-year term.

Newly elected Committee Chairs:

Adrienne P. ran unopposed for connection Committee Chair and was elected to serve a two-year term.

Ebony F. ran unopposed for Convention Planning Chair, and was elected to serve a two-year term.

Jane M. ran unopposed for Office Committee Chair, and was elected to continue serving in the position to which she had been appointed mid-term, for another two-year term.

Marti M. ran unopposed for Bylaws Committee Chair, and was elected to serve a two-year term.

Appointments:

Jennifer N. was appointed by the WSB as interim Literature Committee Chair and will serve until June 2015, the next scheduled election for that position.

2014-15 World Service Board

Executive Committee:

Chair: David I., Alberta, Canada

Vice-Chair: Jamie M., CA Secretary:

Kathleen M., MA Treasurer:

Holli N., NC

Bylaws Committee Chair: Marti M., CA

Service Group Support Committee Chair: Norma Jean P., OH

connection Committee Chair: Adrienne P., CA

Convention Planning Committee Chair: Ebony F., CA

Literature Committee Chair: Jennifer N., MA

Office Committee Chair: Jane M., ME

Public Information Committee Chair: Kris M., CA

Traditions Review Committee Chair: Dan B., Ontario, Canada

Twelfth Step Committee Chair: Linda N., CA

HIGHLIGHTS FROM CHAPTERS, INTERGROUPS, AND WSI COMMITTEES

MAINE CHAPTER (Steve A., Chair)

The first FA meeting in Maine was started in 1999. It was a Thursday night meeting held just outside of Portland in a small town in Southern Maine. Following that first meeting, others started to open. And, as a result of the Public Information Committee of that first meeting, the idea of a Maine Chapter was begun.

In 2002, as a result of growing recovery in Maine, increases in the numbers of meetings, and a desire to further local recovery, the Maine Chapter began. There was slow growth – 10 meetings in 2003, 15 meetings in 2006. --- Monthly Chapter Meeting attendance was limited but the mission of service was clear. Members gathered monthly to cultivate outreach opportunities such as the Maine Meeting Directory, the Information Phone line and Public Outreach events.

Fast forward to April 2014, the Maine Chapter includes a total of 23 meetings. A core group of about 25 members from Maine and NH meetings gather to support recovery. The Maine Chapter continues to refine these efforts and focuses on the work of 4 primary committees. Here are a few highlights of their work:

The 12th Step Committee updates the Twelfth Step list and Speakers list, and organizes personal visits to food addicts requesting support.

The committee arranges FA Road trips that bring an average of 4 speakers to meetings requesting support. The speakers share their personal stories of experience, strength and hope in an effort to nurture local meetings.
Quarterly Connection Writing sessions take place following the Chapter meetings and attract many who have an interest in practicing the tool of writing, nurturing thoughts of recovery and gratitude, and doing service by submitting stories to the Connection Magazine.

The Office Committee keeps the fellowship up-to-date by focusing attention to the Maine Chapter information shared on the FA website, registration of meetings, and updating and distributing Meeting Directories each month.

This year the committee developed an illustrated guide to using the FA website and accessing important Maine Chapter information that is stored at foodaddicts.org.

The PI Committee supports area meetings to get the message of FA Recovery heard in their communities. Committee members help distribute Maine Chapter flyers, organize information sessions and post local ads to help individuals hear about FA. Members of the committee staff the Information Phone line, answering calls from people interested in FA.

In April, Maine Chapter participants responded to a local schoolteacher’s request to speak to her 8th grade school health class. One never knows how one seed planted will blossom into another opportunity for growth in recovery. As it turns out, this teacher worked in Massachusetts when a few FA members came to speak to her class of students. This teacher, now teaching in Maine and aware of FA, reached out to the Maine Chapter for help with her lesson on eating disorders. FA members were able to bring their personal stories of addiction and recovery to this class of 8th graders who now have an awareness that may help another who may be suffering from food addiction.

The Maine Meeting Support Day Committee brought over 60 people together to participate in service roles and collectively create, plan, and organize the 7th Annual Maine Meeting Support day. It was held on April 27. The theme of the event was FA Recovery: Living the traditions. This full day event brought over 80 people together to discuss and explore the 12 traditions and to gain a deeper understanding of how the Traditions contribute to personal and group recovery. EAI provided support to this day by their attendance, selling FA literature and leading a breakout session.

Many members from NH and Maine continue to work both locally and throughout the Chapter area. We take advantage of the many opportunities to work directly with and gain support from members of EAI and participate on conference calls with WSI committees.

We continually recognize the importance of simplicity, focus and commitment to a life of service. Recovery from addiction is our aim, recovery from food addiction is our primary purpose. We also realize that when we are alone, our disease is most cunning, baffling and powerful. The disease of addiction feeds on isolation. And we recognize that a strong and supportive Fellowship will help keep us abstinent. That sense of belonging can keep us protected. So we nurture a strong Fellowship by focusing on recovery based practices, which mostly take the form of service. We are aware that we came to FA to get something – and that we keep it best by giving. Service is that giving.

So, we focus on service opportunities that will bring the message of growth and recovery to others in the Maine Chapter area. Our aim is to sustain continued recovery for those who have found success in FA and to bring the possibility of recovery – of hope – to still more who have not yet learned that recovery is possible.

EASTERN AREA INTERGROUP (George M., Chair)

EAI’s Mission for the past four years has been: “To strengthen our Fellows and meetings through improved communications using phone, internet, email and face-to-face events, so that we can better support each other as we strive to reach the suffering food addict.”

To meet this Mission in 2013/2014, our committees:

Established the EAI Contact Call, the EAI Orientation Conference Call and Resource Guide for Meetings. Conduct four Committee meetings via conference calls Sunday Morning of Intergroup. Created Executive Summary on EAI Report.
Expanded the Insurance for our meetings. Made Financial Aid more available for scholarships for the Convention and the Chapter Region and Meeting Weekend, and funding Travel for PI Events.
Provide “Information Booklets” and Acrylic Brochure Racks to meetings throughout EAI
Created the Webspace Server to store and make available Word Documents to the Membership, posted EAI Local Meeting Directories on the EAI page of the FA website, and provided continuing Office Support to our meetings.
Facilitate Writing Sessions, and assist the World Service Business Convention.
Voted in new EAI Procedures for submitting Main Motions, based on group conscience.
Visited High School and College Classrooms and Health Fairs.
Provided Home Meetings for those Fellows who are housebound, and supported the creation of 10 Thankathons throughout our area.

The improved communication in all ways has helped us better support each other as we strive to reach the suffering food addict.

In addition to individual committee activities, we have held several all-Intergroup gatherings.

Our Chapter and Region Support Weekend had 184 members for two days of sharing, attesting to the growing strength of the Local Service Areas and the capacity of the local body to support such an event.
In March, we held an Intergroup Fellowship Morning, attracting 178 FA fellows both newcomers and old. Nine of the original board of NEI/GSO - still abstinent, and shared with the audience their roles in establishing FA sixteen years ago. From 177 fellows of FA in 1998, grew to 958 by 2000 and 5000 today.

Today, with a 323 meetings, the EAI Intergroup continues in a powerful tradition of abstinence, willingness and service.

WESTERN AREA INTERGROUP (Susan H., Chair)

I asked the WAI Board last Sunday what they thought I should say here at the convention today about our Intergroup. We had a discussion about whether I should identify the different committees and what I would say that hasn’t already been written in the Annual report. We are proud of all the work we do and talked about how to get that message across. When you read the WSI Annual report that was sent out in May, you will see that we have been busy with College

and Community Health Fairs, College web outreach, and 12th step sub committees that support our meetings and outlying fellowship.

But what we all decided on was for me to highlight the commitment and enthusiasm that is felt

when we get together on Sunday mornings. Usually upwards of 250 FA members attend intergroup. Getting all these people parked and inside the building is a job in and of itself because of some construction going on, and we have volunteers, sometimes in parking lots, guiding people so they won’t get lost. Then, more volunteers getting to Intergroup an hour early to help sell literature for meetings and others to help direct members to the various meeting rooms.

There is a spirit of generosity of time and an enthusiasm that encompasses the room when we get to the larger meeting after the committee meetings. It’s hard for me to ask everyone to sit down to get the meeting started because there is so much fellowship going on. I hate to stop the visits.

Most importantly, work gets done. Volunteers are asked for and, if possible, events are staffed and research or media jobs get filled. Committee reports are presented and we all can hear, and see, all that we do as a group to spread the word of FA. Now don’t get me wrong; it is Sunday morning. And if many are like me, they wonder why we are here every month without fail. But once settled in for the morning, I think there is gratitude for the solution that we have been given and therefore, joy in the actions taken to give back what we have so generously been given.

SERVICE GROUP SUPPORT COMMITTEE (Norma Jean P., Chair)

2013-2014 has seen a proliferation of Service Groups all over the world. These groups are supported by bi-monthly conference calls with 50+ fellows attending. All are welcome!

o Conference call discussion topics include:

Common challenges and solutions
Best practices for
reaching the newcomer
supporting FA as a whole
meetings

o Copies of 2013/14 minutes from the Service Group Support Committee conference calls (p.k.a. CISC) can be found online. There is also a document summarizing topics discussed in each meeting for the past several years. Minutes from meetings prior to July 2013 are available upon request. Refer to the online meeting index for directions.

A document with frequently asked questions (FAQ) related to local service committees is targeted to be online in January 2015.

Email SGSC@foodaddicts.org to be added to the distribution list for conference call information

12th STEP COMMITTEE (Linda N., Chair) FA Frontier Sponsor List (FSL)

In the upcoming year, the 12th Step Committee will place great emphasis on developing the FA Frontier Sponsor List (FSL). With ever-widening distribution of the FA book, we anticipate a

significant increase in FA membership. FA members meeting the eligibility requirements are encouraged to sign up on the FSL in order for us to meet the challenge of helping these newcomers find sponsors! Here is how you can help:

Sign up for the FSL:
Email: sponsorlist@foodaddicts.org
Online: http://www.foodaddicts.org/frontier-sponsor-list (foodaddicts.org-> For Members -> 12th Step -> Frontier Sponsor List)

WSI Contacts can clarify the purpose and function of the FSL at business meetings.
All members can spread the word about the FSL.
ask members if they are familiar with this list. Share how it works and how they

can do service by adding their names to the list. The more we know about our own resources, the more we can help the newer member.

TRADITIONS REVIEW COMMITTEE (Dan B., Chair)

The TRC has been charged by the WSI to review and discuss how the Twelve Traditions might guide the consideration of specific issues and concerns raised by individuals, meetings, intergroups, chapters, or the WSB.
We are a sounding board for the fellowship for meeting level issues.
The TRC shares the results of our discussions and thoughts with those who have sent inquiries. We also report regularly to the general fellowship.
Members submit their issues by email which is listed on the “contact us” page of the FA
website.
The committee meets quarterly and communicates by email more frequently and does our best to get back to members as soon as possible.

Sample Issues This Past Year:

Members on Closed Caption TV, or being recorded for College “addiction” classes
Outside treatment centre request to use connection magazine
Phone company name listed on FA meeting phone lists
FA fellows holding workshops on ADHD and “relapse prevention” and marketing to FA
members
Hanging AA banners at FA meetings
Approach to distribution of FA Book
Meeting accepting outside donations of materials
Responses to these issues may be found in the quarterly/annual reports.

See below for a summary of TRC accomplishments and proposed initiatives.

connection COMMITTEE (Anna B., Chair)

The magazine continues to run on schedule and is in the black for second year in a row.
We still need your story! Art and photos too please!
We’re launching a survey: “Digital connection - Yes or No?” The upfront costs of going digital are huge, so we're assessing the demand for a digital version of the magazine in addition to print.
Please buy your own subscription to the magazine, rather than borrowing it. "Meeting subscriptions" are for resale at the literature table, not for loaning to members of the meeting.
Another way you can help - when reading from connection at your meeting, please use the connection collections or old issues of the magazine, rather than a current issue. If you read the current issue at meetings, members are less likely to subscribe.
We're happy to announce 5 new connection collections that cover the years 2009-2013.

LITERATURE COMMITTEE (Jennifer N., Chair) CD Subcommittee

Created MP3 audio downloads for each of the CD recordings
Created a catalogue of all the FA CD recordings, which list the title, subtitle and a brief synopsis about each recording. The catalog is available on the FA website.

The recording of the EAI Fellowship Morning, held in March 2014 was approved as an audio recording and will be added to the CD library on our website.

Writing and Editing Subcommittee

Working on revising “Living Abstinently” which is a pamphlet about the disciplines, or
“tools” of FA.
Planning on updating and revising the FA Information Booklet (aka Waiting Room Booklet) as well as some older pamphlets

Translation Committee

In the process of determining a literature translation policy that protects the intellectual rights of our documents but allows for flexibility in how the translation is completed (professional v. nonprofessional)

MEETING GUIDELINES PRESENTATION (David I., WSB Vice-Chair)

Attendees enjoyed an overview of some important documents found on the FA website, that help

FA meetings maintain meeting health. It is worth it for all members to read these documents in their entirety, on our website. Reviewing these documents at FA business meetings helps us stay aware of issues that affect meeting health. The following is a list of these documents. A glimpse at the main focus of each document can be found in the takeaway items at the end of this report.

Doc 1. Meeting Requirements, Standards, Registration and Changes

Doc 2. Meeting Essentials

Doc 3. Format Options For FA Meetings

Doc 4. Sample FA Meeting Format

Doc 5. Suggested Wording For Service Announcements Doc 6. Literature, Phone lists, and Speaker CDs Literature Doc 7. Service Positions - Descriptions of Responsibilities Doc 8. From a Traditions Perspective, WSC

NOTE: "For security purposes, all documents on the FA website are posted in PDF form. To request an editable version of any WSI document, please submit a request to docrequest@foodaddicts.org. To request an editable version of any intergroup document,

please contact that intergroup directly.

CONVENTION PLANNING COMMITTEE (Adrienne P., Chair)

We are excited to announce the following dates and locations for upcoming FA conventions:

FA Fellowship Convention

October 24-26, 2014, Santa Clara, CA

FA World Service Business Convention

May 29-31, 2015, Danvers, MA

PUBLIC INFORMATION Q & A SESSION

(Kris M., WSI Public Information Committee Chair)

The Public Information Question and Answer session began with a brief overview of some notable accomplishments over the past year in the area of Public Information:

American College of Physicians – Great efforts by members from Western Florida!
Obesity Society Obesity Week – attended by FA members from Atlanta, GA
Radio PSA’s, NEDA Walk in South Carolina
Prototypes for new tablecloth, banners & other materials
Media Watch connected with Dr. David Agus, Author and Professor at USC Medical School

NPR radio attended a meeting in Washington, D.C.
NY Times health blogger attended a meeting in New York City
CNN attended a meeting in Atlanta
Australia radio interviews
BBC radio reached out to FA in the UK

During the ensuing interactive session, FA members shared the following helpful observations and suggestions:

NATIONAL CONVENTIONS

At conventions, it was helpful for those attending the FA booth to come out from behind the table and reach out to people overseeing other booths. (It was shared that this is how we first came into contact with bariatric surgeon, Dr. Lowe, who has an extensive passage in the FA book).
Outreach to doctors, in these settings, was very important. Engaging in discussion about the definition of food addiction, handing out tri-folds and waiting-room booklets helped some doctors understand more about food addiction (many doctors don’t “believe in” food addiction).
It also helped to emphasize that FA is free – many doctors are looking for options for their patients who cannot afford to pay for weight loss solutions.
Members shared that it was important to be open to sharing about FA with whomever God puts in our paths. A member who needed help carrying a box of FA literature happened to start talking to someone from the local TV news media, and because of this connection, FA has been featured on the NBC affiliate site's 9News blog in Denver.

MEET THEM WHERE THEY ARE!

Information sessions: Several members shared that FA Information sessions rarely brought in more than 2-3 newcomers, despite the intense amount of work that went in to planning and organizing them. These sessions were usually attended almost exclusively by current FA members. It was noted that it was difficult to attract professionals to give up their weekends (Saturday or Sunday Information sessions), or to re-arrange their weekday schedules to attend these sessions, so the PI committee asked the body to consider focusing on approaching doctors to offer up having an information session for their practice or for their patients at their offices.
Doctors: Several members shared information with doctors about upcoming FA Information Sessions, with no response. Offering to have FA members meet with doctors in their own offices, on their own timetables, proved to be more effective. One doctor even offered to gather a group of patients his office, in order to listen to what FA members had to share. One FA member suggested contacting the administrative assistant at a doctor’s office to schedule an appointment to talk to the doctor, at his/her convenience (late in the day, or early in the morning).

University and High School Students: FA members have been welcomed into numerous classroom settings, at the high school, undergraduate and graduate school levels. Some instructors have even made these FA outreach sessions part of their ongoing curriculum. Classroom sessions were conducted much like an Information session. Guidelines and suggestions for reaching out to schools, and conducting such sessions are available through the EAI and WAI public information committees.

PERSONAL CONNECTIONS:

Cold calls to members of the professional community (e.g.: doctors listed in the phone book) don’t seem to work. Rather, reaching out to professionals with whom we have established relationships works best. Among those to consider approaching: family doctor, alternative medical providers (chiropractors, holistic providers, osteopaths), social workers, physical therapists. Members should try to get into the habit of carrying tri- folds with them, so they have them as the need arises. Also, try using the healthcare outreach tool from the PI section of the FA website. It even has a script for calling doctors' offices

PI reps might consider distributing “FA Letters to the Healthcare Professional” to their FA meeting members, so they have them on hand to give to their own doctors.

Members should try to get into the habit of carrying tri-folds with them, so they have them as the need arises.

Weblinks

FA members have been experiencing marked success with weblinks. Links to the FA website have appeared on the websites of many local organizations, universities, and even psychologists.
The FA Weblinks committee has assisted members in identifying local organizations to contact.
The weblinks committee suggests that we focus on having links to the FA website placed on university pages and employee assistance programs. These types of links, especially on college sites, improve our SEO (search engine optimization).
The committee uses “Google Analytics” to see who is accessing the website and from where. The committee has established, for example, that UC Boulder has contributed to 16 hits on the FA website during the past month.

SUMMARY OF SHARING SESSION (Moderated by David I., WSB Vice-Chair)

This year’s topic was entitled, “Reaching the Newcomer and Sponsoring Effectively.” The intent of this session was to have a constructive exchange of usable ideas.

Questions that were asked included the following:

What brought you in and what kept you coming back?
How do you pass on a strong and focused program that supports the newcomer and that attracts the food addict yet to enter the rooms?
How do you reach out to the food addict who has no knowledge of FA?
Once in the rooms, how do you support the newcomer, and how do you sponsor effectively?
What specific actions have you personally found to be most helpful in reaching those outside of FA?
What do you do that supports people in their early recovery and beyond?
What brought you in to and what kept you coming back?
How do you pass on a strong and focused program that supports the person in FA, and that attracts the food addict yet to enter the rooms?

Because we wanted to hear from as many people as possible, and because we had limited time, each person was given no more than 90 seconds to share.

Anyone with 5 or more years of continuous abstinence in FA, working with an FA sponsor, and who had completed 2 or more AWOLs, was invited to share.

The following are a representative sample of the comments from the sharing session:

“I work in a nursing home as a social worker. There is a person who is 72, who couldn’t stop eating…I am in the process of working with her. I am trying to figure out about crossing the personal/professional boundary.”
“I found that I needed to “be real.” I spent several years trying to build a new fellowship. I tried very hard to look perfect and will people into the rooms. I ended up picking up the food… Now, I just share who I am, wherever I am, no matter what’s going on… I don’t have to look perfect. That’s more attractive.”

“I haven’t been 210 lbs. in 12 years. But everyone knows I used to be. That makes the big difference – telling everyone. Also, I get phone numbers and call newcomers. I don’t wait for them to call me. And I encourage newcomers to buddy up to support each other. We call them “litter mates” - people who came in together.”
“I am very honest and open. I have bucket loads of leaflets. People see me consistently eating the same way. I am honest and proud of what I do. I have guilt-free eating. People are drawn to that.”
“It has been trial and error, in terms of supporting people. What’s effective is the buddy system. Also, memorizing people’s names. It meant a lot when people remembered my name. Everyone who ever calls me, I put their name in my phone, including something to remember them by. I give the business convention phone list out to people at home. And I really encourage people in my fellowship to call outside of this area.”

“My antenna are always up for anyone who seems miserable with this disease. At Target, I overheard people trying to decide what (huge) size to buy. I told them, ‘I used to be a 2x,’ and started telling my story. Then other people who were shopping came over. I gave out tri-folds, showed my photos… Another time, I was getting my nails done and someone large was talking about her panic attacks. I told her I used to have panic attacks when I was 210 lbs…”
“When people called me back, it felt like I meant something to them.”
“People are desperate to be heard. It’s difficult to shut up and listen. When they start talking about their trouble, it’s important to say almost nothing except, ‘Oh, sounds rough.’”
“I really feel like it’s important, the principle of “attraction not promotion.” When I was 280 pounds, when anyone reached out to help, it felt insulting. I am really honest, I tell people in my workplace. But I wait until there’s a really clear opening, for example, someone making a comment like, ‘Oh, your life looks so healthy.’ I wait for people to ask me. Also, I don’t point out to sponsees where they need to change. It really comes down to honesty, and sharing experience from my heart.”

“I came in broken, and this program has given me hope that my life will continue to get better. Hearing what people did with food, things I would have gone to the grave keeping to myself… People honestly telling their stories about food gave me so much hope.”
“I have a fellow who works at the same place as I do. We have given each other permission to ‘break anonymity.’ So we can casually say to a co-worker, ‘Oh yeah, so- and-so does this too.’ This helps foster non-committal conversations with people.”
“I try to be aware when cues come up naturally in conversations. Someone heavy mentioned that they used to like wearing a coat similar to the one I was wearing. So I said, ‘ Oh, I used to weigh more.’ Someone complimented me on a dress, I told them,

‘Yeah, I’ve had it for 20 years!’ Then I can naturally start a conversation about FA.”

“I used to try to give newcomers all the tools, the whole program, at once. It’s too much.

Now, I try to take each piece slowly. Try to bring them along. Not everyone is going to hit the ground running.”

“I always go back to step one. I ask them, ‘Was your life working for you before you came in here?’ That question always got me willing.”
“There is one specific thing I remember from my first meeting: the person in front of me who turned around and smiled and said she hadn’t had flour or sugar for 30 days. My jaw dropped.”
“I get newcomers’ phone numbers and call them. They say, ‘You really called me? I can’t believe that!’ I ask them, ‘Can you just do it for today?’”

“What brought me back was fellowship meals. Over lunch, I heard how they did what they did. How they worked it at their job, what books they read. I was socially anxious. Also having more casual one-on-one time with other addicts is helpful.”
“One thing my sponsor did for me, she said she would sponsor me if I was willing to do as she did. She said, ‘You don’t have to like it, you just have to do it.’ I learned that my sponsor wasn’t trying to control me, it was me who didn’t want to give up control.”
“The first year, when I was trying out sponsors, I kept calling this one woman who could explain things. She stressed the tools and the telephone. One day, I said to my sponsor, ‘you’re trying to micro-manage me!’ My sponsor said, ‘You asked me to sponsor you – be open-minded!’”

“When I started sponsoring, I had a revolving door. I passed on a strong program, but my delivery needed to be more loving. I learned to make things more personal. I learned to have personal relationships with sponsees, and my Higher Power.”
“The greatest gift we can give to the newcomer is an in-person AWOL.”
“I remember at my third FA meeting that at the break a man said, ‘I’ve been abstinent a week.’ This was the guy I wanted to talk to! I asked him how he was doing it. He said, ‘I’m just doing what they tell me.’ I wanted to eat so badly, but I asked him if I could call him when I got home from the meeting. I didn’t end up going to the twin arches that night.”

“I love to figure things out. Sometimes I fall into that trap with sponsees. And then I say, “I’m sorry, I was trying to figure things out for you. Let’s look at what the program suggests.” I would say to my sponsor, “What should I do?” My sponsor said, “What do you think you should do?” She pushed me into the lap of God.’”
“I need a sponsor who explains principles to me, doesn’t just make suggestions. A year ago, my sponsor encouraged me to make room for God in my calls.”
“It took me eight months to get 90 days. I didn’t get abstinent until I started using the tools… Now I do my tool inventory once a month. Am I ten minutes early? Am I talking to people during the break? Am I sharing too much at meetings? Am I sharing from the heart?”
“My sponsor told me how to use the phone lists. Get one when you walk in the door.

Circle the name of everyone who shares, write something down that stuck with you. Call them that week.”

“When I came in, I needed love. I needed someone to pay attention to me, listen to my problems, and tell me that I was a whole person, a good person… I was filling myself with food… I didn’t love myself, I needed to be taught.”
“My sponsor gave me common sense. If I am uncomfortable, I get quiet. I have been given the ability to listen to that discomfort, listen to whether I am at peace or not.”

CLOSING REMARKS (David I., Vice-Chair)

I’m Dave, and I’m a food addict…

Bill Wilson wrote, "It was on a November day in that year (1937), when Dr. Bob and I sat in his living room, counting the noses of our recoveries. There had been failures galore, but now we could see some startling successes too. A hard core of very grim, last-gasp cases had by then been sober a couple of years, an unheard-of development. There were twenty or more such people. All told we figured that upwards of forty alcoholics were staying bone dry.

As we carefully rechecked this score, it suddenly burst upon us that a new light was shining into the dark world of the alcoholic… At last we were sure. There would be no more flying totally blind. We actually wept for joy, and Bob and Anne and I bowed our heads in silent thanks."

As I look around this room, and reflect upon the light that now shines on the dark domain of the food addict, I, like Bill and Bob and Anne, weep for joy and bow my head in silent thanks. I never want to forget what it was like to “fly totally blind,” in the world of food addiction. I came in to these rooms eighteen years ago, anxious, confused, depressed, and desperate. I was done with diets. I was done with binging, purging, and exercise programs. And I was done with yet another failed attempt to pick myself up the morning after. I remember what it was like to be lying in bed on a Sunday morning, sick to my stomach after an evening rampage with food. Lonely, disheartened, and hopeless would best describe my wretched state. I knew that another resolution would once again, end with me in the trash heap. In that pathetic hung-over state, I

had no desire to get out of bed, except to find more food. When I realized that the very thing that would get me out of bed was also going to bring me back to this despondent state, I completely gave up and began praying for a solution. Soon after, I was lead into an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting and eventually into FA, and the sunlight of the spirit.

By the grace of God, what a difference there is in my life this Sunday morning compared to that bleak, dark Sunday morning eighteen years ago when I was alone, full of self-pity, and without hope.

Trying to manage food without any awareness of a solution was my own experience of “flying totally blind.”

While most of us can identify with the experience of being an individual “flying blind” before coming into recovery, there are also people in this room who have been in FA long enough to remember the very early days when the disciplines and structure of this program were first taking root and it was the fellowship itself that was “flying totally blind.”

But we are not there today. We now have a definition of abstinence that unites us. We have an understanding of our common problem, food addiction, and the knowledge of a clear solution: Food Addicts In Recovery Anonymous. THANK YOU GOD.

As we prepare to travel home to our various locations around the world, let us take a few minutes to stop and reflect on what is has been like to be brought out of the dark world of food addiction. As we end another wonderful convention, I leave you with three simple messages – in the form of reminders.

Message #1. Service sustains us, individually and collectively. I am in awe of the scope of the growth of this organization, and filled with enormous gratitude that I am able to contribute in my own small way.

What I’ve learned from those who have walked before me and paved the way, is that service isn’t about knowing what you are doing or feeling comfortable or even necessarily confident. What I’ve learned is that you have to act your way into right thinking, not think your way into right action. When I started sponsoring, I had no idea what I was doing except that I was passing on my experience. I learned by jumping in – albeit reluctantly - with both feet – one sponsee at a time. When I felt comfortable with one sponsee, I was asked to take on another one. I was asked to go to business meetings, even if they were my least favorite part of my program. The first time I qualified in a meeting with more than three people, I flew from Calgary, Canada and led a meeting in Chelsea, MA at St. Luke’s Church with over a hundred people. I was petrified. But I grew from the experience.

We receive good guidance in our format to, “do what you can when you can.” This is an important principle, especially for those of us who come into program needing to learn how to set boundaries, to say “no,” and how to weigh and measure our lives. Sometimes, however, the “do what you can when you can” needs to replaced with “don’t say no to service.” Full recovery is never achieved without stretching, without going beyond what is comfortable, without extending beyond what we see as our own limited view of our own capacity. It’s outside our comfort zone where the magic begins. FA would not have grown the way it has had we not extended ourselves when we could serve. We would not have a convention or a Connection magazine or a website or a book published, nor would there be contributions in the media or at health fairs and Information Sessions around the world. We wouldn’t have work at the Intergroup, Chapter or group level, if we had held too tight boundaries around service. We wouldn’t have the thousands of hours of tireless, anonymous contributions through committee work, writing, editing, coordinating efforts, office management, conference calls, and leading meetings; not to mention sponsoring and twelve-step work.

Sometimes we just need to step up, even in the face of discomfort, uncertainty, and insecurity. I grow through service, as does this fellowship. The caveat, of course, is that you have to know yourself. If you are doing service in the program at the expense of your family or loved ones, then adjustments are obviously needed. I know from my own experience that at times, it

has been easier to pick up the phone and help a newcomer than it is to pick up the vacuum and

help around the house. Both service to our fellowship and service to our families are important; service is not meant to replace responsibility. But when you can, scrap the “when you can,” and sign up for service.

Not long ago, I spent the afternoon in the intensive care unit at a hospital where my brother was being treated for a seizure resulting from his brain cancer. Before going into this time with Hal, I received tremendous support and perspective from a good friend in program – someone who had walked this path ahead of me and could help me find God before I found my way into the hospital. After several exhausting hours I was heading down the hospital corridor when my cell phone vibrated. On the other end of the line was a confused newcomer, wanting to know how to find a meeting. In the midst of my personal anguish, I was able to stop and be useful to a to another food addict. I shared my grief and explained how that day, by being abstinent, and by working the steps, I was able to find spiritual strength and solace in the midst

of my pain. The call gave me perspective, brought me back to my spiritual center, the roots from which I grow and give. This is what service does for me. It gives me a place where I belong. It gives me a home. It gives me a sense of meaning and purpose. It gives me a reason for being. And it helps me grow. Whatever I give, I receive back tenfold. I have learned in recovery that giving, when done from a place of spiritual strength, comes from overflow, not emptiness. What goes around comes around – in so many positive ways. When you serve, there is no line between the giver and the receiver. Everyone grows.

[An illustration of this was realized just this weekend. I am sharing a hotel room here at the convention with two of my sponsees. On Friday, I was in the midst of making a difficult decision. When I shared my dilemma, they replied, almost in unison, “Why don’t you take some quiet time on this!” (I only wish I would have taken their suggestion!)]

As so many of you know, who have been an enormous support to me, this has been a challenging year for me, a year of a great deal of change. My brother was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. I’ve been supporting my wife whose own brother had a heart attack and a stroke and has been placed in a long-term care facility. My own business is in the midst of a massive reorganization. My youngest daughter graduated from high school last weekend. And the day after her grad she was in a car accident (by the way, by daughter, Thank You God, was not injured, even though my Jeep was). My oldest daughter has gone through a divorce. And, I am stepping into the position of chair.

Before recovery I would have called this all this a nervous breakdown. With a program, I call it life. Miraculously, with all of this going on I have had no desire to turn to food to cope with it. I need to take care of myself – and will continue to do so. I do that by being abstinent,

being still, practicing acceptance, being of service, and getting as much rest as I can. And I’m not always gracious about it all. When I can’t seem to find God or peace of mind, or can’t sleep at night because I am unable to let go, I just keep weighing and measuring my food and putting one foot in front of another.

A good friend told me the other day that I look tired. I do get tired some days. Life is tiring sometimes. Service always has to be weighed and measured, but I’ve learned that the best cure for weariness is helping someone who is even more tired. Because the one who serves almost always benefits more than the one who is served.

Message #2. The purpose of the board is to serve the fellowship. In the Second Tradition we are reminded of the strength of the loving God of our collective understanding that is expressed through the conscience of the group.

As a board, we are trusted servants. Our role is to serve. We are here to help you get what you need to carry the message, but not necessarily to try to please you by giving you everything you want. We are here as a resource, as a source of inspiration, financial support, and spiritual guidance through our experience – as recovering food addicts helping each other. We are not,

nor do we wish to be, a sort of “sponsor” to this fellowship. Our charge is not to control our

fellowship. We will not tell you what to do, nor will we attempt to rescue you by getting in the middle of conflict at the group level. There is no rulebook comprehensive enough to address all the fellowship problems. Besides, the Traditions and the Concepts prohibit such an approach. We do not govern. We are merely here to serve in matters that affect FA as a whole.

I truly believe in this fellowship, in the strength of group conscience, and in the power of our message. To reiterate what has been said this weekend, this is not a top-down organization. It’s a grass-roots fellowship that draws its strength from the conviction of its members passing on the program one person at a time.

Message #3. To unify our fellowship we must focus our energy on Public Information. As a fellowship, we have spent the past sixteen years creating, developing, working, and giving life to FA. And we have been good instruments to this end. We have gone from 177 members in 1998, to over 5000 members today, with meetings in all parts of the world. We have published a book. We have our own magazine that is now self-supporting, and even turning a profit! Isn’t it incredible how much work has been done by the people in this organization!

Bill Wilson wrote that “AA is more than a set of principles; it is a society of alcoholics in action. We must carry the message, else we ourselves can wither and those who haven’t been given the truth may die.” So we remember our singleness of purpose: to help the suffering newcomer. Our focus is on spreading the message. We do loving and enthusiastic twelfth step and public information work. We help suffering food addicts by sharing the message that has so generously been given to us.

Public Information work will enable the real work of our fellowship to be realized, and a focus on public information can unify us. By lighting our own inner fires through the passion of gratitude, we inspire our groups, of which we are all members, to bring awareness of this program into the communities where we live. It’s one thing to come to a meeting, to know there is a solution, and to choose to turn away from it. It’s quite another, to not even know there is a solution. We must maintain our grateful exuberance about getting the message out there. In this critical work of reaching the suffering newcomer, we must give our devotion, our enthusiasm, and most of all ourselves. We must take what we have so generously been given and bring it gratefully and courageously to the world.

When we see the ever-increasing rate of obesity, obsession with food, and diets that we know don’t work, we know we have much to offer. When I first became abstinent, I recall wanting to stand on rooftops and shout this message to the world. I always love to hear people’s first qualification when they are in that humble, grateful, exuberant state. That is the spirit that will be needed as we take this fellowship to the next level.

In conclusion, I want to share with you a personal experience. As I mentioned earlier, my youngest daughter, Chandra, who was an infant when I came into FA, graduated from high school last weekend. The theme of her graduation was to “Embrace the Adventure.” “Forgo your plans,” these graduates were told. “Follow the map to its edges and keep going.” The speakers, along this theme of “adventuring,” spoke of exploring beyond the outer limits of their chosen careers, traveling the world, climbing mountains, and grasping life beyond their own familiar comfort zone. While I sat inspired by speeches, an emptiness fell over me as I reflected on my own perceived lack of “adventure” in these past eighteen years of recovery. What great mountains have I climbed recently? What far-reaching societies have I visited? What great achievements and contributions have I made in the world? But then… my thoughts turned to my own personal adventure in recovery.

To allow myself to be lifted out of the darkness of addiction and into the sunlight of the spirit, to mold my character through the daily practices and disciplines of this program, to learn to be a better father, a better husband, and a better friend, to replace self-seeking with service, self-hatred with respect, self-pity with gratitude, to replace depression, darkness, and fear with a sense of belonging and usefulness, to realize God doing for me what I could not do for myself… And I am learning how to love. These accomplishments have been not only my great adventure, but have been my own greatest achievements in this lifetime. The world may never understand this. But I understand it. And the people I care most about understand it. And I believe that you, in this room, understand it.

I have come to appreciate my own growth and the growth of those around me as spiritual miracles. With a firm resolve and the help of the God of our individual and collective experience, may the rest of our life be the best of our life, through abstinence, service, and gratitude, one day at a time. Remember: the way to change the world is to change yourself. Thank you so much.

THE FOLLOWING PAGES INCLUDE TAKE-AWAY ITEMS FOR USE BY FA MEMBERS AS NEEDED. FEEL FREE TO COPY AND DISTRIBUTE THESE WSB APPROVED MATERIALS AT YOUR MEETINGS!!

A Call For Service: 12 Ways to Carry the Message

Call a member on the Frontier Phone List: Ask your WSI contact for a copy
Add your name to the Frontier Sponsor or Universal Language List:

sponsorlist@foodaddicts.org or languagelist@foodaddicts.org

Support small meetings or qualify at meetings two hours away from the nearest Intergroup

Submit art & articles to connection at connection@foodaddicts.org
Subscribe to connection at www.foodaddicts.org
Read Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous or buy it for others
Email Media Watch or Health Care Watch if you see or hear news about food addiction, dieting, body image, etc.:

mediawatch@foodaddicts.org or healthcarewatch@foodaddicts.org

Email Web Links if you see a website where FA could be listed:

weblinks@foodaddicts.org

Post trifolds in your community: Ask your PI Rep for copies
Ask your meeting to sponsor a rack
Bring a letter to your Healthcare Provider and/or Faith Community Leader: Ask your PI Rep for copies

Live abstinently and ask God for help!

A Call for Service: More Ways Everyone Can Help

Service is a cornerstone of the FA program. Without it, we will perish.

The snapshot below is designed to help each FA members organize his or her service efforts.

Many thanks for all you do!

Need help? Please send all questions and concerns to fa@foodaddicts.org or call 781-932-6300

1. REGARDING THE WEB:

a) Visit www.foodaddicorg.
b) Create your personal Login and keep your personal Profile information updated regularl

Remember to log in every time you enter the website.

c) View the Convention Report at http://www.foodaddicorg/members/world-service-reports. d) Update meeting information, register new meetings, order literature, etc.
e) Sign up to receive the Gratitude in Action (GIA) newsletter.
f) Lost? Just click on the FA logo in the upper left corner on any page to return home. g) Email web@foodaddicorg for questions, ideas, concerns about the web.

2. REGARDING THE 7th TRADITION:

a) Please continue giving generously to the 7th Tradition.
b) Help WSI avoid transaction fees by mailing in meeting donations, rather than submitting by credit card.
c) Subscribe to connection.
d) Purchase speaker CDs, rather than copying them. e) Purchase Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous.

3. REGARDING THE FA BOOK:

a) Read it. Study it. Enjoy it! Integrate the book into your recovery, your AWOL, your life. b) Place it on the literature table at your meetings.
c) Use the FA Book at a literature meeting
d) Freely share the book on an individual level, giving it away to others one person at a time. e) Please do not “press” the book or send it unsolicited to anyone.
f) Please refrain from bringing the book to health fairs and other venues that are not FA-specific.
g) Always present the FA book to the world with “great modesty and humility.”

4. REGARDING PI-RELATED SERVICE:

a) Offer to bring an Information Session to your physician and his/her staff .
b) Use the Healthcare Outreach tool (This is an easy tool that helps you keep track of which doctors you've reached out to and includes a script for calling doctors' office) Available at: http://www.foodaddicts.org/members/healthcare-and-faith-community-outreach .
c) Distribute the Healthcare Professionals trifold to all who are interested.
d) Bring a letter to your Healthcare Provider and/or Faith Community Leader.
e) Contact Mediawatch, Healthcarewatch, Blogwatch, and Weblinks as appropriate. f) Post trifolds in your community (ask your PI Rep for copies).
g) Ask your meeting to sponsor trifold racks at appropriate locations in your community.
h) Familiarize yourself with the PI Kit available at: http://www.foodaddicorg/members/PI-rep-info

5. REGARDING MEETINGS AT HOME AND ON THE FRONTIER:

a) Download an app on your phone in order to make international calls free of charge. b) Call a member on the Frontier Phone List.
c) Add your name to the Frontier, Sponsor, or Universal Language L
d) Opt in on the website to receive the quarterly email of Gratitude In Action.
e) Participate in EAI’s monthly meeting (in person or by phone), bi-monthly Contact call, quarterly

New Meeting Orientation call, or a “Road Trip.”

f) Review EAI’s 14-page Resource Guide.
g) Bring the EAI Information Booklet to appropriate locations. h) Access the WAI Meeting Partnership resource.
i) Join the WAI Outlying Area Speaker List. j) Support Spanish-speaking meeting
k) Support small meetings or qualify at meetings two hours away.
l) Submit art & articles to connection at connection@foodaddicorg.
m) Ask members at your business meeting to commit to sending in a submission. n) Subscribe to connection individually or as a meeting.
o) Take on a related service position, including but not limited to:

List Manager: Universal Language List, Frontier Phone List.

6. REGARDING AVAILABLE RESOURCES:

Familiarize yourself with the entities available to support you and your meetings:

Intergroups, Chapters, and Local Service Committees.

Inquiry Response Committee.

Meeting Effectiveness, Safety, and Accessibility Subcommittee.

WSI Bylaws Committee.

Traditions Review Committee.

Chapters and Intergroup Support Committee.

Office Committee.

connection committee.

7. REGARDING FUTURE CONVENTIONS:
a) The next FA Fellowship Convention will take place October 24-26, 2014 in Santa Clara, CA
b) The next World Service Business Convention will take place May 29-May 31, 2015 in Danvers, MA.

FA Resource List: 12 Ways to Get the Help You Seek

We as a fellowship have a rich collection of resources offered by our fellowship, for our fellowship.

Attend monthly business meetings
Attend monthly Intergroup meetings
If you are an EAI Contact, participate in EAI’s bi-monthly conference calls.

If you are new to EAI, participate in EAI’s quarterly Orientation conference call.

Contact eaivicechair@foodaddicts.org for details

If you are a WAI Contact, email WAI’s Target Area Resource (TAR) committee. A committee member will call you monthly to address any intergroup-related questions Contact waitar@foodaddicts.org for details
Participate in bi-monthly connection Rep phone calls

Contact connectionrep@foodaddicts.org for details

Participate in monthly WSI PI calls

Contact pi@foodaddicts.org for details

Participate in bi-monthly WSI SGSC calls

(Service Group Support Committee, formerly the CISC)

Contact sgsc@foodaddicts.org for details

Refer to "Meeting Guidelines" as needed

Go to http://www.foodaddicts.org/meeting-information for details

Email the WSI Meeting Effectiveness, Safety and Accessibility (MESA) 12th-step subcommittee for relevant concerns

Contact twelfthstep@foodaddicts.org for details

Email the Inquiry Response Committee (IRC) if you are unsure how to address a concern related to meeting standards and requirements

Contact fa@foodaddicts.org for details

Email the Traditions Review Committee (TRC) if you have a concern related to the

Twelve Traditions

Contact traditions@foodaddicts.org for details

Ask for help from your sponsor, your fellows, and God!

Meeting Guidelines

Meeting guidelines assist members and meetings in their service work and allow us to ask ourselves, “Does this practice support the newcomer?” The current Meeting Guidelines are categorized into several individual Documents. Created by the FA World Service Board, they have been fully vetted by members with long-term recovery and are intended as helpful suggestions.*

Visit http://www.foodaddicts.org/meeting-guidelines to view the entire collection.

Document 1: Meeting Requirements, Standards, Registration and Changes

Please review annually to ensure that no matter where in the world one finds an FA

meeting, one can readily recognize and find FA recovery in that room.

Document 2: Meeting Essentials

Please review this document for meeting basics regarding set-up, sharing, cross-talk, religious neutrality, etc.

Document 3: Format Options for FA Meetings

Please read this document to view principles regarding different types of meetings. Specific language is included for announcing sharing meetings, literature meetings, tools meetings, and FA Book meetings.

Document 4: Sample FA Meeting Format

Please print a copy of the Sample FA Meeting Format. The June 2014 version includes several grammatical changes.

Document 5: Suggested Wording For Service Announcements

Please review as needed to help keep meeting announcements to a minimum.

Document 6: Literature, Phone Lists, Speaker CDs

Please review for important principles regarding these resources.

Document 7: Service Positions- Description of Responsibilities

Please review as needed for best practices regarding service positions at meetings. Please print a copy of the Sample FA Meeting Business Agenda. The June 2014 version includes a section entitled, “Meeting Guidelines Review.”

Document 8: From A Traditions Perspective

This is a document that will remain fluid: The Traditions Review Committee (TRC), in conjunction with the WSB, will add to this Document if questions arise that are best viewed through the lens of the Twelve Traditions. Please review and discuss as needed.

[*The 2011 FA World Service Conference developed, voted on, and approved the Meeting Requirements and Standards included in Document 1. They are intended for all registered FA meetings and are therefore not regarded as suggestions.]

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