In the area where I live there is a practice in the meeting format which I disagree with--that is the practice of only reading one Tradition per meeting rather than reading all Twelve Traditions.
The first thing I need to say is that this is NOT a practice which is against OA Traditions. There is nothing in the Traditions which says anything about this issue. Each meeting is autonomous and may choose which readings to read at each meeting.
I really feel that it is much better for us as overeaters to hear both the Twelve Steps and the Twelve Traditions read at every meeting. We forget those things which work for us and hearing them read every week really strengthens our ability to remember them.
I know when I was new and not feeling very strong in my abstinence, it was helpful for me to hear every week that the only requirement for membership was to have a desire to stop eating compulsively. But if the people in my meeting only read that Tradition during one month of the year I might not have heard it, and may have given up on OA and on myself.
And who can do without being reminded of Unity, no opinion on outside issues, that leaders do not get to govern, and that we need to be self-supporting? We also need to hear that our Primary Purpose is to carry the message to others, about attraction rather than promotion, and that anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our Traditions.
I really believe that we need to continue to read all our Traditions every week in every OA meeting. But this is simply my opinion. So please know that no one is doing it wrong if they do not agree.
In love and service,
Margie G. - Region 1
The first thing I need to say is that this is NOT a practice which is against OA Traditions. There is nothing in the Traditions which says anything about this issue. Each meeting is autonomous and may choose which readings to read at each meeting.
I really feel that it is much better for us as overeaters to hear both the Twelve Steps and the Twelve Traditions read at every meeting. We forget those things which work for us and hearing them read every week really strengthens our ability to remember them.
I know when I was new and not feeling very strong in my abstinence, it was helpful for me to hear every week that the only requirement for membership was to have a desire to stop eating compulsively. But if the people in my meeting only read that Tradition during one month of the year I might not have heard it, and may have given up on OA and on myself.
And who can do without being reminded of Unity, no opinion on outside issues, that leaders do not get to govern, and that we need to be self-supporting? We also need to hear that our Primary Purpose is to carry the message to others, about attraction rather than promotion, and that anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our Traditions.
I really believe that we need to continue to read all our Traditions every week in every OA meeting. But this is simply my opinion. So please know that no one is doing it wrong if they do not agree.
In love and service,
Margie G. - Region 1