| A
Step Ahead |
Quarterly newsletter of the
World Service Office sent to all OA groups. |
| Abstinence |
According to the dictionary,
the word "abstain" means to refrain from. Abstinence
in Overeaters Anonymous is the action of refraining from
compulsive eating. Spiritual, emotional and physical recovery
is the result of living the Overeaters Anonymous Twelve-Step
program.
— Policy Statement on Abstinence
and Recovery 1988b, amended
2002 |
| Ask-It
Basket |
Presentation or Lifeline article
by the Board of Trustees answering questions about OA. |
| BOT |
Abbreviation for the Board
of Trustees. |
| Board committees |
Permanent or special (ad hoc)
committees of the board at the world service level formed for
a special purpose or project. |
| Board
meeting |
Regular meeting of the 16-member
Board of Trustees. The BOT meets four times per year, usually
in Albuquerque, New Mexico. |
| Board-approved literature |
OA
literature that has originated from a Board or Conference
committee and is not intended for the Fellowship as a whole,
or literature that has been compiled from existing Conference-approved
literature or Lifeline magazine. |
| Bylaws, Subpart A* |
Governs the organization of the World Service
Office and describes
the responsibilities of the Board of Trustees as directors
of a nonprofit
corporation. |
| Bylaws,
Subpart B* |
Defines OA
membership, the basic structure of OA service bodies and
specific procedures relating to the functioning of the Fellowship, as approved
by the WSBC.
|
| Conference |
The assembly of the World Service
Business Conference. |
| Conference-approved literature |
OA literature that
has been approved by Conference and granted the literature
Conference Seal.
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|
| Conference committees |
Standing or special committees
of the Conference at the world service level formed for a specific
purpose or project. Conference committees are made up of Conference
delegates and are cochaired by a delegate cochairman and a
trustee cochairman. |
| Conference Policy Manual |
A list of ongoing policies
adopted at Conferences. Also known as the summary of continuing-effect
motions. |
| Conference Support Committee |
Experienced OA members who
assist with logistics at Conference. Also known as CSC. |
| Convention |
World
Service Convention is held periodically to promote
recovery and fellowship for OA members around the world. |
| Cross Talk |
"Cross talk" during
an OA meeting is giving advice to others who have already shared,
speaking directly to another person rather than to the group,
and questioning or interrupting the person speaking/sharing
at the time. |
| Delegate |
The person elected at the intergroup
level to represent that intergroup or national/language service
board at Conference. Regional
chairs and trustees also serve as Conference delegates. |
| Executive Committee |
A subset of the Board
of Trustees with the duty of overseeing the World Service
Office. The Executive Committee is made up of the six general
service trustees. The Executive Committee meets in person
or by conference call each month. |
| Fellowship |
The membership of Overeaters
Anonymous worldwide. |
| Fiscal year |
The current fiscal year for
Overeaters Anonymous, Inc., is January 1–December 31. |
| Final
Conference Report |
Report of the actions taken
at the annual World Service
Business Conference (WSBC or Conference). This report contains
minutes of the business meetings, summaries of the workshop
presentations, reports of the Conference committees, the revised
Conference Policy Manual and addresses of the delegates, cofounder,
region chairs and trustees. |
| Founder |
The cofounder of Overeaters Anonymous, Rozanne S.
|
| Group |
Two or more people who have
the desire to stop eating compulsively and who meet to practice
the Twelve Steps and Twelve
Traditions of Overeaters Anonymous. Also known as a meeting
or meeting group. |
| GST |
Abbreviation
for general service trustee. GSTs are elected at-large from
the OA membership. The six GSTs serve as the Executive of the
BOT. |
| HIPM |
Abbreviation for a Conference
committee called Hospitals, Institutions, Professionals and
the Military. The committee coordinates contact with institutions
where OA meetings may occur and provides information about
OA to health care professionals who
may refer patients to OA. |
| HOW |
Abbreviation for Honesty,
Openness and Willingness. This is the acronym for a number
of OA groups who have a slightly more structured method of
practicing the OA program. |
| IDEA Day |
International Day Experiencing
Abstinence (IDEA), celebrated
the third Saturday in November, encourages OA members
worldwide to begin or reaffirm their abstinence from compulsive
overeating. |
| IG |
Abbreviation for intergroup. |
| Intergroup |
The service body that supports
local area groups. The intergroup is made up of representatives
from each group it serves and is managed by a board of officers.
Intergroups generally provide published local meeting lists,
an answering service for newcomers and OA literature. |
| IR |
Abbreviation for intergroup
representative. |
| Intergroup Representative |
A group member who is selected
to represent the group at intergroup meetings. |
| Lifeline |
Monthly magazine of Overeaters
Anonymous, publishing stories of recovery written and submitted
by OA members. |
| LSB |
Abbreviation for language service board.
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|
| Managing
Director |
Chief operating officer of
the organization. The managing director manages day-to-day
operations of the World Service Office, assists the Board of
Trustees and serves as the corporate secretary of Overeaters
Anonymous, Inc. |
| NSB |
Abbreviation for national
service board. |
| National/Language Service
Board |
The body that provides services
to the intergroups and/or groups within one country or language
area outside the US and Canada. |
| Overeaters Anonymous,
Inc. |
The formal structure of the
corporate organization subject to the laws of the state of
California. OA, Inc. is made up of the BOT; the WSO; and, for
the week that it is in session, Conference. |
| PI |
Abbreviation for a Conference
committee called Public Information. Its purpose is to coordinate
efforts to provide information about OA to the public. |
| Pitch |
A brief talk in which members
may qualify and describe what they were like before OA and
what they are like now. Pitches may also address a specific
topic chosen by a group's leader. |
| Prudent Reserve |
An amount of money set aside to meet an
organization's operating expenses in the event that contributions
decrease. For example, the World Service Office has a policy
that calls
for a prudent reserve "not to exceed one year's operating budget
plus outstanding liabilities plus one-time capital expenditures."
Each group or intergroup should establish its own prudent reserve
policy. For more information, see the Fundraising
and Prudent Reserve Guidelines for Groups and Intergroups. |
| Qualify |
The act of telling a group
the length of time the speaker is recovering in the Fellowship
and of the inner and outer changes experienced as a result
of abstaining and working the Twelve-Step program of recovery. |
| Regions |
Ten geographic areas defined
in the bylaws. |
| Region Assembly |
The business meeting of each
region. Intergroups or service boards send representatives
to region assemblies to enact business, elect region officers
and nominate candidates for Region Trustee. |
| RR |
Abbreviation for region representative.
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|
| Region Representative |
An intergroup representative
who represents the intergroup at regional assemblies. |
| Region
Trustee |
Ten members of the BOT who
serve as liaisons between their regions and world service. |
| Service by Mail/Email |
Participating
members correspond by mail or e-mail to share recovery and
to discuss working the OA program. |
| Twelve
Concepts of OA Service |
The concepts guiding all OA
members in their service to the organization. |
| Twelve
Steps |
The Steps of recovery from
compulsive overeating, adapted (with permission) from the Twelve
Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. |
| Twelfth Step Within |
A Conference committee whose
purpose is to support OA members in relapse. |
| Twelfth-Step Work |
This means practicing the
Twelfth Step or, more specifically, carrying the OA message
of recovery to compulsive overeaters. |
| Twelve
Traditions |
The principal ideas behind
the Overeaters Anonymous program of recovery, adapted (with
permission) from the Twelve Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous. |
| Unity Day |
This day recognizes the strength of the Fellowship worldwide. On the last Saturday
in February, at 11:30 a.m. pacific standard time, OA members pause to reaffirm
the strength inherent in OA's unity. |
| World
Service Business Conference |
Annual business conference
of Overeaters Anonymous, Inc. This weeklong meeting is held
to elect trustees, amend bylaws, adopt new business policies
and provide information to delegates through presentations
and workshops. |
| World
Service Office |
Administrative headquarters
for Overeaters Anonymous in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. Staffed
by 14 professionals who conduct day-to-day business operations
of OA, the WSO tracks OA groups worldwide, develops OA literature,
produces the monthly Lifeline magazine,
and sells and ships OA materials. |
| WSBC |
Abbreviation for World Service Business Conference.
|
| WSC |
Abbreviation for World Service
Convention, also known as Convention. |
| WSO |
Abbreviation for World Service
Office. |
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