Fourth Quarter 2005 Volume 15, Number 4    Page 2 of 2 Purchasing Literature at Cost for Events Delegate Support Fund Deadline Plan Ahead for 2007 First WSBC Mailing Distributed IDEA Day Contest Didja Know… Web Links Updated and Expanded: OA Handbook for Members, Groups and Intergroups Purchasing Literature at Cost for Events At its April meeting, the Board of Trustees (BOT) passed the following motion: Allow intergroup PI/HIPM committees to purchase literature through members of the Board of Trustees at a reduced cost when hosting health fairs/professional exhibits. The reduced cost shall be calculated to be the higher of either: a) the actual cost of the literature, or b) 50 percent of the retail price. Literature shall be shipped and the actual cost of shipping shall be added to the order. If a credit card is used, the cost of the credit card transaction shall be added to the order as well. The BOT has developed the following procedure for intergroup PI/HIPM Committees to obtain literature at cost for major state, provincial or national health fairs, conferences or professional exhibits: The intergroup PI/HIPM Committee makes the request to its region trustee. The trustee verifies the event (when, where, how many attendees expected) and decides upon a reasonable amount of literature. Experience has shown that literature for 50 percent of projected attendees suffices. The trustee and the intergroup’s PI/HIPM Committee together choose the literature. Recommended pieces are the Courier newsletter for professionals, available on the OA Web site for download and copying, and no more than three pamphlets. The trustee contacts the World Service Office (WSO) controller to obtain pricing information for the chosen literature. Once the trustee approves the intergroup PI/HIPM Committee’s request for literature (because of budget constraints, trustee approval is not guaranteed), the trustee places the order with the WSO. Only the trustee may place the order; the motion specifically states that the request must come through a board member. The intergroup PI/HIPM Committee supplies the intergroup’s billing contact to the WSO controller. Unless the committee pays with a credit card, the controller charges the region budget until other payment is received. The WSO ships the order to the designated location. This simple process will help service bodies with the expense of providing literature for large, professional events. Top Delegate Support Fund Deadline OA offers financial support to service bodies unable to send a delegate to the World Service Business Conference (WSBC) because they lack sufficient funds. OA members donate to the Delegate Support Fund to enable broad representation at the WSBC. To apply for delegate support for the 2006 WSBC, service bodies must send to the World Service Office a Delegate Support Fund Application, postmarked by November 1, 2005. Priority is given to service bodies that have never sent a delegate to WSBC; the full allocation criteria is published on the application. Top OA’s fabulous 2007 World Service Convention will fill your coffers with love and fellowship in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA, August 29 to September 1, 2007. For continuing updates on Convention plans, be sure to check the World Service Convention page.   Top First WSBC Mailing Distributed The WSO mailed the first documents for the 2006 World Service Business Conference (WSBC) on Monday, August 29, 2005. The mailing includes the delegate registration form and instructions, trustee application forms and instructions, and sample motion/amendment forms. Also included is the 2005 Final Conference Report, distributed only to the 2005 WSBC delegates and to service bodies that did not send a representative to WSBC. Except for the Final Conference Report, all first-mailing documents are available on the World Service Business Conference page. To purchase the 2005 Final Conference Report, please call the WSO at 505-891-2664 or order it online, item #800, $10 each plus $2.25 shipping for US orders up to $15. For orders over $15 or outside the US, see the Literature Catalog page. WSBC 2006 Important Deadlines December 10, 2005 Postmark date for Motions and Amendments January 2, 2006 Delegate Registration Forms Due January 31, 2006 Trustee Application Forms Due   Top IDEA DAY Contest To celebrate IDEA Day (International Day Experiencing Abstinence), November 19, 2005, the World Service Public Information (PI) Committee is looking for the most innovative activities for an IDEA Day event. The PI Committee invites OA members to participate in its IDEA Day Contest by submitting media and event ideas to the World Service Office, c/o PI Committee—IDEA Day Contest. For contest details, go to the PI Suggestions page. Be sure to send your fantastic ideas by November 1, 2005. Service bodies have received a special mailing with contest details, and the PI Committee encourages them to distribute the IDEA Day press release included in the mailing to their local media. Top Didja Know… that the OA Web site contains an archive of Ask-It Basket questions and answers that have appeared in Lifeline magazine over the years? Members of the OA Board of Trustees answer questions on topics ranging from abstinence and anonymity to WSO correspondence and young people. Here is an example of a question and answer about the questions themselves: What kind of question is appropriate for the Ask-It Basket? I have a zillion questions, but I’m hesitant to send them in. You ask it, we’ll answer it if we can. This column is intended primarily to provide service information, but inquiries about the Traditions, meeting procedures, sponsorship and other OA concerns are also welcome. Individuals and groups wondering how to start a meeting or form an intergroup, people perplexed about the specifics of anonymity, meetings struggling with financial problems—all will receive a reply that is based on solutions that are working for other OA groups. Questions have ranged from an appeal for fund-raising tips from a group about to fold to an inquiry about the function of the Board of Trustees. So whether your question pertains to the group or to OA as a whole, or is a matter of personal curiosity, send it in. It may benefit many readers who are wondering the same thing. September 1992, reprinted from the WSO Notebook, January/February 1983 The Ask-It Basket Archive, a 133-page PDF file, contains information on a myriad of topics and includes a table of contents so you can easily search for a subject. Check out this new feature. Top Discover interesting and helpful OA Web-site links. Beyond Our Wildest Dreams—OA's history book now includes an index; item #998 Public Information (PI) Planner—Provides a monthly PI focus or theme and three to five suggestions for activities Press Release—"OA Members Worldwide Observe a Special Day November 19 to Celebrate Abstinence from Compulsive Eating" Top   OA Handbook for Members, Groups and Intergroups The “OA Handbook” is a valuable reference tool for OA groups and intergroups, as well as for individual members. It offers suggestions on how to start an OA group and keep it going, along with important information about service at the group, intergroup, national/language service board, region and world service levels. The updated edition includes a section on applying the Twelve Traditions through the group conscience, information about designated downloaders, references to the OA Web site and an updated index. Item #120, $1.50 each plus shipping. $2.25 shipping for orders up to $15. For orders over $15 or outside the US, contact the WSO or see the Literature Catalog page.   Top EACH GROUP HAS BUT ONE PRIMARY PURPOSE — TO CARRY ITS MESSAGE TO THE COMPULSIVE OVEREATER WHO STILL SUFFERS. Top Previous page   Attention Intergroups: Please inform the WSO whenever you have meeting changes to your directory. A Publication of: Overeaters Anonymous, Inc. P.O. Box 44020 Rio Rancho, NM 87174-4020 USA Phone: 1-505-891-2664 Fax: 1-505-891-4320 E-mail: info@oa.org OA Homepage Registered OA service bodies may reprint articles crediting A Step Ahead and Overeaters Anonymous. © 2005 Overeaters Anonymous®, Inc. All rights reserved.