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| Suggested meeting format |
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Welcome. This is the ……….…....... meeting of Offenders Anonymous
My name is ………............
I’m a recovering crime addict/ compulsive offender/ compulsive criminal (or whatever fits for you).
Read, or ask someone to read, the
Preamble
Offenders Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share our experience, strength and hope with each other so that we may arrest our compulsive criminal behaviour and help others to recover from addiction to crime.
We are not here to address offending as a moral issue. Our primary purpose is to identify our addiction and, with the help of the Twelve Steps, restore choice and freedom to our lives. Our programme is based on the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous, but we are not affiliated with AA or any other organisation. We are not a religious organisation or allied with any sect, neither do we engage in any controversy or politics.
There are no dues or fees – we are self-supporting from the voluntary contributions of our members. We pass the hat at each meeting in order to meet group expenses, and any surplus is used to carry the message of OA.
We try to listen respectfully to what others have to say and to share our own experience. We do not interrupt or give advice. While we strive towards recovery, it is not necessary for attendance or participation. Our primary purpose is to recover and help others to recover from addiction to crime.
Read, or ask someone to read, the
Anonymity Statement
Anonymity is a cornerstone of the Twelve Step programme. We use only our first names. Our status or position outside this group is not an issue here. What you see and hear here, when you leave, for the protection of the group, please let it stay here.
Moment's silence (a minute or so )
To remember why we are here and the addict still suffering , in and outside of prison, and families separated by crime addiction.
Announcements
(any announcements related to OA)
Read, or ask someone to read, the
Clarity Statement
We do not communicate with police, probation services, prisons, courts, social workers or any other agency about any of our members.
We do not write reports or appear in courts for any members.
Our members’ names and what they say are strictly confidential.
We are people who have or have had problems with criminality in our lives.
The only requirement for membership of Offenders Anonymous is a desire to be free from compulsive offending.
Readings
This could be a reading from a recovery book or from a member’s story.
This could be to pick a question from "Am I a Crime Addict" and take it in turns to share our experience on it.
This could be to read out one of the steps and discuss our thoughts and feelings about it.
OA encourages us to be open and honest in our sharing to the best of our ability.
Or
We might ask a member to share their experiences as a crime addict and experiences of recovery. (When we do this we ask that they share their Experience, Strength and Hope. They would normally speak for 20-30 minutes)
Sharing
Open the meeting for others to share their Experience, Strength and Hope in return, if they wish. Most meetings suggest there should be no interruptions or cross talk when members are sharing.
The Seventh Tradition
We are self-supporting from the voluntary contributions of our members; we do not receive or request outside donations. The rent for this room is £….. per week ( pass the hat).
Read, or ask someone to read, the
Closing Statement
The opinions expressed here were strictly those of the person who gave them. What you heard was spoken in confidence and should be treated as confidential. Keep it within the walls of this room and the confines of your mind. Remember that anonymity is a core tradition on which the programme depends. Whatever problems you have, there are those among us who have had them too. If you keep an open mind, you will find help. Let us talk to one another and reason things out, but let us not gossip or criticize each other. Instead, let the understanding, love and peace of the programme grow in each of us one day at a time.
To end the meeting, we use the
Serenity Prayer
Said together, standing, seated or whatever. Some meetings stand circle up and hold hands during this.
God Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And Wisdom to know the difference.
Who should run a meeting
It’s healthy to involve as many people as possible in the running of the meeting. As addicts we may have a tendency towards over-controlling so always give others the opportunity to take part by doing readings, helping set out the room, making tea , greeting, putting out the literature or whatever.
Traditionally the service positions at a meeting are:
The secretary, has the keys , opens up, reads the opening statement, moment’s silence etc, generally guides the meeting by saying what happens next. Not the boss any more than the tea maker, we are all trusted servants and usually voted in by the other group members.
Treasurer, looks after the money, pays the rent and any bills incurred by the group.
Literature person, orders and sets out and puts away the literature for the meeting, orders more when running low, does photocopying etc, gets money from treasurer, with the agreement of the group.
Greeter, keeps an eye out for new members to the group, makes them welcome, introduces them to other members, makes sure they have access to literature.
Group Service Representative, keeps in touch with other group GSR’s at a regular meeting to discuss common aims.
Other thoughts
Meetings usually last for an hour and a half but we can make them anytime we wish to with the agreement of the group.
Remember as it says in Tradition Four, all meetings are autonomous and we can run a meeting any way we like, the format printed here is a suggestion based on the experiences of other fellowship groups, we can have a meeting any way we wish to with the agreement of the other group members. The only proviso in Tradition Four is that we do not affect the running of other groups or the fellowship as a whole by any decisions we make.
If we have any problems at our meetings we have the Traditions to look to for guidance, they take care of most situations, we just need to look through them. |
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