What should one do if you find your meeting site unexpectedly closed?
Here are some suggestions brainstormed by the Region 5 Media Committee at the Spring Assembly:
Old School:
- Pick up your phone list and call someone. Ask if they are open to a mini meeting.
- Keep the meeting time slot open, including your commute time. Other activities might fill it up if you let them.
- Pick a topic from an index that speaks to you and read the pages. Write a little on each entry.
- Share with a buddy or two on the phone.
- Learn how to hold a conference call on your phone and do it.
- Don’t eat over it. This too shall pass.
If you are able to text or email, you can:
- Take a picture of your meal before you eat it and send it to your sponsor, if they are willing.
- Create a phone tree or an e-mail list.
- Take a picture of the meeting phone list and send it to those on it in case they’ve lost theirs.
- Create a text group. Pick a topic and share on it via text with your OA Fellows and then everybody responds to it.
If you are a bit more tech savvy, you may:
- Go to OA.org Find A Meeting to find virtual and other meeting options.
- Include existing virtual meetings options on current meeting lists, even if temporary.
- Hold a meeting with a podcast, telephone meeting, or other online meetings with your OA Fellows.
- Explore OA.org topics and share links with your OA Fellows.
- Create an online chat room or private social media group and invite others in to explore a topic.
- Move your meeting online using a video conferencing service.
- Update oa.org with any new information, even if it’s temporary
In this difficult please remember to continue financial support of your Intergroup, Region and WSO.
Remember to be aware of OA guidelines when exploring options.
https://oa.org/app/uploads/2019/12/Small_Meetings_Guidelines.pdf
https://oa.org/app/uploads/2019/12/Anonymity-Guidelines-V2-proof.pdf
https://oa.org/app/uploads/2019/12/Sug_Phone_Mtg.pdf
Above all, stay in touch. Our face-to-face meetings are important. It’s crucial to keep our fellowship alive. Keep your meeting contact person information updated for members as well as for the venue where you usually meet.
Remember, friends don’t let friends isolate.
–Region 5 Media Committee