WSBC 7th Tradition

This is the first of … some posts published from the World Service Business Conference. I’m Michael P., R6 web and pub coordinator and a delegate representing Metrowest Intergroup in Greater Boston. Our new(ish) managing director, Dan Sandweiss, reported this data about our fellowship:

“Abstinence is the action of refraining from compulsive eater and compulsive food behaviors while working toward or maintaining a healthy body weight.” Surely you’ve heard this before; it’s OA’s definition of abstinence. At the World Service Business Conference in Albuquerque, a delegate proposed removing the word “weight.” Plenty of delegates rose to speak for and…

R6 Chair Kimberly C asked on Friday for the conference to reconsider its decision of Thursday to consider major religious holidays in the scheduling of future conferences. Her rationale was that nonreligious people could feel as though they had been relegated to lesser status. Indeed, the second pro speaker said as much, quite emotionally. She…

Owing to rotation of service and other factors, 10 vacancies out of 17 positions existed on the Board of Trustees as delegates gathered for the conference. Six candidates stood for election, and all were elected. One of the vacancies materialized because Beth B., Region 6 trustee, reached the end of her term and chose not…

The conference started with 188 voting delegates. By the last session Saturday morning, that number was down to 170. That shrinkage happens every year — because people have to leave early, for example. But this year, two people were reported to have tested positive for Covid on Thursday afternoon, and they were not isolated incidents,…