Gratitude in Action - October 2014
What is Gratitude in Action?
Gratitude in Action is a newsletter published by the WSI 12th Step Committee of Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous (FA) to inspire you to get involved and do service so that you and others can be helped. We will bring you the latest FA worldwide information, remind you of tools and resources available within FA, and highlight upcoming FA worldwide events. Remember – “Service keeps us abstinent!”
Preparing for the 2014 FA Fellowship Convention & Holiday Season
The next few months are a time when many of us will travel to visit fellows, friends and family. The hustle and bustle of this time of year can be both exciting and stressful. With so many distractions, it’s easy to forget what matters most – our abstinence. Taking our programs with us when we travel is essential for maintaining our abstinence and has proven time and again to be quite manageable. It does, however, take planning and commitment. Below are some tips to help you travel abstinently (and serenely) for the upcoming fellowship convention and holiday season:
Preparing for the FA Fellowship Convention
- Manage your energy - during the convention be sure to take breaks, get rest and stay connected with yourself, others and God.
- Manage your food –
- If you bring your own food – make sure to label your food, remember which refrigerator you are keeping it in (if in the hospitality room) and remember to double check your food to ensure you have all that you
- If you purchase the food plan – remember that portions are estimated, not exact, so follow the protocol that’s right for Keep top of mind your food plan so you don’t make mistakes.
- Manage your tools – Remember your basics: quiet time, literature, prayer, writing and gratitude. Even when surrounded by hundreds of fellows it’s important to put first things first.
Preparing for holiday travel
- Take Action – before you go:
- Check the airline regulations for liquids and other restrictions (e.g. knives)
- Research your accommodations:
- Is there a grocery store in the area?
- Will you have a refrigerator, microwave, or kitchen?
- Can you ask family/friends to buy your food in advance or take you to a grocery store when you arrive?
- Talk to your sponsor about:
- Packing your food for travel
- Changing time zones
- Meal times
- Sponsor and sponsee calls while you’re away
- Meetings:
- If you have a service position at your committed meeting, ask a fellow to cover for you while you are away.
- Coordinate travel plans with others at your committed meetings (especially at smaller meetings) to avoid the need to cancel a meeting.
- Check the FA Website (www.foodaddicts.org) for meetings you can attend at your destination. (If you have 90 days of abstinence, call ahead and offer to qualify.)
- Keep your focus on Recovery – while you’re away:
- Attend a local meeting and connect with fellows at your
- Stay connected to your core
- Practice your regular daily routine whenever
- Make your program (and your abstinence) the number one
- Enjoy and have fun
- Land Smoothly – “Home Sweet Home”
- Take time to allow for re-entry.
- Allow time to buy groceries and prepare
- Get back into your routine – structure will keep you
- Easy does it!
Traditions Review Committee (TRC)
Issue: Donations to Meeting. A member asked the TRC whether it is ok for a meeting to accept various donations from a company at which a meeting member works (i.e. shrink wrap for FA books and envelopes and labor to stuff envelopes).
Response: The TRC reviewed the issue in light of the 7th Tradition and agreed that taking anything for nothing is accepting outside donations, regardless of whether the donor of the services asks not to be reimbursed. The TRC recommends the meeting make an appropriate donation to offset costs, perhaps equal to a certain percentage of the market rate, according to group conscience. This principle has been suggested before when meeting spaces have offered their rooms to FA meetings at no cost. The TRC always has recommended that the meeting make a donation to the landlord of the meeting space.
Issue 2: Meeting(s) Donating to help Another Meeting. A meeting was asked to donate money to a new FA meeting that was struggling. Ensuing discussion at the business meetings resulted in a disagreement and the meeting requested guidance, based on the Traditions.
Response 2: The Traditions Review Committee discussed this issue in terms of Tradition 7, which states that each meeting should be self-supporting, declining outside contributions. Members of the committee agreed that a one-time, reasonable donation would be acceptable, if it was from another FA meeting and not from outside FA. After this donation, however, this meeting would then be expected to stand on its own. If, however, the meeting needs on-going or substantial help, they should consider whether the meeting should close until there is sufficient financial support available from its members.