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Approving Content/Materials for Emails/Newsletters/Website/Flyers
CII has two phases for approving items for Central Iowa Intergroup (CII) emails, flyers, newsletters and/or website postings that align with Keeping Our Traditions understandings (see Orientation section at end).
Phase I: Has the material been approved already by an OA Service Body? Yes or No
| YES | Below are examples of materials that have already been approved by an OA Service Body. Materials may have been sent directly to the Newsletter/Web Manager Coordinators from these sources OR passed along by a CII Board Member. | |
| 1 | Other Iowa Intergroup news items | Sent by that Intergroup’s Board Officer/Coordinator. CII was asked to share with OA fellowship. |
| 2 | Other Intergroups in Region 4 (other/neighboring states) news items | Sent by that Intergroup’s Newsletter Coordinator or Board Officer. CII was asked to share with OA fellowship. |
| 3 | Region 4 news items | Sent by that Region 4’s Newsletter Coordinator or Board Officer. CII board member was asked to share with OA fellowship. |
| 4 | WSO or WSBC news items | Sent by Region 4 Trustee or other Trustees, WSO and/or WSBC or CII board member was asked to share with OA fellowship. |
| Action | Yes materials: Newsletter Coordinator and/or Web Manager may go ahead and use the materials without first gaining Chair or Secretary approval. It is assumed that the Service Body approved the material before sending it out to other Service Bodies. If the Coordinator/Web Manager has any questions, though, s/he is encouraged to consult with the Chair or Secretary. Exception: Other than special events, CII website will not post recovery materials from another OA Service Board – in order to keep the website “CII focused.” It is acceptable, however, to provide the link to where the materials are already posted. |
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| NO | Below are examples of materials that have not yet been approved by an OA Service Body. |
| 1 | Flyers for upcoming CII-sponsored special events or activities. |
| 2 | Draft newsletter prepared by Newsletter Coordinator, ready to submit for approval before distributing to the fellowship. |
| 3 | Materials from CII events that someone wanted to share/post afterward. |
| 4 | Other materials not described in the ‘Yes’ table above |
| 5 | Other materials not described in ‘Yes’ table above |
| Action | “NO” materials need to be submitted to CII’s Chair or Secretary for approval (a Trusted Servant). The Chair or Secretary has the option to ask other CII Board Officers for input before making a decision. The Chair or Secretary considers approving, asking for revisions, or declining approval. See the Phase II Table below for Tradition questions that can help the Chair or Secretary’s decision-making. Once Chair or Secretary gives approval, the material can be distributed through CII’s newsletter/website/email. |
Phase II: Is the material aligned with OA’s 12 Traditions? Yes or No
| Tradition 1 | Promotes OA Unity? | “…help us connect with other people in ways that will nurture them and nurture us as we recover together?” |
| Tradition 2 | Did the material come from Service Bodies/Trusted Servants who ask for God’s Will before decisions are made? | Is it from a trusted OA source? |
| Tradition 3 | Is welcoming to all who desire to stop eating compulsively? | |
| Tradition 4 | Honors group autonomy except in matters affecting other groups or OA as a whole? | |
| Tradition 5 | Does it help us “carry our message to the compulsive eater who still suffers?” | |
| Tradition 6 | Does it refrain from endorsing an outside enterprise? | LIST: Is it OA-approved literature? Is it from a meeting within CII? Does it focus on OA recovery and meets locallyproduced OA literature guidelines (see link below in the Orientation section)? Is it a special event sponsored by CII (not anindividual person)? If sponsored by an individual CII meeting, does it share information about an event that focuses on recovery for the CII fellowship? |
| Tradition 7 | Does it refrain from outside OA financial or in-kind services type of support? | e.g. no advertisements |
| Tradition 8 | NA | |
| Tradition 9 | NA | |
| Tradition 10 | Does not draw OA into controversy? | |
| Tradition 11 | Is material based on attraction rather than promotion? | Provides factual information or if is a personal recovery story/reflection, maintains personal anonymity? See Note below. |
| Tradition 12 | Follows Tradition 12 for anonymity including “Principles over Personalities?” | e.g. Does not list name of Special Event facilitator/speaker/etc. (principles over personalities). See also Note below. |
| Note. It is within OA’s anonymity tradition to include the first name, last initial of person and their contact information (phone #, personal email address, etc.) if they give permission and it is appropriate (e.g. contact info for special events, but not for personal recovery stories). Always remember that things posted on the website are very public. Otherwise personally identifiable info (e.g. contact lists) are not to be approved. | ||
Orientation – Keeping Our Traditions
The following OA.org resources provide guidance on how to keep the Traditions in our Emails, Newsletters and Website.
| Locally Produced Literature | https://oa.org/guidelines-meetings/locally-produced-literature/ |
| Guidelines for OA Events | https://oa.org/app/uploads/2021/09/guidelines-for-oa-events.pdf |
| Guidelines for Newsletters See section: Guarding Our Traditions | https://oa.org/app/uploads/2021/09/guidelines-for-oa-newsletters.pdf |
| Guidelines for OA-Approved Literature List | https://oa.org/app/uploads/2021/09/oa-approved-literature-list.pdf |
| Guidelines for Website Development: Using Technology Without Compromising Traditions | https://oa.org/app/uploads/2021/09/website-development-guidelines-using-technology-without-compromising-traditions.pdf |