W.A. World Service Organization Newsletter
Living in Balance E-NewsetterSeptember 2013
In This Issue
Your W.A. Board Engaged
2013 W.A. Conference Comments
Storyline Fall Issue
Registration Open for 2014 W.A. World Conference
W.A. Mediation Book needs member meditations.
Quick Links
Greetings!


Greetings! We hope you are enjoyed your summer and your recovery is doing well and you are living a grateful, happy life!

In August we had our W. A. World Conference is in Chicago!. It was a very successful event.Thank you to all who planned the conference, volunteered and who came!  See more details about the event below.

Registration is open for our W. A. 2014 World Conference in Malibu! See below for details.

Fall Storyline issue is here! See below for links to download pdf.

Michele S., Outreach Coordinator
Workaholics Anonymous

W.A. in Chicago, Illinois!
 

A big thank you to all the individuals that helped with the Chicago 2013

W.A. World Service Conference.

 

A special thanks to an anonymous donor for the very generous gift making possible to book the conference site over a year in advance. This set the stage to book 2014 conference a year in advance and hopefully subsequent years will be as well.

 

We had the largest number of attendees for the four days of 92 with 6 from outside the United States. The following map shows where the attendees were from.

 

An amazing journey in sobriety in coordinating the conference!  

Jerry S.

2013 Conference Coordinator

 

What happens at the Conference ... 
doesn't stay at the Conference!
 

 Unlike whatever "happens in Las Vegas", things that happen at a W.A. Conference don't stay there. Our 2013 Chicago Conference, titled 'Transformation from the inside out", is no exception. Friendships with our fellow travelers are renewed and new ones are made; and then carried with us when we depart. It was so great to meet some of the persons whose voices I heard in telephone meetings, and share that experience. And Newcomers! We met several persons who were attending their first or near-first W.A. meeting of whatever kind; and I have to say they have left a very lasting inspirational impression on me and for my continuing recovery.

 
There is a copy of the Conference Program near the end of the upcoming fall issue of STORYLINE so you can get an idea of how the Conference was structured.
 
There were many inspiring speakers and thought and program enhancing panels. Almost every meeting offered opportunities for sharing by Members. A common theme that was reported by almost everyone surveyed, was that "you could just feel the love, respect and caring for each other and the group in every moment." 

 

As there was no new business actions for the General Assembly, our Board Members introduced themselves and offered a brief outline of the kinds of service activities they perform. View contact info below under "Your W.A. Board Engaged."

 

And we had fun! There was a group bike ride, laughter during meals, and an evening of laugh-out-loud auction sales and games. The event was highlighted by some original songs written about W.A. and performed by Rachel. Beautiful! 

 

And what really did not stay at the Conference was every Member's commitments to their own transformation and recovery, and the carrying of that message to those who still suffer. During our closing meeting, with joined hands in a large circle, we offered our thoughts and prayers in silence to our fellow Members not present and for those yet to awaken to the enlightenment of recovery in fellowship.  

 

~Bruce A.~ 

Workaholics Anonymous in California!
2014 - Malibu Here We Come!

The W.A. World Service Conference will be held in Malibu, CA
July 31-August 3, 2014. We will be staying at the Serra Retreat Center
which has a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean!


Registration is now open.
 Fall Issue for W.A. Storyline is out!
   
Are you interested in submitting some of your thoughts, stories, poems,
quips and/or articles about your journey in recovery and with
the Workaholics Anonymous program and fellowship?
If you have something you want to share, please contact us.  
 

CONTACT US at:

storyline@workaholics-anonymous.org 


Or visit our website at:
www.workaholics-anonymous.org
 
Don't Forget!
New Conference Call Line for ALL Phone Meetings!
 
On September 16th our Conference Call number will be permanently changing from (218) 844-0870 to (712) 432-0363 for conferencing. 
Please continue to use the current conference number until September 16th. Starting September 16th, both host and participants will need to use the new conference. Your access code will remain the same.
 Your W.A. World Service Board Engaged

TO CONTACT THE WAWSO TRUSTEES BY eMAIL:

For general information:  Anne [email protected]

For meeting assistance:  Laura [email protected]

For WA Literature volunteers or corrections: 
Amber [email protected]

For e-newsletter:  Michele [email protected]

For STORYLINE:  Shelley [email protected]

For WSR assistance:  Bob [email protected]

For Meditation Book:  [email protected]

For 2014 Conference:  Amy [email protected]

For literature ordering questions:  [email protected]

General mailbox:  [email protected]

 

For any Program issue, concern, initiative, suggestion, etc.:

Bruce A [email protected]

Jerry S [email protected]

 

Website

We are making progress on  the new W.A. website! Looks like it will be launched in the fall. The new website design will have an improved design, development and new shopping cart.


Literature

In addition to the ongoing process of developing our W.A. Meditation Book (see below for details), We have a couple of exciting projects planned for the near future - including some edits to our existing literature, a formatting facelift for our brochures and mailings, and even a new pamphlet on the topic of work anorexia/avoidance (which will ideally help members to overcome procrastination, perfectionism, and related fears).  

 

Please help with the revision process (easy service opportunity!) by contacting literature@workaholics-anonymous.org with any recommended changes that you or your group stumble upon as you read through the books and pamphlets, perhaps notating them as you read and including them all in a single email when you finish.  Do not be shy about voicing your ideas - from sweeping substantive concerns to tiny grammatical errors - as this is your literature.

 

If you are interested in joining the Literature Committee - or would like to otherwise consult on any of these ongoing projects - I would love the support. Again, please email literature@workaholics-anonymous.org for details.

 

Love and service,

Amber, W.A.W.S.O. Literature Chair

 

Communications 

 

The W.A. Communications Department is adding to our sponsors list for new members. We are particularly getting a lot of requests from women. Want to sponsor? Please contact [email protected]

We are currently seeking a professional representative to speak on behalf of the fellowship and respond to public press releases that may misconstrue the reality of being a workaholic. See more information below.
 

 

W. A. Meditation Book - Call For Contributions

The W.A.W.S.O. Literature Committee is creating a meditations book. We would like all the meditations to come from the fellowship, so . . .
We need your help!

 

All members are welcome to write and submit meditations for publication. Consider having a writing play day for your meeting group. Not only would this activity provide opportunities for reflection and meditation, but it would also allow group members to make contributions to a book that will serve the needs of the whole fellowship.

 

A suggested meeting format for writing meditations is available at the WA website. For more details about submitting meditations, please visit the W.A. website. 

 

Also, a suggested meeting format for writing meditations is also available at the W.A. website here for you to view. 

 

We look forward to receiving your meditations!!
Have fun with us!!

 

Your trusted servants,

W.A.W.S.O. Literature Committee

 

Interested in Becoming a Meeting Group Mentor?

Among the many support opportunities offered by WA, perhaps the richest are those created through relationships with fellow members. Across the globe people are forming meeting groups and sharing the message of recovery. We are excited by the growth of the fellowship, particularly in the number of people expressing interest in organizing meeting groups.

Because starting a meeting group can be an intimidating process, we would
like for beginners to receive a mentor during their initial stages of meeting development. Mentors offer service through answering questions and providing suggestions as needed for members beginning their meeting groups. Currently, we are in need of more mentors and would like to extend this service opportunity to members of the fellowship.


If you are interested in serving as a mentor for those starting meeting groups, please contact me at [email protected]. More information will be provided upon receiving your expressed interested.

With gratitude,
Laura R.
Request For Sponsors

W.A. receives requests regularly for sponsorship from people seeking recovery from workaholism. We do receive more requests for female sponsors. We need to add to this list so we can help the new members in our fellowship. We keep a confidential list of volunteers who are willing to take this on.  If you are willing, please send us an email with your contact information (or any other information you feel a sponsee should know) to: [email protected]
 
Your information is kept confidential to protect your anonymity. We will contact you with a person's contact information when someone requests, offering you the opportunity to respond.  Your offering of this service will be of great value to your recovery, as well as to the person you would be sponsoring.
 

Group Support Section on Website  

 

There are helpful tools and materials available here that you can download for your group; meeting formats, types of meetings, tips on outreach, W.A. Public Awareness Guidelines, archives to news letters and much more!

 

 W.A. Seeks Professional Representative for Our Fellowship

As workaholism has become a widespread concept in public media, the ways it is communicated about can often create more misconceptions than understandings. In this regard, members of Workaholics Anonymous are currently seeking a professional representative to speak on behalf of the fellowship and respond to public press releases that may misconstrue the reality of being a workaholic. If you know of someone or have suggestions for who might serve as a reputable spokesperson for WA (who is not affiliated with the fellowship), please send your recommendations to Laura R. [email protected]
 
Supporting W.A. Seventh Tradition Contributions

Our Seventh Tradition provides that W.A. is fully self-supporting; declining outside contributions. WAWSO welcomes contributions from W.A. groups and members. One hundred percent of all contributions directly support recovery from workaholism. Carrying the message of recovery to workaholics who still suffer includes email and phone services, a quarterly newsletter, media and community outreach, literature development and distribution, this website, an annual conference, meeting information and support, and other outreach services. Please print out and send this Seventh Tradition form 
to support W.A.'s Outreach.

NOTE:
by Credit card or Paypal. Thank you for your generous support. 
Please contribute what you can for your meetings. :)

W.A operates on contributions from it's members and literature sales. Please don't forget to go online and make a contribution to W.A. if you only go to phone meetings. You can click here donate.

Purchase Our Books Online!

 

The Book Of Discovery

Book of Discovery, W.A. WorkbookA guide to the 12 Steps  


The Workaholics Anonymous Book of Discovery is a
guide that provides step instruction, questions, activities, and stories-all with room to write and reflect as necessary, in a large spiral-bound, three-hole punch volume. The book is designed to lay completely flat so as to be easily used for writing as well as for protective storing in a three-ring notebook of your choice with other loose or extra pages if desired.  This workbook can be used alone, with a sponsor  or used with a group in a meeting format. 

Click here for online purchase    You can also purchase through the mail.  Price: $25. Plus $4.95 shipping and handling anywhere in the US. Send your check to WSO Web Payment Center, PO Box 56416, Portland, OR, 97238.

 

 
 
The Book of Recovery

W.A.'s first publication, The Book of Recovery is our main text. It has valuable information for all recovering workaholics; history, stories, guidance in working the steps and tools to help you with your recovery program! Click here for online purchase