W.A. World Service Organization Newsletter
Living in Balance E-NewsetterAugust 2014
In This Issue
Where should our 2015 conference be?
W.A.Seeks Professional Representative
W.A. Meditation Book needs member meditations.
Quick Links
 
We hope this letter finds you enjoying your life with good balance.

The 2014 W.A. World Conference in Malibu, CA was an amazing time for all! See more info below.

A message below from the Trustees of the WAWSO Board.

Sincerely, 

Michele S., Outreach Coordinator
Workaholics Anonymous

World Conference Was a Big Success!

We had 80 members and some guests at the 2014 W.A. World Conference. Thank you to everyone that helped put it all together and everyone that participated!

The Serra Retreat Center to amazingly beautiful and tranquil and the conference activities hand a wonderful balance; program, meetings, workshops, speakers, yoga, mediation, walking the grounds and visiting nearby beaches and shops.

W.A. World Conference 2015
 

We are all excited about the upcoming W.A. World Conference in Malibu this summer. However we do need to look forward to 2015 and make a decision on where it should be. 

 

Any ideas where you would like to see it next?

 

Would your group like to host the conference? We would love to hear from you!

 

Our W. A. Past Conference Locations:

 

2004 - San Francisco, CA 
2005 - Portland, OR 
2006 - St. Petersberg Beach, FL 
2007 - Portland. OR
2008 - Ocean Grove, NJ 
2009 - Raleigh-Durham, NC
2010 - Menlo Park, CA 
2011 - Austin, TX 
2012 - Portland, OR 
2013 - Chicago, IL
2014 - Malibu, CA 
 Your W.A. World Service Board Engaged 
 

The Trustees of the WAWSO Board wish to express our profound thanks to your WSRs and all of you for extending the trust and encouragement to serve the Program and its Members in the roles for which we have been elected. We have taken WA's Second Tradition to heart, and present ourselves to you in service; and not for governance. We recognize the general service structure described by A.A. as the inverted triangle where we serve those above from the inverted point below. We have developed a new MEMO for any Member or WSR to present suggestions for prioritizing the service efforts of the Board; and identifying and considering any other items of business which affect the recovery program as a whole. These forms are available by writing to Bruce, Lia or Drew. The way to write to each of us is printed below this section.


We are also happy to give our thanks to Amy M., Angela W., Rachel M., Ivania R., Anike T. and Jeff O., who coordinated with us and others in the local host committees, for their wonderful service arranging for all of us a warm, loving and meaningful 2014 Conference at the Serra Retreat in Malibu. The fun times, the shares of hope, and the strengths of experiencing the kinship of like-hearted persons has again inspired me and others to a deeper and better understanding of self with Higher Power and recovery in this Program.

The 2014-2016 WAWSO Board adopted a new alignment of service positions and descriptions that are consistent with a more modern service Board and our practices. We are grateful for the faithful and generous service by Terry A., Laura R. and Jerry S., who retired this year. We also welcome Mike B. and Lia F. as new trustees. The Board does still have two vacancies in the service positions of Communications Coordinator and an Undesignated Trustee whose portfolio had included chairing several committees, like the New Meeting Assistance Committee. Between now and the next general election in 2016, the Board may appoint provisional trustees to fill Board vacancies, and handles that process by reviewing self-nominations from Members who offer their service to the Fellowship as trustees. Self-nominating forms, descriptions of service positions, and the relevant provisions of the WAWSO Bylaws may be obtained from Bruce, Lia or Drew.

At this moment we cannot announce the location for our 2015 Annual Conference because we do not yet have a volunteer local host committee or a location to hold it. We are hoping to confirm that location by October, and when that happens, we will post the information and way to register on the website and in our Newsletter and quarterly STORYLINE. If your Meeting Group is inclined to consider hosting next year's Conference, please let us know and we will answer any questions you have.

Thank You, all of you who are here, all those who have been here to show us the way, and everyone who travels this Fellowship path together.

Bruce A.
 

 

Outreach

 In each e-newsletter I include a monthly inspirational quote, as well as a helpful article relating to work addiction / workaholism. If you have any favorite quotes or you see something online that you think our members would benefit from, please send the URL to my email and I'll take a look to see if we can add it to our 

e-newsletter.

 
Interested in being a part of W.A. Outreach? I would love to grow our W.A. Outreach Committee. One of the things I would like to get help with is contacting websites that are online that are discussing workaholism in hopes in helping others and let them know about W.A.. Please contact [email protected] if you want to come on board!  Michele S.

Technical Committee
We are moving along in our progress on  the new W.A. website. The new website design will have an improved design, improved features 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.
 

TO CONTACT THOSE IN WAWSO SERVICE BY EMAIL:

For general information: [email protected]

Bob for meeting and WSR assistance: [email protected] 

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

Michele for eNewsletter and media: [email protected]

Sandi for literature ordering and questions:
[email protected]

Mike for Meeting and Member registration:
[email protected]

Ken for technology questions:
[email protected]

Shelley for STORYLINE: [email protected]

For Meditation Book: [email protected]

General mailbox: [email protected]

For any Program issue, concern, initiative, suggestion, etc...
Bruce A. at [email protected]
Lia F. at [email protected]
Drew D. at [email protected]

Conference Call Line for ALL Phone Meetings
 
(712) 432-0363 
New Check In Phone Meeting!
 Every Wednesday 
 
7:00-7:30 am PST
8:00-8:30 am MST 
9:00-9:30 am CST 
10:00-10:30 am EST
 
Call: 712-432-0363 Access code 118778#
 
The call is brief for check-ins and fellowship.
 
Contact email:
The W. A. Meditation Committee is writing a 
W.A. Meditation Book.

 

We welcome all members to write and submit meditations for this 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