online-meeting-types

[twn2twn]

Hi Jeff B from OIAA,

PAC has been getting a lot of requests for a filter for 'Concepts' meetings.
Also, the directory team has seen requests for 'topic' meetings.
Hybrid is still in the mix since some like to transition to the hybrid live meeting as they did when lock down ended.

Could this be less of a hassle if some of the unused or lesser used filters were substituted?
Fragrance Free, Smoking Permitted, Breakfast or Location Temporarily Closed?
or perhaps there's a way of seeing what is not being used?
thank you, Jeff B

[joshreisner]

hey jeff, these projects follow the meeting guide spec, which is used by many AA service entities, so we have to be very careful about making changes.

the spec doesn't have a type for "Concept Study" (like we do for "Step Study" or "Tradition Study") because the meeting finder is generally understood to be for recovery meetings, so we discourage listing other types of gatherings like concept studies, business meetings, and service events. has there been a larger discussion at OIAA about including these types of meetings? it might be worth a larger discussion!

we don't have a specific type for "Hybrid" meetings, you can read more about the rationale here. one way forward might be to start displaying physical locations when available, but that would mean entering physical locations, rather than just checking a box. this probably requires some longer-term thinking as well.

the "Discussion" type is commonly understood to be the same thing as "Topic Discussion" (similar to how "Newcomer" is the same as "Beginner") - i would steer people to that type if possible.

[JerseyJeff]

I believe that the spec should be enhanced to include "Concepts Study" along with "Step Study" and "Traditions Study". Meetings focused on the Concepts are not business meetings or service events. Our Friday night meeting, Living Our 36 Principles, focuses on how Steps, Traditions and Concepts work together in our recovery. The Concepts are less well understood because of attitudes like this which do not recognize a meeting where they are discussed as a legitimate recovery meeting. Bill W. said that to keep this gift we need to give it away which we do by being of service. Service work comes in many forms but it is vital to our recovery. The Concepts are our guide to service.

In AA, we have 36 principles. When Bill first wrote the Steps he stated in the 12th step that we should practice these principles in all our affairs. At the time, there were only the 12 steps. In 1946, we added 12 more principles, the Traditions. In 1962, we added another 12 principles, the Concepts. When I read the 12th step today and it tells me to practice these principes in all my affairs, I read it as applying to all 36 principles. Why then should a "Step Study" or a "Traditions Study" be included and a meeting which is a "Concepts Study" excluded?

[joshreisner]

Great, thanks @JerseyJeff

I'm going to transfer this issue to the Spec and make it about the Concepts Study request specifically. This will be the right place to have this discussion