Dear Fellows,
The global public health challenge has been with us now for just over two years. It has transformed the way we do many things in our lives, including our mode of fellowship. Many of us now regularly attend both face-to-face and Zoom meetings. One wonderful benefit of Zoom meetings is that we can `travel´ to other cultures and get to know fellows all around the world, without having to leave our homes.
Our Friday night meeting is one of the meetings of the `Tales from the Crypt´ Group based in Cologne, Germany. This Group was established as a series of bi-lingual meetings over five years ago. Invited speakers share in English and members can then share back in English or in German. When the pandemic hit, the Friday night meeting (20.00 CET) moved to Zoom, and we have now decided to continue on Zoom into the future.
We can continue to invite speakers from all over the world to share their experience, strength, and hope. This is valued as one of the main benefits of our new way of meeting. I have recently been elected as Speaker Seeker for our Group. In this capacity, I would like to share our best practice and enlist your help in identifying and enrolling speakers for the remainder of this year. (see email addressat end of text)
Here is a brief description of the Speaker Seeker process as it has evolved over the past two years:
- I share in other meetings that I am a speaker seeker and would welcome recommendations (plus contact details of) potential speakers
- Try to match the speakers, inasmuch as I know them, to the Steps (we go through one step each week, then go back to Step 1 when we are done)
- Contact the speakers ( mainly by email) asking for confirmation that they can and would like to speak
- If yes, confirm and add to Speakers’ List. If not, try to find a suitable alternative date
- Get the speakers onto our WhatsApp Group, if possible
- Send the Zoom details to confirmed speakers
- In the week leading up to appointment, send a reminder, asking if any further information is needed (Time Zone info is important!)
- Also, send a reminder on the WhatsApp Group – `this week, Mary from xyz will share on Step abc..´
- Try to be in Zoom Room at least 15 minutes before the meeting begins to greet speaker and get to know them better
- In the week following the meeting, send a `Thank You´ note to speaker and offer follow-up, as appropriate…..
Without the help of my predecessors, fellow Group members, and others who recommend speakers, I would not be able to provide the service that has evolved! Many thanks to you all.
Please note that there are no `Star Speakers´ in AA. As soon as we get into this mode, we are in EGO. A good balance of local and out-of-town speakers is worth pursuing. Length of sobriety is one important factor: quality of sobriety is even more important.
Feel free to volunteer to speak yourself, and to forward this note to other members of the international fellowship. Thank you all for your willingness to serve. I hope it gives you as much as it has given and continues to give me.
Offers to speak can be emailed directly to plittle@t-online.de
In service and fellowship,
Patrick L.
Cologne, Germany
