CoDA Meetings Have Questions // The CoDA Meeting Handbook Has Answers

The following was shared via email by CoDA International

The CoDA Board has been fielding a number of questions from CoDA meetings. Often, the answers can be found in the CoDA Meeting Handbook: https://coda.org/wp-content/uploads/FSM-Part-2-Meeting-Handbook.pdf. While Tradition 4 tells us CoDA meetings are autonomous (“Each group should remain autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or CoDA as a whole.”), there are certain best practices that are highly recommended for a healthy meeting.

Some of the questions answered recently include:

1. My meeting feels really unhealthy. I think they are not following the Traditions. What can I do?

Many meetings find the Group Inventory a useful tool for dealing with problems:

https://tinyurl.com/GroupInventory

You can also write to MeetingIssues@CoDA.org for information on how to deal with these kinds of issues.

2. Is it OK for the same person to keep running the meeting, sometimes for years?

Rotation of service is highly recommended (page 8)

3. Is it required that a meeting have a treasurer to be recognized as an official meeting?

The only requirements to be recognized as an official CoDA meeting are to read the four Foundational Documents (Welcome • Preamble • 12 Steps • 12 Traditions) as written and be registered with CoDA World or their Voting Entity (page 5)

4. What should we do with the funds we have collected if our meeting disbands?

Remaining funds and/or literature can be given to other local CoDA meetings or to the Intergroup or Voting Entity (page 13)

5. Can we use outside literature at our meeting, or must we use CoDA approved literature?

It is strongly suggested that CoDA groups use CoDA Conference Approved and Board approved literature. However, a group by informed group conscience may choose to use outside literature (Page 8)

Other sources of valuable information for meetings include:

The Meeting Materials page on coda.org: https://coda.org/meeting-materials/

The pamphlet, Building CoDA Community: Healthy Meetings Matter, for sale at

https://www.corepublications.org/product/building-coda-community-healthy-meetings-matter

For more information, contact MeetingIssues@CoDA.org