Did you ever hear someone say “and a wonderful time was had by all”? Well that was the Region 5 Fall Assembly in Chesterton, IN this last Halloween weekend!
I am so appreciative of the efforts and energy everyone showed. The two committees I was on, Finance and PIPO were full of ideas and enthusiasm. PIPO had two items to finish up – our “elevator speech” (you have three floors of elevator to tell someone about how you got so fit…) and our idea for Intergroup Poster Party outreach. We had some time to work on both! In addition we started generating new ideas using the endless energy of the participants in the room. Bouncing ideas off one another is so much easier when everyone is in the same room! Not to mention the hugs and praise and thank you that come along in the hallways.
The Finance Committee (which I chair) can sometimes be a bit dry. Not this time! I came with an agenda but people quickly used the opportunity to ask questions and learn more about how Finance and budgeting works in our Region. Personally this is a subject that fascinates me so I was happy to answer! It felt like everyone was engaged and when we actually looked at the proposed budget for 2023, most people understood where the numbers came from and what the issues were. This year more than most, it’s hard to set a reasonable budget because we are doing things we haven’t done in two years (like having in person Assemblies!). Also, travel costs are higher – not just for gas and airflights but also hotel and meal charges. While the Region, like many intergroups and groups, has a cushion of donated money from the last two years, we must continue to spend these funds wisely. Thank you to those on the Finance Committee who are helping us do this!
Of course the best part of an in person OA event was talking to people from all over the Region, having a chance to meet and hug and exchange ideas over morning coffee (or tea or…). We laughed, exchanged stories, found out about new meetings, and set up our Ohio Day of Sharing Committee.
Hopefully your Region Representatives have already given their reports at your local Intergroup or have shared their experience with your group. We were a small but mighty Assembly but I’m hoping this sketch will encourage people to think about service at the Intergroup, Region, and World Service levels. This isn’t just work or boring business – this service is a chance to put your program into action.