1st Saturday – Full Unity Committee Meeting 10am PST / 1pm EST / 3pm Chile, Rio / 6pm UK / 19h CET
3rd Sunday – Unity Committee: Liaison 11am PST / 2pm EST / 4pm Chile, Rio / 7pm UK / 20h CET
Zoom Meeting ID: 992 5516 4740 Passcode: Unity
OIAA Unity Committee Minutes
Saturday, 4 July 2026
Time: 1:00 PM EDT / 10:00 AM PDT
Chair: Jen H.~Unity Chair
Secretary: Jeannette B.
Unity Declaration
Jen H. opened the meeting with the Declaration of Unity:
“This we owe to A.A.’s future: To place our common welfare first; to keep our fellowship united. For on A.A. unity depends on our lives and the lives of those to come.”
Jen H invited members to introduce themselves by name, home group, and country.
Attendance
Jen H.~ London, UK (Unity Chair) • Joe R.~Connecticut, USA (Alternate Unity Chair) • Jeannette B.~California, USA (Unity Secretary) • Lurdes~Portugal (Unity Liaison) • Victor A.~Florida, USA • Patty Z.~Florida, USA • Karen Slizewski,~New York, USA • Lisa B.~Florida, USA • Jean C.~Texas, USA • Susan~Delaware, USA • Cam H.~New Jersey, USA • Caroline~Ireland • Chad P.~Area 38 (US & Canada) • Terrie Lynn~Texas, USA (Unity Liaison). • Arlene • Janice K
Approval of Previous Minutes
The minutes of 21 June 2026 were approved as a true reflection of the meeting, with no amendments or corrections. Motion: Patty Z. Second: Joe R. Motion carried unanimously.
Open Service Positions
Jen reviewed the following open Unity service positions:
OIAA2026 Convention Chair (minimum five years sobriety)
Unity Liaison Coordinator (minimum two years sobriety)
Creatives & Communications Coordinator (minimum one year sobriety)
Jen explained that because planning for the OIAA2026 Convention is already well underway, the successful Convention Chair applicant would ideally shadow the role through the remainder of 2026 before assuming full responsibility for the OIAA2027 Convention.
She also reviewed the responsibilities of the Unity Liaison Coordinator, emphasizing continued relationship-building with member groups and expanding outreach to minority-language and non-English-speaking groups.
For the Creatives & Communications Coordinator position, Jen explained that the role focuses primarily on Unity and Convention communications, promotional announcements, and member engagement.
Jean C. asked several questions regarding the Communications position, including the scope of responsibilities, whether it involved emails or minute-taking, and whether training would be provided. Jen explained that the role is primarily focused on convention communications rather than recording minutes, confirmed that mentoring and training would be provided, and noted that responsibilities can be adapted to fit the volunteer’s strengths. Jean expressed appreciation for the information and said she would give the opportunity further consideration.
Jen reported significant progress on planning for the OIAA2026 Convention.
Host Group Assignments
Approximately 90–95% complete.
Confirmation emails are being finalized.
Groups will be asked to confirm acceptance by a specified deadline.
Waiting-list groups will be offered available sessions if confirmed groups decline or fail to respond.
Priority was intentionally given to:
First-time host groups
Geographic diversity
Minority-language representation
Topic selection
Group availability and time-zone balance
OIAA2026 Convention Host Group Guidance Session
A new guidance workshop will be offered to confirmed OIAA2026 Convention host groups to:
Review the updated convention format.
Explain expectations.
Encourage groups to bring their own style and identity while remaining within the assigned topic.
Reduce uncertainty early in the planning process.
OIAA2026 Convention Individual Registration
Planning continues for the online registration process.
The committee is targeting 10 August 2026 for individual registration to go live.
Jen also demonstrated the draft convention schedule format that will eventually be available in multiple languages, allowing members to preview the convention schedule before registering. She reminded members that the draft host assignments shown during the presentation remain confidential until officially released.
Unity Tech
Joe R. reported there were no significant technology updates at this time.
Convention technology planning will continue later in the year.
Unity Liaison Updates
Jen reported that liaison visits continue despite the committee not yet having a Liaison Coordinator.
Committee members continue visiting OIAA member groups around the world and have generally received a very positive response.
Lurdes shared that visiting groups has been a rewarding experience. She noted that many members were previously unaware of OIAA services and that several groups expressed interest in learning more about the organization and participating in the Convention. She also shared that hearing members’ experiences around the world has strengthened her own recovery.
Jen reminded members that liaison visits are intended to be informal opportunities to build relationships and simply let groups know that OIAA resources are available if needed.
IGR Workshop
Jen reviewed the monthly IGR Workshop.
The workshop introduces members to:
Overview of OIAA and its purpose
The role of the IGR
OIAA service committees and Service opportunities
IGR Steppers mentoring
The next workshop will be held:
Sunday, 19 July 2026 12:30 PM EDT
Unity Liaison Team Members were invited to help facilitate presentations, technical support, chat moderation, and documentation of frequently asked questions.
Secretary Update
Jeannette reminded members that Unity Committee and Liaison WhatsApp groups are available for anyone wishing to participate more actively.
Members who had not yet been added to the WhatsApp groups were encouraged to contact either Jen or Jeannette. The groups include announcements, liaison resources, forms, tracking sheets, meeting backgrounds, and committee information.
Jen thanked Jeannette for developing much of the liaison infrastructure, including the tracking spreadsheets, forms, and organizational resources supporting the committee’s work.
Announcements
Members were reminded of the following upcoming events:
IGR Workshop
Sunday, 19 July 2026 12:30 PM EDT
Summer IGR Forum – Service Expo
Saturday, 25 July 2026 2:00 PM EDT
Unity Committee members were encouraged to volunteer in the Unity breakout room to share information about committee service opportunities.
OIAA2026 Online International Convention
20–22 November 2026
Other Business
Jen shared that she had received a strong expression of interest from a member regarding the Convention Chair position. She plans to meet with the interested member before bringing the appointment to the committee for consideration at a future meeting.
Interpretation for Next Meeting ~ Sunday, 19 July 2026 at 2:00 PM EDT
The Chair asked whether any members would require interpretation for the next Unity Committee meeting. No requests for interpretation were received.
