Speaker Qualifications

drdoug · Newbie

Speaker Qualifications

hotrod · Guru

I guess it would depend on what 12 Step Program you are part of.

The 12 Step Program Intergroup office should have a Service Manual that provides some guidelines that you can use

Fyne Spirit · Member

Common sense is important here. It's very difficult to have criteria set in stone. Here, we had someone of more than 20 years sobriety who has done the steps, and is a powerful advocate of the big book, banned from speaking at one of the treatment centres for inappropriate remarks that frightened the patients. In my experience, speakers need to have a reasonable understanding of the traditions especially regarding anonimity and our common welfare, and be capable of behaving in a way that will carry our message in a positive, attractive way. I'm not sure whether one ever completes the steps, but often it is obvious when someone is really serious about their recovery and are working their way through the steps, and someone who has decided they want what we have and is demonstrating the willingness to do whatever it takes, can carry a powerful message.
Possibly the most important thing would be to select the speaker on the basis of "Our common welfare must come first" That is to say select the best person for the job because it will be good for the group and the fellowship, never because we think the experience would be "good" for the individual. Public speaking opportunites are a privilege and can save lives, we need to treat a request for a speaker with the greatest care and respect.

Hope this helps,

Mike h.

drdoug · Newbie

great answer thanks. KISS! Now to identify who determines who can do this and how dows one assess this. I like the principle and appreciate the feedback.

On page 41 of "As Bill Sees It" He describes asking all the current groups to send in their "criteria" for home group membership. [my words not his]

After reviewing them it was decided few of the original AA members would "qualify". Interesting

Thanks again,

Doug

Fyne Spirit · Member

I didn't qualify under the short version of step three, but I did under the long form. thank goodness.

Your group could appoint a public speaking coordinator in whose judgement you have a reasonable trust. All enquiries are put through him/her. The coordinator then calls for volunteers for PS duties, then matches the requests with the most appropriate speaker/s on the list. Having a coordinator means at least one person has ongoing experience (continuity) and will be aware of issues connected with requesting organisations. e.g. Some might want male and female, some only one sex, some speakers in pairs, others only one. Also while the coordinator gets to build a longer term relationship with requesting bodies, the speaking duties can easily be rotated around and the speakers be properly briefed on what is required in advance. The whole thing should just run quietly in the background.

Of course we no longer do it this way here. Instead we have committees, rules, and guidelines galore, the result being we do hardly any public speaking these days, so don't do it our way. KISS is the answer.

All the best,
Mike.

Dan B 76 · Member

Doug,

In MHO which is all I can offer I have not seen a set of fules/guidelines for speaker qualifications. What a speaker is tell is what it was like what happened and what it is like now and to share their experience, strength and hope. To me this dictates that the speaker has some term of sobriety. And to me sobriety is working a program which includes working the steps, reading the book and going to meetings. Can you set a time frame for this I don't think so. I have a sponsee that when he had 90 days was speaking at treatment centers at 30 days he spoke with me at a general meeting. He had been in the program before with 17 years before he took a 15 year break to suffer some more. I have also heard speakers with many years of time in the program but all they had to offer was a drunkalog they may even have quality sobriety but if that can't be relayed in their talk they don't have much to offer. In putting together a list I would suggest it be someone that you or someone has heard in a meeting or have heard speak and you want what they have.

Wolfie55 · Member

There doesn't seem to be a benchmark in any of the guidelines (which are available from GSO if its AA you're referring to and I will just presume it is)

Most of the larger groups in our district have "speaker seekers". They go around to various groups, listening and searching out speakers whom they feel have a good message. Of course, in one of the smaller towns, where they certainly have a shortage of available speakers, any out-of-towner who walks through the door becomes a potential speaker.

In either case, some of the speakers are good, some of them tell drunkalogues, some of them have read the big book and worked the steps and some of them, well I sometimes wonder what book they read. On page 58 of the big book it very clearly states that our stories disclose in a general way what we used to be like, what happened, and what we are like now.

In a perfect world, the speakers would all tell the story we think they should tell, refraining from excessive use of profanity, sticking to discussions of alcohol only, etc. etc. etc. But unless you have a circuit speaker tell his or her story, you basically get what you get.

I lost count of how many times I told my story from a podium, or in a school, or at a convention, and although I try to keep it clean and entertaining, I never really know what I will say until I am actually up there.

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