Austin AA Convention – Outreach

By Ken S.
Convention Outreach Committee

Greetings!

Please come and join us and other secular members of AA from around the world at our second We Agnostics, Atheists and Free Thinkers (WAAFT) International AA convention in Austin, Texas on the weekend of November 11 – 13, 2016.

We are part of the growing and evolving Fellowship within AA of people who have no beliefs or different beliefs from traditional, religion-oriented AA.

All are welcome.

The theme of our convention is: “Human Power Can Relieve Our Alcoholism. May You Find Us Now”.

Together, we’ll share our experience, strength and hope.

The Speakers and Program committees are now discussing topics, keynote speakers, and moderators for the many sessions that will take place during the convention. To that end, we need your help.  We are open to any suggestions about the convention speakers, panels and workshops. And we would hope that you would be willing to be a member of any suggested panel or the moderator of a suggested workshop. Just complete the form below if you have specific topics you’d like to see discussed at the convention.

As well, we’ll have lots of sober fun in Austin, a vibrant, progressive community in the heartland of Texas, renowned for it’s cuisine, hospitality and being the live music capital of the world.

Also and importantly you can help spread the word. We don’t have a huge budget to promote this event and are relying heavily on our active members doing some of this work for us. Please copy/print flyers from the website and put them on notice boards, meeting literature tables etc.

We’re looking forward to seeing you in Austin!

By Nick H.
Austin Host Committee

November 2016 will be upon us soon.  All of us at WAAFT, especially the host committee in Austin are busy putting together what we hope to be a fun and interesting 2nd WAAFT International AA Conference, on November 11, 12 & 13, 2016. Tickets purchased in the next 3 months, until July 31, will receive a discounted price of $30 a day, $90 for all three days. The price will increase as the date draws closer.

The venue committee is pleased to announce the Crowne Plaza Hotel as the site of convention activities. The Crowne Plaza offered us a great room rate in addition to excellent facilities for the convention. There is a large ballroom for main gatherings. Up to 10 smaller conference rooms for round the clock AA meetings, as well as special topic sessions and workshops are also available. The hotel, located in north central Austin, has a restaurant, outdoor pool, and 24 hour fitness center on site.  Several good quality eateries are within walking distance, and many others a short drive away.  The host committee will be offering interesting excursions to several Austin tourist attractions.

Since Austin is known as the Live Music Capital of the US, we felt that for a truly Austin experience lots of live music should be part of the convention.  We are currently in contact with several sober Austin Musicians to provide musical interludes during meal times and between speaker sessions.

The Speakers and Program committees are now discussing topics, keynote speakers, and moderators for the many sessions that will take place during the convention. We are open to any suggestions about the convention speakers, panels and workshops. And we would hope that you would be willing to be a member of any suggested panel or the moderator of a suggested workshop.

Topics that have already been approved by the program committee but do not have panel or workshop leaders assigned include:

• Starting a Secular AA Meeting
• Freedom from Fear, Coming out in Traditional AA
• Yoga and Recovery
• Spirituality, an Enhancement of or an Escape from Reality
• Carrying the Message to Agnostics, Atheists and Free Thinkers/ Primary Purpose
• Agnostic, Atheist and Free Thinker Alanons
• Young People’s Meeting
• Avoiding Relapse
• Agnosticos, Ateos, Libre Pensadores (reunion en Espanol)
• Newcomers Meeting
• Mental Health Issues and Recovery

Worldwide agnostic, atheist, and freethinker groups will be offered the opportunity to hold their AA meetings during the convention as was the case at the Santa Monica convention last year, using the format of their local group.

We’re doing everything possible to make our second convention a great event. This will be the largest gathering of agnostics, atheists and freethinkers in Alcoholics Anonymous ever held.  We’ll provide regular updates in the near future as to the planned speakers and workshop topics.

We look forward to seeing y’all in Austin this November of 2016 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.