The second Secular Ontario AA Roundup (SOAAR) was held in Hamilton on September 7, 2019 and was attended by people from most of the 20 secular AA groups in Ontario, a few from two other provinces in Canada and a dozen or so from the United States.
It was a wonderful event! If you haven’t yet, you can read a review of it here: An Inspiring SOAAR.
The theme of the Roundup was “Widening the Gateway”. To that end we had four long time members of AA in attendance: the past and current Delegates for AA Area 86, Jim W and Dale S, the current District 10 Chair Member, Anna P, and the former Eastern Canada General Service Office Trustee, Richard B. All were together on the panel Service In AA.
Among the speakers and panelists were a number of authors, including the Torontonian Joe C, the author of a book of daily reflections Beyond Belief, and Jeffrey Munn, from California, the author of Staying Sober Without God, which is very much about his secular Practical 12 Steps. Joe was the opening speaker and Jeffrey was on two panels, The Practical 12 Steps and Step Four: A Personal Inventory.
There are less than 800 addiction medical specialists in all of North America and two of them attended SOAAR: Dr Vera Tarman and Dr Conrad Sichler. Both were on the Spirituality in Recovery panel and Dr Sichler was on another panel called Mindfulness Meditation while Dr Tarman was the closing speaker at the Roundup.
Again, a wonderful event enjoyed by all. If you wish to listen to a quality recording of a speaker or a panel, just click on your choice below:
Morning Keynote Speaker – Joe C, author of Beyond Belief
Panel: Spirituality in Recovery – Dr Vera Tarman, author of Food Junkies, and Dr Conrad Sichler
Panel: Step 4 – Personal Inventories – Thomas B, author of Each Breath a Gift, Jeffrey Munn and Jowita B, author of Drunk Mom
Panel: Service in AA – Jim W Dale S, former and current Delegates for Area 86, Richard B, former GSO trustee for Eastern Canada and Anna P, District Committee Chair
Panel: Mindfulness and Meditation – Dr Conrad Sichler and Heather C
Panel: The Practical 12 Steps – John S and Jeffrey Munn, author of Staying Sober Without God
Histories of Secular AA Groups
Afternoon Keynote Speaker – Dr Vera Tarman
We look forward to the next Secular Ontario AA Roundup! If your Ontario group and other AA friends in your area are interested in hosting it in 2021, please contact us at admin@soaar.ca.
