Starting a New Online Meeting
This page discusses things to consider when starting a new online meeting.
Support from Others and Experience
It is strongly suggested that you get others, outside of your immediate family, to help and support you in starting an online meeting. This will ensure that others will be attending the meeting plus have someone to cover for you in case of illness, vacation, addiction related emergencies, etc.
Three or more months experience in the Nar-Anon program is also desired. This can be accomplished by attending other online meetings that can be located on this website on the Meetings page or on the World Services website on the Virtual Meetings page. You can also attend in-person meetings close to where you live to gain this experience. These meetings can be located on the Find a Meeting page of the World Services website. By attending these other meetings, you can obtain the needed experience plus get contact information for other seasoned members of Nar-Anon that can help you when needed
Some of the benefits for joining the Global Online Region include:
- Your meeting information listed on the Region’s website.
- Support from other groups in the Region
- Sharing of experiences gained from other groups in the Region.
- Participation in regional activities and other group’s activities
- Representation through a Delegate at the World Conference plus other WSO committees through regional members that participate.
Contact information for many of the leaders of the region can be located on the Contact page of this website.
Guidance for establishing a meeting can be found in section 4 of the Guide to Local Services document or by reviewing the Starting a Group page of the World Services website.
Online Meeting Platform
There are many good meeting platforms available for use. Many of these offer free services for meetings that have limited minutes and/or participants. Experimenting with these free options will help you choose which service works best for you. Holding a meeting for more than a limited number of participants for a typical meeting length will probably require a paid service. The cost associated with this service can be reimbursed through Tradition 7 donations.
In addition to having members familiar with the Nar-Anon program, it is advisable to have a few members that are familiar with the technical aspects of hosting a meeting on the chosen meeting platform. This position is sometimes called a Technical Moderator or Host. Some of the duties for this position include:
- Opening and closing the meeting at the appropriate time
- Monitoring participation and taking appropriate action when needed – mute microphones, turn off video, rename, screen sharing, and removing participants.
- Train participants that are not familiar with the various aspects of the chosen meeting platform
Once the meeting platform is decided, the day and time for the meeting will need to be decided. The number of groups meeting at the same time and day should be considered before making this decision.
Financial Considerations
The Seventh Tradition states: ‘Every group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.”
Most online groups will incur expenses associated with the online meeting platform discussed above. Making donations to the region and/or World Service Office should also be considered. Optional expenses could include the costs for sending literature to newcomers, or costs to maintain a group website.
The group may want to consider setting up a money transfer account so members can make donations to the group. Sending a check to the Treasurer is another option.
Simple accounting principles should be followed by documenting all donations (anonymous) and expenses for transparency and reporting these to the group on a regular basis.
Financial considerations are discussed in section 9 of the Guide to Local Services.
Register the New Meeting with the World Service Office and Region
New groups should be registered with the World Service Office by filling out the Submit a Group form. We hope that you will consider joining the Global Online Region as well. If so, please send an email to the Regional Chair, address found on the Contact page of this website. If you decide to join another region, you can contact the chair of that region through the World Service Office or by reviewing their website, many of which are linked on the Other Nar-Anon Sites page of the World Services website.
Once you have registered the group with the World Service Office and joined a region, your group information and meeting day and time will be posted on their websites. This will get the information out to members around the world as well as new members that are seeking help from Nar-Anon. This will be a big step in getting prospective members to join your meeting. You might want to consider developing a meeting flyer with information about your meeting as well as connection details to join your online meeting. This can be sent to prospective members that inquire about your meeting. Other ideas for getting the word out about your new meeting can be found on the Outreach page of the World Service website.
Hosting a Healthy Meeting
Once you have completed the tasks outlined in this section and reviewed all of the documents, you should be ready to have a healthy Nar-Anon meeting that can be rewarding for you as well as your participants. Many documents that can help in achieving your goal are found on the Service Literature page of the World Services website. All of these can be either purchased or downloaded as a PDF. Documents of particular interest for a new group are shown below:
- Appropriate Sharing & Crosstalk (S-308)
- Group Conscience and Business Meetings (S-305)
- Guidelines for Healthy Meetings (S-303)
- Let’s Talk About Anonymity (S-307)
- Sample Format for Nar-Anon Meetings (S-314) – This format is a good guide to use starting out. This can be modified as the group grows.
Most meetings will experience challenges with a member at one point or another. Many of these can be headed off by following a structured routine for your meetings. Occasionally, you may need to reach out to seasoned members for advice. Other meetings and your region are a good place to go to discuss the more difficult situations.
Helping to get a meeting off the ground can be challenging at times but it can also be very rewarding. As Step 12 states, ‘we tried to carry this message to others,’
Good luck and do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions