What are the requirements to become a speaker for the Edmonton PI/CPC committee?
While we certainly don’t want to be exclusive about this, there are some basic requirements that combine to form the “sound sobriety” service work with the PI/CPC committee needs of its speakers to effectively perform our mandate.
Our current group conscience is that minimum requirements for our speakers are:
- identify as a member of Alcoholics Anonymous
- to have completed a set of steps
- to have a sponsor
- have an A.A. home group
- to have a working understanding of the 12 Traditions
While it is preferable to have also completed a Big Book Study, it is not a requirement, nor is a specific duration of continuous sobriety. Quality sobriety surely can be found in many of our fellows, regardless of length of commitment, however the first four requirements are just that. Required. You simply cannot give away something you haven’t got, and listeners will sense this intuitively.
When you have that under your recovery belt, further requirements are:
- taking part in a “speaker workshop” — either the formal yearly event held at the Alano Club, or a one-on-one sit down with a knowledgeable committee member. Either way, someone needs to go over the differences of speaking to non-alcoholic members of the public vs. fellow A.A. members in a group setting, as it is an essential understanding to have. Experience has shown this is information that cannot be imagined by the well intentioned, but instead must be passed on directly, and we are perfectly willing to do so.
- mirroring at least two PI events as an observer prior to going it alone. Observation speaks thousands of words a workshop simply does not provide. It allows you to become more comfortable with the concept, observe methods already in practice, and get to know some of our other speakers along the way. Regardless, shadowing is a valuable practice making our speakers more prepared, and thus, our message stronger. **There may be some members our committee are familiar enough with to send out without this, but this is by exception.
- have an ability to book your speaking events via this website, and be responsible for your own availability and timetables.
If you are interested in taking part in this valuable work, here is our >> Speaker Sign-Up Form <<. Enter your information, and within a reasonable amount of time a member of our committee will contact you for a meeting. If not now, perhaps later then, or you might share this page with someone you feel could be interested.