BOOTH SITTING GUIDELINES

1.BOOTH MUST BE STAFFED. ONE MINIMUM!

2.  ONLY THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN CLEARED TO ANSWER QUESTIONS   
     ABOUT NA SHOULD DO SO.

3.  NO EATING OR SMOKING IN OR AROUND BOOTH.

4.  NOTHING ON TABLE THAT IS NOT N.A. RELATED.

5.  ENGAGE PEOPLE IN CONVERSATION ABOUT N.A. (BUT NOT ABOUT                          
     YOUR STORY – SEE BELOW DO’S AND DON’TS) BE FRIENDLY BUT  
     NOT TOO FRIENDLY (NO HUGGING UNLESS YOU KNOW THEM   
     PERSONALLY).

6.KEEP LITERATURE STOCKED, AND P.I. TYPE DIRECTORIES/MATERIALS     AVAILABLE.     

7. MAKE AVAILABLE I.P. LITERATURE TO ALL.  BOOKS /BOOKLETS ARE FOR DISPLAY ONLY.  POINT OUT THE LITERATURE ORDER FORMS IF THEY ARE INTERESTED IN THE DISPLAY LITERATURE.

PLEASE KEEP BOOTH NEAT AND CLEAN AT ALL TIMES!

BOOTH SITTING DRESS CODE

1.NO SHIRTS WITH COMMERCIAL (OR NON-COMMERCIAL) MESSAGES AND LOGOS SHOULD BE WORN, INCLUDING ANY N.A. MEMORABILIA.*

2.ALL SHIRTS AND BLOUSES MUST COVER SHOULDERS. NO TANK TOPS!

3.DRESS TYPE SHORTS ONLY. NO BICYCLE SHORTS, CUT-OFFS, OR SHORT SHORTS!

4.PANTS MUST BE IN GOOD SHAPE. NO HOLES, RIPS, ETC.

5.NO SWEATS OR BODY SUITS OF ANY KIND.

6.NO HATS OR SUN GLASSES.

7.CLOTHES SHOULD BE WRINKLE FREE AND IN GOOD REPAIR.

8.UNDERGARMENTS MUST BE WORN.

9.NO NA JEWELRY OF ANY KIND!*

10. TATTOO'S SHOULD BE COVERED AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

* The reasons for items # 1 & 10 are to prevent controversy within the P I Committee and the Fellowship.  Differences of opinion can be avoided when all agree to not wear N.A. memorabilia.

(Please remember, as members of  Narcotics Anonymous, we are also members of Public Information. Strictly enforce the dress code, our public image is important!)

SUGGESTED GENERAL DO'S AND DON'TS

DO's:

•Do have a working knowledge of the Twelve Traditions.

•Do dress conservatively and neatly,

•Do use only the language of the NA program. Using drug specific words or slang or terms used in other fellowships confuse your audience.

•Do use our literature. "What Is The NA Program" is an excellent item.

•Be polite and friendly (but not too friendly – no hugs unless you know them personally).

DON'TS:

•DON'T ARGUE!!  Don't take a stand on issues such as AIDS, religion, politics or legislation.  Carry a clear and simple message: have "no opinions on outside issues".

•Don't express ANY personal opinion that the audience MAY assume is NA's opinion.

•Don't use profanity at all.  Apologize immediately if you slip up on this.

•Don't get in over your head.  It's OK to say "I don't know."  Politely take their number and offer to have P.I. Chairperson contact them with the information requested.  

•Don't attempt to answer questions that are inappropriate, such as "How can I tell if my kid is using drugs?"  "How long does marijuana stay in your system?" Or "Is cocaine more dangerous than heroin?"  Simply respond politely that professionals are better able to answer those kinds of questions.

•Don't allow anyone to photograph or videotape any members of Narcotics Anonymous. Your anonymity is at stake. 

•Do not glamorize using behavior.  Talking about the number of DWI’s you endured, fights you got into, amount of money you spent can all be seen as glamorizing or bragging about your addiction.  It is better simply to …

•Do not engage in talking about your personal story.  You are there only to give information about NA in a Public Information capacity.  NA can stand on it’s own merits without your “testifying.”  Save your story for meetings, sponsorship and H&I work.  Don’t know enough about NA to talk about it?  Read on …

INFORMATION TO REMEMBER WHEN SPEAKING WITH THE PUBLIC

 There are several aspects to our Fellowship, all are important.

History of NA - Past and Present:

•World wide Fellowship was founded in 1953 in Los Angeles, California.

•No single founder, group of addicts started NA.

•Basic Text published in 1983.  Now translated into French, Spanish, German, Portuguese, with more languages being worked on.

•Over 33,028 meetings in 118 countries worldwide.

•We have 16 meetings a week in our Area, and close to 350 meetings a week in the Wisconsin Region. 

•World Services website gets over 2million hits per month.

•The first Narcotics Anonymous meetings were held in Milwaukee, Madison, and La Crosse in the 1960s & 1970s. These meetings were sporadic until 1978, when consistent meetings began in Milwaukee.  By 1979, four meetings were held in Madison every week, and regular meetings had begun in La Crosse, Portage, Juneau, and Beaver Dam.

Traditions - N.A. Unity:

•Common welfare, unity of the Fellowship.

•One ultimate authority - A loving God as we understand Him. No leaders - trusted servants

•Only one requirement, a desire to stop using.

•It doesn't matter how much or how little we have...

•The therapeutic value of one addict helping another.

•Primary purpose - carrying the message of recovery to the addict who still suffers.

•We do not endorse any other organization or philosophy…

•Non-profit Fellowship - We are self-supporting through our own contributions. Non-professional - but we do employ special  workers.

•N.A. ought never be organized. Our Fellowship is one of a service structure, An inverted triangle with the members at the top. There are committees responsible only to the members they serve…

•N.A. has no opinion on outside issues. No pledges to sign, No surveillance. Not connected with anyone. No promises to make. 

•Anonymity is our spiritual foundation. Principles before personalities.

The Steps:

•Powerless over addiction - don't be drug specific.

•God - Be very careful with this subject.

•Inventory. Defects of character. Amends.

•Prayer - Know your audience.

•Carrying the message. Principle in our daily lives.

Other Things To Remember: 

•Sponsorship.

•No interventions or participation in prevention activities.

•There is no known cure for addiction, but there is recovery.

•Disease of addiction - crosses all barriers.