Can a meeting take a group conscience to forgo the abstinence requirement to share?

One of our CEA-HOW groups took a group conscience and decided to forgo the policy on the qualification for seven days with permission of the sponsor or thirty days abstinence to share.  Does this violate the tradition of “Each group is autonomous, except in matters affecting other groups or CEA-HOW as a whole?”  In other words, is this something they can have a group conscience about, if it will indeed affect other groups?

Thank you for your concern in maintaining the strength and integrity of the CEA-HOW program.

The Seven Tools, which state we must have 30 days abstinence to pitch or seven days if discussed with our sponsor, are contained in the CEA-HOW Bylaws; CEA-HOW as a whole is subject to the Bylaws on which we are founded.  For this reason, a registered CEA-HOW group cannot take a group conscience to forgo the abstinence requirement to pitch.  Such a group conscience does affect CEA-HOW as a whole.  Further, it is outside the guidelines of Tradition Four.

A meeting is free to take a group conscience not to follow the abstinence requirement; however, that meeting would no longer be in compliance with the CEA-HOW Bylaws, Tradition Four or the CEA-HOW guidelines and is not eligible to be registered on the CEA-HOW website.  CEA-HOW as a whole is affected if members cannot rely on meetings listed on the CEA-HOW website to be in compliance with CEA-HOW guidelines and provide CEA-HOW recovery.  It is a disservice to the fellowship to register a meeting which does not follow the CEA-HOW guidelines.

There are many opportunities for all CEA-HOW members to share.  The structure of Compulsive Eaters Anonymous – HOW is set up to not only encourage but to require all members to share on a regular basis, whether abstinent or not. All CEA-HOW members who are working the CEA-HOW program share with their sponsors on a daily basis, in three outreach calls a day, through their daily writing, and through fellowship before and after meetings.

The purpose for sharing at a meeting is to carry the message of recovery.

Group consciences are guided by all our Traditions.  Traditions One (CEA-HOW unity), Two (our Higher Power as expressed through a group conscience), and Four (matters affecting CEA-HOW as a whole) are particularly important.