RED BALL MEETINGS
We used the term in Michigan to denote a meeting where the table was open, folks could share on any topic they so chose to share on. You might hear twenty different shares on twenty different topics in an hour's time. Anyway, the Michigan version is rather different from all the others.
A red ball meeting: first used at the New Orleans International AA convention in the first Big book Session, after Bob B. from St Paul opened the meeting and shared, he tossed a red ball to the next in the crowd to share at the mike...and so onsite keeps the "I'll pick only the ones I know" out it the picking process to share.
A "Red Ball " meeting is a type of spontaneous sharing meeting similar to a talkathon in that members share for only a couple of minutes or so.. ( time length will vary as per group conscious)
How the next person sharing is picked is a ball, is thrown out and the person catching it gets up and shares...then throws the ball out the end of his share. Just a neat way of attempting to randomize the sharing and hone up on your sports skills at the same time.
My understanding of a red ball meeting is that it is normally run at a convention/rally or big meeting _that a ball (usually a balloon) is tossed around ... and whoever ends up with 'it' is the currently anticipated speaker/sharer !