Delegate’s Report on NERD 2019
I attended the North East Area Delegates event (aka NERD) the weekend of March 8th– 10th. It was held in Somerset, New Jersey. It’s an opportunity for the current delegates and alternate delegates to meet with the regional trustee to ask any questions and receive updates about what’s new at the General Service Office and AA World Services. Previous delegates also attend the weekend and it’s always interesting and educational to hear about their experiences.
The event is a way of preparing the new Panel 69* delegates for the General Service Conference, helping us understand what to expect, how to get ready, etc. But it’s also as simple as letting all the current delegates get to know each other so we have some friendly faces and people we can connect with at the conference. After attending 2 years of NERD as alternate delegate, I can say I feel like I am going to Conference with people I genuinely consider to be friends, which is pretty wonderful.
The Panel 68 delegates all told their stories and the Panel 69 delegates all read their 2 minute Area Highlights which they will have to present at the conference.
There’s a NERD business meeting where we heard from the trustee about various topics including financials and results of the communications audit. There’s also an in memoriam portion when people share their memories of past delegates who had passed away since last year.
Then we got in some vans and took a tour of AA historical sites in Northern New Jersey. By far the most impactful to me was a visit to the grave of Dr. Silkworth. Above and beyond seeing the medallions people left on his headstone (I saw everything from a 1 month to a 16 year) the tour guide got me to think about his role in a whole new way. When Bill W. had his white light experience, he asked the doctor if he was crazy. How easy it would have been for him, as a doctor, to say, well, you were on some pretty heavy drugs that are known to cause hallucinations. Had he said that, probably no AA and probably not this report because I’d be dead! Instead he said he didn’t know what had happened, but to hang onto it because it was better than anything Bill had before.
All and all – with everything I heard and learned, I can hardly stand the wait to go to the General Service Conference in May!
* a quick refresher on the “panel numbers” – Delegates serve for 2 years. 2018 was the 68thtime there was a General Service Conference. 2019 will be the 69thGeneral Service Conference. The delegates who served their first year in 2018 are Panel 68. The delegates who started this year are Panel 69. Every year about half of the delegates are at their first conference and half are at their second. The second year delegates are always extremely gracious is sharing their experiences.
Grateful to have attended
