Delegate’s Report to Area Assembly, October 2021
Everyone,
It is so good to see you all here today and it just keeps getting better.
Hopefully this month I will not bore you with too a long report.
I have to tell you I had a great time at the Binghamton District Workshop. Nick D put on a tremendous program and it was a true pleasure to be there.
I finally got the printed versions of the conference reports so if you want them, please tell me what address to send or deliver them to.
Now the DCM Summit is pretty much set as far as the agenda goes and it will be Nov 6th and will be on Zoom. A flyer and an email will be sent later this week.
Although the actual selection of Themes, Workshops and Presentations for the 72nd General Service Conference falls within the purview of the Conference Committee on Agenda, to a certain extent, the members of that committee rely upon all Conference members to gather suggestions for their consideration.
As I understand, this message is sent to Conference members only for their reply.
As such, it’s primarily just an FYI for our Alternates … except that their respective Delegates may wish to confer on proposed topics. In any event, the due date is December 15, 2021.
Please find below several, several examples of revised, new and soon-to-be-released AAWS literature items.
I did inquire about whether we could pre-order copies of our updated AA Service Manual. But, for now, like yourselves, I’m in a “holding pattern.” See below: “As we have been communicating, ongoing industry-wide disruptions in the printing supply chain may result in delays in availability beyond our control.”
What it Used to Be Like: The 71st General Service Conference Advisory Actions, Item 31: “The Equitable Distribution of Workload Process, as detailed in the Report from the 2020 Trustees’ General Service Conference Committee, be implemented for the 72nd General Service Conference on a three-year trial basis, with a progress report to be brought to the Conference Committee on Policy and Admissions after each year of the trial.”
What Happened: Following the due date of September 15, 2021, over 135 proposed agenda items have been received by the Conference Desk at our GSO in time to be considered at the 72nd General Service Conference. At present, our GSO has been processing the associated materials for each proposed agenda item; however, this is taking considerable time and effort. Francis our trustee pointed out that patience throughout this exercise is appreciated.
What it’s Like Now: Although I do not have much more for you than this, ideally, as the General Service Board nears its 3rd Quarter Board meeting of October 29 – November 2, 2021 I will have an additional update. At the very least, I’ll be sure to pass along the extent of our (Trustees Committees and General Service Board) progress following the Board Weekend. Until then, I’ll continue to serve closely with the applicable Trustees’ Committee to ensure that we keep you reasonably informed on the Equitable Distribution of Workload process – and its impact on the 72nd General Service Conference.
Please find the most recent Alcoholics Anonymous recovery publication: Hispanic Women in AA (note, the use of the “new” Preamble on the inside cover), P-90. This publication was developed over the course of two years with a working group of Spanish-speaking A.A. women from around the country, including Amalia C. (a member of the Northeast Region’s Area 11 – Connecticut). Amalia served, and continues to serve, as an Appointed Committee member to the Literature Committee.
Well, sometimes things happen quickly and sometimes they happen slowly. To wit, AA Grapevine, and La Vina, have rolled out both the Instagram pages as well as its Podcasts. It seems that AA is truly moving into the 21st Century – consistent with this year’s 2022 General Service Conference: “A.A. Comes of Age 2.0: Unified in Love and Service.”
Next, we did have our monthly Trustee and Delegates meeting with Francis and I will let you know shortly what went on.
Also, the Trustees Nominating Committee (TNC, which I am on) will begin reviewing potential agenda topics and resumes, here are some highlights.
TNC reviewed our committee considerations and Jan shared the minutes with me for each item:
Thread-based forums: The committee discussed the Conference Committee on Trustees committee consideration requesting the General Service Board to actively pursue the exploration of thread-based forums and new communication models to improve communication between the General Service Board and the Fellowship and agreed to take no action. The committee noted the additional demands on time that can develop throughout the year when using thread-based forums and the existing time commitment of General Service Board trustees. The committee also noted that the Communication Services department is exploring ways for the General Service Office to have instant communication with the Fellowship.
As you know, the TNC was not the only committee to encourage the use of thread-based forums. The instant communication being explored by GSO could potentially be via the website, emails, podcasts, etc.
Procedures for partial or total reorganization of the General Service Board, the A.A.W.S. or AA Grapevine Boards: The committee discussed a Conference Committee on Trustees committee consideration and memorandum on the revised “Procedures for a Partial or Complete Reorganization of the General Service Board, the A.A.W.S. or AA Grapevine Boards,” requesting that the trustees’ Nominating Committee consider further review, with specific attention placed upon the time frame and procedure for the selection of regional trustees, and took no action. The committee noted the pace that our A.A. service structure makes changes and agreed that ample communication and planning would be available for areas to develop a selection procedure for regional trustees.
The committee also agreed to make editorial changes to the revised “Procedures for a Partial or Complete Reorganization of the General Service Board, the A.A.W.S. or AA Grapevine Boards” to mirror the updated Conference Charter. The committee agreed to forward the revised plan to the 2022 Conference Committee on Trustees.
The thinking is that if AA had a call for reorganization, it wouldn’t happen overnight. We would know prior to the Conference and could start planning for that possibility.
Simple majority suggestion item: The committee reviewed and discussed a Conference coordinator memo communicating that trustees’ committees review the corresponding Conference committee’s recommendation that passed by a simple majority as a suggestion. The committee considered the following simple majority item:
The General Service Conference charge the General Service Board with the setup of quarterly virtual meetings of Conference Members, to begin following the October 2021 General Service Board Weekend. These meetings would follow several weeks after each Quarterly Board Meeting, to allow Conference Members the opportunity to request additional information, ask clarifying questions, and to secure a greater sense of transparency.
The committee discussed the feasibility of a videoconference gathering in the Fall, following the October General Service Board meeting, and agreed to take no action. The committee discussed existing ways that our U.S./Canada service structure communicates and participates in a year-round process and expressed concern about taking away those opportunities between a region and area. The committee also noted existing opportunities that allow Conference committee members the opportunity to ask questions and request additional information, including, but not limited to, inviting General Service Board members to attend Conference committee meetings, Regional Forums, and special events held by service areas or regions. The committee also noted that the trustees’ Conference Committee routinely discusses ways to improve communication with Conference members.
TNC’s thinking is that perhaps members are not aware that we can ask the trustees, staff members, or anyone to attend a committee meeting or local event to answer questions. Jan said that because our communication with Beau and Stephanie at the Conference was so welcoming and successful, it occurred to them that they could make it clearer to all the committees that board and/or staff members are available to them throughout the year. So, they will start with that, see where it goes, and what feedback they receive. She does plan to keep this on the agenda, and welcomes further input from our committee. So, if we want to ask them discuss it some more, I can let her know. We mention to Jan that part of our thinking was that it would be helpful to have some form of additional communication where all Conference members could be part of the same conversation.
In addition to our committee considerations…
TNC reviewed the resumes received for the upcoming nontrustee director vacancies on the A.A.W.S. and AA Grapevine boards to confirm eligibility for candidates before the respective boards start interviewing people. Only one was determined to be ineligible. And two ACMs were approved for the trustees’ Public Information Committee.
TNC will start virtual interviews for two Class A trustees in August and September. They are hoping to invite candidates to the October or January Board weekend. Most likely January. They still don’t know if their October meeting will be virtual or in person.
Now let’s see if anyone wants a job at GSO.
The trustees’ Committee on Cooperation with the Professional Community/Treatment and Accessibilities is currently seeking two consultants, one from the U.S. and one from Canada with relevant military experience to help fulfill the conference committee consideration as related to audio interviews with A.A. members who are in the Armed Forces.
The consultant will serve on a specific project for a one-year term with the option to serve an additional year.
Some of the qualities most desirable for this position is:
1. A background in the Armed Forces (United States and/or Canada).
2. A firm understanding of communication channels within the military.
3. Experience in A.A. service, especially involving military veterans and/or those currently serving.
4. Ability to strategize about how to carry more effectively the A.A. message to members and to the professionals.
5. Familiarity with the Veteran’s Administration.
6. Strong writing/editing skills.
7. At least five years of continuous sobriety.
8. The ability to work within the committee structure.
If you know someone who may be interested in serving in this service position, the deadline to submit their resume is September 15, 2021. Resume submissions should be forwarded to: access@aa.org.
Next is just some information about the printed copies of the GSC Report, they should be ready by November.
As anticipated in September, the AA Grapevine book on Prayer and Meditation is now available on the website:
https://store.aagrapevine.org/prayer-and-meditation?pk=M19PAG1.
Finally, GSO is excited to announce the September 27, 2021, launch of the new Corrections Correspondence System (C.C.S.).
Corrections Correspondence is one of the most rewarding and rarely mentioned forms of Twelfth Step work that extends the hand of A.A. to members inside correctional facilities.
As you may know, many correctional facilities suspended in-person A.A. meetings due to health and safety guidelines related to Covid-19. However, Corrections Correspondence has continued to provide the spiritual connection of one member to another — sharing experience, strength, and hope.
