Area 75
	Alcoholics Anonymous in Southern Wisconsin

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Alcoholic’s Anonymous – Area 75

9:00a.m., 5/21/11

Spring Conference

Brookfield Sheraton

MINUTES

2011 Spring Conference

OFFICERS PRESENT:

Nancy H.-Delegate; Todd U.-Alt Delegate/Literature; Randy R. -Area Chairperson; Lee Ann F.-Alt Chair; Matt K.-Secretary; Drew A.-Treasurer; John B.-Alt. Treasurer.

STANDING COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSON PRESENT:

Ken N.-Corrections Chair; Brent W.-CPC Chair; Stu E.-Grapevine Chair; Barb W.-PI Chair; Thomas D.-Special Needs Chair; Lori S.-Treatment Chair; Nancy S.-Archivist; Paul E.- Archives Chair; Bob S.-Conf. Adv. Com. Chair; Spring Conference Chairs 2012-Dave S. & Penny R.

DCM’S PRESENT

D1-Jeanette S.; D3-Pietje M.(alt); D6-Chris D.; D7-Jill G. (Alt); D9-Tori K.; D12-Karen K.; D13-Mel F.; D14-Frank S.; D16- Bill K. (alt); D19-Linda W..; D20-Jessica S.; D22- Herbert P.; D23- Thomas B.; D25-Jeff Z..; D27-Nealy R. (Alt); D28-Greg L.; D29-Lynn G.; D30-Joel B.; D31-Kris C.; D32-John C.; D36-Peter W.

GSR’S and ALT GSR’s PRESENT:

D1- Tom M., Carly K., Scott J.; D2-Ryan S., Bob T.; D6- Mike S.; D13-Mark G., Rick B. (Alt), Jerry H.; D11- Dona C.; D12- Joe M., William R, Mary R., Tanya H.; D13- Wendy B., Andrew A., Jerry H.; D15-Stephen E.; D16-Dick H., Gregg R., Gerald W., Suzanne J.; D17 Darrel S.; D19-Gordon M.; D20- Evan J., Ed C., Jan M., Marcy J., Laura W., Abyn W., Chris B., Michelle K., Doreen H. (Alt); D23 Julie W.; D24-Brian P.; D25-Chris S., Jeff Z.; D28-Rick H., Steve H.; D29-Jeff G., Ken Z., Skip P.; D31-Charles M.; D32-Rick M., Carl H., James S. (Alt), Robin S., Danielle M., Keith L.; D34-Eween R., Loretta M., Christine C.

DISTRICT COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONS PRESENT;

D1-Joe S.; D2-Susan J.; D16-Bill K., Frank K.; D17- Steve N.; D20- Mark H., Doreen H., Greg S., Sean M.; D25-George B., Ted J.; D32-Rick M.

OTHERS PRESENT:

Regional Trustee-Pamela R., Past Delegates: John B., Bob B., Joan J., Ken G., Nancy G., George P., Jo M., Leo M., Stu E.

Randy R., Area Chairperson, opened the meeting with a moment of silence, followed by the serenity prayer.

• Todd U., Alternate Delegate, read the Twelve Concepts.

• Matt K., Area Secretary, took Roll Call.

SECRETARY’S REPORT - Matt K.

Secretary requested that new DCM’s submit their information to Area 75 Registrar JD O.

Randy R., Area Chairperson, called for the approval of the Pre Conference Assembly (4/10/11) minutes. The minutes were approved by the assembly.

TREASURER’S REPORT – Drew A.

Treasurer’s Report

Spring Conference 2011

Total Assets	Dec 31 2010	May 15 2011	Difference
Banking Account
General Funds 1	$25,708.17	$21,111.38
Corrections Literature Fund 2	$2,133.20	$1,134.22
Prudent Reserve	$5,000.00	$5,000.00
Banking Account Total	$32,841.37	$27,245.60
Conference Seed Money	$2,000.00	$2,000.00
Total Assets	$34,841.37

Net Gain / Loss	MAY 15 2011 YTD Total Income	May 15 2011 YTD Total Expense	Gain (Loss)
General Funds	$8,093.82	$12,690.61
Corrections Literature Fund	$1,498.03	$2,497.01

Budget vs Expenses
Officer / Chair	Budget	Actual	Difference
Alternate Chair	$984.00	$-	$984.00
Alternate Delegate	$2,490.00	$452.34	$2,037.66
Alternate Secretary	$275.00	$-	$275.00
Alternate Treasurer	$341.25	$-	$341.25
Archives Chair	$700.00	$-	$700.00
Archivist	$3,300.00	$2,012.46	$1,287.54
Area Chair	$2,337.00	$-	$2,337.00
CPC Chair	$1,970.00	$475.00	$1,495.00
Corrections Chair	$5,201.81	$583.76	$4,618.05
Delegate	$4,665.00	$1,727.03	$2,937.97
Grapevine Chair	$2,796.00	$615.95	$2,180.05
Overhead	$9,185.00	$5,762.49	$3,422.51
PI Chair	$1,198.00	$-	$1,198.00
Secretary	$2,148.00	$420.59	$1,727.41
Special Needs Chair	$1,181.00	$-	$1,181.00
Treasurer	$1,890.00	$347.80	$1,542.20
Treatment	$1,278.00	$293.19	$984.81
Total Expenses	$41,940.06	$12,690.61	$29,249.45

Year over year comparison
Officer / Chair	CY 2010 Budget	CY 2011 Budget	April 30, 2010 Actual	April 30, 2011 Actual
Alternate Chair	$895.00	$984.00	$57.40	$0.00
Alt Delegate	$2,245.00	$2,490.00	$448.78	$452.34
Alt Secretary	$416.00	$275.00	$0.00	$0.00
Alt Treasurer	$315.00	$341.25	$0.00	$0.00
Archives Chair	$638.00	$700.00	$0.00	$0.00
Archivist	$3,301.00	$3,300.00	$1639.58	$2,012.46
Area Chair	$1,309.00	$2,337.00	$0.00	$0.00
CPC Chair	$1,810.00	$1,970.00	$450.00	$475.00
Corrections Chair	$2,063.00	$5,201.81	$282.13	$583.76
Delegate	$4,111.00	$4,665.00	$2,203.24	$1,727.03
Grapevine Chair	$1,568.00	$2,796.00	$0.00	$615.95
Overhead	$4,180.00	$9,185.00	$1,425.12	$5,556.76
PI Chair	$1,090.00	$1,198.00	$0.00	$0.00
Secretary	$1,968.00	$2,148.00	$0.00	$420.59
Special Needs	$1,077.00	$1,181.00	$142.84	$0.00
Treasurer	$1,456.00	$1,890.00	$465.73	$347.80
Treatment	$1,083.00	$1,278.00	$0.00	$293.19
Total Expenses	$29,525.00	$41,940.06

Miscellaneous

• Contributions

  • 316 contributions totaling $8,093.82 have been made to Area 75 year-to-date. This number excludes contributions the Corrections Literature Fund.

  • 39 contributions totaling $1,498.03 have been made to the Corrections Literature Fund year-to-date.

• All contributions should be made payable to Area 75 Treasurer and mailed to
  Area 75 Treasurer
  PMB #167
  5464 North Port Washington Rd.
  Glendale, WI 53217

• Please use the contribution form when sending in a donation. The form can be found on the Area 75 website at http://www.area75.org/forms/donations.pdf

• Contributions are deposited on a weekly basis.

• Expenses are paid within a week of receipt of proper documentation.

• Disbursements made prior to March 27^th have been reviewed and approved by the Finance Committee.

• Officers and Chairs are asked to submit any outstanding expense reimbursements as soon as possible.

• The Finance Committee members are Drew A., John B., Ken G., Nancy G., Fred K. and Theresa W.

.

CHAIRPERSON’S REPORT – Randy R.

Nothing significant to report.

DELEGATE’S REPORT – Nancy H.

All I can say is “Wow, what an experience.” I don't know how I can adequately express my feelings and emotions surrounding the 61^st Annual General Service Conference held May 1-7, 2011 at the Crowne Plaza Times Square Manhattan. My trip began with my flight being delayed and then later diverted to Akron, OH (which I thought was an appropriate place considering where I was headed) and finally arriving at LaGuardia more than 5 hours after my scheduled time. I am grateful I came in early as if this had happened on Saturday I would not have arrived on time.

The conference unofficially began on Saturday, April 30^th with the Remote Communities Meeting which included sharing not only on being remote because of geography but also culture and language. All was aimed at how we can reach the still suffering alcoholic.

Our East Central Region (ECR) delegates and trustee along with guests went out for dinner as a group giving us an opportunity to renew acquaintances and ask questions of our ECR Trustee, Pam R., before the opening on Sunday. Later Saturday evening we had a Delegates Only meeting where Panel 60 delegates shared on what will happen during the coming week and also gave us hints on what helped them during their first year at the conference and especially what helped them prepare to report back to their areas.

Sunday morning I attended the 1728 meeting. The meeting got its name from 12 (Steps) x 12 (Traditions) x 12 (Concepts) = 1728. The purpose of the meeting is to help the class A (non-alcoholic) trustees understand and learn about our program. It is held on the quarterly board meeting weekends. After speakers shared on the 4^th Tradition and 4^th Concept there was sharing for the rest of the hour.

We picked up our conference materials at 9 am and prepared for the opening of the conference at 10 am. Walking into the meeting room and seeing the 61^st Annual General Service Conference Banner along with another that had this years theme: “We are Responsible for A.A.'s Future – Let it Begin With Us” was very moving. Roll Call was one of the first items and hearing my name called told me this is it – I am really here. Other items in the morning session included several welcome talks, review of the weeks agenda and our conference binders, a report on the 21^st World Service Meeting (October 2010 in Mexico City) by Jo-Anne L., trustee-at-large/Canada and an opportunity for questions from conference members. (The 22^nd World Service Meeting will be “Rotation: The Heartbeat of A.A.” and will be held in New York City, October 21-25, 2012).

A few items about the conference in general. There were 135 voting members of the 61^st General Service Conference. The 93 delegates comprise 68.9% of the voting members. 27 trustees and directors comprise 20% and 15 G.S.O. And Grapevine staff comprise the remaining 11.1%. Of the 87 delegates who responded to a request

The average age was 57, Oldest was 74, Youngest 33, Average length of sobriety was 21 years, Longest – 40 years, Shortest – 8 years, Average length of service – 16 years, Longest – 29 years and shortest – 6 years.

Following a delegate orientation by region the Sunday afternoon session began with presentations on Diversity in A.A. Topics were “The Language of the Heart is Spoken Here”, “The Hand of A.A. - Inclusive Never Exclusive” and “Tradition Five – Our Primary Purpose. Text of the presentations will be included in the final conference report which will be available later this summer but a couple things I took away were: Thinking about the questions “How can I be responsible for A.A.'s future if it is to begin with me?” and “Do I use love and tolerance towards people in my group, my district and my area?” The importance of reading the long form of the traditions occasionally. That the primary purpose of A.A. Is to show others how we have recovered and this message has no bearing on our differences because the disease of alcoholism is not selective and simply doesn't care who we are, what we are, or where we came from. All three legacies are essential to the survival of our fellowship. We need the twelve traditions of Unity and the twelve concepts of Service not just the twelve steps of Recovery.

The rest of Sunday afternoon was spent in committee meetings. I serve on the Literature committee and we had an opportunity to have a joint meeting with the Trustee's committee on Literature. The day ended with the opening dinner and A.A. Meeting.

Most of the work of the conference takes place in the committee meetings. Monday and Tuesday mornings were spent in committee meetings scheduled from 9:00 a.m. until noon. Some committees met for additional time to complete their work. The Literature committee was one of those and we met from 9:30 p.m. until 11:00 p.m. on Monday evening.

Monday afternoon we heard the General Service Board Report given by Ward Ewing, Chair and the A.A.W.S. Board Report given by George M. Some highlights were: the Big Book has been translated into 61 languages, International Convention in San Antonio (Ward took pictures of the line around Starbucks and of a bartender asleep at the bar … not surprising to those of us in A.A.), overview of travels by staff and trustees, conferences and forums. The board is looking at doing an inventory with a plan to be presented at the July 2011 meeting. A net total of 1,896 new A.A. Groups were listed at G.S.O. last year. Goal is to have new GSR or DCM kits in-hand within 21 days of entering their information into the system. Distribution of all books from G.S.O. totaled 1,701,373 units in 2010. Contributions Online was implemented in June 2010. By the end of 2010, more than $82,000 of contributions had been received electronically. This is a convenient way for groups and individuals to contribute.

The afternoon also began introductions of the panel 61 delegates by their regional trustees. The East Central Region, with 8 new delegates, was first on the agenda and each of us gave a two minute area service highlights talk. The West Central Region with 4 new delegates was next.

We returned to board reports and the Grapevine Board Report was given by Ken B., chair of the Grapevine Inc. board. Some objections were made to the report because it contained what some construed as comments on agenda items pending before the conference. Grapevine had a management change in November 2010 and Amy B. is the new executive editor/publisher (this is a new title). She has 25 years of multimedia publishing experience. In April 2011 Wisconsin had 2,147 subscriptions to Grapevine which was a decrease of 179 from April 2010 (breakdown is not available by area). Total subscriptions were 85,614 which was a decrease of 2,478. This is OUR magazine. Additional subscribers are needed. Do you subscribe?

Terry Bedient, Class A trustee, General Service Board Treasurer and chair of the trustees' Finance & Budgetary Committee gave a power point presentation on Finance. One of the slides talked about communicating to the fellowship about finance. It mentioned talking about the spiritual value of contributing, giving examples of how contributions get used, accountability: checks and balances, humanizing the numbers ($137 per group or $6.00 per member). We lead by example. Other slides showed General Service Office Functional Expense actual's for 2009 and 2010. Overall expenses have decreased each of the past two years by 7.02% and 1.61% respectively. One slide I found interesting was the percentage of groups contributing to GSO. The percentage of groups currently is just over 40% and is lower than the percentage in 1982 but the dollar amount has risen. Another slide showed an inflation calculator. $1.00 in 1945 had the buying power of $11.92 in 2009 or $.08 in 2009 had the buying power of $1.00 in 1945. Sure made me think about what I put in the basket.

We then had two more groups of new delegates introduced and giving area service highlights. The Southwest Region with 7 delegates and the Pacific Region with 7. Following a dinner break the Northeast Region (NERD;s) with 8 (including SWAMBO or She Who Always Must Be Obeyed … I think you had to be there) and Eastern Canada with 6).

Monday evening concluded with presentations on “An Informed Group Conscience: The Voice of A.A. With three topics: “Self Support – Where Do Money and Spirituality Mix?”, “Humility – Accepting the Group Conscience” and “An Informed Group Conscience – Using the Three Legacies” followed by our first of three sharing sessions where members of the conference got to share “What's on Your Mind?”

Tuesday afternoon we completed the new delegates area service highlights with Western Canada with 2 and Southeast Regional with 7. This was followed by a presentation on Sponsorship. Topics were “Importance of a Home Group”, “Leading by Example – Attraction Not Promotion” and “Recovery, Unity, Service”. One thought expressed “We must respect the group conscience in order to be an example of our Legacies in action!” The presentations were followed by a second sharing session “What's on Your Mind?”.

Our trip to the G.S.O./Grapevine office was next. Metro cards were passed out and off to the subway we went. I had gone to the office on Friday but wanted to go again to see things I had missed. I am amazed how much is done in the offices and it is nice to put faces with names.

Tuesday evening ended with the Delegates dinner and Delegates Only meeting.

Wednesday morning we were divided into 10 groups for a workshop on “How to Increase Participate in A.A. - Striving for Self-Support in All Our Affairs”. Each group had a moderator and reporter. Questions discussed were: 1) What are the benefits of participation in A.A.? Give examples: a) A.A. Service b) “In the Basket” and c) Grapevine/LaVina subscriptions. 2) How do I communicate the benefits of striving for self-support in all our affairs? and 3) Share ways to encourage participation in A.A. a) Who is not participating and why? b) What can we do better? c) How do we keep members involved? Some ideas and questions that came up in the group I was in included: Are we doing things that discourage people from coming back? (chanting, appear cult like, appear religious), Are we missing segments of society? An example was given in Spanish speaking meetings in one area there were few women in proportion to men (Why?). Have I made my own Doctor aware of A.A.? Do we do enough on our schools? What kept me out of the program? (Sure I was different), Be an example, Give what you can, Best chance possible to stay sober – Get involved in service.

Following the workshop we had our third, and last sharing session “What's on Your Mind?” Questions or general remarks in all three sharing sessions covered a wide variety of items. Only rule was it would not address a conference agenda item and people could only speak once unless everyone has had a chance to share. Some were additional questions on reports that had been given, requests for additional literature to be available in large print, question – is it worth the additional cost to hold the conference in NYC, concern that intellectual property rights are getting in the way of carrying the message, not much experience in old-fashioned 12^th step calls, groups in one area that have restrictive detox procedures, one area had a contest between districts to sell Grapevines, concerns and questions about the Fellowship New Vision (FNV) group information system, questions on how things get passed on for inclusion on the conference agenda, how workshop subtopics get chosen, questions on International literature fund, questions on financial information – thought the information was hard to understand, and questions on e-technology just to list a few.

Next on the agenda were regional luncheons for delegates which gave us an informal chance to ask questions. The afternoon then began with elections for Northeast Region trustee to replace John K. J. Gary L. was elected on the 4^th ballot. Gary is from eastern Pennsylvania. The next election was for the Southwest Regional Trustee to replace Conley B. Clayton V. was elected on the 3^rd ballot and he is from eastern Missouri. The last election was for Trustee-at-large/Canada replacing Jo-Anne L. Barb K. was elected on the 3^rd ballot and she is from eastern Ontario, Canada.

Following the elections, which was an interesting process to watch, we began committee reports. This process continued until late Friday afternoon. Some committees took about 5 minutes while others went as long as 4 ½ hours. I will list the reports alphabetically but each year the sequence the reports are given in changes.

Recommendations by the committees if passed with substantial unanimity become Conference Advisory Actions which becomes binding when approved by the General Service Board.

Agenda Committee recommendations which became conference advisory actions were:

• The theme for the 2012 General Service Conference be: “Anonymity: Our Spiritual Responsibility in the Digital Age”

• Presentation/discussion topics for the 2012 General Service Conference:

a) Carrying the A.A. Message:

• Still Our Primary Purpose

• Social Web Sites

• Young People in A.A.

• Importance of Sponsorship

b) Change – Essential to A.A.’s Growth:

• Service: Our Third Legacy

• Spirit of Rotation

• Diversity – Let’s Keep Our Doors Open for Any Who May

Suffer from Alcoholism

• Archives – Where the Past Meets the Present

• The following be the workshop topic for the 2012 General Service Conference: “Safety in A.A.: Our Common Welfare.” (quite a bit of discussion took place on the workshop topic and when the vote was taken only 4 were opposed. A motion was made to reconsider after hearing the minority opinion but that motion failed by a vote of 31 for and 91 opposed)

The Agenda Committee had additional committee considerations which included a request that the trustees' Committee on Conference meet/confer with the Conference Committee on Agenda prior to the winter quarterly Board meeting to address matters affecting conference week.

Archives committee had no recommendations. The committee had several considerations which included:

• Accepted revisions to the Archives Workbook including a minor change to the Research Application Form and a new section “Tools and Suggested Activities for Archives Committee”

• Requested that the G.S.O. Archivist solicit new material and stories for the “Shared Experiences” section of the Archives Workbook and requested the section be updated every five years.

• Requested that the trustee's Archives Committee develop an information piece on basic archival preservation procedures.

Cooperation With The Professional Community committee had no recommendations. The committee had several considerations which included:

• A request for the trustees to bring back a report and draft product to the 2012 conference CPC committee a DVD compilation of CPC literature.

• Review of a draft service piece regarding use of Grapevine and LaVina in CPC endeavors and suggested including the piece in the CPC kit with minor edits suggested by the committee.

• Suggested a list of goals and projects suggestions be included in the CPC kit.

• Requested that a summary of shared experience from CPC committees and professionals be included in the CPC workbook.

• Suggested adding two bullets on page 20 of the CPC workbook – an invitation to accompany professionals or students to open A.A. Meetings and an invitation to present on what A.A. Is and is not.

• The committee discussed a draft sample letter to professionals and took no action.

Corrections committee had a recommendation:

• The following changes be made to the pamphlet “A.A in Correctional Facilities”:

That the text in the section on “Meetings” which reads,

“Since the Twelve Steps are the basis of our recovery in A.A., many groups hold Step meetings. The leader might share a bit of his or her story and talk briefly about a particular Step and then throw the meeting open for discussion. Each type of meeting serves a different purpose; all are needed.”

Be replaced with:

“Many groups also hold Step meetings, Tradition meetings or Big Book studies. Each type of meeting serves a different purpose; all are needed.”

And that the heading and text of the section “Step meetings,” which reads,

“Step meetings

In addition to a leader sharing his or her experience with a Step, some groups might read from Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, followed by a discussion. Many groups find listening to cassette tapes on the Steps helpful. (Tapes are available from the General Service Office.)”

Be replaced with:

“Step meetings, Tradition meetings and Big Book studies

Since the Twelve Steps are the basis of our recovery in A.A., many groups hold Step meetings. Some groups read passages from the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions or the Big Book, followed by a discussion.

Groups may also read and discuss the Twelve Traditions, the best answers we have found to the questions “How can A.A. best function?” and “How can A.A. best stay whole and so survive?”

Since the Big Book contains not only directions for how many of our members practice the Twelve Steps, but also a brief history of our Fellowship’s beginnings and personal stories to help newcomers identify with other alcoholics, many A.A. groups devote meeting time to the study of this basic text.

Audio recordings of the Big Book and Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions are available from the General Service Office. The pamphlets “The Twelve Steps Illustrated” and “The Twelve Traditions Illustrated” may also be helpful. (after a friendly amendment was accepted this motion passed unanimously)

Additional Committee Considerations included:

• Review of the progress report on revising the pamphlet “It Sure Beats Sitting in a Cell” and looks forward to seeing a full draft of the revised pamphlet at the 2012 General Service Conference.

• Requested the trustees' committee on corrections explore the need for a survey of A.A. Program activities in correctional facilities similar to one conduced in 1990 and report back to the 2012 conference committee on corrections.

• The committee forwarded a list of suggestions regarding content of the Kit and Workbook to the trustees committee on corrections. The committee also suggested that new corrections chairs be informed that new A.A. Material may be available that is not yet reflected in the current catalogue.

Finance Committee recommended:

• The following changes be made to the pamphlet “Self-Support: Where Money and Spirituality Mix:”

1. “AND” be replaced with “OR” between the pie charts that start on page 12 and an additional “OR” added after the second pie chart.

insert an additional blank pie chart and distribution text as follows to the beginning of the pie chart examples:

District _________%

Area Committee _________%

G.S.O. _________%

Intergroup/Central Office _________%

Other A.A. Service Entities _________%

Other A.A. Service Entities _________%

2. Other minor editorial changes. (We did talk for some time whether the word “sample” or “example” would be used and after several failed amendments the main motion carried with substantial unanimity)

The finance committee had several considerations which included:

• Reviewed with appreciation the Seventh Tradition stories received to date and encouraged the collection process to continue.

• Discussed a request to develop a Finance Workbook and felt a workbook was not necessary at this time as there is a wealth of information currently available.

• Requested the trustees' Finance committee develop a draft Self-Support Kit to be brought back to the 2012 Conference Finance Committee for review.

• Requested the trustees' Finance committee prepare a simple document of Self-Support/financial talking points to be used the the Fellowship, made available on the web site, in the GSR and DCM packets, and in the Self-Support Kit.

Grapevine committee had three recommendations:

• In the spirit of being self-supporting while also protecting our Traditions of attraction, anonymity, and non-affiliation, A.A. Grapevine be permitted to utilize digital channels and current (commissionable) support and distribution technologies, such as, but not limited to, smart phones, tablets, e-readers, applications and commissioned online stores for the sale and distribution of magazines, books and products. The committee requests that the Board ensure that all contracts protect our Traditions, with the option to discontinue any and all contracts at any time. The Committee requests that a status and financial report be submitted to the 2012 Grapevine Conference Committee. (after much discussion the main motion passed 109 for and 16 opposed. A motion to reconsider failed 45 for and 77 opposed).

• The A.A. Grapevine Board, in consultation with the A.A. World Services Board and under the guidance of the General Service Board chairman, continue to investigate what efficiencies and objectives can be accomplished by combining services and sharing resources, including reviewing Concept 11, while still maintaining editorial and corporate independence. (after much discussion and caucus by the conference Grapevine committee and several amendments this passed with only 9 opposed)

• The editorial revisions made by the A.A. Grapevine staff to “The A.A. Grapevine and La Viña: Our Meetings in Print” pamphlet be approved with minor suggestions. (This motion passed with only 1 opposed)

An additional recommendation made by the committee did not receive substantial unanimity with only 14 voting for the recommendation that the A.A. Grapevine Board establish an ad hoc committee to review and determine actionable items from the A.A. Grapevine Fellowship Sharing Report and that the ad hoc committee have a proportional representation similar to the General Service Conference and be chaired by the Chair of the General Service Board.

Additional committee considerations included:

• Took no action on request to permit A.A. Grapevine, Inc. to accept contributions. The committee noted that the current financial structure is appropriate.

• Contents of Workbook were reviewed with appreciation.

• Forward to A.A. Grapevine Corporate Board several suggestions for collections of stories to be produced in 2012 or later.

• Suggested that the A.A. Grapevine Board only propose balanced operating budgets to the General Service Board.

• Encourage each home group to purchase annual subscriptions.

• That the A.A. Grapevine Board look at distribution techniques of journals similar to the Grapevine, including LaVigne, as well as other General Service structure journals.

International Conventions/Regional Forums had no recommendations. Committee considerations included:

• Accepted reporting on the 2010 International Convention and noted that the financial results showed a profit of $844,545.

• Expressed appreciation to the 2010 International Convention coordinator, Rick W., for coordinating a successful event celebrating A.A.'s 75^th anniversary in San Antonio, TX. Gratitude was also expressed to the volunteers of the local host committee.

• Discussed the importance of Regional Forums and how Forums foster unity, enhance communication and provide a unique opportunity for local A.A.s to meet Board members, G.S.O. And Grapevine staff and trusted servants from the region. The committee noted that in 2010 over 1,500 first time Forums attendees were welcomed at Forums.

• Discussed ways to encourage interest in Forums and how areas communicate about upcoming Forums. The committee noted that flyers for upcoming Forums are being sent electronically from G.S.O. To delegates and D.C.M.'s and the information is available through G.S.O.'s A.A. Web site. In addition to announcements in local A.A. Newsletters, bulletins, at assemblies and meetings.

Literature committee had three recommendations:

• The revised pamphlet “The A.A. Member–Medications and Other Drugs” be approved. (this carried with only 8 opposed after less than 5 minutes discussion)

• The trustees’ Literature Committee continue to develop literature which focuses on spirituality that includes stories from atheists and agnostics who are sober in Alcoholics Anonymous. The committee expressed support for the trustees’ efforts to develop a pamphlet which reflects the wide range of spiritual experiences of A.A. members and asked that a draft pamphlet or progress report be brought to the 2012 Conference Committee on Literature for consideration. (after some discussion with several amendments that both passed and failed the main motion carried with 95 for and 28 opposed. A later motion to reconsider failed with 34 for and 84 opposed)

• The following text under “When you’re a G.S.R.,” in the pamphlet “G.S.R. General Service Representative” which currently reads:

“You are linking your home group with the whole of A.A. Back in 1953, when the “group contact” was suggested as a new type of trusted servant, the job was seen simply as a good means of exchanging up-to-date information…”

Be replaced with:

“You are linking your home group with the whole of A.A. In 1950, a new type of trusted servant, “group representative,” was suggested to help in the selection of delegates to the newly-formed General Service Conference. By 1953, the job of “group representative” was also seen as a good means of exchanging up-to-date information….” (This motion passed with only 1 opposed).

A 4^th recommendation from the committee that the A.A. Preamble be added to the front inside pages of the Big Book and that the trustees' Literature Committee provide a report that includes sample placement options and any other considerations to the 2012 Conference Committee on Literature for review failed to receive substantial unanimity with a vote of 65 for and 66 against.

Additional committee considerations included:

• Reviewed and accepted the progress report from the trustees' Literature Committee on revision of the pamphlet “A.A. And the Armed Forces”. (NOTE: Stories are still needed, especially from veterans who came to A.A. after serving in the armed forces). The committee asked that a draft pamphlet or report be brought to the 2012 Conference Committee on Literature.

• Reviewed draft revisions to the Living Sober booklet and requested the trustees' Literature Committee continue to review the booklet focusing on outdated language and/or practices and provide a new revision to the 2012 Conference Committee on Literature.

• Considered a request to develop an item similar to the Self-support card to help promote the use of our literature as a Twelfth step tool and took no action.

• Considered the request to reconsider the 2010 Conference Advisory Action that “the trustees' Literature Committee develop literature which focus on spirituality that includes stories from atheists and agnostics who are successfully sober in Alcoholics Anonymous,” and after thoughtful discussion agreed to take no action. The committee noted that the trustees' Literature Committee's report on the development of literature which focuses on spirituality clarifies that the pamphlet under development will reflect a wide range of spiritual experiences of A.A. Members.

• Considered a request to develop a publication about the General Service Office and agreed to take no action at this time.

Policy/Admissions committee had several recommendations:

• Approved the request for two members from the General Service Structure of Peru to attend the 61^st General Service Conference as observers.

• Approved the request for two members from the General Service Structure of Great Britain to attend the 61^st General Service Conference as observers.

• Approved admission of Mike D., alternate delegate, Area 50, Western New York be seated as the Panel 60 delegate resigned.

• That Mel C., alternate delegate, Area 83, Eastern Ontario International, be seated as Robb W., panel 61 delegate is unable to attend.

Note: Voting on the above 4 items occurred prior to the roll call at the opening session on Sunday. There were no objections.

• The General Service Conference conduct a thorough inventory of itself in accordance with the Comprehensive Plan formulated by the Conference Inventory Planning Committee. (passed unanimously)

• The 64^th General Service Conference be held April 27-May 3, 2014 since these dates do not conflict with any significant holidays or hotel availability. (passed unanimously)

• The Conference Committee on Archives meet separately at the General Service Conference following a joint meeting with the trustees’ Committee on Archives. (after some discussion this carried with only 15 opposed)

• The following procedure for the submission of Concept V minority appeals to the General Service Conference be established:

1. The minority, expressing a feeling or opinion in light of the right of appeal to the General Service Conference, has been very rare. It is hoped that an individual entitled under Concept V to appeal would exhaust every avenue offered within the General Service Conference structure prior to making an appeal to the General Service Conference.

2. Those entitled to appeal to the General Service Conference are members who, on the inverted triangle of the A.A. service structure, fall below the General Service Conference level – members of staffs, committees, corporate boards or trustees, as referenced, in the first paragraph of Concept V of The A.A. Service Manual/Twelve Concepts for World Service.

3. The minority should announce, in writing, to the chair of the General Service Board, the General Service Conference delegate chair and to the General Service Office Conference coordinator that it intends to appeal under Concept V to the General Service Conference.

4. All Conference members will be given notice through the General Service Office of the minority’s decision to file an appeal.

5. Appeals under Concept V, including any minority report and background, must be received in writing 30 days prior to the General Service Conference in order for these materials to be distributed to Conference members. The G.S.O. Conference coordinator will be responsible for seeing that this material is made available to all Conference members within 10 business days after its receipt.

6. The minority’s appeal will be presented before the start of deliberation on Committee Reports:

• The minority will be given a maximum of ten minutes to present their appeal.

• The majority will then be given a maximum of ten minutes to present their position.

7. The discretion to debate a minority’s appeal rests with the Conference body.

The chair will ask if there is a motion to decline to consider the minority’s appeal. A motion to decline to consider a minority’s appeal:

• Must be made without comment.

• Needs a second.

• Is not debatable.

• Requires a two thirds majority.

8. If the Conference decides to debate the appeal, it then takes the form of a motion which does not require a second. If passed by substantial unanimity, it becomes an Advisory Action.

9. Whether or not an appeal is debated, a summary of the minority’s report and the disposition of the appeal will be published in the Final Conference Report. (This item generated a lot of discussion with several amendments both friendly and non. When the vote was taken is passed with 124 for and 9 opposed. After the minority opinion in which some thought that not enough was heard from those that this would affect the motion to reconsider failed by a vote of 34 for and 92 opposed)

Additional Committee Considerations included:

• Noted that Don S., the former Panel 61 delegate for Area 22, Northern Indiana had resigned and that in February 2011, Ron F. was elected the new Panel 61 delegate for Area 22. Therefore no recommendation was necessary to seat him as a conference member.

• Took no action on a request to change the deadline for submission of conference agenda items.

• Took no action on a request that a formal relationship be developed between the Conference Committee on Policy/Admissions and the trustees' Conference Committee to address matters of policy relating to the General Service Conference.

(I think this committee took the prize for meeting the most hours. They met for almost 12 hours)

Public Information committee had several recommendations:

• The 2011 A.A. Membership Survey be conducted by area on a random basis as was done in the 2007 A.A. Membership Survey. (passed unanomously)

• The following “Policy on Actors Portraying A.A. Members or Potential A.A. Members in Videos Produced by the General Service Board or its Affiliates” be approved:

Videos produced and distributed by the General Service Board or its affiliated corporations, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. and Alcoholics Anonymous Grapevine, Inc., that include actors portraying A.A. members or potential A.A. members shall not show the actor's full face, unless:

3. a. The General Service Board, by substantial unanimity, agrees that the proposed video is consistent with the A.A. tradition of attraction rather than promotion, and that such use of an actor or actors does not in fact or in appearance place personalities before principles, and

5. b. The General Service Conference authorizes, by substantial unanimity, the production and distribution of such video.

For purposes of this Policy, a “video” is any item of visual media in which a live actor appears, regardless of the medium in which the video is presented (DVD, film, electronic file, etc.).

For purposes of this Policy, a “potential A.A. member” is a character in a video who is portrayed as seeking help from A.A., or who is portrayed as the recipient of Twelfth Step work in any form.

Existing videos using actors to portray A.A. members or potential A.A. members may continue to be produced and distributed until retired from service.

The videos “Markings on the Journey,” and “Bill Discusses the Twelve Traditions,” each of which is currently distributed only to A.A. groups, as well as “Bill's Own Story,’ which also has restricted distribution, may continue to be produced and distributed.

A copy of this policy shall be given to all entities participating in the production of a video prior to commencement of production. The background documentation for the policy will always be distributed with the policy. (after much discussion this passed with only 24 opposed. After the minority opinion was heard a motion to reconsider failed 24 for and 92 opposed).

• A culturally sensitive Spanish–language Public Service Announcement be developed by the trustees’ Public Information Committee, independent of any English language P.S.A. (production cost not to exceed $40,000) to better ensure the hand of A.A. is there whenever anyone anywhere reaches out. (this passed with only 2 opposed)

• The revised “Understanding Anonymity” pamphlet be approved. (This passed with only 1 opposed)

• The revised “The A.A. Fact File” be approved. (This passed with 4 opposed)

• The section titled “How You Can Find A.A. in Your Town” in “A.A. At a Glance” be changed to “How To Find A.A.,” and that that section which reads:

“Look for Alcoholics Anonymous in any telephone directory. In most urban areas, a central A.A. office or intergroup, staffed mainly by volunteer A.A.s will be happy to answer your questions and/or put you in touch with those who can.”

be amended to read:

“Look for Alcoholics Anonymous in any telephone directory, your local newspaper or “How to Find A.A. Meetings” on the home page of our website www.aa.org. In most urban areas, a central A.A. office or intergroup, staffed mainly by volunteer A.A.s will be happy to answer your questions and/or put you in touch with those who can.” (after a friendly amendment this passed with 1 opposed)

Additional Committee Considerations included:

• Expressed support for trustees' PI committee development of a comprehensive media plan.

• Reviewed all of the current A.A. TV public service announcements and agreed with the trustees' PI committee's report that found them all to be relevant and useful.

• Suggested that “The A.A. Fact File” be revised and updated every 3 years.

• Suggested that the trustees' PI committee explore alternative packaging of the Public Information Kit and report back to the 2012 conference committee.

Report and Charter had several recommendations:

• The following text be added to The A.A. Service Manual in Chapter Nine: The General Service Board after the section titled “General Service Trustees” on page S69:

“Trustees Emeriti

The General Service Board has designated rotating board chairpersons as trustees emeriti. Trustees emeriti are invited to attend quarterly board meetings of the General Service Board and the annual General Service Conference. They are a resource of corporate memory and are often asked to share their experience with past board decisions, how previous General Service Boards conducted business, and the processes they used to reach a group conscience. Trustees emeriti do not vote on any matter before the General Service Board or the Conference.” (This carried with 3 opposed)

• The following text on page S67 in The A.A. Service Manual under “NOMINATION PROCEDURE” in the section on Regional Trustees:

"2. Two Conference Actions should be kept in mind. In 1977, the Conference recommended that a delegate not be eligible as a trustee candidate until one year after his or her last Conference. And in 1985, it was recommended that 'no area shall submit an individual as candidate for both regional trustee and trustee-at-large U.S./Canada in the same year.' "

Be replaced with:

"2. Prior Conferences have recommended that no area submit the same person as a candidate for both regional trustee and trustee-at-large/U.S. or Canada at the same Conference. Also, a General Service Conference delegate is not eligible as a trustee candidate until one year after his or her last Conference." (This passed with 1 opposed)

• The following text on page S68 in The A.A. Service Manual under “NOMINATION PROCEDURE” in the section on Trustees-at-large:

"In the areas, the same procedure used in selecting a regional trustee candidate is followed. No area should submit the same name for regional and at-large trustee in the same year."

Be replaced with:

"Prior Conferences have recommended that no area submit the same person as a candidate for both regional trustee and trustee-at-large/U.S. or Canada at the same Conference. Also, a General Service Conference delegate is not eligible as a trustee candidate until one year after his or her last Conference." (This passed unanimously)

• The section titled “Inactive Service Workers” in Chapter Four on page S37 in The A.A. Service Manual be revised to read:

“Inactive Service Workers

How does the area deal with area officers and committee chairs who have been absent from two or more assemblies? While the area assembly needs to establish its own practices or guidelines, it is generally suggested that a service worker be asked to resign if he or she is unable to carry out the responsibilities of the position.” (This passed 94 for and 31 opposed)

• The following sections be added to The A.A. Service Manual as follows:

Add to Chapter Two, page S28, before section titled “Group Information”:

“Inactive General Service Representative

A.A. relies on the autonomy of each group regarding the period of time and involvement that constitutes inactivity. While the group needs to establish its own practices or guidelines, it is generally suggested that a service worker be asked to resign if he or she is unable to carry out the responsibilities of the position.”

Add to Chapter Three, page S33, before section titled “The Alternate D.C.M.”:

“Inactive District Committee Member

A.A. relies on the autonomy of each district regarding the period of time and involvement that constitutes inactivity. While the district needs to establish its own practices or guidelines, it is generally suggested that a service worker be asked to resign if he or she is unable to carry out the responsibilities of the position.” (This passed with 9 opposed)

• The following text in the section titled “What Goes On at the Conference” on page S55 in The A.A. Service Manual:

“What Goes On at the Conference

A typical Conference lasts a full week, with sessions running from morning to evening. The opening day features an opening dinner and a five-speaker A.A. meeting, and business sessions from Monday to Friday include committee meetings, presentations, workshops and new trustee elections. Each delegate serves on one of the standing Conference committees, which meet early in the week and do the principal work of the Conference. (Some delegates also have a secondary committee assignment.) The committees bring recommendations to the full Conference for consideration as possible Advisory Actions (see Chapter Eight for more on the committee system), and generally the last two days (or more) are devoted to discussion and voting on committee recommendations. A closing breakfast on Saturday, following the last day of Conference business, provides an opportunity for goodbyes, and for rotating trustees to say their farewells. Every other year, a visit to the home of Bill W. and Lois in Westchester County is scheduled.”

Be replaced with:

“What Goes On at the Conference

A typical Conference lasts a full week, with sessions running from morning to evening. The opening day features roll call, keynote address, an opening dinner and a five-speaker A.A. meeting. Business sessions from Sunday to Friday include committee meetings, presentations, workshops, and new trustee elections. Each delegate serves on one of the standing Conference committees, which meet early in the week and do the principal work of the Conference. (Some delegates also have a secondary committee assignment.) The committees bring recommendations to the full Conference for consideration as possible Advisory Actions (see Chapter Eight for more on the committee system), and generally the last two days (or more) are devoted to discussion and voting on committee recommendations.

Although outside of the Conference, a delegates-only meeting is often held prior to the opening day of the Conference. On Saturday, following the last day of Conference business, a closing breakfast provides an opportunity for goodbyes, and for rotating trustees to say their farewells. In alternate years, a visit to G.S.O./Grapevine offices or the home of Bill W. and Lois in Westchester County is scheduled.” (This passed with 4 opposed)

• The General Service Board develop text to add to Article 3 in the current Conference Charter as found in The A.A. Service Manual which includes the principles of participation, petition and appeal, for consideration by the 2012 Conference Committee on Report and Charter. (This passed with 5 opposed)

An additional recommendation regarding a request to “address and remedy the inconsistencies between the Current (Conference) Charter and the Original (Conference) Charter” as found in The A.A. Service Manual had much discussion and the end result was withdrawal of the motion and the committee will address this issue next year.

Additional committee considerations included:

• Accepted a report from the Publications Dept. outlining the G.S.O. Process for timely and accurate preparation and publication of the 2011-2012 edition of the service manual.

• Reviewed updates from the A.A.W.S. Board for the service manual and suggested some revisions.

• Reviewed list of editorial updates from the Publications Dept. and suggested some revisions.

• Considered the request to change the phrase “new kid on the block” with “a first year delegate” on page S52 and took no action.

• Briefly discussed the A.A. Directories and noted that there were no requests for changes.

Treatment Facilities/Special Needs/Accessibilities had several recommendations:

• The recovery pamphlet “A.A. for the Alcoholic with Special Needs” be approved.

• The name of the committee be changed to the Conference Committee on Treatment/Special Needs-Accessibilities and that these changes be reflected in the committee’s Composition, Scope and Procedure.

• The title of the pamphlet “A.A. in Treatment Facilities” be changed to “A.A. in Treatment Settings” and that the term “treatment facilities” be replaced with a more appropriate reference such as “Treatment Committees” or “treatment settings” wherever it appears in the pamphlet.

Additional Committee considerations included:

• Suggested that when the pamphlet for alcoholics with special needs is created, formats for alcoholics who are deaf, blind, or have learning challenges be produced as soon as fiscally possible.

• Requested that the term “treatment facilities” be replaced with a more appropriate reference such as “Treatment Committee”, “Treatment Committee Kit', etc. wherever it appears in service material.

• Considered removing one line of dialog from the video “Hope: Alcoholics Anonymous” and took no action. The committee requested instead that the trustees' committee review the entire script of the video, taking into consideration concerns expressed by the conference committee, and return a progress report to the committee at the 2012 conference.

• Reviewed the Treatment Facilities Kit and Workbook and had some suggestions plus appreciation for slimmer, less fragile DVD case now used.

• Reviewed the Special Needs Kit and Workbook and expressed appreciation for recent re-pricing of the American Sign Language DVD of the books Alcoholics Anonymous and Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions plus hoped that there will continue to be Grapevine articles that include stories from A.A. Members with special needs.

Trustees' committee – I have prepared a separate sheet of the slates for trustees, officers and directors for the General Service Board of Alcoholics Anonymous and the directors for A.A.W.S. Corporate Board and the Grapevine Corporate Board. These lists contain last names of A.A. Members and as such I will make them available to individuals upon request. Voting for the General Service Board slate had 3 opposed and voting for the officers of the General Service Board and directors of A.A.W.S. was unanimous. Must discussion occurred regarding the slate of directors for Grapevine because of the 2 vacancies. An amendment was made to add two names and it failed 23 for and 100 opposed. Voting on the main motion carried 92 for and 32 opposed. A motion to reconsider failed 62 for and 63 opposed)

We did have a break in hearing reports of the various committees. On Thursday evening we had a presentation/discussion on “Alcoholics Anonymous in a Digital Age” with the subtopics 1) “Practicing Our Traditions in a Digital Age”, 2) “Carrying A.A.'s Message Online” and 3) “Grapevine - “A.A.'s Meeting in Print” and More...” Some items I carried away from these presentations were: Our traditions state A.A. has no opinion on outside issues. We as individuals can have opinions but we should not share them in such a way as to implicate A.A. But on Facebook it seems to be a whole other matter. Why is that? It was interesting to listen to a delegate's experience accessing various online meetings. Only a small percentage of our members subscribe to Grapevine but many more need it. What can we do to ensure Grapevine continues to exist.

We completed hearing committee reports and voting on the various recommendations at 5:10 p.m. on Friday. Following a short stretch break we began to hear the 5 floor actions that had been submitted.

The first was a motion to allow the committee secretary to have a laptop, projector and screen in committee meetings. A motion was made that we decline to consider. This failed by a vote of 46 for and 77 opposed. After discussion the motion failed with 21 voting for the motion. A count of those opposed was not taken. Discussion centered on costs, not urgent, can be addressed next year.

The second floor action was to reinstate the full slate of nine directors as constituted by the Grapevine Nominating Committee. This was ruled out of order by the Chair as we already had a vote to reconsider when the recommendation was made during the Trustees Committee report. A motion was made to appeal the decision of the chair. The decision of the chair was sustained with 18 voting for the appeal and 101 voting against (thereby sustaining the decision of the chair).

The third floor action that “The 61^st General Service Conference express its appreciation and gratitude for the French-language magazine “La Vigne,” and the value it has for French-speaking members of Alcoholics Anonymous and the respect “La Vigne” has shown for the Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous” passed with 11 opposed. This item had over ½ hour of discussion before the question was called. The minority felt it set a precedent while the majority said it is good to say thanks and La Vigne is by A.A. members for A.A. Members.

The forth floor action was withdrawn by the maker and requested that the trustee's Committee on Conference not meet/confer with the Conference Committee on Agenda prior to the winter Quarterly Board meeting.

The fifth floor action “The “Current Conference Charter.” (United States and Canada) as presented in Appendix C to The A.A. Service Manual combined with Twelve Concepts for World Service, 2010-2011 Edition, is hereby accepted as the current Conference Charter, and all changes to the original Charter contained therein are hereby ratified and confirmed. Footnotes to the Conference Charter as printed in The Service Manual are not part of the Conference Charter itself, and are included in The Service Manual for information purposes only”. A motion that we decline to consider failed with 24 for and 95 opposed. After discussion the motion failed with 27 for and 98 opposed. This issue is one that the Report and Charter committee will be looking at.

After a short break we began farewells by rotating delegates. It was awesome hearing their remarks and the emotion that goes along with it. After some brief closing remarks from Ward Ewing the 61^st General Service Conference adjourned at 9:00 p.m. and closed with the Serenity Prayer recited in French, Spanish and in English.

I went for dinner with delegates from several areas and continue to marvel at how many people were just going out for dinner at that time of the evening. Saturday morning we had a closing Brunch at 8:00 a.m. followed with Farewell talks by rotating trustees, Conley B., Dorothy H., John K., and Jo-Anne L. After other farewells and final announcements (it was announced that Eva S. would be the new conference coordinator replacing the rotating Adriene B.)

I had hoped to return home on Saturday afternoon but the airline wanted me to fly to Milwaukee via Denver. The idea of spending an additional 4 hours in the air plus transfer time had me decide to stay until Sunday when I could take a non-stop flight. I had a whirlwind afternoon and evening in New York with some other delegates and an uneventful flight home.

This was an wonderful experience and I thank you for the opportunity to serve as your delegate.

Nancy H., Area 75 Delegate, Panel 61

If you would like more information on any item or the conference in general please email me. delegate@area75.org

East Central Regional Trustee Report –Pam R.

No written report.

CONFERENCE ADVISORY COMMITTEE CHAIR – Bob S.

Conference bids can be taken at any time for the 2014 conference. We are looking for a district or group to host a conference.

CPC—Brent W.

No written report.

Corrections Chair—Ken N.

Area 75 Spring Conference 2011 Corrections Committee Meeting

 

Ken N, Area 75 Corrections Chair opened the meeting with the Serenity Prayer.

There were nine persons present from several different districts.

 

Ken began with addressing the confusion that has resulted from the combining of the Rainbow Fund and the Count on Us Fund that are now combined and called the Area 75 Corrections Literature Fund.  If anyone has further questions they may call Ken at 262-721-5451. 

 

Ken also distributed a flyer for the Annual Wisconsin/Upper Peninsula Corrections Conference to be held June 18 in Shawano.  Contact is Terry W, Tel: 715-526-6758 or 715-584-8252.

 

Ken made available two forms for prospective correspondents and for inmates requesting a contact with whom to correspond prior to release with the goal of getting to a meeting on the day of release and follow up for further meetings.  There is a need for both male and female correspondents.

The need to follow through on any referral accepted was stressed. 

 

Les, former chair from the Fond du Lac area, reported on preparing a map of the area to depict location of correctional facilities/programs by district. 

 

Doreen of District 20 described efforts in the Madison area and need for more volunteers. 

 

Chris of the Kettle Moraine area shared his work as contact person for Kettle Moraine Correctional Institute which has the maximum allowed group of 30 inmates with a wait list of other inmates interested in attending. 

 

Skip of the Milwaukee area reported on several efforts in the Milwaukee area but the need for far more volunteers and particularly of minority volunteers.  There was discussion on need to continue outreach to recruit minority volunteers. 

 

The Racine district representative updated group on his work at three different facilities and need for more volunteers. 

 

Committee was reminded that any volunteer for corresponding may use the Area 75 Corrections mailbox if they have concerns regarding their home address. 

 

Ken led the group in closing with the Responsibility Statement. 

PI Chair—Barb W.

No written report.

Special Needs Chair—Thomas D.

No written report.

Treatment Chair—Lori S.

Report on the treatment committee meeting at the Spring Conference Assembly, six people in attendance.

Five new meeting have been started in treatment facilities in District 15 over the past year, but there are rules that AA members must follow at each facility.

Questions have been raised about AA (treatment) going into mental health facilities.

Detox facilities in District 20 have meetings five days a week.

District 20 is supplying literature in detox and VA facilities in their district.

District 15 has updated meeting lists. They also have ten facilities asking for literature.

Taking meetings to outpatient facilities (if they are interested) was discussed.

We are looking for a statewide list of treatment facilities broken down by city.

Copies of the pamphlet “What AA does and doesn’t Do” should be distributed to all facilities.

Grapevine Chair—Stu E.

The Area 75 Grapevine Committee met, as usual, in the afternoon following the Area 75 Spring Conference Assembly. We met jointly with the Area 75 Literature Committee. The committee meeting was well attended and we discussed new Grapevine/LaVina items which were shared in the Area 75 Delegate's Report on the 61st General Service Conference. I also contributed my own impressions of the new Grapevine website which can be found at www.aagrapevine.org .

Committee members then went 'round the table, sharing their own experiences as Grapevine/LaVina Reps and Grapevine District Chairs. No LaVina District Chairs were present. One project we took on together was deciding on the wording for the Area 75 Grapevine Committee page of the Area 75 website. (Since that committee meeting, I smoothed the committee contributions into what I hope is its final form and forwarded same for posting.--added May 28, 2011.)

There does not seem to be any progress in the matter of a combined Grapevine/AAWS literature and product catalog, which some members of this area had hoped to see. After a number of discussions with members of the 2010 Grapevine Board, with our G.S.O. Publications Director, and with the current Chair of AAWS, the obstacles of separate printing contracts for AAWS and for Grapevine's non-magazine items and of separate contracts for fulfillment of orders just make the goal not achievable at this time. Like others, I hope to see a time when this comes to be, but the time does not appear to be today.

As our Delegate related in her report, there are some exciting new digital offerings from the A.A. Grapevine! I plan to check out the electronic bundle package soon. My understanding is that it is deliverable to a variety of digital platforms. To make sure you can use it on your own choice of platform, I would heartily recommend the 7-Day FREE Trial Subscription Offer. I plan to take advantage of that myself as soon as I am home for a few consecutive days in order to really try it out. And don't forget the Grapevine's and LaVina's other non-magazine items. There is a new, complete catalog on the Grapevine website.

Note that there will be a slight price increase for subscriptions on July 1st.

One other matter I hope to resolve soon is that of the Area 75 Grapevine display. I have been trying to get some materials to focus attention on the Grapevine's current products, including the new digital products and the website. I knew back in March that the digital bundle would be announced at the 61st GSC. It just seemed to make little sense to spend your treasury dollars on updating the display before those materials became available. Display boards are not cheap, and I felt your money would have been wasted.

The Area 75 Grapevine Committee will next meet at 9:00 a.m. on June 26th at the Area 75 Summer Service Assembly (Madison Senior Center, Madison, WI). All Grapevine/LaVina Reps, District Gv Chairs, and other interested members are urged to attend. See you there!

Yours in Recovery & Service,

Stu E.

Area 75 Grapevine Chair

Alternate Delegate/Literature Chair—Todd U.

No written report.

Coffee Volunteers for Summer Service Assembly:

Districts 28 & 29

The meeting closed with the Responsibility Declaration:

“When anyone, anywhere reaches out, I want the hand of A.A. always to be there, and for that; I am responsible!”

Reminders

Upcoming dates

06/26/11 - Summer Service Meeting at the Madison Senior Center

7/22/11 – 7/24/11 East Central Regional Conference in Columbus, Indiana

10/16/11 - Fall Service Assembly at the Madison Senior Center

11/11/11 - 11/13/11 – East Central Regional Forum in Miamisburg, Ohio