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Full Text: Keynote
Opening Session
The conference officially began at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 27, 2003 with a welcome from our chair of the General Service Board, Elaine McDowell. Greg M., the manager of the General Service Office, taking roll call, followed this. The first order of business was to seat the Alternate Delegate from Area 74, Northern Wisconsin, replacing their Delegate who was unable to attend. We then approved two members from the General Service Office in Great Britain to attend meetings throughout the week and observe our conference.
Linda Chezem, a Class A, non-alcoholic, Trustee gave the keynote address. She talked about planting firmly in our minds our Conference theme, "Living A.A.'s Principles Through Sponsorship", which can serve as a bright star to guide us as we each work on the responsibilities and decisions entrusted to us. She took each word of the theme and expounded on what it meant to her. She closed by saying; "Sponsorship can help carry the principles of A.A. around the world. It can be individual or it can be as big as country to country. This week we will have the opportunity to understand how grand sponsorship is in Alcoholics Anonymous. And we will have the opportunity to pass it on. I wish each of you a wonderful conference. Now, let us get to work."
Opening Dinner and A.A. Meeting
Sunday evening I attended, at the invitation of the Trustees of the General Service Board, an opening dinner followed by an A.A. meeting. Several past GSO staff were in attendance as well as Trustees Emeriti. An open A.A. meeting followed the dinner with five A.A. speakers, Denis V., Delegate, SW Quebec; Patty T., Delegate, South Carolina; Julio E. , G.S.O. Staff; Jane S., A.A.W.S. Director; and Dorothy M., Trustee from the East Central Region.