Conference C. P. C. Committee
1. Recommendation: The committee unanimously recommended that the "Singleness of Purpose" statement in six designated C.P.C. pamphlets ("Alcoholics Anonymous in Your Community", "Is There an Alcoholic in the Workplace?", "A.A. as a Resource for the Health Care Professional ", "How A.A. members Cooperate with Professionals", "If You are a Professional", and "Members of the Clergy Ask about Alcoholics Anonymous") be changed to read:
"Some professionals refer to alcoholism and drug addiction as 'substance abuse' or 'chemical dependency'. Non-alcoholics are, therefore, sometimes introduced to A.A. and encouraged to attend A.A. meetings. Anyone may attend open A.A. meetings, but only those with a drinking problem may attend closed meetings".
Discussion: The question was
asked of the committee why they changed the original proposal which
read: "Professionals may refer to alcoholism and drug addiction as
'substance abuse' or 'chemical dependency.' Alcoholics and
non-alcoholics are, therefore, sometimes introduced to A.A. and
encouraged to attend A.A. meetings. Anyone may attend open A.A.
meetings. But only those with a drinking problem may attend closed
meetings or become A.A. members. People with problems other than
alcoholism are eligible for A.A. membership only if they have a desire
to stop drinking."
ANSWER - Many of us did not have a desire to stop drinking until we came into the rooms of A.A. This pamphlet goes to professionals, it is not a recovery pamphlet focused to the alcoholic. That is why we removed "the desire to stop drinking" which was in the original request. The professional can not determine whether the person has a desire to stop drinking. The A.A. Preamble is in the beginning of the pamphlet and explains the only requirement for membership in A.A. is a desire to stop drinking.
There was an additional comment from the floor that perhaps we (the fellowship) should step back and look at all our pamphlets and come up with one statement for singleness of purpose. It was then pointed out that our singleness of purpose is to carry the message to the alcoholic who still suffers, and the A.A. preamble in the front of every pamphlet states this.
The recommendation was approved (
approved means that two-thirds of the Conference voted to approve the
recommendation, and there were some (10) who voted in opposition). There was
a motion to reconsider, but it failed for a lack of a majority.
NOTE: The committee accepted a friendly
amendment to the original recommendation adding "Some" in front of
professionals, deleting the word "often" after professionals,
deleting the words "alcoholics and" in front of "non-alcoholics",
and combining the last two sentences into one, putting a comma before
"but" instead of a period.
2. Recommendation: In the process of reviewing the C.P.C. Workbook and Kit, the committee recommended three changes to the pamphlet "How A.A. Members Cooperate with Professionals" (P-29):
- The sentence on page 14, Number 2, item F, which reads "G.S.O. staff members also have assignments in those fields", be changed to read: "G.S.O. staff members also have rotating assignments in those fields;"
- The sentence on page 15, Number 5, which reads: "If asked, individual members may recommend someone-but with the clear understanding that the reference is strictly personal, not made in behalf of A.A.," be changed to read: "If asked, individual members may recommend someone-but with the clear understanding that the reference is strictly personal, not made on behalf of A.A.;"
- The sentence on page 21, Number 19, first paragraph, which reads: "There is no formal relationship at all, any more than there is a structural or official relationship between A.A. and any church, temple, ethical, or humanist or agnostic society, or medication centers that a member may attend", be changed to read "There is no formal relationship at all, any more than there is a structural or official relationship between A.A. and any church, temple, ethical or humanist or agnostic society, or meditation centers that a member may attend".
The recommendation was overwhelmingly approved
(overwhelmingly means that more than 2/3 of the Conference voted to approve
the recommendation, and there were very few (4) who voted in opposition).
ADDITIONAL COMMITTEE CONSIDERATIONS
1. The committee reviewed the report from the trustees' Cooperation With the Professional Community/Treatment Facilities Committee regarding new C.P.C. displays, and thanked the trustees' committee and the Publications Department for developing new table-top displays for A.A. exhibits at national professional conferences.
The committee requested that the trustees Committee on Cooperation With the Professional Community/Treatment Facilities consider providing delegate areas with equal opportunities to obtain the current C.P.C. displays, once the new displays are available. Note: This idea was generated from our area.
2. The committee considered the request that the Workbook (service material) be reviewed annually by the Conference Committee; that changes to the workbook be approved by the Trustees' Committee; that any changes to the workbook be reported annually to the Conference Committee, and distributed as background material, and reaffirmed the sense of the 1999 C.P.C. committee that "…as service material the Kit and Workbook could be updated as often as shared experience indicates, with the understanding that the Kit and Workbook are reviewed annually by the Conference Committee."
3. The committee discussed ways of reaching a wider variety of professionals, and suggested that we:
- continue to reach out to nursing and medical schools;
- consider assigning an A.A. "sponsor" to professionals or students who come to A.A. meetings, sitting with then and helping them understand the meeting as it progresses;
- make more frequent use of "Information on Alcoholics Anonymous,"
- carry the message through calls or personal contacts to professionals, in addition to mailings;
- cooperate with other service committees to reach professionals in all fileds
4. The committee requested that the trustees Committee on Cooperation With the Professional Community/Treatment Facilities reconsider development of a Conference-approved pamphlet similar to the local flyers entitled "So the Court Sent You to A.A. and You Hate the Idea," and that the committee's secretary seek wider input from the delegate areas on the need for such a pamphlet.
5. The committee requested that the secretary convey their concerns regarding certain editorial corrections to the pamphlet "Speaking at Non-A.A. Meetings" to the secretary to the Trustees' and Conference Public Information Committees.