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Full Text: AAWS Report | General Service Board Report | Grapevine Board Report
General Service Board Report: Elaine McDowell, (Class A Trustee) Chair
Elaine reported that through your support, opportunities were provided to bring the A.A. message into communities where alcoholics were without hope. The general manager of G.S.O., Greg M. and Bill A., the International desk coordinator at the office, traveled to many countries sharing the depth of collected experience of our office. Their travels took them to Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cambodia, China, Cuba, the Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Mexico, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Slovakia, Slovene, Spain, Thailand, and Turkey.
In November of last year, Elaine and Bill A. traveled to a country in central Africa, Cameroon. They were invited to participate in helping to develop the A.A. service structure in that country, and witnessed the historic moment when the first Cameroon A.A. General Service Board was formed.
Elaine closed her remarks by saying, "We often refer to numbers, such as A.A. being in more than 150 countries; A.A. literature is translated into 69 languages, etc. Those are matters for our heads to ponder, but you and I know that A.A. is about the language of the heart."
Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. (A.A.W.S.) Board Report: John K., Chair
John reported that the A.A.W.S. Board met seven times since the last conference to receive G.S.O. management and staff reports; review group services activity and progress on implementation of Conference and board recommendations; review financial reports; price new or revised publications ; review publishing operations and matters of G.S.O. administration; consider requests from A.A. members and non-A.A.s for permission to reprint A.A.-copyrighted literature; and address other matters as they arose.
Some statistical information: During 2002, a total of 1,388 new groups were registered with G.S.O. G.S.O. welcomed 1,700 visitors during 2002 compared to 1,624 in 2001. Last year 16,000 soft-cover copies of the Third Edition Big Book were made available to correctional and treatment facilities, at a cost of $20.00 per case (20 books per case).
Since the last conference, A.A.W.S. directors and G.S.O. staff participated in the following Regional and Special Forums. Regional Forums: Western Canada Region in Regina, Saskatchewan; Pacific Region in Phoenix, Arizona; Eastern Canada Region in Fredericton, New Brunswick; and the Southeast Region in Huntsville, Alabama. Special Forums: Special Forum in Chicoutimi , Quebec and Special Hispanic Forum in Bakersfield, California.
Grapevine Board Report: Gregory T., Chair
For the past year, on an experimental basis, the board chairman, appointed several ad hoc committees to facilitate the Grapevine Board's ability to conduct its important business for the Fellowship. These committees include : the Customer Service Committee, the La Vina Committee, Digital accessibility and Preservation Committee, the Finance Committee, and a special committee devoted to the continuing discussion of the Grapevine Board's structure and composition.
Average monthly circulation for The Grapevine for the year was 115,573. The Grapevine's loss on operations was $9,529 for the year 2002. Total Grapevine expenses were $1,486,533, and total income, including cash flow and interest from the Reserve Fund, was $1,477,003, which resulted in the net loss of $9,529.
The average monthly circulation of the six bimonthly La Vina issues was 8,999, just one copy shy of the budgeted 9,000! Overall results show a net loss of $103,815, compared to a budgeted loss of $114,777.
Goals for the Grapevine include:
A special stitched edition of the Grapevine will be coming out in July for distribution in Correctional Facilities.
Later this year the Grapevine will enter its 60th year of continuous monthly publications as a service and tool of recovery for members of Alcoholics Anonymous.