2003 General Service Conference Committees Agenda Items

Agenda

1. Review suggestions for the theme of the 2004 General Service Conference.

2. Discuss presentation/discussion topic ideas for the 2004 General Service Conference.

3. Discuss workshop topic ideas for the 2004 General Service Conference.

4. Review the General Service Conference Evaluation Form.

Cooperation With the Professional Community

1. Review report from trustees’ Cooperation With the Professional Community/Treatment Facilities Committee regarding new C.P.C. displays.

2. Consider proposed changes to “singleness of purpose” statement in six C.P.C. pamphlets.

3. C.P.C. Kit and Workbook.

a. Consider 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.

b. Review contents of Kit and Workbook.

4. Discuss ways of reaching a wider variety of professionals.

Correctional Facilities

1. Correctional Facilities Kit and Workbook.

a. Review progress report of the trustees’ Committee on Correctional Facilities on request to combine the Correctional Facilities Kit and Workbook in a single three-ring binder.

b. Consider request that changes in the Workbook be reported annually to the Conference Committee, and be distributed as background material. The Workbook will continue to be reviewed annually by the Conference Committee.

c. Review contents of Kit and Workbook.

2. Review draft statement of purpose developed by the trustees’ Committee on Correctional Facilities for inclusion in the Correctional Facilities Workbook/Kit.

3. Review draft statement on A.A.’s singleness of purpose for inclusion in the Correctional Facilities Workbook/Kit, as forwarded by the trustees’ Committee on Correctional Facilities.

4. Review request to revise the booklet A.A. in Prison: Inmate to Inmate to add/replace stories to better reflect current experience.

5. Consider request that a pamphlet about “bridging the gap between prisons and A.A.” be published to encourage A.A. contact for newly-released members.

Finance

1. Discuss Self-support.

2. Review reporting of International Convention activities.

3. Review draft of new service material: a “Simplified Description of the Reserve Fund."

Grapevine

1. Consider the suggestion to add the phrase “and encouraging subscriptions” to the description of the Grapevine representative on page 9 of the pamphlet “The A.A. Grapevine: Our Meeting in Print” so that it reads as follows:

“The GvR’s basic job is to work at the group level, providing members with information about the Grapevine and the various services it offers, making sure copies of the magazine are available and displayed at meetings, announcing features of interest in each issue, and encouraging subscriptions.”

2. Discuss suggestions for new A.A. Grapevine items for production in the year 2004 or later.

Literature

1. Discuss report from trustees’ Literature Committee on adding a statement to the Foreword of Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions explaining the historical context of Bill W.’s writings.

2. Review the updated draft manuscript of the “A.A. and the Armed Services” pamphlet.

3. Consider updated text revision suggested for “The A.A. Grapevine” section of “Your A.A. General Service Office” pamphlet.

4. Consider deleting the phrase, “not even your parents,” from the second sentence in the sixth panel of the story “Vinnie” in the pamphlet “Too Young.”

5. “The A.A. Group” pamphlet

a. Consider the following suggested changes:

1. On page 23, in the section “What trusted servants (officers) do we need?”, replace the word “jobs” in the first sentence of the first paragraph with the word “service” and the word “jobs” in the first sentence of the third paragraph with “service positions.”

2. The sentence “See the chart of suggested group officers,” which introduces the Group Service Structure Chart on page 24, be replaced by the sentence “The chart below offers possibilities for service at the group level.”

3. The sentence “Some groups have positions that do not appear on this chart such as greeter, archivist, special needs representative and liaison to meeting facility” be added immediately after the chart on page 24.

4. The reference to the “Archives Representative” be deleted in the Group Service Structure Chart on page 24.

b. Discuss the trustees’ Literature Committee’s request for input and direction from the 2003 Conference Literature Committee and the Fellowship regarding the possibility of a future comprehensive review of “The A.A. Group” pamphlet by the trustees’ Literature Committee.

c. Discuss the Grapevine’s request to add La Viña information to “The A.A. Group” pamphlet.

6. Consider revisions suggested by the trustees’ Literature Committee to the comic book pamphlet “What Happened to Joe…” which include updated text and illustrations to reflect contemporary language, clothing, hair styles and add ethnic and age diversity.

7. Consider the trustees’ Literature Committee’s suggestion that the pamphlet “It Happened to Alice!” be replaced by a new women’s comic book pamphlet which would have current language, updated illustrations and a new/contemporary storyline. This pamphlet would be designed as a companion piece to the updated “What Happened to Joe…” The concept for this pamphlet would be based on a single working mother who is involved in a D.U.I. (Driving Under the Influence) incident followed by introduction to A.A.

8. Consider requests for a new edition of the Spanish-language Big Book.

9. Consider the A.A. World Services Board’s request “that its intent to place the Fourth Edition of the Big Book on the G.S.O. Web site be placed on the Agenda of the 53rd General Service Conference for discussion by the Conference and/or action as appropriate.”

10. Consider the request to edit the following Fourth Edition stories to restore their Third Edition Big Book punctuation and story sentence content: “The Housewife Who Drank At Home,” “Me An Alcoholic?,” “Another Chance,” “Freedom From Bondage” and “Dr. Bob’s Nightmare.”

Policy/Admissions

1. Discussion Topics:

a. Review dates for the 2006 General Service Conference.

b. Discuss request to form a secondary General Service Conference Committee to review all aspects of G.S.O. Internet usage and make recommendations for additions, changes and/or improvements.

c. Discuss request to establish an ad hoc committee of trustees, delegates and staff to outline the means and criteria for examining materials submitted for Conference approval.

2. Discuss request to form a Conference Committee on Special Needs.

Public Information

1. Public Service Announcements (P.S.A.s).

a. Consider approving the proposed television P.S.A. developed by the trustees’ Public Information Committee.

b. Review information on centralized distribution, tracking and evaluation of current P.S.A., “Reach Out.”

c. Consider centralized distribution, tracking and evaluation of the proposed P.S.A., at a cost not to exceed $30,000, in addition to the work of local P.I. committees.

2. Consider request that the responsibility for G.S.O.’s A.A. Web site be shifted from the A.A.W.S., Inc. Board of Directors to the trustees' and Conference Public Information Committees.

3. Consider and approve 2004 Alcoholics Anonymous Membership Survey Questionnaire.

4. Public Information Kit and Workbook.

a. Consider 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.

b. Review contents of Public Information Kit and Workbook.

5. Discuss Web sites as a Public Information tool.

Report and Charter

1. Review The A.A. Service Manual, 2002-2003 Edition.

a. Consider suggestion to change the first sentence of the third bullet under “Delegates Duties” on page S44 to read: “Be prepared to attend all area service meetings and assemblies plus all regional service meetings and assemblies respective to his/her area.

b. Consider suggestion to add the following two new bullet points under the section titled “Duties” in Chapter Two: The Group and Its G.S.R. on page S24:

• G.S.R.s attend district meetings
• They also attend area assemblies

c. Consider suggestion to add the words “and a sponsor” to the sentence of the second bullet under the section titled “Qualifications” in Chapter Two: The Group and Its G.S.R. on page S24 to read: “Usually, prospective G.S.R.s have at least two years of continuous sobriety and a sponsor.”

d. Consider that Chapter Two: The Group and Its G.S.R. on page S23 be returned to the text on pages S45-49 in the 1991-1992 Edition of The A.A. Service Manual that includes the sections “How Elected,“ “What is an A.A. Group?” “How the A.A. Group Fits into the Structure of the Fellowship,” “The A.A. Group – the Final Voice of the Fellowship,” “Why Do We Need Service Entities Other Than the A.A. Group?” “How Much Organization Should an A.A. Group Have?” and “The Home Group.”

e. Consider the suggestion to add the words “to reprint the Steps, Traditions, and/or the Concepts, and” to the first sentence in paragraph three under the section “Area Newsletters or Bulletins” on Page S37 so that the sentence reads:

“Local A.A. publications are permitted to reprint the Steps, Traditions, and/or the Concepts, and to quote a phrase, sentence or brief paragraph excerpted from A.A. literature such as the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous, the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, The A.A. Service Manual and Conference-approved pamphlets without a prior, written request to do so.”

f. Review updated chart of the A.A. Grapevine, Inc. to replace the chart on page S80 and other editorial updates to include language on the Grapevine Representative (GvR), La Viña Representative (LvR) and La Viña.

g. Consider the request that the trustees conduct an audit of all reported Conference Advisory Actions to ensure that they have been and will be reported accurately.

2. Discuss A.A. Directories.

a. Discuss the purpose and usefulness of the Eastern and Western United States, and Canada A.A. Directories.

b. Review the International A.A. Directory.

3. Discuss General Service Conference Final Report.

Treatment Facilities

1. Treatment Facilities Kit and Workbook

a. Review progress report to Conference Committee on Treatment Facilities on combining Kit and Workbook in a single binder.

b. If the Treatment Facilities Workbook (soft-cover) and Kit are combined, consider continuing to publish the workbook as a separate item.

c. Consider 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.

2. Review contents of Treatment Facilities Kit and Workbook.

Trustees

1. Review resumes of candidates for regional trustees and trustee-at-large:

a) Northeast Regional Trustee
b) Southwest Regional Trustee
c) Trustee-at-Large/Canada

2. Review slates of trustees and officers of General Service Board.

3. Review slates of directors of A.A. World Services and Grapevine Corporate Boards.

4. Review a request that the Conference examine the role and responsibilities of regional trustees, and develop a means for their selection to provide substantially more input from the areas within a given region.

Archives

1. Review contents of Archives Workbook.

International Conventions/Regional Forums

1. Discuss inviting non-A.A. speakers to participate in the 2005 International Convention at A.A.’s expense with the number not to exceed twenty-one (21) speakers.

2. Discuss selection of three (3) cities to be considered as a site for the International Convention in 2015.

3. Discuss data collecting of personal information of A.A. members who attend Conventions.

4. Discuss ways to improve and encourage interest in Regional and Special Forums.

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