Chairperson's Report - August 2002

Hello Southern Minnesota! It seems hard to believe that elections are coming up in less than two months. I feel like I just got started, thereby proving the old adage that you rotate out just when you’ve gotten the hang of it. With the elections coming up, I need a little help from all of you. Part of the Area Chairperson’s responsibility is to appoint Area Standing Committee Chairs to serve through the rotation. The new Area Chairperson who is elected on October 26th will need to have these new Standing Committee Chairs selected by the following Area Committee meeting in December. I would like to be able to give the new Chairperson a list of solid candidates on the day of the elections. So, if ANYONE has suggestions on who would serve well (or if you would like to volunteer yourself), please call or e-mail me prior to the October Assy. Thanks.

We have a very exciting agenda, which you will find elsewhere in this publication, for our upcoming assembly. It is packed full with your wonderful suggestions from the last committee meeting. We will need to work hard to fit it all in and keep our reporting concise and to the point. We will be reviewing the proposed budget and voting on it (unless there are amendments). We saw no need to increase group contributions this year, even though we will have increased travel due to the Regional Forum in Minot, N.D. We were able to trim some of the committee’s budgets, because experience has shown us that they are not using all of it. Archive’s budget was increased to allow for the increased expense of housing the Archives in St. Louis Park. We were able to offset that by analyzing our expected variances for travel over the last six years and project an amount much closer to what history has shown us we are spending. Please be sure to review the Proposed 2003 Budget in this issue of the Pigeon and discuss it with your groups. If you have questions before the Assembly, please feel free to contact me.

We will also be voting on the Finance Committee’s motion from the May committee meeting and is shown on the Agenda. We are also hoping to have the Archive’s video: Markings on the Journey, to show that day along with the new P.S.A. from P.I. Treatment Facilities is going to be doing a skit for us on the Temporary Contact Desk (I’ve seen it and it’s a hoot). We will also try to get in as many reports as time allows during the election process. Dennis B. will be conducting the election with the assistance of Keith I. and his crew. Please keep in mind the importance of choosing Trusted Servants who will serve YOU well.

I think that is all I have. I hope to see everybody at the Area Inventory at the Hennepin Vo-Tech in Eden Prairie on September 7th. Tom A., past delegate from Northern Area 35, will be taking our inventory I mean conducting our inventory so it should be an enlightening experience. As always, it is my pleasure to serve.

Yours in Love and Service,
Andy D.
Area 36 Chairperson