Chair Report - December 2002

Hello from your Area Chair,

Or should I be saying good-bye. Parting is such sweet sorrow. Actually, it’s not really good-bye, I will still be around. I want to once again say what an immense pleasure it has been to have served you for these past two years and the years prior to that. I am looking forward to having a break as it will give me an opportunity to develop some relationships that I have been neglecting with family, friends and the guys that I sponsor.

It has been a wonderful two years and I have had great support from the other officers and all the committee chairs. Without them, I could not have done my job and they made it easy. We saw great things happen in Corrections with the correspondence program, the Pink Can Plan and their phenomenal workshops. With Heather at the helm of the Remote Communities committee for another two years, I know we are going to see some amazing things start to happen. I want to thank Paul & Robert and their committee for all their hard work in Treatment Facilities. And I know that Steve and Kay will carry their enthusiasm for service into the Newsletter Committee that they had for Group Records. My hat is off to Jim and the Web- Site Committee for all the progress they made in the last two years. Thanks to Sonja and Kris for lugging our displays all over Southern MN. and increasing sales of Literature and Grapevines in Minnesota for another two years. Michael did a great job in getting more A.A.I. talks out to the still-suffering alcoholics as well as increasing our databases to reach more facilities all over the state, and working with Keith to see that our P.I. booth got to even more venues this rotation. Grateful I am to Niles and Patty for making our newsletter a more interesting piece of literature to read and all their patience, love and tolerance in waiting for me to get my articles in. I am looking forward to seeing what Archives will accomplish with their new archive software in the next rotation.

Most of all I am grateful to the groups for your continued support of our twelve step efforts that maintained us within 5% of budgeted group contributions and continued to make it possible for us to explore new ways to help the still-suffering alcoholic. I know that you will be well served in the next two years by the new slate of Officers and Area Standing Committee Chairs whom I have had the pleasure of serving with the past few rotations. Looking forward to seeing you all at the Area Service Conference in January down in Owatonna.

Yours in Love and Service,
Andy D.
Area 36 Chairperson
2001-2002