Delegate's Report - May 2002

As our winter months begin to welcome spring, I am reminded of emerging from the chill of alcoholism into the warmth of sobriety in A.A. Our Third Legacy of Service serves as a lifeline to preserve the hand of A.A. for future generations. Concept One states, “The A.A. groups today hold ultimate responsibility and final authority for our world services – those special elements of over-all service activity which make it possible for our Society to function as a whole.” This introduction pinpoints the purpose for our April General Service Conference: to hear the voice of a loving God expressed through the group conscience of A.A.s throughout the United States and Canada. Look for copies of the Conference Final Agenda at your District meeting in March. You can make your group conscience heard regarding the agenda items, and much more, at the Delegate’s Workshop to be held April 13th at 411 Main in St. Paul. Your voice is important!

Interested in the results of applying A.A. principals to the Conference Agenda Items, and much more? Check out the Final Conference Report, which is published in June. Share the experience, strength and hope of members throughout the U.S. and Canada, as well as a summary of the issues and opportunities facing A.A. as a whole. Copies of the Final Conference Report are available through your General Service District meeting. 

The General Service Office ended 2001 with approximately $8,822,000 in service-related expenses, and received Seventh Tradition contributions/revenue totaling $9,602,000. Southern Minnesota’s commitment to carry the message can be seen in a 3.9% increase in the number of groups contributing to our General Service Office. 

Copies of the fourth edition of the Big Book continue to sell quickly. Demand for the fourth edition will approach the million-copy mark with the delivery of a third printing early this year. Look for a future publication featuring 56 stories no longer printed in the first, second and third editions of Alcoholics Anonymous. 

Unfortunately, the Grapevine experienced an $87,277 shortfall due to a decline in subscriptions. Apparently, people are generally reading less these days. One way to support our Meeting in Print is to provide subscriptions for the Grapevine and/or LaVina to a treatment or correctional facility – what a great way to carry the message as a group!

Was your participation at the 2000 International Convention in Minneapolis a spiritual experience? Translate that experience into words, and you might come up with the theme for our 2005 International to be held in Toronto, Canada. The Trustees International Conventions Committee would like to hear your ideas by July 1, 2002. Members can check out www.canada-seattle.org/crim.htm to find border-crossing information for Canada. Finally, please mark your calendars for the 2010 International Convention now slated for San Antonio, Texas. 

Over 270 Spanish-speaking A.A.s met for a Special Hispanic Forum held December 7-9, 2001, in Austin, Texas. Areas with large Hispanic populations have begun utilizing translation equipment at their assemblies to make General Service participation accessible to Spanish-speaking members. At the 2001 General Service Conference, a teary-eyed Delegate commented, “We’re not a remote community any more – we’re part of A.A.’s Third Legacy of Service.” 

As a result of the tragic events on September 11, GSO received a deluge of public information requests. Media outlets such as Time, Newsweek, and the New York Times asked whether A.A.s might hit the bottle due to viewing traumatic television coverage, did we have an influx of newcomers, as well as A.A.’s opinion regarding the disaster. These inquiries opened a door of opportunity to inform the media about the Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous. 

A.A. members involved in the World Trade Center rescue and relief efforts must have had the words of our Big Book in mind, “Keep on the firing line of life with these motives and God will keep you unharmed” (Alcoholics Anonymous, p.102). Several days after the destruction of the Twin Towers, G.S.O. was contacted by the Red Cross, who relayed that meetings at the disaster site would helpful for A.A.s working virtually around the clock. Members of the Southeast New York Cooperation with the Professional Community responded by establishing two meetings on either side of the collapse “pile”, to make sure that the hand of A.A. was there when someone reached out for help.

Again, it has been a tremendous blessing to participate as your Delegate. Thank you for the opportunity to serve!

Yours in Love and Service,
Christine C.