MSCA 09 Rocks!
- Due to Foro in July, this is my first delegate’s share since June, covering both July and August.
- I present my 22nd report-back to District #09 on 6/20 and my 23rd and final presentation to District #18 on 7/13, both on Zoom. I’ve attended nine District business meetings, including #04 on 7/7, #05 on 7/8 (hybrid), #09 and #19 on 7/18, #08 on 7/21, #06 on 8/3, #04 and #10 on 8/4, and #12 on 8/5.
- We have asked the General Service Office for 700 copies of the Final Conference Report, including 350 copies in English and Spanish, which we expect at the end of August. On 9/2, I’m scheduled to attend District 12’s business meeting so I can introduce the members to the Final Conference Reports. DCMCs and DCMs, please schedule similar visits, either in-person or on Zoom, to share these reports.
- On 6/20 and 7/18, I attend the Area Board meeting in Riverside with all six officers.
- On 6/28, I attend the very first meeting of the new Remote Communities Committee, where Ariel R is elected as the interim Chair for the new committee. I was also there on 7/26 when the Chair, Alternate Chair, and Secretary were elected and confirmed by the members in attendance. On 6/30, I attend the meeting of the new Technologies Committee where Justin V is serving as interim Chair, talking about hybrid Area meetings in September and at October elections, which Kathi F plans to attend to oversee our elections. I was also there on 7/21, where Matthew L was elected as secretary. Congratulations to all our new Standing Committee officers! On 7/11, I attend the FORO with about 35 Area members.
- On 6/15, I get a request from GSO that we submit a nominee for the next Pacific Region Trustee, which is due to be submitted by 1/1/2022. On 6/30, I send an email to past delegates Jesus O, Joe C, Jeryl T, Linda C, Joe B, Al P, and Dyanne G asking them if any wants to be considered as a candidate for nominee for Pacific Region Trustee, which will be voted on in April 2022 at the 72nd Conference. Nominations are not limited to past delegates, so we have been widely distributing this information, including on 7/4, when the announcement was posted on the website (see “GSO Announcements”), and eblasted to all Area 09 members on 7/9. As of 8/8, only Jeryl T has indicated an interest in standing for this nomination. We plan to formally choose our Area 09 candidate at the September Assembly, using 3rd Legacy if there are more than two candidates.
- On 8/2, I receive a version of our logo without reference to Panel 70 or the years, as follows, and ask the Board about their thoughts to replace the 2020 version with this generic one:
Activities within the Pacific Region
- On 6/15 and again on 7/8, I Zoom with Pacific Region delegates as post-Conference discussions, where I learn we are on track to have similar contributions as in 2020 and $4.2 million in literature sales, which is 54% of the annual forecast budget for 2021.
- On 6/16, receive a memo from PRAASA 2022 Chair, Madeleine P, asking that we begin to look for a diverse body of volunteers to participate in the Portland, Oregon event March 4-6, 2022. This memo has been eblasted, posted on the website, and comprises my 6/19 delegate’s bulletin board post. During the La Viña celebration, Erica B, whose primary language is Spanish, agrees to represent Area 09 at PRAASA as our one panelist.
- On 7/23-25, Jose A and I attend the 25th annual La Viña celebration in Phoenix, AZ, where I took 101 copies of women pioneers in AA, which were sold out within two hours. As a result of this celebration, 1,225 new subscriptions of La Viña were sold. The only cost to the Area for my participation was $30 to pay for the recordings of the three-day celebration, which I soon hope to post on the website.
- On 7/31, I attended the 4-Area (05, 08, 09, 93) District Committee Member (DCM) Sharing Session, with 77 members in attendance addressing (1) “How do AAs go to any lengths to Recover, Unify and Serve?” (2) “Going beyond fear.” And (3) How to reach anyone anywhere? The questions and audio recordings of this event are available on District 04’s website (longbeachaa.org). My favorite quote was from Rule 62 Ron E: “If your group does not have a GSR, it is a Remote Community.”
All Things Conference-Related
- On 6/19, I reach out to GSO to begin process of submitting a proposed Agenda Item from a Hispanic member of Grupo Que Somos Hoy asking that the Conference consider publishing future Service Manuals as a CD or in another pertinent audio format. I will be submitting this before the deadline of September 15. If there are any other proposed Agenda Items that you want the Area to submit, please contact me, or you can submit them directly.
- On 7/8, I learn from Pacific Region trustee, Kathi F, that the changes determined during the Conference (e.g., long for of Traditions added to essays) will be in the next printing of the soft cover Twelve and Twelve sometime in August (they were anticipated in late July), that the Service Manual will not likely be distributed until November (and cannot be preordered), and Our Great Responsibility will be available in eBook format in September.
- We know that the revised Preamble (“…fellowship of men and women” to “…fellowship of people”) appeared in the July versions of Grapevine and La Viña. On 7/14, Chris C was introduced as the Acting Publisher of Grapevine (he has applied for the Grapevine Publisher position, which will be determined at the General Service Board weekend July 31/August 1), reporting there were 2,000 visits to the Grapevine Instagram account in its first week. On 8/4, we receive the announcement that Chris C is confirmed as the new Grapevine Publisher.
News from New York:
- On 7/12, I receive an announcement from the General Service Office that A.A. is looking for a theme for the 2025 International Convention, which I share with Kris and Faith to be eblasted and posted, respectively. I plan to submit: “A.A. – Through Thick and Thin.”
- On 7/14, A.A. World Services Director of Publishing, David R (5th person to serve in this capacity) reported the following: In the process of creating an audio version of Daily Reflections; there have been 48,147 copies of Our Great Responsibility sold (out of 100,000 created); the introduction to the 13-minute GSO video is now available at aa.org (see “videos and audios” at the bottom); ASL versions of the Big Book and 12 x 12 are now accompanied simultaneously by audio on YouTube; a specific look to replace “donation” with “contribution” where it appears in our literature; the digital version of the Service Manual will be available September/October with hard copy in November; and there have been several requests over the past several weeks to produce the Service Manual as an audio product.
- On 7/20, I share a General Service Office announcement to fill a vacancy for A.A. World Services nontrustee director, which is eblasted and posted on the website.
- On 7/21, I share the June 2021 A.A. World Service Highlights brochure with Faith and Kris, to be posted and eblasted
- The summer quarterly General Service Board meeting was held July 31-August 1. Our Pacific Region Trustee, Kathi F, will soon report the results to the 15 Pacific Region delegates.
- On 7/22, I have dinner with past Pacific Region trustee, Nancy H and current General Service Trustee, Paz P, who is serving on Trustee’s Nominating and International Conventions committees.
- We expect a new book from Grapevine, entitled “Prayer and Meditation,” in September.
More Will Be Revealed!
- Between mid-May and mid-June, I traveled 1,554 miles, mostly in report-backs, and submitted my second invoice for the year of $466.20.
- On 7/10, it was my pleasure to serve as the “voice” of the Unity & Service Conference, where I served as the co-chair for populating the conference’s panel.
- For the past several years, we’ve been waiting for a video entitled, “Your General Service Office (G.S.O.), the Grapevine and the General Service Structure.” Check out the “Audio and Video” tab at the bottom of aa.org, which includes 100 free videos about just about any A.A.-related topic.
- My 32nd Grapevine story was published in the June volume, entitled “The Crazy Eight.”
Delegate’s Bulletin Board
- On 7/31, I send a story called “Lessons from La Viña!” sharing (for me) a heart-warming experience with one of the two translators.
- On 6/19, Madeleine’s call for diversity at PRAASA is posted.
Honored to be of Service!
Ed L., MSCA 09 Panel 70 delegate
Cell: (760) 964-0012
Email: msca09delegate70@yahoo.com