January 2025
-
by
areaadmin
Hello Area 78! Welcome to 2025! I love these days where each morning the sun rises just a bit earlier and sets just a bit later, Winter is loosing its dark and frosty grip; my spirit seeks the light and warmth of connection.
Thank you to all who take your service commitments seriously to continue, even in the dark to bring the solution for our disease to those who are seeking a way out of the misery, despair, bewilderment and terror. Our homes are warm and comfy, and sometimes it’s really hard to leave them when outside its cold and not inviting! So we drag ourselves off into the dark and spread the light. We carry the message to those who still suffer and reap the benefits of getting outside of self!
We go to jails, institutions, hospitals. We go to meetings to welcome the new comers, shake the hand of an old-timer, listen to each other, sharing our experience strength and hope. We attend Business and Service committee meetings and learn how to get along with each other as we work towards a common goal. Remember to just do the best you can do, if others don’t like how you are doing your job they cannot fire you and they have to pray for you! Everyone reaps the benefits of being of service!
These actions help us grow, help us as we move from just being sober to being a useful member of our society. From complacency to a full and vigorous life! These are some of the joys of being of service, getting outside of self to help others. The only thing we really need to do is to keep our conscious contact with our higher power.
Indeed, something to be extremely grateful for. The hours are long, the work sometimes difficult, the night dark and cold, but the pay is excellent! We get to stay sober!
Panel 74 Service commitments are now half over, each of us have an idea of what we are doing and are bringing our own personalities to the jobs. We are having a lot of fun as your Area Committee, thank you for the opportunity for to grow in service.
We’re at January 2025 already! The International Convention is coming up fast! Being held in Vancouver BC! My goodness! Plan to attend! It’s an experience you will not want to miss! Go to aa.org and register! Rooms are still being released with costs varying, UBC still has affordable with private and semi-private rooms available. After you Register you will be directed to the housing page where your options will be visible.
Our four Western Area’s will be hosting the Western Region Hospitality Suite! I was given the task of filling up the Volunteer list for members from all four areas to sign up. The suite is a place to welcome new and old friends as we gather for fellowship in a space to relax and unwind for a bit from the busy-ness of the event. If you are going to to be there, we invite you to spend a couple of hours unwinding , get or give a hug, volunteer to welcome others who come by to visit.
Please email me if you would like to participate! The suite opens 8 AM – 8 PM Wednesday and Thursday, Friday and Sat – 8-6, so we all get the opportune to attend the Big Meetings! Each shift is two hours so lots of time slots to fill! We have some pretty fun stuff, come and be a part of it all!
Area 78 had its Area Committee Meeting (ACM) January 17th and 18th in Calgary and District 83 did an amazing job of finding us a bright open venue with all the extra’s we need to be able to meet seamlessly. The ACM’s are for the Area Officers, Committee Chairs and District Committee Members (DCM’s) to discuss matters that will be on the March Pre-conference Agenda.
Visitors are welcome and we did have several! There were 93 members present – fantastic!
At the ACM we discussed how the roll out of the Agenda items will unfold. Briefly, the January Board meeting in New York held January 31 to February 3rd is to discuss all the 145 Proposed Agenda Items (PAI’s) that have been submitted by members around our conference Area, and whittle them down to a manageable amount of about 85 PAI’s in total.
As Delegate Chair, I have the privilege to attend the Board Weekend in New York with the other Committee Chairs, Trustees and Staff who will be in attendance. Because I do not have an assigned committee I get to float around and take part as I feel. It will be a time of solidifying the relationships with the Chairs and Trustees towards building Unity, faith and trust. We all want what is best for AA as a whole so here again – together, we can do what I cannot do alone.
The final list of Agenda Items including the Equitable Distribution (EDW) list (in all three languages) will be available between the 17th and 21st of February. These PAI’s will be made available immediately on our Area 78 Website. The past Delegate, alternate Delegate and myself will meet and further assign the Items so that each of or Area Committees have about the same amount to discuss within their respective committees.
The Committee Chairs will receive their list of the Agenda items to create a summary which will be distributed on our website. You are invited to access the Private Downloads section of area78.org Website. So that you can share the Agenda Items with your home groups. I’ll give more info on this next month.
When we meet at the Area Pre-Conference Assembly April 11-13 in Red Deer, there will be full discussion on the Agenda Items to fully discuss the Agenda Items. this is how to inform your Delegate so that I may carry your voice to the 75th Conference, April 26 – May 3rd in New York.
This is the way in which AA evolves so that we don’t become stagnant and entrenched in old ideas! We continue to grow and change to better carry the message to those who still suffer.
The new Service Manuals are out! Pick up yours at your nearest Central Office or on line at aa.org, and join us at Carolyn’s on line Service Manual Study – Monday nights at 7 PM! A great way to read and discuss what at first glance may appear dry. But once you dig in – I promise you too will be born into nerdism!
Your Meeting Guide App has a section called News and if you click that button you will see all the newest information coming from your General Service Office in New York. Recommendations that were made at the 73rd Conference are being completed and you will be able to see things like the new Pod Cast on Public Information! The first episode was just released last week! It’s an over view of all the things AAWS is doing!
The Plain Language Big book has just been re-released and you can obtain yours at Central Offices. This book will be incredibly helpful as a tool to help us get our solution to those who still suffer!
Cooperation with the Professional Communities needs your help to respond to a request for shared experience on how we inform professionals who serve neurodivergent and unhoused alcoholics – Deadline for submission is July 01, 2025. If you have any experience in this please send in your story to cpc@aa.org
If you have not yet planned to attend the WRAASA (Western Region Alcoholics Anonymous Service Assembly) taking place February 7- 9th in the winter fun place of Winnipeg there is still time! Go to the website WRAASA.org to obtain further information. See you there!
Gerry F., Past Panel 45,Area 78 Delegate shared with me the following “None of us is given a torch big enough to lead the drunks of the world out of the darkness and into the light. Instead each of us has been given a candle that burns for a short while with a flickering flame. If we stand together the light will outshine the greatest torch. If we argue and bicker and blow at each others candles so that each of us starts shielding our own little flame, then the alcoholics of the world will continue to suffer in darkness, — and so will we.”
Warm Regards and Loving Service,
Karen OC
Area 78, Panel 74 Delegate
delegate@area78.org
cklinservice@icloud.com
403-479-6883
Public Information Committee
International/Regional Forum Committee
75th GSC Delegate Chair
“Forget me, but go you and do likewise. Add your own link to our chain. With God’s help, forge that chain, well and truly.” Dr Bob “AA Comes Of Age”