November 2024

November 2024

Hello to you all in Area 78! Most of us, I imagine, are covered in white! Skiers love it, sun worshippers maybe not so much! But there is absolutely nothing we can do to change that weather! Snow tires, warm clothes, early bed times, snuggled in with a good read or go skiing!

Personally I love the cold, the contrast between our blue sky, black limbed trees and white snow accented with the red berries of our Mountain Ash trees. Its beautiful out there! Dress for it and then … Enjoy!

There has been much on the go this month coming from GSO (General Service Office), the biggest deal is the Plain Language Big Book, published and its first printing of 70,000 copies sold out in two weeks! However there were a couple of errors in that copy so the publisher has to make those adjustments before reprinting – next run will not be until early January. An apology letter from GSO is on our website under private members downloads.

The Digital Version of the Service Manual has just been released and is available to download at aa.org ! I’m looking forward to discovering the changes as I transfer my notes into my new Service Manual from my old one! I have been enjoying the Service Manual Study Monday nights from 7-8 PM on-line, so good to see so many Area 78 members participating!

The Zoom Address is 870 8376 8965 Passcode 414768 – Mondays at 7 PM.

New on our Area Website and sent out to all the DCM’s is also the preliminary Pre-Agenda Items (PAI’s) for the 75th Conference. The Trustees went through the submitted Agenda Items at the October Board meeting and of the 145 submitted items the workload at present looks to be around 85.  Adjustments will happen with the evenly distributed workload (EDW) added at the January Board meeting. Also some items will dropped and others added –  please note – this is NOT the Final Conference Agenda that will be posted mid February.

As Delegate Chair I get to attend the January Board meeting as an observer! I am really looking forward to seeing how our Trustees and Committee Chairs determine the final Agenda to be sent out in all three languages mid February. I also look forward to sharing and discussing that process with you!

I attended the Western Region Meeting November 22 on-line and heard our Canada/US  Trustee report on his experience while attending the World Service Meeting this past October 27-31. Robert from Quebec, talked about how AA is in 195 Countries! This year the World Service meeting was held in New York, and 49 Countries attended with 75 Delegates speaking 31 different languages! There were presentations and topics to address concerns like “The Home Group – Where Service Starts, How to Reach the Young People, Anonymity-The Spiritual Principle.

I find it interesting that the challenges we face are faced world wide. Now 2.85 million members and we all strive to carry the message in the best possible way.

I also chaired my second All Conference on line meeting November 24th. The topic was Protecting the Integrity of the Conference! Integrity – honest, compassionate, courageous, and wise. The principles that guides the Conference are Unity and Function. We are an incredibly diverse group and we seek to be unifying and inclusive. An incredible task that falls on the shoulders of each and every Delegate. Communications back and forth are essential, just like in our homes, our home groups, districts and Area’s.

Area 78 Table Officers and Committee Chairs spent several hours tougher on a snowy Saturday

doing an Area Inventory – Irma V from Saskatchewan facilitated the discussion and sharing sessions. Several ideas came for us to talk about implementing to help our Area evolve to better serve you so that we can all serve AA together in the best Unity, Fellowship and Leadership that we can.

From that Inventory several of the Committee Chairs have invited me to participate in their discussions. With the pre-agenda Agenda out we can begin to talk about them in Committee Meetings. Also our Western Regional Trustee Gail P attended the October Board weekend and sent back a very detailed report on the work being done and movement forward of Recommendations from the 74th Conference.

Our Area Treasurer sent out a communication regarding the mail strike and as our year end is the end of December, we are still working toward the goal of having a no-deficit budget, we are getting close!  Thank you for supporting your Area service Structure as we endeavor to foster strong leadership in the structure and culture of Area 78’s services. The new Budget will be discussed at the January ACM in preparation for ratification at the March Assembly.

Upcoming is the Area Committee Meeting being held January 17 and 18th in Calgary and then our Spring Pre-Conference Assembly being held April 11, 12, and 13th in Red Deer.

Make sure you group is represented! Your voice is the voice of AA!  And your groups right of participation! Without the Group taking an active role in the decisions that effect AA as a whole, well I don’t need to tell you what the outcome of that could be! Yikes!

We already saw that with Covid and changes made to some literature in our 12×12 and preamble! Those changes if we did not like them are on us. A good lesson here that we can learn from.

Take a moment and look at the Area 78 Website, it is continually being updated with new information.

Want something really adventuresome and not to terribly expensive to do in February? Plan to attend the Western Region Alcoholics Anonymous Service Assembly (WRAASA) in Winnipeg! Like its cheap to fly there! And the hotel is pretty reasonable! Freezing weather maybe – but warm hearts more than make up for it! Type in WRAASA in your search engine and up will come a poster with all the information you need to register and book your room!

Take care all of you courageous people, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all!

Warm Regards and Loving Service,

Karen🌞

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”