District 17 Newsletter con't...

6. Our website is operating, but it is only a temporary hosting. We need to find a permanent hosting site. I am checking into this and will report at the next district meeting what I find out. Have you checked it out yet?  I would appreciate any emails regarding what we are doing in our district.

  7. District Meeting (GSR) Meeting will continue rotating to different days, different places. I really think that moving the meeting is working well. We are including everyone who is in our area to be part of the service organization. Please keep up the great attendance and continue to carry the message  By traveling to meetings in the entire district, everyone will get to know each other and so strengthen the fellowship

  8. Area Finances. I am going to start putting more than one dollar in a basket.  It was discussed that more than one dollar for those who can afford it is acceptable and desirable. We need the support of our groups in the district. Please pass on this information. We can show the need and the good that it will do.

     I want to thank all those who traveled to Crystal Falls and shared their thoughts and their time with us. I also want to thank Larry and the Crystal Falls meeting for providing us coffee and donuts. It was a huge turnout and overwhelmed our host.  An excellent AA meeting followed the District Meeting. Many thanks again for the great turnout. Please, someone volunteer to become our district secretary, I cannot do it all
Spring Assembly Held in Three Lakes, WI. On April 1st, 2006.

     As I said, this spring is way busy with service work  I attended the Spring Assembly and was surprised to see 98 individuals from all over the UP and Northern Wisconsin. All but two or three districts were represented by GSR’s or DCM’s. We had no GSR’s from our district present.
     The big vote of the day was for a correction’s chair for the UP of Michigan. Since no one from the whole UP would do this job, a chair from Oshkosh, WI was voted in. I don’t know how this will turn out but the position has been filled by someone who wants to do it  We have two years to either find a person to vote in or just let Wisconsin handle the coordination of the UP corrections. The chair is Dylan N. He can be reached at 920-410-0260. If you have any questions please call him. Corrections is doing very well in the UP thanks to a group of dedicated hardcore service workers. Thank you all for doing this important work.
     Many other issues were discussed that I will report on at the next District Meeting in Iron River.
     WE are not alone in our service issues. There are 600 groups in the area which could equate to 600 gsr’s and 600 votes. That would have made a huge Spring Assembly.
     Please bring a friend into service.  More at our District meeting.
                           Iron Mountain/Kingsford Intergroup
    What a day  A Service Workshop led by past Delegate Torv T. was very interesting and motivating. We started at 1:00 p.m. and ended at about 3:10. The workshop was also attended by our Alternate Delegate/Area Chair Dodie A. and our East Central regional Trustee Bob M. It was a big event for our area. There were 16 people at the meeting. Most were from out of town. District 17 GSR turnout was poor. I will report more at the district meeting.
     The corrections workshop was hosted by Dennis S. and attended by eight people. Dennis will report at our next district meeting. Issues discussed were policy, format, funding and anonymity.  I was present only for the last 20 minutes of the workshop and know that it was presented very well and that questions were addressed by Dennis. Thanks a ton for doing the workshop Denny
     The GSR meeting had 21 people attending including the Hosts of the workshops and myself.  The role of the corrections chair was discussed and many questions asked including: Do we really need one? Corrections is alive and doing really well in the UP.  GSR turnout from our area was poor.
     Sponsorship was also discussed. Can we do more? Are we still sponsoring? Do you
have a service sponsor? A service sponsor gets you into service and keeps you there by answering questions and dragging you along to service workshops. We need service sponsors.  See Jennifer’s intergroup notes for more details.
   Service is the way to a deeper understanding of Alcoholics Anonymous. Since I have actively pursued the course of service, I have become more serene, peaceful and above all have stayed sober.  I sat on my butt for years saying, “ I have done my stint, now I can rest on my laurels.”  We all have excuses why we don’t or won’t do service work, but most won’t hold water. It is about not being selfish and self serving with a gift that we all have received. The gift is our sobriety.  AA is alive and well in the world. What can you do today to carry the message to the alcoholic who still suffers?

     Steve S., District 17 DCM, Area 74
     P.O. Box 415, Iron Mountain, MI  49801