Saturday, September 29, 2007
The U.P. Service workshop was held on Saturday
September 29 at the Masonic Temple in Kingsford, MI. A total of 19 members which
included the presenters were at the workshop. The following districts were
represented: 16,17,18,20,22,24.
Presenting and facilitating the sharing and discussion were: Dodie A., our
current alternate Delegate and also our Delegate elect., Jeff C., our current
Area 74 Delegate and Grapevine Chair elect, and Bob M., our East Central
Regional Trustee. I would like to thank Dodie, Jeff and Bob for traveling to
Kingsford to be with us.
For those of us that were fortunate to be at the workshop I doubt that life will
be the same again. It was a very lively forum and we found out that the same
problems exist within all of AA.
Some of the most important sharing was as follows and this is my interpretation
of it, please correct me if I’ve gotten it wrong:
1. Home groups are very important. This is where
we can learn the AA basics. Everyone should have a home group. A home group
should have a GSR to represent the group and carry the group conscience to area
functions and district meetings. Since we don’t have many active GSR’s the ideas
and thoughts or problems never get to the district let alone the area and then
GSO. Don’t have a home group?, get one! Home groups are the uppermost level of
AA, every other part of AA is below the individual group. All service work
supports the group!
2. Group conscience are also very important. All groups should take a group
conscience. This is how the group decides how to address problems within the
group or make changes. This is not just a business meeting. This is how the
group gets input from all the group home members. Not a home member? Get one!
3. The Agenda is information that each group
should be sending to the district or area and then down the ladder to GSO. We as
groups can send our problems or ideas or thoughts down the chain of command so
that these issues can be discussed. No group conscience, no agenda, no agenda
means we are turning control of AA over to others to make decisions.
4. GSR reports are way up there on the list of to do’s. Of course if you don’t
have an active GSR, you are not going to get a report either way. Since the
introduction of the District Newsletter, there does not seem to be GSR reports
being given to the groups in District 17. As a group we are responsible to see
that our GSR’s do their job. Are we being responsible or are we just sitting
back and letting others do the work. Are we so complacent we just don’t care
what goes on in the program that saved our lives?
5. Informed as to what is going on in AA. Without members being involved in AA
as a whole we don’t ever really know what is going on and can’t give input to
what we don’t know. Don’t like what is happening but not willing to do anything
about it, then that is the way it will stay.
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