Area 9 Forum Topic:

"Communication and Participation"

(3 Messages have been posted so far) (Last Post: 09- 20 -07)

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Response #3, (message id 4.003)

Communication - How many times have you been in a meeting and the meeting had a gsr and they gave a report and the information was half wrong, or better yet the gsr gave a report that was just made up since they never attend the district meeting?   Can this be fixed? Do the groups care?
The answer for me is yes to all the above.  I am just amazed at the information that the groups seem to get and believe - most of it wrong.  I think we should just blame the treatment centers since they have it all wrong, or maybe school ten, or the sober living house, or the drug addict, or YOU!!!  Do you allow the intergroup or general service rep to give a report? Does the group support the VOLUNTEER who spends there time going to business meetings. Do you think that Bill W. was wrong to have all this political stuff?    The groups and NEW members only know what they know and if you don't bring the information to them how will they ever learn and appreciate anything.  YOU don't like the gsr report too bad- you ever put someone down for other forms of service in AA? The commitment that the AA member took is to help them and AA as a whole and that is it- sit there and be quiet. Let them speak.

Participation - Too busy, Its a whole Sunday, Its too far- I bet that if you were a alcoholic like me you use to have nothing to do, plenty of time, and no place to go do nothing at.  The business side of AA is not for everyone, neither is sticking a drunk in your car and driving them to a detox.  Are you going to tell the AA member not to take the drunk to detox cuz they might barf in the car? Why do you discourage people from getting involved in general service?

The answer - I cannot tell you I can only lead the way by my actions.  The actions that I learned from the AA members that were here before me. And I hope that those actions will be continued by that new members that have come in after me.

(sent Sept. 18, 2007)

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Response # 2, (message id 4.002)

  At least once a year, at an Area meeting, we hear, “Why aren’t more groups represented at the Area Assemblies?”  It is my belief that the topic of this forum points right at the problem.  Communication and participation go hand in hand, and we continue to keep focused on participation.  For the most part, we communicate only with the ones who show up.  We need to do a much better job of communication at the district and group level.  At any district meeting I have attended, there has always been a much larger participation than the participation at the Area Assembly, I know the travel to the Area Assembly is greater, I know the meeting times are longer, I know the Sunday meeting time takes away from our week-end time, but it just seems like there is more to it.  I think a bigger part of our communication at the district and group level has to explain the value of participation – to the Group, the District, the Area and Alcoholics Anonymous, as a whole.  I would include the value to the A.A. member here, but it has been my experience that it is hard to see that value until you have participated in the process for at least a year. 

  Service sponsorship is critical to this effort.  It appears that we have an entire generation of A.A. members who believe that service ends when the meeting is over.  They had to learn this attitude from someone/somewhere.  Mostly, I think it comes from apathy, the old “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” attitude.  How could anyone possibly know if it ain’t broke, if they haven’t participated in it for a full commitment? 

  As for our leaders in A.A., they are the servants, the men and women “in the arena” - those who do the work and lead by example.   Service is a responsibility, and we need look no further than our Responsibility Statement:  “Whenever anyone, anywhere reaches out for help, I want the hand of A.A. always to be there, and this, I am responsible”.   The question always has to be directed inward – “Am I doing all I can to ensure that the key to keeping A.A. strong – communication and participation – is alive and well in those places in A.A. where I participate?

  The key question for this topic, in my opinion, is “What form(s) of communication are most effective in communicating A.A.’s Message of Service?”  A man for whom I have the highest respect, a true servant in A.A., once told me, “If you believe in what you are doing in A.A. and you think that it is useful to A.A., nobody can keep you from demonstrating this through your actions”.  Or, to use Emerson’s quote: “Who you are speaks so loudly I can’t hear what you’re saying”.  In A.A. we should paraphrase that to: “What you do speaks so loudly I can’t hear what you’re saying”.  I believe that it is all about our actions, and as another very close friend is fond of saying, “Gratitude is an Action”.  I hope I demonstrate this. 

(sent Sep. 12 , 2007)

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Response # 1, (message id 4.001)

The fact that this has not been opinionated on as of yet  says volumes!  I think that communication and participation could be the two most important tools that can allow ANY type of relationship to work.  From marriage to voicing an opinion at the area.  Using these tools is the trick!

(sent Sep. 12 , 2007)

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