MSCA - Mid Southern California Area 09 of Alcoholics Anonymous

Delegate's Bulletin Board

Delegate’s Sharing Session
13 December 2020
Ed L., msca09delegate70@yahoo.com, (760) 964-0012

Personal Mission Statement: “I’m committed to being totally available and responsible to Mid-Southern California Area 09 members, to help provide a healthy infrastructure to communicate among individuals, Groups, Districts, Area, and the General Service Office, while using as few acronyms as possible!”

Since our October 11, 2020 Area Service Committee meeting:

MSCA 09 Rocks!

• Within two weeks of being confirmed as the new Area 09 Cooperation with the Elder Community (CEC) chair, Jerry S (and Sharon) completed an electronic questionnaire directed towards Groups and Districts to determine how we can be more effective in our outreach to older alcoholics seeking/maintaining sobriety. The CEC questionnaire is now on the website and was eblasted in October. On 11/16, CEC purchased 4 Grapevine and 1 La Viña subscription for older alcoholics. I also attend a CEC strategic planning meeting on 12/6, and receive draft CEC guidelines from Jerry on 12/9.

• Alex W is chairing the Electronic Media Subcommittee, which met on 10/29 to begin looking at their function and more efficient ways of conducting Area 09 virtual functioning and communication. At that time, they voted Faith B to begin serving immediately as the Area 09 webmaster, with a revised website potentially to go online on January 1, 2021. The officers expect a preview of her work next Sunday at our monthly Board meeting.

• I continue to attend District business meetings, including following 14 meetings: #19 on 10/18, #04 on 11/4, #18 on 11/10, #06 on 11/10, #01&#03 on 11/12, #19 on 11/15, #08 and #14 on 11/18, #04 (Ugly Sweater = US) and #10 on 12/2, #12 on 12/3 (US), #17 and #18 (US) on 12/8. I won the Ugly Mug contest at the District 12 business meeting on 12/3, and forwarded two Grapevine gift subscriptions to Chris in Arizona and Matt in Virginia.

• Thanks to Hiro for a wonderful and functional Servathon on 11/14. Whereas this event can sometimes be theoretical, this year it was more like a mini-inventory to see what is working, is not working, and can be improved in Area function. Hiro is documenting the round table minutes for distribution.

• I attended the Area 09 Board meeting with all other officers on 11/22. At that time, Emma P, from Huntington Beach was confirmed by the Board to serve as the Panel 70 Registrar, and thanks so much to Emily H for her early service as Panel 70 Registrar.

• District events included hybrid Traditions Celebration by #19 on 11/21, Grapevine Writer’s Workshop by #17 on 11/22, #04 Ugly Sweater Xmas party on 12/2, #09’s “A Day in A.A.” on 12/5, and #1/3 Xmas party with live music and a speaker on 12/10.

• December 5th was a red-letter day: 1st Eastern US/CAN (U.S./Canada) with 900+ at 08:00 am; 5th Hispanic Women’s Workshop with 145 at 11:00 am; and presented on General Service structure for District 09’s “A Day in A.A.” with 300 in attendance at noon.

• On 12/8, I submit cover letter, application, and resume for Jeryl T as our formal nominee for the vacant Trustee-At-Large position to Rick W, Chair of the Trustees Nominating Committee.

• Thanks to Ryan for all the information provided yesterday and 10 days ago, and to Rainer for outstanding responses to posting information on website.

Activities within (or without) the Pacific Region

• I’ve attended the following Area elections since our October 11, 2020 Area Committee Service meeting: Area 05 (Southern California) on 10/18, Area 06 (Northern Coastal California), on 11/7, Area 17 (Hawaii) on 11/7, and Area 93 (Central California) on 11/15.

• On 10/28, I join 11 other Panel 70 delegates in their weekly meeting of the Northeastern Region Delegates, or NERDS (I’ve decided to change “General Service Geeks” to “General Service NERDs!”) Sheri P, Area 25 Kansas delegate and I, were invited to join Tad J, Area 48 of eastern New York, as members of the Conference Literature Committee to join the NERDs for an AA meeting, which was an outstanding way to spend time with other Conference members.

• On 11/4, 14 of the 15 Pacific Region delegates (and Sheryl T, Panel 71 delegate-elect from Area 69, Utah), met with Pacific Region Trustee, Kathi F who graciously shared a detailed Power Point created by Cathy B, summarizing the highlights of the General Service Board weekend of 10/31 to 11/1. This was posted and eblasted, and is available at the following link:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/dsen12offoiu56n/Oct-Nov%202020%20Trustee%20Report%20Power%20Point.11-4-2020.pdf?dl=0

• Some of the highlights of her report include

(https://www.dropbox.com/s/wwghz4mghtmfoq1/Delegates%20Oct_Nov%202020%20Trustees%20GSB%20Report.11-4-2020.pdf?dl=0): The proposed slate of officers includes new General Service Board Chair, A.A. World Services Chief Financial Officer, Directors of Staff Services and Operations, 2 General Service Trustees, 3 Nontrustee Directors for A.A. World Services and Grapevine (including John W of 2020 Conference controversy and Vera F, Panel 68 delegate from Oregon), and 2 Regional Trustees (Western Canada and East Central US); (lately, Chair of General Service Board open when Greg T leaves in February); My Portal to go online on December 14; updated Meeting Guide App 3.5.4. including Zoom meetings at https://meetingguide.aa.org/online-meetings; total of 837,755 books sold through September 2020, compared to 1,210,766 through September 2019; Grapevine suffering with a $307,000 net loss so far in 2020; only 7 new stories submitted for “A.A. and the Older Alcoholic,” with deadline of January 15, 2021 (our past Archivist, Joseph H submitted a story); as on 9/30/2020, contributions = $7,169,609, literature sales = $7,156,475, where revenue has been 38% literature and 62% contributions (reversed from usual), with anticipated 2020 loss of $337,000; Reserve fund as of September 30, 2020 is $12,188,406 (7.67 months; another $1.5 million was extracted in October); and expect to have new membership survey in Fall 2021 (1st since 2014).

• After a committee meeting on 11/7, Jeff G, Area 93, shares that they’ve had to cancel the physical 2021 PRAASA, that they are actively preparing for a virtual PRAASA. I attend Area 93 elections on 11/15 with 120+/- participants, with Pacific Region Trustee Kathi F chairing, where Karla Y is selected from the hat as Panel 71 delegate, and Rudy M as alternate delegate.

• On 11/18, I join most of the Pacific Region delegates, including three delegate-elects (Lauren from Area 05, Jennifer from Area 06, and Bob from Area 79 Yukon-British Columbia) for AA Zoom meeting.

• On 12/13, Area 08 Chair, Blain H, shared that there was a conflict with the intended February 28 date for the 4-Area DCM Sharing Session. It will likely be rescheduled in June/July 2021, to be determined and shared later.

All Things Conference-Related

• The General Service Board confirmed on 10/31-11/1 that the 71st Conference will be virtual from April 18 to 24, 2021. A memo from the General Service Office, dated 11/6 was provided for distribution on 11/9, which includes latest COVID prevention information.

• On 11/11, I received an updated list of 20 preliminary Agenda Items that was provided for distribution the next day, available in English

(https://www.dropbox.com/s/psu417ezbjictbe/71st%20GSC%20Proposed%20Agenda%20Items%20%282020-11-11%2C%20English%29.pdf?dl=0)

and Spanish

(https://www.dropbox.com/s/3a602a6dea4p4nx/71st%20GSC%20Proposed%20Agenda%20Items%20%282020-11-11%2C%20Spanish%29.pdf?dl=0)

• I participated with the other members of the Conference Literature Committee (CLC) on 11/24, with Steve S, General Service Office secretary, and Sheri P, CLC Chair, where we discuss six of the upcoming Agenda Items for Literature (Hispanic women, AA’s three legacies, revising existing pamphlets “Too Young” and “Young People in AA,” video on plain language Big Book, and “A.A. for the Black and African-American Alcoholic”).

• Area 29 (Maryland), Panel 70 delegate, Cheryl T, asked Area 09 to write a letter of support on a potential agenda item requesting a procedure be drafted to appeal a ruling by the Conference Chair. The officers discussed this at our 11/22 Board meeting, agreed not to draft a letter, and to keep Area 09 informed should this preliminary proposal be elevated to a Panel 71 Agenda Item.

• Please remember that 12/15/2020, day after tomorrow, is deadline to propose Agenda Items.

News from New York:

• On 10/20, I received the following link from Patrick C, our Conference Coordinator, which will allow you to participate in a scheduled virtual tour of Stepping Stones, which was Bill and Lois W’s home from the 1940’s until 1988 when Lois passed: https://www.steppingstones.org/

• Grapevine Subscription Pricing as of 1/1/2021: 1 Year - $28.97 ($2.41 per issue), 2 Years - $54.00 ($2.17 per issue), and 3 Years - $69.00 ($1.93 per issue). I just recently subscribed, where the 1st subscription was $28.97 and the 2nd gift subscription was $13,

• On 10/22, we receive an invitation from the Conference Coordinator asking for updated Group, District, and Area information to be incorporated into NetSuite, using the following link: Records@aa.org

• On 11/30, I receive a notice to fill an Appointed Committee Member (ACM) position for nontrustee on the Trustee’s Public Information Committee, which was distributed immediately.

• The US/CAN will be on December 19 (at one point, there were 900 on east coast webinar) so register early. I’m working with Tom of Area 07 and Cheri S of Area 02 on “Virtual Communication between Groups and General Service Office” workshop.

• On 12/8, I receive General Service Office announcement that General Service Manager position is open and resumes for prospective candidates are due by 12/31/2020, which is immediately posted and eblasted.

Delegate’s Bulletin Board

• My latest posting was on 11/22, which was my delegate’s report to the other Area 09 officers on that date.

• These Delegate’s Sharing Session minutes will be submitted for posting later today. Thank Jesus for continuing to translate.

In Love and Service,