DELEGATE REPORT AREA WORLD SERVICE COMMITTEE MEETING AREA 91, MARITIME PROVINCES October 1, 2011 CHARLOTTETOWN, PE

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1 DELEGATE REPORT AREA WORLD SERVICE COMMITTEE MEETING AREA 91, MARITIME PROVINCES October 1, 2011 CHARLOTTETOWN, PE Elargir notre communaute d espoir en integrant : Les bases d hier Les success d aujourdhui Les possibilites de demain Expanding our community of hope by embracing: Yesterday s foundations Today s successes Tomorrow s possibilities GREETINGS! Chairperson, Officers, Coordinators, District Representatives: It is hard to believe that four months have passed since Assembly and we are here to discuss tons of stuff that has arisen since then. Today I m going to share a little of what has been happening at the World Service Office, and with the Board of Trustees since we last met at Assembly in June. Following that I will update you on the Iqaluit project and as well as my participation in the Alberta/NWT Assembly last weekend. WSC 2012 Due to the visit to Stepping Stones this year the Conference will be in Stamford, CT. The theme for the 2012 World Service Conference has been chosen and is Our Spiritual Journey----we get as we give. I especially like this theme and the Panel 50 delegates have been asked to shape our 3 minute outgoing talk around this very idea. I have always been aware of the law of cause and effect and its presence is one reason why service is so important to me. Spiritual laws are upheld by our program and giving of our resources is one of it s cornerstones. By this time our treasurer will have received the request for payment for my trip to Stamford, Connecticut to attend the Conference The equalized expense to send the Delegate to the 2012 Conference is $1,350 US, while the full cost is $2,210 US. This amount is due at the world service Office by December 31, One of the highlights for me will be my first visit to Stepping Stones, Bill & Lois W`s home and the place where Al-Anon was born. IAGSM 2012 An exciting event scheduled for 2012 is the International Al-Anon General Service Meeting in Cape Town, South Africa. The Trustees and General Service Office Delegates from structures around the world will come together with the WSO to share their experience, strength, and hope. The theme, the IAGSM symbol surrounded by the words No Structure Is Ever Alone IAGSM, is as energizing as our Conference theme. The equalized expense for one General Service Office Delegate to attend is $1,735 US, while the full cost is $2,169 US. For thirty-two years, this meeting has been convening every two years in different countries of the world, Delegate Report AWSC

2 including every other two year period near the World Service Office in Virginia Beach. This meeting allows General Service structures to share information with each other as they continue to bring the fellowship of Al-Anon Family Groups to those who need us. TECHNOLOGY In this world of evolving technology, the following points are an update regarding the current status of numerous Board projects having to do with current technology: Online Group Records This allows all Area Delegates and Group Records Coordinators to look at and report on group information for their Area, as well as allowing Area Group Records Coordinators to update group information directly in the WSO database. Future plans include registering Alateen meetings on-line after assuring the safety requirements for each Area will be met. Unlimited Abundant Resources Skills Inventory Database Right now, there are over 1,000 members in the database, but WSO is always interested in members who would like to offer their expertise to be of service to the fellowship. In the future, there will be a page to update a member s status and to opt out after submitting the data, if the member so chooses. Alateen Chat Eight areas host chat rooms: four in the United States and four in Canada. As an aside, Alberta also has a chat line and they are experiencing the same difficulties we are in having sponsors and teens participating. Many weeks they have no teens show up. The registration process is now automatic for teens. They no longer have to wait to be added to the system. The registration process has been translated into French, Spanish, and German. Blogs There are now twelve active blogs: six English, three French, and three Spanish. For Members and Groups and Thinking Abundantly in are the two newest blogs. Audio is being added to the Traditions blog each month. e-communities Quite a few communities were added last year, including one for past and current Conference members. The discussion forums are being used by some communities. Area Chairpersons and District Representatives will be the next two communities to be added. Preliminary s and passwords etc. have already been sent out to the members. Electronic Newsletters and Notifications In early July all members who were listed as the Current Mailing Address for a specific meeting, and had an address in the WSO data base, were sent the CMA Newsletter. A second mailing to key service people went out at the end of July with the announcement of the Appeal Letter. Delegate Report AWSC

3 The plan is to use this process for an e-news for Professionals newsletter, of which I have already received my first as I am registered with WSO as a professional, and to notify members who formally received Area Highlights that it is posted on the Members Web site. Many additional notices that would have been posted in multiple communities will now come via this system to avoid Delegates and other trusted servants receiving an notification for every e-community they can access. Electronic Literature This is still being researched and discussed. As soon as there is anything concrete, the Conference members will receive notification. SOCIAL MEDIA Many members have asked about when Al-Anon would be on social media outlets, and the time is now! We are now on Facebook and Twitter. How exciting it is to be able to let all of the people who participate in these social networks know that Al-Anon and Alateen are available to help those affected by a loved one s problem drinking! Remember these are public sites and individuals should not post messages about Al-Anon that breach their personal anonymity at the public level in violation of Tradition Eleven. Not only will your post or like show up on your own page, but it will also show up at the bottom of the listings when someone searches Al-Anon on Facebook. STRATEGIC PLANNING More work was done on clarifying and redefining the parameters and structure of the strategic plan. A consultant was asked to lead in a discussion that assisted the Board in becoming more strategic in its thinking. Then, during the Board meeting, they were able to continue past strategic thinking discussions as they talked about revenue streams, structure changes, and future Conference conversations. This is an important and ongoing process at the Board, so everyone can continue to move forward as a Board and as a fellowship. TEAM Since the World Service Conference there have been three TEAM events, and four are scheduled through next April. The Board continues to share and discuss strategies and processes to enable the Trustees and Staff to contribute to a productive and positive TEAM event. It is a privilege for them to visit our Areas, to present topics of interest through shared leadership, and to meet all of us. The forms to begin the process to schedule an event are on the Members Web site. They look forward to hearing from us! I will discuss this further later today. As the Board moves forward in its work, they look forward to your continued participation and support in making Al-Anon Family Groups the premier recovery tool for the friends and families of alcoholics worldwide. Next year s Conference will soon be upon us, even though it seems as if it is a long time away. One of the first actions that signify the beginning of the planning is the choice of the Conference theme. As I mentioned before, this year s theme is: Delegate Report AWSC

4 Our Spiritual Journey we get as we give Notre cheminement spirituel c est en donnant que nous recevons. The board felt that this lends itself to many topics, such as practicing the program, participating in service, being willing to sponsor, etc. I encourage you to think about this theme throughout the year and talk it up whenever you can at your group and district meetings. REMINDERS It was suggested that the soft cover How Al-Anon Works (B-32) be given to newcomers who enter their first Al-Anon meeting, or that Al-Anon Faces Alcoholism 2012 be given as a public outreach tool to doctors, hairdressers, or any other professionals who talk to people about their lives. Have these ideas been discussed as possible projects in your Districts and Groups yet? I am still encouraging all districts to organize workshops around the Service Manual, beginning with the handbook section. My intent with this challenge which I put out to you last year was to familiarize as many members as possible about our fellowship and its organization and structure. I have already participated in several Al-Anon days in the Area and have a couple more coming up soon. Please contact me as I would really like to visit ALL districts in our Area if at all possible during my term of office. I have several workshops or activities that I can lead for you at these events. The Service Manual part is up to you to organize as this was my challenge to you. PARTICIPATION and LEADERSHIP. Al-Anon International Conventions are a great way to celebrate recovery, meet old friends, and make new ones. An International Convention is where members from Canada, the U.S., and many other countries gather together to speak the same language the language of the heart. Can you imagine what it sounds like to hear 5,000 attendees Al- Anon, Alateen, A.A., and guests say the Serenity Prayer? Have you ever seen the parade of countries that have Al-Anon Family Groups? I am looking forward to seeing a record number of attendees from our Area and hope that you will participate if given the opportunity. See you in Vancouver in July Please take home the WSC summary and read it. There is a copy in each of your folders and I also have a quite a few spare copies with me that I would rather not take back home. Give them to your GRs. It is also available to read online. Reading it may clarify some items that you may have heard in my report at Assembly which of course was abbreviated. FINANCE I have also attached the latest reports from the finance committee to keep you updated. In brief: Literature Sales - $2,352,800 - Up 17.9% from last year Gross Profits - $1,871,700 - Up 2.2% from last year Contributions - $616,600 - Up 4.6% from last year Forum - $136,300 Decrease of 0.1% from last year Delegate Report AWSC

5 Operating Expenses - $2,514,300 - Up from 2,340,600 last year due to repairs to the HVAC system and depreciation on the new roof. POLICY The current work of the Policy Committee is also attached to this report for you to look at. IQALUIT CONFERENCE The Quebec West Delegate, who represented us at the Iqaluit AA Conference at the end of June, submitted a written report to the Canadian delegates and I have also attached it to this report. Following is a summation of the Expenses incurred to send a representative to the conference. Air Fare $ Taxis $ Room & Meals $ CAL English $ CAL French $ Shipping $ Photocopying $ Total $ Donations from Canadian Areas $ Cost to Alberta/NWT $ ALBERTA ASSEMBLY As you all well aware, I attended the Alberta/NWT Assembly last weekend in Red Deer Alberta. I have been questioned about who was paying for this and was I using money from our Assembly. Rest assured that was not the case. I was already planning on visiting my son and family in Calgary and was in touch with the Alberta/NWT Delegate. We have become good friends through our meeting at the WSC and I wanted to attend AFG meetings in Calgary while there. Well, this led to the Officers of her Assembly inviting me to attend and participate in their Assembly and bring greetings from the Maritimes. I was given a half hour of time on the agenda and you know about my asking for your involvement. I was welcomed as one of their own and made to feel like a true westerner. Thanks to all you who sent messages, provincial flags, writings, sharings etc. that I was able to take with me. They were very heartened by this display of affection and fellowship from all of us. All the items I took with me will be part of their permanent Area Archives. Many things were similar with their Assembly and other things were very different. However, I learned a lot from this experience and will share some of it with you that I think we could well put into practice ourselves. I came home with proof that yes, we are a worldwide fellowship speaking the same language no matter where we are..the language of Al-Anon. It was a very spiritual experience for me and if you are ever given the opportunity to attend a function in another Area, do so. You will not regret it, I assure you. I believe this sums up most of the material and information that has come my way since Assembly If you have any questions regarding any of this or need clarification, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me either by or by phone. I again thank you for giving me Delegate Report AWSC

6 the opportunity to serve as your Delegate. I will continue to do my best to provide you with all important items for your consideration. Good communication is extremely important to make sure we are all on the same page, so to speak. Participation is the key to Harmony. I look forward to another great year for Al-Anon. Again, thank you for the privilege of serving the fellowship. I move the adoption of this report. Respectfully submitted Delegate, Panel 50 Area 91, Maritime Provinces. Attachments: Finance Update Policy Update Iqaluit Report KBDM Questions Delegate Report AWSC

7 FINANCE UPDATE Board Member, Treasurer The following update is based on the unaudited financial statements for the quarter ended June 30, The General Fund recorded income of $123,300 for the quarter compared to a loss of $21,800 for the same quarter last year. Overall income and expenses were in line with budget projections. INCOME Literature sales were $2,352,800 this year compared to $1,996,000 last year, an increase of 17.9%. Gross profits on literature sales were $1,871,700 (79.6% of sales) compared to $1,551,900 (77.8% of sales) last year. Contributions were $616,600 this year compared to $589,400 last year, an increase of 4.6%. Forum subscription income was $136,300 this year compared to $137,900 last year, a decrease of 0.1%. EXPENSES Operating expenses were $2,514,300 this year compared to $2,340,600 last year. The increase was primarily due to the cost of printing the Spanish and French Service Manuals, repairs to the HVAC system, and depreciation on the new roof. Overall, expenses are in line with the budgeted amounts. RESERVE FUND The market value of investments in the Reserve Fund totaled $4,904,000 at June 30, This amount includes an unrealized gain of $762,000. In compliance with a Board of Trustees motion, 4% of the average balance of the Reserve Fund over the prior 36 months will be transferred to the General Fund. POLICY UPDATE Board Member, Chairperson, Policy Committee The Policy Update, sent each quarter with the Chairperson of the Board s letter, informs each Delegate about Policy Committee business, including any pending motions regarding the Digest of Al-Anon and Alateen Policies. This update provides important information regarding questions and concerns generated by the fellowship. The July 22, 2011 meeting generated discussion on all agenda items. The Policy Committee is continuing to review draft language to the Public Relations section of the Digest of Al-Anon and Alateen Policies. The 2010 World Service Conference suggested that wording to this section needed revision in light of emergence of new technology and local service arms that are producing Visual Media and Printed Media. Based on discussion of memorial contributions from the 2011 World Service Conference, the Policy Committee agreed to a Thought Force to explore the possibility of family member memorial contributions in light of Tradition Five and giving comfort to families of alcoholics during times of bereavement. The Policy Chairperson will appoint a Thought Force to further explore the Do Not Refer issue, to determine what the WSO should do when an Area and a group in that Area are in disagreement over whether the group is adhering to the Twelve Traditions. One Delegate Report AWSC

8 proposal under consideration was for the WSO to create a Do Not Refer list so that operators on the toll-free meeting line would not refer newcomers to groups that Areas have determined are in violation of the Traditions. Delegates shared their experiences with this issue at the 2011 World Service Conference. The Policy Committee approved a proposal by the Literature Committee to change the name of To the Mother and Father of an Alcoholic (P-16). The Literature Committee determined that this title could be interpreted as non-inclusive and limited to only members who belonged to families with both a mother and a father. Following the Literature Committee s recommendation, the new name for P-16 will be: To Parents of Alcoholics. By consensus, the Policy Committee agreed to make available to members of the fellowship a document, Procedure regarding collaboration with outside researchers. This document explains the internal policies that govern the World Service Office s interactions with researchers examining family recovery from the effects of alcoholism. The Policy Committee discussed the safety of baby-sitting services at meetings and agreed that wording about this is more appropriate in Groups at Work and so the idea was referred to Group Services. Delegate Report AWSC

9 Canadian Delegate s Report to Alberta/NWT/Nunavut Area July 15 th 2011 First AA Convention with Al-Anon participation At the Arctic College, Iqaluit, Nunavut June th 2011 Reference to: Canadian Remote Northern Communities Task Force Established by the Canadian Delegate s meeting at the World Service Conference, April 2009, with the following charge: To establish a task force comprised of present and past Trustees and Delegates that will explore the needs and concerns of Al-Anon Family Groups in Canadian Remote Northern Communities using KBDM. As you already know, my participation to this Convention was made possible since my name was drawn from the China bowl and I was available to replace the Delegate from Alberta/NWT/Nunavut Area. It was a privilege to represent all Canadian delegates and our great fellowship, Al-Anon family groups, and I sure did my best to make Al-Anon visible as much as I could in that remote community, Iqaluit, Nunavut. Since the main objective was to outreach the community, and inform the public of Nunavut that Al-Anon can help families and friends of alcoholics, my stay was a bit longer than the time of the Convention itself. Also, I had to adjust to the flights available; that is why my stay was from June 22 nd to June 27 th. I had a very nice welcoming from AA members; they made sure I was ok and they gave Al-Anon lots of place during the Convention; as a matter of fact, Al-Anon had 3 slots on their program: Friday: 8:15-9 pm, Saturday: 10:15-11 am, Sunday: 9:30-10:15 am I was also invited for a review with all volunteers and AA members on Wednesday night; they wanted to make sure that my needs were met. I was delighted to meet 2 Al-Anon members from Manitoba and British -Columbia, that helped out in my duties. One of them accepted to share on Sunday am. The 3 of us attended the Al- Anon meeting on Thursday and Sunday night.this is where another Al-Anon member accepted to share her experience Friday night and talk about Public Information as well. So I took care of Saturday am; I used my time in 3 parts: 1. A resume of my story to let them know who I was, where I come from and how Al-Anon helped me in my recovery. Delegate Report AWSC

10 2. Since another member did some Public Information on Friday night, I decided to talk about How Al-Anon works in our groups and I used the pamphlet S-4 Information for the newcomer which describes very well the way we use our program, through questions and answers. As complementary comment, I used P-13 Purpose and suggestions on page 2 where it says: We do not criticize or condemn the alcoholic or discuss the alcoholic s shortcoming with others. 3. We all looked at the new Public Outreach DVD (Mix-Match) for professionals and that was very much appreciated. It was followed by a period of questions and I did my best to answer correctly. I realized Sunday at noon, at the end of the Convention that Al-Anon was the only one to use the projector for a presentation. There were AA newcomers and Al-Anon newcomers. All AA speakers were Inuit women. It was a very nice thought, I think, from AA organizers to leave the floor to the Inuit people. Translation with equipment for the attendees was done in English, Inuktitut and French. I met a police officer from Puvirrnituk, Nunavik, north of Quebec, who was eager to have information from Al-Anon; we had good conversation and he took plenty of literature to take back to the community. The Inuit themselves asked the police officer to start an AA meeting; that is why they came to the Convention to get information. He says there is an urgent need for the families and friends of alcoholics to get help. So we are going to keep in touch and see what we can do, in our Area, to help them out. Outreach to Professionnals Thursday am: I met with Suzanne Miller and 3 other staff members at the Public Health and Social Services. 1 hour presentation, speaking about what Al-Anon can do to help families and friends of alcoholics, giving them Al-Anon literature, mostly pamphlets, letters to professionals, poster ; information about how Al-Anon works showing the Mix Match part of the new Public Outreach DVD and the new Public Outreach web site as well. They were very pleased to get all this information. And they want that DVD. Thursday pm: I had an appointment with Nancy Kane, Mental Health. While I was in the waiting room, the receptionist passed me the phone and she was sorry to tell me that she had a last minute emergency and that she could not meet me. I left her all the literature I had and we tried to make another appointment without success. Friday am: After getting my background check done, I met with Jillian Sparrow, manager at the Women s Correctional Centre. 20 minutes meeting with 5 Inuit inmates that were very pleased to meet someone new, but somewhat reluctant to speak. Being shy and ashamed of what happened in their Delegate Report AWSC

11 lives, they do not trust just anybody They do not seem to like reading; if they do read, it has to be short and not too complicated. So they all jumped on the bookmark and the pamphlet: P-9 How can I help my children? I had a good conversation with Jillian who did not know much about Al-Anon. We viewed the Mix Match part of the new Public Outreach DVD. At first there were only the two of us and it did not take long before inmates and guardians joined us. I handed out literature, letters to the professionals and posters and gave information on the new Public Outreach web site. Jillian started to understand better about Al-Anon and was very pleased to get all this information. And they want that DVD. Friday I tried again to meet with Nancy Kane from Mental Health; she did not return my call. So I took the time to get ready for the beginning of the Convention at 4pm, registration. I was asked to present the Al-Anon speakers, which I did. After listening to AA Inuit speakers and having heard all kinds of stories from white people that lived in Iqaluit for years, I realized the problems are much more important than we can imagine, mostly for women and children. Women are being raped and beaten early in age (often 6 years old) repeatedly and are offered alcohol and drugs. Many of them become alcoholic as early as 12 years old. Often, both parents are alcoholics. Apparently violence is present most of the time after alcohol is ingested, whether you are a man or woman. Also I hear that Al-Anon groups have difficulty to survive for two main reasons: Inuit people are so ashamed of what they endured and are so afraid that they will be recognized, that even though they start the meetings for some time, they leave the group and might not come back for months. Many white people are working in Iqaluit as a contract job ( could be for 1,2,or 3 years or any length of time ) When that is over, they go back to Quebec or Ontario, or wherever they come from; which means that the group is left with one or two members. That is what happened this year; 4 regular members left at the same time. It is nevertheless encouraging to see that there is at least Al-Anon group 2 nights/week, that children meet at their school with an Al-Anon member once/week and an Al-Anon member meets with the inmates once/week at the Women s Correctional Centre. It is the same Al-Anon member that takes care of all that. I can understand that she gets out of breath and really needs help.she really appreciated our visit All literature that was left at the Convention was given to those 2 groups. Al-Anon showed me another part of service by giving me the opportunity to learn more about diversity where race, language and culture are so different. Being present on that land without trees and grass and only rock and tundra, I thought I was in another country But seeing those people smiling and welcoming and sharing their experiences and Delegate Report AWSC

12 hope, made me realize we are not so different when we talk about the consequences of alcoholism. Al-Anon participation to this AA Convention opened a door to the visibility of our fellowship; even though technology does wonders, there is nothing like being present in person to such an event. I am grateful to Al-Anon who gave me this opportunity to live this experience; I came back with better knowledge and understanding of our structure and discovery of part of our beautiful country. Let s hope the seed that was spread will grow in this remote northern community. Thank you for your support and trust, In service, Panel 49 Delegate Quebec West Area In replacement of Panel 50 Delegate Alberta/NWT/Nunavut Area Delegate Report AWSC

13 The KBDM (Knowledge Based Decision Making) Questions How to get the information we need to have for an informed group conscience. Gather information for these questions for all of your discussion topics. Gather this information prior and during a discussion and get the information out to people before the actual discussion begins. Everyone can add to them. Use them as a basis for discussion. They provide common information so everyone can be on the same page. Five Important Questions Question 1 What do we know about our members or prospective members needs that is relevant to this discussion? Question 2 What do we know about the resources and our vision for the organization that is relevant to this discussion? Question 3 What do we know about the current realities and evolving dynamics of the world and our fellowship that is relevant to this discussion? What are the Pros and Cons? Question 4 What are the ethical implications of our choices? In other words, will our decision be consistent with our spiritual principles? Question 5 What do we wish we knew, but don t? Delegate Report AWSC