459 News and Notes Prom the General Service Office of A.A.®

VOL. 41, No. 2/APRIL- MAY 1995

A.A.s From Around the World Head for San Diego The 10th International Convention theme, “A.A. Everywhere-Anywhere,” will come alive when, in celebration of A.A.’s 60th Birthday, members from about 75 connhies around the world converge on San Diego from June 29 through July 2, 1995. With San Diego Bay as the stunning backdrop, an anticipated 60,000 plus members, many with their Al-Anon partners in attendance, will enjoy a weekend jam-packed with special events in a spectacular setting, and meetmgs, meetings, meetings. Thursday night kicks otT with a Harbor “Block Party” right outside the Convention Center and all along the waterfront to the Seaport Village area. And, beginning a t midnight, continuous Marathon Mee tings, in English and in Spanish, start up and run until the Convention ends on Sunday. During the day on Friday and Saturday, the Convention Center and adjacent Marriott and Hyatt hotels Wlll be the hub of activity, with an array pf meetings, workshops, panels, regional meetings, minimarathons, and more (see inseri for titles). Friday night is the flrst big event, at the Jack Murphy Stadium, where those countries represented at the Convention will be identifl~d in a Parade of Flags, followed by a giant A.A. Meeting. All meetings at the Stadiur.n will have simultaneous translation into Spanish, French, German, and maybe more, as well as ASL, (American Sign Language). On Saturday 1light at the Stadium it will be the Oldtimers Meeting, with names taken from the

Box 4-5-9 is published bimonthly by the General Service Olftce of Alcoholics Anonymous, 475 Riverside Dnve, New York, NY 1011.5, © Akoholics Anonymous World Servtces, Inc., 1995 Mail address: P.O. Box 459, Grand Central Station New York, NY 10163 Subscriptions : Inclividual, $3.50 per year; group, $6.00 for each unit oflO per year. Check- made payable to AA.W.S., Inc.- should accompany order.

hat of those with 40 years or more of sobriety; and on Sunday, the Stadium is the setting for the Closing A.A. Meeting. Complimentary shuttle bus service is available from all of the Convention hotels to and from the Stadium, the Convention Center, and Marriott and Hyatt Convention sites. An army of local A.A. Host Committee volunteers, about 6,000 in all, will be everywhere throughout San Diego to help arriving A.A.s and their loved ones feel welcome and comfortable- at the airport, at the Convention hotels in all of the areas, including the university dormitories, at the Stadium, along the waterfront and on the streets of the city. They will also provide entertainment around the Convention Center waterfront area all weekend. When it’s time to take a break fi·om meetings, A.A.s can walk out into the paradise that is San Diego, a city that abounds with beautiful neighborhoods-from La jolla, the jewel of the Pacific, twelve miles north, to Tijuana and Rosarita Beach and the experience of Mexico, twenty-seven miles south, available direct on San Diego’s bright red trolley. Other interest:mg areas are the historic Mission sites a nd Mission Valley, Pacific Beach (surfers, take note), Old Town, Mission Bay Park, Balboa Park, Sea World, the Zoo, and Shelter, Harbor and Coronado Islands, with their Navy ships and leisure yachts. The Embarcadero of the San Diego Bay is the site of the Convention Center Maniott and Hyatt meetings, and the Seaport Village Mall, where ice cream strollers and coffee drinkers can breathe sea air before walking to the Horton Plaza shopping mall just minutes away. Everyone, everywhere-anywhere in San Diego will be warmed by the sun and cooled by the Pacific Ocean b reezes, greeting old friends and meetmg new friends. The International Convention will be a shmtng example of gratitude and the language of the heart and a beacon of hope for those to come.

Preregistration is $65. Deadline is May 15, 1995. Onsite regtstration is $70-and hours of in-line waiting. So, write or call G.S.O., your intergroup/central office or your delegate now for a registration form. 2

Ninth Intergroup/ Central Office Seminar Unity is the glue that holds the U.S/Canada intergroups and A.A. together, but it is communication that jumpstarts their mutual cooperation a nd harmony. This was certainly apparent at the Ninth Annual Intergroup/ Central Offices Seminar, held last November 11-13 in Vancouver, Canada. Says General Service Office staff member Lois F.: “There was a great feelmg ofcomradery; it felt like a class reunion as longtime associates and friends greeted one another. At the same time, more than half of the attendees were excited about bemg at their first seminar.” The weekend of workshops, panel presentations, sharing and fellowship brought together 110 in tergroup/central office managers and delegates. Together with a handful of A.A. World Service trustees/directors and members of the General Service Office and Grapevine staffs, they shared common problems and sought solutions within the spirit of the Traditions. The question of selling non-A.A. Conferenceapproved literature was discussed in a Seventh Tradition Workshop. It was noted that most offices doing so are not in it for profit; they’re simply hying to satisfY group requests for spcc1fic items unavailable through A.A. And in a workshop on court referrals to A.A., there was much discussion of a trend that reportedly is taking hold: the courts using A.A. as a sentence that inevitably is viewed as a “punishment.” It was felt that this is having a negative impact on public perceptlon of A.A. For several years the intergroup semmar was coordinated by A.A. World Services. Then, in 1992, the intergroups assumed full responsibility for the annual event. This arrangement symbolizes the relationship between the intergroups and central ofHces and A.A. general service-independent but close. As The A.A. Service ManuaL (1994-1995 cd., p. S98) explains: “Central offices provide local services; general service committees maintain the link between the A.A. groups and the A.A. General Service Board by means of the General Service Conference. So these two separate but vital service structures coexist in many ru·eas in mutual cooperation and harmony, to the benefit ofthe entire Fellowship.” The Final Report of the 1994 seminar is available from the Vancouver and Lower Mainland Intergroup, 3457 Kmgsway, Vancouver, BC V5R 5L5. Please include $5.00 to cover production and ma1ling costs. The next Intergroup/Central Office Semmar will be held in Atlanta, Georgia, Oct. 5-8, 1995. For information, contact: Central Office, 161 Spring St., Suite 720, Atlanta, GA 30303. Tel: (404) 525-3178.

A.A. members seem naturally interested in history, perhaps because om personal history becomes the basis of renew{1l: we “keep the memory green” in order to keep today’s sobriety in place. In the same way, the history of the Fellowship as a whole is imporiant because it keeps us close to our origins–keeps the source clear, the message ungarbled, the purpose primary.

Welcome to the Archives.

A.A. Archives at G.S.O. is a central source for that history. In five rooms in G.S.O.’s offices, and in a storage center in New jersey, Archives collects and preserves documents, memorabilia, and artifacts pertaining to the history of Alcoholics Anonymous. Long before Nell Wing, Bill ‘N.’s nonalcoholic assistant, became A.A.’s first official archivist in 1971, she and Bill gathered historical materials; Bill believed strongly that A.A. needed to keep aware of how we began and where we came from. Archives holdings now include 500,000 pieces of correspondence, early group records, area histories, original manuscripts, books and pamphlets, newspaper files, and a few photographs — “Though not many, of course,” explains Frank M., A.A. Archivist for twelve years, “because A.A. members are anonymous.” Tbe physical care of such works is the first responsibility of the Archives staff. Old paper, such as all early correspondence, may be particularly fi·agile because of its high acid content. These documents are flrst deacidified: the acid in the paper pulp is neutralized by spraying with a deacidifying solution, then the documents are placed in acid-fr·ee folders. Some are also encapsulated in Mylar for fmiher protection. Many files can be viewed on microfilm so that handling and photocopying are kept to a minimum; when the originals are read, researchers are required to wear gloves. Advanced technology has entered the Archives; a projected computer scanning system will soon be in

place. With a scanner, Frank M. explains, all documents are “imaged” and stored on an optic disc. Not only would the contents be preserved, but access to them would be much easier and faster; what takes half a day now may take only minutes because a computer can run a fast subject or word search through stored material. That capacity would be enormously helpful in using, say, the correspondence from and to Bill W., a collection which totals 10,000 letters and requires an index of 370 pages. A sophisticated scanning system isn’t cheap, however-about $30,000-and inputting could take two to three years for the correspondence files alone. A.A. members, as well as nonalcoholic researchers, tum to Archives to understand some point of A.A. history. Every day, Archives gets flve to ten requests for information on subjects as diverse as A.A. itself: for example, Bill’s “dry date,” the history of open versus closed meetings, the date of the first group in a specillc locale, the Washingtonians, changes in various editions of the Big Book, Reinhold Niebuhr (author of the Serenity Prayer), the Oxford Group, High Watch Farm, the Third Step Prayer, and books that early A.A.s read for spiritual growth. Materials are acquired from a variety of sources, chiefly from individuals and personal collections. Recent acquisitions include a group of articles on A.A. in Ireland, six tapes of the 1955 St. Louis Convention, a 1939 magazine article on the Oxford Group, a first edition third printing of the Big Book, two original longplaying recordings of Bill W. and Dr. Bob at the 1950 “Big Meeting,” and a book called Vermont in the World War 1917-1919, in which a reference can be found to Bill W.’s military service.

The Archives’ temperature- and humidity-contmled storeroom houses hundreds of acid-free cartons of early correspondence, pamphlet, book manuscripts and audio tapes of our co-founders on 600 feet ofshelving.

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]udit Santon, holding a first edition ofthe Big Book. The dust

jacket, bright red and yellow, was known as the “circus cover.” The assistant archivist is nonalcoholic Judit Santon. judit arrived in the United States four years ago fi·om Hungary, where she majored in English in high school and received two BA degrees-<>ne in librruy and information science and one in teachmg world hlstoty. She:: is now studying for a masters’ degree in librruy and mformation science at the Pratt Institute.judit hadn’t heard of A.A. in Hungruy (the fu·st A.A. groups were just being formed in Hungary in 1990). She explained, “1 go to open meetings to have a better understanding of A.A., and I read the literature, like the Big Book-though it’s really not enough to read the Big Book only once. I’ve also read Williams ) ames’s Varieties of Religious E:J:perience, and there are some lectures by Reverand Shoemaker (early nonalcoholic friend of Bill’s and later of the Fellowship) that give excellent advice on how nonalcoholics can relate to A.A. I’m still learning a lot fi·om visitors, staff and AA.s who call and write.” Has thls job affected her in any personal ways? “Spiritually, yes. In AA., I see how each individual opinion L’l important and has a right to be heard.” The Al’chlves is on the tour given to G.S.O. visitors. Noela Jordan, nonalcoholic research assistant who has worked for Archives for five years says, “AA.s who come to New York City want to see Archives-it’s like going to see the Statue of Liberty.” The visitor sign-in book has names from around the world, includmg Brazil, Chma, South Africa, Norway, Russia, Spain, Ireland, Mexico, and Australia. ViSitors to the Archives ftrst enter a gallery in which they can soe dozens of photographb from A.A.’s early days, hke one of Bill with his sponsor, Ebby T., or the Akron home of Dr. Bob and Anne. Also displayed are the 4

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1961 Jetter from Carl Jung to Bill, another letter from John D. Rockefeller Jr., old postcards of Akron, all printings of all three editions of the Big Book-totalmg over 80 copies-as well as all printmgs of such AA.W.S. literature as 7Welve Steps and Twelve Traditwns and Living Sober. There’s also Bill ‘s original office sofa (now reupholstered). Frank M. is thoughtfuJ about the pwpose oflustoty in the hfe of AA.; it is, he says, not to blindly worship the past but to make the past relevant to the present. And he’s encouraged by the fact that archives committees are proliferating throughout the service stmcture and keeping A.A. history- alive and well at the local level: “As recently as 1980, we didn’t have many area archives.” Now, he points out that “collectmg AA. memorabilia has become enormously competitive. We live in a material society, and collectibles-wh ether they’re b aseball cards or A.A. pamphlets-ru·e a big item. I’m afraid we might be beginning to worship things and losing sight of the content. Archlves is about somethmg else-to make clear the relevancy of h1story to our lives, and to deepen our appreciation of what we have been given. It’s about gratitude, not thmgs.”

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1995 Conference to Address the Legacies

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“At my first General Service Conference, in 1993, I was given a report about controversial problems to ‘ read, discuss and pray’ on, and I thought, ‘Oh, m’God, how could they ask me to do thls.’ Then I reahzed that it was we, all 130-odd Conference members, not just me, who were being asked not only to ponder this one problem but to act for the whole Fellowship.” Adds Burke D. of Seattle, immediate past Washington delegate: “Being a part of the Conferenct: for two years was overwhelming, I’ve carried the AA. ma.sage in several capacities, but never at that level of service. As the late Bernard Smith (nonalcoholic trustee, 1944-1956) said at the 1954 meeung, ‘We may not need a General Service Conference to insure our own recovery-…. we do need it to insw’C the recovery of the alcoholic who still stumble:, in the darkness one short block from this room…. ‘ >! (The A.A. Servtce Manual, p. S42). Burke’s experience evokes the theme of the 1995 Conference: “Pass It On-Ow· Three Legacies.” Like a three-way min·or, these Legacies- Recove1y, Unity and Service-clearly reflect every facet of A.A.’s primary- purpose. The tJ.S./Canada delegates to the 45th General Service Conference, to be held from April 30 through May 6 at the Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza in New York

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City, will join with the trustees, directors and the staffs of the General Service Office and Grapevine in holdmg up potentlal reconunendations to the ultimate test-the minor of the Legacies. As they take inventory of where A.A. is now and where W!! are headed, the delegates will borrow heavily from the experience of the past. “No matter what the problem, there always seems to be some prect:dent that we can look to in fmdi.ng a solution,” comments Burke. “And there’s the tremevdously positive ripple effect takmg place all around. In my time, I marveled at the amount of help proffered by the trustees, G.S.O. staff and the delegates themselves. Importantly, not one person told me how to thmk on an issue. They simply let me know they were there if I needed them. And often I did.” The term served by a del ega tc is two years. Asked if he found it too short, Burke emphatically answers “no.” Were the term extended to three, four or more years, he believes, “the delegate might be more efficient but, at the same tune, less effective. First of all, being delegate involves tremendous effort; your personal life is on hold, and most delegates have: already served long days and nights as area chairperson and other offices in which you go, go, go. Importantly, there would be problems of politics and cliques; the delegate would know too much. As things are now, there is a level of innocence, of

naivete if you will, in which the principles of A.A. are better expressed.” Here Burke notes that “arriving at a group conscience in matters big and small at the Conference is an amazing process. Members may btart out at totally opposite ends of an issue. Then, after hours of patient discussion, one suddenly senses that the polarized factions are moving into a more central position, which is the precursor of consensus. I often had the feeling that a power greater than the sum of the body of people present was at work-and, of course, they were probably getting tired! Seriously, though, where else is the minority, or dissenting view of each person, con::sidered absolutely essential as it is in AA.?” While no o ne can speak for A.A. officially, the Conference comes close to being A.A.’s voice. After recommendations are made by any of the 12 Conference committees, the entire assemblage considers them. To become a Conference Advisory Action, a r ecommendation must be approved by a two-thuds majority. The 45th General Service Conference has 134 voting members. Of these, delegates complise 67.91%; trustees and directors, 20.15%; and G.S.O. and Grapevine staffs, 11.94%.

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Burke, refers to himself as “a fresh has-been, which is better than a never-was.” He says it is no exaggeration to say that lns service experience was a major factor in salvaging a disappointing professional career. “I am amazed that today I am retired from a professional career that in the last 13 years exceeded any expectation I could have had for my personal success. Thanks primarily to my learning to work with others for the benefit of the majority-a skill that you taught me. Isn’t it amazing that I couldn’t figure that out as a practicing drunk! My expelience tells me that each individual will do some things better; and, perhaps, some other tlungs not quite as well. I think that it is very important to understand that each will do the best job that they can for Alcoholics Anonymous-and that is all any of us can ever do!”

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Sun Valley Group Gives ’till It Helps

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In Idaho the Sun Valley Group has innovated a success-

The Conference generates a myriad of paper. In the reference room at G.S.O. Frank Segui (lejt), staff assistant on the Conference a..<:signment, and Miguel Rodri.guez (both nona/co-, holies), who coord-inates the copy room, prepare Confe,·ence committee background materwlfor mailing to delegates.

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ful concept in the spirit of A.A.’s Seventh Tradition of self-support. “Over the years,” says former G.S.R. David F., “we had found that rising costs and an increased desire for group representation at A.A. events were depleting our prudent reserve and straining our ability to cover expenses, with enough left over to send contributiOilB to

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intergroup, the General Service Office and our area committee (the 60-30-10 plan). TI1en in 1992, the theme of the General Service Conference was ‘A.A. Takes Its Invent01y’; our group chose to partidpate, and as part of the process, we included a fmancid} review. “We had spoken many times about putting the cost of our last drink in the basket, but it was obvious that a dollar didn’t buy what it used to. Our steering committee did some calculating and returned with the fact that, consetvaHvely, we needed 15 cents more for eve!)’ dollar we had been receiving in order to be self-supporting. This gave us an attainable goal. We put up signs in the meeting room and adopted the motto ’15 cents more to be self-supporting.'” T he group’s response was immediate, David 1eports. “Consequently we are back to ow· desired fmancial flow. The group needs are met, the literature library is stocked, we’re cont:ributmg to local and world services, and we’re well-representated at A.A. events. “We have removed the signs, but they’re in the group archives for resurrection w hen needed. Who knows? Next tune it might be 5 cents or even 50 cents more; but, whatever the amount, I do believe our group will respond with whatever it takes to be self-supporting and cany the A.A. message.”

Box4-5-9

Takes Its Inventory

Is Box 4-5-9 “one of the best-kept secrets in A.A.”?

That’s what one reader told us in response to our appeal in the Oc tober/November 1994 issue. We wanted to know whether the newsletter is meeting the needs of its readers, and how it can do its job better. f rom about 75,000 copies distributed-(52,000 to individua ls a nd 13,000 bundled into packs of ten-we got 80 responses.

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Here a re the questions we asked, and some highlight~> from the responses. 1. Do Bar 4-5-9 articles serve your group’s needs and the needs of newer member·s? Most respondents said “yes” to this question. One group wrote that Ba:r 4-5-9 provides a better connection “to the A.A. spi.titual pipeline,” while another A.A. said, more practically, “It shows where the money goes that we put in the baskets.” A chairperson of a special needs committee said, “I have reptin!ed the articles on largeprint literature and the deaf m ecting-by-me:.U.” A few A.A.s said they subscribe as a basic part ofthei.t· recovery program; one said, “I’ve taken Ba:r 4-5-9 as one way for me to support A.A.” Another wrote, “I never knew how much I missed Bar 4-5-9 until my term as G.S.R. was up and it was no longer being sent. I now have my own subscription, along with the Grapevine.” Some respondents thought that Box 4-5-9 c:ould be useful to newer members, but this seemed due to a trickle-down effect: the ,1cwcomer benefits in general ways when a group’s undcrstandmg oflocal, as well as international, AA. is increased. Fmm South Africa came the comment that th6 newsletter shows «newcomers that they don’t stand alone.” Most respondents, however, thought that the newcomers are concerned with getting sober and uot with the “big picture” of service. One person wrote, “Newer members, quite frankly, could care less about this or any other newsletter… . It’s not until after you get a little sobtiety that mfom1ation like this maltes any sense.” 2. How do you share Box 4-5-~ with your group’? Box 4-5-9 reaches the inclividuaJ A.A. in a number of ways: Its contents are shared a t b usiness meetings~pecially when topics are relevant to the discussion at hand; it’s set out on the lilet·a ture table; it’s posted; highlights are given in the G.S.R. report, or read to the group at the sccretaty’IS break; G.S.R.s or D.C.M.s talk about it informally to other AA.s; it’s circulated to other group officers; it’s brought into prisons. 3. How can Box 4-5-9 better reflect news and notes from G.S.O? Most respondents said that the newsletter does a good job “as is.” One person said, “I’ve gotten great ideas from Box 4-5-9″; a no ther wrote, ” r appreciate inside reports on staff-it makes me feel I know them better.” Some suggestions or ideas for improvement include using more graphics to present statistics, publishmg profiles of Class A trustees, p rovidmg m ore specific details of agendas presented a t forums and regional m eet ing!>, disc:;ussing how A.A. entities handle and resolve controversial issues, and publishing more articles on the Lone,·s-Intemationa.li.sts nehvork. Several respondents wanted to &::e more articles on Spanish-spe.aki.t1g groups in the U.S. at1d Canada.

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4. Are there new and different kinds of articles or fea tures that you would like to see in Box 4-5-9? Some ideas: “Give highlights of jail and prison programs that support and carry AA.’s message; cover how different areas handle elections; provide “more factual A.A. information-for example, membership growth in different areas”; publish “an up dated version of ‘signed Court Slips'”; “emphasize th e Traditions a nd relate th em to specifk: issues.” To those interested in giving Box 4-5-9 more visibility in their group, these suggestions m ay be helpful: • Give a subscrip tion to newcomers, or to those on their first or second A.A. anniversary. • Take out a bulk subscription and pass out. the “extra” cop ies for loan or for keeping. • Make a regular announcement tha t the newsletter is displayed on the literature table or posted on the bulletin board. • Keep a “r eference library” ofback copies available in a three-hole binder for use a t business meeungs. A Box 4-5-9 order form is enclosed with this L~sue.

Concep ts had been born, the general service structure was in place, and it only remained for Bill W . to corrunit to paper the principles and procedures that make the Conference work. So, in 1962, Twelve Concepts j ol’ World Servu:e was published. G.S.Rs and the area deleg<lte: A question sometimes asked is wh ether the Concepts can be useful in the A.A. group. In his Introduction to Twelve Concepts, Bill com ments that certain of the principles have long b een in use “throughout our entire stmcture.” That conunent plus the common sense sp irit of the Concepts would seem to indicate that the Concepts, with their ve1y practical underlying principles, are a set of guidelines that home groups might do well to study. Groups choose their general service representative (G.S.R) with care because the G.S.R is the link. between the group and A.A. as a whole. Having a G.S.R is the group’s assurance that it is acltvely participating in the group conscience deosion-making process ofAA aS. a whole. G.S.R.s, tlu·ough the area assembly, elect an area delegate to represent the groups at the annu al General Service Conference, which convenes every April in New York. G.S.R.s inform the delegate of the area’s group conscience, and the delegate passes it along to the Conference. A delegate’s primary concern at a ll times is for the overall good of A.A. as a whole. The duties of that tlu sted servant are many, and G.S.R.s and district committee members (D.C.M.s) len d their active assistance throughout the delegate’s two-year term. At all

What Are the

Twelve Concepts? Eve1y A.A. knows A.A.’s Twelve Steps, they help to keep us sober, and the Twelve Traditions- the glue that holds our group and the entire Fellowship together. But what about the Twelve Concepts for World Service? What are they and what is their purpose? In the introduction to Twelve Concepts for World Serv!.ce co-fOtmd er Bill W. wrote: “The ‘Twelve Concepts for World Service’ . .. are an interpretation of A.A.’s world service structure. They reveal the evolution by which it has anived in its present form, an d they detail the experience and reasoning on which our operation stands today. These Concepts therefore aim to record the ‘why’ of our service structure in such a fashion that the highly valuable experience of the past, and the le.sons we have drawn from that experience, can never be forgotten or lost.” The Twelve Concepts were born in m uch the same way as the Twelve Steps and the Twelve Traditionstltrough trial and error. Some of the questions that confi-onted our co-founders were the form of structure that A.A. should have and the kinds of general services that str-ucture ought to provide. From this begmning, they developed the Conference plan, or as it is sometimes called, the Tlurd Legacy plan. The first General Service Conference, in 1951, was the formal “test” of whether the concept of world services was realistic. That Conference was a big success. The

From the pamphlet, ‘The Twelve Concepts for World Service Illustr ated.”

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times the delegate’s operational responsibility is matched by an equal authority to do the job. The Rights: TI1e “Right of Decision,” “Participation,” and “Appeal” belong to every trusted servant and service entity, startmg with the home group. One of the aims of the “Rights” is to assure the continuing democracy of our Fellowship. Concept III: In the Second Trarution, the provision for trusted servants sets the stage for the exercise of the “Right of Decision” in the election of group officers. Tlus “Right” is of paramount importance as the group moves forward in its primary purpose of carrying the message to the still-suffering alcoholic. The stage is also set for G.S.R.s and district committee members (D.C.M.s) to exercise the “Right ofDecision.” The G.S.R. will “determine exa ctly what a group needs [and) what a group thinks about a situation.” (The A.A. Service Manual, p. S43). In the area committee meetmg, the G.S.R participates in discussion and debate and, fully informed on a given subject, is then capable of voting for what is in the best interests of the group and, more to the point, the best interests of A.A. as a whole. The D.C.M.s, as leaders of their district committees, pass along the conscience of the groups in their districts, as reported by the G.S.R.s, to the area committee and thence to the Conference delegate. The D.C.M.s, like the G.S.R.s, “interpret and apply their … authority and responsibility to each particular problem or situation as it arises.” (Concept ill, p. 15) In Conference meetings and workshops, and after full discussion and debate on the Conference floor, the delegate is in the best position to make decisions. And for that reason, groups in his or her area ought to be especially m indful not to tie the delegate’s bands by previous instructions on how to vote. The delegate should be free to decide what issues he or she and their committee Wlll dispose of themselves and what i!lSues Wlll be considered at another time or by others. The delegate’s decision_ m aking is always done with an eye to ultimately enhancing the unity of A.A. as a whole, and to improv_ ing and expandmg its ability to carry the message to the still-::mffering alcoholic. Concept N: The principle of “Right of Participation” is built into the General Service Conference through the Conference Charter. Voting members include not only d elegates, but also the trustees, and tne directors and staff members of A.A. World Se1vices (i.e., G.S.O.) and the A.A. Grapevine. They must b e free to vote based on the full facts. Concept V: The ” Right of Appeal” and “Petition” assure that minority opinion will always be heard at the Conference and that a forum Wlll always be avatlable for the auing of grievances and the redress of wrongs, real or perceived. This is more than merely the riglzt of a minority opinion to be heru d. When a minority believes

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that their position is correct and proper, it becomes their

duty to exercise the “Right of Appeal.” The General Service Board: (Concepts VI-XI): In Concept VI Bill wrote, ” … the conduct of our world services is primarily a matter of policy and business. Of course our objective is always a spiritual one, but this se1vice aim can only be achieved by means of an effective business operation. Our trustees .. .must have ample authority to really manage and conduct A.A.’s business.” No one could expect 7 n onalcoholic and 14 A.A. trustees, by themselves, to conduct A.A.’s business. In keeping with the Ninth Tradition, most of the General Service Board’s routine work is done by “underlying committees.” The trustees’ committees are opposite numbers of Conference committees, m ost of them staying in constant communication throughout the year; all of them in complete cooperation during Conference week. The Concepts describe and d elineate the diverse duties of the trustees, plus the procedures for their nomination and election. Other Concepts and the W<trranties Wlll be covered in a future issue of Box 4-5-9.

CoiTectional

Facilities

VIrginians Extend Hand of A.A. It was !>even years ago th at the Virginia Area

Correctional Facilities committee first courted the confidence oflocal prison officials tlu·ough a series of orientation workshops. “The response was tremendous,” recalls immedtate past chairperson Preston V. “Unttl then mdst of them-the wardens, administrators, counselorsknew very little about A.A. and were wary and skeptical. As one cmmselor in the Department of Corrections (DOC) told me, ‘We thought of AA as a disruption, not a tool to help. When you came, I U10ught you’d share your story, and as counselors we hear lots and lots of stories. But this is the ftrSt time someone’s come and told us what A.A. is really about.” Adrutionally, Preston notes, ” the institutions had an en·oneous view of us as down and out and irresponsible. This perception grew out of misunderstandmgs, such a~> when some A.A.s balked a t using their full names in filling out required clearance p ap ers; they m istaken ly thought this constituted a violation of Tradition Eleven- which addresses the need to maintain anonymity at ‘the level of press, radio and fihns.'”

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Preston, who peppers his conversation with references to A.A.’s Traditions, which he regards as old and dear friends, says, “Looknig back from where the p rogram is now, it might appear to have b een easy. But the fact is, it took the C.F. committee three years of work to get a regular meettng into a prison. With help from a lot of peo.ple, we opened channels of communication and used them to keep feeding info1malion about A.A. to the Department of Corrections and the Vrrginia Association of Drug and Alcoholism Programs (VADAP), which h as staff members involved with inmates. And, reinforcing Tradition Eight, which says A.A. ‘should remain forever nonprofessional,’ we constantly stressed, and still do, that they are the professionals. We are the guests, and all we do is offer A.A.’s program of recovery though the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions. The facilities soon discovered that “we don’t bite,” Preston notes, and today the DOC has a community resource person-usually the assistant warden or a grievance counselor-who serves as liaison between the C.F. committee and the administration to clear up minor problems or misunderstandings before they have a chance to escalate. Pinpointing the origins of the C.F. committee p rogram, Preston recalls that “early ill sobriety I had to spend time in an institution. TI1ere were no A.A. meetings available, and I asked why. It tUI11Cd out there was zero communication between A.A. and the facility, and not enough A.A. volunteers around to make a difference. When we started the workshops we were carrying the message into about 20% of the approximately 50 jails and prisons in this area; today, conservatively speaking. we’re in more than 50% of them on a regular basis, and we’re still pushing for 100% saturation.” Preston explains that the day-long workshopsconducted twice a year, once for staffers at DOC and again for those at VADAP-“discuss more about A.A. than they’d ever need to know,” including the addresses and locations of area intergroups and central offices, and mformation about the C.F. committee’s temporruy sponsorsWp program for newly released inside group members. “The question most asked,” he says, “is, ‘What does A.A. do about newcomers who have p roblems with drugs?’ We tell them about Tradition Five-our Primary Purpose-and Tradition Three, which says that ‘the only requirement for A.A. m embership is a desire to stop cirinhmg.’ We give them the pan1phlet ‘Problems Other than Alcohol’ and tell them that it’s up to the individuaJ to decide if he or she h as a problem with alcohol. Another tl·equently asked question: ‘Is signing court cards against the Traditions?’ We cite Tradition Ten and tell them that AA ‘has no opinion on outside issues.’ Our groups are autonomous, however, and each decides for itself whether or not to sign.”

word of the Vrrginia program’s success has spread, and the C.F. committee has been asked to take it into other states. “When the requests started coming in, our egos really flared,” Preston says with a ruefi.Illaugh. “I know that I personally was flying. So we declined, bu·t, at the same time, we’ve made it known that we welcome the chance to share wha t we’ve learned and help wherever possible. For me, this prqject has opened the door to humility and spiritual growth. It has reinforced how important A.A. is and what r share through the Twelve and Twelve. My connection with other alcoholics-that is my experience, strength and hope.”

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C.P.C.

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Plant the Seeds-Even if You Can’t See Them Grow

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In the sprawling area west of Denver, Colorado, the dis-

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trict committee on Cooperation With the Professional Community never leaves the A.A. message to chance. Sayr; ch airperson Deborah D., of Arvada: ‘We pass on the message every which way we can; but that doesn’t mean we get instant feedback- we rarely do, and we don’t expect to. We plant the seed, hope for th e best, and keep going.” One recent C.P.C. project saw the diStribution of a set of varicolored fliers, or handouts, to groups in the district. “The first fuer states in simple terms that C.P.C. is the lmk between professionals who work in the field of alcoholism and A.A.,” explains Deborah. “The second gives a capsule Wstory ofC.P.C., which came into being in 1970 as an entity separate from the Public Information committee. The r emaining fliers explain the Twelve Traditions in brief, simple terms tak.Cll fi·om the C.P.C. Workbook published by G.S.O.” Deborah believes that doctore, lawyers, social work_ ers and other professionals don’t need to understand exactly what makes A.A. tick in order to refer alcoholics to us. ~People on the outside oflen as n ot have a view that’s inaccurate; they can’ t identifY as we do because they haven’t drunk themselves sick, tr~veled through the Steps and b~ome committed to A.A. But they still can be instrumental in helping the alcoholic to get to us.” For example, she says, “my nonal~>oholic aunt went to som e substance-abuse classes because she was tlunkmg of becoming a counselor. She didn’t really understand AA. but she’d heard it praised by her teachers. So, when she saw m e sinkmg deeper and deeper into alcoholism, she’d ask, ‘Why don’t you go to A.A.?’ That’s all she said, but she kept on repeating it. Finally her words rang a

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l! bell in my ears, and I went to AA. and stayed. f cele-

brated five years of sobriety in January. Now my 19year-old daughter asks, ‘How’s your A.A.?’ She’s foggy about how the progt·am works, but she knows I’m physically healthier and that 1 act better. So in her young mind, a seed has been planted. And who know11? Some day she may help an alcoholic she’s yet to meet.” The A.A. message to p1 ofessioual:,, Deborah feels, is in the Steps and Traditions. “It’s all there,” she says. “Tilis program is not about money or relationships. It’s about how to help alcoholics stop drinking and save their lives.”

P.I./C.P.C. ‘Let the Games Begin’A.A. Meetings Held Daily f’rom Helsinki, Finland, to Buffalo, New York, and Southern Ontario, Canada, A.A. this past year has been immediately available to athletes and visitors at a number ofintemationaJ sporting events. Says Reijo K., a member of Spiritual Sponsor, a;’l English-speaking A.A. gt·oup in Helsi.n.kl, and chairman of the area Public Information committee: “When we learned early last year that the 1994 European Championships of Track and Field would be held here in August, our P.l. <.:ommittee wanted to carry the mesSilgc effectively but h ardly knew where to begin. So we turned to the P.I. committee of Norwegian A.A. that had organized a support system at the 1994. Wmtcr Olympics in Lillehanuner. We are grateful for their help and, in turn, would like to share our experience with the General Setvice Office and other A.A.s throughout the world.” Noting that 36 A.A. volunteers from 25 groups in the greater Helsi.n.kl area participated in the P.I. conunittee project, Reijo says that English-language A.A. meetings were held every night dwing the Games, in addition to those in Finnish. The “interoffice,” or general service office, and a club for A.A.s also had people standmg by to serve as foreign-language translators. “Although we understand that A.A. has participated for many years in intemaUonal sporting events by offering extra meetmgs to the visitors,” Reijo notes, “we pt·obably made A.A. history by oflering a 24-hour A.A. phone service to visitors. The P.I. committee had acquired a hand-held cellular phone that was handed over like a baton fi·om one A.A. volunteer to another for 24 hours a day during the nine days of special se1vice. As one of ow· 10

members observed, somewhat tongue-in-cheek, ‘Since Ftnland is a forerunner of this technology in the world, we figured only the best would do.'” The P.I. committee printed 1,500 fliers. Several hundred of them were given to the organizers of the games; the others, Reijo says were “hand-and-foot delivered” by A.A. mbmbers into more than 60 hotels, along with a cover letter requesting dlsplay space. One member who delivered fliers told Reijo, “My legs were shakmg when I entered a large hotel lobby, and my voice was trembling when I introduced myi>clf to the manager and explained why I had come. But it was a wonderful expmience to fmd that evety place I went I was taken in with a smile. Serving the fellowship this way was a new and envigora ting way to guarantee myself one more sober day.” Back home in North America, A.A.s enjoyed a similarly rewarchng experience at about the same time. Says Arthur B., past ch;lirperson of the Western New York Area’s committee on Cooperation With the Professional Community: “When we heard, at our general assembly last February, that close to 100,000 people would be coming to town for the World University Games in July, we knew there had to be scores of alcoholics among them; and we wanted the hand of A.A. to be at the ready in the tlu·ee service areas where the Games would be held-Western and Central New York and Southern Ontario.” For starters, the assembly formed an ad hoc t:ommittee with Art as chairman. Then he and past assembly chair Mike E. met with a representative of the Games’ organizing committee. They discussed what A.A does and does not do; and, in the spirit of cooperation, they agt·eed to: (1) place information in the Official Games Guide, to be distributed free of charge to all participants and published, with a circulation approaching 1 million copies, in the U.S/Canada; and (2) provide mformation to the 55 hotels providing accommodations. Importantly, Art notes, “an information piece was published only after endorsement and funding by all of our three service areas as well as some intergroups and groups, which concluded that we would not be violating A.A.’s Eleventh Trudition, stressing that ‘Our public relations policy is based on attractie:m rather th<~n promotion.'” Under the heading “Alcoholics Anonymous,” the flier listed the phone numbers of the six offices in the U.S./Canada Gan1es conidor where meetings and other information could be obtained. With minor revisions, Art says, it wru; later recycled successfully as a handout at the C.P.C. committee’s booth at a county fair. “Overall,” he says, “there was 100 percent support fi·om all those who gave of their time, strength and wisdom to tlus project. I was amazed by the willmgness of A.A.s from as far as 90-odd miles away to come and help. It was a wonderful experience.”

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BOX~ 411 519

BULLETIN BOARD

Items and Ideas on Area Gatherings for A.A. -Via G.S.O. Cal~ndar ofEvents Even ts listed here are presented solely as a service to readers, n ot as an endorsement by the General Service Office. For any additional information, please use the addresses provided.

14-1.6-Pmt Elizabeth, South Africa. 46th National Conv. Write: Ch. Area Seliliee~, P.O. Box 7604, Newton Park, 6055, Port Elizabeth, South Africa 21.-23- Ban.fj; Alberta, Canada . 22nd Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 6744, Sta tion D, Calgary, AB T2P 2E6 21-23-Bonnyvil/e, A/berla, Canada. Dist. 3 RounduP.. Write: Ch., #301-4122-50 Ave, Bonnyville, AB T9N 1C3

21-23-Daupllin, Manrtoba, Canada. Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 453, Dauphin, 7-9–Uihb~. Alberta, canada. Southern

Alberta Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 212, Lethbridge, AB T:IJ 3Y5 7-9–Sacrcmumto, Cal!fomta.. 15th Annual Woman to Woman Conl: Write: Ch., Box 654, fnir Oaks, CA 95628 7-9-San Bernardino, Ca lifornia . XX Convenci6n Hispana Estatal. Write: Ch., Oficina Intergrupal de San Bernardino, 1083 W. 2nd, Ste. B, San Bernardino, CA 92410 7-9-_Marictta, Geo~ Spring R?undup. Wnte: Ch., 2.244 Surrey Ct., Manetta, GA 30067 7-9- Ft. Wayne, Indiana. 15th Annual Northeast Indiana Conv. Write: Ch., Box 1t545, ft. Wajne, IN 46859 7-9–W~ehita, Kansa.s. 20th Annual Spring Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 1814, Wichita, KS67202 7-9-Cape May, Ne.-v Jersey. SEPIA Roundup. Write: Ch., 1218 Chestnut St., Ste. 1004, Philadelphia, PA 19107 7-9-Westche.ster County, New York. 31st SENY Conv. Write: Ch., Box 1688, Madison Square Garden, New York, NY 10016 7-9-Grand Forks, North Daknta. Northcm Spring Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 14121, Grand Forks, ND 5&08-4121 7-9-Ciarksburg, West Vr.rginia. jackson’s Mill Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 825, Clarksburg, wv 26302 8-9-St. joseph, Missouri. 52nd Anniv. Write: Ch., Box 1024, St. joseph, MO 64502 13-16-Arlington, Virginia. SERCYPAA. Write: Ch., Box 17765, Arlington, VA 22216 14-15-Poros, Greece. First Conv. in Greece. Write: Ch., Parthenon Conv. Group, 13, Eratosthenous St., Pangrllli, Athens 116 35 Greece 14-15-0rlando, Florida. Celebrate V!I. Write: Ch., 2538 H ansrob Rd., Orlando, FL 32804 14-1G-Wi1Liams Lake, Briti.sll Columbia, Canada. 12th Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 6041, Williams Lake, BC V2G 3\o\12. 14-16-Chandler, Arizona. Third Annual ASCYPAA. Write: Ch., Box 905, Mesa, AZ85201 14-16- San Diego, Calijo1·nia. Spring Roundup . Write: Ch., Box 4.20967, San Diego, CA 92142-0967 14-16-Atlantlc Beach, Flmida. Spring Break Roundup, Write : Ch., Box 5 1225, jacksonville, Fl. 32.240 14-16-Ne.-v Orleans, Lowsiana. 27th Dig Deep South Conv. Write: Ch., 4041 Tulane Ave., Ste. 301, New Orleans, LA 70119 14-t6-Tulsa, Oklahoma. Fifth Annual Oklahoma Indian Conv. Write: Ch., Box 675, ‘fulsa, OK 74101

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APRIL· MAY 1995

Closed Meeting Topics From the Grapevine For m ore detailed suggestions, see the pages noted. April (Page 27): Self-support. May (Page 12): The GeneraJ Service

Conference

MBR7N2V3

21-2.3-Gananoquc, Ontario, Canadn. 30th Anniv. Conf. Write: Ch., Box 81, Brock.ville, ONK6V 5T7 21-23-Phoenix, Atizonza. Spring Break Roundup. Wnte: Ch., Box 36:~66, Phoenix, AZ85067 21.-23-Eureka Springs, Arkansas. 19th Annual Springtime in the Oz.arks. Write: Ch., Box 1261, Rogers, AR 72757 21-23-Modesto, C”alijbmla. N. Calif. HM Conf. Write: Ch., 3848 McHcruy Ave., Ste. 155-133, Modesto, CA 95350 21 -~-San jose, California . 1995 Conf. Wnte: Ch., 222Z Wafnut Grove Ave., San Jose, CA 95128 21-23- Manhattan, Kansa.s. 18th Anniv. Write: Ch., 1501 Humboldt, Manhattan, KS66502 21-23-Lake Charles, Louisiana. 42nd COnv. Wtite: Ch,, 2629 Aquarius Dr., Lake Charles, IA 70615 21 -23- Lincoln, Nebrasl~a. Spring Fling. Write: Ch., Box 30785, Lincoln, NE 68503 21-23-Reno, Nevaria. Reno Spring Festival. Write: Ch., Box 72, Reno, NV 89504 21-ZJ-Erie, Pennsylvania. Erie Area Spring Conf. Write: Ch., Box 3833, Ene, PA 16508 21 -23- Lancaster, Pen nsylvania . Third Annual Tri State Conv. Write: Ch., Box 189, Rising Sun, MD 21911 21-23-Provo, Utah. Utah COnf. ofYoung People. Write: Ch., Box 538, Spanish fork,

UT &WGO 21-23-Superior, Wisconsin. 50th Annual Roundup. Write. Ch., Box 996, Superior,

WI54880

28-30-Ketchikan , Alaska. 13th Annual F’IJ’St City Roundup. Wl’ite: Ch., Box 9595, Ketchikan, AK 99901

28-30-0liver, British Columbia , Canada.

11th Annua l Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 1154.. OUver, BC VOH 11’0

28-30- Plin Flon, Manitoba, Canada. Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 848, Flin rton, MU RBA 1N7

28-30-Tlnmdcr Bay, Ontario, Canada. Northwes tern Ont ario 29th Annual Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 73, Thunder Bay, ON P7C 4V5 28-30–Scotubluff, Nebraska. 40th Annual Panlut.ndle jamboree. Write: Ch., Box 553, Scottsbluff, NE 69361 28-30-Roswe/1, Ne.-v Mexico. 11th Road. runner Roundup . Write: Ch., Box 2768, Roswcll, NM 88202 28-30-Richmond, Virginia. Third P rimary Purpose Conf. Write: Ch., Box 12475, Riclunond, VA 23241

5-7- Ventura, California. Roundup. Wnte: Ch., 111 S. Catalina St.,Ventura, CA 93001 5-7-Uoydminster, Albetta, Canada. Roundu p. Write: Ch., Box 1742, Uoydminster, AB T9VQJ7

5-7-Maui, /Jawaii. Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 1735, Kihei, Hl 96753

5-7- Grand Rapids, Michigan. 25th Iron Range Get-Together. Write: Ch., Box 469, Grand Rapids, MI55744 5-7-Greenville, Mississippi. fourth Annual Delt a Roundup. Write; Ch., Box 1653, Cleveland, MS 387’J2 5-7-Laughlin, Nevada. 11th Annual TriState Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 21809, Bullhead City, NV 86439 5-7-0klahoma City, Oklahoma. Big Book

Planning a Future Event? Please send your information on June, July or August events, two days or more, in time to reach G.S.O. by April tO, the calendar· deadline for the june-July isst•e of Box 4-S-9. For your convemence and ours – please 1ype or print the infomlahon to be li<;ted on the Bulletin lloard page, and mail to us:

Dateofewnt:from _ _ _ _ __ __ __ _ to _ _ _ _ _ __ _ __) 19 _ __ Nameofownt.: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Place (city, state orpruvJ:

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For information, write:

(eractmallingaddress) _ __ _ __ _ _ __ __ _ _ _ _ __ __ _ __ ~

Contact phone If (for office u.seonly): _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ __

Flip up this end ofpage -for events on reverse side

Study. Write: Ch., Box 7231, Moore, OK 73153

5-7-Delawar·e Water Gap, Pen.ns)’lvania. Big Book Bed &> Breakfast W eekend. Write: Ch., 54 Pocono Wild Haven, E. Stroudsburg, PA 18301 5-7-Greensbw8′, Pennsylvania. 44th Laurel Highlands Conf. Write: Ch., Box 6, Bovard, PA15tH9 5-7:._si.ou:r. Fall!., South Dakota. Area 63 Spring Conf. Write: Ch., District 5, Box 1872, Sioux Falls, SD 57101

6-7-l’w·tliford, Saskatchewan, Canada: Turtle River Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 383, Turtleford, SK SOM 2YO

12-14 – Campbellton, New Brunswick, Canada. NMEI Roundup. Write: Ch., Pt. La N’un, Nl!, R.R 2, Box 2, Site 8, camp-

Roundup . Write: Ch. 1 Box 4040 1 Slidell, LA 70459 19-21- Hol)’oke, Massachusetts. Western Mass. Roundup. Wri te: Ch., Box 6161, Springfield, MA 01101 19-21-Warwick, New York. Orange County Conf. Write: Ch., Box 210, !VIiddletown, NY 10940-0210 19-21-st. Geo~. Utah. Spring Rally. W1ite: Ch., 1218 E. 2550 North , N . Ogden, t.rr84414 19-21- Bolton Valley, Vermont. 1995 Vermont Conv. Write: Ch., Box 95, Wallingford, vr 05773 26-27-Lindsay,Ontario, Canada. Dist. Conf. Write: Ch., Box 176, Lindsay, On K9V4S1

12-14-Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.

26-28-Castlegar·, British Columbia, Canada. 22nd Almual Roundup. Write: Ch., Site 19, Comp. 14, RR 2, Castlegar,

31st Annual Blossom Time Conv. Write: Ch., Box 851, Niagara Falls, ON L2E 6V6

26-28-Ketwood, Onturio, Canada. Stratll-

bell to!\, N1! E3N 3E8

12-14-Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada. 20th Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 4000, Whitehor:.e, YT YlA 5M6 12-14-Clearwater, Florida. Sobriety in Action Conv. Write: Ch., Box 2571, Pinellas Park, FL 34664 12-14-Marquette, Michigan. 46th Annual Spring Conf. Write: Ch., 1110 High St., Marquette, MI49855 12-14-Watertown, New York. Area 47 Conv. Write: Ch., Box 495, Great Bend, NY13643 12-14-0ntario, Oregon. Idaho Spring Assembly. Write: Ch., Box 40, Caldwell, ID 83605-0040 12-14-San Antonio, Texas. Weekend in SA. Write: Ch., Box 791995, San Antonio, TX78279 12-14-Rock Springs, Wyomi~g. Wyoming Spring Conv. Write: Ch., Box 1301, Green River, WY 8.2935 18-21- Guntersvil/e, Alabama. Mo untain Top Roundup. W rite: Ch., Box 836, Ashville, AL 35953 19-21-Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. 35th Annual State Conv. W1·ite: Secy. Conv. Cornm. ’95, 39 Duchess Circle, Dover, DE 19901

19-21-1ilmbler Ridge, Br·itish Columbia, Canada. Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 186, Tuml;>ler Ridge, BC VOC 2WO

19-21-Port Blandford, Newfoundland, Canada. 37th NF and Labrador Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 7155, St. John’b, NF AlE 3Y4

BCV1N3IA roy-Watford Early Bird Campout. Write: Ch., Box 203, Sh·athrov, ON N7G 1J2 26-28-Lcwal, Quebec, Cana(kl. 17thDisl.lict Congress. Wr ite : Ch., 1502 Station Chomedey, Laval, QC H7V tAO 26-28-Koloa, Kauai, Hawau. Kauai Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 3310, Lihue, HI96766 26-28-Boyne Mountain, Mich igan. Spring Ro undup. Write: Ch., Box 838, East Jordan, MI 49727 26-28-Bloomington, Minnesota. Gopher State Roundup XXII. Write: Ch., Box 65295, St. Paul, MN 55165-Q295

26-28-Lake Metigoshe, North Dakota. Hands Across the Border Roundup. Write: Ch., 110 lOth St. S.W., Rugby, ND 58368 26-28-Dallas, l’!!xas. Gathering of Eagles. Write: Ch., Box 35865, Dallas, TX 75235 26-28-San Angelo, Ttlras. Concho Valley Conf. Write: Ch., Box 1341, San Angelo, TX 76902 27-29-Blue Ridge, Georgia. Sobriety Run. Write: Ch., Box 865, Blue Ridge, CA 30513 27-29-Ston)’ Point, New Yorl<. NYC Young Peoples Conf. Write: Ch., 213 E. 34th St., #2B, New York, NY 10016

june

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2 -4-Flagsta.ff, Arizc,ma. Roundup . W rite: Ch., Box 66002, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 2-4-Angel Fire, New Merico. 38th Annual

19-21-Little Current, Ontario, Canada.

Area 46 Conv. Write: Ch., Box 1045, Taos, NM87571

Rainbow Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 820, Little Current, ON POP lKO

3-0-Rock)’ Mountain House, Alberta, Canacla. Rocky Recovery Roundup. Wtite:

19-21- Bloomington, lllinois. 32nd BNAA

Ch., Box 478, Rocky Mountain House, AB TOM1T3 Y-11-Alberta Br.ach, Alberta, CatUUla. First Annual Campout Roundup. Write: Ch.,

Roundup. Write: Ch., 520 E. Washington, Ste. 103, Bloomington, IL 61701 19-21-Hammona, Louisiana. Spring

Box 536, .t\lllerta Beach, AB TOE OAO

9-11- Calgary, Alberta, Canada. 14th Annual Gratitude Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 954, Station M, Galgaty, AB T2P 2K4

9 -11-Burns Lake, British Columbia, Canada. Red Road Warriors Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 967, Burns La ke, BC VQJ1EO

9-11-Vernon, British Columbia, Canada. Roundup. Write: Ch., R.R. 7, Site 12A, Camp 27, Vernon, BC Vl T 6L7

9 -11-BI’idgewater, Nova &otia, Canada. Provincial Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 461, Br·idgewater, NS B4V 2X6 9-11-Utica, New York. New York State Information Workshop. Write : Ch ., 14 l’anesi Ave., Rome, New York 13440 9-11- Akron, Ohio. 60th Founder’s Day Weekend. Write: Ch., Box 12, Akron, OH44309 16-18- Blenheim, Ontario, Canada. 17th Annual Midseason Campout. Write: Ch., Box 5, Chatham, ON N7M 51<1 16-18-Br•istol, Rhode Island. Ocean State Young People’:. Conf. Write: Ch., Box 41091, l’nwidence, RI 02940

23-25- Coombs Rodeo Grounds, BT’iti$h Columbia, Canada. 35th Annual RaUy. Write: Ch., 715 Ermineskm Ave., Parksville, BC V9P 21A 23 -25- Moodus, Connecticut. Soberfest 1995. Write: Ch., 64 Greenview La ne, Milford, cr. 06413 23-25-Peoria, Illirwis. Peoria Area Intergroup Big Book Semmar. Write: Ch., Box 9096, Peoria, 11 61614-9096

23-25- New Orleatts, Louisiana. 11th Annual LASCYPAA. Write: Ch., 4041 Tulane Ave., Ste. 301, N ew Orleans, I.A 70119

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}ttl)’ 2 1-23-Wi.chita, Kansas. Centra l Office Su mmer Roundup. Write: Ch., 2812 B. Enghsh, Wichita, KS 67211 21-23-Eugene, Oregon. Summerfest ’95. Write; Ch., Box 1172, Eugene, OR97440 28-.30-Bethel, Maine. 18 th Maine A rea Round up. Write: Ch., Box 488, BrunsWick, ME 04011-0488 28-30-Lima, Ohio. 50th Anniv. Write: Ch., 1124b Shelby-J)’eyburg-Rd., Wapakoneta, OH45895 28-.30-Tulsa,Ok/ahoma. 15th Annual OSRYPAA Roundup . Writ e: Ch., Box 471331, Tulsa, OK 74147