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BOX

459

News and Notes From the General Service Offi ce of A.A.®

VOL. 46, No.3/ JUNE-JULY 2000

50th Ge11eral Service Confere11ce “1rusting Our Future to A.A. Ptin(~i.ples” “When the first General Service Conference met in April, 1951, we found that about a third of its delegates were real old-timers. The rest were active A.A.’s sober four to eight years. Best of all, the majority of them had been chosen by a two-thirds vote . … On their first day, the delegates inspected our Headquarters, got acquainted with the service staff, and shook hands with the Trustees. In the evening there was a briefing session under the name of ‘What’s on your mind?’ We answered questions of every description. The delegates began to feel at home. Seeing their quick understanding and confidence, our spirits rose. We all sensed that something momentous was happening; that this was a historic moment. “One strenuous session followed another, morning, afternoon, and everling. The delegates inspected A.A.’s finances and listened to reports from the Board of Trustees and from all of the services. There was warm but cordial debate on many questions of A.A. policy. The Trustees submitted several of their own serious problems for the opinion of the Conference. With real dispatch the delegates handled several tough puzzlers about which we at Headquarters were in doubt. Though their advice was sometimes contrary to our own views, we saw they were frequently right. They were proving as never before that A.A.’s Tradition Two was correct. Our group conscience could safely act as the sole authority and sure guide for Alcoholics Anonymous.” Thus wrote co-founder Bill W. in Alcoholics Anonymous Comes ofAge, (pp. 217-18). As the saying goes, “The more things change the more they remain the ~ .M”‘-d!NI same.” And when members of the 50th General Service Conference gathered at the Crowne Plaza Manhattan, April 30-May 6 – a half a century later, there were many changes but a good deal remained the same. Delegates still toured “Headquarters” (now called the General

Service Office); they still “inspected A.A.’s fmances and listened [endlessly] to reports.” What’s On Your Mind? sharing sessions still are a popular item on the busy agenda. And, yes, sessions follow each other “morning, afternoon and evening.” And, for the 50th time, it was proven that “A.A.’s Tradition Two was correct.” A connecting historical thread between 1951 and 2000 was the silver-haired, soft -spoken gentleman who gave the Keynote Address. Dennis Manders, who served the Fellowship for 35 years as the “uninitiated” (or nonalcoholic) controller/business administrator has attended 50 Conferences. Since his retirement in 1985 Dennis has served as senior advisor to the trustees’ Finance Committee. Dennis shared his experience and memories of the Conference, citing various events, and told the story of being hired by Bill in 1950. When Bill asked him if he drank, Dennis allowed how he enjoyed “an occasional beer or cocktail.” Bill responded, “Glad to hear that Dem1y. We wouldn’t want to hire a teetotaler who would be forever looking down his nose at us drunks.” Follov.,1ng Dem1is’s address, to a standing ovation, a large celebratory sheet cake was rolled in and it was time for that old A.A. tradition- a coffee break. This year’s Conference was chaired by Gary Glynn (nonalcoholic), chairman of the board; Greg M., G.S.O.’s general manager; Elaine johnson, Ph.D., Class A (nonalcoholic) trustee, and Rick B., delegate chairperson (SE Ohio). Susan U., G.S.O. staff, was Conference coordinator. Reverting back to a former format, this year’s Conference opened on Sunday afternoon with roll call, welcomes and the keynote address. Sunday evening the 134 Conference members (delegates from the 92 areas in the U.S. and Canada, trustees of the General Service Board, A.A.W.S. and Grapevine directors and G.S.O. and

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Box 4-5-9 is published bimonthly by the General Service Office of Alcoholics Anonymous, 475 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10115, ©Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., 2000 Mail address: P.O. Box 459, Grand Central Station New York, NY 10163 G.S.O.’s A.A. Web Site: www.aa.org Subscriptions: Individual, $3.50 per year; group, $6.00 for each unit of 10 per year. Check-made payable to A.A.W.S., Inc.-should accompany order.

Grapevine staff members) and their guests gathered for the opening dinner. An open A.A. meeting followed dinner, chaired by Mickey H. (Utah). The meeting was led by Bob P. (Northern Indiana); speakers were Brenda S. (S. Florida/Bahamas/V.I.), Don M. (Colorado), Doug R. (G.S.O. staff), Ron G. (A.A.W.S. director) and Alex P. (trustee-at-large/Canada). With only two months left until A.A.’s 65th Anniversary celebration in Minneapolis, excitement ran high. Monday evening, following presentations by Valerie O’N., G.S.O.’s International Convention coordinator and Bonnie McC., Southern Mim1esota delegate, the 475 Players (G.S.O. staff members) presented a continuation of the skit they did at last year’s Conference. Wednesday afternoon the Conference elected two new Class B (alcoholic) trustees. Ted S., of Aberdeen, South Dakota, will succeed Carl B. as West Central regional trustee; Ric D., from Burnaby, British Columbia, will serve as the new Western Canada trustee following rotating Garry MeA. Also rotating at the end of this year’s Conference was Peter Roach, Class A (nonalcoholic) trustee from Peterborough, Ontario, who has served the board well since 1994. The new Class A trustee will be Leonard M. Blumenthal, of Rolly View, Alberta, Canada. Al P., of Mid-Southern, California, will be the delegate chairperson for the 2001 General Service Conference, Paul]., South Dakota, will be the alternate chair. Each morning at 7:30 an open A.A. meeting met and, for the flrst time, a meeting was available at 9:00 pm. Following the closing Brunch on Saturday six minibuses transported delegates, family members and friends to Stepping Stones, the home of Lois and Bill W. in Bedford Hills, New York. Throughout the week there were presentations, reports, a workshop and area service highlights. The main focus of the Conference however, is on the deliberations of each of the 13 Conference committees, and it is during the committee meetings that the major work of the Conference is done. After a joint meet2

ing with corresponding trustees’ committees, the Conference committees review material and recommendations, weigh and discuss various issues and come up with recommendations which may result in Conference Advisory Actions (Highlights of Advisory Actions, p. 3). just before the official closing Friday afternoon, G.S.O. staff member Lois F., a ve teran of 23 Conferences who will retire in the fall, shared her memories of the past and thoughts for the future. “We who serve as Conference members,” Lois said, “have a vital leadership role in A.A. But should we go astray, and lose sight of the simplicity, inclusiveness, common sense and compassion that have always been present in our efforts to carry our message, we will simply not be able to ‘sink the A.A. ship.’ None of us is big enough to do that. The Fellowship itself will straighten us out, or simply ignore us.” Fifty years ago, Dennis Manders remembered, “that flrst Conference began as an ‘experiment in faith and was, at the conclusion, an e:r:perience in faith.’ If it had a theme it was ‘Not to Govern … But to Serve.’ … In his opening talk Bill also said ‘This is your Legacy of Service, guard it carefully. We hope you will like the stewardship we have given you.’ ” Thus, the 50th General Service Conference proved another “experience in faith” and trust that the future of A.A. is secure so long as the principles of our Steps, Traditions and Concepts remain steadfast.

Estin1ates of Groups and Members as ofjanuary 1, 20001 United States Canada Sub-Total Correctional facilities2 Internationalists Lone members Total Outside U.S.&> Canada 3 Grand Total

Groups

Members

51,151 5,132 56,283 2,519

1,161,436 97,504 1,258,940 64,723

58,802 40,222

114 314 1,324,091 666,413

99,024

1,990,504

1. The General Service qjfice does not keep membership records. The information shown here is based on repor·ts given by groups listed with G.S.O., and does not r·epresent an actual count of those who consider themselves A.A. members.

2. U.S. and Canada only. 3. We are aware of A.A. activity in approximately 145 countries, including 45 autonomous general service offices in other lands. Annually we attempt to contact those G.S.O.s and groups that r·equest to be listed in our records. Where current data is lacking we use the pr·evious year’s figur·es .

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2000 Conference Advisory Actions Conference Advisory Actions represent recommendations made by the standing committees and approved by the Conference body as a whole; or recommendations discussed and voted upon by all Conference members during general sessions. Some significant Advisory Actions appear below in condensed form. A complete list will be published in the Final Conference Report.

Floor Actions-that the Correctional Facilities Kit and Workbook be designated as service material rather than A.A. General Service Conference-approved Literature; that Southern California Area 05 be granted an additional delegate area. Agenda-That the theme of the 2001 Conference be: “Love and Service”; that the following be presentation/ discussion topics for the 2001 Conference: Sponsorship, Language of the Heart, The G.S.R’s Role in A.A. Archives–no recommendations. Cooperation With the Professional Communityno recommendations. Correctional Facilities–that the revision of the pamphlet to replace “It Sure Beats Sitting in a Cell” be approved. Finance- no recommendations. Grapevine- no recommendations. International Conventions/A.A. Regional Forums-no recommendations. Literature-that a draft copy of the Fourth Edition of the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous, or a progress report be brought to the 2001 Conference Literature Committee. Policy/Admissions-that the 53rd General Service Conference be held April 27-May 3, 2003, since these dates do not conflict with any major religious holidays. Public Information-that changes concerning anonymity on the Internet be made in these Conferenceapproved materials: “A.A. Fact File,” “A Brief Guide to Alcoholics Anonymous,” “Sp eaking at Non-A.A. Meetings” and “Understanding Anonymity”; that the 2001 A.A. Membership Survey Questionnaire be approved with the deletion of Question #17 (regarding whether physical disability affects attendance or particip a tion in A.A. meetings), since the responses to this

question have been inconclusive in two previous surveys and the committee recognized that there are other more effective ways of determining how the A.A. message can be better carried to those who have these difficulties. Report and Charter-that the description of the A.A. Group (Long Form Tradition Three and a section of Wa.JTanty Six, in Concept Twelve) be added in Chapter Two: “The Group and Its G.S.R.” in The A.A. Service Manual. Treatment Facilities-no recommendations. Trustees-that the slate of trustees, officers and directors of the General Service Board, A.A. World Services Board and Grapevine Cmporate Board be elected.

Resumes for Trustees Election duejan. 1, 2001 Three new Class B (alcoholic) trustees -from the East Central (U.S.) and Southeast (U.S.) regions, and trustee-at-large/U.S.-will be nominated at the General Service Conference in April 2001. Resumes must be received at G.S.O. no later than January 1, 2001, and must be submitted by delegates only. The new East Central regional trustee will succeed Jack 0 . of Illinois; the new regional trustee from the Southeast will replace Betty S. of South Carolina; and the trustee-at-large/U.S. will fill the position now held by Dean R. of Oklahoma. A sound A.A. background is a basic qualification for Class B trustees. Ten years of continuous sobriety is desirable but not mandatory. Candidates should be active in both local and area A.A. affairs; and, because trustees serve the entire Fellowship, they require the background and the willingness to make decisions on matters ofbroad policy that affect A.A. as a whole. It is also important that trustee candidates understand the commitment of time. Trustees are expected to attend three quarterly board weekends, with meetings often scheduled from Thursday afternoon through Monday morning, and the General Service Conference, which lasts for one week. Often trustees are asked to attend a Regional Forum weekend. In addition, regional trustees are usually asked to serve two years on either the A.A.W.S. or Grapevine Corporate Boards which meet more frequently than the General Service Board . Please submit your ca ndidate ‘ s resume to the Secretary, trustees’ Nomina ting Committee, General Service Office. 3

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Reports From (;.S. 0., the (;eneral Service Board, and Trustees’ Connnittees 1

General Service Board Trustees’ report: The year 2000 is an important one for our board because we are celebrating three events: this 50th General Service Conference, our International Convention in Minneapolis in June, and the 16th World Senrice Meeting in New York, in October. Wednesday morning, Gany MeA. will report on progress of the proposed Fourth Edition of the Big Book. The trustees’ and Conference Literature Committees have established close communication so members of the Conference Committee are informed about this important project. I want to thank the past and current members who have served on the Fourth Edition Subcommittee for what has proven to be very hard work. One of the primary ways the AA. message is carried beyond our borders is through translations of A.A. Conference-approved literature, most often the Big Book. Alcoholics Anonymous has now been translated into 40 languages. It is fundamentally important for alcoholics to read the Big Book in words that come as close in spirit as possible to the original 1939 English version, whatever language it is translated into. For that reason, and to support unity and help provide the funds G.S.O.s needs to serve A.A. groups, A.A.W.S. has continued Bill W.’s practice of registering copyrights on A.A. literature and asking alcoholics in every country to unifY around one G.S.O. In 1997 the trustees of the General Senrice Board voted unanimously to endorse the resolution of the A.A.W.S. Board to preserve and protect the copyrights held in trust for all of A.A. around the world, including taking legal action, if necessary. As I reported to you last year, legal action in fact became necessary to protect our copyrights from a persistent infringer in Germany. Recently the German courts ruled that A.A.W.S.’s copyrights were valid and that they had been infringed. Given the nature oflegal proceedings, I hesitate to guess at a date when this matter will be entirely behind us. I am optimistic that we will succeed in presenring our copyrights on the Big Book, which are valid outside of the United States, as well as our copyrights on the rest of our literature, which are valid everywhere. A.A.W.S., with the support of the General Service Board, is firm in its resolve to take whatever action is necessary to preserve the integrity of our literature. Legal action is distasteful and distracting for all parties, and I hope and pray that the infringing parties will stop so we can all concentrate on carrying the A.A. message to those alcoholics who have yet to hear it. Recently we have received complaints from long-standing A.A. intergroups who have found themselves displaced from telephone directory listings by an organization that tries to get pea-

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ple seeking Twelfth Step calls to go into treatment . After we told this organization of the potential these actions had to confuse individuals seeking Alcoholics Anonymous, they agreed to d iscontinue using the A.A. name in their phone direct01y listings. Since the 49th Conference, the board has hosted five Regional Forums; two outstanding Special Forums were held in San Juan, Puerto Rico and Window Rock, Arizona. The trustees received with gratitude a request to hold a Special Forum in an inner city neighborhood of Chicago, which we hope to hold in 2001. The Grapevine’s management and board are looking at ways of reducing the cost of carrying out the business functions of the Grapevine. G.S.O. fmances continue to be excellent. Last year’s income of $907,600 was inflated by a number of nonrecurring items and should not be considered a starting point for projecting future results. Nonetheless, we fmd ourselves able to finance important archives and computer network projects without hurting the Reserve Fund. Our principle of corporate poverty tells us we should spend money only when it is essential to carrying out our work, and both the archives and network projects fall into that category. Gary Glynn (nonalcoholic) chairman

Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. Directors’ report: Alcoholics Anonymous World Senrices, Inc. (A.A.W.S.) is a New York not-for-profit corporation. The trustees of the General Service Board are the membe r s of A.A.W.S. and elect the A.A.W.S. directors, who are responsible for oversight of the General Service Office (G.S.O.), which provides group services, including printing and distribution of Conference-approved and service literature. The A.A.W.S. Board met seven times since the last Conference to receive G.S.O. management and staff reports, review group services activity and progress on implementation of Conference and board recommendations, review financial reports , price new or revised publications, review publishing operations and matters of G.S 0. administration, consider requests from A.A. members and non-A.A.s for permission to reprint A.A.-copyrighted literature, and to address other matters as they arose. The committees of the A.A.W.S. Board are: Services, which considers the needs of all service assignments; Publishing, which reviews reprints, foreign literature and publications ma t ters; Finance, which oversees salary and budget , audit review, and retirement; and Nominating.

Long-range planning is done within each committee and by the board as a whole. Regional Forums: A.A.W.S. directors and G.S.O. and GV staff participated in five Regional and two Special Forums. New Groups Registered: During 1999, 1,965 new groups were registered with G.S.O., compared to 2,184 in 1998. A subcommittee of the board is working on ways to improve communications with groups regarding the registration process. Year 2000 (Y2K) Project: Due to the work of our Information Services manager and her staff, the office computer systems were totally Y2Kcompliant well before year-end 1999. G.S.O.’s Information Technology crew worked on December 31, and again, on January 2, to ensure that all systems were operational before the office reopened for business on January 3, 2000. G. S. 0 .’s A.A. Web Site: The board endorsed a plan to broaden the information on G.S.O.’s A.A. Web Site. Additional literature will be posted to provide material in addition to Public Infom1ation data. In 1999, the office experienced a marked increase in visits to its Web site, totaling approximately 730,000 for the year, compared to 400,000 visits in 1998. The 1999 figures reflected an average of2,000 “hits” per day. Intergroup Seminar: The 14th Annual Intergroup/Central Office/A.A.W.S. Seminar was held in Bradenton, Florida, October 14-17, with representatives from more than 100 offices attending. Visitor·s: G.S.O. welcomed 1,097 visitors during 1999. We enjoyed visits with trusted servants from service structures in the Dominican Republic, Hungmy and Colombia. Tenth European Service Meeting: Eva S. attended the Tenth European Service Meeting in Frankfurt, Germany, October 22-24. Twenty countries were represented at the meeting. Eva also visited the Munich G.S.O. and met with two members of their General Service Board, October 25-26. International: Greg M. attended Hungary’s Fifth Annual National Meeting, July 3-4, as well as a meeting with board members and staff. Greg’s travels during June 27-July 6 included a stop-over at the German General Service Office in Munich. He visited the General Service Board in Helsinki, Finland, August 10-11. He also met with Finnish members who had separated from the A.A. structure . Greg continued on to Moscow, Russia, August 12-16, where he met with the Russian General Service Board and participated in the 12th Anniversary celebration of the Moscow Beginners Group. Richard Bush was present for the 25th Anniversary of A.A . in Poland, in Poznan, August 20-22. Approximately 2,000 A.A. members from a dozen countries were present. Eva S. and DannyM. traveled to El ‘

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Salvador, where trustees Alex P. and Dean R. served as delegates to the XI Meeting of the Americas (REDELA) in Sa n Salvador, October 812. Eva also visited the G.S.O. in Guatemala City, October 14. Greg M., Dean R. and Danny M. attended the VII Mexico Convention in Mazatlan, and also visited the G.S.O. in Mexico City. Eva S. traveled to Cuba, January 21-23, for the Seventh Anniversary of A.A. in Cuba. 2000 International Convention: The board received regular updates on preparations for the 2000 International Convention, to be held in Minneapolis, Minnesota, June 29-July 2, 2000. Finance: Through its Finance Committee, the board prepared, reviewed and recommended G.S.O.’s 2000 budget to the trustees’ Finance Committee. We approved the transfer of$500,000 to the General Service Board’s Reserve Fund. Publishing: New hard-cover book jacket and soft-cover book designs were reviewed and scheduled to be phased in between March 2000 and March 2001. New/revised literature included the Trea tment Facilities Kit/Workbook, four Spanish-language kits/workbooks and several translations. W e approved expenditures of $6,000 for five Ukrainian pamphlets and $25,000 for the Mongolian Big Book. G.S.O. has moved its main U.S. warehousing/distribution operations from Kansas City to a firm called Quebecor in Church Hill, Tennessee. The transition period has worked out well, and it is expected that this change will result in savings of approximately $80,000 per year. During 1999, the board granted permission/did not object to 169 requests to reprint A.A. litera ture; 14 requests were denied. Other Board Actions : We welcomed new regional trustee director Jim C. who replaced rotating regional trustee director Gany MeA. in May 1999. In addition, the board elected a slate of officers to serve through Conference 2000. The boa rd r equest e d that the trustees’ Nomina ting Committee approve Beth R. to replace Jack 0 . as a regional trustee director on the A.A.W.S. Board following the 2000 Conference. G.S.O./Staff Operations: New staff member Rick W. began work at G.S.O. in November, replacing Richard B. who retired after 11 years of devoted service. Erin Lange (nonalcoholic) was hired as assistant a rchivist at G.S.O. At year-end 1999, G.S.O. had 83 full-time positions, compared to 82 employees in 1998. Services Mondiaur des Alcooliques Anonymes (S .M.A.A.) Inc.: The directors of S.M.A.A., an affiliate corporation of A.A.W.S., Inc., have held meetings on a quarterly basis since the last Conference. At the January 27, 2000 meeting, the directors received reports on the operations a nd fma nces of the corporation during 1999. After interest earned on the S.M.A.A. Reserve Fund and currency translations, a loss of U.S.$11,400 was recorded. The directors reviewed and accepted the S.M.A.A. budget for 2000, which was forwarded to the trustees’ Finance & Budgetary Committee. Jack 0., chairperson

Archives Trustees’ committee: The committee discussed the Archives Handbook, and agreed the Archives Kit format would allow more frequent updates, as we learn about new preservation and retrieval procedures. We reviewed the current archives policy on the co-founders’ anonymity and reaffmned the G.S.O. Archives policy that we mainta in the anonymity of all members, living or dead, including the co founders, at the level of public media. The audio preservation specialist conducted the on-site evalua tion of G.S.O.’s audio collection. His report was reviewed and forward ed to the board. It was felt that the financial concerns should not limit our efforts to proceed with the preservations work. The G.S.O. Archives will have its own booth at the 2000 International Convention and we expect many visitors. Linda Chezem chairperson (nonalcoholic)

retary to the Conference Agenda Committee and the trustees’ Committee on the General Service Conference; assembling suggestions for the Conference theme, presentation/discussion and workshop topics; working with the G.S.O. staff and general manager on planning and coordinating each phase of the Conference; scheduling and assembling reports and other information for the Conference Manual, the Early Bird edition ofBox 4-5-9 and the Coriference Final Report. Susan U.

Cooperation With the Professional Community/ Treatment Facilities Trustees’ committee: in 1998 the trustees’ C.P.C. and trustees’ Trea tment Facilities Cornrnittees were combined. C.P.C.-The committee recommended that the

Archivist’s report: A new window was insta lled between our wo r k area and the research room, which allows us to better monitor this area. The Archives welcomed representatives of the Danish G.S.O. Archives who researched early Danish A.A. history here. They expressed how invaluable our resources were to compile Denmark’s A.A. history. Early in 1999, we received the tragic news of the death of Frank Mauser, former G.S.O. archivist. Frank took over the position in 1983 fi·om Nell Wing, and served until the end of 1997. Memorial services were held in Vera Beach, Florida and in New York. ]udit Santon, (nonalcoholic) ar·chivist

Conference Trustees’ committee: We reviewed the 1999 Advisory Actions, including the theme for the 50th Conference, “Trusting our Future to A.A. Principles.” We also reviewed the summary of Evaluation Questionnaires submitted by Conference members, and decided to start the Conference on Sunday for various expressed reasons. We reviewed the preliminary Conference Agenda including workshop questions and presentation topics, and also considered Conference Agenda topics and forwarded subjects to the appropriate trustees or Conference committee. jim C., chairper-son Staff report: The Conference coordinator is the G.S.O. contact for Conference members. The Conference process continues throughout the year and the coordinator corresponds regularly with delegates and alternate delegates, who cooperate to make the annual Conference responsive to the needs of the Fellowship. The coordinator is also the contact for area and district committee members, as well as past delegates, in the 92 areas of the U.S. and Canada. The coordinator is responsible for: serving as sec-

production and installation of the new panel for the C.P.C. exhibit proceed; a subcommittee was appointed to discuss ways to inform physicians regarding the benefits of using A.A. members as resources when attempting to help the still-suffering alcoholic.

Treatment Facilities-We are considering ways to further communicate the inclusiveness and diversity of our Fellowship with our fi-iends in professional fields, using such tools as the A.A. Membership Survey pamphlets and the catalog of A.A. Literature and Audiovisual Material for Special Needs. Local T.F. committees are now carrying meetings into other noncorrectional institutional environments, e.g., shelters, nursing homes, hospices, half-way houses and not limiting their scope to “treatment facilities.” George E. Vaillant, M.D., (nonalcoholic) chairperson Staff reports: C.P.C.-The C.P.C. assignment is responsible for providing information about A.A. and establishing good communication with those outside A.A. who may have direct contact with the stillsuffering alcoholic through their professional work. In 1999 the C.P.C. staff member responded to 2,000 inquiries from profes~onals; 1,437 were requests for information which followed visits to our A.A. Web site. Meetings with medical students continue to be set up throughout the year at G.S.O. The publication About A.A. is also the responsibility of this assignment. Wan·enS.

Treatment Facilities-The purpose of this assignment is to provide information and service material to assist the work of A.A. committees who wish to cany the message to alcoholics in treatment. We now have 89 area Treatment Facilities chairpersons, 202 district chairpersons, and 19 “other” local chairpersons. We maintain

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an up-to-date list of these committee chairs and provide them with information and literature, Area Treatment Facilities chairs are sent the Treatment Facilities Kit, a comprehensive guide to carrying the message in Treatment Facilities, Valuable treatment facilities sharing is provided to G,S,O, through minutes and reports sent in by treatment facilities committees, This information often serves as the basis for a Bar 4-5-9 article, RickW,

CmTectional Facilities Tntstees’ report: We reviewed ten stories, two progress reports from the publications department as well as the new layout and illustrations for “It Sure Beats Sitting in a Cell,” and forwarded a draft to the 2000 Conference C,F, Committee, with suggestions, Informational letters about AA w ere mailed to 7,634 administrators, health professionals, and counselors, in prisons and jails at the federal, state and local levels, Carl B, , cha irperson Staff report: This assignment is responsible for carrying the AA message to alcoholics confmed in a variety of correctional settings, Over 600 letters a month arrive from inma tes, most asking for free literature, many asking for names of outside A,A, members with whom to correspond, or for help in making contact with AA upon release, We try to facilita te these requests, primarily through our network of area, district and local Correctional Facilities committees, The newsletter, Sharing From Behind The Walls, containing sharing from inma te letters sent to G,S,O,, is also a responsibility of this assignment The Corrections Correspondence Service (CCS), coordinated by this desk, continues as one of our most valuable efforts, One ofthe questions asked by AA members involved in corrections service is how to get fellow members on the “outside” to commit to speaking at or sponsoring a meeting in a correctional facility, “Carrying the Message Behind These Walls,” a video created to encourage AA members to participa te in correctional service, addresses many of the concerns, AdrienneB,

Finance Trustees’ committee: Last year we reviewed the proposed budget for 1999 and reported that the G,S,O, expected income from operations was $174,000, Today we can report that actual results were considerably better than the proposed budget. Having previously accomplished the objective of lowering the Reserve Fund balance and maintaining it in ’98, we added approximately $500,000 based on 1999 results, Today, after the transfer, the balance stands at just about 9,4 months, We should be encouraged that 1999 contributions to G,S,O, were higher than both those received in 1998 and the amount we had hoped to receive for 1999, This represents the third

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year in a row that contributions have increased over the previous year and reflects a positive trend, Contributions were $203,000, or 5,0% higher tha n 1998 and $142,000 (3,5%) higher than our budget, During 1999, $4,242,000 in contributions were received from 24,355 groups, That represents 43,2% of the 56,266 groups registered with G,S,O,, and is slightly less than the 44BYa that contributed in 1998, While contributions were up, the percent of groups contributing reached the lowest point of the past ten years, Net sales of literature were $9,145,000, This was $420,000, 4, 3% greater tha n budgeted, a nd $233,000, or 2,6% greater than the previous year (which did not include (SMAA), Book sales, as measured in units, fmally stabilized after declining over the last ten years, In total, printing a nd other manufa cturing costs, shipping expenses and royalty payments were somewhat ahead of budget, as were sales, Gross profit of $5,132,000 was $388,000 more than budgeted and $612,000 more than realized in 1998, The combination of contributions and net literature sales resulted in total G,S,O, r evenue of $9,382,000, some $534,000, or 6%, greater than originally budgeted, and $820,000, or 9,6%, greater than 1998, Total opera ting expenses for G,S,O, during 1999 were $8,516,000, This is $164,000 less than budget, and essentially “flat” – just 1% higherthan the previous year, The Conferenceapproved limit for the Reserve Fund is 12 months of combined G,S,O, and Grap evine opera ting expenses, At December 1999 it was just about 9 months, in my opinion, about where it should be in normal times, At $7,332,900, the Reserve Fund amounts to $131 per listed AA group, To give perspective to this number, contributions per group averaged about $76 for the 56,266 registered, while expenses to support services to those groups average $104, Also to give perspective, and less we get too euphoric with our leveling unit book sales this past year, since 1990, our unit sales of books have declined at an average rate of about 4,5% per year, We are now selling almost one-third fewer Big Books than we were selling in 1989, At the Gra pevine, magazine income was approximately even with last year, even though circulation was down slightly, Gross profit on the magazine was $1,064,000, which was essentially the same as last year but $31,000 more than budget, Revenue of Other Items was less than budgeted by $95,000 and was also $13,000 less than last year, Gross profit on Other Items, however, was approximately $18,000 higher tha n 1998, due to Pocket Planner &> Wall Calendar sales, Therefore, total income, including interest income, was $1,427,000, slightly greater than last year but $47,000 less than budgeted, Costs and expenses for editorial, circula tion and bu siness , and administration w er e $1,448,900, This was $6,000 less than last year and $55,000 less than budget. As a result, the Grapevine (excluding La Villa) reported a loss of $22,000, some $7,000 less tha n budgeted, and $23 ,000 less than 1998 , The magazine has

grown from an idea to a full-fledged publication with a 1999 average circulation of close to 8,000, It appears to be a first-rate product, and hopefully it will fulfill the needs of our Spanishspeaking members and we will see continued growth in circulation, To date, the project has incurred losses each of the past four and onehalf years, During 1999, subscription income was $58,600 and direct costs of publishing were $53 ,400, resulting in a $5,200 gross profit, Operating expenses directly associated with the publication were $64,400, These include the editorial, circulation and a dministrative costs attributable to La Villa, Therefore, the overall loss on the project was $59,000, The Grapevine Board and management have worked hard to put out a quality product that is responsive to the needs of the Spanish-speaking members of the Fellowship on a cost-effective basis, The Grapevine Boa rd and the trustees’ Finance Committee will continue to monitor progress against the original business plan and inform the Conference, Since the inception of the project, $395,000 has been invested in La Villa, The General Service Board is carefully evaluating this project this year so we can make the best recommendation to the Conference next year, The Fellowship’s fmances remain in good condition, the outlook for this year appears to be favorable, and we continue to have the fmancial wherewithal to carry the message, Arthur L, Knight,]r, (nonalcoholic) chairperson

General Sharing Session Trustees’ report: The topic for the July 1999 session was “How to Improve Communications with All A A Groups,” for the October Sharing Session, the discussion focused on “The Hand of AA: Are We Truly Available to All Who Need Us? ” and la st Janua ry , the topic was “Anonymity in the 21st Century: Will We Be Able to Meet the Challenge?” Betty S,, chairperson

International Conventions/ A.A. Regional Forums Tntstees’ committee: International Conventions-We approved the preliminary 2000 International Convention program and accepted the list of non-A,A, speakers for Convention panels; accepted the 2000 badge design format; ·and reviewed and accepted the list of speakers for the Friday and Sunday Big Meetings, We are presenting an Interim Report on the general International Conventions Inventory requested by the 1999 Conference Committee, and also a proposed questionnaire to evaluate the 2000 International Convention,

Regional Forums-Four Regional and two Special Forums have been held since the last Conference: Northeast, West Central, East Central and the Southwest Regions hosted excit-

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ing and well attended Forums. A Special Forum was held in San Juan, Puerto Rico . Another Special Forum was held on the Navajo Reservation in Window Rock, Arizona. Over seven different Native American tribes were represented at this Forum. The committee discussed ways of improving Regional and Special Forums. Peter Roach, (nonalcoholic) chairperson Staff reports: International Conventions-This assignment entails coordinating the myriad details involved in producing the A.A. International Convention, held every five years. The 2000 Convention, in Minneapolis, June 29-July 2, 2000, will be a wonderful event. We trust that all attendees will experience a milestone event, gratitude and the language of the heart. Valerie O’N.

Regional Forums- The staff member handling Regional Forums is responsible for coordinating and following through on all arrangements necessary for holding Forums in the U.S. and Canada. These sharing weekends help foster wider communication and understanding among A.A. service workers, the General Service Board, A.A.W.S., the Grapevine and GV and G.S.O. staffs. Regional Forums are held at the invitation of a particular region every two years. A region may also request a Special Forum. The staff member also serves as secretary of the trustees’ Nominating Committee, Conference Committee on Trustees and co-secretary of the trustees’ and Conference International ConventionS/Regional Forums Committees. DougR

IntemationaV World Service Meeting Trustees’ committee: This committee is responsible for suggesting policies and actions to assure that the A.A. message is available around the world, especially in areas where there is no established service structure. We provide shared experience, support translations of A.A. literature in other languages and encourage the expansion of regional or zonal service meetings. The committee is the primary link between the international A.A. community and U.S./Canada General Service Board. The 16th World Service Meeting will be held October 22-26 in New York City, with the theme “A.A.- Our Future is Our Responsibility.” We are anticipating over 39 delegates representing over 28 countries. In 2000 A.A.W.S. will translate and publish a variety of foreign language books, pamphlets and reprints. A portion of this expense will be drawn from the International Literature Fund representing contributions from A.A. groups around the world. We continue to be encouraged and inspired by the International A.A. community and General Service Boards and offices in other countries, who carry our message to countless thousands in new regions and across difficult

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linguistic, cultural and economic barriers. Dean R, chailperson Staff report: The International desk receives correspondence from groups, individual A.A.s and professionals interested in obtaining information about A.A. in countries outside of the U.S. and Canada. The staff member corresponds with 46 international general service offices and literature distribution centers. Other responsibilities on the assignment are: Serving as coordinator for the biennial World Service Meeting (WSM) and maintaining contact with delegates and their offices throughout the year; maintaining close communications with our Publications Department on requests for new translations of literature and the beginnings of new General Service or Information offices that may be able to distribute literature to local members and groups. EvaS.

Literature Trustees’ committee: A summary of the literature projects of the trustees’ Literature Committee since the 1999 General Service Conference: Ongoing Pr·ojects: A draft of the proposed Four Edition of Alcoholics Anonymous containing new stories plus the continuing stories from the Third edition will go to the 2001 Conference; a subcommittee on the proposed pamphlet for Black/African American Alcoholics has selected 14 stmies to pass on to Publications for editing. A subcommittee to develop a new pamphlet for older alcoholics to replace the pamphlet “Time to Start Living” has selected stories that the Publications Department will edit and forward to the committee in May. Richar-d R, chairperson Staff report: The Literature coordinator works closely with the editor, writers and illustrators on preparing all new recovery pamphlets, books and audiovisuals, in accordance with recomm e ndations from the Genera l Service Conference. The literature desk receives and responds to correspondence from A.A. members and groups about literature, and maintains contact with all area, district, intergroup/central offices and A.A. group literature chairpersons. The staff member on this assignment also serves as editor of Bar 4-5-9.

Lois F.

Loners, Intemationalists, Homers Staff report: Loners are A.A.s who are unable to attend meetings because there are no groups nearby. There are about 333 Loners in 87 countries. Seagoing A.A.s, known as Internationalists, number about 115 with an additional 38 Port

—··-·-··· ……………………………………………………… _

Contacts; eight Internationalist Groups meet aboard ships. We know have 186 Homers, A.A.s who are housebound due to illness or physical disability. Loners, Homers, and Internationalists stay sober by sharing experience, strength and hope with each other through letters, tapes, and e-mail. Each new Loner, Homer or Internationalist receives a directory of members, a subscription to Box 4-5-9 and the Loners/ Internationalists Meeting-By-Mail, (LIM) a bimonthly bulletin which shares excerpts ofletters received at G.S.O. from LIM members. There are also over 551 Loners Sponsors, sharing group activities and personal experience. Rick w.

Nominating Trustees’ cormnittee: A search for a Class A (nonalcoholic) trustee was made and the committee recommended to the board that Leonard M. Blumenthal serves as a Class A trustee, replacing Peter Roach, who will rotate in 2000. New procedures relating to appointed committee members and consultants were developed andiecommended to the board. The committee recommended approval of William G. Herold and Jane Starke Lobdell to serve as appointed committee members on the trustees’ Correctional Facilities Committee. jacqueline]. chairperson

Public Information Trustees’ report: Following is a list of some of our work over the past year: a subcommittee was appointed to review existing P.I. literature for possible inclusion of text on anonymity at the level of the “Internet”; we reviewed background from the 1996 a nd 1998 A.A. Membership Surveys and forwarded the Membership Survey Questionnaire to the Conference Committee. The committee reviewed extensive material and met with the trustees’ Archives Committee and representatives of A.A.W.S. and A.A. Grapevine to discuss the issue of our co-founders’ anonymity. Robert Miller (nonalcoholic) chairperson Staff report: The goal of the P.I. assignment is to help to carry the A.A. message to the alcoholic and the general public through the media, health fairs, schools and G.S.O.’s A.A. Web site. A crucial part ofP.I. work at G.S.O. is to act as a resource and central repository of the sharing from P.I. Committees throughout the U.S. and Canada. Throughout the year the staff member and a staff assistant respond to hundreds of written and telephone inquiries that come in from the general public and the Fellowship. The staff member is also responsible for handling interviews with the media describing what A.A. is and what it can and cannot do. The assignment provides accurate and consistent information to the media, researchers, students and the

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general public about Alcoholics Anonymous. Four times a year, the staff member communicates with over 500 P.I. Committee chairpeople at the area, district, intergroup/central office and group level. BillA.

Service Material Staff report: To assist groups, G.S.O. provides service material to the Fellowship, based on an indicated need, to provide information and share experience not found in Confer enceapproved literature: Regional Forum Reports; A.A. Guidelines; Referral List of Fellowships Similar to A.A.; a catalog of A.A. Literature and Audiovisual Material for Special Needs. Ongoing projects: Coordinating the three A.A. Directories; supervision of service files, A.A. Guidelines, Group Handbooks, and G.S.R. Kits. The staff member also serves as liaison with intergroup/ central offices. DougR

Spanish Services Staff report: There are more than 40,000 Spanish-speaking A.A. members, meeting in 1,500 groups in the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada. The Spanish Services staff person, who does not rotate, coordinates Spanish translations of material from the other staff assignments and assists other staff members in providing services to the Spanish-speaking community. All Spanish-speaking groups receive Box 45-9 in Spanish. The General Service Board’s Quarterly Report is also distributed in Spanish, and a list of preliminary and fmal Conference Agenda items is distributed in Spanish to all delegates and alternate delegates. The staff member helps answer the correspondence received in Spanish by other assignments, and attends conventions, Hispanic intergroup meetings, Regional Forums, World Service Meetings and the International Convention, as well as greeting Spanish-speaking visitors to G.S.O. Dannp M.

Staff Coordinator Staff report: Services to A.A. groups and members are provided through 11 staff assignments; in addition staff members correspond with groups and members in a specific region. Staff members rotate assignments every two years; assignments <:uze monitored by the staff coordinator. In 1999 staff received a total of 23,260 pieces of mail. As assistant secretary of the General Service Board, the staff coordinator is responsible for scheduling committee meetings, distributing advance materials, preparing the minutes of the board meetings and also serves as editor of the Quarterly Report. In the past year, we welcomed many visitors from around the world. ]oanieM.

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Reports fium the A.A. Grapevine Directors’ report: The Grapevine Board met six times since the 49th General Service Conference. The Grapevine Qffice-Grapevine controller Bob Slotterback (nonalcoholic) did an analysis of the costs involved in offering the “Bill Me Later” subscription, and the actual income and circulation we derive from it. Bob’s thorough analysis was examined by our auditors who found that the option provided us with far more benefit than loss. A.A . Around the World: Adventures in Recovery will be sold at the International Convention Grapevine Booth and, a t merely $5.00, brisk sales are ell.pected. Finance 1999 Results-The Grapevine ended 1999 with a loss on operations, before the Spanish Magazine Project and the French Literature Services, of $21,891. This was less than the budgeted loss of $29,698 and $23,316 less than our actual losses in 1998. Among reasons for this improved situation were the efforts of Grapevine management to streamline internal operations. This resulted in greater efficiency and fewer costly overtime hours. In addition, circulation director & operations manager Mary Pat H. moved our magazine fulfillment operation to a different firm bringing us a savings in delivering the magazine to subscribers. Magazine circulation for 1999 was budgeted at 117,000 copies per month; however, circulation declined to 115,951 copies per month. On this circulation, the Grapevine realized $1,427,041. Gross profit on the magazine was $1,063,881, higher than the budgeted amount of $1,032.598. Gross profit on related items was $272,328, down from our hoped for $349,665. On the cost side, editorial costs we r e $300,284, considerably below the budgeted figure for 1999 of $340,885. Circulation and business expenses were $1,054,772, slightly higher than the budgeted amount of $1,046,665. Total costs and expenses for the year 1999 were $1,448,932 and substantially less than the budgeted expenses of$1,503,757. La Villa showed circulation growth, reaching approximately 8,000 copies per bimonthly issue versus a 1999 budget of 7,500 copies per issue. Total La Villa income was $58,569, better than the budgeted $55,394. For La Villa the budgeted loss for 2000 is $66,214. For 1999 we had actually budgeted a $69,602 loss. However, our Spanish editor left, saving a portion of that budgeted salary expense. The board approved a budget for the Grapevine in 2000 that projects a loss of$67,143. Contributing to this budgeted loss are salary increases of a modest 4% percent as well as rising health insurance costs-a 7Yz% increase. We’ve also anticipated a 5% increase in paper prices; changing the grade of paper used for covers will help keep paper costs down. The Grapevine Board, Grapevine management, the trustees’ Finance Commit tee and the General Service Board have spent 1999, and now 2000, engaged

in analyzing the Grapevine operation and to plan whatever steps are needed to ensure that Grapevine continues to be the independent voice of Alcoholics Anonymous. Currently, we are exploring various options to out source most noneditorial and non-A.A. service functions. Our schedule calls for many of these cost cutting functions to be in place and fully operational in the early months of 2001. Tom M., chairperson Staff report: News from the editorial department includes a new feature in the magazine, the Editor’s Note. A special 96-page Millennium Issue included an editors’ report on our 1999 Readership Survey. Close to 6,000 readers responded, giving the Grapevine a useful profrle of its readership as well as a wealth of suggestions for future material. In spring 1999, Maggie K. became special projects coordinator/Website manager and redesigned and improved the Web site’s graphics and content. It is now possible to place secure orders for subscriptions and other materials from the new on-line catalog; in its first few months of operation, over 1,300 orders were placed by more than 440 visitors. Another new feature is a bulletin board that allows Web site visitors to post messages on subjects related to the Grapevine magazine. The Web-site also offers highlights of the upcoming issue, gives news of related material, and provides a Spanish-language description of La Vifta. The address is: <www.aagrapevine.org> In July 1999, the Bookkeeping and Circulation Departments were reorganized into a consolidated Order Department and a separate Finance Department. At that time, Mary Pat H. became director of Operations and Circulation, with Jeff Monasch (nonalcoholic) assuming the role of customer relations coordinator. This “one-stop shopping” concept aloud customers to get help by making one phone call, regardless of the nature of their business. At our new “mail opening desk,” a staff member maintains a daily mail count broken down by category, thus improving our ability to track fulfillment operations throughout the year. In her capacity as circulation director, Mary Pat has continued to “aggressively attract” readers through a variety of strategies. A treatment facilities mailing in June 1999 produced a 4.16% response rate, including quite a few orders from treatment facilities for the Native American population. Improving renewal rates continues to be of critical importance, and in September 1999, a new four-effort renewal series, was launched. And more than 37 areas responded to the GvR Network Half-Price Offer which gave them the opportunity to purchase half-price subscriptions for Grapevine and La Villa for institutional service work. Cynthia K, senior editor

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Budget Highlights 2 0 00 G.S.O. Budget This budget describes the “OPERATIONS” of the General Service Office. It includes expenses of A.A. World Services (the Publishing operation) and the General Fund (Service activities). It excludes any activities reported separately in the Reserve Fund or the Capital Projects Fund. The Grapevine operations are described below in a separate report. Income: The 2000 sales budget of$9,237,000 is approximately 2% less than the 1999 actual results. The budget reflects a “moderated” continuing trend of declining unit sales. Book&> Booklet unit sales are estimated approximately flat when compared with 1999,-(compared with a 6% decrease in last year’s budget). Net sales after discounts allowed are projected at $8,989,300, approximately $156,000 less than 1999.

Manufacturing costs are budgeted $40,000 less than 1999’s actual results, primarily a result oflower sales volume. Royalties, budgeted at $161,400, are on a par with 1999. Shipping and warehousing costs are budgeted about 2% higher than 1999. Even though we anticipate an increase in postage and freight rates, a change in vendors should actually reduce our warehousing costs, thus stay approximately the same. Gross profit from literature is budgeted at $4,991,500, approximately $140,000 less than 1999, primarily a result of the decline in sales. Contributions for 2000 have been budgeted at $4,331,900, approximately a 2% increase over 1999. Total Operating Revenue for the period is anticipated at $9,327,000, .5% less than 1999. Total Operating Expenses for 2000 have been budgeted at $9,178,425, approximately 7.8% higher than 1999. Included in that larger than usual increase are costs to restore Archives treasures that are deteriorating, as well as the every other year cost to G.S.O. of the World Service Meeting. An excess of revenue over expenses of $148,500 is budgeted. This compares with a $866,300 net income for 1999, $139,600 net income for 1998, a $245,000 loss for 1997, $1,264,000 loss for 1996, a $1,14 7,000 loss for 1995. The three years oflosses, followed by moderated profits, has accomplished the goal of reducing the Reserve Fund balance to a 9-month level.

2000 Grapevine Budget The 2000 Grapevine Budget calls for an average circulation for 2000 of115,000, down slightly from the 1999 average of116,000 copies, and with the 1998 117,300 average. Income: Magazine income of$1,732,800 is expected, just $21,000 less than 1999. Other Publishing Income from books, cassette tapes, and miscellaneous items is budgeted at $541,000, approximately $35,000 higher than 1999 as a result of anticipated calendar and pocket planner sales. Total Gross Profit: Combining the magazine and other publishing items, the gross profit of $1,357,672 is budgeted, as compared to $1,336,200 achieved for 1999. Total Operating Expenses for 2000 are budgeted at $1,515,795, approximately $67,000 more than the 1999 actual of$1,448,932. Net Income: For 2000 a net loss is budgeted at $67,143 after interest earned as compared with a net loss of $22,540 achieved in 1999.

2000 Spanish Grapevine Budget Following the 1995 General Service Conference Advisory Action #7, the publication of the Grapevine magazine in Spanish was approved by the Grapevine Board of Directors and the trustees’ Finance Committee of the General Service Board. Recognizing this publication as a new venture, both boards will review the fmancial impact on the Fellowship and the progress of circulation and continue to monitor the viability of this venture. For 2000 La Vifta expects a gross profit on the magazine of $5,960 compared with a $5,225 gross profit for 1999 and a $6,864 Joss for 1998. Circulation for 2000 is estimated at 8,000 approximately equal with the 7,986 1999 average. Total costs and expenses are estimated at $72,174 for 2000, compared with $64,449 in 1999. The 2000 budget projects a net loss of $66,214 compared with a $59,224 loss in 1999. To date the La Vifia project has incurred start-up costs/operating losses of$29,500 in 1995,$138,290 in 1996, $102,140 in 1997,$66,182 in 1998, and $59,224 in 1999, approximately $395,000 in total.

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1999 Contributions From Groups- by Delegate Area
 (in U.S. dollars)
 GENERAL GENERAL
 SERVICE IIGPS. % TOTAL CONTRIB. SERVICE #GPS. % TOTAL CONTRIB.
 AREA CONFERENCE RE- #GPS. OF GPS. GROUP MEMBER- PER AREA CONFERENCE RE- IIGPS. OF GPS. GROUP MEMBER- PER
 AREA PORTED CONTRIB. CONTRIB. CONTRIB. SHIP CAPITA I AREA PORTED CONTRIB. CONTRIB. CONTRIB. SHIP CAPITA

 1. Ala./N.W. Fla. 398 219 55.0% 31,083.54 8,564 $3.62 Pennsylvania
 2. Alaska 204 88 43.1 9,289.38 3,684 2.52 59. East 1,377 736 53 4 125,004.64 32,662 382
 3. Arizona 789 377 47.7 60. West 753 376 49.9 44,422.33 10,760 4.12
 80,042.08 17,089 4.68
 Arkansas 230 61 . Rhode Island 243 110 45.2 18,759.87 5,377 3.48
 4. 137 59,5 13,904.45 4,206 3.30
 62. South Carolina 300 191 63.6 35,109.07 6,552 5.35
 Calilornia
 63. South Dakota 159 60 37.7 4,873.63 3,978 1.22
 5. Southern 1,925 721 37.4 129 ~812.86 59 ~ 020 2.19
 64. Tennessee 482 238 49.3 39,915.35 10,816 3.69
 6. N. Coastal 1,889 1,048 55.4 207,286.93 56,575 3.66
 Texas
 7. N. Interior 699 341 48.7 51,051 .00 20,257 2.52
 65. Northeast 407 201 49.3 54,481.52 16,910 3.22
 B. San Diego/Imp. 831 358 43.0 59,970.45 24,963 2.40
 66. Northwest 236 96 40.6 14,693.29 6,128 2.39
 9. Mid-South. 1,840 718 39.0 108,751.87 59,303 1,83 67. Southeast 508 217 42.7 37,312.70 15,885 2.34
 10. Colorado 635 345 54.3 65,570.67 14,681 4.46 68. Southwest 484 46.4
 225 45,618.34 11 ,441 3.98
 11. Connecticut 1,457 543 37.2 70,061.99 35,681 1.96 69. Utah 253 132 52.1 23,937.24 5,156 4.64
 12. Delaware 199 117 58.7 22,994.42 3,158 7.28 70. Vermo nt 226 108 47.7 13,530.28 4,262 3.17
 13. DC. 467 219 46.8 40,199.82 14,934 2.69 71. VIrginia 1,187 626 52.6 88,862 ~ 79 23,324 3.80
 Florida 72. W. Washington 1,050 524 49.9 94,932.87 23,352 4.06
 14. North 659 363 55.0 67,642.36 15,012 4.50 73. West Virginia 293 123 41.9 9,119.60 3,351 2.72
 15. South/Bahamas/ 1,554 801 51.5 144,425 66 33,706 4.28 Wisconsin
 V.I. 74. N. Wis./Upoer 618 269 43.5 24,654.15 10,122 2.43
 16. Georgia 711 432 60,7 69,176.51 16,381 4.22 Pen. Mich.
 ~ 7. Hawaii 294 151 51.3 25,099.49 . 5,571 4.50 75. South 933 396 42.4 40,690.23 18,389 2.21
 18. Idaho 208 103 49.5 13,192.90 3,463 3.80 76. Wyoming 112 56 50.0 7,153.85 2,033 3.51
 Illinois 77. Puerto Rico 141 79 56.0 6,704.80 1,687 3.97
 19. Chicago 1,174 317 27.0 52,300.25 28,645 78. Alberta/N.W.T. 570 214 37.5 29,841.06 8,418 3.54
 1.82
 79. B.C./Yukon 733 371 50.6 47,826.63 13,992 3.41
 20. North 1,030 402 39.0 48,065.06 21 ,660 2.21
 80. Manitoba 145 66 45.5 5,710.73 3,684 1.55
 21 . South 432 165 38.1 21,572.27 7,348 2.93
 81 N,B./P.E.I . 204 93 45 .5 6,606.17 3,492 1.89
 Indiana
 82. N.S./Nfld./Lab. 233 93 39.9 7,348.25 3,278 2.24
 22. North 658 262 39.8 42,534.69 9,883 4.30
 Ontario
 23. South 564 250 44.3 28,844.91 10,789 2.67
 83. East 594 234 39.3 29,817.32 15,075 1.97
24. Iowa 622 308 49.5 33,627.75 12,887 2.60
 64, Northeast 173 46 26~5 5,038.52 2,364 2.13
 25. Kansas 375 171 45~6 26,082.01 9,258 2.81 85. Northwest 89 18 20.2 1,700.06 1,511 1.12
 26. Kentucky 627 312 49.7 58,362.17 9,743 5.99 86. West 518 185 35.7 28,693.72 10,132 2.83
 27, Louisiana 517 184 35.5 25,326.26 10,748 2~35 Quebec1
 28. Maine 448 140 31.2 15,779.47 7,633 2.06 87. Southwest 580 336 57.9 15,483.29 15,068 1.02
 29. Maryland 929 373 40.1 64,100 .65 14,650 4.37 88. Southeast 226 172 76.0 7,515.78 3,561 2.10
 Massachusetts 89. Northeast 358 286 79.9 6,348.55 7,131 0.88
 30. East 1,519 545 35.8 94 ,660 ~29 51 ,813 1.82 90. Northwest 390 293 74.9 19,828.71 7,527 2.62
 31 . West 244 142 58. 1 22,940.86 5,302 4.32 91. Saskatchewan 321 99 30.8 6,653.29 3,951 1.68
 Michigan 92. Washington East 440 187 42.5 16,464.55 6,296 2.61
 32 , Central 542 226 41.6 36,532.15 12,254 2.98 Total U.S./ 56,266 24.889 44.2 $3,732,196.81 1,261 ,691 2 ~96
 33. Southeast 710 279 39.2 56,503.46 18,034 3.13 Canada
 34. West 469 194 41.3 30,040.35 8,948 3.35
 Minnesota Individual, in-memoriam, & special meetings 223,831.71
 35. North 533 242 45.4 21,573.40 8,085 2.66 Specials 256,741.32
 36. South 991 381 38.4 54,005.46 22,089 2.44
 Total for U.S. & Canada 4,212,769.84
 37. Mississippi 238 105 44. 1 15,420.07 4,364 3.53
 Missouri
 38. East 539 251 46.5 43,645.16 9,103 4.79 FOREIGN AND OTHER
 39. West 210 111 52.8 14,805.18 6,465 2.29 A.A. On Line 2, 103.00
 40, Montana 273 126 46.1 16,843.11 4,305 3~ 91 IYPCAA 500.00
 41 . Nebraska 662 323 48.7 46,880.15 14,610 3.20 Correctional Facility Groups 196.50
 42 ~ Nevada 456 175 38.4 27, 148.64 9,744 2 ~ 78 Foriegn 25,218.14
 43. New Hampshire 547 195 35.6 21 ,065.35 9,036 2.33 Internationalists 100.00
 New Jersey Loners 975.65
 44. North 1,305 470 36.0 65,006.85 33,225 1.95 Internationalists Groups 20.00
 45. South 512 247 48.2 44,334.69 9,512 4.66 Canal Zone 96_50
 46. New Mexico 314 160 50.9 21 ,697.78 5,683 3.81 World Hello 72.00
 New York Grand Total 4,242,051.63
 47. Central 705 243 34.4 32,517.25 11,498 2.82
 48. H./M./6. 777 241 31.0 23,530.10 12,1 67 1.93
 49. Southeast 1,764 786 44.5 173,060.13 57,083 3.03
 50. West 304 106 34.8 12,123,60 5,751 2.1 0 CONTRIBUTION COMPARISON -1999-1998
 51. N. Carolina 900 457 50.7 76,730,12 14,652 5.23 (in U.S. dollars)
 52. North Dakota 155 70 45. 1 7,904.84 3,064 2.57
 IIGPS. % TOTAL CONTRIB.
 Ohio RE- #GPS. OF GPS. GROUP MEMBER- PER
 53. Cent. & S.E, 644 203 31.5 24,705.1 1 9,350 2.64 PORTED CONTRIB. CONTRIB. CONTRIB. SHIP CAP IT A
 54. Northeast 1,277 279 21.8 30,736.53 22,628 1.35 U.S. & Canada
 55. N.W. Ohio/ 278 100 35,9 11 ,300.59 4,036 2.79 1999 56,266 24,889 44.2% $3,732,196.812 1,261,691 $2.96
 S.E. Mich.
 U.S. & Canada
 56. S.W. Ohio 529 210 39.6 30,879.60 10,691 2~88
 1998 56,440 25,175 44.6% $3,539,847.762 1,268,713 $2.79
 57. Oklahoma 377 225 59.6 32,560.17 6,488 5.01
 Increase (Decrease) (174) (286) -0.4% $192,349.05 (7,022) $0.17
 58. Oregon 791 376 47.5 52,240.37 14,554 3.58
 =======
 1
 Reflects not only those groups that contributed directly toG S.O., but also those groups that contributed to G.S.O, through their Conference areas (per lists ol percentages submitted by areas).
 2
 Group contributions reported on lhls schedule do not include contnbutions received as special, Individual, ln·memoriam, and special meetings.


10

BOX~

B’ULLETI:N BOARD

Items and Ideas on Area Gatherings for A.A.s-Via G.S.O.

Calendar of Events Events listed here are presented solely as a service to readers, not as an endorsement by the General Service Office. For any additional information, please use the addresses provided.

june 1-4-Indian Wells, California. Desert Pow Wow. Write: Ch., Box 10128, Palm Desert, CA 92255-0128 2-3-Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. Kawartha Dist. Conf. Write: Ch., c/o Intergroup, 625 Cameron St., Peterborough, ON K9] 3Z9 2-4-Grimshaw, Alberta, Canada. 13th North Peach Roundup. Write: Ch., 8424 99 Ave., Peach River, AB T8S 1W3 2-4-Creston, British Columbia, Canada. 40th Creston Valley Campout. Write: Ch., Box 2004, Creston, BC VOB 1GO 2-4-Red Bank, New Brunswick, Canada. 16th Native Roundup. Write: Ch., 70 Shore Road, Red Bank, NB E9E 1A5 2-4-Prince Alber·t, Saskatchewan , Canada. Prince Albert Gateway Roundup. Write: Ch., 44 28th St. E., Prince Albert, SK S6V 1W8 2-4-Flagstaff, AT’izona. Flagstaff Roundup. Write: Ch., 3120 N. Nancy Way, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 2-4-San jose, California. NCC 53rd Annual Summer Conf. Write: Ch., 1308 Vme Circle, Rocklin, CA 95765-4710 2-4-Leonardtown, Maryland. 25th Camp Malia Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 767, Charlotte Hall, MD 20622 2-4-Farmington, New Mexico. Area 46 2000 Conv. Write: Ch., Box 2439, Farmington, NM 87499 2-4-Houston, Texas. HCYPAA. Write: Ch., Box 37, Spring, TX 77383 9-11-Calgary, Alberta, Canada. 19th Annual Gratitude Roundup. Write: Ch., c/o Central Off., #2 4015 1st SE, Calgary, AB T2G 4X7 9- 11-Marshalltown, Iowa. Area 24 Spring Conf. Write: Ch., Box 31, Story City, IA 50248 9-11-Lincolnville, Maine. Big Book Study Weekend. Write: Ch., Box 891, Rockport, ME 04856 9-11-Springfield, Missouri. 10th Annual Heart of the Ozarks Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 1607, Springfield, MO 65801 9-11-Akmn, Ohio. 65th Founders Day. Write: Ch., Box 12, Akron, OH 44309 9-11-0lympia, Washington. Ninth Annual Capitol jamboree. Write: Ch., Box 2414, Olympia, WA 98507 10-11-Fort Morgan, Colorado. MiniWeekend. Write: Ch., 917 Nancy St., Ft. Morgan, CO 80701

10-11-Louisville, Kentucky. Second Soberfest. Write: Ch., Box 39091, Louisville, KY 40233-9091 15-18-Hagerstown, Maryland. State Conv. Write: Ch., Box 453, Reisterstown, MD21136 16-18-Ft. McMwTay, Alberta, Canada. Roundup. Write: Ch., 288 Beaconhill Dr., Ft. McMunay, AB T9H 2R6 16-18-Chatham, Ontario, Canada. Midseason Campout. Write: Ch., 53 Beech St., Kingsville, ON N9Y 1A9 16-18-Medford Lakes, New jersey. South jersey Young People’s Conf. Write: Ch., 40 Delaware Ave., #2, Somers Point, NJ 08244 23-25-Cache Creek, British Columbia, Canada. 25th Cache Creek/Ashcroft Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 558, Cache Creek, BC VOK 1HO 23-25-Coombs, British Columbia, Canada. 40th Annual Parksville/ Qualicum Rally. Write: Ch., Box 284, Parksville, BC V9P 2G4 23-25-Luna, New Mexico. Luna Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 1656, Springerville, AZ 85938 23-25-Moodus, Connecticut. Soberfest 2000. Write: Ch., 280 William St., 3rd Fl., West Haven, CT 06516-5920 23-25-Exeter, Rhode Island. 24th Annual OSYPAA Conf. Write: Ch., Box 41091, Providence, RI 02940 23-25-Wheeling, West Virginia. 48th West Virginia Conv. Write: Ch., Box 1185, Moundsville, WV 26041 29-]uly 2r-Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2000 International A.A. Convention. Write: Coordinator, Box 459, Grand Central Station, New York, NY 10163 30-]uly 2r-Wichita Falls, Texas. Texoma Freedom Rally. Write: Ch., Box 4200, Wichita Falls, TX 76303 30-]uly 5-Phoenix, Arizona. 4th of july Phenoma 2000. Write: Ch., 2109N 90th Place, Rear Apt., Chandler, AZ 852241642.

JUNE -JULY 2000

Closed Meeting Topics From the Grapevine For more detailed suggestions, see the pages noted.

june (page 51): Along Spiritual Lines july (page 31): Your Move

13-16-Lubbock, Texas. 26th Annual Lubbock Caprock Conv. Write: Ch., Box 6511, Lubbock, TX 79493 20-23- Raleigh, North Camlina. 53rd State Conv. Write : Ch., Box 72276, Durham, NC 27722-2276 21-23-Willow, Alaska. Third Annual Denali Conf. Write: Ch., Box 875617, Wasilla, AK 99687-5617 21-23-Campo, Colorado. Campo Campout. Write: Ch., Box 157, Campo, co 81029-0157 21-23-Des Moines, Iowa. Capitol City Conf. Write: Ch., Box 30135, Des Moines, IA 50310 21-23-Madison, Minnesota. 24th Annual Freedom Fest Campout. Write: Ch., Rt. 2, Box 8, Conell, MN 56227 27-30-Silver Creek, Colorado. Eighth Fellowship of the Spirit Conf. Write: Ch., Box 19348, Boulder, CO 80308 28-30-Whitecourt, Alberta, Canada. 13th Annual Camp-Out. Write: Ch., Box 1262, Whitecourt, AB T7F 1P2 28-30-TrLLro, Nova Scotia, Canada. Dist. 6 25th Annual Summer Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 244, Truro, NS B2N 5C1 28-30-Manitou Beach, Saskatchewan, Canada. Second Annual Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 1146, Watrous, SK SOK 4TO

Planning a Future Event? Please send your infmmation on August, September and October events, two days or more, in time to reach G.S.O. by]une 10, the calendar deadline for the August-September issue ofBox 4-5-9. For your convemence and oms – please type or print the information to be listed on the Bulletin Board page, and mail to us:

Date of event: from _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ t o – – – – – – – – – – ‘ 19 _ _ __ Name of event:

————————————-

Place (city, state or prov.):

————————————–

For information, write: (exact mailing address) – – – – – – – — – – — — – – – – – — – – –

Contact phone # (for office use only): – – — — – — – – — – – – — – —

Flip up this end of page -for events on reverse side

28-30-Darwin, Australia. Douglas Daly

25-2 7-Burbanlc , California. Pacific

River Weekend. Write: Ch., Box 40760, Casuarina, NT 0811, Australia 28-30-Birmingham, England. Heart of England Conv. Write: Ch., Box 119, Birmingham, B111A, England 28-30-Eau Claire, Wzsconsin. Chippewa Valley Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 1033, Eau Claire, WI 54703-1033

Regional Forum. Wr ite: Forum Coordinator, Box 459, Grand Central Station, New York, NY 10163 25-27-Eurelca, California. 10th Annual Pamplin Grove Campout. Write: Ch., Box 8072, Eureka, CA 95502 25-27-San Luis Obispo, California. 33rd Annual22nd Dist. Conv. Write: Ch., Box 13308, San Luis Obispo, CA 93406 25-27-Maui, Hawaii. Fifth Annua l HICYPAA. Write: Ch., Box 522, Kula, HI 96790 25-27-Biloxi, Mississippi. State Conv. Write: Ch., 1015 Pass Rd., Ste. A, Gulfport, MS 39501-6457 25-27-]oplin, Missouri. 13th Annual Summer Hummer. Write: Ch., Box 2075,Joplin, MO 64803

28-30-Elbow, Saskatchewan, Canada. 23rd Annual Elbow Family Campout. Write: Ch., Box 173, Elbow, SK SOH 1]0 29-30-Broolcings, Oregon. 23rd Annual South Coast Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 6612, Brookings, OR 97415

August 3-6—Kaunalcalcai, Hawaii. Fifth Annual Molokai Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 1559, Kaunakakai, HI 96748 4-6-Los Angeles, California. Foothill Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 184, Montrose, CA 91021 4-6-Normal, Illinois. 27th State Conf. Write: Ch., Box 423, Normal, IL 61761 4-6-Somerset, Pennsylvania. Seventh State Conv. Write: Ch., 5377 Thomas Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19143 4-6—Seattle, Washington. Emerald City Roundup (sponsored by gay and lesbian members). Write: Ch., 1122 E. Pike St., #1006, Seattle, WA 98112-3927 4-7-Darwin, Australia. Darwin Roundup. Write : Ch., Box 40760, Casuarina, NT, 0811, Australia 11-12-Washington, D.C. The Capital Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 76786, Washington, D.C. 20013

11-13-Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. Annual Family Campout. Write: Ch., 202 Chambers Ave., Sault Ste. Marie, ON P6A 4V7

11-13-Woodstoclc, Ontario, Canada. 19th Annual Marathon of Unity Conv. Write: Ch., Box 22002, Woodstock, ON N4S8Y1 11-13-Plano, Texas. 25th Dallas Lone Star Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 836221, Richardson, TX 75083-6221 12-13-Katherine, Australia. Katherine Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 40760, Casuarina, NT 0811, Australia 17-20-0maha, Nebraska. Cornhusker Roundup. Write: Ch., 1904 Virginia Ave., Bellevue, NE 68005 18-20- Alice Springs, Australia. Alice Springs Roundup. Write : Ch., Box 40760, Casuarina, NT 0811, Australia 25-2 7- Writing-on -the-Stone Parle, Alberta, Canada. The Corn Roast. Write: Ch., Box 158, Shelby, MT 59474

31-Sept. 3-Albuquaque, New Mexico. 43rd ICYPAA. Write: Ch., Box 13402, Albuquerque, NM 87192

September 1-3-Slave Lake, Alberta, Canada. Slave Lake Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 1202, Slave Lake, AB TOG 2AO

8-10-Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Eastern Canadian Regional Forum. Write: Forum Coordinator, Box 459, Grand Central Station, New York, NY 10163 8-10-Polacca, Arizona. Seventh Annual Freedom In Sobriety. Write: Ch., Box 241, Polacca, AZ 86042 8-10-Parlc Rapids, Minnesota. 10th Heartland Roundup. Write: Trsr., 22623 Bass Lake Rd., Osage, MN 56570 8-10-SeaTac, Washington. Sponsorship Conf. Write: Ch., Box 248, Lopez Island, WA98261 15-17-Grand]unction, Colorado. ColorDaze 2000. Write: Ch., 3251 E. Road #99, Clifton, CO 81520-7977 15-17-Taos, New Mexico. Taos Mountain Fiesta. Write: Ch., Box 995, Ranchos de Taos, NM 87557-0995 15-17-Seaside, Oregon. Women in Recovery. Write: Ch., Box 851, Seaside, OR97138

16-18-Swift Current, Sasalcetchwan, Canada. Swift Current Family Roundup. Write: Ch., 14 Site 6, R.R. 1, Wymark, SK SON 2YO

29-0ctoba 1-Port Alberni, British Columbia, Canada. 21st Annual Rally. Write: Ch., 2314 Anderson Ave., Port Alberni, BC V9Y 2W6 29-0ctober 1-Aspen, Colorado. Joy of Living Roundup. Write: Ch., 987 Vito’s Way, Carbondale, CO 81623