CENTRAL CALIFORNIA AREA ASSEMBLY

OF ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS – AREA 93

606 Alamo Pintado #140 Solvang, CA 93463

www.aaarea93.org

AREA COMMITTEE MINUTES

October 20, 2002

St. Francis Hospital, Santa Barbara, CA

CCAA Chairman Vicki B. called the meeting to order at 9:00 A.M. led with the Serenity Prayer.

Marty read the 12 Concepts in English; Alberto read the 12 Concepts in Spanish.

Eligibility rules for voting were read by the Secretary and the roll call taken:

ROLL CALL: DCMs/Alternates 19

DCMCs/Alternates 3

Committee Chairs/Alts 12

Central Office Liaisons 1

CCAA Officers 6

Past Delegates 2

Total 43

We also had our translator, Sound Dude, Alternate Sound Dude and Sound Chick as well as 9 guests.

Districts without representation were 6, 8, 12, 13, 17, 20, 21, 28, 50, 53, & 59. We hope to see you at our next Area Committee Meeting in Santa Barbara on December 15, 2002 at 9:00 A.M.

The July 21Area Committee Meeting minutes was submitted for approval. A motion was made to accept the minutes. The motion was seconded and passed.

OFFICERS REPORTS

Secretary - Lisa J. : No report

Registrar – Stephanie S.: I’ve received a letter from General Service about the Active Unknown groups in Area 93. In turn, I’ve mailed those lists, along with instructions to the DCMs that have Active Unknown groups in their district. If any of you have any questions about these Active Unknown groups, please contact me. My phone number and email address are on the roster and the Area 93 letterhead. Please feel free to contact me.

As you know Area 93 is holding elections in November for next panel’s officers. I want to explain a little of the registration procedure. If you have attended a prior area assembly, the sign-in process is much the same. If a group is registered in the Area 93 database, a GSR for that group is eligible to vote even if it is the first time at an assembly and the GSR is not registered in the database. In other words brand new, unregistered GSRs are eligible to vote as long as the group they represent is in the Area 93 database. Just prior to the election, we count the signatures of those that are eligible to vote. We give that number to whoever is running our election. If the number of ballots happens to exceed that number, we must figure out why before we can proceed with the election. Each group gets on vote, either the GSR or in the GSR’s absence, the Alternate GSR.

Those eligible to stand for election are the voting members of this Area Committee. I have a few copies of the list of those eligible to stand for election at the Registration table. That list will also be available at the Area Assembly in November.

If you have information for the database please email me. I can also assist with registering new groups in the districts.

Treasurer – Debbie B.: Made available the September contributions report and the copies of the 3^rd quarter reports. The 3^rd quarter reports are in the simplified form that the finance committee voted on at the last assembly. After seeing other Area’s financial reports and trying different formats over the last year and a half, we have gone back to a tried and true AA formula, Keep It Simple”. Please forward you feedback to me. Thanks.

Chairperson – Vicki B.: Discussed the Chairperson’s commitment. This position requires some time and effort. Duties include preparation and distribution of agendas for Area committee meetings and assemblies. Chair the assemblies and committee meetings. Have knowledge of our guidelines and policies. Reading Robert’s rules of Order on Protocol on how to run a meeting is helpful. Vickie then shared the responsibilities of the Area Chairperson. These and the other job descriptions will be included in a special edition of the Area 93 News. The bids for the January assembly need to prepared in writing and submitted at the November Assembly. We will also be taking bids for the March pre conference assembly. Please check with you districts on hosting an assembly. There has been some confusion in some of the groups as to who would be eligible to vote at the next assembly. Only one GSR per group may vote making it one vote per group.

I would like to announce the appointment of our new Archivist, Michael Sodergren. Marita has resigned.

Alternate Delegate - Jeanine R.: Jeanine shared the duties of the Alternate Delegate. The second annual Hispanic Foro was held last Sunday with the theme “changing our lives through Service”. It was attended by 146 members from Areas 93, 5, 9 and a Spanish speaking district in Las Vegas. Topics were discussed on general service and carrying the message. The Foro committee would like to extend their appreciation to those who were able to attend and for the experience, strength and hope that was shared at the 18 different round table discussions.

As you liaison to the Southern California H&I committee I have received new that GSO is offering correctional facilities discount packages. These provide an assortment of AA literature at discount prices and are offered in English and Spanish. GSO extends its appreciation to those who participate in the corrections correspondence service. They receive about 20 letters a week from inmates who want to share with AA members on the outside. See Jeanine for more information.

Delegate – Steve H.: My name is Steve H. and I am an alcoholic –

honored to serve Alcoholics Anonymous and Area 93 as your Panel 51 delegate to the General Service Conference.

There’s not much to report this month so I will keep my remarks brief.

On the local scene, Area 5 is holding their Panel 53 elections next Saturday, October 26^th, in Sierra Madre. Registration begins at 8:00 am. If you’re interested in attending, let me know. I still have a few fliers. Area 5 is also holding their 24^th Spanish speaking districts’ Foro on Sunday, November 3^rd, in La Puente. The Foro organizers will have a discussion table set up for Area 93, so please plan to attend – particularly if you have never attended one of these events. I guarantee they are well worth the effort in terms of learning about AA service. I have directions to that event if you are interested.

Meanwhile the General Service Office reports that there will be another staff position opening up sometime next spring – probably after the General Service Conference. Joanie M. is going to follow Susan U. into retirement. If you are interested in applying for the position, please let me know. Staff members generally have a minimum of 6 years of sobriety, are fluent in verbal and written English, have service experience in AA, and are willing to travel and speak at AA events. I have complete details on the requirements and application forms. So let me know if you are interested in applying.

Don’t forget that November is traditionally gratitude month – a time to express gratitude for our individual sobriety. The October – November issue of Box 459 has a very interesting article on how the “gratitude month” got started. That issue of Box 459 also has an update on requirements for entry into Canada for those planning to attend the 2005 International Convention in Toronto.

Finally, don’t forget to mark March 7^th–9^th, 2003 on your day-at-a-time calendars. Those are the dates for next year’s Pacific Region Alcoholics Anonymous Service Assembly in Reno, Nevada. As you might have figured out that will be my new home area starting the first of next year. So Marita and I will be part of the host committee welcoming you to that event. Again, let me know if you need information on it. I have fliers in English and Spanish.

Thank you, as always, for this opportunity to be of service.

Jack L., DCM – District 1:. District 1 is working with our East San Fernando Valley districts on the GSO program for the San Fernando Valley convention, February 8, 2003. Diana A., DCMC, will be the leader and Dick W. will be the moderator of a presentation on the traditions in sobriety. We hope this will assist in increasing the participation of GSRs in District 1. Dave W. is working on a Plan B for this.

Ken S., DCMC – Gold Coast Districts 8, 9, 12, and 13: Over the past several months we have been adding several GSRs and a new DCM for district 13. We have revised our district guidelines to reflect the split from Area 5. We are working on a half-day workshop on the duties of the group’s secretary-treasurer and general service in general to be held in January. Our PI committee is placing small adds in the local papers over the holidays and is trying to get some PSAs on the local cable stations.

Eddy D. DCM – District 7: We have had several new GSRs at our last few district meetings and they seem willing to participate. We provided AA literature at the Antelope Valley senior expo on October 10. We are going to submit a bid for the January assembly. We haven’t held an assembly in our district for many years. I am gong to be stepping down.

Art G. DCM – District 8: We provided AA literature and information at a local recovery fair. There were 2-3,000 people who wandered through this fair. We had our PI table and marathon meetings. Many recovery homes and rehab programs participated. The AAD people from Ventura County also participated. CPC is sharing information with other districts that showed an interest at the last area assembly on how to contact schools and other agencies using letter formats out of the CPC workbook. CPC also fielded a call from the Ventura County sheriffs department and their crime lab. They are requesting that we provide a speaker to a Southern California annual toxicologists meeting.

Scott M., Alternate DCMC – District 11,16,27: We have a meeting place in Burbank. Last meeting we ratified the guidelines and policies for the first time in our combined districts. District 17 is hosting “A Taste of Sobriety” autumn fest. The are debuting the AA film “Markings on a Journey”. Other activities are also planned. The combined and District elections will be in December.

Theresa D. DCM – District 22: We sent a representative to the Archives workshop and she reports that she found out a lot of District 22 history including that our district split proposal has been in the works since Carl B. proposed it in 1971. She also learned about restoration and preservation of Archives. We have a new Grapevine Chair Pete P. PI routed a call from Santa Maria to District 52. The central office will be increasing their rent. They are going to have a phone for the hearing impaired, there is a Braille Big Book and there will be elections for a new board next month. H&I is looking for volunteers for panels at General Hospital. Our registrar, Bob, is working on the groups who are not registered with the District. We have had a problem with a Spanish meeting which is not complying with turning in envelopes to the Alono Club. They will address this and other problems with this meeting’s secretary at the next steering committee meeting. Theresa spoke with the Spanish group per the GSR request and I will be present at their steering committee meeting to see how it works out. Jeanine R. will chair the November elections at our district.

Thomas DCM – We elected our new service committee in September. Of the 10 groups there are 6 new GSRs. We are seeing an increase in the membership of the groups. H&I continues to work with one institution. We elected a committee for La Vina with 3 representatives. This is working well. Our district wants to make the principles our priority and also the 12 Steps, 12 Traditions and 12 Concepts.

Jay R. DCM – District 11: The BAG district is now maintaining a post office box for district business and for correspondence with inmates.

Alberto E. DCM – District 4: On September 25^th at our districts election meeting, most of our trusted servants were elected. I was reelected so I could serve a whole term. We even elected the committee for Foro 3 for next year. We are going to celebrate our District’s first anniversary on Saturday Nov 9^th, at 2PM. We will have 3 speakers on service work. We continue to look at having the 3^rd edition of the Big Book in Spanish. and are procrastinating on doing the survey. Only 3 groups out of 12 have responded. Our district also received a request for correspondence from a member inside a correctional facility. We also use our PO Box for this type of correspondence.

Amanda Alt DCM – District 15: We are getting ready for our elections.

Tom Alt DCM – District 24: The Archives committee is collecting material, interviewing oldtimers and assisting in the National Archives workshop. The Grapevine committee is distributing the magazine and pitching it at meetings. PI committee is placing literature racks including a new one in a homeless shelter. They are also placing public service announcements on cable TV. DCM and Alt DCM are visiting the groups. Special needs committee is providing homebound members with AA correspondence and information.

John T DCM – District 10: We have finished our paperwork for tax exemption as a non profit organization. Now we have a bank account. We had our elections the first Sunday of this month. Vickie shared our election with us. The Tehachapie groups have come alive. At the advice of Stephanie our Area Registrar I contacted groups that were not participating at the district level and shared information with them. We are looking at having a Registrar in our District to assist in contacting and interacting with the groups in the Districts.

Marty S.DCM – District 23: Our voting will take place in November. Committee chairs will be included in the elections. We are working on active unknown groups. There are 89 groups in our District. PI chair has been filled. We tabled the taxi cab information at this time. We have had good participation by our groups lately. I am stoked by that. More groups are getting GSRs. We are attending meetings that do not have GSRs and sharing information with them. Next month we will be starting a group inventory in the District. At this time we will be tabling the LCM incorporation. We will be having a service assembly in our District in February.

Spencer Alt DCM – District 52: We have a new Archivist who attended the Archives Workshop. He is a new GSR from Santa Ynez. We have a request from an outside agency to CPC for a presentation to their staff. We have our upcoming convention next weekend. Our new webmaster is working updating the website. Our elections are coming up in November. We are still supporting the need for LCMs to be a voting member of the assembly. Thank you for the reimbursement from the Area for the May assembly. I encourage anybody who is thinking of hosting an Area Assembly to do so. It is very rewarding.

Aldofo M. Alternate DCM – District 3: We finished our inventory of District 3 and will send a copy to GSO of our conclusions. We elected the new service committee based on the 3^rd Legacy. On the 13^th of October, our 2^nd Forum took place. We thank everyone for his or her support and attendance. On the 3^rd of November our 18^th anniversary will take place. The themes for that day will be duties of the GSR, the duties of the Districts and their committees, and the duties of the Conference. We are ready for the Area Assembly which will be held in Sylmar.

Nelson R. DCMC - Spanish Districts:. At our last meeting we had the presentation of the new DCMs for 2003-2004. We also met the new GSRs. We had our 2^nd Foro. It was nice to see a lot of people we hadn’t seen for a while and there was a lot of good information about General Service. Next Sunday will be our elections for the Spanish Districts. It is good to see the growth in the different districts. We were at District 4 for their elections. We are finding a lot of members who want to serve in the district. We are still working on District 6. We continue to have meetings with Area 5 and we are planning a get together in December with District 33. It will be a sharing of general service experience, including some speakers.

Robbin S. DCM – District 28: We will have our elections for DCM and Alt DCM at our November meeting. We have filled a PI chair that had become vacant. Our new Archivist went the to workshop and learned much in procedures. District 28 had a workshop yesterday in Thousand Oaks. We had 92 people in attendance. Discussions at round tables were held on various topics. This generated a good awareness for the people there. There is enthusiasm for future workshops.

Break --

There was a motion for approval of the agenda. A Motion was made and seconded. The motion was passed.

OLD BUSINESS

Joe gave an update on the Spanish Forum to be held January 11 and 12, 2003 in Bakersfield. There should be a lot of information coming out between now and January. We have had planning committee meetings that have had 6 Areas present. Presentation and workshop topics have been discussed regarding the Spanish communities and what they would want to talk about. We sent this information to GSO for them to help arrange the special forum. We discussed the translation equipment and translators and what would work best for the Special Forum. It will be set up so the equipment can switch between English and Spanish with the translators on the floor. We are looking at having each Area provide 4-5 members to act as translators for the workshops. We will be getting registration going as soon as possible. Further details were presented. Flyers are available. Doubletree motel is offering rooms for 69$ and can accommodate 4 people. Joe clarified that the Forum is being hosted by Area 93 and if this needs to be modified he will change the flyer to indicate participation by the other Areas.

It was decided that there will be a CPC presentation at the Area Assembly in November which will explain the impact of Proposition 36 on the AA groups and how to interact with people who are sent to AA through this new Proposition. Victor and Art from the CPC committee will give a presentation.

Theresa D. gave information on presenting a play depicting a “Meeting from Hell”. It was decided that this would be presented at the Area Assembly in November. A sign up list for people interested in participating was generated.

NEW BUSINESS

Vickie asked for volunteers to fill in the position of coffee maker at the Area Committee meetings that is being vacated by Eddie D. Jay volunteered for December.

Vickie asked for Jay to give input on next year’s budget meeting and Assembly efficiency. Jay reported that he had asked our Chairperson to add an item to the agenda. It was to ensure that future budget planning meetings be held after these committee meetings, so that they can be held when everyone is gathered at the same time. I was greatly upset that the budget planning meeting was held at a time that I could not attend, and I was also very rankled that my greatest annoyance in service was not dealt with in a pragmatic way at the budget planning meeting. I asked our Chairperson to rescind my agenda item, because it was made in the heat of the moment. While I think it is important to make the budget planning meeting as accessible as possible, I am willing to forgo that discussion in favor of addressing what I see as a much more important concern at this time.

My frustration at assemblies has grown over the past two years due to the noise level which makes it near impossible for me to hear what is going on. I also become confused because there is no clarity when competing voices are added to the din. The clamor becomes even more intense during committee meetings, when two or three committees have to meet in the same room. I think one of our greatest purposes in meeting together is to communicate. If we cannot communicate effectively with each other, why do we meet at all? My frustration with the Area budget meeting is that no one else in the Area felt is was important to budget more money for Assembly rent. I feel that if we increased the budget, we could afford larger schools where classrooms can be provided for the committee meetings which would in turn cut down the noise level. Other alternatives would be to have the committees meet outside of assemblies and perhaps just give a report of what happened during the meetings at the Area Assemblies. I have also suggested to some of the officers that we build some sort of portable partitions and transport them to Area Assemblies. Another idea is that Host DCMs might need to be persuaded to be more diligent about location spaces that would take this predicament into consideration. Also, we could look into going back to four assemblies a year instead of five, and provide extra rent money to the other assemblies so that we can afford to go into schools. We could also educate groups on the importance of the 7^th Tradition and that their money goes to paying rent for the assemblies. This may encourage them to give more. To conclude I would like to discuss the possibility of having another budget setting meeting before the end of the year to address this issue directly.

Discussion ensued regarding Jay’s information on the need for another budget setting meeting and also the need for larger facilities for Area Assemblies. Some suggestions were:

· focus on getting facilities with classrooms

· research ways to decrease the noise levels

· tie the budget setting meetings with the committee meetings

· create a checklist for districts to consider what is needed and what works best for the assembly including insurance needs

· proper preparation for hosting assemblies is recommended

· create an Area coordinator who would have the responsibility to assist with coordinating assemblies and communicate with Districts as to what is needed to host an assembly

Motion was made to have another budget setting meeting for next year to amend our budget. This was seconded. Discussion followed. Motion was defeated.

It was discussed that we reimburse representative travel to Archives workshop planning. This was not included in our budget. Figures were discussed including 700 miles of travel over a 4-month period of time. The money reimbursement would be 108$.

Motion was made to reimburse our representative to the Archives workshop for his travel. This was seconded. Discussion followed. Motion was passed.

Next was discussion on Area 93 having 3rd Legacy meetings. Area 5 used to have 3^rd Legacy meetings. It was hosted by different districts in the Area. Jay reported that his district has an interest in implementing 3^rd Legacy meetings. Since our last meeting, I have attended another 3^rd Legacy meeting in the Southland and gained further knowledge about them. 3^rd Legacy meetings are held to informally gather and talk about service related issues. These were started by Bob M. as an informational seminar or forum for GSRs to help them gain knowledge about General Service. Usually a talk is given by an experienced officer about a Concept and then another talk deals with a Tradition. After a break, a speaker tells the story of how they got involved in service or perhaps deals with a specific issue.

Further discussion took place and questions were clarified. These meetings usually discuss things that are usually not a part of an Assembly or District meeting. They give members a good insight as to why people get into service. It was suggested that this item be left for the next panel to discuss and decide upon since they are the ones who would be carrying out any decisions. It was also suggested that this item be brought up early in the year and that some costs would be associated with it. Also that this should be set up for a limited amount of time.

A sense of the committee body was taken that it be suggested to the next panel to look into the idea of having quarterly 3^rd Legacy meetings. The sense of the body was in agreement to make this suggestion.

The last item included discussion of the Inventory items that were brought up through the last Area Assembly.. One item that was addressed was the officer’s visits to the various Districts. Steve discussed a schedule of officer visits so that each area officer would visit each district in the area at least once during the panel. This would add up to 6 officer visits to each district during that 2-year period. Initially it was decided against due to the unknown of the impact of costs of travel to the districts on the budget. We did not see that we had the money in our next year’s budget either. There is nothing that prevents a district from asking each area officer to visit them during the panel. The benefits of having the officers visit the districts were discussed.

A sense of the committee was taken and it was decided that this would be left for the next panel to discuss and decide on how to improve upon the outcomes identified in the inventory

GOOD & WELFARE

Amanda asked for volunteers to speak at a monthly speaker’s meeting in Bakersfield.

Marty gave information on the Santa Barbara Convention Nov 1-3. It will held at the Elks Lodge in Goleta.

Food Kitty was 61$.

Motion was made to adjourn the meeting. Seconded. Meeting was adjourned.

Meeting closed with the Responsibility Declaration

Respectfully submitted,

Lisa J.

Area 93 Secretary