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64 th General Service Conference Communicating Our Legacies –Vital in A Changing World

64 th General Service Conference Communicating Our Legacies –Vital in A Changing World. Hilton West Chester, Rye Town, NY April 27 – May 3, 2014. The 64 th General Service Conference. 64 th General Service Conference. Our Primary Work:. Conference Committee Meetings

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64 th General Service Conference Communicating Our Legacies –Vital in A Changing World

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  1. 64thGeneral Service Conference Communicating Our Legacies –Vital in A Changing World Hilton West Chester, Rye Town, NY April 27 – May 3, 2014 The 64th General Service Conference

  2. 64thGeneral Service Conference Our Primary Work: • Conference Committee Meetings • Trustee Elections • Conference Committee Reports • Conference Actions • Floor Actions

  3. 64thGeneral Service Conference Our Primary Work: Conference Committee Actions: Recommend an Advisory Action No Action Additional Consideration Recommit to the Trustees Committee

  4. 64thGeneral Service Conference “Were it not for Committees it is doubtful that any conference could get over a fraction of the ground it now covers. As the Conference has grown in size and influence the Committee’s importance has grown even more…” - AA Service Manual

  5. 64thGeneral Service Conference How we spent our time: Two “Delegates Only” Meetings Three Regional meetings Seven AA meetings 14 Presentations and Reports General Sharing/Q&A- 5 Hours Delegate Highlights GSC Inventory & Report back Delegate Goodbyes - 48 Trustee Goodbyes – 3 Stepping Stones

  6. 64thGeneral Service Conference Who makes up the Conference? 93 Delegates 71% 7 Class A Trustees (Non-Alcoholic) 5% 13 Class B Trustees (Alcoholic)* 10% 4 Non-Trustee Directors 3% 15 GSO and Grapevine Staff 11% 132 Total *one vacancy due to the death of Trustee Marty Walters from Western Canada earlier this year

  7. 64thGeneral Service Conference Conference Diversity: Avg. Age: 59 yrs. Oldest: 78 Youngest: 32 Avg. Sobriety: 21 Longest Sobriety: 41 Shortest Sobriety: 7 Area w/Largest membership: Area 9 Mid-South California Area w/Smallest membership: Area 85 NW Ontario

  8. 64thGeneral Service Conference Sunday,10:00 am It Begins!

  9. 64thGeneral Service Conference Board Reports General Service Board AAWS Board Grapevine Board GSB Treasurer Report

  10. 64thGeneral Service Conference General Service Board Chair: Terry Bedient Group Safety “Serving the Fellowship” Initiative Work Continues on Original 14

  11. 64thGeneral Service Conference AAWS Board Chair: Gary Lutz Over 100,000 copies of 75thAnniversary Big Book sold Over 1900 New Groups Registered in 2013 Redesign of aa.org Over 40% of Literature sales are now online

  12. 64thGeneral Service Conference Grapevine Board Chair: Nancy Haynes $3 Million Total Revenue - flat $315,000 Profit – up $100,000 $135,000 from Cost Reductions Excellent Cost Control by GV Leadership!!

  13. 64thGeneral Service Conference Grapevine Circulation • Subscriptions continue to decline • 2013: Declined 6,100 7% • Last 5 years: • Print declined 24,000 • Online added 5,000 • *** Net Decline: 19,000 Subscriptions

  14. AA Grapevine Circulation: 1974-2013

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  19. 64thGeneral Service Conference Revenue Generating Programs: Audio Story Recordings GV 70 celebrations Audio Recording stories for sale Publish audio content via 3rd Parties “mp3” format for existing CD items 2015 International Convention Publications Tactical Actions....Also need a Long Term Strategic Plan

  20. 64thGeneral Service Conference La Viña La Viña circulation increased 9% in 2013 3rd year in a row for an increase 10,100 Subscribers almost back to peak of 2007 Total revenue was up only 2% - Cost of Service to provide La Viña: $144,000

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  23. 64thGeneral Service Conference Board Report: Finance Treasurer David Morris Class A (non-Alcoholic) Board Member Certified Public Accountant Own Financial Consulting Firm Retired Executive- JP Morgan/Chase Bank

  24. 64thGeneral Service Conference Finance Report Literature and Publishing 2013 Literature Sales: $12.6 million Up 2% Profit $30,000 vs a budgeted loss of $600,000 Printing, shipping, warehousing costs decreased Big Book, Twelve and Twelve, Daily Reflections and Living Sober all had small increased sales Pamphlet sales have declined 20+% in last 5 years Sales are up…Costs are down…all is well in Publishing town!

  25. 64thGeneral Service Conference Finance Report 2013 Contributions $6.9 Million, increased $350,000…..5+% Highest ever! Every category increased Birthday/Individual Contributions Increased 50+% in the last 5 years 42.5% of Groups contributed Same as last year, Down 4% from 4-5 yrs ago Contributions cover 72% of cost of services per member

  26. 64thGeneral Service Conference Finance Report CONTRIBUTION HISTORY: 1983—2013 26

  27. 64thGeneral Service Conference Finance Report Unfunded Pension Liability $ 10.4 Million $ 3.6 Million Reduction $ 6.8 Million Pension Obligation now 87% funded 2012 it was only 56% funded Currently not a Financial Concern!! YEAH!!!!

  28. 64thGeneral Service Conference Our Primary Work: • Conference Committee Meetings • Trustee Elections • Conference Committee Reports • Conference Actions • Floor Actions

  29. 64thGeneral Service Conference Regional Trustee Elections Eastern Canada: Richard Boisvert, Panel 60 Delegate, Area 90, Northwest Quebec Pacific: Joel Castellaw, Panel 60 Delegate, Area 08, San Diego/Imperial Valley Both Elections went to the ‘hat’, Both had received the fewer votes in all ballots Congratulations to Richard and Joel

  30. 64thGeneral Service Conference Conference Actions Our Primary Work: Conference Committee Actions: Recommend an Advisory Action No Action Additional Consideration Recommit to the Trustees Committee

  31. 64thGeneral Service Conference Conference Actions • Cooperation with Professionals: Revised “If You Are a Professional” Pamphlet • Corrections: Update “It Sure beats Sitting in a cell” video • Finance: Translate Conference Materials • Grapevine: motions and Floor Actions on “Right of Decision” and to remove “Alcoholism at Large” both failed • Literature: NEW PAMPHLET! “Many Paths to Spirituality” • Public Information: No changes to Anonymity Card; survey and new video passed • Archives:Updated “Markings on The Journey” video • Report and Charter: No Action-Warranty III • Details on aanorthcarolina.org next week!

  32. 64thGeneral Service Conference Cooperation with the Professional Community 1. Recommended revising the pamphlet, “If you are a Professional” More inclusive of different professional “Acknowledge” attendance vs sign or stamp 2. Same pamphlet, different section Added sentence to keep responsibility on the alcoholic to make contact with AA 3.Recommended deleting smoking phrase from the Health care pamphlet. All three passed Additional Considerations: Added reference material to CPC Kit/Workbook

  33. 64thGeneral Service Conference Corrections 1. Recommended minor changes to the pamphlet “A message to Corrections Professionals . 2. Recommended that a new video be developed to replace the 25 year old “It Sure Beats Sitting in a Cell” Both passed unanimously Additional Considerations: Suggested that the DVD. “Carrying the Message Behind These Walls” be included in the Corrections Kit.

  34. 64thGeneral Service Conference Finance Recommend that because all Conference Members are equal and should have equal access that a plan be created by the General Service Office to translate Conference Material (background material, etc.) into French and Spanish for use during the conference, with a report being presented to the 2015 General Service Conference Passed unanimously…AA unity at it’s very best! Additional considerations: No increase in suggested Area contribution for Delegate Expense at Conference. Minor changes to self-support card

  35. 64thGeneral Service Conference Grapevine • Recommended Actions: • The Committee recommended that the AA Grapevine have the ‘Right of Decision’ for all formatting decisions on producing the Grapevine and La Vina. • Amendment offered to clarify ‘Spiritual Parity”…Failed • Vote: 76 in favor, 49 against…Failed by 7 • No minority opinion • Floor Action on the above Recommendation… • Vote to hear Floor Action passed 70 to not hear, 50 to hear, needed 82 to not hear! • After much discussion, motionFailed, substantial unanimity, count not necessary!

  36. 64thGeneral Service Conference Grapevine • Committee discussed the request to reconsider publishing “Alcoholism at Large” section of the Grapevine and took no action. • Floor Action: Discontinue publishing the “Alcoholism at Large” section of the Grapevine. • Vote to hear the Floor Action passed.74 to not hear, 50 to hear, needed 84 not to hear. • After much discussion, motion Failed. 70 for 53 against, needed 82. • Additional Considerations: • A “New Business Plan” to reduce the La Viña deficit <Cost of Service> be developed by the Grapevine Board, bring back in 2015.

  37. 64thGeneral Service Conference Literature Recommended new pamphlet with the title ”Many Paths to Spirituality” be approved. Introduction to the pamphlet by Bill W., is powerful: "....We have atheists and agnostics. We have people of nearly every race, culture and religion.  In AA we are supposed to be bound together in the kinship of a universal suffering. Therefore the full liberty to practice any creed or principle or therapy should be a first consideration. Hence let us not pressure anyone with individual or even collective views. Let us instead accord to each other the respect that is due to every human being as he tries to make his way towards the light. Let us always try to be inclusive rather than exclusive. Let us remember that each alcoholic among us is a member of AA, so long as he or she so declares.” Bill W.,  AA Grapevine,July 1965…Responsibility is Our Theme

  38. 64thGeneral Service Conference Literature Pamphlet very well received except for one part. In the section of the pamphlets with 6 ‘paths’ by a variety of AA members the Jewish person talks about not feeling guilty in saying the Lord’s prayer in order stay sober. There was an amendment offered, then an amendment to the amendment, to change that segment - both amendments Failed! Motion to approve pamphlet as originally presented Passed with substantial unanimity, no vote counted needed. Only 3 minority opinions offered.

  39. 64thGeneral Service Conference Literature • Recommended that “Non-alcoholics are welcome to attend open AA meetings as observers” be added to the Primary Purpose Blue Card. • Vote: 123 voted, 82 in favor, 41 against, exact 2/3 vote. Passed Minority opinion, with vote to reconsider Vote: 123 voted, 62 in favor, 61 opposed, One vote decision. Passed. Vote: 115 voted; 60 in favor, 55 opposed, needed 77 Failed. • Recommended removing “drug” reference from Living Sober. • Vote: 118 voted, 60 in favor, 58 opposed Failed.

  40. 64thGeneral Service Conference Literature Additional Considerations Discussed the suggestion to create a pamphlet for alcoholics with mental Illness and took no action. Adequately covered in other literature Floor Action, same as above: GSC recommended that literature which focuses on Alcoholics in recovery with Mental Illness be developed. 118 votes, 54 decline to hear, 64 to hear. Will hear Floor action. Much discussion. Vote 126, 77 in favor, opposed 49, need 84. Failed Minority Opinion, voted to reconsider, Passed Original Motion, more discussion, called the question, Vote: 128, 77 in favor, 51 opposed, Failed

  41. 64thGeneral Service Conference Public Information • Recommended that the Anonymity Card(F-20) be revised. • Motion to recommit to Trustees PI Committee failed. Motion initially passed, then minority spoke… • Motion to reconsider passed unanimously. Relatively short discussion on original motion. Original motion Failed under reconsideration. • Recommended numerous classification descriptions on AA Membership Survey be changed. Passed • Recommended that survey be conducted. Passed • New Video, 2 discontinued, Passed.

  42. Just Ask!!! The information is available 64thGeneral Service Conference Other Conference Actions???

  43. 64thGeneral Service Conference Rocketed into a fourth dimension “We have found much of heaven and we have been rocketed into a fourth dimension of existence of which we had not even dreamed. The great fact is just this, and nothing less: That we have had deep and effective spiritual experiences which have revolutionized our whole attitude toward life, toward our fellows and toward God's universe. The central fact of our lives today is the absolute certainty that our Creator has entered into our hearts and lives in a way which is indeed miraculous. He has commenced to accomplish those things for us which we could never do by ourselves.” - Alcoholics Anonymous, p25

  44. 64thGeneral Service Conference • Forever a Panel 63 Delegate! • Thank You Area 87 and AA!

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  46. 64thGeneral Service Conference Atlanta 2015!

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