69Th GSC Final Report
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Our Big Book --- 80 Years, 71 Languages Published by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. 475 Riverside Drive, Room 1100, New York, New York 10115 (212) 870-3400 • www.aa.org 2019 FINAL REPORT CONFIDENTIAL M-23 50M – 8/19 (RP) The Sixty-Ninth Annual Meeting of the General Service Conference of Alcoholics Anonymous “Our Big Book — 80 Years, 71 Languages” 2019 Final Report Crowne Plaza Times Square, New York, NY – May 19–25, 2019 Copyright © 2019 by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. 475 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10115 All rights reserved. www.aa.org 50M – 8/19 (RP) n Contents The 69th General Service Conference Convenes .... 3 Finance and Budgetary ....................... 77 Greetings .................................. 4 General Sharing Session ...................... 80 Keynote ................................... 5 Grapevine ................................. 80 Presentations Group Services .............................. 81 International ............................... 7 International ............................... 82 ‘The 1969 Project’ — History International Conventions/A.A. Regional Forums ... 83 of the World Service Meeting ............... 7 Literature .................................. 86 25th World Service Meeting .................. 9 Yesterday’s World — Our Legacies Begin ........ 10 Nominating ................................ 88 Today’s World — Demonstrating Integrity, Public Information ........................... 91 Anonymity and Service ...................... 11 Staff Coordinator ............................ 93 Tomorrow’s World — Courage to Be Vigilant ..... 12 G.S.O. Department Reports ..................... 94 Presentation/Discussion Topics Equitable Distribution of Workload .............. 13 Literature Distributed (A.A.W.S.) — 2018 .......... 100 A.A.W.S. Audio/Video Strategy .................. 14 Grapevine Literature Distribution and Circulation ... 103 2020 International Convention ................. 15 AA Grapevine and La Viña ..................... 17 Dorothy Goes to the International Convention (a photographic summary) Reports from the General Service Board, ................... 104 A.A.W.S. and Grapevine Corporate Boards Financial General Service Board ........................ 19 Report of the Independent Auditor .............. 105 A.A. World Services, Inc. ...................... 23 Consolidated Statement of Financial Position ...... 110 AA Grapevine, Inc. ........................... 26 Consolidated Statement of Activity . 111 Finance Report ............................... 29 Consolidated Statement of Functional Expenses .... 11 2 Conference Advisory Actions .................... 32 2018 Contributions from Groups — by Delegate Area 11 4 Floor Actions ............................... 32 Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows ........... 11 6 Agenda ................................... 32 2019 G.S.O. Budget .......................... 11 7 Archives ................................... 32 Cooperation with the Professional Community . 32 2019 Grapevine Budget ....................... 118 Corrections ................................ 32 2019 Conference Committees ................... 11 9 Finance ................................... 32 2020 Chairpersons and Alternates ............... 120 Grapevine ................................. 32 2019 Trustees’ Committees ..................... 120 International Conventions/Regional Forums ....... 32 2019 Conference Members Literature .................................. 33 Policy/Admissions ........................... 33 Trustees (General Service Board) ................ 121 Public Information ........................... 33 Nontrustee Directors ......................... 122 Report and Charter .......................... 34 Area Delegates .............................. 124 Treatment and Accessibilities .................. 34 G.S.O. and Grapevine staffs .................... 126 Trustees ................................... 34 Nonvoting Personnel Assisting with Committee Considerations ..................... 35 the 69th General Service Conference ............. 126 Recommendations Not Resulting in Advisory Actions ......................... 41 Floor Actions Not Resulting in Advisory Actions .... 41 Confidential — full names used Workshop Summary ........................... 42 Since this report is a confidential A.A. document, for members Visit to G.S.O. ................................ 46 only, it contains members’ full names and addresses. Area Service Highlights ........................ 47 This usage — to facilitate communication within the Estimates of Groups and Members ............... 58 Fellowship — was approved by the 1975 Conference. Such Trustees’ Committees and Staff Reports ........... 65 confidential use respects our Tradition of anonymity in public Archives ................................... 65 communications and with media (press, radio, TV, etc.). Audit Committee ............................ 67 Communication Services ...................... 67 About the Cover: Front — a sampling of Big Books pub- Compensation Committee ..................... 68 lished by A.A.W.S., Inc. The Big Book is currently published in Conference ................................ 68 71 languages. Back — a collection of buttons and other mem- Cooperation with the Professional Community/ orabilia shared and exchanged informally among Conference Treatment and Accessibilities .................. 71 members. Corrections ................................ 74 2 n The 69th General Service Conference Convenes ur Big Book — 80 Years, 71 Languages” was the egate chair of the Conference, referenced the Conference theme of the recently concluded 69th General theme: “Seventy-one languages — I have to admit, I won- Service Conference, held in New York City May der how translators do it. ‘Whoopee party’? Really, Bill? I’d “O19–25. As the Fellowship’s original “oldtimer in print” — sure like to know how that got translated into Navajo. Or also available digitally and as an audiobook — Alcoholics how it just got translated to our French-speaking friends.” Anonymous, our basic text, has sold over 40 million copies, Additionally, Anthony contemplated one of the many is available in 71 languages, and has helped carry the A.A. issues slated to come before the Conference, noting, “In message in more than 180 countries around the world. 1939, when the book was first published, I’m guessing Working closely with Dr. Bob and the Fellowship’s ear- none of them imagined we would be here deciding on a liest members, Bill W. recognized that in order to keep possible fifth edition.” the program from getting “garbled” or misinterpreted, it Delayed temporarily by bad weather that disrupted her would be necessary to put the process down on paper — travel plans, the Conference keynote address was deliv- to make clear what the first 100 members did to achieve ered on Monday by Yoli F., Southwest regional trustee. In and maintain their sobriety. The process was not without her talk, Yoli shared an anecdote about the Big Book from difficulty, of course, with many disagreements over what her early sobriety: “My first awakening of the value of the should be in the book. Nevertheless, together, those early Big Book and translations came from a story by Fran P. in A.A.s constructed a pathway to sobriety that was broad, the July 1990 Grapevine titled ‘Grupa Una,’ about a woman enduring and inclusive. in Romania named Juliet who was in search of recovery With our basic text as the backdrop, the 69th General from alcoholism during the oppressive years of 1984–85. Service Conference was made up of 93 delegates, 27 trust- Fran writes, ‘Their faith in A.A. regularly moved me to ees and corporate directors from A.A.W.S. and Grapevine, tears. The first weekend Juliet had the literature, for exam- along with 15 General Service Office, Grapevine and La ple, she stayed at home. On Monday, I noticed she seemed Viña staff members. quite tired. When asked why, she said she had been sitting Following a warm welcome Sunday morning from up copying the Big Book by hand. Shocked, I told her that Michele Grinberg, Class A (nonalcoholic) chairperson of the I was giving her my copy to keep forever, that she didn’t General Service Board, and the official roll call by G.S.O.’s need to copy a single word.’ ” general manager Greg T., Anthony F. of South Dakota, del- Beginning on Sunday afternoon and running through 3 to Saturday, Conference week is long and often arduous, Addressing some difficult issues — issues of growth punctuated by board and committee reports, presentations and unity as a Fellowship in the digital age — the 69th and discussions, area service highlights, workshops, shar- Conference worked its way through agenda items, slow- ing sessions and a visit to G.S.O. Additionally, the trustee ly and carefully formulating a path forward for the elections, which took place on Wednesday, allowed Tom Fellowship. Not all Conference discussions resulted in A. and Lucien J., the trustees’ and Conference committee Advisory Actions, though; many of the important mat- chairs respectively, to sharpen their comic deliveries as ters addressed at the Conference were articulated in the they filled some of the silence between votes with a selec- “additional considerations” of each committee — more tion of jokes from the new Grapevine book Take Me to Your informal suggestions and guidance on how best to carry Sponsor. Also providing a little comic relief to the week- the message. long proceedings was a performance by the 475 Riverside By Friday evening, with discussion