Workbook for Grapevine and La Viña Representatives
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A Guide to AA Grapevine The Story of the International Journals of Alcoholics Anonymous And a Workbook for Grapevine and La Viña Representatives AA Grapevine, Inc. 475 Riverside Drive New York, NY 10115 www.aagrapevine.org Click Here for the Table of Contents 2 Responsibility Declaration I am responsible. When anyone, anywhere, reaches out for help, I want the hand of AA always to be there. And for that: I am responsible. AA Preamble Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength, and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. There are no dues or fees for AA membership; we are self-supporting through our own contributions. AA is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization or institution; does not wish to engage in any controversy, neither endorses nor opposes any causes. Our primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety Copyright © by AA Grapevine, Inc. 3 General Service Conference Advisory Action, 1986: “Since each issue of the Grapevine cannot go through the Conference-approval process, the Conference recognizes the AA Grapevine as the international journal of Alcoholics Anonymous.” © AA Grapevine, Inc. 2013 This workbook is service material, reflecting AA experience shared at the AA Grapevine Office. 4 AA Grapevine Statement of Purpose AA Grapevine is the international journal of Alcoholics Anonymous. Written, edited, illustrated, and read by AA members and others interested in the AA program of recovery from alcoholism, Grapevine is a lifeline linking one alcoholic to another. Originally known as a “meeting in print,” AA Grapevine communicates the experience, strength, and hope of its contributors and reflects a broad geographic spectrum of current AA experience with recovery, unity, and service. Founded in 1944, Grapevine does not receive group contributions, but is supported entirely through subscription sales and additional income derived from the sale of Grapevine items. The awareness that every AA member has an individual way of working the program permeates the pages of Grapevine, and throughout its history the journal has been a forum for the varied and often divergent opinions of AAs around the world. Articles are not intended to be statements of AA policy, nor does publication of any article imply endorsement by either AA or Grapevine. As Bill W. expressed it in 1946, “The Grapevine will be the voice of the Alcoholics Anonymous movement. Its editors and staff will be primarily accountable to the AA movement as a whole. ... Within the bounds of friendliness and good taste, the Grapevine will enjoy perfect freedom of speech on all matters directly pertaining to Alcoholics Anonymous. ... Like the Alcoholics Anonymous movement it is to mirror, there will be but one central purpose: The Grapevine will try to carry the AA message to alcoholics and practice the AA principles in all its affairs.” 5 Preface Welcome to AA Grapevine and La Viña, the international journals of Alcoholics Anonymous. This workbook is a basic resource for all Grapevine and La Viña representatives—or for any AA member, in fact, who is interested in the journals in print, audio and online and their use as tools for helping alcoholics get sober and stay sober and better understand the principles of AA. Part One offers an overview of the journals. It describes their basic contents and how they carry the AA message today. This section is designed to answer some of the questions you or your group may have about Grapevine and foster deeper interest in the journals. Recently updated and revised, it includes a chapter devoted to La Viña, AA’s Spanish-language journal, and highlights new developments at Grapevine such as the redesigned website and the Digital Story Archive, which contains thousands of Grapevine articles going back to 1944. Part Two explains what the job of GVR/RLV entails at the group, district, and area levels, and offers practical, hands-on suggestions on how to do it—all based on the experience of seasoned Grapevine and La Viña reps. It presents a wide variety of ideas, so that you can select the ones that best suit you and the needs of your group. There are also a number of suggestions for organizing special area and district events that committees might choose from and fact sheets that can be copied and used as handouts. Those who wish to learn more about AA history can turn to the appendices, which provide more information on Grapevine’s landmark publications and some of the Conference Actions that have guided the magazine, along with a glossary of important terms. We hope this information is useful, and, in the tradition of AA, we hope you will want to pass it on … to other Grapevine and La Viña reps and to your fellow AAs. For more information, contact the Grapevine office at 475 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10115, or visit the companion to this guide, the GVR/RLV section of the Grapevine website at www.aagrapevine.org. We look forward to hearing from you! In fellowship, The Executive Editor/Publisher [email protected] 6 Table of Contents Responsibility Declaration ......................................................................... 3 AA Preamble ................................................................................................ 3 Statement of Purpose ................................................................................. 5 Preface ......................................................................................................... 6 PART ONE: The Story of AA Grapevine and La Viña .............................. 9 Chapter One: The Inside Story ................................................................................... 9 The International Journal of Alcoholics Anonymous................................................................... 9 Chapter Two: La Viña: AA’s Spanish-Language Magazine ..................................... 14 The Origin of the Magazine ............................................................................................................. 14 La Viña Comes of Age .................................................................................................................... 15 Chapter Three: The Making of the Magazines ........................................................ 16 Who Writes Grapevine and La Viña? .............................................................................................. 16 Steps of Magazine Production ......................................................................................................... 16 Guidelines For Contributing to Grapevine: ...................................................................................... 17 Share your story, jokes, photos and art ........................................................................................... 17 Criteria for Annual Grapevine Photo Contest .................................................................................. 19 Grapevine Copyright and Reprints Policy ........................................................................................ 20 Chapter Four: How the Magazines Carry the Message .......................................... 22 A Twelfth-Step Tool ......................................................................................................................... 22 A Resource for Groups .................................................................................................................... 23 A Mirror of the Current Fellowship ................................................................................................... 23 A Tool for Public Information ........................................................................................................... 24 Chapter Five: AA Grapevine Online ........................................................................ 25 AA Grapevine Website .................................................................................................................... 25 Grapevine Emails ............................................................................................................................ 26 La Viña ............................................................................................................................................ 26 Chapter Six: AA Grapevine, Inc. .............................................................................. 27 AA Grapevine, Inc., and the General Service Structure .................................................................. 27 The Grapevine Corporate Board ..................................................................................................... 30 The Editorial Advisory Board ........................................................................................................... 31 The Grapevine Office ...................................................................................................................... 32 Contact Information ......................................................................................................................... 33 PART TWO: A Workbook for Grapevine and La Viña Representatives 34 Chapter Seven: Group Grapevine and La Viña Reps ............................................. 35 What Do GVRs and RLVs Do? ........................................................................................................ 35 If You