Welcome to the Delegate's Corner
Information about and from our Area Delegate.
Delegates Corner - September, 2023It has been a busy and productive month since my last Delegate’s Corner. I hope everyone is now receiving them via email and please if you have any questions or comments reach out to me anytime. Firstly, I have attached a Summer Delegate’s Report, the latest information from the General Service Office. This document is loaded with important information for us all.
After the July Board weekend, myself, as Delegate Chair and Mike L. interim Board Chair hosted a Sharing Session following an advisory action from the 73 rd General Service Conference.
To foster unity, trust, and transparency in the Fellowship, the members of the General Service Conference meet outside of the annual meeting for general sharing sessions at least two times per year utilizing virtual meeting technology. The General Service Board Chair and Delegate Chair will set the date and time as well as determine what issues currently facing the Fellowship would be chosen as topics.
Nearly all the U.S./Canada Service Structure Delegates were present. It was a full General Service Conference meeting. Reports were presented from the Board of Trustees meeting followed by a Q&A session. It was the first meeting of its kind ever held and what an honor to be a part of this open communication.
With many of you and our friends from South Florida I attended the 66 th Florida State Convention held at the Saddlebrook Resort. While hot and sometimes rainy amazing fellowship overshadowed the unkind weather as we celebrated our sobriety together. There were many great speakers, presentations, and workshops. Cary W., our South Florida delegate and I did a fun skit of the misadventures of two Florida gals in the big city of New York. In case you missed it you just might get a chance to see it at the Mission Inn when Cary is our guest for the weekend at our fall assembly. She will also lead us in our Area 14 inventory and tell her personal story of recovery as our Saturday night speaker!
Last week I attended a zoom presentation with some 480 other members of the fellowship for all 93 Areas! The presentation topic was the Plain Language translation of the book Alcoholics Anonymous. I have attached the highlight notes from this event. Many unfortunate myths surround this book and our presenter John W. did an excellent job of delivering the timeline, development and purpose of this project. His closing words reflect the full intent of the hope that may be found in these pages.
“We-the assembled here today-may not need a Plain Language Big Book to ensure our own
recovery. We do need it to ensure the recovery of the alcoholic with a reading disability who still
stumbles in the darkness one short block from this room.
We need it to ensure the recovery of a child being born tonight who, destined to alcoholism, may
not understand the vernacular of a century old book.
We need a Plain Language Big Book to provide, in keeping with our Twelfth Step, a permanent
haven for all alcoholics who, in the ages ahead, can find in A.A. that rebirth which brought us back to
life.”
I am working closely still with the General Service Office and the Southeast Regional Delegates as we ready ourselves for the next round of agenda items for the 74 th General Service Conference next spring, this is a year-round process. May I remind you that any Proposed Agenda Items must be submitted by September 15 th of this year and there is a new submission form uploaded to the NFAC website in the password protected portion of the site. We are focused on finalizing current projects and keeping a sharp eye on the funds that are made available through the 7 th Tradition contributions. These are financially challenging times for us all but an extra dollar in the basket goes a very long way to the continued efforts of carrying the message to the still suffering alcoholic.
Thank you all for your love and support.
Mary A.
Delegate Area 14, Panel 73
delegate@aanorthflorida.org