Alcoholics Anonymous Area E Committee
Minutes of Meeting: Friday, 2nd Dec 2016 @ 7:30 PM
_________________________________
Chair: Andrew I (RtR Kirribilli Fri PM)
Attendance:
| Andrew I | Area Chair | RtR Kirribilli Fri PM | Present |
| Rosemary P | Area Secretary | RtR North Syd Tue PM | Present |
| John B | Area Delegate | Seaforth Tue PM | Present |
| Anna S | Area Alternate Delegate | Dee Why Thu PM | Present |
| Peter | Area Treasurer | North Sydney Mon PM | Present |
| Michael S | Area Group Liaison | RtR Kirribilli Fri PM | Present |
| John G | Area Public Information Coordinator | Narrabeen Sun PM | Apologies |
| Lachlan B | Area Webmaster | Royal North Shore Thu PM | Present |
| Christopher L | GSR | RtR Kirribilli Fri PM | Present |
| Garry T | GSR | Gordon Mon PM | Present |
| John R | GSR | Royal North Shore Thu PM | Present |
| Caroline E | GSR | Cremorne Mon Thur | Present |
| David C | GSR | Epping Mon PM & Thu PM | Present |
| Rowena R | GSR | Seaforth Tue PM & Dee Why B’fast | Apologies |
| Tina S | GSR | Mona Vale Sun AM | Apologies |
| David P | GSR | Chatswood Sun AM | Apologies |
Meeting Opened: 07:30pm
12 Traditions Read By: Lachlan B
Previous Minutes: Accepted
Action Items:
| Action Item | Description | Owner | Due | Status |
| 20161202.01 | Area E Website – The print button to print the minutes has disappeared. It needs to be returned so the minutes can successfully be printed. | Lachlan B | 20170109 | New |
| 20161202.02 | Area E Website – Add google maps for the address of the Area E meeting. | Lachlan B | 20170109 | New |
| 20161202.03 | Andrew I to send an email to all Area E members asking for feedback regarding the articles on Groups and Meetings and Dogs At Meetings. | Andrew I | 20170109 | New |
| 20161202.04 | AA 30 Sec Commercial at movies: at 2017 year end look at having the commercial screened at Warringah Mall for 1 movie for 3 weeks over the Christmas period. It will be screened 25 times a week for a total cost of approx. $1000.
Also review commercial screenings as part of the new unity project, possibly raising special contributions from meetings. |
Rosemary P | 20170901 | Hold |
| 20161202.05 | Send Lachlan B the dates for the Assemblies so they can be updated to the website. | Andrew I/
Lachlan B |
20170109 | New |
| 20161202.06 | All Area Members to start using the area specific email addresses so the area email history is kept. | All Area Members | 20170109 | New |
| 20161103.01 | 2017 Annual General Meeting to be organised. The Kur-ring-gai Community Centre meeting room is available for the first Saturday in February and this date needs to be approved and a booking made. | Andrew I | 20161202
20170109 |
In Progress |
| 20160906.1 | All Area Members to determine ideas of how to improve the way Area E and the Assemblies are run. | All | 20161103
20161202 |
Completed |
| 20160906.2 | A brainstorming session to be held either separately or during an Area E meeting to discuss ways of improving Area E and Assemblies. | Andrew I | 20161103
20161202 |
Completed |
| 20160906.3 | Each Area E member to discuss having the Concepts Banner displayed at their meeting with the other 2 banners and also promote it at other meetings if possible.
The Concepts Banner is not currently available to order as changes may be required once the National Conference meets this month. Once the Conference is over and any changes finalised the banner will be made available to order. · 20161202 – Andrew I to contact the NSCSO and ask them to commence printing of the Concepts banners in the short form on calico. There is a current request from the groups for 11 of them. |
All
Andrew I |
20161103
20161202 20170109 |
In Progress |
| 20160504.2 | Undertake an initiative to take an inventory of Area E
· Waiting for a Conference Report due in Nov. |
John B | 20160831
20161202 |
On Hold |
| 20160405.1 | Looking at integrating articles with mail chimp to eliminate the double handling.
· Lachlan reported that this is complicated hence recommends we keep the current process. |
Lachlan B | 20160504
20160602 20160701 20160801 20160906 20161005 20161202 |
Closed |
| 20160405.7 | Create a guideline and add it to the website outlining the difference between a group and a meeting.
Discussion included: · Groups are organised with office bearers and structure. · Reference to Tradition Three (The Long Form) “.. Any two or three alcoholics gathered together for sobriety may call themselves an AA group, provided that, as a group, they have no other affiliation.” · 20160906 – Garry T highlighted that we should call it an article and not a guideline as a guideline is more official. · 20160906 – Garry T has written the article and sent an article to John B. John B will be reviewing it. · 20161202 – John B submitted the article to the group to review. |
Garry T
& John B |
20160504
20160602 20160701 20160801 20160906 20161005 20161202 |
Completed |
| 20160405.8 | Create a guideline and add to the website outlining the policy on Dogs at Meetings.
· Call National Office(Tony) to determine if they already have guidelines. · 20160801 – Owner changed to Garry T · 20160906 – Garry T highlighted that we should call it an article and not a guideline as a guideline is more official. · 20160906 – Passed onto John B and he is still to review them. · 20161202 – John B submitted the article to the group to review. |
John G
Garry T & John B |
20160504
20160602 20160701 20160801 20160906 20161005 20161202 |
Completed |
| 20160307.3 | Peter to talk to GSO to determine the amount the Area has donated as it is currently not clear.
· Approximately $45,000 is donated each year by Area E. |
Peter | 20160405
20160504 20160602 20160701 20160801 20160906 20161005 20161202 |
Completed |
Chairman’s Report: Andrew I
Andrew I tabled the report highlighting:
- Last month’s meeting was small but good.
- Attendance at this meeting is good and appreciated.
- At the last meeting a motion was carried to close action items not completed within 4 months.
- Prior to this meeting Andrew I, John B, Anna S and Rosemary P met to discuss possible major initiatives for the Area E in 2017. Andrew I will overview in General Business.
8 were nominated:
- Unification project
- Advertising initiative
- Area E inventory
- Participation in project, taking inventory of AA Service Structure in Australia
- PI dinner (delay)
- PI Play (delay)
- Regional Forum (delay)
- National Convention (delay)
PI Report: John G
John G was not present hence a report was not tabled:
Treasurer’s Report: Peter
Peter tabled the report highlighting:
Account Balance as at 2nd December 2016: $4,745.60
Delegate’s Report: John B
John B tabled the report highlighting:
- General Service Conference well attended, 31 voting members (included 21 Area Delegates or Alternates)
- Advisory Actions of Conference will be published in AA Around Australia, December 2016 edition
- Two Topics submitted by Area E : General Service Structure diagrams adopted
- Communication improvements within AA, provide more information suggested
- Publication in Australia of E magazine progressing
- Service and Review Committee Reports with options for conducting an inventory of the AA Service Structure in Australia are to be updated and distributed to give members and groups time to discuss in 2017
Alternate Delegate Report: Anna S
Anna S tabled the report highlighting:
- Anna has been involved in establishing a new Big Book Study meeting at Seaforth on Wed @ 11am. The venue is children friendly and Anna will try to establish a GSR to represent the group.
Group Liaison Report: Michael S
Michael S tabled the report highlighting:
- He has been revisiting meetings he visited previously. Michael is finding there aren’t a lot of actual members at meetings, though attendance can be high, so the members that are there have to take on several service positions.
- Michael has found it is a good idea to visit meetings possibly every 6 months otherwise the members that are there carrying out several service positions can feel pressured to do more when GSR representation at Area E is mentioned.
Web Master Report: Lachlan B
Area E Website http://areaeeraa.info
Lachlan B tabled the report highlighting:
- He is receiving good feedback regarding the website.
- Andrew I highlighted people are finding it difficult to print the minutes from the site. After investigation it was found the ‘Print’ button had disappeared.
- Christopher L recommended putting google maps address on the site for the Area E meeting address.
- Lachlan B recommended we start using the Area E committee email addresses so all history of communications between the members is kept.
GSR Reports:
- John R – All is well,
- David C – Epping – Monday meeting is going strong. Ben has just rotated into the secretary position for the Thursday night meeting.
- Caroline E – Cremorne – Numbers have been increasing which is good and they are trying to create some structure and service. Some of the members are just about to start a new meeting at Naremburn.
- Christopher L – Kirribilli & North Sydney – Both well attended with donations strong. On Dec 10th from 2pm to 5pm they are holding an informal event ‘Working With Others’. Everyone is welcome.
- Garry T – Gordon Mon night – the meeting going well – 20 to 30 people. They have started serving hot finger food after the meeting and it seems to have increased numbers and those staying after the meeting.
- Anna S – Dee Why Thurs night – this month 40 pamphlets were taken, from Centrelink Brookvale display, mostly being ‘Message to the Teenager’.
General Business:
- Andrew I – Overviewed that Andrew I, John B, Anna S, Rosemary P met to discuss 8 possible projects that Area E can put their energy into in 2017. He outlined how one of the sides of the triangle is missing and that is unity. We have decided on a Unification Reachout Project but are yet to flesh it out.
- Lachlan B – there is 2 things you can do. Go for quantity – get more people in, go for quality – enhance the people in the group. You can’t do both.
- Michael S – has experienced it being beneficial for Area E to reach out and attend groups/meetings than trying to get members to come to us.
- John B – Re the Annual General Meeting being held in February the responsibility rotates between CSO and Area for catering and this year it is Area E’s turn. It was also raised that the NSCSO Office Manager, Treasurer, Area E Treasurer and Group Liaison are up for rotation at the next AGM.
- Andrew I to send the forward schedule for Assemblies in 2017 to Lachlan so they can be put on the website.
NEXT MEETING: Monday 9th January at 07:30
