Hello, Area 46!
I hope this report finds you well and in good spirits!
Thank you District 13 for hosting the Pre-Conference Assembly! You all did an awesome job! It was great to see everyone in person and on zoom.
Customarily, the Area 46 traveling Archives display was set up for the assembly to view. We have items that have been added to the display, they include books about the pioneer women of A.A. Also, our past Archives Chair Patience B donated a copy of the AA Big Book Spoken & Recorded in Navajo Language, it is an audio book of 14 CD’s that is now part of the display. Thank you, Patience! Evelyn from District 13, GSR of Fellowship Group in Clovis, NM sent in a letter for Area 46 Archives written in 1976 by a gentleman detailing how their group was originally started. Thank you, Evelyn, for your contribution!
The Archives committee met during the Pre-Conference Assembly and had a total of 7 people live and 8 people joined in on zoom.
The first item of business was the Agenda Items assigned to the committee. Between conferences, ideas for changes to the Archives workbook may be received by an appropriate trustees’ committee and implemented. We did not discuss the workbook in detail, but I did encourage the committee members to obtain and review the workbook and make any suggestions they may have to be discussed at the 2023 General Service Conference.
The agenda item that was assigned to the Archives committee by the Area Delegate and discussed was Item Policy/Admissions G: EDW from Literature committee which reads: Consider request to revise the pamphlet “Questions and Answers on Sponsorship” to reflect shared experience on service sponsorship. During our discussion, most of the committee was not aware of the concept of service sponsorship and those who were familiar with the concept discussed the difference between a traditional sponsor who takes the person through the 12 steps of A.A. and the service sponsor who answers questions about service, responsibilities, and the service structure. After the discussion, the committee was in favor of adding a section on service sponsorship to the current pamphlet. The committee also expressed that they felt it would be beneficial and reach more people by adding the current pamphlet rather than creating a new pamphlet. That information has been passed on to our Delegate to take to the General Service Conference.
Next item of business was a report was given by Area Archivist Michelle T. She continues to look for a suitable space for Area Archives which is currently housed in a closet in the Albuquerque Central Office. She has visited one office building. This search was started by the last Archives committee rotation and the goal is to find a place that people would be able to visit and view the Area 46 Archives display and a space for the Archivist to preserve the archives.
Lastly, I encouraged all in attendance to announce and encourage committees, their districts, and groups to send in committee minutes, fliers of any 12-step outreach and any group histories that have been obtained.
The meeting was closed with the Responsibility Statement.
I am grateful to serve as your Archives Chair and now that our first Assembly is behind us, I am excited to see you all again at the next planning meeting in June.
“Looking After Our History One Yesterday at a Time.”
In gratitude and love,
Berna C.
archiveschair@nm-aa-org