Area 46 Literature Committee
August 2023
Greetings Area 46!
And congratulations to all of our Trusted Servants in their new roles following the elections!
I’d like to say thank you again to Eloy for leading the discussion at our Assembly Literature Committee meeting. It’s been fortunate for me in this role that our Delegate was on the Conference Literature Committee during the same rotation, and my appreciation and understanding for the role that our literature plays both to our fellowship and to AA as an organization, as well as my understanding of General Service in AA and our service structure in action have all grown immeasurably these past almost two years. More importantly, I’ve come to appreciate the level of care and consideration that our Delegates, Trustees, the Board of Directors, the paid staff, and all of the other people who are thrown into the kettle that is the General Service Conference all exhibit on behalf of our Members, Groups, the Fellowship as a whole, and to themselves and their personal relationships to the program of recovery that is outlined in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous. But perhaps most important of all is the appreciation and respect I have gained for each of our members and our unique relationships to our literature, the Fellowship, and to our personal recovery.
I often hear people share at meetings some variations on “Our leaders are but trusted servants, they do not govern” that is usually followed by a comment about how it’s a good thing because “us alcoholics don’t like to be told what to do” and everyone laughs. But, it occurred to me after hearing this again recently that we not only do not like to be told what to do but also that each one of us that has been sober for a while probably secretly believes that we’re “doing it the right way.” And this may sound funny, but actually it must be true because we have each achieved the freedom that is promised and recovery is a deeply personal experience that exists solely between an individual and their higher power. So, anyone who has had a spiritual experience and maintains a relationship with their higher power and stays sober must be “doing it the right way” regardless of whether or not it looks like anyone else in the room. And I’ve experienced this deeply personal relationship in all of you as expressed in your relationships with our literature and a commitment to finding the best way to continue carrying our message to the still suffering alcoholic. I’ve also experienced how we all bring that unique relationship and perspective together within service to contribute to our “one ultimate authority, a loving God as he may express himself in our group conscience.”
Thank you all for participating:)
I mentioned last month that our Committee had some proposed updates to the AIP for the Literature Committee Chair role description, but I decided to withhold it until our next Assembly due to the volume of business we had on the agenda.
I look forward to seeing some of you at our next monthly Literature Committee meeting, every third Wednesday at 7 pm on Zoom. you can find the link on the Events calendar or email me at literature@dev.aa-nia.org.
Thank you for letting me be of service!
Phillip F.