The 71st General Service Conference was held April 17 – 24th. It has been a tremendous honor to serve at both virtual General Service Conferences. It is certainly humbling to have participated in AA History as it was being made. I have several reports scheduled and I am looking forward to reporting back to all of you what took place at the Conference this year. Please also know that when the Delegate comes around to do the report that is also a good time to communicate to your Delegate any new agenda items that you or your Group or District may have an interest in submitting to the 72nd General Service Conference.
A new “REGIONAL FORUMS” video is now available. The Regional Forums video is available on AA.org on the Regional Forums Page and the A.A.W.S. YouTube channel. If you have never been to a Regional Forum, this informational video will help you understand what Regional Forums all are about. The 2021 SW Regional Forum is coming up this October and will be on a virtual plat-form. Please consider making plans to attend.
As part of the Treatment and Accessibilities Committee, I am happy to announce that the ASL Big Book and 12×12 Have Arrived in English! Good news! The Big Book and Twelve and Twelve in ASL are available with closed captions on the A.A.W.S. You-Tube channel. All videos have closed captions and are in English only. We hope you enjoy! You can find a link on our Area website as well.
At our Pre-Conference Assembly, I released a video from the current Trustee’s subcommittee looking into all of the requests for changes to our literature. This Trustee’s Commit-tee is researching the nature of the requests and looking for commonalities. You are invited to go to our Area 46 website and visit a link there to the presentation. I will be asking Districts to plan some time along with the Delegate’s Conference Re-ports this year to have conversations around this matter. If you are interested, I invite you to review the presentation that is now available. I look forward to many productive discussions.
Our General Conference Theme is “AA in a Time of Change”.
A vast communication net now covers the earth, even to its remotest reach-es. Granting all its huge public benefits, this limitless world forum is nevertheless a hunting ground for all those who would seek money, acclaim, and power at the expense of society in general. Here the forces of good and evil are locked in struggle. All that is shoddy and destructive contests all that is best.Therefore, nothing can matter more to the future welfare of AA than the manner in which we use this colossus of communication. Used unselfishly and well, the results can surpass our present imagination. Should we handle this great instrument badly, we shall be shattered by the ego demands of our own people — often with the best of intention on their part.
By Bill W. Copyright © The A.A. Grapevine, Inc., November 1960
(Reprinted with permission from The AA Grapevine.Inc)
We face the great challenges of our time with Faith and Confidence that we are led by a Loving Higher Power, expressed in our Group Con-science. As we move forward in this new era in Alcoholics Anonymous, let us always remember the spiritual principles which guide us. Love and tolerance is our code, and we cannot have meaningful conversations with-out allowing expression of all sides in a safe and tolerant environment.
I remain forever Grateful for the opportunity to Serve Area 46 as your Delegate. Thank you for allowing me to be the caretaker of this great responsibility for a short while.
In Love and Service,
Bill L., Area 46 Delegate