Hello Friends,
Thanks to all who provided input in the post-Assembly survey I sent out. It went to anyone who registered before or during the event and we had a 22% response rate (industry standard for this type of survey is 15-25%) and was basically evenly split between online and in-person respondents. There was quite a bit of valuable feedback that we’ll be incorporating into our future assemblies – both things that we can continue and things we can improve. If you’d like to see the analysis of the responses, please contact me and I’ll make it available to you.
The most impactful area for improvement as indicated by your feedback is in the breakout sessions. As a result, the Committee will attempt to work more closely with the Host Committee and the venue to identify acceptable spaces for the breakout sessions. We’re also looking for on-site volunteers who can help facilitate the breakout sessions. It’s pretty simple service work that most anyone who has participated in a Zoom meeting would be able to do. If you’re going to be at the next Assembly and are interested in helping, please let me know!
I also had the opportunity to virtually attend the National A.A. Technology Workshop along with Lynda H., our Tech Chair, and Kerri K., our Delegate. It was a pleasure to engage with other A.A.s who see how we can use technology to better carry the message of Alcoholics Anonymous to the still-suffering alcoholic and it reinforced some of my perspectives and shifted others.
One of the perspectives it reinforced is how important the work of the HEP Committee is. Hearing stories of how the technology we use allows people to participate fully in A.A. when they can’t be in the physical room with us really drove home some of the improvements this Committee needs to make. There are many ways to “off the beam” in this kind of service: doing technology for technology’s sake, dismissing people who struggle with technology, dismissing people who love technology, etc. In any case, we need to keep our primary purpose in focus. If what we do helps one person stay or get sober, then we’ve done our job well.
One of the perspectives it shifted for me is who can and should help with the more technical work that we do. There were people in attendance from pretty much every demographic in A.A. but the one who stood out to me was a member who saw a need to collect meeting information in her area and get it online and fed into the Meeting Guide App. This member is not a “tech person” or a digital native – she was 80 and had no computer skills to speak of when she started her own website to meet the need. But she had in common some things which I repeatedly heard from participants:
- A passion to help the still-suffering alcoholic
- An eagerness to solve problems
- A willingness to set aside a self-perceived lack of technical skills
So if you’ve excluded yourself from helping because you think you lack the skills, but you have these attributes, let’s talk. We always have places where you can be of service.
Looking ahead, the HEP will be engaged in the following activities in the coming months:
- 26 September – HEP Committee Meeting on Zoom (Assembly Planning Meeting Prep)
- 19 October – Area Assembly Planning Meeting in Albuquerque
- 24 October – HEP Committee Meeting on Zoom (Assembly Planning After Action)
- TBD November – HEP Committee Meeting on Zoom (Assembly Prep)
- 6-8 December – Area Assembly in Taos
In Love and Service,
Andy S.
Chair, Hybrid Event Production Committee
hybridevents@dev.aa-nia.org
505-934-7758