Delegate’s Conference Report
65th Annual General Service Conference
April 19 – 25, 2015
Crowne Plaza Hotel
1605 Broadway, New York, NY 10019

What I saw, heard, and felt

What it was like: The preparation


What happened:
The Conference Experience
What it is like now:
Agenda recommendations
In 1950 Bill obtained Dr. Bob’s
consent to try the conference.
1st group of
delegates
Panel 01 (1951)
The 5 year experiment was a
success. The Conference is now
65 years old and going strong.
I am privileged to be the
33rd Delegate from
Eastern Pennsylvania
and the 8th Woman
Regional Map
Of U.S. & Canada
Map represents a general
Outline of Regions
Area 59 Delegates
to the
General Service
Conference
of Alcoholic
Anonymous
Beginning in 1952 to
present
PANEL
DELEGATE
PANEL
DELEGATE
01
George R. (1952-52)
33
Dorothy G. (1983-84)
03
Aaron B. (1953-54)
35
Robert N. (1985-86)
05
Richard C. (1955-56)
37
William G. (1987-88)
07
Horace H. (1957-58)
39
Reba W. (1989-90)
09
Ed H. (1959-60)
41
Marcia G. (1991-92)
11
Ted R. (1961-62)
43
Hugo McK. (1993-94)
13
Paul O. (1963-64)
45
Joe Q. (1995-96)
15
Gail J. (1965-66)
47
Clay R. (1997-98)
17
Louis R. (1967-68)
49
Gary C. (1999-2000)
19
Monroe B. (1969-70)
51
Martin S. (2001-02)
21
Lenore M. (1971-72)
53
Nancy K. (2003-04)
23
Joseph DeB. (1973-74)
55
J. Gary L. (2005-06)
25
Francis G. (1975-76)
57
Sheila D. (2007-08)
27
Lenore J. (1977-78)
59
Lowell L. (2009-10)
29
Ambrose M. (1979-80)
61
Hugh H. (2011-12)
31
Lee B. (1981-82)
63
Steve O. (2013-14)
 Key Dates in the Conference Process
 DECEMBER – First year delegates are assigned a conference
committee.
 FEBRUARY – Agenda items and background material & NERASSA.
 MARCH –Northeast Regional Delegates Weekend [NERDS].
 APRIL – Area 59 Pre Conference Sharing Session.
 APRIL – General Service Conference is held in New York.
 MAY – Delegates begin reporting back to their Areas.
 JUNE – Box 4-5-9, DCR/Mini Assemblies
 SEPTEMBER - Final conference reports are printed.
•
•
•
•
Area Delegates – USA & Canada
93 = 69.4%
Trustees, A.A.W.S. & Grapevine Directors
26 = 19.4%
General Service Office & Grapevine Staff
15 = 11.2%
Total: 134 Voting Members
Average Age
Oldest
Youngest
Average Sobriety
Longest
“
Shortest
“
Average Service
Longest
“
Shortest
“
57 years
78
32
22 years
42
8
18 years
37
5
DOWN TO BUSINESS –
The work done on your behalf
Early Session – Saturday



1728 Meeting
Remote Communities
Delegates Only Meeting
Monday – Friday




Committee meetings
Presentations
Election of New Trustees
Committee report-backs
Opening Day - Sunday




Roll call
Keynote addresses
Trustees & committee
GSB Dinner
Closing Day – Saturday
 Closing Brunch
 Rotating Trustees
 Goodbyes
 Past Delegates pick up
(Area 59 Tradition)




Keynote Address: J. Gary L., Trustee
23rd World Service Meeting: Bob W., U.S. Trusteeat-Large
AA Around the World: Rick W., G.S.O. staff
Panel 64 Delegate Presentations:
◦ Diversity in AA – Our Heritage of Inclusion
◦ Safety & Respect – Practicing the Principles Begins
in Our Home Groups
◦ Safeguarding Our Traditions Through the Evolution
of Technology
◦ Inventory – Looking Back to Move Ahead
J. Gary started his Keynote Address with “Should we
assume that the 36 Principles will maintain us forever?”
and then he talked about 10 Points that are very
pertinent in our Fellowship today:
1. Singleness of Purpose
2. Social Media
3. Diversity of Membership (does not yet reflect our society)
4. Diversity in Service
5. Size of our Membership
6. The Decline of Print
7. Technology Polarization
8. International Structures
9. Litigation
10. Let us never fear needed change!
HE FURTHER ELOQUENTLY STATED, “WE FREQUENTLY SAY AT THE CLOSE
OF THE GENERAL SERVICE CONFERENCE, “YOU ARE NOW PART OF AA’S
HISTORY,” I WOULD SUBMIT THAT YOU ARE ALSO A PART OF AA’S
FUTURE!” THIS WAS A PERFECT MOTIVATOR AS WE BEGAN OUR
COMMITTEE MEETINGS, REMINDING US WHAT TO KEEP FIRST AND
FOREMOST IN OUR MINDS AS WE EXPERIENCED CONFERENCE WEEK.
A. Theme for the 66th GSC:
“Our Spiritual Way of Life: Steps, Traditions
and Concepts”
I. Agenda Committee
B.
1)
Presentations/discussion Topics for 2016 GSC
Connecting With the Newcomer:
a.
b.
c.
2)
Connecting with each other:
a.
b.
c.
3)
All Inclusive – Never Exclusive
Are We Doing Enough to Help the Newcomer – Are We going to
any Length?
Home Group – Where it begins
Singleness of Purpose – Staying Pertinent in a Changing World
Informed Group Conscience – The Key to Unity
Be Involved, Be Inspired, Be of Service
Connecting with A.A. as a whole
a.
b.
c.
Participation in All of A.A.
Understanding Self Support
Reaching Out to the Next generation of A.A.
Workshop: “Anonymity – The Spiritual Foundation”
Committee Considerations:


Asked the Trustees to explore ways to include the
Conference [delegates] in selecting conference
agenda items.
Provide delegates who are conference committee
chairs with full background materials for the last
quarterly board weekend prior to the General
Service Conference.
No Advisory Actions
Committee considerations:
Review the “The Talks to Medical
Societies by Bill W., Co-Founder of
A.A.” as well other pamphlets for
language outdated information and
relevance to modern day medical
professionals included in the CPC kit.
No Advisory Actions
Committee considerations:
Discussed the Corrections Correspondence
Service (C.C.S.) and requested the trustees’
Committee on Corrections consider the
effectiveness of the criteria used in linking
alcoholics behind the walls with volunteers.
One specific concern was the distance
requirement for participants in the C.C.S.

Advisory Actions
◦ Proceed with Phase 1 of the G.S.O. plan to translate
conference material into Spanish and French beginning with
the 66th General Service Conference. The estimated cost is
$80,000 to $120,000.
[104-25]
◦ Trustees’ Committee on the General Service Conference will
create a plan to translate all conference material and
provide a progress report at the 66th General Service
Conference.

Committee Considerations
◦ Took no action on increasing the area contribution
[currently $1,600] for the delegate expense to the
Conference.

Failed Recommendation
◦ Increase the limit for annual individual contributions from
$3,000 to $5,000. [67-59, substantial unanimity required 84
to pass]
Although our finances have grown much more
complex, remember that Corporate Poverty is more a
state of mind, rather than the size of our bank
account.
“Too much – and we argue over perilous wealth
and lose sight of our primary purpose of carrying
the message….
Too little – and we risk losing the ability to carry
the message at all.”
◦ Membership levels are flat
◦ Contribution levels are flat
◦ Literature sales show slow to no growth
◦ Expenses continue to grow slowly at 2-3%
per year
A DOLLAR IS NOT WHAT IT USED TO BE
1945 - $1.00
2015 - $13.00
CONTRIBUTION HISTORY: 1985—2014
$8,000,000
$7,000,000
60.00%
50.00%
$6,000,000
$5,000,000
40.00%
$4,000,000
30.00%
$3,000,000
20.00%
$2,000,000
$1,000,000
$0
Total Contributions
10.00%
0.00%
Total Percentage of Groups Contributing
2
6
0
*Excludes 75
th
200
887
948
973
2012
2013
2014
946
2011
2010
2009
1130
1114
2008
1064
1297
1220
1202
1202
971
1008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
1171
1200
2002
897
931
1017
1400
2001
2000
870
400
1999
600
865
800
1998
1997
960
1000
1996
1995
BIG BOOK UNIT SALES: 1995—2014
*
Anniversary Edition
27
 The
printing of the 75th Anniversary Commemorative Edition
reflects the group conscience and Advisory Action of the 63rd
General Service Conference and celebrates the history and
message in our Big Book.
 The 75th Anniversary Commemorative Edition has most
importantly provided us with the opportunity to share our history
and excitement for the message of A.A. as was experienced and
shared by our founding members.
 The write-off in 2014 of the 75th Anniversary Commemorative
Edition was done in accordance with good accounting practices
and is being reported to the Fellowship.
26
177,888 Books Sold: Gross Revenues
$1,888,880
Costs of Books sold & shipping
904,032
Gross Profit
984,848
Early reorder created an overstock situation & required an
Accounting write-off of 125,000 Books
823,152
Net Profit on 75th Anniversary Book
161,696
 40,000 Books on hand are budgeted and expected to be sold in 2015
 125,000 Books were written-off for Accounting purposes, but remain in physical
inventory and are available to be sold.
27
$1,500,000
$1,376,656
$1,273,560
$1,255,289
$1,018,577
$976,170
$1,000,000
$817,947
$657,884
$500,000
$152,445
$31,554
$0
($117,291)
($275,365)
($312,171)
($500,000)
($645,160)
($1,000,000)
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Fiscal Year Ended Dec 31. . .
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
30
31
Advisory Action: Recommended changers in text of the pamphlet,
“AA Grapevine and LaVina: Our Meeting In Print (104-26)
Committee Considerations:



Implement a communication plan to the Fellowship
clarifying La Vina’s unique status as a service that strives
to be self-supporting and continue to publish as cost
effectively as possible.
Encouraged purchase of Subscription Gift Certificates by
local service committees, groups and members to provide
magazines to people in prisons, treatment centers and
nursing homes.
Suggested the AA Grapevine Board produce two books:
◦ Armed Forces Members AA Stories (working title) &
◦ Voices from Early AA (working title)
$400,000
$325,827
$315,205
$300,000
$257,003
$200,000
$60,945
$100,000
$44,198
$5,366
$22,840
$0
2002
($100,000)
($200,000)
2003
($11,797)
2004
2005
2006
($48,873)
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
($132,594)
($25,047)
($138,456)
($300,000)
($400,000)
($399,037)
($500,000)
Grapevine
Operating Results
37

Advisory Actions
◦ Trustees’ Literature Committee develop literature
for the alcoholic with mental health issues. [99-11]
◦ Revise/update the current pamphlets
 “Inside AA: Understanding the Fellowship and Its Services”
 “AA and the Gay/Lesbian Alcoholic”
 “AA for the Woman”

Committee Considerations
◦ Reviewed the suggestion to produce a book combining
“Twelve Steps an Twelve Traditions” with the “Twelve
Concepts for World Service” and took no action. The
committee noted the “Twelve Concepts for World Service”
are suitably placed with “The A.A. Service Manual” and in a
stand alone volume.
The Big Book was first published in 1939 by Works Publishing.
36
Seven Big Book translations in the ‘50s & ‘60s.
1952 Spanish 1954 German 1958 Finnish 1959 Norwegian 1961 Afrikaans 1963 French 1969 Portuguese
37
In the ‘70s & ‘80s there were thirteen Big Book translations.
1952 Spanish 1954 German 1958 Finnish 1959 Norwegian 1961 Afrikaans 1963 French 1969 Portuguese
1977 Icelandic 1979 Japanese 1980 Italian 1984 Dutch 1985 Maltese Korean
1986 Marathi (India) 1987 Arabic 1988 Croatian Swedish 1989 Hungarian Polish Russian
38
Twenty-two Big Book translations in the ‘90s.
1952 Spanish 1954 German 1958 Finnish 1959 Norwegian 1961 Afrikaans 1963 French 1969 Portuguese
1977 Icelandic 1979 Japanese 1980 Italian 1984 Dutch 1985 Maltese Korean
1986 Marathi (India) 1987 Arabic 1988 Croatian Swedish 1989 Hungarian Polish Russian
1990 Farsi 1991 Vietnamese Turkish 1992 Swahili Slovenian Tagalog (Philippines) Danish Lithuanian
1993 ASL Romanian 1994 Czech Thai Estonian Kannada (India) Ukrainian 1995 Armenian Nepali Hindi
1996 Bulgarian Tamil (India) 1997 Malayalam (India) 1998 Greek
39
Sixteen Big Book translations in the last 15 years.
1952 Spanish 1954 German 1958 Finnish 1959 Norwegian 1961 Afrikaans 1963 French 1969 Portuguese
1977 Icelandic 1979 Japanese 1980 Italian 1984 Dutch 1985 Maltese Korean
1986 Marathi (India) 1987 Arabic 1988 Croatian Swedish 1989 Hungarian Polish Russian
1990 Farsi 1991 Vietnamese Turkish 1992 Swahili Slovenian Tagalog (Philippines) Danish Lithuanian
1993 ASL Romanian 1994 Czech Thai Estonian Kannada (India) Ukrainian 1995 Armenian Nepali Hindi
1996 Bulgarian Tamil (India) 1997 Malayalam (India) 1998 Greek
2000 Mongolian Slovak Punjabi (India) 2001 Bengali Gujarati (India) Telugu (India) 2002 Urdu (Pakistan)
2003 Khmer (Cambodia) 2004 Latvian 2005 Indonesian Zulu 2007 Hebrew Sinhala (Sri Lanka)
2009 Tibetan 2010 Saami (Lapland) 2011 Xhosa (South Africa
40
Sixty-three Foreign General Service Offices
Argentina • Australia • Austria • Belarus • Belgium (French) • Belgium (Dutch) • Bolivia • Brazil • Chile
China • Colombia • Costa • Rica • Cuba • Czech • Republic • Denmark • Dominican • Republic
Ecuador • El Salvador • Estonia • Faroe • Islands • Finland • France • Germany • Great • Britain
Guatemala • Honduras • Hungary • Iceland • India • Iran • Ireland • Italy • Japan • Latvia • Lithuania
Malta • Mexico • Mongolia • Netherlands • New • Zealand • Nicaragua • Norway • Panama • Paraguay
Peru • Poland • Portugal • Romania • Russia • Slovakia • Slovenia • South • Africa • South Korea
Spain • Sweden • Switzerland • Taiwan • Trinidad and Tobago • Turkey • Ukraine • Uruguay • Venezuela
41
Advisory Action:
Audio recordings of the General Service Conference
presentations published in the GSC Final Report and
audio recordings of the trustees’ farewell talks given at
the closing brunch be made available in accordance with
the Archive’s Policies. Access to all other GSC sessions
will continue to be prohibited.
[Substantial unanimity, vote count required]
Advisory Actions:




Approved “Doors”, a video Public Service Announcement
(PSA), providing that a dialog voice-over using
professionals, not to exceed $24,000. The PSA will be
centrally distributed.
Approved the 2014 Alcoholics Anonymous Membership
Survey pamphlet.
Discontinued the video PSAs “A Force of Nature” and
“Testimonials”
Authorized the A.A.W.S., Inc. Board to produce and post
audio/video service material on the aa.org website.
Advisory Actions:
 Two revisions to Chapter 9 (The General Service
Board) clarifying nominating procedures.


Revisions to Chapter 2 (The Group and Its GSR),
Chapter 3 (The District and Its DCM), and Chapter 5
(The Area Committee) about the G.S.O. database.
Specifically, who has access and where the
information is stored.
A new subsection in Chapter 1 called Stimulating
Interest in General Service.
Advisory Actions:


Two new sections in Chapter 9 (The General Service
Board) on “Regional Forums” and “Local Forums”.
Restore the table of contents of the “Twelve Concepts
for World Service” and the Twelve Concepts section of
the “The A.A. Service Manual/Twelve Concepts for World
Service” to include the pages in the same order as
published in the 1990-91 Edition. [94-39]
Advisory Action:

Print a limited number of A.A. Regional Directories
(Canadian, Eastern U.S. and Western U.S.) annually
for purchase upon request. [121-12]
Committee Consideration:

Took no action on a request to include a chart in
the section “Working with Local Intergroups” noting
that since local intergroups and central offices are
not part to the general service structure, a chart
could be misleading. It is adequately expressed in
the text.
◦ No Advisory Actions
◦ Committee considerations:
◦ Asked trustees to consider posting content of AA
literature in audio format on aa.org
◦ Expressed appreciation for AAWS, Inc. to consider
publishing the Twelve Concepts in ASL.
◦ Suggested changing all references of “Special
Needs-Accessibility" to “Accessibilities
Advisory Action
◦ The Bylaws of The General Service Board of Alcoholics
Anonymous, Inc., as amended to comply with New York State
nonprofit law, be approved at the annual meeting of the
members of the General Service Board in April 2015.
Committee Consideration
◦ Reflecting on the importance of Concept XI, the committee
encouraged the General Service Board and the Fellowship to
identify, attract and recruit in a timely manner, a diverse,
competent and qualified pool of candidates to serve as Class
A (nonalcoholic), Class B (alcoholic) trustees, nontrustee
directors and appointed committee members on trustee
committees.

Class A [Non-Alcoholic] Trustees
◦ Frances L. Brisbane, Ph.D.
◦ Corliss R. Burke, B.Ed.

Class B [Alcoholic] Trustees
◦ Canadian Trustee-At-Large........Barbara (Barb) K.
◦ Northeast Regional ....................J. Gary L.
◦ Southwest Regional....................Clayton V.
Thank you for your dedication and service!

Class A [Non-Alcoholic] Trustees
◦ Leslie S. Backus, B.A.
◦ Peter Luongo, Ph.D., LCSW-C

Class B [Alcoholic] Trustees [Third Legacy Elections]
◦ Canadian Trustee-At-Large........Scott H.
◦ Northeast Regional ....................Richard P.
◦ Southwest Regional....................Yolanda F.
“Congratulations, Richard!
Richard P. - our new
Northeast Regional Trustee
from New Hampshire.
No Advisory Actions
Committee considerations:
Reviewed the contents of the workbook and noted
minor editorial changes and added a new section,
“Sharing on Digital Archives”, which will provide
sharing and suggestions for Archives committees.
Discussed “Shared Experiences” which is refreshed
every 5 years and suggested including experiences
from local archivist.
No Advisory Actions
Committee considerations:
Heard reports on upcoming International… over
45,000 have registered
Discussed ways to encourage interest in Regional
forums
Suggested using Conventions to share the new
regional Forum Flyers.
•No action on floor actions
•Tried to initiate floor actions on translations
and New book on the 36 principles (12X12x12)
•Could not be considered 2X’s in the same
conference
•All presented were withdrawn or failed to pass




The General Service Conference completed a three
year process by where delegates, trustees and staff
met together in small groups to discuss predetermined questions.
A bound report will be printed and distributed later
in this year.
The value of the inventory process will be
determined by how the Fellowship follows up on
the responses.
Stay tuned!
Your General Service Office
GENERAL SERVICE OFFICE
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES
Records/Files
5
A.A. Support Services
16
Archives
6
Publishing
10
Inventory Control
3
Order Entry
4
Mail & Shipping
5
Contributions
4
Human Resources
2
Finance
8
Staff & Administration
13
Information Services
2
Office Services
3
Total
81
18
Each Year, A.A.…
ARCHIVES
SHIPPING
CONTRIBUTIONS
Receives
1,500 requests
Distributes
8 million
books,
pamphlets &
audio materials
Receives
85,000 pieces of mail
&
Publishes
3 Markings
eNewsletters
&
G.S.O. received ~12,000
contribution letters in the
month of December alone
60
Each Year…
Staff members respond to more than
90,000 emails, letters and phone calls
from A.A. members, suffering
alcoholics, distraught family members,
professionals, students, the press and
others interested in A.A.
The Corrections desk answers over
6,500 letters‒that’s 18 letters per day,
every day.
There are over 400 Alcoholics in
extremely remote areas and the
General Service Office coordinates
and connects them to each other
through a newsletter,
Loners-Internationalists Meetings (LIM)
61
“80 Years –
Happy Joyous and Free”
Let’s look forward to receiving the
Conference Report and Inventory Summary
•Consider
Future Agenda items
•Consider using topics for next years
Conference for Area 59 Workshops
I am Deeply Grateful to Eastern
Pennsylvania Area 59 for the
opportunity to serve as your Area
Delegate.
Thank You Sincerely for this great honor
and privilege!
Pat F.
Panel 65
delegate@area59aa.org
AA Confidential—Not for use outside the
Fellowship