ACA members accepting the call of service work provide the energy we need to do the good work of ACA around the globe. There could easily be 300 million adult children in the world, so the work ahead remains steady. But we make progress each day. p.536
In August, we received 303 requests. I emailed 610 answers. As for telephone calls, we got 33 that I returned using Skype for anonymity.
International connections made this month:
Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Australia, UK, Canada, Italy, Kenya, Switzerland, Zambia, Russia, France, Columbia, St Maarten, Grenada
Remarkable events:
----------- Around the world: An Aussie reached out to start the first meeting in Sydney and one asked for help in shipping costs. AFRICA SPOTLIGHT: The continent of Africa has 3 ACA meetings: Kenya. South Africa and Zambia. A Kenyan member that I have worked with for months has now got a Meeting Starter Kit coming (He had a red book and workbook). His meeting is the only meeting in his country and he is the African IG all by himself at this point. He was grandfathered in under the "1st in Country" program passed after he registered. To be honest I "grilled" him with a battery of questions as I wasn't sure if he was holding a church type service, he was a good sport about it all. I reached out to the Zambia mtg to see how it's going. I was able to help AU member with costs. An ACA Sponsor in Columbia reached out for help for her sponsee and I am trying to encourage her to start the 2nd mtg in Columbia. I got an exciting contact from a member in Grenada who attends a meeting in St Maarten and wants to start one in Grenada. Once the St Maarten meeting registers, they will turn on the ACA light in their country and the member in Grenada is going to start a meeting in HER country, TURNING 2 ACA LIGHTS ON in September (I hope)
----------- Intergroups: - Netherlands IG reached out for support. The Florida IG meets monthly via Teleconference. UK IG meetings monthly via Skype. Central Coast CA IG sponsors a monthly get together of fun activities. A member asked if it is possible to arrange a service for IG's under the umbrella of MPS as a service to IG's. Martin and Bonnie are working jointly at this time. The Lone Star IG in TX offered to take TX ACA requests and I explained that we've learned to maintain anonymity at the level of requests and responses. AZ IG sent a warning to IG's of a bulk spam emal that's using IG emails. Russian IG reached out for help from the office to have an order picked up by a Russian member while in CA, they arranged it.
-----------ACA Teen: - I reached out to Ampersand in MN with the hopes that it might grow into an ACA Teen opportunity. I am working to educate the director on the ACA Teen concept since her whole client base is teens from broken homes. There is more about that in the PI part of my report. I reached out to Las Vegas group to encourage them to consider writing a proposal with ABC looming. Unfortunately the group disbanded due to the original service member's requirement to make an employment change, some other people filled in, but attendance dropped off and they disbanded.
-----------ABC: A member reached out with suggestions on translating proposals so that all can vote, I let her know we are planning to do that this year. I reached out to Bonnie and Martin to see if they'd consider reaching out to the IG's as a head's up that it's time to be thinking about forming proposals. I had a reminder that the correct email address to send ABC questions to is [email protected]
----------- Teamwork: Gloria-25, Office-31/6:oops-I also sent the office a list of EU countries that I refer to. Majbrit-8, MaryJo-1 Ines-1 Larry-6. Joan-3 Martin and Bonnie-2 Executive Board: 1 MPS is happy to welcome Bonnie and Jude and Roe to the MPS family, we are in the beginning stages of copying them to "find a meeting" emails to see how it's done. Anyone listening is welcome to do the same as I will be rotating out in April. We will need a Committee Chairperson, and I am doing my best to find one and to fill out the committee for the next Chair. A member asked how they might help serve with WSO and I am working with that person to see what fits them. I reached out to a former MPS committee member who won't be able to rejoin at this time.
-----------Events: 3 events were added (The Bronx NY, Central CA IG and Modesto, CA) There are 8 Non WSO sponsored events listed. There are 2 WSO sponsored events listed and the link for the 2015 ABC was added. Last year I fielded dozens of emails from members confused about a convention website as being "our" website, or as being sponsored by WSO. I've received a few already and I will continue to clarify which website is ours and that there are many websites all over the world regarding ACA but only one ACA WSO website. The past webmaster received an email that said "please post and share" about a SCa convention, it was forwarded to me and I posted it and then the sender asked me to take it down as it was not "ready for posting". I asked the sender if it was sent as another bulk email to many people to promote a convention and the past webmaster. He removed the webmaster from his emailing list as requested.
----------- Public Information related: A graduate student asked if she could post a link on our website for ACA's to take part in her ACA survey and I explained why we had to decline. My daughter recently became a permanency specialist with Ampersand in MN and I looked into their program and saw it was perfect for receiving a BBI package. This is their mission: Ampersand Families recruits and supports permanent families for older youth, and champions practices in adoption and permanency that restore belonging, dignity and hope. I got an enthusiastic and positive response. Because of the large ACA meeting base in the Twin Cities, I think that Teens will have many meetings to choose from and I hope that it soon becomes a breeding ground for Teen recovery. This could be a MN IG and H&I opportunity to take meetings into Ampersand, I reached out to Joan, Bonnie and Martin as a team. A PA psycho-therapist reached out for Italian meetings for her client who will be going abroad, I forwarded to Majbrit and set her up for a BBI package which she was very excited about. I email a copy of the Identity Papers PDF's to all BBI packages while they wait for their literature and a list of physical meetings and telephone meetings. A New York social worker responded to an announcement I made on the phonebridge and she will be getting a BBI package for use as she works in the schools and with teachers and parents. An ACA member who has a blog SanctuWhereWe asked if they could post our literature and I explained.
-----------From the fellowship: Telephone meetings: 1-concerns, 1-requests for guidance, comments: "I dialed in and the meeting didn't happen", "is this home group criteria in line with the Traditions?" Website 2 members asked if WSO could improve it. I explained that it is well underway. Once a month someone reaches out anonymously unsure if they are an adult child or not, they explain their childhood and then they explain the troubles that they are having today and ask "Is ACA for me too?" this is one of my favorite emails. A Kentucky member offered services to be an ACA speaker and I directed him to area meetings since we don't keep a speaker list. A concerned member said that a person was discriminated against at a meeting and she would fax her complaint to the office. Every month there's someone from a different fellowship who asks how to start an ACA meeting; AA, AFG usually. Many members with group issues, have no idea that there is a Handbook section in the BRB and are amazed to find their answers there.
MPS NOTE: In April I will rotate out of this position, I started committee work September 2012 and rotated into chair by April 2013, there is time for you to train. If you'd like to hear more, send an email to [email protected] and I can tell you more. If anyone wonders what I've answered to members' questions in these reports, drop me an email, this report only lists a fraction of the month. For the future MPS person it is advisable to do a week's worth of reporting at a time instead of the whole month at a time. Lastly, I'm actively pursuing a replacement for my role hoping for a seamless transition for the fellowship and the board.
-----What I heard a lot this month:
=Is there meeting insurance we can get? Where's the ComLine? What's a prudent reserve? How do I find a sponsor? I'm new what should I expect? The meeting is listed but no one was there=
A meeting member in St Paul said: "I just celebrated 30 years with this group- it began in 1982."
Another member reports: "Wow. I found out as I myself started attending phone mtgs this summer and was overjoyed with love and support. Ive suffered in silence for decades and feel called to bring this to our children and families where the needs are so great and counseling in schools doesn't even begin to tap their pain. God Bless ACA!!!"
