minutes of the EC October 2017

7th of October at 2pm CET

Perhaps it would be good to circulate this ASAP to the CRs for consideration about hosting for 2019 - applications must be submitted by Nov 15th.

Chair - Majbrit

Recording

Present:

Denis - Russia & Moscow IG Russia

Sylvia - IG Spain

Tanya - CZ

Veronica - Switzerland

Michael - Ireland

Micha - Romênia

Linda - Latvia

Jim from ABC subcommittee

2:11 - Jim re WSO requests for 2019

His responsibilities - Chair of ABC Committee - finding sites for annual Business Conference for WSO and co-ordinating that ... yearly; often in USA.

2019 in Europe but recently began planning well in advance for a better conference ... looking for a site in Europe and created an app form avail on Slack ..

It is also available in the October ComLine at https://acawso.org/images/literature/Comline/2017_4QComLine_FINAL.pdf

See https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf5go3bWzTWOZ0TEfAFHeb4N3HOpR851Zrpl5IOH04_W_a5lg/viewform

Felt EC conf call would be a good place to reach out ...

The Conference will be held in April 2019

Happy to answer questions ...

Finances - no financial cost to the host committee - volunteering with time/effort to co-ordinate.  Can be a way for Host committee to raise funds to offset for the organisation for outreach - T-shirts and coffee mugs

WSO underwrites it.

Majbrit - on host committee of 4 people Denmark 2013 and Board provides guidance throughout period ... and finances are not a problem.

It has changed as 2019 will host ABC and move European event to be run back to back with the ABC with shares/workshops straight after the ABC so US can have their AWC (Annual World Convention) in the USA as well.

Majbrit's experience of working on convention is that there is potential for enormous personal growth as you are thrown into the fire and it's overwhelming and incredibly rewarding to meet fellow travellers to co-ordinate such an event.

Jim - It's an ongoing process

2018 ABC will be held in Toronto and there's lots of support/info and advice from 2017 San Diego committee too.

Anyone keen for 2019 could jump in now to learn from Toronto and just to watch and see ... It's a well thought out opportunity for someone keen to learn from current organisers.

Majbrit re Slack - most of you have been invited into Slack - you could seek out ABC Committee/James Russell if you'd like to be in the committee on slack and see communications to decide if you want to be on the committee.

Hopefully many people will call back to listen to this recording ...

See ABC's minutes for Toronto at https://acawso.org/2019/04/13/the-minutes-from-the-2018-wso-abc/

 

Jim in Brooklyn is handle in Slack

Email [email protected] and emails will come to Jim.

WSO needs a logical place to hold 80-100 pax - depends on how many people want to attend as delegates or members not yet acting but keen to come out of curiosity

A local committee needs to set up an excursion - see examples in the Toronto WSO ABC planning link above

WSO handles most of the admin

Local committee eed to assemble delegate binder and folder.

Not a big deal; lots of fun & brings European convention to your home town ...

? Denis - timeline for choosing the city for ABC 2019?

Jim - have to find a host regardless ... ideally initial application by 15 November and decision by end January of 2-3 candidates

See form at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf5go3bWzTWOZ0TEfAFHeb4N3HOpR851Zrpl5IOH04_W_a5lg/formResponse

Who are co-chairs, their history of ACA and personal recovery, who would work website and where to have convention take place

Intergroups and groups to support and a solid core of 10-12 people.

Suggestions for site itself

?  Tanya re #s in San Diego

Jim - conference is about business of WSO

followed by convention - workshops and speakers for membership to attend and connect and grow and heal

Only want host of conference for business of WSO - it has grown and in San Diego it was 100-120 for 2 days

EC Convention will follow that and was approx 300 pax 20 days

dovetail into each other

Toronto is the same - and will be huge as a big ACA fellowship there.

Everyone welcome .. many are registered as delegates representing a meeting

If it's an alpine environment/mountaintop there will be fewer people but in a city = more attendees!

Longer planning is better to accommodate bigger numbers

Majbrit - history of 2013, there were 65 people at the ABC in Denmark and there was no WSO Convention - at that time

So the program was extended to have a convention at the same time.

ABC is on obligation of the board to the fellowship to present the work of the board throughout the year

In San Diego it was a little confusing to have them run concurrent but it's up to the Host Committee to organise the program

Let's see who volunteers ???

exciting times .... and great opportunities

? Veronica to clarify JIm's role - Chair of ABC for WSO

? diff between ABC Convention and the Conference Conf - business Convention - fellowship

? Denis - Moscow - please put info on website - see links above

Majbrit - Chair of ABC - Jim will have a co-chair to get all Jim's experience about ABC to host in Europe as he knows as Board will support too.

Jim liaises with Board and Host Committee = lots of assistance.

Country Reports

Russia/Moscow - Denis 

Apologies for English pronunciation - has also written it (Tanya query:  WHEN do these reports have to be submitted and to who?)

BRB release & 6th Moscow ACA convention

BRB on 15th Sept after 10 years of service of dozens of people.

1500 copies by licence agreement between WSO - printed locally

TQ to Jeffrey,

Sold 800 already in 3 weeks, queue already for more,

Have already shipped 13 orders to Belorusk and other regions ... (incl Vadivostok)

Recovery Bookstore book 100 books and treatment centres ...

Sold approx 2070 books!

Have 3 servants in Moscow re BRB - storage facility and stock sheet, Moscow sales & 3rd international sales

Sorry about delays - lack of experience in logistics - learning process to send books to Latvia.

Issues will be solved

Moscow don't understand why need to buy books!

Many groups don't have space for book storage ... will be solved

Moscow Convention on 23rd - Progress not Perfection

264 attendees incl 12 newcomers & 8 guests from other 12 Step

13 from St Petersburg and Belorus, 1 from China and

Did online meeting through Skype allowed up to 100-200-300 pax - big change

116 listeners from 32 cities including Germany and USA

Russian BRB presentation

MaryJo spoke by Skype?

Jeffrey attended and

Silence and grief as a photoslide of members who have passed and who gave generously to the fellowship -

Trusted Servants who passed away: Max from Vladivostok was editor and proof-reader in 2008-2011, Natalia K. from Moscow was first translator and translation coordinator of Russian BRB in 2007-2012 and Omer G. from Tulsa, US was editor-in-chief of original BRB, Chair of the WSO Handbook Committee and Translation Committee in 2004-2012.

Thanks to all involved ..

Secretary of Moscow gave an honorary copy to Jeffrey ...

AcA pamphlets /translation?

3rd part

All participants have received Teddy bear anniversary coin from European Committee, the second edition of last year's 3rd European Meeting and Russian BRB coin.

TQ for Majbrit and Jeffrey

Personal gratitude to ACA

Part 3 of Report - first regional service committee meeting on 24 Sept (founded Dec 2016) usually meets 2/month on Skype

At the first meeting 13 members attended   Moscow IG, Sankt-Petersburg IG, group rep's from Arkhangelsk, Kaluga, Severodvinsk, Volgograd, Samara and Jeffrey from Prague as WSO Trustee were attend

all participants of what's happening in groups, challenges and to ask questions to Jeffrey.

how to spread message with posters, ACA business cards and to open new meetings

how to organise workshops & speaker panels online and how to distribute more ACA materials eg Comline, speaker shares, etc

New service committee - literature - translation, etc of Russian material and online

verification etc etc etc

Majbrit - very appreciative

? for Denis from Tanya- did you have a service manual for the event or growing the fellowship

"No service manual nor guidelines in Russian nor English - just previous conference organisers experience so used WOM (word of mouth)."

Need to write guidelines for future conventions.

Majbrit - suggestion - Carol is Chair of Region 2 - for many years and could be a good person to work with to develop your region and service structure, she is on Slack

also how to put together Literature package.

Or call her!

Spain - Sylvie

TQ for Majbrit and Jeffrey and other visitors who came

Extraordinary

6 representatives of more than 50 from all around Spain - Valencia, Skype, Viga ? , Barcelona

2 groups - Madrid

2 who didn't come

lots of books sold - ????

balance put into IG developed

one day convention - very intense with not enough time for sharing but good to get BRB in Castilian to be released

Following weekend a new group began in Madrid by a newcomer on Sunday

Had IG meeting will be monthly

Feel Spain will grow ...

thinking to have sale of books on web; concerned about literature as 16 tri-folds translated - what happened to 8 that were previously available? now only 8 doubts about translations done if they can be used .... not sure who to speak with about that

More organised

want to know like Russia has ..

Sylvie very grateful to Majbrit and Jeffrey for coming

Veronica - TQ to Sylvia, Majbrit & Jeffrey for convention & personally assisted

Majbrit - seeing the growth over the day was beautiful as it was the first time she witnessed birth of an intergroup and truly came to understand the importance of work of EC and how being present helps facilitate a feeling of safety and sharing experience.  Face to face is even stronger than online.

Next time you will be able to have an event more than one day with workshops and shares ..

Michal - Rumania

Been absent as working weekends - group in Bucharest growing

Added an extra hour as have new members

Online group going well on Mondays

New group in Northwest has 4-5 meetings in city of ????

Michael - Ireland - nothing to add

Closed call 15.09 with ACA Serenity Prayer.

Majbrit & Jeffrey in Florida Mon for Strategic Planning next weekend ..