Minutes
Monthly EC Teleconference
January 6th 2018
14:00 p.m. CET
Please notify the secretary at [email protected] with changes, additions, or motions for this meeting.
 
A. Call to Order:  Please be sure that any background noises in your area are eliminated since the sounds make it difficult for participants to hear.  When speaking, please say your name first. This will help us record your name with your input. Thank you.

1)  Open with the Serenity Prayer

2)  Tradition One: Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon ACA unity.

B.  Roll Call of European Countries:
Majbrit, Denmark, WSO Vice Chair/European Chair

C.  Quorum Not Established as only M attending not Jeffrey nor Tanya
D. Guests: Mihai, CR for Rumania
Erhart, Germany – may leave early
Alexia, Germany, CR & Chair & Coordinator of Literature Committee
Hannah, Chair for Finnish IG
Linda, Latvia outgoing call and handing to Iveta
Iveta, Latvia
Charlie, Washington DC, Chair WSO Literature
Kadri Liisa, Estonia

M – Dec has been quiet.
Some issues about literature and printing which J will report – you can see his report on the Repository. 
Best wishes for recovery as Jeffrey has been ill
Great to see some “old timers” on call – welcome back!

Invited CRs to report so it can be reported.
Finland – Hanna
Fellowship has been quite active as 30th Celebration was held in Helsinki.
Made some printed materials to the groups for outreach and have been encouraging groups to donate BRBs to local libraries. IG donated 20-30 books across Finland to celebrate the 5th Tradition.
Had 2 new groups start & hope for more.
Have been in touch with EC about service structure issues and use of ACA logo and had clear answers and experience.
Now emailing about printing YB which is selling very well – first 500 almost already sold!
Annual Business Meeting will be in March in Finland – with Ballot proposal – excited to see how that goes.
M - Has small IG problem been resolved?
Yes, in 2015=2016 people were afraid to take responsibility and only 2-3 doing service and now it’s 7-10 and it’s had fights, struggles of course but all support each other in their individual areas of responsibilities. Hanna is rotating out. Feels almost all are continuing in service role.
M – How did you resolve issue of literature distribution? Is it inside IG now?
H – now have 3 different storage places around Finland. This means that everyone can support each other.
M – do you think YB is encouraging people to participate in service after they’ve completed it?
H – people are enthusiastic about working the Steps in spontaneous groups.
Still feels that it’s not yet clear what ACA service is …
M – we saw this in Denmark - as literature is available, 6 months later people were stepping up to do service

Estonia – Kaadri Liisa
Finished translation of the Daily Meditation book. Not sure when it can be proofread or it can be checked if it’s in proper Estonian. Don’t have BRB or YB translated yet.
Use a white booklet which was proofread in March and some people are active to invite new people to come to ACA. Groups are getting bigger in the middle of the week.
M - Is the Translated meditation book in digital form?
KL- yes it’s in Google Drive and it is shared format.
M – I’m asking as I’m understanding the Norwegians stopped their Tr
When someone leaves service in Translation, the WSO should have a backup of Translation to this point so newcomers having to translate don’t have to reinvent the wheel
Please contact Robin with a backup of what’s in Google drive so it’s available and accessible to your group if something happens to you.
KL – yes, I can do that.

Latvia – Linda
Finally have Russian BRBs have come to Latvia this means that most member will be able to read it because most people speak Russian. This will have to do until it is completed in Latvian.
Big and great news!
Hope it will help the fellowship to grow – especially Russian-speaking group as they almost closed last year. 
End of Jan will have IG and will have more news after that.
Iveta incoming CR – introduction: – which have 5-6 years in ACA and will take on the challenge of service and talk about what will be in Latvia with conference about sponsorship in March (TBC after IG at end of month) and hopefully new groups.
M – please let us know if you need any help?

Mihai - Romania
Meeting in Bucharest. Struggling to see how to organize 2 groups; one for newcomers and one for older members to study steps. There are still 2 meeting in north-west Rumania and one in Baklan. Still discussion about establishing a group in east in city of Yash. Little by little build up of desire to get more structure but not sure how to go about it. Waited longer for meetings to consolidate and run smoothly to get organic growth. Hopes that 2018 will see more systematic growth of ACA in Rumania. Will need advice and support. Thanks in advance for input.
M – is there anything I can do in helping setting up service structures .. I’ve been doing 8 consecutive years of service– 5 in Denmark and nearly 5 in WSO. Did double when working on board and in Denmark.
ABC in 2013 and helped with that and then asked to join Board
2014 officially on Board
I’ve lots of service …

Alexia – Germany
Nothing to report; waiting for next group meeting about service structure.
Very faint ..
Same to you with translations – please send a backup to Robin in WSO.

Charlie – WSO
Since 1986 been in ACA. Recently been doing IG work in Washington DC in 2015 and met M at WSO.
Joined board in 2017
Lots of experience in different roles. Offers email to everyone on call regarding Literature questions
[email protected]
[email protected]
Listening to M talk about Europe reminds him of what getting started in USA.
Hears work and struggle ..
Contact me if I can help in any way.
Thank you Majbrit.

M – are there any more on the call? Please introduce yourself and speak if you wish.. there are some anonymous callers. No reply
Now you can ask any questions ..

Kadrii Liisa – KL to Charlie – How ACA started document. Was that in spring 1978 – how is it that the 40th was decided end of Jan
Charlie – I think you’re asking about 40th anniversary – it is that is the 40th anniversary of Tony A’s writing of the Laundry List – the 14 Characteristics. ACA wasn’t founded for another 9 years after that. It was the 1st written document about ACAs. As there was no formal first birthday, we have settled it is the time to celebrate how it all began.
KL – first question was about the ACA movement – how was it started and spread around the world? In English language lots of information, is there something older about how the movement grew to show difference between ACA and ACoA ..
Charlie – When this began (I heard in 1979) it wasn’t just one group. There were many books written by therapists and even within ACA there were a number of readings .. there was a book with a Clown face on front but no official literature to 2006. 25 years later! Value in those early years and thinks that people could read anything and learn about the AC movement and this is why ACA has open literature policy. Some literature is written and now WSO working on shorter explanations of critical things to know to recover that can be easier for Translation committees.
Looking at early history of ACA recovery – it was outside of fellowship. ACA is gathering best and most important ideas so people can come and recover in one set of literature.
Majbrit – I’m a newbie re ACA history. I recall former Chair had some papers re history of ACA and I don’t know if that was on the old website but we don’t know who wrote so couldn’t publish because of copyright issues. Worth looking into and Im happy to contact former chair if he has that info.
Charlie – yes that would be helpful
And we have a volunteer of Archives Committee – looking for original papers from the early days.
If you really wanted to see the first documents, look on www.adultchildren.org at Identity Papers, written in 1984 as to why we needed a separate fellowship.
M – are they online?
Charlie – they can be purchased online - $3.50US – a booklet called The Identity Papers
The BRB has the Identity Papers – first two in Chapters 6, Third Identity Paper on Service and Inner Child in Chapter 6
M – the BRB has the Identity Papers in it. Great value to have .. differentiates us from other fellowship.

M – the previous Chair who was in ACA for 32 years knows some of the early people. I will let you know KL by email.
Charlie – can you ask Laura if she can find something in archives about this?

Mihai /Rumania to Majbrit
Does WSO have some ACA text in Rumanian?
M – no but go to http://www.lit.adultchildren.org/ for free downloadable pamphlets that you can start translating ..
Mihai – yes, we’re doing but as we’re not professional translators for Steps, YB and Meeting Format are improper.

What is standard translation procedure? Do what you can and submit your draft OR work it out with professional translators?
M – in my experience, you have a service structure to support the translation or it becomes very strenuous work with fellowship not behind you.
I suggest you do a translation workshop .. get together and talk it through to decide which piece is the best
Some groups have used a professional translator but the spirit within text disappears and language becomes flat and loses its vibrancy.
Eg, in Greece with a very small fellowship; they contacted other 12 step fellowship and ask if there was someone there who had program experience and English who could help in translating the information. There is lot of language the same across the 12 step programs but specific to our ACA is the spirituality and emotional sobriety we’re striving for in recovery. Thus, suggest aligning with someone in another fellowship who have translated before

If you start translation of anything other than the free literature .. you cannot distribute for free because of the copy-write
Maybe we can have a group call where you group can call on Skype.
Charlie – WSO in early stages of creating the guidance document you are asking for .. you do need experience and direction. Should be available in about 3 months to give direction for translations. I completely agree with M – advantage of starting with free literature as they’re shorter and have critical literature – Steps, The Solution, Laundy List – good starting point without having to do entire BRB. Doesn’t need professional – just keen people ready to start without too much of a struggle. Start small and it will quickly bring help.
M – yes and we’re in process of developing a clearer, simpler, guideline of how to translate and what to look out for. Next meeting today is about that.
We are here for you and will try to find ways to help you.

M - Any more questions needing an immediate answer?

M – last Sunday of month is ACA’s 40th anniversary – reminder!

Close with Serenity Prayer.

Non-committee members are welcome to listen to this teleconference but are requested to remain silent unless asked to participate. We respectfully request that guests hold their comments until the end of the meeting. If someone needs to talk further, they may do so after the end of the meeting.

A complete listing of local access teleconference phone numbers and playback numbers for repeat listening is sent out to the EC WSO mailing list prior to each call and is also available at http://www.repository.adultchildren.org/europe-connection/729-eu-call-details.
Please refer to this email or web page for information regarding your country’s specific access number.

You can also attend the Teleconference using your computer. For more information, please visit http://www.repository.adultchildren.org/teleconferences/78-wso-board/162-teleconference-flash-phone