Minutes for June 2018
Monthly EC Teleconference
June 2nd 2018
14:00 CEST
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 Six: An ACA group ought never endorse, finance or lend the ACA name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property and prestige divert us from our primary purpose.
Tanya -
- Website
Charlie - Chair of WSO
- repeating the 2 major things re translation
- Majbrit will schedule a regular translation committee meeting for common questions and provide more direct support for translation process
- Written guidance for new translation groups is being written and will be circulated for additions to help all
- A new working group on Predatory Behaviour of people who use/abuse newcomers, including Kadrii Liisa. Big target is to update literature on what’s read in meetings and updating BRB. All are welcome
- July a similar look at sponsorship and guidance to newcomers. All welcome to participate
Jeffrey
*. Busy with day job
- Swedish fellowship reprinting 2000 Newcomer book = 4000 in last 12-15 months and therefore a lot of growth! No doubt will be very well prepared with so many newcomers and many wanting to do service
- Danish meditation book taking shape. Quotes are being gathered for layout -
- Several fellowships have been signing translation agreements
Invitation to Guests to question/share
- Sylvie - Spain. Sent requests for a translation for the 14 ?? And pdf in English? In US working to send this over - some legalities. It would be helpful.
- Can they translate. Can they receive pdf?
- REPLY - Charlie
- Please resend Personal email - [email protected] (Robin R) & [email protected]
- Digital files - Mark from Holland has similar question. It’s a Board issue about copyright.
- How to find out how EC is organized - to choose representatives?
REPLY _ Majbrit EC formed as a need for translation and service structures in general. We invited people to call, from the beginning the EC has been a standing committee of the WSO board, this meant that the chair and treasurer fro the EC was on the ASO board. We started to invite people that joined on our call to give us feedback from their fellowships. Early on I explained that we have to abide by the traditions, so anyone the EC have "elected" can be replaced by the country according to tradition 4. The key here is that the person doing this is a liaison between the IG and the EC (WSO), ideally this position needs to be build into the local IG's budget for costs of travel. How the election is made can be the same as every other service position. According to the IG's set up. The EC asked local members to be acting as ambassadors on behalf of the EC to get information to us. But this was a time where no one knew that the was a European Committee. And the role was time limited until a local fellowship would elect a representative themselves. In Denmark we had a WSO rep that would attend the WSO telecon. After the EC was formed they would attends EC the costs of travel expenses are built into financial plan to have the rep sent to the events in Europe and WSO. Their role is to report back to the fellowship about what’s happening.
Only 4 old organisations with service structure in Europe working this way. Groups are autonomous so free to set what requirements you need to get that job done.
Jeffrey - any additions?
Yes - EC reps should be decided upon by EC members - we vote on and decide. When first offered around Europe we outlined what we were looking for and this may not have been codified as guideline but did exist in writing …
Check EC Annual Reports - 2016 is on website .. 2017 maybe not yet uploaded but was delivered in Toronto. Will be on Repository and we’ll get that uploaded too.
Charlie - to Sylvie - what would guide you most to help you make the decisions you need?
Silvia - when you decide where the meeting will be held and where is it voted and who takes the decisions and who choses the venue and where?
Charlie - REPLY about ABC - who people choose - eg Spain, whoever you want to be rep. At world level, that’s your choice. Tradition 4 gives groups autonomy to choose and at world level, delegates come together to become the voting body for long term decisions, including choosing the Board.
Charlie ? To M & J - choosing where the Annual Meeting - is that ratified on these calls or done by exec?
Jeffrey reply - annual European Meeting - we put out requests to our database who would like to host and slightly scaled down version of AWC. We look for host fellowships who would like to do that
2nd re decision - EC decision as we look at where we’re trying to have greatest impact. Eg 2017 in Spain, it was to ensure that the Castilian Spanish BRB would come out in print and 500 copies would be delivered and bring together the fellowships in Spain. Those goals were largely achieved and an IG and new service positions, energy and love created. This is what we consider - where can we have the greatest impact on fellowship.
Reason for choosing UK as it’s growing considerably but seems to be slower. Service structure doesn’t seem to be tight and we reached conclusion that the UK haven’t had to come together to translate literature for their own recovery. They just buy it in from the US so easy for groups to isolate and they only need literature and local meetings. By bringing E Meeting 2018 would
be catalyst for a bigger event they’ve not had for some time and get more people involved in service. My perspective.
Invitation to
Kadrii-Liisa - where will event take place in UK?
J - venue is picked, yes - in London. Asking as part of different fellowships and other fellowships have a meeting before.
We chose as it’s the greatest ACA meetings and others most likely to be interested
Charlie - dates?
28-29th September
Diana US - is there a committee for people wanting to come earlier and volunteer?
Mark - Netherlands -
- Recently had a situation re addicts still in use being permitted to share?
REPLY - M - our home group a member came and the meeting was stopped and an old-timer also from AA explained to them the fear that is created if you are intoxicated or using drugs when going into ACA meeting. Member apologies, went to AA and returned sober months later. He needed a meeting and we were the only one open that day.
REPLY _ K-Liisa - had someone alcoholic come to meeting and managed to ask them to leave. Raised this safety topic in Estonian AA also regarding tolerating violence and.
REPLY - Charlie - have also witnessed in USA and very threatening for people in the ACA rooms. Suggests pages in BRB - 584 & 585 Handbook for Adult Children. It’s not perfect. 6 steps with gentle ways to deal with situation up to higher level to calling police.
Mark Q 2 - event in October and translation committee doesn’t have pieces ready yet - Essentials are not yet organized - can they be translated -
Majbrit - Problem, Solution, and can be uploaded to WSO and can be used in meetings; doesn’t have to be perfect initially - best to be up and used. Swedes - para-alcoholism language was confused and created some furore and corrected later. Better to spread the information rather than getting it perfect
Charlie reply - is there a diff between Flemish/Dutch?
Mark - Belgian, dutch, flemish … and different translations
Majbrit - we have to deal with this in a separate call - please email me
Charlie - what people want to have ready for the Oct meeting - we can work towards that. Feel free to involve Belgians in this call
Kadrii- Lisa - next week Russian AA group is organising an ACA event …
Jim R - USA - Chair of ABC Committee - here as a resource as ABC next being held in Sweden so if any questions - please put forward or write as [email protected]
Majbrit ? - in Toronto there were many people who wanted to come to Sweden to do service and co-ordinating that those US people contact you and then put them in contact with the IG in Sweden
Jim R Reply - let’s think about how to structure it -
14.51 (46.35 mins TM on call)
Marcia - perhaps a good notice in The Traveller? Did we have a sign-up for volunteers in Toronto? I can contact people to see if I have the information.
Charlie - a lot of people did speak up but didn’t sign up. Is there a direct way to contact the Toronto delegates -
Jim R - go through Gloria - she has the email list
Charlie
- How do communicate with Toronto delegates to reach out to do service in Sweden?
- What to do next to
Marcia - Good for them to know what ways they’d be needed and good topic for Swedish committee - what help do they want
Majbrit - will convey to meeting on 12th June
Marcia - what time - not that I speak Swedish?
Majbrit - they are very eminent about using their own resources but Fredrik and I spoke about it briefly as they’re dealing with creating the text for website, etc and logo etc and communications
Venue is already taken care of
Needing answers from Board to move forward
Jim R - volunteers at event is final piece of the puzzle - Sue & Miles from Toronto have a lot of experience to draw on that we can share - in time.
if you are getting any questions the Swedish group would like about anything, happy to help. Don’t think we should be too concerned. 5 people that came from outside of Toronto. I’m sure it’ll be fine.
Majbrit - an email was sent to Mikkel and Danish volunteers are only 20 mins away and have experience in organising. That is a much later stage. There’s enough in Sweden. We can offer and they can decide if they need/want help. Thanks for clarifying a procedure to contact Toronto delegates.
Jim R - Swedes might also brainstorm what kind of activities would be helpful to have a non-swedish speaker at … there’ll be people from all over. Helpful to identify speakers of other languages available.
Majbrit - that has been discussed - the ABC is held in English and yes, to have translators into other languages. Will provide more details to Board.
Denis - Russia - has an idea to encourage Russians to go to ABC & AWC - very challenging but it’s helped me very much. In AA fellowship it made a big difference in the fellowship. Introducing Elena - translator & IG from Moscow - welcome.
Elena - going to start proof read the YWB - plan to have ready for Autumn big meeting. Will provide reports.
Invitation to any other guests to ask questions?
Marc/Holland - some time ago a EC meeting - Pippi who did a share about translating in Denmark. Told how to do translating?
Jeffrey clarifying question; this would be captured in the minutes of that month - will be on WSO repository or our website.
Majbrit - between May & July 2017
15.06 Majbrit - we will come back to you regarding Translation Committee - will send a Doodle to determine best day/time
Motion to close meeting - moved by Charlie, Jeffrey
