The 53rd General Service Conference:


“ Living AA’s Principles Through Sponsorship ”

The Conference met April 26th thru May 3rd, 2003
at the Crowne Plaza Times Square in Manhattan

As I walked into the Crowne Plaza Hotel on Saturday, April 26th and saw many of my fellow delegates, I was reminded of the feeling I had when I attended my first SENY Assembly as the new GSR for the Living Now Group in Manhattan; a feeling of not knowing what to expect next, but knowing that I was serving my group and area, as well as AA as a whole. As your delegate, I was at the Conference to serve the area and Alcoholics Anonymous to the best of my ability. I was filled with anticipation!

It was a feeling I will always remember; yet I kept thinking “how did a drunk like me get here?” Waiting to check in to the hotel, I met the delegate from Southwest Texas, who had driven 2500 miles to be here. Also on line was the delegate from Northern Minnesota and a delegate from Canada. As we introduced ourselves and spoke for a few minutes, it was apparent that we each were ready to do the spiritual business of Alcoholics Anonymous, thus making better 12th Step service possible.

A “Delegates only” meeting was held on Saturday night, where all 93 delegates from the United States and Canada introduced themselves and participated in a sharing session of approximately two hours on how the Conference works. It was truly a moving and special experience for me.

On Sunday morning, prior to the “official” opening of the Conference, I attended the Remote Communities meeting. Being from a large, mostly urban area, I wasn’t sure what I would come away with.

As I listened, I heard how, for some delegates in Canada and Alaska, the only way to get to some groups and districts is by plane or dogsled as there is no road access to these places; however, there are two or three alcoholics who gather together and want to be part of the structure of AA. I was touched by these presentations and recalled how, when I was a DCM, I occasionally groused about having to deliver LINK’s to a group that did not have a GSR. My district was only one mile long! I certainly experienced gratitude after listening to our fellows in Canada and Alaska!

On Sunday afternoon Elaine McDowell, Class A Trustee and Chair of the General Service Board, welcomed us to the Opening Session of the 53rd General Service Conference, followed by the Role Call by GSO’s General Manager. At this moment, I knew exactly how I had arrived here - by the grace of a loving God as I understood Him and the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous.

One of the most moving presentations was from a GSO staff member on the International assignment on “New Frontiers.” He told the story of an alcoholic prison guard who woke from his drunken state and found a French-language Alcoholics Anonymous pamphlet next to him. After writing to GSO Paris, he began an AA meeting in the prison. The speaker pointed out that, due to the “growing diversity in many of our states and provinces, we all have potential New Frontiers in our own backyards.”

Delegate, Area 49 - Panel 53

Conference Committee on Agenda:
  • The 2004 General Service Conference theme will be:
    “Our Singleness of Purpose - the Cornerstone of AA”
Conference Committee on Treatment Facilities:
Committee Considerations:
  • Treatment Facilities Kit/Workbook - 3-ring binder workbook, 8 ½" x 11"; sold separately or with kit.
Conference Committee on Correctional Facilities:
Advisory Action:
  • Revise booklet, AA In Prison - Inmate to Inmate, to bring up to date to reflect current experience. The Committee suggested that stories/sharing of young people and women be included in booklet and that a draft manuscript or progress report be brought to the 2004 Conference Committee on Correctional Facilities.
Additional Considerations:
  1. Added to Kit - 12 Traditions Illustrated
  2. Statement of Purpose to Workbook - No Action
  3. Bridging The Gap pamphlet, Between Prisons & AA - No Action
  4. Pre-Release brochures or forms - develop generic samples to be considered by 2004 Correctional Facilities Committee
Conference Committee on Finance:
Additional Consideration:
  1. The Committee reviewed the draft of the Simplified Reserve Fund
    1. AA Finance Guidelines
    2. Current version of AA Service Manual
  3. Felt those descriptions better fulfilled the intent of last year’s Committee’s simplified descriptions of the Reserve Fund:
    1. Service Manual - pg 67 - General Service Board Reserve Fund
    2. Finance Guidelines
Conference Committee on Cooperation with the Professional Community:
Advisory Actions:
  1. Committee unanimously recommended that the “Singleness of Purpose” Statement in 6 CPC pamphlets (Alcoholics Anonymous in Your Community, Is There an Alcoholic in the Workplace, AA as a Resource for the Health Care Professional, How AA Members Cooperate with Professionals, If You are a Professional and Members of the Clergy Ask About Alcoholics Anonymous) be changed to read:
    “Some professionals refer to alcoholism and drug addiction as ’substance abuse’ or ’chemical dependency.’ Non-alcoholics are, therefore, sometimes introduced to AA and encouraged to attend AA meetings. Anyone may attend open AA meetings, but only those with a drinking problem may attend closed meetings.”
  2. Recommended 3 changes to AA pamphlet How AA Members Cooperate with Professionals -
    1. Page 14, #2, to read: “GSO staff members also have rotating assignments in those fields.”
    2. Page 15, #5, to read: “If asked, individual members may recommend someone - but with the clear understanding that the reference is strictly personal, not made on behalf of AA.”
    3. Page 21, #19, to read: “There is no formal relationship at all, any more than there is a structural or official relationship between AA or any church, temple, ethical or humanist or agnostic society, or meditation centers that a member may attend.”
Conference Committee on Report & Charter:
Advisory Actions:
  1. That the first sentence of the 3rd bullet under “Delegates Duties” in Chapter 6 in The AA Service Manual be replaced with: “Be prepared to attend all area and regional service meetings and assemblies applicable to his/her respective area.”
  2. The following 2 bullet points be added as the 1st and 2nd items under section titled “Duties”" in Chapter 2: The Group and its GSR in The AA Service Manual:
    • GSRs attend district meetings
    • They also attend area assemblies
  3. In The AA Service Manual the words “to reprint the Steps, Traditions, and/or the Concepts, and” be added to the first sentence in paragraph three under the section “Area Newsletters or Bulletins” in Chapter 4: The Area Assembly and Activities, to read:
    “Local AA publications are permitted to reprint the Steps, Traditions, and/or the Concepts, and to quote a phrase, sentence or brief paragraph excerpted from AA literature such as the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous, The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, The AA Service Manual and Conference approved pamphlets without a prior, written request to do so."
International Conventions & Regional Forums:
  1. Committee recommended that up to 21 non-AA speakers be invited to attend the 2005 International Convention at, AA’s expense.
  2. Committee unanimously recommended that three cities, expressed here in alphabetical order, be considered as possible cities for the 2015 International Convention: Atlanta; Indianapolis; Vancouver.
Additional Committee Considerations:
  1. Continue providing simultaneous translations into Spanish and/or French at Forums to increase participation of Spanish and French-speaking members.
  2. Seek better ways to encourage members, groups, districts and areas in organizing various means of transportation to Regional/Special Forums.
  3. Encourage attendees to share their Forum experience more widely with other members (eg: articles in local newspapers, reports at group conscience or business meetings, etc.)
Conference Committee on Literature:
Advisory Actions:
  1. Committee unanimously recommended that a draft introduction be added to the front matter of the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions be developed by the GSO Publications Department and reviewed by the trustees’ Literature Committee and brought back to the 2004 Conference Literature Committee for their consideration. (NOTE: The purpose of adding an introduction would be to explain the language in Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions and would include the following information: Time and era of publication; language as a reflection of the time period; reference to the 2002 Conference Advisory Action, which reads "It was unanimously recommended that the text in the book, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions written by Bill W, remain as is, recognizing the fellowship’s feeling that Bill’s writings be retained as originally published).
  2. Recommended that the pamphlet AA and the Armed Services be updated with 7 new stories (added to 7 old stories, total 14 stories).
  3. Committee recommended that the trustees’ Literature Committee initiate a comprehensive review of The AA Group and that the trustees’ Literature Committee bring a draft manuscript of the revised pamphlet to the 2004 Conference Literature Committee for their consideration. Committee requests that the secretary of the trustees’ Literature Committee send a letter to all General Service Conference members requesting suggestions for updates or revisions to this pamphlet.
  4. Recommended that updated illustrations and text revisions suggested by the trustees’ Literature Committee to reflect contemporary language, clothing and hair styles and to add ethnic and age diversity to the pamphlet What Happened to Joe be approved. All text and illustration changes in the revised pamphlet are to be reviewed by the trustees’ Literature Committee.
  5. Recommended that, based on suggestion from the trustees’ Literature Committee, a draft manuscript of a new comic book format pamphlet which would have current language and updated illustrations to replace the pamphlet It Happened to Alice! be developed and brought back to the 2004 Conference Literature Committee for review (Concept would be based on a single working mother who is involved in a drunk driving incident, followed by introduction to AA).
  6. Committee unanimously recommended that the development of a Third Edition of the Spanish-language Big Book, Alcoholicos Anonimous, by the trustees’ Literature Committee be approved and that a report from the trustees’ Literature Committee be brought to the 2004 Conference Literature Committee specifying suggestions for contents, process and story solicitation for the Spanish-language Third Edition Big Book.
Additional Committee Considerations:
  • The committee encourages full Conference discussion of the AA World Services Board’s "intent to place the Fourth Edition of the Big Book on the GSO website." After a lengthy discussion, the sense of the Conference was to place the 4th Edition Big Book on the GSO website.
Conference Committee on Public Information:
  1. Committee recommended that the television public service announcement (PSA), "We Know What It’s Like," be developed by the trustees’ Public Information Committee be approved.
  2. Committee recommended that the PSA, "We Know What It’s Like," be centrally distributed, tracked and evaluated at a cost not to exceed $30,000, in addition to the work of local committees, and that information gathered from the process be forwarded to the 2004 Conference Public Information Committee for their review.
  3. Recommended that the 2004 Membership Survey Questionnaire be approved with the addition of "Skilled Trade" to Question 12: "What is the nature of your employment status now?"
  4. Recommended that the General Service Board explore ways that input from the Fellowship regarding GSO’s AA website may be addressed by a trustees’ Committee with a relevant Conference Committee, and report back to the 2004 Conference PI Committee.
Conference Committee on the Grapevine:
Advisory Actions:
Amended Advisory Action A:
  • Grapevine & LaVina representatives - Grapevine representatives (GvRs) and LaVina (RLVs) perform a service for AA members, bringing them two vitals of recovery - the international journal of Alcoholics Anonymous and LaVina. GvRs and RLVs are engaged in practical, hands-on work. Their basic job is to make the magazines available to the group, to encourage AA’s to read them, subscribe to them and use them in 12th step work.
Additional Committee Considerations:
  1. Victor E posters in English, Spanish & French.
  2. Spanish-language edition of The Best of Bill.
  3. The Grapevine Corporate Board suggests that the following items be developed:
    1. New Spanish-language audio CD stories, previously published in LaVina.
    2. French, Spanish and English language editions of a pocket-sized soft cover collection of Grapevine stories focusing on AA’s Responsibility Declaration, titled "I Am Responsible."
Conference Committee on Archives:
Committee Considerations:
  • Committee reviewed the updates suggested by the trustees’ Archives Committee to be included in the next reprint of the Archives Workbook and suggested that the trustees’ Archives Committee consider additional items in the “Mission Statement” and in the “Calendar of Holdings” of the Workbook.
Conference Committee on Policy/Admissions:
  • The Committee discussed the request to form a Conference Committee on Special Needs and agreed that Special Needs in the Fellowship are currently being met by the existing services provided by AA World Services and the General Service Office (at present, handled by the Group Services desk at GSO).

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