Delegate's Report Archive

Delegates Report - February 2009

Fellow WSEA 92 Members,

Hello WSEA 92, let's get started on this year's General Service Conference (GSC) Agenda! For 2009 the 13 GSC committees will have a total of 63 agenda items to cover during this year's session. The background material contains over 900 pages of information of which I'll be happy to send any part of to you if requested. The following is a brief description of Area 92's Agenda selection process.

The final Agenda items for the current years GSC become available on the 15th of February at which time I select a committee of past and present Delegates to meet and review all of the Agenda items and to select which items we believe to be germane to Area 92. The next step in the Agenda selection process is the meeting of the Agenda Review Committee comprised of members of the Area Committee (DCMs, Appointed and Elected officers) which has the duty of reviewing the Delegate's selections. The review committee may make additions or deletion as they see fit after which they gatherer into groups to created summaries of the selected agenda items and their corresponding backgrounds. These summaries of selected GSC Agenda items then become the list that is distributed, studied and discussed ant the Agenda Workshop. The Workshops are attended by any member that has an interest in or curiosity about general service. These Workshop sessions are meant to inform and educate the Area membership about the Agenda items that will be addressed at the Pre-Conference Assembly held in April before the Delegate leaves for the GSC in New York. The Workshop process is vital to the development of the "Informed Group Conscience" which guides AA actions in service worldwide.

The Agenda review meeting was once again held in Spokane on Saturday the 21st at the Alano Club which provides WSEA 92 a wonderful facility for our gatherings. This year we were fortunate to have 3 past Delegates to help the review committee, Gene D. panel 52, Mike McM. panel 54 and Dave McC. panel 56. Unfortunately Mauro P. our currently serving Alternate Delegate was not able to attend this year's selection and review meetings but he made sure that his Agenda selections were represented at the Agenda selection meeting on Friday. Jamie S our currently serving Area Chair is providing Conference Agenda assistance during Mauro's absence.

Also once again the first Conference Agenda Workshop for 2009 was held at the Spokane Alano Club and was well attended with all of the Eastside Districts represented. It was very gratifying for me to recognize over 15 new service members on Saturday. New DCMs, GSRs and District officers and members were all engaged and asked excellent questions in preparation for the Pre-Conference Assembly. The next Agenda Workshops will be held in Richland on the 28th of February and Cashmere on the 15th of March. Please check the Area website (area92aa.org) for additional information.

In Regional news
PRAASA 2009 (Oakland CA) is just a few days away and I wish more of our Area members could attend but I know times are tight. I'll do my best to report back to you all in a fashion that I hope will make it seem like you were there.

In news from GSO
Check out the "new" Grapevine, starting with the March issues, there is more "WOW" factor built in, no staples, slicker paper and more color. Please visit the AA Grapevine website if you haven't lately, there is a ton of new stuff with and it's all there to help us stay sober and to help the newcomer. I would love to know that more WSEA 92 member are availing themselves to the Audio Grapevine and the Digital Archives. If your reading time is limited or you have questions about our history, problems solved! The 2010 International Convention (San Antonio Texas, July 1-4) is starting to heat up with a new Q&A in preparation for the event. Next on the list of cool new AA web items is the "Digital Delivery", if you would like copies of About AA (news for non-AAs in the professional community), Box 459 (AA's newsletter), Markings (AA Archives newsletter) and Sharing from Behind the Walls (sharing from AA members in correctional facilities) sent to your inbox just sign up. The following information is condensed from the February Board meeting notes taken by our Pacific Region Trustee Madeleine P.:

During the year 2008, the General Service Office welcomed 1,291 visitors. Total distribution of all books through December 2008 was 2,113,574, up 0.03% from the same period in 2007. Total AA purchases through December 2008 amounted to 1,715,780 units, while non-AA's accounted for 397,794 units or 19%. Big Book sales through December 2008 were 1,111,906 units, compared to 1,127,310 in 2007.

Financial Results - Net sales of $12,429,952 for the year 2008 were approximately $79,952 more than budgeted. Contributions received of $6,437,409 were $237,591 less than budgeted and $88,593 less than the total for 2007. Net loss for the year 2008 of $304,877 compares with a budgeted profit of $180,796 and was $1,323,455 less than the $1,018,578 profit reported for the year 2007.

Other news - the first issue of the newsletter, "AA Around the World," with notes and news from the 20th World Service Meeting was finalized and printed in late December.

AA Grapevine
In 2008, the A.A. Grapevine, Inc. published twelve issues of the Grapevine, in print and audio editions; six issues of La Vina; the Beginners' Book; the audio edition of Emotional Sobriety (2 CDs); a wall calendar; and a pocket planner. Average monthly circulation of the Grapevine in print was 104,993; based on a reported pass-along rate of four, average monthly readership was an estimated 525,000. Average monthly circulation of Audio Grapevine was 1,595, and average bimonthly circulation of La Vina was 10,404. The Grapevine distributed 125,097 books, CDs, and other items. As of March 2009, all 12 issues of the Grapevine will be staple-free and in full color. To meet non-profit periodical postal requirements and to protect subscribers' anonymity, the title on the cover will be "Grapevine: AA's Meeting in Print."

Financial results - for the year ended December 31, 2008, the AA Grapevine, Inc. realized a loss of $94,686 in comparison to a budgeted net income of $3,204. This was due mostly to higher than expected professional fees and increasing postage expense. La Vina realized a loss of $76,260 which was behind budget by $8,889. Again, postage expenses attributed to the increased expenses. As you may be aware, the AA Grapevine raised the price of their books by $2.00, with the exception of the Best of Bill. Beginning July 1, 2009, a one year subscription for the Grapevine will be $27.00.

The AA Grapevine Board has agreed to hold three of its planning meetings in conjunction with General Service Board weekends, resulting in a net savings of $25,000 for meetings in 2009.

Well that's it for now. Look for a new posting when I get back from PRAASA. Take care.

Yours in the Fellowship,
Rad M.
WSEA 92 Delegate Panel 58