Chair Report for Nov 2024
And so, another month of service to our groups…
Annual Meeting 21 December, Elections and Budget Approval
So, we are preparing for another annual assembly including both elections and the budget. Our treasurer will be posting the budget as soon as it is assembled and approved by the Finance Committee and Board.
This year we are electing a Vice Chair, Secretary, Technology Chair and Trustee at Large. If you would like to stand, please submit a service resume of your intention to the board by November 15th . I would advise you to contact current standing officers to get an idea of the time commitment and skills needed. A suggested service resume format can be found here: https://beta.aa-intergroup.org/documents/resume-presentation-page/
Additionally, our guidelines best describe the general requirements of the positions. These and our bylaws can be found on the board page under the OIAA in Action tab.
From our Guidelines Guideline Descriptions and Eligibility 2024
1.1 Eligibility & Qualifications for all Trustees.
Trustees will be at least 18 years of age and need not be United States citizens or residents of New Jersey.[1] OIAA suggests that ten years of continuous sobriety is preferable for trustees, though it is not mandatory. A committed program and leadership experience can enable a member to deal with OIAA growth and its affairs with serenity and ease in problem-solving. Such candidates can bring to the board the quality of decisiveness and the fortitude of their guidance and convictions, along with objectivity and prudence. They should be generally well suited to represent the OIAA board and interpret its actions. A business background or other professional experience is helpful. The board and membership are also interested in other skills and qualities that trustees can offer. Trustee officers must also have served in an OIAA service position to be eligible to stand.[2] [Bylaws Section 4.02.] Trustees who are not officers do not need to meet the OIAA service position eligibility requirement.
- Vice Chairperson
The vice chairperson acts as chairperson in the absence of the chairperson. The chairperson may delegate responsibilities to the vice chairperson, including the chairperson’s position as a non-voting member of the standing committees, as the chairperson deems advisable and agreed upon.
5.2.1.3 Secretary
The secretary maintains the corporate records, including but not limited to the following: minutes of all board, assemblies, and special meetings; committee reports; motions, and election results; bylaws, certificate of incorporation, operating guidelines, annual reports, and correspondence with government agencies, except for financial matters that are the responsibility of the treasurer. The secretary presides over elections; posts ballots; and collects, tallies, and posts the results of elections and motions. If the secretary is standing for election to an office, the chairperson will perform the election duties or appoint a disinterested third party to do so during that election. The secretary coordinates with the technology chairperson on the electronic storage and maintenance of these records.
5.2.1.5 Technology Chairperson
The technology officer chairperson leads the effort in providing, supporting, maintaining, securing, and enhancing the essential information technology needs of the intergroup, including the OIAA website, the OIAA meeting directory, electronic communications (including email, video conferencing, electronic voting, and surveys), and file sharing and collaboration. With approval of the board, the technology chairperson oversees and maintains any technology-related professional services.
5.3.2 Trustee-at-Large
The trustee-at-large will work in partnership with the OIAA committees to foster communication, collaboration and avoid duplication of efforts. The trustee-at-large will be available to serve in other areas as determined by the board. As the membership grows, additional trustees-at-large may be added at the discretion of the board.
Committee Service Work:
Our service committes’ work is the nuts and bolts of the organization. We have 9 standing service committees and subcommittees within committees. Come and explore the possibility of service beyond your group! Service facilitates recovery. Please use our website for more information about these committees and when they meet. This information can be found under the OIAA in Action tab on our landing page. These 9 committees are as follows: 12th Steppers-who “answer the phone” when anyone anywhere reaches out for help (Chair-DC Dave), Policy and Admissions (PAC) (Chair-Jan BB), Public Information (PIC),(Chair Mary M), Finance (Chair -Jennifer B), Technology-which has various subcommittees (Chair-Mark M), Vancouver International Convention Committee (Chair-Barry M.), Communications, (Chair-Lesliee A.), Cooperation with the Professional Community (CPC) (Chair-Gwen M.,), Unity (Chair-Carlos D.) Each committee has its own webpage with contact information. You can also find when they meet and sign on the Calendar page. The chairs have email addresses posted and would love to meet you! If you would like more specific information about these committees, contact the committee chairs.
Unity Committee First OIAA Online International Convention
Our Unity Committee sponsored First OIAA Online International Convention took place 25-27 October 2024 to great excitement by both the organization as well as by both those groups that participated and all guests here and abroad. It was an event that was more than a year in planning, involved the communication, cooperation, and collaboration of multiple OIAA committees, the board, and volunteers. Tech 12 provided technical services, which was supported by a cadre of volunteers as both OIAA Tech Hosts as well as Group Tech Hosts, which kept the meeting running smoothly and secure. Groups who participated chose their own topics and provided their own group tech hosts, who were also given the opportunity to train with our Unity Convention Tech Chair Beth D, particularly since some groups were not familiar with the Zoom platform. We provided interpreters for 4 languages-ASL, Spanish, French and Portuguese and the Iranians brought their own interpreters in Farsi. We had over 5000 people register and members from over 90 countries participate. Four Zoom rooms were open over a 6–7-hour day centered over 3 time zones. The centered time zone on Friday, was Auckland New Zealand; Saturday-Chicago, Ill, USA; Sunday, Moscow, Russia. For me, living in the eastern time zone—start time on Friday was 4 pm; Saturday-10 am; Sunday 4 am (half measures avail us nothing.) Topics included local histories, online history, what is OIAA, spirituality, and meetings which reflected the group meetings of participating groups. Also, we included several specialty events, Open Mic- Wit’s End jokes plus Rule 62 humor and talented A.A,’s in Action. Of course, the all-important Sobriety Countdown in Spanish with interpretation—reflecting our internation flavor-culminated the event, bringing together the old-timer and newcomer—the passing on of the candle of light and hope.
I attended 11 meetings over 3 days, often with interpretation, most of which was simultaneous interpretation—which meant because of the technology of the Zoom settings, interpretation occurred in the language of the listener as soon as the speaker began to speak. One room had consecutive interpretation which meant the speaker spoke and then stopped and let the interpreter speak. With ASL, a special zoom window setting chosen to watch, allowed the participants to watch the interpretation as the speaker spoke. It was smooth and inclusive.
I was especially touched in a group largely of Portuguese speakers located in Africa, when a visitor commented he was Portuguese living abroad who had never been to an AA meeting in his own language. In another meeting, I was touched by an old-timer who shared what it was like to get sober in a country where wine was not considered an alcoholic drink. I got sober after I lived in Germany and Austria, and when-sober-I went back to visit, I had a similar experience—wine mixed in Sprite, known as a Radler, was not considered an alcoholic beverage. Ah, the incredible unity of shared experiences, across time and space!
Finally, I can only express my gratitude for all who selflessly contributed hours and hours of their time to helping the still suffering alcoholic by bringing the dream of this event to fruition. It was an expression, ultimately of the unity we have to following the 3rd and fifth traditions-inclusivity, the light of hope of recovery, and finally, in practicing the 12th tradition of passing it own and shining the light into the darkness of alcoholism by speaking the language of the heart, one alcoholic to another, just as Bill Wilson did to Dr. Bob Smith in the gatehouse of the Firestone Stan Hyatt estate in Akron, Ohio in 1935. Almost 90 years later, we are carrying the torch, person to person, letter by letter, meeting by meeting, phone call by phone call, modem by modem. Thank you, thank you all!
What’s Next:
Techsteppers Safety Workshop-2 November 2024, 2-3 pm ET, Zoom Meeting ID: 839 1683 1125 Passcode: OIAA
OIAA Assembly—21 December 2024@ 2:00 pm – 4 pm ET, Meeting ID: 839 1683 1125
Passcode: OIAA. All members are welcome. Please request interpretive services by 7 December (treasurer@aa-intergroup.org) and register (registrar@aa-intergroup.org) or update IGR information by 14 December 2024!
Reminders: Voting Members and Updating the member directory:
Another update we have made to our website is a clearly marked page to update any changes to IGRs within your groups. It is the responsibility of each group to update any changes in advance of assemblies, so that your vote can be counted. Although anyone can attend the assembly, only elected IGRs or in their absence, the alt IGRs can vote or make motions. Group contacts can come to assemblies, but they cannot vote. Please note, I give a deadline for group changes with every assembly announcement I send out. Please look for this deadline if your group is holding elections. Here is the link for making those changes: https://beta.aa-intergroup.org/group-rep-update-request/ The link can also be easily found under the IGR Hotlist tab.
For More information about our OIAA group listing guidelines go here: https://beta.aa-intergroup.org/meeting-directory-guidelines/ If you have any additional regarding group listings, contact PAC.chair@aa-intergroup.org.
Tradition 11: “Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, and films.”
Tradition 11, Long Form: “Our relations with the general public should be characterized by personal anonymity. We think A.A. ought to avoid sensational advertising. Our names and pictures as A.A. members ought not be broadcast, filmed, or publicly printed. Our public relations should be guided by the principle of attraction rather than promotion. There is never need to praise ourselves. We feel it better to let our friends recommend us.” (https://www.aa.org/the-twelve-traditions)
In the sixth tradition, Bill Wilson discussed character traits he personally wrestled with and examined them in light of leading an organization: money, property, and prestige. Now, it was tough in a Great Depression era economy and post economy not to be affected by what was happening both personally and “professionally” to the organization. Each of these traits, I personally find are natural. It is when they go into the “red,” and affect me or those I work with that I must revisit the principles and the motives that drive me. I am blessed with having the 36 principles hammered on the anvils of experience by those pioneers, who wrestled with them as well, as guidance to lean on and get back on the beam. Who wouldn’t want enough property or money to feel safe and secure, Maslow, right? But personal or even professional praise and glory are sticky for this alcoholic. The 11th tradition allows me to revisit these traits again and gives me guidance. When am I Susan R and when am I Susan Last Name?
Well, I am Susan R as a representative of Alcoholics Anonymous, and if publicly broadcast or filmed, I was taught to wear my Grouch Marx glasses we all jokingly wear in pictures that might be published. My sponsor told me if something was public, I might say I was in recovery and not a member of Alcoholics Anonymous, without breaking my anonymity. To me this part of the 11th is about personal ego and is a personal decision by each of us, made perhaps in meditation, or after listening to our group or sponsor. It is not black or white, it is practice and a personal journey. Here as the chair of the organization, I try to write emails from Just Susan, rather than put on the mantle of the perceived “power and influence” as Chair unless I need to do so.
Dr. Bob suggested it was equally an anonymity break to use our last name publicly as it was not to use it among ourselves. I do have experience of going to the hospital to visit a home group member and not know the member’s last name. Well, the Help Desk couldn’t help me. Our digital platform does present some challenges as it is a public platform. Some of my member friends do not even turn on their video in the practice of Tradition 11. Some groups require that the video be turned on. And we get complaints when this happens. Groups are autonomous to decide, and each individual must make their own decisions. I am sure our online world will hammer out its own experiences and pass those on.
When am I Susan Last Name—when I am among other alcoholics in a private setting. And obviously, when I am in the world of “earth people, “ as I learned to call those people not blessed with the gift of alcoholism.
The second half of the tradition is also about ego, organizational ego. We don’t need to tout what the organization is doing, but instead inform others neutrally that help is available, and we are willing to provide it based on our experience, to help the still suffering alcoholic find the hope we too found from others.
I do not know how you found your way here, but for me, it was after a suicide attempt, when that seemed the only way out. I had a friend whose son found help in A.A. I knew nothing about it. There was no promotion, just quietly shared experience, and a ride to my first meeting. I did not get a pamphlet from my doctor. I did not look in the phone book. I got no paper meeting list. There were no TV advertisements, newspaper ads, and there was no google. My doctor did not recommend rehabs as he suggested I might have trouble being insured in the future if I admitted I was an alcoholic.
And yet, 41 years later, I am still here. I still quietly try to wear my recovery like a loose garment and be available to pass it on. I try to help the organization provide public information instead of promotion. I am sure every person I work with here at OIAA would answer your call, and help you find your way to the light of recovery, either in an online meeting or even to an in-person meeting, anyone of you, anywhere, at any time. We are waiting for you. Join us.
Since this is November, gratitude month, I am grateful for you all. You are the wealth of my life. Thank you.
Humbly and respectfully submitted,
Susan R
OIAA Chair
Here is a link to our OIAA YouTube channel. It can be found on the IGR Hotlist tab. Check it out: https://www.youtube.com/@aa-intergroup
[1] New Jersey Nonprofit Act and IRS law.
[2] Bylaws Section 4.02.] Eligibility. Anyone who has served in an OIAA service position is eligible to serve as an intergroup officer.
