Delegate’s Sharing Session

Personal Mission Statement: “I’m committed to being totally available and responsible to Mid-Southern California Area 09 members, to help provide a healthy infrastructure to communicate among individuals, Groups, Districts, Area, and the General Service Office, while using as few acronyms as possible!”

MSCA 09 Rocks!

• The officers met with Faith B, our new webmaster, on 12/20 who revealed her latest work on the updated website. Thankfully, she has been very responsive in posting information from the General Service Office in New York as quickly as Rainer F, our past webmaster had done. The new website with the same msca09aa.org link went live on 1/8/2021, so thanks Faith!
• At our Board meeting on 12/20, the other officers supported my suggestion that we provide A.A. literature to Rainer F for his 10 years of wonderful service. Please refrain from sending event flyers and other information to Rainer; rather, send Area-related events (only) to the new Delegate's Bulletin Board contact.
• Also, on 12/20, we met with Maryka de O and Rozanne P who reported to us the results of the Remote Communities ad hoc committee, with the committee recommendation that we create a Remote Communities Standing Committee, pending Area endorsement and support.
• Attended following District business meetings: #08 and #14 on 12/16; #12 and #15 on 1/7.
• At the District 08 meeting on 12/16, members voted to provide $900 for Grapevine subscriptions.
• I paid the $15 registration fee for the virtual Pacific Region A.A. Service Assembly (PRAASA.org), which is scheduled for March 5, 6, and 7. We were asked to provide names of volunteers for 2 speakers (Romy S and Rozanne P), 3 moderators (Michele K, Lauren O, and Paco B), and 2 readers (Jose M and one to be determined). I’ve also registered for $21 for the 3-day NERAASA (Northeast Region A.A. Service Assembly) on 2/26-28.
• On 1/4/2021, began working with Cynthia F to facilitate purchase of 22 subscriptions of Grapevine and 10 of La Viña by Area 09’s Cooperation with the Professional Community committee.
• For 2021, I really would like to strengthen Area member’s involvement in Standing Committees, and have asked Acting Registrar, Emma P, to assemble virtual connection information for monthly meetings, all of which I fully plan to attend and encourage you to do so as well.
• Mitchell and Emma are also helping me complete a revised form for Area officers and chairpersons so we can provide the latest information to the General Service Office records department.
• In response to your concerns last month, we’d like to welcome Alicia H back to Area 09 to be our primary interpreter in the Spanish room, which frees Jesus to be in the English room for occasional interpretation into English and fulltime participation as Panel 68 past delegate.

Activities within (and without) the Pacific Region

• On 12/15, I join 19 other Pacific Region delegates, including incoming 71’s and outgoing 69’s in a 1.5 hour long, bitter and sweet A.A. meeting. The next one is scheduled for 1/19.
• On 12/16, join General Service Office staff and 15ish speakers and moderators for the US/CAN, where we are told 1,600 people have registered.
• On 12/19, I join western USCAN with about 900 people at 10 am, and participate as a workshop panelist with Tom A (California Northern Interior Area 06) and Cheri S (Alaska 02) in “A Virtual Link in Communication between Groups and General Service Office” with 33 participants

All Things Conference-Related

• On 12/18, I received a welcome letter to the Conference Literature Committee, which I immediately share with Faith to post under Confidential Resources and Ryan for eblast. This welcome includes a partial list of Literature Agenda Items for the 71st Conference.
• On a date to be determined later this month, I will join the Conference Literature Committee with David N (Trustee Chair), Steve S (General Service Office Secretary), and Sheri P (Conference Chair) for a preview and any discussion of the Literature Agenda Items.
• We expect Background Information for what are likely to be more than 100 Conference Agenda Items around Valentine’s Day. This will be shared with the Area in the Confidential Link on our website (msca09aa.org). As soon as possible, summary information will be provided in table form (share image) so as to solicit new information. Since only 15 of 98 Agenda Items were passed in 2020, we will also share the completed tables from 2020, where all of the information gathered last year will be used again this year, and give you an example of what we are looking for in 2021. Hiro, with help from Mitchell, will likely use Google Docs again to solicit input, and I can (hopefully) visit Hispanic Districts to obtain more input than we received in 2020. The Pre-Conference workshop will be on 4/11/2021 where we will share the results of our planning. I plan to participate in the virtual Conference between 4/18-24/2021, both as your Area 09 Conference representative and as a member of the 10-member Conference Literature Committee.
• On 1/2/21, visiting Area 50 Assembly in western New York, I heard Southeast Regional Trustee, Cathy B’s presentation on a potential plain language Big Book (for the second time), during which she indicates her narrated Power Point presentation has recently been translated into Spanish and French and will be available to the delegates through the dashboard “very soon.”
• On 1/5/2021, I receive a list of 61 Agenda Items (dated 12/18/2020), which is a partial list of the final list we expect on 2/15/2021, and was forwarded to Ryan for eblasting and Faith for posting. I also receive the Conference Communications Kit, a 40-page document with everything you need to know about the Conference, including my Panel 70 Conference Buddy, Mark B, Area 04 Arkansas.
• Before 3/1, we will contribute money to General Service Office to support the delegate’s Conference expenses. Whereas the minimum contribution is $1,800, Area 09 typically contributes $3,200.

News from New York:

• We (finally) received the following notice on 12/14: “We are delighted to announce the launch of a new, redesigned Fellowship Connection (formerly My Portal) which is available to all Area Registrars in the United States and Canada as of Monday, December 14, 2020.” As our Acting Registrar, Emma P is communicating with General Service Office to determine the best way for Area 09 to engage this updated registration service.
• Acting Registrar, Emma P, was able to access Fellowship Connection for the first time on 1/9, although General Service Office is having technical difficulties, so still no opportunity to begin updating old registration information.

More Will Be Revealed!

• I’m a threshold thinker: “There comes the time when it’s easier to do IT than to think about IT … one more time.” So, on 12/19 I sent my name to corrections@aa.org providing my address so I may participate in the Corrections Correspondence Services (CCS), and correspond with an assigned inmate.

Delegate’s Bulletin Board (DBB)

• On 1/2 Faith posted my first message of 2021 to the DBB, entitled “Hindsight’s 2020,” which talks about how my love for Service has only been strengthened during the 2020 pandemic.
• Contents of this Delegate’s Sharing Session will also be posted immediately after today’s Area Service Assembly.

Honored to be of Service!

Ed L., MSCA 09 Panel 70 delegate