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72^nd General Service Conference ��Brooklyn, NY�April 24–30, 2022

Jennifer B., Panel 71 Delegate, California Northern Coastal Area 06

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What is the Conference?

The General Service Conference links the A.A. groups to the General Service Office and the General Service Board. It serves as the group conscience for A.A. as a whole.

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January �Board�Weekend

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475 Riverside Drive, NYC

Friday 11 a.m. A.A. Meeting
Lunch in the reopened Cafeteria
Looking forward to the GSO tour in a week…

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182 Clinton St.

Calvary Church

Towns Hospital

38 Livingston St.

Pacific Region A.A. History Tour

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Who Makes Up the Conference?

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26 Trustees,

A.A.W.S. Directors,

GV Directors

19.5%

93 Area Delegates

69.9%

Traditionally, Delegates constitute at least two-thirds of the voting membership.

14 GSO and Grapevine Office Staff

10.5%

Sunday Morning Roll Call: 133 Voting Members

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Workshops

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Trustees Committee

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🐘

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Trustees Committee

The stories in the current pamphlet haven’t been updated since 1976.

It will be revised, with an eye towards relevance to newcomers in all three languages.

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=

!

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General Service Board Report

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Subscribe to Box 4-5-9!

English: www.aa.org/box-459

Español: www.aa.org/es/box-459

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A.A. World Services, Inc.

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AA Grapevine, Inc.

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Food, Fun & Fellowship

“We are people who normally would not mix. But there exists among us a fellowship, a friendliness, and an understanding which is indescribably wonderful.”

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Finance 2022 GSC

Kevin Prior, CFA, CPA

Class A (nonalcoholic) Trustee

General Service Board Treasurer

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2022 GSO BUDGET

Total revenue $16,761,400 compared to $17,377,021 in 2021
Contributions $10,000,000 compared to $10,775,871 in 2021
Literature gross profit $6,534,000 compared to $6,297,678 in 2021
Total operating expense $18,111,969 compared to $15,282,198 in 2021
Operating deficit of $1,350,569 compared to $1,697,141 surplus in 2021
2022 deficit to be paid for with 2021 surplus

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IMPACT OF PANDEMIC ON GSO REVENUE DISTRIBUTION

10,549,316

11,056,365.82

9,452,615

9,358,751

7,934,869

8,409,452

8,385,009

8,863,480

10,256,687

10,775,870

6,000,000

4,000,000

2,000,000

0

8,000,000

10,000,000

12,000,000

2016

2017

2020

2021

2018

Literature Gross Margin

2019

Contributions

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6,582,266

6,297,678

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2021 CONTRIBUTIONS BY DOLLAR VALUE

/

$0 - $50, 44.5%

$50 - $100, 23.2%

$100 - $150, 9.5%

$150 - $200, 7.2%

$400 -$500, 2.2% $500 +, 3.8%

$300 - $400, 2.9%

$200 - $300, 6.6%

$0 - $50

$50 - $100

$100 - $150

$150 - $200

$200 - $300

$300 - $400

$400 -$500

$500 +

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$6.06 on 6/6

2021 Cost of Program Services is $7.59 Million

Divided by 1,475,520 members

Equals $5.14, the cost per member

Add 92 cents to adjust for the deficit ($1,350,569 divided by 1,475,520)

GRASSROOTS CHALLENGE — COST PER MEMBER

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Presentation from �the Trustees’ Ad Hoc Committee on �the Participation of Online Groups

. . . still more questions than answers

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Regional Trustee Elections

Eastern Canada: Joyce S.
Pacific: Reilly K.

“ALL THAT then the HAT?”�—Brandon from DOTS

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Committee Reports

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

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Safety and A.A.: Our Common Welfare

La seguridad y AA: Nuestro bienestar común

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Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions

Reminder of Advisory Action changes in 2021:

Step 12: The phrase “mate of the opposite sex” was replaced with the word “partner.”
Step 6: The sentence "No one wants to be angry enough to murder, lustful enough to rape, gluttonous enough to ruin his health” was changed to “No one wants to commit the deadly sins of anger, lust or gluttony.”
The long form of each Tradition was added to the end of the essay for that Tradition.

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Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions

Agenda Items in 2022:

Literature Item R: Discuss changes to the text of the book as directed by the 71st General Service Conference.
Finance Item B: Consider request to add a historical disclaimer to the front of the book.
Finance Item C: Consider request that all proposed changes be handled in footnotes.

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Literature Item R: NO ACTION �Committee noted there is not consensus �on the changes among A.A. members.

Finance Item B: NO ACTION

Historical disclaimer not needed.�The introduction in the book �already addresses the concern �regarding the language.

Floor Action at 72nd GSC:

Rescind the first two advisory �actions from the 71st GSC that �changed the text in Steps Six �and Twelve.

Finance Item C: NO ACTION

Committee did not want to mandate �a specific format for any future �changes to a future Conference �(trust the process).

Our Area: 50% approved, 30% disapproved, �20% mixed (esp. on change in Step 6 essay)

CONFERENCE DECLINED TO CONSIDER�

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Public Information

Información Pública

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Policy/Admissions Recommendation �(as amended):

That the compilation of all Conference committee background be made available simultaneously in English, French, and Spanish.

Que la compilación de todos el material de origen de los comités de Conferencia esté disponible simultáneamente en español, francés e inglés.

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Impact of COVID on Voting Members

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24 Trustees,

A.A.W.S. Directors,

GV Directors

-2

83 Area Delegates

-10

Traditionally, Delegates constitute at least two-thirds of the voting membership.

12 GSO and Grapevine Office Staff

-2

Friday morning: 119 Voting Members remain

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Committee Reports

Continued…

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Floor Actions

Friday

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“Most of us alcoholics are apt to be ‘all or nothing’ people. �We go to extremes. Either we want ‘perfection by Thursday next’ or else we want only the barest bit of A.A. that will keep us sober. Experience seems to show that we can go broke on spiritual pride or on unreasonable rebellion, or just plain apathy. �A plain, every day desire to make some progress �is usually the best and safest bet.

However, don’t take what I say as the gospel. You—and everybody—have the right to practice A.A. as you wish. �This is spiritual freedom.”

Bill W., Letter to a member, 1964

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The COVID Elves and Quaranteam

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Five Days in Isolation

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One Last NY Adventure

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73^rd General Service Conference

Theme: �A.A.’s Three Legacies – Our Common Solution

April 22–29, 2023

New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge

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Jennifer B.�delegate.p71@cnca06.org

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Thank you!

Any questions?