District News - Alcoholics Anonymous of Humboldt/Del Norte Counties

    This title is the theme for our 2008 General Service Conference in New York. 1996 was the first conference to have a theme. During our group conscience gathering of the last few months we each had a chance to comment on our theme for next year. On May 17th our Delegate will be in Lakeport to give her report on the conference and the theme for next panel. And so the work of AA, its principles in action, stays available to us all.
    We are excited about our Post-Conference Assembly this coming May 17th because our district's Registrar will be part of a panel discussing the theme and how it is important in their recovery and service. Everyone is invited to attend. It is a one day Assembly, and if you can make the time please do not hesitate to contact me on the web at aahumboldtdelnorte.org. It will be wonderful to support our Registrar, learn more about this year's theme and hear the first report from the Delegate.
    Our Delegate will also be giving her report this July at our Unity Day Picnic. We will be at Cooper's Gulch, for our traditional gourmet chili dogs, service information, and skits and picnic games for the whole family. This is a wonderful opportunity to share in the excitement of the Delegate, and learn first hand how the business of AA was decided. To have a conference theme, and discussion topic is our opportunity to discuss as a fellowship the important principles guiding our fellowship in recovery, unity and service. These themes play an important role in helping each of us to learn about our own opportunities to serve and share in the responsibility for AA service.
    Having conference themes puts all of us in touch with the service structure of AA. Our service committee chairs are always encouraging us to participate in service that goes beyond making coffee, putting out literature and folding chairs. They are always encouraging us to explore the wide realm of AA service outside the home group. At our upcoming Unity Day, on July 12th, this will be clear. Together we can do in some areas of service what each of us would be unable to do alone.
    The Unity Day event will be like having many chairpersons visit your home group at once. One PI/CPC chairperson said it is like one-stop shopping. There will be someone to answer your questions and share about service. We will talk about what our committees do, toss about the challenges we face and try to come up with effective solutions. AA communication and participation is the key to this Unity. In Service we learn that self-support is not only financial. Our service itself is the key to self-support. All of AA's service entities are ongoing projects that require continual self-support in the form of service members. We do the legwork, keep communicating the needs to our groups and leave the outcome to our Higher Power. In AA that is our shared responsibility.
    On May 17th we will have the opportunity to see how all our efforts and ideas gathered from our groups have come to pass in the conference actions. I am so grateful to be a member and in service in District 15. We had 10 members, GSR's and Alternates attend the pre-conference assembly and carry their groups conscience on the items they discussed. I had the honor and privilege of carrying the conscience from some of our groups that could not send a representative. Our level of participation and communication is so supportive of AA in all its service entities. I hope we can touch someone new at just the right time to encourage them to become involved in AA service.