1. 1 64 th General Service Conference Communicating Our Legacies –Vital in A Changing World Hilton West Chester, Rye Town, NY April 27 – May 3, 2014

2. 2  Conference Committee Meetings  Trustee Elections  Conference Committee Reports  Conference Actions  Floor Actions 64 th General Service Conference

3. 3 Conference Committee Actions: Recommend an Advisory Action No Action Additional Consideration Recommit to the Trustees Committee 64 th General Service Conference

4. 4 “Were it not for Committees it is doubtful that any conference could get over a fraction of the ground it now covers. As the Conference has grown in size and influence the Committee’s importance has grown even more…” - AA Service Manual 64 th General Service Conference

5. 5 Two “Delegates Only” Meetings Three Regional meetings Seven AA meetings 14 Presentations and Reports General Sharing/Q&A- 5 Hours Delegate Highlights GSC Inventory & Report back Delegate Goodbyes - 48 Trustee Goodbyes – 3 Stepping Stones 64 th General Service Conference

6. 6 93 Delegates71% 7 Class A Trustees (Non-Alcoholic) 5% 13 Class B Trustees (Alcoholic)*10% 4 Non-Trustee Directors 3% 15 GSO and Grapevine Staff 11% 132 Total *one vacancy due to the death of Trustee Marty Walters from Western Canada earlier this year

7. Avg. Age:59 yrs. Oldest: 78 Youngest:32 Avg. Sobriety:21 Longest Sobriety:41 Shortest Sobriety: 7 Area w/Largest membership: Area 9 Mid-South California Area w/Smallest membership: Area 85 NW Ontario 64 th General Service Conference

8. 8 Sunday,10:00 am

9. 9 64 th General Service Conference General Service Board AAWS Board Grapevine Board GSB Treasurer Report

10. 10 64 th General Service Conference Chair: Terry Bedient Group Safety “Serving the Fellowship” Initiative Work Continues on Original 14

11. 11 64 th General Service Conference Chair: Gary Lutz Over 100,000 copies of 75 th Anniversary Big Book sold Over 1900 New Groups Registered in 2013 Redesign of aa.org Over 40% of Literature sales are now online

12. 12 64 th General Service Conference Chair: Nancy Haynes $3 Million Total Revenue - flat $315,000 Profit – up $100,000 $135,000 from Cost Reductions Excellent Cost Control by GV Leadership!!

13. 13  Subscriptions continue to decline  2013: Declined 6,100 7%  Last 5 years:  Print declined 24,000  Online added 5,000  *** Net Decline: 19,000 Subscriptions 64 th General Service Conference

14. AA Grapevine Circulation: 1974-2013

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19. 19 Audio Story Recordings GV 70 celebrations Audio Recording stories for sale Publish audio content via 3 rd Parties “mp3” format for existing CD items 2015 International Convention Publications Tactical Actions....Also need a Long Term Strategic Plan 64 th General Service Conference

20. 20 64 th General Service Conference La Viña circulation increased 9% in 2013 3 rd year in a row for an increase 10,100 Subscribers almost back to peak of 2007 Total revenue was up only 2% - Cost of Service to provide La Viña : $144,000 La Viña

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23. 23 Treasurer David Morris Class A (non-Alcoholic) Board Member Certified Public Accountant Own Financial Consulting Firm Retired Executive- JP Morgan/Chase Bank 64 th General Service Conference

24. 24 64 th General Service Conference Finance Report 2013 Literature Sales: $12.6 million Up 2% Profit $30,000 vs a budgeted loss of $600,000 Printing, shipping, warehousing costs decreased Big Book, Twelve and Twelve, Daily Reflections and Living Sober all had small increased sales Pamphlet sales have declined 20+% in last 5 years Sales are up…Costs are down…all is well in Publishing town!

25. 25 $6.9 Million, increased $350,000…..5+% Highest ever! Every category increased Birthday/Individual Contributions Increased 50+% in the last 5 years 42.5% of Groups contributed Same as last year, Down 4% from 4-5 yrs ago Contributions cover 72% of cost of services per member 64 th General Service Conference Finance Report

26. CONTRIBUTION HISTORY: 1983—2013 64 th General Service Conference Finance Report 26

27. 27 2012 $ 10.4 Million 2013 $ 3.6 Million Reduction $ 6.8 Million Pension Obligation now 87% funded 2012 it was only 56% funded Currently not a Financial Concern!! YEAH!!!! 64 th General Service Conference Finance Report

28. 28  Conference Committee Meetings  Trustee Elections  Conference Committee Reports  Conference Actions  Floor Actions 64 th General Service Conference

29. 29 Eastern Canada: Richard Boisvert, Panel 60 Delegate, Area 90, Northwest Quebec Pacific: Joel Castellaw, Panel 60 Delegate, Area 08, San Diego/Imperial Valley Both Elections went to the ‘hat’, Both had received the fewer votes in all ballots Congratulations to Richard and Joel 64 th General Service Conference

30. 30 Conference Committee Actions: Recommend an Advisory Action No Action Additional Consideration Recommit to the Trustees Committee 64 th General Service Conference Conference Actions

31. 31  Cooperation with Professionals: Revised “If You Are a Professional” Pamphlet  Corrections: Update “It Sure beats Sitting in a cell” video  Finance: Translate Conference Materials  Grapevine: motions and Floor Actions on “Right of Decision” and to remove “Alcoholism at Large” both failed  Literature: NEW PAMPHLET! “Many Paths to Spirituality”  Public Information: No changes to Anonymity Card; survey and new video passed  Archives: Updated “Markings on The Journey” video  Report and Charter: No Action-Warranty III  Details on aanorthcarolina.org next week! 64 th General Service Conference Conference Actions

32. 32 1. Recommended revising the pamphlet, “If you are a Professional” More inclusive of different professional “Acknowledge” attendance vs sign or stamp 2. Same pamphlet, different section Added sentence to keep responsibility on the alcoholic to make contact with AA 3.Recommended deleting smoking phrase from the Health care pamphlet. All three passed Additional Considerations: Added reference material to CPC Kit/Workbook 64 th General Service Conference Cooperation with the Professional Community

33. 33 1. Recommended minor changes to the pamphlet “A message to Corrections Professionals. 2. Recommended that a new video be developed to replace the 25 year old “It Sure Beats Sitting in a Cell” Both passed unanimously Additional Considerations: Suggested that the DVD. “Carrying the Message Behind These Walls” be included in the Corrections Kit. 64 th General Service Conference Corrections

34. 34 64 th General Service Conference Finance Recommend that because all Conference Members are equal and should have equal access that a plan be created by the General Service Office to translate Conference Material (background material, etc.) into French and Spanish for use during the conference, with a report being presented to the 2015 General Service Conference Passed unanimously…AA unity at it’s very best! Additional considerations: No increase in suggested Area contribution for Delegate Expense at Conference. Minor changes to self-support card

35. 35 64 th General Service Conference Grapevine Recommended Actions: The Committee recommended that the AA Grapevine have the ‘Right of Decision’ for all formatting decisions on producing the Grapevine and La Vina. Amendment offered to clarify ‘Spiritual Parity”…Failed Vote: 76 in favor, 49 against…Failed by 7 No minority opinion Floor Action on the above Recommendation… Vote to hear Floor Action passed 70 to not hear, 50 to hear, needed 82 to not hear! After much discussion, motion Failed, substantial unanimity, count not necessary!

36. 36 64 th General Service Conference Grapevine Committee discussed the request to reconsider publishing “Alcoholism at Large” section of the Grapevine and took no action. Floor Action: Discontinue publishing the “Alcoholism at Large” section of the Grapevine. Vote to hear the Floor Action passed. 74 to not hear, 50 to hear, needed 84 not to hear. After much discussion, motion Failed. 70 for 53 against, needed 82. Additional Considerations: A “New Business Plan” to reduce the La Viña deficit be developed by the Grapevine Board, bring back in 2015.

37. 37 64 th General Service Conference Literature Recommended new pamphlet with the title ”Many Paths to Spirituality” be approved. Introduction to the pamphlet by Bill W., is powerful: "....We have atheists and agnostics. We have people of nearly every race, culture and religion. In AA we are supposed to be bound together in the kinship of a universal suffering. Therefore the full liberty to practice any creed or principle or therapy should be a first consideration. Hence let us not pressure anyone with individual or even collective views. Let us instead accord to each other the respect that is due to every human being as he tries to make his way towards the light. Let us always try to be inclusive rather than exclusive. Let us remember that each alcoholic among us is a member of AA, so long as he or she so declares.” Bill W., AA Grapevine, July 1965…Responsibility is Our Theme

38. 38 64 th General Service Conference Literature Pamphlet very well received except for one part. In the section of the pamphlets with 6 ‘paths’ by a variety of AA members the Jewish person talks about not feeling guilty in saying the Lord’s prayer in order stay sober. There was an amendment offered, then an amendment to the amendment, to change that segment - both amendments Failed! Motion to approve pamphlet as originally presented Passed with substantial unanimity, no vote counted needed. Only 3 minority opinions offered.

39. 39 64 th General Service Conference Literature Recommended that “Non-alcoholics are welcome to attend open AA meetings as observers” be added to the Primary Purpose Blue Card. Vote: 123 voted, 82 in favor, 41 against, exact 2/3 vote. Passed Minority opinion, with vote to reconsider Vote: 123 voted, 62 in favor, 61 opposed, One vote decision. Passed. Vote: 115 voted; 60 in favor, 55 opposed, needed 77 Failed. Recommended removing “drug” reference from Living Sober. Vote: 118 voted, 60 in favor, 58 opposed Failed.

40. 40 64 th General Service Conference Literature Additional Considerations Discussed the suggestion to create a pamphlet for alcoholics with mental Illness and took no action. Adequately covered in other literature Floor Action, same as above: GSC recommended that literature which focuses on Alcoholics in recovery with Mental Illness be developed. 118 votes, 54 decline to hear, 64 to hear. Will hear Floor action. Much discussion. Vote 126, 77 in favor, opposed 49, need 84. Failed Minority Opinion, voted to reconsider, Passed Original Motion, more discussion, called the question, Vote: 128, 77 in favor, 51 opposed, Failed

41. 41 64 th General Service Conference Public Information Recommended that the Anonymity Card(F-20) be revised. Motion to recommit to Trustees PI Committee failed. Motion initially passed, then minority spoke… Motion to reconsider passed unanimously. Relatively short discussion on original motion. Original motion Failed under reconsideration. Recommended numerous classification descriptions on AA Membership Survey be changed. Passed Recommended that survey be conducted. Passed New Video, 2 discontinued, Passed.

42. 42 Just Ask!!! The information is available Other Conference Actions??? 64 th General Service Conference

43. 43 64 th General Service Conference Rocketed into a fourth dimension “We have found much of heaven and we have been rocketed into a fourth dimension of existence of which we had not even dreamed. The great fact is just this, and nothing less: That we have had deep and effective spiritual experiences which have revolutionized our whole attitude toward life, toward our fellows and toward God's universe. The central fact of our lives today is the absolute certainty that our Creator has entered into our hearts and lives in a way which is indeed miraculous. He has commenced to accomplish those things for us which we could never do by ourselves.” - Alcoholics Anonymous, p25

44. 44  Forever a Panel 63 Delegate!  Thank You Area 87 and AA! 64 th General Service Conference

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