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From: Jim S, Alternate DCMC of Suffolk General Service Assembly of Alcoholics Anonymous
Area 49 (SENY )
Panel 67
Date: Aug 12, 2017 10:31 AM
Subject: Some backround 3 Legacies
Fellow trusted servants,
The following is to clarify a current proposal tabled for this month’s August Suffolk general service meeting. I would like to clarify that I wrote The Proposal using the word” Workshops”. In hindsight it would have been better for me to use the term “service events”. In the spirit of that description what comes to mind for instance is the Suffolk County” big meeting” which alternates between Suffolk general service and Suffolk Intergroup Association each year. The other service event that comes to mind which rotates through the for Long Island counties alternatively each year is Long Island spirituality through service (LISTS ). I was privileged to serve as the 2016 lists chair which was hosted by Suffolk County last year. Lists was almost a full day event. The final program was 6 hours start to finish. Historically the big meeting has been less than a four hour event. The big meeting largely directed its effort at the third Legacy of service. Lists begins to touch on all three Legacies but is largely emphasized on the third Legacy with not enough time for a one day event to cover all 36 spiritual principles we have in Alcoholics Anonymous.
I can go a lot deeper with all of this, Though I think you get the message about why I proposed doing three separate events which I previously called workshops covering the three legacies at length. I have attended many events in the spirit of this proposal and participated in a few in the Northeast region. I look forward as the service participation chair and a member of Suffolk general service to bring the great value of what I am learning through applying ( living) the three Legacies in my life today. My sobriety continues to grow through the value of how to apply these 36 spiritual principles to living my life. These Workshop events will bring that value that I have learned.
Suffolk County needs more of these types of events. The current overage we have is providing us a unique opportunity to really bring to life all three sides of the triangle.
I would like to add the following information about the 2016 service event budgets that were hosted in Suffolk County that I mentioned previously:
•Big Meeting : nearly $1,400 ( $1,381.08)
•LISTS : nearly $2,100 ($2079.53)
In closing I would like to say that in comparison with what was proposed for three separate events/ workshops for a six to eight our program with hospitality included at $1,200 each is very realistic if not modest! Additionally, it has been suggested that there is not currently a large enough attendance this time of the year. What I would offer is if we have a quorum we should conduct our business at hand. Bearing in mind that GSR dcems and the like have the right of decision in concept 3. This money has been around for a long time and has been talked about it for way too long. We need to take constructive action to cultivate further participation in service as a whole.
The reality of the geographic size of Suffolk County and the huge task of going out to the group’s to cultivate participation is quite daunting. I believe that we need a shift in the way we are approaching this issue two put on some events like this which will be attractive and bring prospective members to us, And what the value of this is when we work and live all three sides of the triangle…
Love and Service, Peace and Blessings, Jim S
PS : I’ve been closed a couple of readings on this topic of the three Legacies. Please click this link Scan0114.