click November_Minutes_2016 for pdf download

Minutes of Suffolk General Service Meeting

Meeting date: November 18, 2016

Opening 

• Moment of silence followed by the responsibility declaration

• Voting procedures explained

• Minutes from last month: Motioned to accept the minutes. Minutes accepted.

• Traditions read by

• A.A. Anniversaries

• Introduction of new GSR’s, DCM’s, and Alternates: 8

• Volunteers for clean-up-2 people-Patricia, Diana, Brian, and Tim

• Greeters for November: Sheila W., Melissa, Anna

• Meeting opened at 8:00pm

• Members in attendance:

Officer’s Reports 

DCMC Report -Geoff alt-dcmc@aasuffolkgs-ny.org

• Our next meeting will be on Friday, December 16, 2016 at 8:00PM at True North Community Church, 1101 Lakeland Ave Bohemia, NY 11716. New GSR Orientation at 7:30 will continue to be every third Friday of the month.

• Unity Breakfast tickets available, see county officers or Unity Chair Joyce. Tickets also available online.

• SENY convention registration.

Alt DCMC – Tom B. alt-dcmc@aasuffolkgs-ny.org (NR-due to tonights group inventory)

• Available to speak on traditions, group inventories and service sponsorship

Treasurer- Tommy C. –

• See treasury report. November treasury report accepted.

• Available for group inventories, speaking on traditions, and service sponsorship

Registrar/Corresponding Secretary- Jane E. registrar@aasuffolkgs-ny.org

(NR-due to tonights group inventory)

• My phone number is >>>>which is not on our website.

  • I am available for tradition meetings, group inventories, and any registrar questions or help.

Suffolk County General Service Inventory to be conducted by Linda.

2016 Suffolk County Inventory

  1. What is the basic purpose of the county meeting?
  • I think we are doing fine

2. What more can the county do to carry the message?

  • Make announcements about what commitments are available
  • Visit other groups who don’t have GSR’s
  • New GSR’s feel confused
  • County can have a group of temporary service sponsors available
  • DCMC and Alt DCMC give more information brought back from SENY
  • Need to have a sound system in church, or new room at the church so that everyone can hear or we need to look for a new location
  • Have group tables to meet at
  • Work on representation for outlining districts.
  • Online meeting

3. Is the group attracting alcoholics from different backgrounds? Are we seeing a good cross-section of our community?

  • DCM’s meet halfway because groups far away from this location are having trouble getting to our location.
  • Ask someone to volunteer to visit groups who don’t have GSR representation.
  • rotating the county meeting

4. Do new G.S.R.s/D.C.M.s stick with us, or does the turnover seem excessive? If so, why? What can we as a county do?

  • Strong leadership, enthusiasm and being informative
  • Service sponsorship

5. Do we emphasize the importance of service sponsorship? How effectively?

  • Need a service sponsorship list
  • Service sponsorship chair
  • Show of hands who is available to be a service sponsor
  • New GSR orientation on the agenda
  • There is a high turnover rate because this is a big commitment
  • Its up to us who have been here to reach out to the new GSRs and help them get a service sponsor.
  • Recognize and honor and be mindful the traditions when speaking
  • Districts should look into groups within their districts and go and visit those groups and see why that group doesn’t have a GSR.

6. Are we careful to preserve the anonymity of our group members and other A.A.’s outside the meeting rooms? Do we also leave the confidences they share at meetings behind?

  • We are doing good on this.

7. Do we take the time to explain to all members the value to the groups of keeping up with the kitchen/housekeeping chores and other essential services that are part-and-parcel of our Twelfth-Step efforts?

  • Can we move the chairs into a circle and set up the room before the meeting
  • The layout of the room at our last meeting space was more interactive, is it possible we can meet in a different room at this location that may be better suited
  • Its up to us to police ourselves and do our commitments
  • The chair to take initiative
  • GSR’s get commitments for a time limit just like the groups do

8. Are all members given the opportunity to speak at meetings and to participate in other county activities?

  • Tables for GSRs to sit at
  • All are encouraged to participate
  • We aren’t always given the opportunity to speak as GSR’s at the meeting

9. Mindful that holding office is a great responsibility not to be viewed as the outcome of a popularity contest, are we choosing our officers with care?

  • Yes we are doing that well.

10. Are we doing all we can to provide an attractive meeting place?

  • No
  • Can we try to get back to the Rocky Point location that we used to be at
  • Search committee to find a new location
  • Old location was more unified, we were all at the same level
  • We were having a committee meeting in the cafe and another group from another fellowship was trying to have a meeting in the same location, need coordination so that we have our own meeting space.

11. Doe the county do its fair share toward participating in the purpose of A.A.- as it relates to our Three Legacies of Recovery, Unity, and Service?

  • Yes

12. What has the group down lately to bring the A.A. message to the attention of professionals in the community-

  • We had a speaker training here and we also sent out a mailing to all the churches and we do a phone call every month.
  • We are doing a good job.
  • The district should adopt the committee.
  • We have too much going on in the county. We have too many duplicated committees. GSR and SIA to work together and communicate.

13. How is the county fulfilling its responsibility to the Seventh Tradition?

  • Very well
  • All committees to be able to give a report
  • Committee chairs can write reports and have it on the table so that everybody can get it

Motion to close

• Meeting closed at 9:12 p.m. with a moment of silence followed by the Lord’s Prayer.