AREA 63 Conference and Assembly - Area 63 Alcoholics Anonymous

65 Pages·2013·1.85 MB·English

by  Anne Fines

AREA 63 Conference
and Assembly
“How To Guide”
Area 63 Conference and Assembly
“How-to Guide”

Table of Contents:
Introduction – Page 2
Area Conferences-Overview -3
Area and District Roles and Responsibilities- 4
Suggested Process for Submitting a Bid Proposal -5
Conference Bid Schedule -5
Proposed Bid Form-6
Considerations When Submitting a Bid-7
What To Do Now You Have the Bid -8
Before Signing A Legal Contract With the Facility -11
Spring and Fall Conference Checking Accounts-Process of Transferring Accounts to New
Committees -13
Al-Anon Family Group Participation in the Conference-14
Sample Conference Schedule-16
Self-Support-17
Format for Conference Speaker Meetings-17

CPC Luncheon-18

Winter Assembly-19
Summer Assembly-20

Soliciting Agenda Items from the Fellowship-
Flow Chart of an Area 63 Agenda Item-21

Attachments:
Sample Conference Budget-23
Sample Conference Income Statement-24
Conference Committee Job Descriptions Samples-25
Sample Speaker Letters-35
Sample Host Letter-37
Speaker Meeting Format Book-39
Birthday Countdown-53
Sample Flyers-Agendas-55
Past Conferences –Attendees; Profit and Loss-58
GSO Guidelines on Conferences-59
INTRODUCTION

The primary purpose of this Guidebook is to provide information from past Alcoholics
Anonymous and especially Area 63 experience to assist in preparing for current and future Area
63 assemblies. This Guidebook is designed to be revised and supplemented to stay up-to-date
with needs of the fellowship.

Fundamentals: Chapter Four of The A.A. Service Manual titled “The Area Assembly and
Activities” states “The area assembly is the mainspring of the Conference structure-the
democratic voice of the movement expressing itself”.

The A.A. Service Manual emphasizes that “The area assembly is a vital part of the
communication process from the group to the (General Service) Conference. Many Conference
agenda items follow a path from the A.A. group through the G.S.R. and on through district and
area. And after the Conference, assemblies and district meetings are occasions for hearing full
reports on what took place at the Conference, for asking questions of the delegate, and for
deciding what may need attention at future Conferences.

Further, the Service Manual states that “Conventions are a special type of A.A. meeting-usually
weekend affairs, but sometimes extending several days. See the A.A. Guidelines on Conferences
and Conventions in the attachments.

Area 63 Assembly Structure: In the past several years, Area 63 has typically held four annual
assemblies: a spring and fall conference including an Area 63 business assembly AND speakers
and other activities, and the summer and winter assemblies primarily focused on area business.
The purpose of all Area 63 Assemblies is to:

● Provide a way for Area 63 service work to be conducted in a consistent and regular way, and

● Carry the AA message.

All Area 63 Assemblies are the responsibility of the Area and are facilitated by elected Area
Officers. However, the Area may share and delegate responsibilities with the Districts (see
Roles and Responsibilities for Conferences on the next page as an example of shared
responsibility.

AREA CONFERENCES

Overview: Throughout Area 63 history, various assembly scheduling has been tried all with the
purpose of facilitating state-wide participation, self-support, compatibility with the General
Service Conference schedule, and over-all effectiveness in carrying the message and conducting
Area business.

November, 2013 Rev. Area 63 Conference and Assembly How to Guide Page 2
Spring Conference: The Area Spring Conference is currently being held in April, May, or June
and includes a business assembly meeting to discuss General Service Conference items.
Additionally, Area Committees meet to continue their work and new and old business items are
voted on by the entire assembly. Motions made at the Winter Assembly that are forwarded to the
Districts and Groups for approval or disapproval are voted on a final time during the Conference
business meeting.

Duration: Typically begins Friday afternoon and ends Sunday noon.

Hosted by: A district chosen by the Area
Facility: Chosen when the bid is accepted.
Business Agenda Items:

1. Delegate’s report

2. Committee sessions. This includes discussion of General Service Conference Agenda items if
the Conference is scheduled prior to the GSC and if the Winter Assembly did not include GSC
Agenda discussions.

3. Vote on other items that were listed on agenda

Fall Conference: The Area Fall Conference is typically held in September or early October,
hosted by a district. The conference includes a business assembly meeting. Committees continue
their work. Motions made at the Summer Assembly that are forwarded to the Districts and
Groups for approval or disapproval are voted on a final time during the Conference business
meeting (including the proposed budget for the following year.) In addition, every other year,
Area 63 holds elections for a new slate of officers, including Delegate, Chairperson, Treasurer,
Secretary and committee chairpersons.

Duration: Typically begins Friday afternoon and ends Sunday noon.

Hosted by: A district chosen by the Area
Facility: Chosen when the bid is accepted.
Business Agenda Items:

1. Delegates Report
2. Committee meetings
3. Vote on items that were listed on agenda
4. Approve budget for coming year
5. Elect Officers (every two years)

November, 2013 Rev. Area 63 Conference and Assembly How to Guide Page 3
Area and District Conference Roles and Responsibilities

Area 63 District District Selected Conference
Committee (Beneficial if some
members have experience with
other conferences)
Determine policy and general Select Conference Committee Responsible for day-to-day
procedures-Area 63 is the final (utilizing the spirit of rotation work to host the conference
authority and holds final as appropriate)
responsibility for the Over-all responsibility for
Conferences Conference
Facilitate good Facilitate good Facilitate good
communication among all communication among all communication among all
persons involved persons involved persons involved
Area Officers mentor District members with
committee members: Chair to conference experience mentor
chair, Treasurer to Treasurer, Committee members
and keep the Delegate “in the
loop”.
Prepare and submit bid
Report to the District at
District monthly meetings
Report to Area 63 at
Assemblies
and as requested
Host Committee Meetings and
Notify Area and District
Officers of meetings as
needed
Area Treasurer manages Over-all responsibility for Day-to-day responsibility for
accounts, assists with financial oversight-Accepts financial planning and
signature card changes, and loan from Area 63 if needed implementation
provides on-line access to
responsible persons
Signature on checks (Area Signature on checks
Treasurer) (Committee Treasurer

Complete all tasks to host the
conference
Finalize financial accounting
and report to District and Area
Follow-up by Area Officers Store records and documents Debrief and make
related to the Conference for recommendations for future
future reference conference committees
November, 2013 Rev. Area 63 Conference and Assembly How to Guide Page 4
Suggested Process for Submitting a Bid Proposal For Area Conferences

1. Obtain District approval to Host an Area Conference. Involve the District
throughout.

2. Form a District Bid Committee including the DCM and other persons with
past experience and gather information for the bid.

3. Contact hotels for price quotes and room availability
Contact hotels in the Area for conference room size and availability for
date in the needed time frame. Keep in mind the number of rooms needed
for speaker meetings/ AA & Al-anon Business meetings, AA Meetings and
Hospitability Rooms.

4. Create proposed bid to submit to Area 63 -See attached form.

5. Present bid to Area 63 at an area workshop two years before the Conference
(if possible).

Bid Schedule

Winter Assembly Spring Conference Summer Assembly Fall Conference

Vote on Vote on
Submit Bid Spring Conf. 2016 Submit Bid Fall Conf. 2016
2014 Spring Conf. 2016 Fall Conf. 2016
Vote on Vote on
Submit Bid Spring Conf. 2017 Submit Bid Fall Conf. 2017
2015 Spring Conf. 2017 Fall Conf. 2017
Vote on Vote on
Submit Bid Spring Conf. 2018 Submit Bid Fall Conf. 2018
2016 Spring Conf. 2018 Fall Conf. 2018
Submit Bid Vote on Submit Bid Vote on
2017 Spring Conf. 2019 Spring Conf. 2019 Fall Conf. 2019 Fall Conf. 2019
Submit Bid Vote on Submit Bid Vote on
2018 Spring Conf. 2020 Spring Conf. 2020 Fall Conf. 2020 Fall Conf. 2019

November, 2013 Rev. Area 63 Conference and Assembly How to Guide Page 5
Bid Form

District ___ Bid for the Area 63 ______ Fall/Spring Conference

We are sub mitting a bid for the ____ Fall/Spring C onference.
The following are the projected Income and Expenses for this Conference.
Date:
Place:

INCOME:
# Anticipated X
Pre-Registration $$ $ -
# Anticipated X
Registration $$ $ -
(see attached past attendance)
Other $ -
$ -
$ -
Total $ -

EXPENSE S:
Facility & furnishings $ -
Speakers (travel, room, meals) $ -
Taper $ -
Entertainment Expense $ -
Coffee $ -
Flyers/Mailing $ -
Hospitality Room $ -
Banner $ -
Name Tags/Signage $ -
Miscellaneous $ -
Total $ -

Proposed Net

Break Even at # of Registrations

November, 2013 Rev. Area 63 Conference and Assembly How to Guide Page 6
Considerations When Submitting Bids
EXPENSES:
Negotiating Motel:
Contact hotels in the Area for conference room size and availability for dates in the needed time
frame. Keep in mind the number of rooms needed for speaker meetings and A.A. and Al-Anon
Business Meetings and hospitality rooms. Also remember the need for speaker and registered
guest rooms, and ample room for registration and literature sales.
Speakers:
Keep in mind the cost of travel, room expense, meals, gifts and flowers.
Entertainment:
Compare the cost of Disc Jockey to Live Band - one night or two.
*Coffee:
Discuss with your hotel what options are available for serving coffee - hotel supply or if they
would allow the conference committee to supply. If committee supplies coffee, the chance of
profit seems larger than if the hotel supplies. Also, you need to discuss the pricing options.
Flyers and Mailings: Consider including flyer in Area 63 mailing of minutes and posting on the
Area 63 web site to decrease costs.
*Miscellaneous:
Discuss whether it is feasible to purchase coffee cups for sale and how many are needed. Also
discuss if you would like to sell other items such as T-shirts, hats, pins, etc. (Many conferences
lose money on these kind of items). How many signs for meetings and activities are needed as
well as the cost for the Banner? What are Hospitality room charges for food and beverages?
Will the hotel let the Hospitality Room sell or serve coffee?
Taping:
Contact various taping companies and negotiate the expenses involved. Be sure to tell them how
many meetings they will need to tape.
Dicobe Taping – Omaha, NE (402-291-3381)
Gopher State Taping – St. Louis Park, MN (952-927-0050)
*Raffle: (optional- may be a time and money waster).
Discuss which type of raffle whether you want to do prizes or 50-50 cash. The cost would be for
tickets and prizes - this should also be considered when doing the revenue projections.
REVENUE:
Registration:
Base your bid on the pre-registration prices for a breakeven margin.
Ticket Price Computations
A. Total Expenses $
Divided by:
Estimate of people who will register
Equals:
B. Your Break Even Point
(Number of people)
C. Add amount for a safe margin $
D. YOUR TICKET PRICE $ * Both Revenue and Expense Items are shown with asterisks

November, 2013 Rev. Area 63 Conference and Assembly How to Guide Page 7
What to Do Now That You Have The Bid

The Spring Conference bid will be accepted at the Winter Assembly two years prior to
the Conference (preferred timing). The Fall Conference bid will be accepted at the
Summer Assembly two years prior to the Conference (preferred timing).

This timing will enhance the opportunity to find a quality facility, provide a wider variety
of available speakers, and give the host committee adequate time to complete work
necessary. Host committees from several previous conferences have listed a number of
tasks that they suggest need to be completed:
Priorities to be Task: Responsible:
completed
early (at least 1 ½
years prior to the
Conference.)
Elect Conference Chair and Treasurer (at District Host District
elections or separately, depending on timing.
Recruit core Conference Committee including Al-
Anon representatives-suggested core members Host Committee
include at a minimum, alternative conference
chair, secretary, speaker chair, publicity chair,
and registration chair. Involve District meetings
and home groups. Involve Al-Anon
representative in all decisions affecting their
groups, including the room used for their business
meeting.
Find chairs from previous conferences or Area Conference
Officers to serve as “mentors” to current Chair
committee people.
Join the Area Committee-Admissions, Policy, and Conference
Agenda and attend quarterly committee meetings chair at a
as one means of connecting with people who minimum
have Conference experience.
Speaker chair can work with others to review Speaker chair
possible speaker tapes.
Recommendations for speakers to be brought to Speaker chair
the Host Committee for decisions. Contact
speakers for initial commitment.
Conference Committee begins meetings. Conference
Select committee chairs. Committee with
Involve past or present area officers if possible. leadership by
Hand out job descriptions as new members are Conference
recruited to the committee. Chair
Develop initial flyer with dates, town, and if
possible facilities information; disseminate at
November, 2013 Rev. Area 63 Conference and Assembly How to Guide Page 8
Assemblies. (Use first names and PO Boxes for
contact information to maintain anonymity.)
Post flyer on area web site.
Within a year of the Hold Committee meetings with Treasurer and Conference
Conference or before Committee Reports monthly or less as needed in Chair
the beginning.
Inform Area Officers of any problems throughout
the process.
Access Area 63 Conference Bank account as soon Conference
as available (add signatures/other). Treasurer
Select theme (typically a selection from the Big Committee
Book or 12 x 12).
Negotiate details of written contract with Conference
conference center with Area Chair and Treasurer Chair
review and input; sign after extensive review.
Establish detailed budget for implementation Conf. Treasurer
(more than the bid information). Utilize expertise - approval by
from Conference Treasurers or others with full committee
experience.
Obtain letter of confirmation or contract with Speaker Chair
speakers; (see samples in attachments) book
flights as early as possible with speaker input and
with an opportunity to cancel if emergencies
arise. Consider utilizing a travel agency.
Obtain taping company with contract. Speaker Chair
Identify possible entertainment (DJ, Band, Entertainment
games) and work with Conference Committee to Chair
choose.
Sign contract for entertainment if appropriate and Committee
affordable (Band/DJ/other). Chair/Treasurer
Find hosts for speakers, hosts to contact speakers Speaker Chair
re: flight and lodging information /other. (See
sample host letter in attachments.)
AA and Al-Anon Agenda submitted to respective Conference
Area Officers; and finalized. Chair
Develop detailed flyer with registration form, Public
motel information, disseminate, accept Information
registrations. Flyer policy is to maintain Chair &
anonymity when including contact information. Registration
For example, use first names and use PO box Chair
instead of home addresses. Work with Area web
manager to be able to utilize Pay Pal for
registration and to post final flyer.
Order coffee cups or items for sale if appropriate Conference
(this may not be cost-effective ) Treasurer
November, 2013 Rev. Area 63 Conference and Assembly How to Guide Page 9