Update 26/05/2020

Guidelines for level 2 with groups of up to 100

Yesterday the government announced that groups of up to 100 can gather. This means groups will be able to work towards meeting again from Friday lunchtime.

Here are some suggestions that you may want to discuss with your conscience group. While you’re at perfect liberty to handle this matter any way you please we have compiled some thought starters to help those groups who may be looking for guidance.

We ask that you please email us with any changes so we can update the website. This should include start dates if physical meetings and commencing again. website@aa.org.nz

All the latest information on Covid-19 from the Ministry of Health can be found here.

Meeting venues

All groups will need to adhere to any requirements that the venue may have regarding cleaning and social distancing. We suggest you talk to the venue to find out what they will require from the group.

Contract tracing

Each group should decide their course around contract tracing via an informed group conscience, with the spirit of all of our Traditions in mind.

Vulnerable members and groups continuing to meet online

Groups may want to consider having a combined physical and zoom meeting to enable those still vulnerable in level 2 to attend their regular meetings. Other groups may wish to continue online.

Update 12/05/2020

After yesterdays announcement there may be some confusion about if groups can meet again from Thursday. We would suggest that groups meet and discuss the following

1) Is the groups venue open under level 2

2) If so then what is the venues criteria for using the space?

3) Is there an option of running a combined virtual and physical meeting?

4) Can the group meet at a different venue (split venues if more than 10)?

5) Does the group want to continue on zoom until the numbers who can gather increase?

We would suggest the groups also discuss how best to serve the newcomer and are the vulnerable people in the group being incorporated somehow?

Previous covid-19 updates are available here.

Coronavirus

Given the news around the Coronavirus, we are sharing some information which you may find useful. As of now New Zealand has only one confirmed case  of 2019-nCoV in  New Zealand, but the Ministry of Health are advising precautions for the general public to take which we’ve included here.

What does it mean for A.A.?

The board met on Monday night to discuss the possible impact of 2019-nCoV on A.A. While the risk to our fellowship is currently low we have taken the steps below;

• Tasked our World Service Delegates to liaise with other countries and gather thoughts and suggestions.
• Formed a subcommittee to look at alternative ways to meet should this be required.
• Monitoring the Ministry of Health website daily.

What does it mean for your A.A group?

As each A.A group is autonomous it is up to each group to decide on how it will deal with 2019-nCoV. We would like to suggest that the Ministry of Health Guidelines around prevention is adequate for now.

If you have any concerns please don’t hesitate to email us on nzgso@aa.org.nz

Fellowship Support For Mainstay

Mainstay has been a valued part of A.A. since its inception in June 1955 and was given by its founders to the AA membership to manage in 1964. It has been our meeting in print all those years but in recent times subscription rates have been falling and with the approval of the November Conference your Board has set up a sub-committee to try and revitalise interest in Mainstay.

We have made the changes we needed at the magazine and Board end and we now need the support of the membership of A.A. to ensure we have not only a financially viable magazine but one that is an asset to our fellowship in carrying the message of A.A. For that we are all responsible and the assistance  we need from the fellowship is;

• Less than 25{9c341533a9a7e8ea90ae7f26ba9f634d1806e5e8314d3a4109a04d5c6e928e02} of registered A.A. Groups subscribe to Mainstay. Please at your next group conscience discuss subscribing to one or two Mainstays.
• Some groups, Intergroups or District Committees have also sponsored subscriptions into Prisons, Treatment Centres etc. It is 12^th Step work which can be done at local level.
• Individual subscriptions are also important with a printed subscription available and a new option of an electronic version at a reduced cost now an option. Will you become a subscriber? Go to our website and subscribe! Go to org.nz and click on the shop tab (top right hand side) and see the subscription options listed on left hand side below book selections.
• We also need letters sharing our recovery stories. We will suggest topics but any letters on a recovery subject dear to your heart are welcome. Please discuss with others as well and see if your groups can organise a flow of letters. This is 12^th step work which reaches a large audience. We now have a dedicated site for letters which is mainstay@aa.org.nz and the previous 600 word limit is dropped.
• Any other content suggestions are welcome and also we want your feedback as each issue comes out and a website for this has been set up. Email feedbackmainstay@aa.org.nz

Annual subscriptions run from April each year with six magazines produced every even calendar month. A printed copy mailed is $36 and an electronic version available to download via an emailed link is $24. New subscription outside the 12 month period April 2020 to March 2021 have a pro rata cost according to the number of issues left for the subscription year.

Yours In Service

Mainstay Sub Committee

NZ General Service Conference

Click here to read the New Zealand Service Manual

Freight charges for Literature

Following GSO’s recent review of freight charges, which have steadily increased in recent years, we realise that we are not covering our costs when sending out small packages.
At its meeting in April, Conference agreed the following:
For orders under $100, a charge of $7 will be added toward shipping costs.
For orders over $100, shipping will remain free of charge.