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Newsletter – August 2024

Kia ora koutou

August is Gratitude Month!

Conference believes it is important to reach the alcoholic of today and tomorrow through our digital presence.
We would like to give our website a boost to enhance users’ digital experience.
We also want to boost our social media presence and raise awareness of AA through the likes of YouTube, TikTok, and WhatsApp.
We will need to engage expert professional help so the money raised through Gratitude Month this year will enable us to get the professional help we need.
We encourage you to contribute generously to help us reach the alcoholic who is suffering or yet to pick up their first drink.
How to contribute:
 Organise a special collection within your group during the month of August

  • Click here to donate directly online through the A.A. website
  • Via internet banking:

Account Name: New Zealand General Service Office
Account Number: 06-0501-0236572-07
Reference: Gratitude
Particulars: Group Name

Survey Update
As some of you may recall, the last full AA membership survey was done in 2004, 20 years ago.
At the April Conference, your delegates brought the wishes of the fellowship and voted to go ahead with a survey starting this year to see what has changed.
This subcommittee of your fellow Alcoholics Anonymous members representing Northern, Central and Southern areas has now been formed and we have begun working on a proposal to be presented at the upcoming October conference, to which your delegates will attend and then report back to the fellowship.
The process of building this survey will follow and take into account the 12 Concepts, 12 Principles, 12 Traditions and we are excited to have the support of the fellowship going forward.
We will keep you informed of progress and let you know when we will need your help.
We would love to hear from you if you are willing to help or have any suggestions.
[email protected]

Te Reo Book Covers 
Most of you will be aware that the Conference and the New Zealand General Service Board of Alcoholics Anonymous have been undertaking our respective duties regarding the Te Reo Māori translation of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous.
We are pleased to advise that the Te Reo translation process is going along as expected. We will provide further updates about its progress in due course.
In recent times, you may be aware of a vote circulating for the choice of one of three cover designs of the yet-to-be-completed Te Reo Māori translation.
The current discussion on the covers has left the Conference and the Area Delegates not driving the process, rather individual members have been asked to provide their feedback directly to the Board and then to the Conference.
The correct process is that the design of the Te Reo Māori Big Book cover (and the mihi / forward to the te reo Māori translation) needs to be discussed further by Conference in October 2024. At this Conference, there will be a discussion with all the Delegates regarding the process the Fellowship wishes to undertake on consultation of the covers and the mihi / forward. Once a process is agreed, consultation is expected to be undertaken between October 2024 and April 2025 Conferences before any decision is progressed on the choice of covers. This enables Delegates to fulfil their obligation as trusted servants to take direction from the fellowship they represent at Conference.
If you have any questions, please follow up with your respective groups’ representatives, who can, if appropriate, take that further to your Area Assembly and delegates.

Literature Review Sub-committee
We have established a literature review subcommittee whose job is to go through all the literature we hold at GSO and ensure it is still fit for purpose and meets the fellowship’s needs. We’re expecting the subcommittee to be in place for about a year. We look forward to making sure our literature meets the needs of Kiwi AA members.

Big Book and Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Sale
GSO still has special pricing on Big Books ($20) and Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions ($15) while stocks last. The special price relates to the hard-cover Big Book with printed jacket only and the hard-cover 12×12. Delivery is also free at present, so there has never been a better time to buy and help carry the message to the still suffering Alcoholic.

National Convention 2025
The 62nd annual Convention of Alcoholics Anonymous New Zealand will be run from 17-19 January 2025 at the Copthorne Hotel & Resort in Waitangi, Bay of Islands. The theme of the Convention is Acceptance is the Answer.
Registration fee is $100 for the weekend (early bird $85 available until 1 January 2025), or Saturday only $70. Registrations are now open, and special accommodation pricing is available from the venue to members attending – contact [email protected] to register or for event information. Information is also available on our Events page: http://aa.org.nz/events/

Help Email
The Help email service continues to receive and to reply to a plethora of various requests.
There are three co-ordinators who share the responsibility of checking all emails in and replying as appropriate to the various requests.
They have a list of “volunteers” throughout the country.  In appropriate circumstances (commonly newcomers) they offer to have a member of the fellowship telephone correspondents if they agree and provide a telephone number.
12th step volunteers are requested for those available to call newcomers in their areas.
If your name is on the list and a person in your area emails with their number, our Help Email Co-ordinators will text you with their details.
We particularly need people from the following areas:

  • Gisborne
  • Greymouth
  • Palmerston North
  • Rangiora or wider North Canterbury
  • Wanganui
  • Westport

Volunteers from other areas also welcome as always.
If you would like to volunteer, please email your name, location, and home group if applicable, to Help Email address – [email protected]

Board Vacancies
The Board has two vacancies:

  • Class A Board Member (non-AA) Can have media experience, but not necessary
  • Class B Board Member (Media) – AA member with ten years of sobriety. Can have media experience, but not necessary

While media experience is needed on the board presently, we will always need a range of professional expertise. We are keen to hear from you if you consider applying for the board.
Applications and information can be found here:  http://aa.org.nz/members/service/

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