WESTERN NEW YORK REGIONAL SERVICE
COMMITTEE/RD REPORT
September 15, 2001

On August 30-Spetember 2, 2001, Freddy and I attended the World Service Meeting in Vienna, Virginia. Many projects were discussed…

Major World Service Meeting Highlights:

-The Worldwide Workshop System is off to an exciting start. 5 workshops will be held throughout the world between now and 2002. The first workshop was held in British Columbia, June 29 - July 1, 2001. The purpose of the workshops are to facilitate communication between world services and the local fellowship in non-conference years.

-Trial posting of literature on www.na.org This is an experiment and is somewhat controversial to some folks. Currently being posted: IP#1, 6, 7, 16 & 22…also "For Those in Treatment" and "NA: A Resource in Your Community". They are in a PDF format and regional websites can post the link.

-Financials: Good year but not great…some disturbing trends surfacing.
$6.5 million-income
$5.9 million-expenses
$650,000-net profit
$886,000-reserve
5% price increase had an effect but sales are up only slightly. $613,000 in donations, a 1% increase-trend had been 5% increase yearly. There is a concern with the lack of donations.

-Demographic study in the works to determine how people get to their first meeting.

-World Service Conference will be held 4/28-5/4/02-one delegate per region will be fully funded.

-Conference Agenda Report (CAR) will be out by 11/29/01. It will contain an extensive literature report (more on this later) but no motions pertaining to literature. Very few regional motions have been received.

-Human Resource Panel (HRP)/World Pool - Application can be found at www.na.org. Many World Pool members are being asked to help on projects.

-New Bulletin to be created: Court cards/slips are a growing issue affecting NA-many phonecalls are received about this topic. This is a consequence of Drug Courts and new approaches to drug laws. In1998, there were only 100 Drug Courts, today, there are 800. We held a very stimulating group problem solving discussion on this issue.

--Literature/Basic Text & LWB Evaluation:
-Motion #3 in the 2000 CAR-Sponsorship material
-The Fellowship was clear-we wanted something on sponsorship
-New Book to be created on sponsorship, volumes of information received-project proposal to be submitted at the WSC 2002
-New IP to be created from the new book
-Standard development process to be used; committee with staff team approach
-Local literature committees need to mobilize!! They will receive detailed outline (stage one) and must comment within 30-45 days. The balance of the book will sent to those who completed stage one.
-"The Plan to Plan" 2001-2004-need to figure out how to evaluate the BT and LWB-major undertaking-single largest project in history!!
-It takes 2/3 of the WSC to revise the BT but less than 2/3 voted in favor…do we really want to change the BT???
-Motion #4 in the 2000 CAR: Affirm the direction of the literature plan which includes: Internet & the 11th Tradition (being worked on by the guardians),evaluation of BT, creation of publications committee and new sponsorship material
-Tools to evaluate the BT will be developed by the WSC 2002
-Survey will be sent to all registered groups, areas & regions/will be used at the World Convention
-Goal: Fellowship unity
Philosophical Questions
-Is it more important to develop new literature or to revise the BT?
-How will this be accomplished?
-What is the purpose of our literature?
-Who do we write our literature for?
-Cannot work on both the new sponsorship book & evaluation of the BT at the same time

-Issue Discussion Topics -
Our region has already held a workshop on one topic: "How can we continue to provide services to our fellowship and at the same time decrease our reliance on funds from events and conventions?" Today we will hold another workshop on this topic: "How can we create a bridge that builds and maintains a connection to service for home group members?"

RD/RCM Meeting-August 18, 2001
Attendance: Tracy-RD/Freddy-RD Alternate

NO ONE SHOWED UP!!!

NEZF
The next NEZF will be in Cleveland, Ohio--January 4-6, 2002. Guidelines will once again be discussed as well as the following scintillating topic J Regional & Area Implementation of the Guide To Local Service. PLEASE PROVIDE INPUT!!! We should also conduct a workshop…I was also elected as the new Vice Chair!

The Issue Discussion Topic at the last NEZF-Improving Communications-generated a lot of positive ideas, including:

· Online meeting directories
· Meeting list coordinated between regions in the same state/neighboring regions
· 800 numbers
· Fliers sent out to groups seeking input
· Simple guidelines for business meetings
· Multiple copies of reports given to RCMs
· Multi-regional learning days
· Personal contact between region and areas
· Continuity of service positions
· Fun Days/NA Jeopardy
· Put a face on service people/work
· Surveys/Inventories
· Interaction/Personal Touch
· Open House
· Committees are required to bring one new person to each meeting
· Have GSRs present talk to those not present
· Regional Inventory
· H&I should explain service work more during their in-house presentations
· Use color, eye catching fliers

I've re-printed the above list to stimulate discussion!!!

WNYRCNA
The Convention has reserved 3 workshops for regional/service topics. At this point PI has requested to use one workshop and there are two left. I will unfortunately be unable to attend the Convention for the first time ever as I will be in New Mexico for a work conference. We need to discuss this today!!!

Other Ideas

-Annual Report to our groups
--Events calendar

E-Mail Distribution List

Please forward any e-mails that you receive from our region (minutes etc.) to interested parties. Please also provide me with any e-mail addresses so that I can begin to develop an e-mail newsletter. FYI, my new e-mail (which I did send around to everyone but here it is again) is tracyd@mybizz.net