Message from your Area 29 Delegate

Welcome to Area 29 Maryland General Service Panel 74. I’m excited to represent Maryland General Service at this year’s General Service Conference. Our theme for this conference is Connecting with Love, Unity and Service, which beckons us to a profound exploration of our commitment to Alcoholics Anonymous. From my experience serving at the various levels of the inverted triangle here in Area 29, I have witnessed the love and dedication in which our members provide back to the area services which facilitate our 12th step work. As we go forward in panel 74, I encourage you all to continue our legacy of bringing our members, in Area 29, the information and resources they need to conduct our life saving mission. And importantly in that work, that we strive to bring more groups and their GSRs and districts into service. We are at an important junction in Alcoholics Anonymous, with the forthcoming publication of the 5th edition of our Big Book, and the soon-to-be-released translation of the Big Book into Plain and Simple Language. As your delegate and as a member of the conference literature committee, I have been placed in a unique position to participate in the oversight of these publications. I take this opportunity very seriously as I know our members have a keen interest in the writings of our founders and the vital importance these words bring to the lifesaving message of Alcoholics Anonymous and those who need this message. There perhaps is nothing more important to our fellowship than our tradition of carrying the message. So, it is with that, that I ask you to continue our legacy of an informed and effective assembly of trusted servants and help our members share their voices, experience and hope for these services as we make decisions which will impact the mission and very definition of Alcoholics Anonymous going forward.

Yours in Service,

Terry P.

Area 29, Panel 74

Literature Conference Committee

Responsibilities:

  • Attends the annual General Service Conference in April of each year and reports back to the Fellowship at the next Area Assembly and Area Convention, the highlights and significant results of the Conference. As requested, presents this report to A.A. groups throughout the Maryland General Service area
  • Attends the Area Assembly and Area Committee meetings, updating those bodies with information and news received from throughout the Fellowship
  • Continually informs and works closely with the Alternate Delegate to insure a smooth transition in the event that it may become necessary for the Alternate Delegate to assume the Delegate’s responsibilities
  • Makes the semi-annual group contribution reports, provided by the General Service Office, available to the Area Assembly
  • Responds to anonymity breaks in Area 29
  • Responds to requests from the General Service Office regarding the Confidential Directory
  • Prepares the annual Delegate’s budget request to be submitted to the Finance Committee in the fall of each year and is prepared with supporting documentation to answer any questions which may be asked during the budget approval process
  • May attend service functions or events as listed on page 54 of this Handbook and request reimbursement as provided in the Area 29 Budget for this service position and approved by the Area Assembly each year
  • Calls a meeting of Past Delegates in February to select items from the General Service Conference Agenda to create a Modified Agenda for CARC
  • Attends Area 29 Conference Agenda Review Committee (“CARC”) meetings and the Area 29 Mini Conference
  • Is encouraged to write and submit service-related articles for the quarterly Maryland General Service Newsletter, the MARGENSER
  • As requested, attends group, Intergroup, District or other Area A.A. events to share information and knowledge of the A.A. fellowship
  • Informs GSO of the names and addresses of newly elected Area officers
  • Provides copies of Group Change forms received from GSO to the Area Registrar to update Area records

Reprinted from Area 29 Area Assembly Handbook, January 2019, P. 24.

For further information contact the Area 29 Delegate, delegate@marylandaa.org.

Message from the Area 29 Delegate

Does your home group have a General Service Representative (GSR)?
Do you attend any groups that don’t?
Please take them a copy of this circular and ask them to participate with a voice in the group conscience of A.A. as a whole.

“To be vital, faith must be accompanied by self-sacrifice and unselfish, constructive action.”
– Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 93

Some of these documents contain links that will open webpages outside the Area 29, Maryland General Service website. These links do not constitute or indicate review, endorsement or approval. We have provided these links as a service to our members.

Other Resources

Delegate’s Reports – Panel 74

Delegate’s Reports – Panel 72

Delegate’s Reports – Panel 70

Miscellaneous Panel 70

Delegate’s Reports – Panel 68

Delegate’s Reports – Panel 66