Service Matters • January 2018

Giving So We All Can Live in the Solution

Our Seventh Tradition states: Every GSA (GreySheeters Anonymous) group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions. What does that mean to us as GreySheet individuals, groups, intergroups and our world-wide community?

It means we value the work that we do in our communities to reach out and support fellow sufferers. It means we contribute to the basket (or zoom/skype PayPal alternative) so that our meetings can continue, that the rent be paid, (or subscription fee for video and phone meetings). This is the minimum required to make sure our groups continue.

But what of the wider fellowship and the world-wide community?

GSA became an organization twenty years ago this April. We have met at World Service Conferences, have become a 501.C.3 organization, and are creating our own literature. While many of us are not as connected to that world-wide organization as the trusted servants who meet regularly as members of the Board of Trustees, Intergroup and GSA reps, it is still our primary purpose to stay abstinent and to help other compulsive eaters to achieve abstinence.

Many are doing service locally by sponsoring, leading meetings, and taking on service positions in their local home groups as treasurer, secretary, and speaker seekers, and this is a wonderful thing. But what of those in outposts who are still in the dark about the resources that are available, such as the GSA phone list and round-ups and retreats?

We in the Communications Committee would like to urge every Greysheeter to look into your heart and think about how you can further support our world-wide community, either by offering service as GSR's (Group Service Representatives), ISR's (Intergroup Service Representatives), or as volunteers working on the conference committees, by giving generously to ensure the successful World Service Conference in 2018, by getting yourselves counted by registering in GreySheet Counts! on the website and by reading Service Matters and becoming more informed.

Here are some suggestions for financial contributions:

1. In 2015, a creative, innovative GreySheeter came up with an idea she called Club 164. The idea was for individual GreySheeters to contribute a monthly sum of $10 to GSAWS (GreySheeters Anonymous World Services) via PayPal. It was a great success, but contributors have dwindled of late. Let's resuscitate Club 164 now! Just donate a small and regular amount (monthly) through PayPal to GSAWS. The address is on the website and you could put your name and Club 164 in the memo to be sure it is counted as such. (Note: 100 GreySheeters contributing $10/month = $1000/month and $12,000 a year.) We have approx. 600 currently on the revamped GSA Phone List.

2. On your GS anniversary, donate $1 for every year of abstinence in gratitude to the program that has given us our lives back!

3. As a group that meets regularly, make sure that your treasurer contributes to the Intergroup and the GSAWS office whether as a regular monthly or quarterly amount, or as a percentage whenever you make a distribution. The percentages should always be set by your own group conscience.

We are small in number compared to AA, but we are mighty!! Let us each take responsibility for the well-being and the future of our fellowship. If you are curious about how GSAWS is spending its money, by all means check out the monthly Treasury Reports under Donations on the web page. Knowledge is power!

Southwest Intergroup (SWIG, formed 2012)

In April 2012, all of the GreySheeters in the SWIG Area (Arkansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas) were asked about forming the Southwest Intergroup. A GreySheeter in Phoenix asked to have Arizona included as there was no Pacific Intergroup yet. In 2014, we were asked if we would include the Southern Serenity meeting (Louisiana and Mississippi) until the SEIG forms. As of October 2015, the SWIG includes Arkansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona, Louisiana, and Mississippi. The first meeting of the SWIG was held May 20, 2012 and we continue to meet monthly since that time.

SWIG Mission Statement - the purpose of the SWIG is to support GreySheeters Anonymous (GSA) groups and outposts (individual members without groups) in attaining and maintaining GreySheet abstinence from compulsive eating and carrying the message to others that GSA offers a solution to this addiction.

Currently the SWIG meets via Zoom monthly to share ideas to strengthen groups and to carry the message to those who still suffer. We distribute the actual printed GreySheet to qualified sponsors in the SWIG according the mandate by GSAWS.  SWIG has participated in the past three GSA World Conferences with our intergroup and group representatives actively working on the GSA WSC committees for Finance, Literature, Structure, Public Information, Conference, and Communication. As part of “carrying the message to those who still suffer”, the SWIG decided to try posting videos on YouTube. The “videos” are audio recordings from individuals in the SWIG with the visuals being some of the GS questions about compulsive eating from “There Is a Solution” brochure moving across the screen. This format was chosen to help people decide for themselves if they are compulsive eaters and if GS might be for them. The YouTube videos are accessible via www.greysheet.org and YouTube or internet search and get between 1300-2000 views monthly.

The Europe Intergroup: Growing from Strength to Strength

From its humble beginnings in 2005, GSA Europe Intergroup now have members from England, Ireland, France, Poland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Slovenia and Slovakia, speaking a mix of 11 European languages.  There are currently 11 meetings to choose from offering a mix of face-to-face, Skype, Zoom and telephone formats.

This Intergroup meets quarterly face-to-face and uses Skype and the telephone to include members who cannot attend in person.  These meetings give GSRs (Group Service Representatives) an opportunity to report on how their groups are running, and also give ISRs (Intergroup Service Representatives) and World Service Delegates an opportunity to update the groups on what is happening at GSA World Services.  Members can ask questions related to service positions, share experience with each other and identify areas that need improving and expanding on.

In addition to receiving 7th tradition donations from its members, the Intergroup hold 2 main events per year to strengthen its ability to be self-supporting and pay for resources to carry the message to the still suffering compulsive eater. The dates for both the 2018 Summer and Autumn events, once confirmed, will be published on greysheet.org.  

Individual groups within the Intergroup, such as the London Group, the Slovakian Group and the Polish Group, hold their own round-ups and pop-up events. 

The Paris Group  schedule of round-ups for 2018:

Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018

Saturday, May 6, 2018

London Round Up is in June so no Paris summer round up:

Saturday, Sept 29, 2018

Saturday, Dec. 1, 2018

We hope to see many of you at these fabulous events.  The London Group are holding their Round-up June 2-3, moved from late March.

Email us at gsaeurope@gmail.com

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