Service Matters • November 2019
November Theme: Thank You, GreySheet!!
Focus on Giving Back to this Life-Giving Solution
When was the last time you thought about what it means to tell someone you’re abstinent and grateful? It is often the replacement response for “Fine, Thank you!” when a fellow GreySheeter asks, “How are you?” on a phone call or at a meeting.
‘Abstinent and grateful’ can be true regardless of the kind of day we’re having, or the news we’ve just listened to, or the report from the doctor on test results we just received. No matter what is going on in our world, we know we can honestly say, “Abstinent and Grateful.”
In this issue, we are going to highlight some of the ways we can say ‘Thank You’ for the blessings of this program in order to carry the message and support our own abstinence. We dedicate the November 2019 issue of Service Matters to the two main ways we can Give back: with our time and with our money.
Here are some bullet points to help us zero in on the ways we may already be giving back, and also some new ways we haven’t considered yet.
How Can I Give Back to GreySheeters Anonymous? Let me count the ways!!
Take a look at this chart and see which of these you already do or have done, which you’d like to do, and which you’d like more information about. Contact us at communication@greysheet.org
| Levels of Service | Giving of Time | Giving of Money |
| Individual | Sponsoring Phone Calls Subscribe to and read Service Matters Include listing on Phone List Include name as Contact on website Start a new F2F or Zoom mtg Offer to take a newcomer food shopping Post on GreyNet weekly or monthly |
Contribute to 7th Tradition at meetings Anniversary donation ($1 per year of abstinence) to World Services |
| Group | Moderator on Phone bridge or zoom meeting Treasurer for my group Serve as GSR Qualifying Speaker seeker/booker Read Service Matters at business meetings Qualify at meeting Lead step groups (AWOL, etc) Order literature for group Secretary (Open room, set up, cleaning, etc) Keep phone/contact list Liaison to facility for annual room reservation Greeter Keep track of GS anniversaries, order medallions/chips Be contact for your group, answer emails and calls to GSers traveling in your area to help them find a meeting or connect them with GSers if no meeting (for coffee, etc.) |
Support GSR to attend World Service Conference and represent our group Donate annually $1 for the number of years that GSA has been in existence. Support Intergroup so ISR can attend World Service Conference Support World Services so literature can be published, website revamped, nonprofit status can be continued, conference held regularly, and legal fees paid. |
| Intergroup | Attend meetings of Intergroup Send out email/FB invitations to monthly IG meetings Consider ways to support local groups Have name as contact on website Help organize retreats, roundups and gatherings in your area Coordinate IG Zoom meetings Start an IG FB Secret Group Serve as IG Service Representative (ISR) IG Secretary IG Treasurer |
Support ISR’s expenses at World Service Conference Contribute to WSC regularly to support operations of GSAWS and the needs of Committees |
| GSA World Services | Serve on one of the Committees that meet monthly: Literature, Finance, Conference, Communications, Public Information, Structure, Nominating, Archives or Website Serve as a trustee or officer on the Board of Trustees Serve as a liaison to an Intergroup Attend World Service Conference |
Pay annual fees to keep 501c3 nonprofit status current Pay for publishing of literature and brochures Pay expenses of BOT members and parliamentarian to attend WSC Pay costs associated with Website Pay legal expenses re copyright infringements |
November 2019 - Monthly Board of Trustees Column
Lee T., Assistant Secretary, Board of Trustees
First Town Hall with the new Board of Trustees
The new Board of Trustees of GreySheeters Anonymous World Service held their first Town Hall on Sunday October 27th at 10 ET on Zoom. We were all delighted to celebrate Rose’s seven-year GreySheet anniversary and recognize five people counting days at the meeting. Audio recording of the Town Hall: https://zoom.us/recording/play/QVuZ8I5j9lV85XTgZxk0w1uX-SuITgXMGTAiCLP4XfSba0lAxv5_KlwXgyBtyadT
Worldwide Participation
At least 44 GreySheeters attended including six trustees, four Intergroup Service Representatives (CT, MW, SW, NYM), and 13 Group Service Representatives from the Connecticut, European, New York Metro, Phone Bridge, SouthWest, and Western States Intergroups. Participants included members of the GreySheet Committee, the Communications, Conference, Finance, Literature, Nominating, Public Information, Structure, and Website Committees. GreySheeters represented six countries – Canada, England, Ireland, Israel, Spain, and the United States – and 11 states – California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, and Texas. GreySheeters Anonymous really is a worldwide fellowship of very committed people!
The primary purpose of the first Town Hall was to introduce the new Board of Trustees and their new responsibilities, report on the 2019 World Service Conference, and answer questions. We had hoped to report on what we have accomplished since the conference and some of the projects we plan for 2020, but we ran out of time and will discuss those at the January 26th Town Hall.
We need to fill three open positions on the Board of Trustees. If you are interested and have at least five years of GreySheet abstinence, please consider submitting an application to Nominations@greysheet.org. The application form and more information is here: https://www.greysheet.org/world-services/board-of-trustees/nominating-committee
World Service Conference 2019
We reported on the successful World Service Conference held in Chicago in September. The conference is the business meeting of the worldwide fellowship. Here is the link: https://www.greysheet.org/images/WSC2019/GSAWS_BOT_Report_on_WSC2019.pdf
A member of the GreySheet Committee spoke about the work of the committee to capture in writing the oral tradition of GreySheet abstinence, provide some guidelines for sponsors, and make recommendations for the fellowship on how they might consider using the clarifications and guidelines. The conference approved the committee’s proposal to provide the report of the GreySheet Committee to the fellowship once it is complete. The fellowship can then consider and discuss the findings and recommendations. If the fellowship believes that there is value to any of the recommendations or that the findings may be used in other ways to protect the integrity of the GreySheet solution, they could work through the conference committees to bring those ideas to the World Service Conference.
Questions and Answers
Question: Will the report of the GreySheet Committee be brought to a future World Service Conference?
Answer: The report of the GreySheet Committee will be provided to members of the fellowship who may themselves bring it to the conference as specific motions to implement recommendations or otherwise use the findings of the committee. The primary way to provide the report to members is via the Intergroup Service Representatives and Group Service Representatives. This is one reason that it is important that members have a Home Group and that Groups have GSRs. It will be challenging to provide the report to members who are not represented. Delegates at the WSC2019 did not want to see the report published on the website.
Question: Will the GreySheet Committee consider the input of people from different oral traditions, different interpretations?
Answer: The GreySheet Committee has been working since February 2018 and has published regular reports with requests to provide input via GreySheetCommittee@GreySheet.org. The committee has received many questions, concerns, and suggestions and welcomes additional input.
Question: Can you post the donation information for World Service?
Answer: https://www.greysheet.org/donations
Please get in touch: President@greysheet.org Secretary@greysheet.org Treasurer@greysheet.org
Future Town Halls will be one hour later at 11 am ET on the same Zoom link on the last Sunday (always the 26th!) of January, April, and July 2020. We hope to see you there.
The next World Service Conference will be held October 16-18, 2020, so we have one year to get ready. Please, if your group was not able to attend this year due to lack of funds for the GSR’s expenses, start saving money from your 7th tradition to send your GSR to next year’s conference.
Traditions and Concepts Meeting
Beginning in November, there will be a 30 minute zoom meeting focusing on one tradition and/or concept each month until the October WSC 2020. This will give everyone (but especially delegates) the chance to study them over the next year.
Zoom meeting ID for these meetings is: 791453380
zoom meeting link: https://zoom.us/j/791453380
Here is the schedule:
| Concept 1 | November 17 | Tradition 1 | November 24 |
| Concept 2 | December 22 | Tradition 2 | December 15 |
| Concept 3 | January 19 | Tradition 3 | January 26 |
| Concept 4 | February 23 | Tradition 4 | February 16 |
| Concept 5 | March 15 | Tradition 5 | March 22 |
| Concept 6 | April 19 | Tradition 6 | April 26 |
| Concept 7 | May 17 | Tradition 7 | May 24 |
| Concept 8 | June 21 | Tradition 8 | June 28 |
| Concept 9 | July 19 | Tradition 9 | July 26 |
| Concept 10 | August 16 | Tradition 10 | August 23 |
| Concept 11 | September 20 | Tradition 11 | September 27 |
| Concept 12 | October 11 | Tradition 12 | October 18 |
Time: Sundays at 1:00 PM EDT (30 minutes only)
No pre-registration is necessary. If you want to attend please just click on the zoom meeting link or type in the meeting ID to join.
Newmarket UK Retreat, Oct 18-20, 2019
I have been in this program for 7 months and from my experience at the Newmarket Retreat, I am finally in a place where I can say that mantra and mean it. From going to the retreat I feel a deep connection to this program and its members.
I arrived apprehensive and a little nervous being part of a big group. As an addict, structure and discipline are things I resist naturally but without it, my life is unmanageable and difficult. I loved the stress-free flow of the retreat made possible from the hard work GreySheeters put into the organisation. I could just relax and take in the spiritual energies.
I learned tips on practical measures to mind my abstinence and returned with delicious recipes and contacts that I have kept in touch with since the retreat. I returned with memories to last a lifetime. Laughing like a bunch of lunatics during Laughing Yoga is a memory that will never leave me!
There was a mix of program and other activities. I feel the retreat gave the space for me to decide whether I wanted to be involved or not. I loved how the retreat had both, an 11th step mini-workshop, numerous meetings on the 12 steps and also a variety of outside meditation practices to find out what suits each individual. I do my step work and now I have learned a breathing technique to use along side my program that I am already benefiting from.
I left the retreat sad it was over but a heart full of spiritual growth and connection to this program. I feel excited to be a GreySheeter. I feel today I want it, not only that I need it.
I look forward to reaching my 90 days to give back to a community that is changing my life for the better through weighing and measuring three abundant meals from the God-given GreySheet.
Spoken, WA - A weigh of Life, Oct 5, 2019
All were welcomed to a room cozy with fireplaces burning. Our first speaker had 11 years of back to back GSA abstinence. Prizes were drawn at the break, lunch and closing. Everyone received a special sackcloth hand towel with A Weigh of Life 2019 Spokane GSA Retreat embroidered on them. As the retreat’s purpose was to introduce people to the phone bridge, we experienced a meeting on Relapse and Recovery. People learned how to connect and participate. On our lunch break we enjoyed our homemade abstinent lunches and fun fellowship. Our second speaker shared largely on her spiritual journey in GSA, how she came to believe. We read “The Doctors Experience” from the GSA 12X12 and shared our experience, strength and hope as we read. We had fourteen participants and left feeling refreshed and nourished by fellowship in recovery.
Upcoming Events
*** Please check https://greysheet.org/events for details and contact information.
- 29th Annual NYC GreySheet Roundup: November 9-10, 2019, New York, NY
- Iceland Roundup: February 15-16, 2019