Service Matters • September 2019
The September 2019 World Service Conference in Chicago is nearly here!!
Many delegates have been preparing all year by attending committee meetings, Zoom meetings to review the Concepts and the Traditions, as well as Delegate Training on what to expect and how best to prepare for this long-awaited decision-making meeting of our beloved GSA World Service Conference.
Two meetings were held to train delegates at the end of August, and if you were not able to attend, please listen to this audio recording:
https://zoom.us/recording/play/nq1YHrdIoN3kS7n8kvMvibPdwi3QbQBDdkajF8O1hadjDgf8Di5igVY-c0o63J14
Also a handout of notes was prepared to help delegates acclimate and be prepared for the Conference. If you did not receive this handout, please request one be sent to you well in advance of the conference so you can review it by emailing grainneam@yahoo.com.
The last Traditions meeting, reviewing Traditions 11 & 12, was held on Sunday, September 1 at 3:00 PM EST. Here is the audio link if you missed it:
https://zoom.us/recording/play/oYVlggq6oqnfAeLze6FieEnQ03zXvW4k-34_nrM1upbyK8_jxuu6TESpNYoTwzeB?autoplay=true
The final Concepts meeting, reviewing Concepts 11&12, will be held on Sunday, September 8, at 3:00 PM EST, immediately following the Committees Connecting meeting. Both meetings use the same link:
https://zoom.us/j/229900584. Hope to see you there and then!!
Link to meetings on Tradition 9&10:
https://zoom.us/recording/play/Zv0RK7O8gnJ63cs-Bnu07TpJ1lm6Wdb4ORa7s9tblp9sAmwReOynpRogTPRN7dEE?autoplay=true
Link to meeting on Concepts 9&10:
https://zoom.us/recording/play/JUCg7agJLJLQlbzejE6G5g7jrhtQkrs3cc_NVXSA5tuIKN-1p5CB-gL4oFHiBNy9?autoplay=true
Since it has been three years since the last conference, there is important work to be done in a short span of time: 13-1/2 hours of meeting time to decide on 21 motions before the Conference.
It is incumbent on delegates to have read the materials (all found on the website at this link:https://greysheet.org/world-services/world-service-conference/world-service-conference-2019) before they get to Chicago, and to be well versed in how the meetings will be conducted for the most effective use of our time together. By reading the minutes of the previous three conferences, you will have a better grasp of what has been done at this level of service over the last several years.
Committees Connecting - One more Zoom meeting before the Conference!
The Committees Connecting Meeting will be held on Sunday, September 8 at 2:00 PM EST at the following link: https://zoom.us/j/524747067.
The following committees will be presenting their new/amended motions at this time:
1. Website Subcommittee to discuss becoming its own full committee separate from the Communications Committee;
2. GreySheet Committee to discuss its amended motion, and
3. Nominating committee will present new motions at this time. Also in attendance will be members of the Structure Committee and Conference Committee to answer any questions on their changes. Please join us!!
Invitation to do Service as a Contact on GreySheet.org
The Communications Committee is about to update the Contacts List on GreySheet.org and we want to cast the net wide to welcome new people from the ever-farther reaches of GreySheet Land.
Do you enjoy meeting GreySheeters from all over the world? Do you live in a remote area, which some of us refer to as an outpost? Consider being a contact who is listed on our GreySheet.org web page and available to others in the fellowship who are a)traveling, b) considering a move to your area, or c)new to GS and needing information about how you stay abstinent and connected.
Here are the requirements:
a. one year of back-to-back GS abstinence
b. willingness to have your name, email address and/or phone number listed
c. willingness to respond to a request for information within 48 hours.
This is not a sponsor list. While you may choose to be a sponsor to people who contact you, that is neither an expectation nor a requirement for this service. We just hope to do our best to welcome GreySheeters or potential GreySheeters around the world and to help them connect with our fellowship no matter where they live.
Interested? Contact us at ingridka.oravcova@gmail.com for more information and we will send you an application form. Just complete the form and return it via email and you will hear from us shortly.
Northern California Round-up
The Eighth Annual Northern California Round-up was held in East Bay, CA, with the theme, Courage to Change.
We had great speakers, breakout sessions and fellowship! Fellowship! Fellowship!! Several speakers were recorded for your listening pleasure, available at www.eastbaygs.org. You’ll need the password to listen, which you can get by requesting it from roundup@eastbaygs.org .
First Ever Ireland Roundup
What started as an occasional “pop-up” meeting when a Houston GreySheeter visited friends and family in Ireland has grown to become the first ever Ireland GreySheet Round-up held on August 17th in Dublin. Fourteen people from Ireland, England and France and Houston met in Dublin. We were joined by two others, UK and Germany, on Zoom.
The little venue we thought would be ample was packed! We never expected so many GSers to commit to their abstinence and show up to support each other. We had three amazing speakers all from the UK.
While eating abstinent lunches together, we shared our favorite portable lunch ideas. Afterwards about half the group went out for an abstinent Indian dinner in Dublin. Of course, we drank lots of tea, coffee, diet soda, and water. And, most exciting of all, a total newcomer arrived and had his first abstinent lunch followed by shopping for a scale so he could have an abstinent dinner. Everyone went home abstinent!!!
It's so affordable to fly here from England with some fares less than $50. We are already talking about next year's event so save the date - third weekend in August 2020.
Upcoming Events
*** Please check https://greysheet.org/eventsfor details and contact information.
- Southwest Intergroup’s first Holiday Speaker Jam on Zoom on Labor Day, Monday, September 2, at 1:00 PM EST, at this link: https://zoom.us/j/420588139
- World Service Conference 2019 – September 20-22, 2019, Chicago, IL
- GreySheeters Anonymous Workshop, Spokane, WA - “GSA - A Weigh of Life” - October 5, 2019
- European Intergroup Retreat - October 18 - 20, 2019, Newmarket, England.