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District Committee Member (DCM)
The district committee member (D.C.M.) is an essential link between the group General Service Representative (G.S.R.s) and the area delegate to the General Service Conference. As leader of the District committee, made up of all G.S.R.s in the District, the D.C.M. is exposed to the group conscience of that district. As a member of the area committee, he or she is able to pass on the district’s thinking to the delegate and the committee.
Bridging the Gap is a program through Alcoholics Anonymous to help people leaving a correctional or treatment facility become acquainted with A.A. and attend A.A. meetings in their home town, after they are release
Record and compile minutes of the District meetings. Prepare the minutes of the District meeting. Work closely with the Alternate Secretary with an effort to print and/or email the District meeting minutes for receipt by District members at least 1-2 weeks before each District meeting. Order printed materials and ensure that printed materials are available for the District meeting. Make a report at the District meeting.
The treasurer is responsible for paying the District’s routine bills and for keeping accurate records of the District’s funds. The treasurer needs to be well informed about how the District’s money is collected and spent. The treasurer will present a report and all relevant documentation at monthly District meetings.
An A.A. answering service offers a local gateway to reach Alcoholics Anonymous. The service receives inquiries from those seeking help and may refer callers to a nearby A.A. group or may have a twelfth stepper contact them. The answering service committee chairperson maintains a Twelfth Step list arranged according to geographical areas or zip/postal code; ensures that the commercial answering service has a current copy of the Twelve Step list; and reports at monthly District meetings.
The purpose of a Corrections Committee is to coordinate the work of individual A.A. members and groups who are interested in carrying our message of recovery to incarcerated alcoholics. Bringing meetings and literature into facilities, raising awareness of the Corrections Correspondence Service (C.C.S.) among “inside” and “outside” A.A. members, and helping inmates transition to a local A.A. Community through Prerelease contacts are just some of the activities corrections committees support. The Corrections Committee will present a report at the monthly District meeting.
Cooperation with the Professional Community (CPC)
Members of CPC Committees inform professionals and future professionals about A.A. – what we are, where we are, what we can do, and what we cannot do. They attempt to establish better communication between A.A.s and professionals, and to find simple, effective ways of cooperating without affiliating. The CPC Committee will present a report at the monthly District meeting.
The purpose of this committee is to acquaint all A.A. members with the Grapevine and La Vina publications. The committee presents the Grapevine and La Vina as useful tools in maintaining individual and group sobriety through its many attractions. Present a committee report at monthly District meetings.
The focus of Literature Committees is to assure that A.A. literature is available for A.A. groups, service meetings and other A.A. events. Through displays, supplies of A.A. catalogs and order forms, and A.A. literature workshops these committees help A.A. members carry the A.A. message through our literature. The Literature Committee will present a report at the monthly District meeting.
Like all of A.A., the primary purpose of members involved with Public Information service is to carry the A.A. message to the alcoholic who still suffers. Working together, members of local Public Information Committees convey A.A. information to the general public through activities such as giving A.A. information talks at schools and civic organization meetings, providing A.A. literature to schools and offices, and insuring local media have accurate information and providing them with A.A. public service announcements. The PI Committee will present a report at the monthly District meeting.
Accessibilities Committees assist A.A. members who have a variety of challenges in accessing the A.A. message in A.A. meetings, Twelve Step work and other A.A. service. While there are no special A.A. members, many members have special needs. A.A.s who are blind or visually impaired may need help with transportation to a meeting. A deaf or hard-of-hearing member may be able to get to a meeting, but needs a sign language interpreter in order to understand what’s being shared. A person with a physical disability must find a meeting with wheelchair access, while chronically ill alcoholics are often homebound and cannot attend regular meetings at all. A.A.s throughout the Fellowship are discovering that the common bond of recovery can transcend the barriers of physical disabilities. The Accessibilities Committee will present a report at the monthly District meeting.
While A.A. is not affiliated with any form of alcoholism treatment, A.A. Treatment Committees are essential in carrying the A.A. message into treatment settings where the suffering alcoholic may be introduced to A.A. for the first time. According to the A.A. 2014 Membership Survey, 74% of our members cited treatment or counseling as an important part of their journey to A.A. The local Bridging the Gap program, or BTG, connects the new member being discharged from a facility to A.A. in their community. Clients can request contacts through the A.A. Temporary Contact/Bridging the Gap Request form. A.A. members can serve as A.A. Temporary Contact/Bridging the Gap Volunteers. The Treatment Committee will present a report at the monthly District meeting.
This is an appointed position. The webmaster maintains the District website, updating it regularly with new information about A.A. in the District and Northern Illinois Area. Provide tools for members, groups to interact with the District committee members; present timely information about area activities; display contact data for district committee members; archive area business documents and guidelines, and present a committee report at monthly District meetings.
The purpose of the registrar is to assist new and existing groups in preparing Group Change or New Group Information forms and submitting them to the General Service Office; to maintain a current mailing list of all group GSRs, District Officers, and DCM; The registrar will maintain the District meeting schedule.