Seems a little quiet out on the message boards today. Hope everyone is having a great day!
We have a CAR Workshop this weekend at our ASC meeting. I tried reading through some of it, but ended up zonked out with drool all over the cover. I did read through the motions, though. Some good, some... well... yeah...
The more I see of the "upper level" service, the less I want to have anything to do with it. The first few years of my recovery, I was driven by ego. Look at me, I'm the [insert service position here]! Today, I could care less about some of the stuff going on and have more concern and care for the addict who still suffers.
I know the "intent" to help further the primary purpose, but it seems to get lost in all the political mumbo-jumbo. I'm sure the stuff written in the CAR is great stuff, but after a while it seemed like words for the sake of words. People want to understand on the local level, but when you put out something like this... I guess that's why we're having a workshop.
Haven't look at it yet. I think we're having a workshop on it. I agree, the most important service is at the group level. Without the group, there are no meetings. Without meetings, no recovery. But the other levels of service are important too, to help groups work together and for the fellowship as a whole.
Wow, Amanda,, i can identify with all of what you shared !
"the heart of NA beat's when one addict helps another"
"WE'RE CARRYING THE MESSAGE OF RECOVERY, NOT THE MESS OF RECOVERY" Iv capitalled the last part, to emphasise what were supposed to be doing but arent.
First of all, the CAR is too loaded with pages, this is understandable. However, it will be difficult to hold the attention of the reader afetr a certain point. It is most probably choherent to those that have been in service at regional and world level for many years and are keyed into what's going on at the conferences.
And then again, the selection of deleates is always mired in controversy. I know that because I was a nominee two times. The first time was about 15 years ao and then I waited till my area's turn came again last year.
The first time around, 15 years ago, vote was taken by all the groups in my area. The winner would be sent as the deleate from the Region. On the first take another candidate won. But some gsr's objected to the methodoloy and another round of vote was taken. This time I was declared winner, but guess what ? Rowdy elements in the disrupted the process and when I did not it pursue further, the other guy was sent as RD.
Needless to say, my disappointment and sense of betrayal was immense. Thank God I did not feel the urge to go back to using drugs or isolating.
Then 15 years later, my area was next in the rotation policy. This time we have 12 groups and many more members. This time around, I was again a candidate, though reluctant. There were three candidates and one had a clear majority and I accepted it and went about my life with no regrets or ill-feelings. But guess what ? Later we find out the votes were either manipulated or false. But I let go and did my service to NA regardless. Now it's come to such a pass that the guy that was elected has beed denied a U.S. visa because the visa officer thought there was something very dis-honest with his visa application. What goes out come back in; we reap what we sow. Someone sowed seeds of dis-honesty, greed and politics and that's what came back.
I sowed seeds in sorrow, disappointment and dis-illusionment. "He who sows in pain shall reap in Joy" and that's come true for me, in all areas of my life.. What has emerged are Great Life Wisdoms; the central one being that one addict-helping another is not based on office. Indeed holding office and being vain about it makes one in-effective.
My Gratitude speanks when I care and i share with other the NA way,,,, more so when i do so freely and without expecting anything in return !
-- Edited by Raman on Friday 20th of January 2012 01:03:31 AM
__________________
Raman an addict clean and serene just for today in NA Worldwide ; live to love and love to live the NA Way !!!
Weather is supposed to be snowy and windy between tonight and tomorrow morning (when I make the 2.5 hour trek to my ASC meeting). Might just take the car in tonight to get it all serviced and ready to go. Don't want to get stranded in the middle of nowhere!
Our region's way of selecting its RD is just a vote. No area rotation or anything, though I like that idea. Even our regular voting at the region doesn't make much sense. A few things that baffle me:
1. It's always held in Minneapolis, with RCMs travelling from all over the state. If you look at a map, it really doesn't make much sense. It's definitely not centrally located.
2. All the voting is done by the people who show up, regardless of whether they are an RCM or not. Only an RCM can make a motion, however anyone who shows up can vote. If I were the RCM and I submitted a motion, for example, to have every person attending to throw a dollar into my gas tank every month, and I brought everyone from my homegroup, I could probably get it passed. Seriously. What's the point of having an RCM? My husband's sponsor has gone to the region and asked about this many times, but the only response is either getting laughed away or "this is the way we do it, so tough."
3. Our region refuses to send the RD or RDA to the zonal forum. There are a few staunch old-timers that refuse to budge on this and will block votes to fund even gas money for our RD to go. Any discussion on the USFA is said to be an "outside issue" and gets stomped out.
4. A few of the old timers bad-mouth the RD and past RD all over the region's message board. I subscribed to the board a while back and when I saw this going on, I made a post stating that if this is what regional service is all about, I don't want to have anything to do with it. Also, making a statement that it's no wonder we have problems filling service positions. Who would want to be a part of this mess? A few others agreed and the problem was eliminated from the message boards, but still happening all over facebook. Ridiculous.
Granted, our region has done a good number of positive things... changed our helpline over from an outside agency answering the phones to having addicts all over the state run it. They've started a few new projects that are still in the planning stages.
whoopee,,, Amanda,,,, amazing how things are nearly the same in our areas. 1000's of miles apart (20,000 I think),, but close in soul !
And yes,, we need always temper our neatives with a few things going well in our area. In my area, the Convention's really cooking. Twill be in March this year on 1,2, and 3.
We are hoping for a house full, at about 300 attendees. We need to get at least 220 to break even. The figure now stands at 160 and hoping to make the break even point by mid Feb...............
And in the meanwhile,,,routine recovery things... meetings, sponsees, sponsor, writing, Prayer and Meditation and walking and work and family !
__________________
Raman an addict clean and serene just for today in NA Worldwide ; live to love and love to live the NA Way !!!
