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Regional Delegate
Report from WSC 2008 |
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Our Regional Delegate, Denise T., attend the World Service
Conference this year, and she wrote about her experiences each
day.
World Service Conference Mission
Statement
The World Service Conference brings all elements of NA world
services together to further the common welfare of NA. The WSC’s
mission is to unify NA worldwide by providing an event at which:
• Participants propose and gain fellowship consensus on
initiatives that further the NA World Services vision;
• The fellowship, through an exchange of experience, strength,
and hope, collectively expresses itself on matters affecting
Narcotics Anonymous as a whole;
• NA groups have a mechanism to guide and direct the activities
of NA World Services;
• Participants ensure that the various elements of NA World
Services are ultimately responsible to the groups they serve;
• Participants are inspired with the joy of selfless service,
and the knowledge that our efforts
make a difference.
Note: Content has been edited for clarity and
to preserve anonymity.
4/25/08 |
4/26/08 |
4/27/08 |
4/28/08 |
4/29/08 |
4/30/08 |
5/1/08 |
5/2/08
April 25, 2008
Welcome to the World Service Conference Experience.
Over the next 8 to 10 days I am going to do my best to keep you
informed about what it is like to attend the WSC. This,
hopefully, will not be a dull, statistic-filled report. I'll
save that for Region. Instead I am going to write my experience,
strength, & hope. So, here we go -
Friday, 4/25/08
There, I just checked in at Salem airport & gave my husband Jeff
a hug & I'm crying dang-it!! I know, I'll be fine.....
I am sitting here waiting for security 2 open. The flight is a
little late, but they claim it won't mess up my connecting
flight in SLC.
My bag weighed 50 & 1/2 pounds! Whew, dodged a bullet there. If
I bring something else back, I have 2 get rid of something. I
took 2 skirts & 2 sweaters out of my bag in the car. Good thing!
I know I brought way too many clothes. I try to bring enough 4
the week & then I wash clothes @ my daughter's b4 I come home,
but I need way more causual clothes @ her house, so.... Hey they
do have rocking chairs here on the other side of security! This
"flying out of Salem" thing has potential.
We will be boarding by zones - I'm in Zone 2. I cannot believe
the plane is big enough 2 have zones!
In the air! Salem whizzed by so fast all I saw was Lowes & the
freeway. Now we are over the mountains. Our plane is 1/2 full,
so I have 2 seats 2 myself, which is really nice. Small plane-
seats r just 2 & 2, no middle seat. Well, I'm signing off for
now- until SLC....
It was a ruff flight into SLC. Very bumpy & I almost lost it. I
haven't gotten sick on a plane in a long time. Then a brisk walk
to another gate and I am in the air again. Let's hope the
Burbank landing is smoother!
Out the window I see the brown of so cal...yeah, we R on the
ground. No more small planes for me!!
I am here at the WSC! Rode on a shuttle from Burbank to Woodland
Hills in rush hour traffic- 17.1 miles in 1 1/2 hours. Did not
help my motion sickness. I went to dinner with other RD's, got
food by about 8:30 p.m. (They eat very late down here, local
custom!) I had a $10 salad, got back to the motel & in bed by 11
p.m.
So more tomorrow.
Note: please do not be offended by my twisted sense of humor.
Feel free to send me any input!
Your humble servant -
Denise T
Regional Delegate
PCRNA
April 26, 2008
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Saturday - 4/26/08
I woke up this morning at my usual 5:30. I figured I could do
some reading on WSC material, so I diligently got out my
notebook, opened it up, & then I fell asleep! However, I woke up
at 8 refreshed and ready to go. I felt bad about missing the 7
a.m. meeting downstairs by the pool, but that’s OK. Oh and yes
we do have an NA meeting every morning By the Pool, let’s get
that out of the way right up front – sounds way vacation-y I
know, think about that for a minute and then let’s get past it.
‘K?
Saturday is the day we use to get inspired and pumped up for the
work ahead. From 11 to 12:30 we attended the World Board open
forum. This was our opportunity to meet all the board members
and ask them questions. One question was “what can we do if
there is a meeting that is not NA, but is using the NA name?”
One board member shared a solution that had worked in her Area –
“Several of us went to their meeting, and every week we would
share during the meeting about NA and our Traditions. They
finally got tired of us and changed their name!”
Tauni made it from the airport in time for the tour. We all
piled onto buses and took a short ride to the NA World Services
Office. It was there that we viewed various NA memorabilia. We
saw many things-
• The original NA symbol drawn by Jimmy K, with all the colors
and what they stand for.
• Where they print our literature, store it, and ship it out to
us.
• Bins where they keep the medallions before they ship them out
• Offices where NAWs members work
After the tour they fed us homemade Mexican food & then we piled
back on the buses and came back to the hotel.
We did get someone to take us to the store, where we stocked up
on food for the week. Not only is this cheaper, it is also
healthier (we try!). After that Tauni and I came up to our room
with our food and had some “me” time before the speaker’s
meeting.
7:30 - Speaker's meeting; this is The Most inspiritual
(inspirational + spiritual = inspiritual) part of the
pre-conference happenings. The readings were done in the
following languages -->
Who – English
What - Swedish
Why - Portuguese
How - English
Traditions - French
Our Speakers were (I am including a few parts that caught my
attention)-
Kitty - Australia
Manuel – Chile (I felt bad because I rode in the van with Manuel
last year & couldn't even translate how 2 fill out a paper,
after, like 7 years of Spanish)
Kumat – India (some of these names are just how they sound & are
not the correct spelling, sorry)
Earl – Philly “I believe utter desperation is a gift" "I love
people who do no service & then sit in the rooms & say I'm so
grateful 2 Narcotics Anonymous"
Cisco – Sweden (now I know I didn’t spell her name right!)
"Life was very painful, because the drugs just quit working & I
was just left with the pain!" "I have the best meeting in the
world - Monday 7:00, in Stockholm, if you’re ever in the
neighborhood, stop by"
Just 4 today - Farsi
Circle up....
April 27, 2008
Back to Top
Good morning world, went 2 the meeting - "Resentments"
We are in our 1st session of the day. Small group discussion
format.
Quote - "No one person in this room knows as much as all of us
do together!"
We started by listening to a recording of Jimmy K. Made me cry.
(I have a copy of the Transcript)
The readings -
12 Traditions - W Russia (Natalia)
12 Concepts – S Africa (Cheryl)
Just 4 today - Central Atlantic Reg (Sheri)
{Iran could not be here}
Then we had intros from EVERYBODY! And I mean everybody, ALL the
participants in the WSC. This incl. translators (explain) – Just
like at the UN we have delegates from all over the world. So we
have booths on the floor & the participants have ear-pieces that
connect them to a translator. 2 languages this time - Spanish &
Japanese. So after the Board and the translators each delegate,
in alphabetical order of the region, introduced themselves and
their delegate team mates (alternates). My intro was –
“I’m Denise & I’m an addict. I am from the Pacific Cascade
Region, so called because we border the Pacific & we have a
range of mountains called the Cascades. We are also shoved in
the between Ca and WA.” (There was a map)
Just an example of our world-wide fellowship, at my table is a
World Board member from Washington, and members from - India,
Hawaii, Alaska, S. Africa, Detroit, & Illinois. During small
group intros at our table, I discovered we have wide & varied
backgrounds – 1 person had a new kitten named Shirley & 1 person
had 5 grandkids.
After this, we circle up and say the Serenity Prayer in all
languages represented. Of course the 1st session ran over – 100+
people at 1-5 minutes apiece, you do the math. So, we go to
lunch and have to be back @ 2:50. This pushes the last session
of the day back to 4:45 to 6:45.
After lunch we came back for a session entitled –
Navigating the WSC: Orientation
Basically we received an explanation for everything that is
happening this week. All the sessions and where they will be
held.
The afternoon HRP session was really hard. It was our first time
in the "risers". And it was hard to adjust to a more formal
atmosphere. Especially me! {Point of information - the room we
meet in is a huge ballroom divided into 2 parts with NAWS in the
middle. I will send pictures if I ever get on-line!! (It’s only
$10 a day) Anyway, on one side we have tables & chairs on the
other we have risers – basically bleachers that you put tables
on & sit at.}
The Human Resource Panel presented their process and how they
choose nominees for World Board members, HRP members, and
co-facilitators. Then we were allowed to ask questions. We
concluded this session at 6:45 and went to eat. Tauni and I had
a nice quiet evening in our room. We ate our salads, watched TV,
& diligently read profiles on WB/HRP/Co-Facilitators candidates
until we fell asleep. (more on profiles later)
Good night.
Denise T
Regional Delegate
PCRNA
April 28, 2008
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We are getting ready 2 vote! Send me your positive vibes, I'm
nervous.
Denise T
Regional Delegate
PCRNA
We have a new Basic Text!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Day 4 - Monday, April 28, 2008
Good morning to my LITTLE piece of the world. Morning meeting -
topic, read your just 4 today for today (4/28). I shared a story
about the most obnoxious person I knew when I 1st got clean…
Listening to people share - listening 4 the similarities is
really easy! This morning we have people from S Africa, S
America, New Z, and ALL over the US. It doesn't matter where in
the world you are from we all have the same fears, hopes,
disappointments, joys - we cry, we laugh; we R family!!
I am looking 4ward to this morning's session. It will be a
presentation on Fellowship development which basically is about
how our fellowship is growing and how the WSO/WB/NAWS - that we
have put in that position, how they r helping that process!
Fellowship Development Presentation
(Points of information that struck me, mentally or spiritually)
• We have 50,000 meetings around the world
• Inukinit – Translation of Lit in native language in Alaska is
being done
• China – key tags & Lit developed before we had a fellowship
there in the hope of reaching out (normally the local fellowship
develops 1st)
• Middle East – all speak Arabic except Iran & Turkey
• Local community will be done translating the Basic Text by the
end of 2008
• Now there is a woman’s meeting
• Egypt – only 3 people can meet at a time so they have to meet
surreptitiously
Iran
• Delegates were not allowed in the US again
• WB did 13 Work Shop’s in 7 cities
• There is a branch office that serves 11,000 meetings
• Women wanted to set up their own Area – they want to do
service & under the current service structure they are not
allowed to do so
• 25,000 meetings are held in parks - & it snows in Iran
• 200,000 members
Newest Literature –
• Russian Just 4 Today
• German sponsorship book
Thailand – 2500 addicts were killed ( they were rounded up off
the streets & shot)
NAWS Report-->
Medallions-
• Response to survey --> 5,300+
• We own the dies
• 75% want roman numerals
• WB recommends producing coins with roman numerals in a
gold-like finish (price is more stable)
• 1st draft of a simplified Basic Text in China just arrived
• Web page is changing to become more user friendly!!
Lunch will be @ 12:30 _ Hooray!
After lunch -
We are in the middle of the NAWs Q&A. Can't you just see it now
- the queue (the list of people who want to talk), the
chandeliers, the podium, the long answers, the cries of "slow
down" because nobody from the US can remember the Spanish
translators, the numb butts...I could go on but then I would
start to sound like the facilitators of this session....just
joking!
During question time after lunch someone asked if they would
consider changing the color of the multiple years key tags to
purple because that represents spirituality ?? The answer was –
“We would consider almost anything.” How silly can we get?
Something to ponder - as our fellowship ages we have older
members. Addicts will end up in nursing homes…some of us sooner
than others! So what about literature for the elderly? Has
anyone seen an H&I panel meeting in a nursing home? Why not??
your humble servant,
Denise T
Regional Delegate
PCRNA
April 29, 2008
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Day 5 - Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Book Day!!
Last night I went to the greatest meeting. There was a gentleman
there who was a part of the beginning of NA. He knew Jimmy K! We
had a chance to talk after the meeting. I told him I felt
privileged to be born in 1953 - the same year as NA & he
chuckled and said, "yeah, it might have started in '53, but it
didn't really get rollin' until the early '60's. It fell apart a
few times before that. Yeah, Jimmy didn't think it was gonna
make it!"
He said they used to get asked to come down here to speak, but
wondered why they didn't ask him anymore. I told him I would
check into that...
Morning Session -
We had a multimedia presentation that demonstrated the
world-wide nature & growth of the fellowship. Very inspiritual
(inspirational + spiritual = inspiritual). Seeing pictures of
the smiling faces of NA members in a prison in Bahrain wrenched
at my heart…Pictures of the smiling faces of the women at the
1st women’s meeting in Iran…The faces of addicts in Egypt who
must meet surreptitiously…Hugs and one addict helping another,
hand in hand…
Then we observed a World Board session where they discussed the
amendments to the motions in old business. Now I know how they
arrive at that recommendation. They discuss each one and do so
until they reach a consensus. There are often board members who
recommend to adopt, so they discuss it some more. They do not
just go through the motions & say no, no, no…
One objection, from our Region to WB recommendations, was that
they never recommend other motions besides those proposed by the
Board. The WB recommends not to adopt on some motions because
they do have a chance to sit down and discuss each
motion/amendments at great length. And sometimes the motions
turn out to be irrelevant. An example is the 2 motions
concerning the medallions. It turns out the WB was researching
the cost of medallions in several different finishes and
materials because they listened to our input through the on-line
survey. 75% of the fellowship that answered the survey wanted
roman numerals. So they had already decided to make them. Which
is 1 reason why they recommended not to adopt on the 2 motions.
It may also be why the 2 motions failed.
Examples from their session-
Motion 40 – amendment to motion #7
Input from WB members –
• None of the young people that helped develop the existing youth
IP (#13) were in favor of retaining the old IP.
• Recommend not to adopt
Motion 42 – remove the abstracts from the beginning of each
story & only keep them in the table of contents
Input from WB members –
•No recommendation from the board
By the way all minutes of Board meetings are printed & anyone
can request a copy (they meet 4 times a year)
After Lunch –
The WSC is trying to move to Consensus Based Decision Making as
directed by the body. As an interim stage the business portion
of the WSC is structured as follows.
1) During an informal session we discuss each motion one at a
time until we have come to a consensus as measured by a straw
pool.
2) We convene a formal business meeting and vote.
Now you may have a question about why there are more motions
than the original 12. When Regions, through their delegate,
bring in an amendment to an old business motion it is considered
a motion.
So having said all that, here are the results of the voting.
(this is a shortened format, I will have more complete info as
soon as I can find a way to get on-line)
We had 101 voting participants so 67 = 2/3
For a complete list and explanation of each motion and
decision,
please visit the official WSC site.
Well here it is @ the end of the day.... Its 11:45 p.m. This
afternoon/evening was exhausting! We started @ 2:45 and ended
about 8:30. It was exciting, frustrating, and in the end, very
rewarding! At 7:26 p.m. we delivered a 2 lb baby book. We call
her the 6th edition Basic Text and she is accompanied by her two
brothers - For Youth by Youth and For the Parents of Youth. It
has been an honor and a privilege to be a part of the process!
Thank you for allowing me to serve!!!
your humble servant,
Denise T
Regional Delegate
PCRNA
April 30, 2008
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Day 6 - Wednesday, April 30, 2008
All that you touch, you change....
All that you change, changes you
Morning Session
This morning we have a trusted servant who is a trainer & he is
going to teach us how to be a better leader....
"Those who believe in our ability do more than stimulate us.
They create for us an atmosphere in which it becomes easy to
succeed."
This facilitator is very good! He led us to our own
discoveries...
Lunch - Once again we piled into buses & we were delivered to
the Calamigos Ranch. Before we left we were told that it was
cold at the "Ranch" so we should prepare. So Tauni & I go up 2
our room & changed into warmer clothing. Let me tell U, what
California considers cold & what we consider cold r 2 different
things! The sun was out and it was beautiful.
We had a very nice bar-b-q and an ice cream bar. We ate, we
played soccer & volley ball. Well OK, Tauni and I sat in the sun
& watched them play. Then we had a meeting.
After that, you guessed it, we piled into buses. On our bus
we had a WB member – Frannie. She was the RD from
Washington/Northern Idaho. She was asking for fun facts about
your region & I spoke up. My fun fact is this – In the Pacific
Cascade Region we have Beavers and Ducks. And once a year they
come together and fight each other, and we call this the Civil
War…
…would you believe there were actually people who thought I
meant real Beavers and Ducks??
When we got back we had to hurry to get to the -
Zonal Forum Planing Meeting
7 pm – 9 pm
1) Intros
2) Delegates from BC want to join our zonal forum in July
a) We will extend an invitation to them
3) Matt – vision, purpose & structure of zonal forum
4) Removed Southern Idaho from guidelines
5) Location of WSZF guidelines and our web site (wszf.org) in so
cal
6) Restructured the agenda for the forum in July
a) Friday night – NAWS Report
b) Saturday – Zonal Inventory
c) Sunday – Discussion on Regional issues & wrap up
It has been another long day. We work hard, we play hard.
Tomorrow we get to do the budget for the next 2 years. I am
really excited about that, not. I know how hard it is to
understand the budget at the Regional level, so I just hope I
can understand it!
Your humble servant
Denise T.
May 1, 2008
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Day 7 - Thursday - 5/1/08
Happy May Day. I apologize for today, but sometimes service can
be boring and difficult and in no way fun…and even I cannot make
it so. This was one of those days.
Morning session was on how we can better communicate with YOU!!!
Any suggestions???
Our Service System
Communication = dialog
* Concept 8 – Our service structure depends on the integrity and
effectiveness of our communications.
* What is working? The dialog between NAWS/WB and Delegate teams
* What is not working? The breakdown happens between
Elections –
We, as a body, elect the World Board, the HRP, and the
Co-facilitators. There is a procedure we go through to protect
confidentiality of the candidates and the voters.
We receive resumes on each candidate and then we turn them in
when we turn in our marked ballots. Any questions?
Election Results -
World Board-
Jim B.
Junior O.
Gomez B.
Human Resource Panel-
Valerie D.
Paul F.
Margaret H-M
WSC Co-Facilitator
Jack H.
Jimi S.
Budget presentation – This is all I have, I am sorry I’m not the
best person to report on budgets!
We made less money at the Convention than we expected.
However - We have something called income conservatism –-> if
income is conservative + bills are liberal this gives us a
cushion for a 24 month budget plan
2:30 – 5:30 --> WB meeting & Conference Forum-
We sit through a Board meeting while the WB discuss each motion
in New Business and make recommendations. There is great value
in this process. Someone on the WB usually brings up a point of
view that hadn’t occurred to most of us.
Here is a brief outline of which motions are connected to which
topic. More will be revealed tomorrow during New Business.
Service Pamphlets - After hearing loud & clear from the
fellowship, the WB has amended their motion #23 to include a 90
day review period and it will encompass the following motions:
Motions 43, 64, 66, 68, 71
WSC Seating – Amend motion #75 – recommend a moratorium on
seating regions formed by splitting up the Region
Motions – 61, 62, 67, 69
Medication – Recommend not adopt on all
Motions – 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 63, 65
WB/WSC Policy - mixed recommendations, but several are great
input & don’t require a motion to enact
Motions – 46, 54, 55, 56, 58, 60, 71, 73, 74, 78
WCNA – skip due to time
Motion - 76
PR HB -
Motions – 47 (recommend to adopt), 59
--> dinner
7:30 to whenever--> zonal forum reports. We heard reports from
all zones-
Asia Pacific
Autonomy
Canadian Assembly
EDM (European Delegate Meeting)
Latin American
Midwest
Northeast
Rocky Mountain
Southeast
Southern (have Tradition workbook on web-site)
Western States (that's us!)
Now, the Latin American Zone has a lot of passion 4 NA, and they
have a song they sing when they feel the spirit of NA. Not to be
out done, the Western States came up with a song at our meeting
last night. So the Zonal report section of the WSC closed
tonight to the W States singing a rousing chorus of -
"So now its time to say good night to all our company.... M I c-
(see ya real soon!) k e y - (why? Because we love you.... )
Mouse! Mickey Mouse.... "
your humble servant,
Denise T
Regional Delegate
PCRNA
May 2, 2008
Back to Top
8 Putting a Face on the WSC 8
Day 8 - Friday, May 2, 2008....
PR Presentation
Membership Survey
• Average age 42.8
• 3.4 to 4.2 average NA meeting attendance
• Alcohol is 1st Cannabis 2nd drug of choice
• Request info from WB by Region? Not enough data by Region to
be able to do this
• Average clean time in NA= 7.4 in 2003 to 9.1 years in 2007
• 90% addicts polled have a sponsor
Business Meeting
Roll Call -
Voting = 116
50% = 59
2/3 = 77
We have been here, in this room, for 2 days. Well not really,
but we did
start the business session at 2:00 pm and it is 2:00 in the
morning on
5/3/08! We did get a lot done! Just a brief rundown -
• We seated Egypt, El Salvador, Nepal, Nicaragua, N Carolina,
South
Brazil, and Poland
• We passed a motion that will give us an input period in the development of the Service Pamphlets.
• We told the Board to -
- To start the process for a new book - "Living Clean"
- To develop Leadership Orientation Material
- To update video public service announcements
- To make chapters 5 - 13 adaptable & revisable in the PR
Handbook.
All in all it was a very productive session. There was some
good-natured
ribbing amongst the Western States Delegate teams. Tauni got on
the floor
with a comment for the WB. She told them when they recommend not
to adopt
all, or almost all, of the motions brought in by regions, you
create a you
and us mentality.
Well, it is 2:30, I wish everyone a peaceful night.
your humble servant,
Denise T
Regional Delegate
PCRNA
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Last
Updated
07/15/2010 06:18:59 PM |
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