AREA 79
REGISTRAR
About the Registrar
The Area 79 Registrar develops and maintains the records of all groups in the area, including group name, meeting location, time, and GSR or group contacts, ensuring this information remains up-to-date.
The registrar also maintains an up-to-date list of District Committee Members and District Committee Chairs so that the flow of information between groups, districts, local and area committees, and A.A. as a whole remains uninterrupted.
What’s the point?
“In the spirit of our Twelve Concepts of World Service, each group linked to the
local general service structure has the opportunity to participate via District meetings and Area Assemblies in the collective conscience of A.A. in the U.S. and Canada. Each G.S.R. communicates their group’s “conscience” on important matters of policy considered by the District and Area Assembly. By attending Area Assemblies and District meetings, they are expressing their group’s thinking on local matters and those of the entire U.S. and Canada General Service Conference structure. This in turn helps the Area delegate at the Annual General Service Conference meeting to represent the Area’s groups and take part in decisions that affect A.A. as a whole.”
Is Your Group Linked to A.A. as a Whole? F-104 – Reprinted with permission from Alcoholics Anonymous®
For more information refer to the Area 79 Registrar FAQ’s or to find out what district you are in visit the “Local A.A.” page.
HOW TO
REGISTER
Register a Group
Group Registration
Register a Trusted Servant
ELECTIONS AND
APPOINTMENTS
Area Officers
Fourteen (14) Area Officers are chosen, every second year, to serve 2-year terms on the Area Service Committee (ASC) . Seven of these are elected, in even numbered years, at the September Assembly of the full Area 79 Committee. Seven are appointed by the Selection Committee, following the elections, to sit as chairs of designated Area standing committees.
It is strongly suggested that the outgoing (not the incoming) GSRs and DCMs be available to vote at the Election Assembly in order to assure a more informed election.
To apply for an appointed position in Area 79, please email your resume to resumes@bcyukonaa.org
Elected Officers
The seven (7) elected officers are listed below, with a brief summary of their roles:
- Delegate – Reports to and from the General Service Conference.
- Alternate Delegate – Assists Delegate in responsibilities. Currently the Alternate Delegate also sits as the Literature Chair.
- Chair of Area 79 – Responsible for the agenda and chairing Area and Area Service Committee (ASC) meetings, assigns travel of committee members.
- Alternate Chair – Assists Chair in responsibilities. Currently the Alternate Chair also sits as Grapevine Chair.
- Treasurer – Maintains payables and receivables for Area 79. Chairs Finance Committee.
- Secretary – Records meetings and prepares the minutes.
- Registrar – Maintains Group Records of Districts and Groups in Area 79 and informs the General Service Office (GSO) in New York.
Appointed Positions
We encourage everyone who is interested in an appointed position on the Area 79 General Service Committee to submit a brief resume. The following positions are appointed by the incoming Chair through a Selection Committee made up of the incoming Chair and 3 other elected ASC members.
- Accessibilities – Explore, develop and offer resources to make the Alcoholics Anonymous message available to everyone.
- Archives – Collect, classify and care for literary works and artifacts.
- Cooperation with the Professional Community (CPC) – Establish and maintain better communication between A.A.s and community professionals
- Corrections – Carry the AA message to alcoholics in correctional systems
- Finance – Discusses Area 79 self-support and the Seventh Tradition.
- Grapevine – Develop awareness of the many benefits that can be derived through the Grapevine and La Viña (Spanish version) subscriptions
- Grassroots – Oversees the production and distribution of Grassroots Forum, the BC/Yukon Area 79 Newsletter.
- Literature – Promote Conference-approved literature, audiovisual material and other special items.
- Public Information – Communicates to the public what AA does and does not do.
- Remote Communities – Creates awareness about and assists those who are unable to make it to regular face-to-face meetings on a consistent basis
- Treatment/Bridging the Gap – Assists members and groups who are interested in carrying our message of recovery to alcoholics in treatment facilities
- Website – Maintains the Area 79 Website.
Additionally – Grassroots Committee Chair: Responsible for the Area Newsletter (Grassroots Forum) and leads the committee responsible for the format, content and distribution of this quarterly publication. Motion passed in October 2016 reads….
“The Area 79 chair will be free to assign Grassroots, or any other standing committee, as an additional responsibility to any member of the ASC, based on committee workloads and ASC members’ skills”.
Things to Consider
- Communications between members of the Area Committee are generally via email and therefore it is essential to have access to electronic communications in order to be considered for a position.
- The transitional General SC meeting held on the first Wednesday of December, (after the election assembly) is mandatory as are all monthly ASC meetings of the 2-year rotation.
- The time commitment required is substantial and will vary from position to position, and also with the particular skills possessed by the member. Generally, some time will be spent every day to check and respond to emails and phone messages. Some jobs have workloads that are heavier at certain times than at others.
- We encourage you to speak with members of the ASC (current or past) to ask more specific questions if you are considering applying for an appointed position.
- General Service Committee membership may sound demanding, but, as we so often find in AA, the rewards are far greater than time and effort put in.
- For more information please read “duties common to all” on the job description page.
How to Apply
- Email your resume to resume@bcyukonaa.org
- You will receive an immediate confirmation of receipt of your application and a response from the Area 79 Chair within 48 hours.
- Resumes must be received at Resumes at BC/Yukon AA by October 31st to be considered. When sending your resume, you can include additional information that may help the Selection Committee.
- Resumes are reviewed by the Selection Committee the evening of the first Tuesday of November. The Chair will call you that evening with the results. Please be sure that you are contactable by telephone.
- Successful applicants will be required to attend a transition meeting held the first Wednesday of December at the BC Yukon Area office in Vancouver (travel expenses are covered by Area 79).
- Successful applicants will be ratified at the January Quarterly. At that time, they will present their resumes (2 minutes maximum) to the fellowship.
A79 Resources...
Resources to assist the fellowship with committee work, along with minutes and reports from the ASC and much more can be found in the libraries.
AREA
REGISTRAR
Job Description
As suggested in the A.A. Service Manual (2021-23 edition) The duties of the registrar have evolved with the implementation of Fellowship Connection. Registrars often are a crucial first point of contact for A.A. groups and trusted servant’s data. The need for accurate information and clear communication is the foundation of this role.
Duties
Fellowship Connection
- Develops and maintains records of all groups in the area, including group name, meeting location, and GSR or group contact
- Works with trusted servants to maintain accurate and up-to-date names, addresses, email addresses and phone numbers of the GSRs, DCMs, district committee members and ASC Members
- Works locally with delegates and DCMs on verifying the accuracy of the data submitted and wherever necessary following up communication for corrections
- Works with the G.S.O. Operations department in keeping area information up to date.
- Notify GSO of a group name changes
- Assist and support DCMs and Delegate in navigating view only access to Fellowship Connection as needed.
- Forward relevant information to the website chair regarding changes to meetings to ensure that Area 79 website is up to date
- Keep the records display current.
- Maintain current lists of:
- ASC members with their positions, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses (one list with personal email addresses for the committee and one with alias emails for the DCMs).
- District locations and numbers.
- DCM, Alternate DCM and DCC contact information
- Provide the Treasurer with a current list of registered groups and their districts quarterly.
- Provide the Website Chair with lists of Current DCMs, alternate DCMs, DCCs and District locations and numbers
- Provide current GSR and DCM email lists to Area Chair and Delegate prior to Assemblies and Quarterlies
- Provide current GSR email list and current GSR address list for those without email to Grassroots Chair Quarterly
- Follow up on any bounced back emails or returned copies of Grassroots.
- Quarterlies and Assemblies
- Prepare digital DCM packages to include a cover letter to the DCMs; and all lists as noted above as well as group contributions from Area 79 and any other inserts required by ASC members. The package may also include The New Group form, Group, DCC, and DCM change forms.
- Sign out the hearing assist equipment, replace batteries and ear buds as necessary.
- Prior to the Quarterly or Assembly ask if any DCMs would like a printed DCM package either handed out at the Assembly or for those online mailed to their home address.
- Have an extra supply of the above forms and lists available at each quarterly and assembly.
- Chair an assigned committee at the Pre-conference Assembly each April. Create a synopsis of the background information on the conference agenda items of that committee. Contact the DCMs assigned to that committee.
- Duties common to all ASC members on the ASC page.
Qualifications
Area registrars will require training on Fellowship Connection, a user-friendly interface that facilitates information sharing between areas and G.S.O. Familiarity with computer systems and spreadsheet tools and an understanding of data stewardship is helpful, as registrars will be entering data, updating information, using search filters, and downloading custom and standard reports. Other qualities needed may include:
- Familiarity with the area and district structure, and ability to communicate throughout. Ability to organize, communicate and manage detailed information
- Ability to relay information via email to G.S.O., locally and within the area Ability to responsibly handle and protect personal information
This is an extremely rewarding position which requires a daily commitment of time, and even more time before and after assemblies, ASC meetings and travel assignments.