Aide-Memoire
WEST KENT INTERGROUP
GSRs?? AIDE MEMOIRE FOR THE 198th ASSEMBLY HELD ON FRIDAY 19TH JANUARY 2024
For the information of new GSRs: the Aide Memoire is sent out by the intergroup secretary within one week of each intergroup assembly. It lists everything that GSRs have been requested to action at their group meetings between now and the next assembly. It allows maximum time for groups to discuss those items that require feedback. The full minutes of the assembly will follow within 3 weeks of the assembly.
1. OFFICER VACANCIES ?? Please GSRs, announce these vacancies on a regular basis between now and the April assembly. Please encourage members to come along to intergroup to learn what it??s all about.
? SECRETARY ?? Due to unforeseen family circumstances, the intergroup secretary, Shirley S, is standing down a little earlier than her rotation date in November. Shirley has given notice that she will stand down immediately following the April assembly. If a new secretary is found between now and then, Shirley will help them with the April aide memoire and minutes. She is happy to speak with anyone who would like to know more about the service commitment. If a nomination is made in the lead-up to the April assembly, Shirley is prepared to have them shadow her during the four weeks before the next assembly so that they will have been through the whole assembly process. Please feel free to contact Shirley on secretary.westkent@aamail.org
? PROBATION LIAISON OFFICER ?? The previous officer, Sarah P, will be happy to speak to anyone about this service position - Sarah P Also, see The AA Service Handbook for GB, Chapter 9, pp59-64, Probation/Criminal Justice Service
? PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER?? Please feel free to contact Tony M, (out-going intergroup Chairperson and active member of the PI Sub Committee; also, covering the PI post whilst it is vacant) for a chat about this service position Also, see The AA Service Handbook, Chapter 3, Public Information pp17-29
? ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS LIAISON OFFICER -The current ECLO, Barry B, rotates out following last night??s assembly. The intergroup ECLO is the link between the Fellowship and the Regional Electronic Communications LO, advising the intergroup on the availability and use of the facilities available on the AAGB website. They are also responsible for the upkeep and accuracy of the information posted on the WKIG web page on the AA GB website. Anyone wishing to find out more about this position, please contact Barry - ecomm.westkent@aamail.org Also see The AA Service Handbook for GB, Chapter 93AA and Electronic Communications pp35-38
? TELEPHONE LIAISON OFFICER?? This position is vital to the efficient running of our local Telephone Helpline service and we need to fill it as quickly as possible. There is plenty of information and support available to new intergroup TLOs from the Regional Telephone LO and the National Telephones Sub Committee via GSO
? SHARE/LITERATURE LIAISON OFFICER ?? This position has become vacant earlier than expected due to a change of personal circumstances of the outgoing officer, Emily B. She is willing to speak to interested members about the role (Emily B)
Nominations are now being accepted for all the above vacancies for the next intergroup assembly in April. Please contact Shirley S, Secretary or Chloe B, Chair ??
2. 2024 WKIG MINI-CONVENTION THEME?? Please thank your groups for their suggestions for the theme of this year??s Mini-Convention. There were four in all:
o GOD OF OUR UNDERSTANDING
o ??YOU NEED NEVER DRINK AGAIN?
o PEACE & SERENITY
o INDESCRIBABLY WONDERFUL
A vote was taken, and the chosen 2024 theme is: ??PEACE & SERENITY??
3. 2024 WKIG MINI-CONVENTIONPlease save the date! - Saturday 1st June 2024, at the usual venue - Aylesford Community Centre, Aylesford, Maidstone. Full details to follow once the flyer has been printed.
? Kate F, Convention Convenor, is asking for volunteers to sit on the Mini Convention Committee. Please contact her on
4. IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR GROUP TREASURERS ?? Jayne P, intergroup Treasurer, has confirmed that the change of bank, from HSBC to Unity Trust Bank is now complete. This means that WKIG now have a new account number and sort code. GSRs are asked to make sure that group Treasurers are informed of this changeover which will be active from Monday 22nd January 2024. The new bank details have already been published on the WhatsApp group and will be available in the Treasurer??s report when the minutes are published. New bank details:
UNITY TRUST BANK
Account No: 20496908
Sort Code: 60-83-01
o Jayne P asks that Treasurers still put in a reference as before.
5. GROUP CONTRIBUTIONS- Jayne P requests that GSRs please pass on a copy of the attached Group Contributions sheet, to your Treasurer, so that they can confirm that intergroup has received their group??s contributions. If you are missing any contributions, please let the Intergroup Treasurer know including the amount, date paid in, by whom and reference used treasurer.westkent@aamail.org
6. WKIG ??WHERE TO FIND? MEETING CHANGES?? Please remember to inform Tony M directly, of any meeting changes, so that he can update the local (West Kent) ??Where to Find?
7. WKIG AIMS & STRUCTURES?? The approved changes to the WKIG Aims & Structures document have now been approved and ratified and a copy of the updated document will be sent out with the minutes to everybody on the intergroup mailing list
8. AVAILABILITY OF MENTORING FOR NEW GSRS?? New GSRs who would appreciate some support/guidance in settling into their new role, or a copy of the WKIG GSR Pack, are advised to contact Darren F, Vice Chair
9. WKIG ??BUSINESS ONLY? WHATSAPP GROUP?? GSRs wishing to be added to the WKIG ??business only? WhatsApp group, please text Darren F, Vice Chair, with your name and telephone number frewind@hotmail.com
10. AN ??OPT-IN? FOR GROUPS IF YOUR GROUP WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE HARD COPIES OF THE LOCAL ??WHERE TO FIND?- To overcome the problem, whereby some groups don??t have the wherewithal to print off hard copies of the West Kent ??WTF? to pass on to newcomers, groups now have the opportunity to ??opt-in? to receive 10 copies, every quarter. Groups wishing to ??opt-in??, are asked to provide a name and full postal address, along with the name of the group. Please send your requests directly to Tony M, Chair, who maintains the upkeep of the ??WTF? (see Tony??s contact details above)
Electronic copies will continue to be sent out to everyone on the Secretary??s Intergroup mailing list
With random flyers, it is hoped that group members will assist their GSRs with printing the occasional random flyer to support the group.
11. FURTHER DISCUSSION ABOUT DEVELOPING AN ELECTRONIC ??WTF? ?? Following the November intergroup meeting where this idea was first suggested, Darren F, Vice Chair, went away and investigated how this might be done. This, he did and has since built an electronic ??WTF? website. He produced a short video, which briefly explained what could be done with it, which he put on the WKIG WhatsApp for people to view. He also put a short survey on the WhatsApp to get feedback of what people thought about what he??d come up with thus far. During subsequent discussion this evening, it was evident that some people hadn??t had the opportunity or weren??t on the WhatsApp group, so hadn??t seen the video so Darren is going to put it on WhatsApp again. GSRs are advised to keep an eye out for the video and to view it so that they have a good idea of what is being discussed and can then update their groups on this exciting new development as it unfolds Darren requested, and was subsequently given, the approval of the assembly to move forward with producing an electronic ??WTF? and incorporating the means whereby GSRs can update and manage their own meeting details and 12th Step Lists. GSRs are asked to advise their groups that intergroup will continue to email ??WTFs? to those members who can??t access WhatsApp. Also, on request, members will still be able to receive hard copies by post if they wish to ??opt out?.
12. 12-STEP LIST CO-ORDINATOR CONTACT DETAILS
a) For those GSRs who may have missed it last time. we now have a new 12th-Step List Co-Ordinator - Jenni-May. Groups are advised to please send your 12-Step List updates to Jeni at
b) If they wish, GSRs can contact Jeni-May to request a copy of their group??s 12th Step List
13. SCHOOL TALKS ?? Chloe B, YPLO, is still seeking volunteers from the various areas of the intergroup, except Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells, to be the point of contact for the schools in their local area, and organise school talks in that area. Chloe has stressed that she needs reliable people who don??t drop out at the last minute and who appreciate the seriousness of the commitment. Chloe will accompany anyone who is keen to get involved but hasn??t yet given a school talk themselves. After their first talk, they will be able to take future new speakers in with them and gradually build up a reliable team. Please contact Chloe to find out more about this
14. SOUTHEAST REGION SERVICE WORKSHOPS ?? The next Southeast Region Service Workshops are on Sunday 28th January 2024. All intergroup officers are expected to attend as per their service remit. The workshops are mornings only and intergroup officers can claim their traveling expenses from the Region Treasurer before they leave. The workshops are being held face-to-face at Hartsfield Manor, Sandy Lane, Betchworth, Surrey RH3 7AA (just off Junction 8 of the M25) Any member of the Fellowship can attend Region ?? they just don??t have a vote but it??s a good idea for GSRs to pay a visit as they will hopefully go on to become Region Reps or an intergroup officer.
15. REVISED 2024 WEST KENT INTERGROUP ASSEMBLY DATES ?? Following the decision at November??s AGM & Conscience meeting where there was a conscience question about why we only get about 50% of GSRs in-post, attending intergroup meetings, it was suggested that it could be partly because the meetings are always held on a Friday night. To improve attendance, it was agreed to hold each meeting on a different day of the week, which would mean that it wouldn??t always the GSRs whose home group meetings are on a Friday, who would have to miss a meeting to attend intergroup. Unfortunately, it was too late to change the three meetings which involve attendance of the Conference Delegates, because they had already scheduled their annual timeline on the dates they had been provided in the early Autumn. So, only three dates were able to be changed out of six this year. However, when the 2025 dates are booked, the secretary will be able to schedule them all on different days of the week. One other problem was that we had agreed to move the face-to-face November AGM to the July assembly, when the nights were lighter and people wouldn??t have to make a long journey in the dark. However, when Shirley S (Secretary) looked at it, it wasn??t possible because the Post Conference Assembly is always in intergroup meeting closest to the publication of the Conference Recommendations. So, Shirley managed to change the November 2024 MCSC original AGM booking to September when the nights would still be lighter.
REVISED 2024 WKIG ASSEMBLY DATES:
PRE-CONFERENCE ASSEMBLY ?? FRIDAY 8TH MARCH (ZOOM)
NORMAL ASSEMBLY ?? MONDAY 22ND APRIL (ZOOM)
POST CONFERENCE ASSEMBLY ?? FRIDAY 5TH JULY (ZOOM)
AGM & CONSCIENCE ASSEMBLY ?? WEDNESDAY 18TH SEPTEMBER (FACE-TO-FACE)
NORMAL ASSEMBLY ?? THURSDAY 21ST NOVEMBER (ZOOM)
Next assembly: Friday 8th March 2024. This will be our Pre-Conference Assembly, when the Delegates attend to receive your responses to the 2024 Conference Questions
Next full assembly: Monday 22nd April 2024
Attachments:
West Kent Intergroup newly updated, Aims & Structures
Group Contributions Sheet
If you have any queries relating to this Aide-Memoire, please don??t hesitate to get in touch.
Shirley S
WKIG Secretary