Greetings Area 56 friends! I am excited to be your new Alternate Delegate/Area Chair. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous, but I was placed here to serve so I will give it my best! It has been quite an AA journey getting here. Almost 15 years ago I was lying in bed waiting to get ready for my first AA meeting. I told myself, “Maybe I don’t need to go. I could probably do this myself.” A voice with great authority rose up and said, “GET UP.” I haven’t had a drink since that time. That voice has kept me moving in AA through all these years.
After a few years I became my home group’s coffee maker and treasurer and eventually GSR. Later I became Dis-trict 23’s treasurer. Two years later I became the DCM where I committed to attending all District meetings and Area 56 Assemblies. This is where I fell in love with service. In addition to serving as DCM, I was asked to be the communication chair where I devel-oped the newsletter Walking With Pur-pose. I was elected as Registrar in the last panel and am now your Alternate Delegate/Area Chair. Whew! I say all this because in the beginning I could never have imagined being where I am today. It was a natural progression that came as a result of wanting to be where my higher power wanted me. I learned along the way and I have so much more to learn.
Our next Area Assembly will be February 22 at 470 S. Gebhart Church Road in Mi-amisburg. The assembly begins at 10:00 a.m. and ends at 4:00 p.m. I hope you can make it there. It is a great opportunity to serve your group, Area 56, and could en-hance your sobriety; that has been my experience. There is a huge world out there to discover in AA. There are friends you haven’t met yet waiting for you. We need you to participate so the group conscience of Area 56 may be activated and heard. You may consider joining a committee or volunteering for activities. Whatever your interests are, there is a place for you in Area 56!
Our Mini-Conference will be March 20-22. This is where your voice and your vote will be heard by our Delegate Nancy. This is my favorite activity in AA. We get to participate in a conference much like the General Service Conference in New York. Your voice will be carried to New York through our Delegate. I hope you can make it.
Thank you for trusting me in this position. I can’t do it alone and sometimes service means a very few people doing most of the work. The more people who participate the stronger Area 56 becomes. I hope to see you as I’m trudging this road of happy destiny! Andrea H.
