As previously reported and relayed at the most recent Area 72 business quarterly District 25 finds itself still growing. Notably we have had several visits by representatives from groups outside the United States who very much want to be connected to the A.A. service structure but have no mechanism (as online groups in other A.A. “jurisdictions”) to so serve and have their voices heard. Many of the members (though not all) of these groups are U.S. citizens and want only to stay connected to the service structure they have been a part of before moving abroad. In polling the groups that are mostly situated inside U.S./Canada boundaries most District 25 Groups have at least one, if not more, individual members who physically live outside U.S./Canada boundaries if not all of the year at least part of it.
Herein lies the rub. Apparently the Area 72 website and tech committee chairs have in place firewalls to prevent “nefarious” foreign entities from infiltrating the system; and sadly this means that District 25 internationally located members and groups are not able to access the Area 72 website either. And unfortunately, and somewhat alarmingly, certain elected trusted servants at the area level have determined that they will not under any circumstances seek out a means to insure security while still making the website and its information available to those members. This deliberate obstinance is very concerning to our district and a committee is being formed and information and experience being gathered from all levels of the A.A. service structure to bring to the Area for discussion and resolution of this firewall. All members in the Area 72 structure (and that includes all online members identifying as being a part of District 25 – which by an overwhelmingly accepted and passed motion in 2022 insures that there are no geographical boundaries for District 25 to have to work around) must be guaranteed the same rights and privileges as all other members and that all trusted servants are in fact working toward this end and not governing the body based on their own fears, grievances, or opinions.
~Jo G Dist 25
The Circle and Triangle — A.A.’s Third Legacy
In Alcoholics Anonymous the symbols of a circle enclosing a triangle represents the organizations core values: unity, service and recovery. The circle symbolizes the wholeness and inclusivity of the A.A. fellowship while the triangle signifies A.A.’s three legacies. Here’s a more detailed breakdown:
Circle: Represents the entire A.A. world, the interconnectedness of members, and the idea of wholeness and unity (emphasis added).
Triangle: Symbolizes A.A.’s three legacies: Unity (the fellowship and sense of community among A.A. members), Service (the willingness to help others, both within and outside the A.A. program [again emphasis added]), and Recovery as in the process of achieving and maintaining sobriety, which encompasses physical, mental and spiritual aspects.
At present District 25 is witnessing the corrosive effects not practicing all principles this symbology represents as not all of our members are being provided the same opportunties and privileges that other members have available to them day in and day out. District 25 seeks to insure that the ideals that are embodied in this symbology are once again made sound and sure and that the upside down triangle of the service structure does not upend (and the membership find itself being governed and dictated to) as it was designed to prevent.
Yours in service,
Jo G., DCM25
