Hi!
I am Maryland N, your past and present Archivist. My sober date is June 16, 1988, I got sober at Fort Huachuca AZ. I moved around in my sobriety—to Germany, back to AZ, with stints in CA, FL, and WI, before moving here with the Army. I also got to go to South Korea. My home group is Seeking Serenity in District 45 Tacoma. My history of service was at group level as Secretary and Treasurer and member (set up, chairing, ashtrays, and coffee, of course for 22 years—most of my real service was done in my family, the Army, Army Reserve, and the PTA.)
I had a 9-year break in attending meetings due to health. When I came back in 2011, so did my group level participation. I stepped into general service tepidly as a Treatment Rep for Meeker. From there I served as the Prosperity Treatment Chair in 2012. I changed home groups to Seeking Serenity and served District 45 as a Grapevine/Literature Liaison and as a Treatment Liaison. I have served on the District 9-44-45 CPC Committee as their Archivist in Panel 67.
I have been working around and in the Repository since May 2016. I served as the Puget Sound Central Service Office Archivist in 2017-2018. I have had the pleasure and honor to serve as Area 72’s Archivist since January 2020. I am also honored to begin my second rotation on the National A.A. Archives Workshop Board.
In late November, Ramiro, DCM District 57 sent me an invitation to present at Grupo Central in Seattle on December 14. I would be joining Andrew, the Area 72 Corrections Chair and Eddy the Area 72 Alternate Chair in presenting Concepts 2, 3 and 4. The evening of the event we gathered at 5 o’clock and had about 15+ members and a translator. What an experience that night was!
There was an incredible dynamic as we went through our presentations. Since it was a bilingual meeting, and we had interpretation, we speakers would deliver about a paragraph, and then Claudia would interpret it. There was no time limit to any of the processes. What I saw was this holistic event unfolding in front of me. This back-and-forth exchange happened as if it was unfolding in a conversation-style process. As each of us delivered our material and the translation was done, it felt like I was participating in a process that allowed for not only hearing, but receiving, internalizing, and processing of this awesome material—like what happens in an actual conversation. There was this incredible dynamic going on. Although the group was not big, we generated several questions which led to authentic, transparent, and honest dialogue on matters those leaders at all levels in Alcoholics Anonymous whether Group, District, or Area. This exquisite dynamic was like looking at an iridescent object and transformed by its exquisite beauty.
ARCHIVIST AND REPOSITORY ACTIVITIES:
Past Activities:
I participated in the Archives Quarterly, in November hosted by District 46. We experienced a presentation by Raul C., of Area 09. We have been crossing paths at the Pacific Region A.A. Service Assembly and the National A.A. Workshop since 2019. He started his A.A. journey in Guatemala in 1982 and came to the US 3 years later. His share included his experience in the translation of the big book to Spanish, was a part of the effort for the La Vina and has his story in the Spanish big book. He is also continually active carrying the A.A. message to South and Central American countries. A big and loud shout out to Bella the D46 Archivist and Dina the DCM. It was a stellar event.
As Archivist, this past quarter, I have been working with the appointed and elected Trusted Servants on archiving their position’s data in a permanent format. When I started in Archives, the concept of regular computer was limited to a single person, and the group conscience in 2016 was that there would be no internet ever in Archives. It has come a long way since then. This process is more than a Google drive. Our Google system is miraculous, yet we in archives must take it beyond the cloud. We must have it physically in our Repository by storing that data on external drives.
Future Activities:
Archives will be at The Blending of Time Conference February 28, March 1-2 at the LaQuinta in Tacoma Washington. There is a Meet the Speakers Dinner on Thursday evening. The Historian this year is Gary N., and he will be presenting his work on the story of Bobbie B., our second A.A. secretary—it is a phenomenal not-to-be-missed story. If you can attend, please do. For all A.A. members this is an opportunity to see Area 72 A.A. Archives Traveling Display. This is the memorabilia donated to Area 72 by members of the Fellowship since our archives started in 1977. This includes “Big” Pete P.’s first edition big book, and his 12 & 12—signed by the attendees of the 1954 General Service Conference, both with Bill W.s signature. Yet, there are so many more stories and memories told by the collection. It is an honor to watch people’s experience firsthand the story of A.A. Many visitors share stories of how an event, a book, or the exhibit itself has been a ‘spiritual awakening.’ So not only do Archives carry the message of documenting permanently the story of A.A., our Western Washington A.A., it carries the message to today’s members giving them a sense of permanency of the ‘WE” of our program and their sense of belonging.
We said goodbye to Archive Steering Committee’s Chairperson, Michaela N. and our member from Panels 71-73, Rita N. Donna H., is continuing to serve on the ASC. We welcomed Devin to the ASC.
As we look forward to this panel, we will be having members of the Archive Steering Committee lead the way when we take the traveling display out of the building. Our quarterly comes up February 1, 2025, and will be hosted at the Repository. Our Archives Chair is designing our quarterly and members of the ASC are supporting her effort.
By the time you read this in the minutes, Michaela N. will have reported that the National A.A. Archives Workshop will be hosted in Area 72 in 2026. The NAAAW2026 Committee will need lots of help from the Fellowship and will appreciate all support.
I will begin hosting a monthly Archivist Workshop. They will be held in the Repository, including hybrid and will be hands on and discussion format. My plan is to work in three principal areas of archiving in A.A.: working with both paper digital materials, the ins and out of using google as a tool, and archives displays. They will be 1–2-hour sessions, on a recurring monthly schedule. More will be revealed in the February newsletter.
Members are welcome at the Repository. We encourage members of the fellowship to volunteer with us as we document the permanent record of Area 72’s A.A. history. In the past, we have held regular Work Parties at the Repository on the third Sunday of every month (excluding June) from 11:30-2+. Contact me at archivist@area72aa.org for availability and times. If you have archives research requests, please send them to me. We in the Archives do the research and provide our results to you. Our physical address is 3905 Steilacoom Blvd. SW., Lakewood, WA 98499. Our mailing address is Western Washington Area 72 Archives Repository, P.O. Box 39062, Lakewood WA 98445.
