What happened at CSO in 2001?

The Central Service Office had a year that was filled with changes, fun, and still offering me a substantial reason to get up in the morning and go to work.  We have had some positive changes in several different areas of the year 2001.  Financially, the office has experienced another year of stability.  The Steering Committee has created a financial committee, whose work will be to use the data we have acquired in the last few years to create a plan for the future.  It has been a very positive experience to watch all of this work unfold.  We have had an absolutely marvelous website created.  The office has finally gotten an agreement with a printing company to print our State of Maine meeting list every month.  We have made major changes to the appearance of the Beam, and we have had a working hotline coordinator that has helped to keep the hotline staffed.  The Central Service Office was responsible for hosting ten functions in 2001.  The following is a more in depth description about some of these. 

CSO Web Site

One of the most positive changes that came about this year was the Central Service Office website.  We have an easier web address to use than in the past.  The new web address is www.aamaine.org.  In August of this year, we were very fortunate to find Steve and Laura, who volunteered to develop and maintain a new web site for the office as part of their service work.  If you haven't had the chance to view their work and have access to the Internet, I suggest you make the effort to go to the site.  Together they have kept the meeting list as current as I have in the office.  They have put the Beam on the site; they have added an events bulletin board, printable CSO forms, and much more.  One of the comments from the feedback said, "this is a site to be envied by the other 49 states". 

State of Maine Meeting List

Ever since I started working the Hotline as a volunteer 8 years ago, there was always discussion as to how to keep the meeting list information current, and at an affordable price.  The list could be printed very inexpensively if we printed ten thousand, however, by the time the list was printed, there would be thirty to forty changes.  Then we would have to sell out dated lists.  Usually by the fifth or sixth month, the sale of the list would seem more ritualistic then for the distribution of any factual information.  The spring of 2001, we started dialogue with a customer service rep from a printing company that was interested in trying to bridge this gap.  They had some experience with an electronic exchange of data.  This could cut down the lead-time.  They could also digitally print small quantities at a price that was within our range of affordability.  The last six months there has been a lot of trial and error in getting this from theory to a working model, one that is not labor intense on either side.  I do believe we are close to a procedure now.  The office also addressed the issue of the meeting list format.  Over the last five years, there has been a core of people who wanted to have State of Maine meeting list printed in a "by day" format as opposed to the "by town" format that we have been using.  We added a section in the front of each book that lists which towns have meetings in them by the day of the week for that printing.  We were also able to enlarge the print, making the list easier to read. 

The Beam

During the late spring of 2001 we started sending out subscription forms with the Beam.  We had a very positive response.  This led us to talking with the printers again.  This time we were looking to enhance the look, feel, and readability of the Beam.  After six months of dialog, meetings, ideas, test printings, and feedback from the Steering Committee, hotline volunteers, and people coming into the office, we finally came to rest on what you are looking at.  Again, the response has been very supportive.  We are looking forward to the year 2002 and the opportunity for printing what is happening in the hearts and minds of those who have been spiritually awakened.  Please share with us, drop us a note, a letter, or story, let us know who is celebrating their anniversary or what is going on in your area.  We can grow together as more is revealed. 


The Hotline

The hotline is by far the most important endeavor manifested from the collective efforts of the AA fellowship in this area.  In the year 2001 the public used the phone numbers that this office provides as its door to AA nearly twenty thousand times.  This was done with the support of over thirty volunteers here at the office and many people who worked for the answering service.  The service of answering the phone is provided to the public twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, three hundred sixty five days a year.  This service is done without the use of answering machines, voice mail, or computers.  When someone calls AA in Maine, by dialing one of the three phone lines that this office provides, a person answers the phone.  This is provided to the public funded only by the fellowship of AA in this area.  We are self-supporting through our own contributions.  This is an immense testimony of gratitude by the fellowship of AA to the program that has given us a chance at a life when otherwise we had none. 

The CSO Functions

The Central Service Offices hosted six breakfasts, a Valentines Dance, the Old Timers Banquet, a Lobster Bake, and a gratitude night banquet during the year 2001.  These functions provided the fellowship that attended with some time to socialize, good speaker meetings, good food, a chance for service work, for many a chance to see members who's life schedules have made their seeing one another difficult, and a format in which a family unit could attend at AA function.  This was all done on a budget of just over $8,000.00 and ended the year with a net of about $250.00.  If you or your group have any ideas as to an AA function that might be fun to do, please let us know.  If functions sound like your kind of service work give us a call.

A Special Thanks

Sitting on the barstool, viewing the world through my disease, I had no idea that it took so much cooperation of the human spirit to live the way we live.  This is a special thanks to all those whose help made the above possible this year.

* All the group treasurers
* Faithful Fivers
* Beam Subscribers
* The Central Service Representatives
* The Steering Committee Members
* The Hotline Shift Volunteers and Twelve Step Volunteers
* The Functions Committee - Lilly H. and Vaughn C.
* Perry W. and all those who help to get The Beam out. 
* Steve and Laura for their website work.
* The Hotline Shift Volunteers

Colleen D. Molly H.
Janice Tim D.
Chris S. Rodger K.
Gina E. Sandy K.
Charlie F. Krista D.
Matt G. Abbie
Dotty G. Carolyn C.
Vic N. Diana
Sandy P. Judy N.
Liz K. Bob O.
Steve B. Bruce J.
Jerry G. Starr H.
Steve P. Jeanie R.
Bonnie H. Andrea N.

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CSO UPCOMING EVENTS
CSO Breakfast - Sunday January 20, 2002
Valentines Dance - February 15, 2002

November 2001 Summary Literature Sales $ 4,882.20 Total Donations $ 4,256.21 Total Shipping Income $ 56.50 Functions Income $ 1,398.00 Functions Expense $1,306.00 Total Income $ 10,592.91 Total Expenses $ 10,400.06

Hotline Report (summary) The Central Service Office logged over 678 calls in November 2001, of which 35 were Twelve Step Calls. Many calls go unlogged when daily activity becomes too busy. The hotline coverage has been very good.

GROUP DONATIONS November 2001 Here's the part of the newsletter where we print out group donations for the month. We know members love to see their own group listed here and know they are carrying on the work of helping alcoholics. In an effort to conserve funds and resources, the Central Service Office has stopped sending out "thank you" letters to groups and individuals for their donations. If you note any discrepancy in the BEAM's report, please call the CSO office. The CSO is here to aid in carrying the message. Your donations are greatly appreciated. Anyone wanting transaction reports showing their group's activity for sales or donations may call the office or write requesting this and the information will be promptly sent out. Auburn Attitude Adjustment Group $75.00 Hotline Allotments Auburn Serenity Group $25.00 District 1 $90.00 Auburn Search Group $70.00 District 3 $270.00 Brunswick WE Group $210.00 District 8 $80.00 Camden Attitude Adjustment Meeting $24.00 District 16 $80.00 Camden Mountain View Group $30.00 District 17 $166.00 Cape Elizabeth Two Lights Group $60.00 District 20 $180.00 Damariscotta Sisters in Sobriety Group $50.00 Dover-Foxcroft Nob Hill Stepping Stone Group $10.00 Falmouth Foreside Women's Group $90.00 Fryeburg Sunday Rise and Shine $60.00 Fryeburg Women's Step Meeting $26.00 Kennebunk Early Bird $100.00 Lewiston Hope Group $50.00 Limmerick Group $20.00 Naples Just For Today Group $33.75 Newcastle Alive Again Group $15.00 Newcastle Never Too Young Group $38.00 Norway Monday Night Speakers Group $50.00 Other Donations Norway Wednesday Night Group $50.00 Anonymous Donations $30.00 Norway Staying Sober Group $30.00 Anniversary Donations $0.45 Portland Early Bird Group $87.75 CSO Breakfast 7th Tradition $30.74 Portland High Noon Men's Meeting $125.00 Gratitude Night Raffle $32.00 Portland Joy of Sobriety Group $170.00 Non-Anonymous Donations $432.84 Portland Live and Let Live Group $7.50 Corrections Donation $81.75 Portland Mercy Hospital Three Step Group $168.50 BEAM Donations $200.00 Portland Monday 12 & 12 $10.00 Hotline Donations $70.00 Portland Pulse Group $150.00 Faithful Fivers Donations $70.00 Portland Sunshine Group $114.00 Pink Can Donations  $6.00 Sanford Brown Bag $50.00 Seventh Tradition Corrections $3.00 South Paris Friday Night Discussion $25.00 Seventh Tradition PI/CPC $3.00 South Paris Step Group $25.93 AA in the Gay and Lesbian $5.00 West Newfield Wednesday Group $15.00 TOTAL DONATIONS $4,256.21

Where to send your contributions CSO Central Service Office 78 Portland Street Portland, ME 04101 GSO General Service Office P.O. Box 459 Grand Central Station New York, NY 10164-0371 MAINE AREA Maine Area Treasurer P.O. Box 153 Morrill, ME 04952

CSO MISSION STATEMENT Our Central Service Office is a visible service existing and united in partnership with the AA Groups in the common purpose of carrying the message of AA to the alcoholic who still suffers and to those recovering from the disease of alcoholism.

ANNIVERSARIES
District 12 Service Structure
Blair G. 10 Years
Dennis K. 12 Years