Delegate’s Corner

Al-Anon Area delegates form a vital link between their Area and the World Service Office (WSO). Among their many responsibilities, delegates represent their Area at the annual World Service Conference (WSC). Laura A. is serving the Vermont Area from January 2022 through December 2024.

VT Area Votes ‘Yes’ to Accept Electronic Groups

In October 2021 at the VT Area Fall Assembly, the Assembly voted ‘Yes’ to accept electronic groups into the VT Area. Leading up to this vote:

• At the 2021 World Service Conference:
  • Two motions relating to Registered Electronic Meetings were passed:
    1. to recognize electronic Al-Anon Meetings as registered electronic Al-Anon Groups
       
    2. to eliminate the restriction of an Area to geographic boundaries and to simplify language [in the Service Manual] to incorporate both physical and electronic meetings
       (Geographically-Based Areas are not obligated to accept electronic groups, but each Area needs to decide by March 2022.)
  • Joanne P., our then delegate, received the WSO Guide and Graphic, linked below, to help geographic Areas reach an informed group conscience on electronic groups.

• In the summer of 2021, the VT Area hosted two Town Halls on Electronic Groups in order to share information about the issue. At the Town Hall in August (see flyer and schedule), two VT Electronic Meeting Work Groups (EMWGs) were formed to discuss the issues involved and make recommendations to the Area. (As of the 2021 Fall Assembly, the two groups have been consolidated into one.)

Resources about Electronic Al-Anon Groups

1. Questions & Answers: Updated 8-5-2021
2. The WSO Guide: Transforming Electronic Meetings to AFGs: A Guide for Geographically Based Areas (April 2021)
3. The Graphic: Transforming Electronic Meetings To Al-Anon Family Groups 2021-22
4. VT EMWG Task Force Charges

WSC 2021 Delegate Reports

Below are Panel 59’s two reports presented at Spring Assembly on May 15, 2021.