Southern Minnesota Area Assembly

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“The southern minnesota area assembly serves the members and groups of alcoholics anonymous in southern minnesota. Alcoholics anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. There are no dues or fees for a.a. Membership; we are self- supporting through our own contributions. A.a. Is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization or institution; does not wish to engage in any controversy; neither endorses nor opposes any causes. Our primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety.”

“General duties and assistence with programs”

“The southern minnesota area assembly (smaa) is 1 of 96 areas in the united states and canada representing alcoholics anonymous. There are over 1,050 groups of alcoholics anonymous represented by smaa. One of the area's functions is to collect a "group conscience" in order to inform smaa's delegate who votes on various matters concerning aa as a whole at the annual general service conference in new york. To this end, smaa held its annual delegate's workshop for groups to voice their opinion on various items up for vote. The area paid the expenses and travel for our elected delegate then vote on our behalf at the annual general service conference of alcoholics anonymous. As in previous years, the smaa held two significant workshops for its members; the recovery unity and service conference (rusc) and the trusted servant leadership training workshop (tstl). The purpose of rusc is to have members of a.a. Share their experience on working a.a.'s 12 steps, 12 traditions and 12 concepts that make up our legacies of recovery unity and service. The tstl is a day long workshop to provide training to people who hold elected service position within a.a. Smaa is involved in providing information to professionals as well as the general population about alcoholics anonymous. To this end we purchased information booths at various converences for professionals (maarch, mapa, mafp, maaa) in addition to hosting a breakfast for professionals event, and finally purchasing an information booth at the minnesota state fair. In 2015, as with previous years we held 4 committee meetings to discuss matters immediately affecting our local a.a. Groups within smaa, and 3 assemblies were members of smaa vote on items that affect smaa and its groups.”

“Our main goal is to help the still suffering alcoholic by educating professionals about what alcoholics anonymous (aa) is and isn't. We have a committee called public information to get the word out in various ways about where to find meetings, etc. We work with remote communities such as spanish speaking individuals; blind alcoholics etc. And help them find our meetings. We hire interpreters; sign language etc. To help them know what is being said at meetings. We work to get our literature out there for anyone who would like it but mostly for our fellowship. We have a program called the pink can plan, which we collect funds from our fellowship and it is used strictly to buy aa literature for those incarcerated in prisons and jails. We work with treatment centers to help those getting out find us.”