FUNction Ad Hoc Committee Report - January 2025

March 31, 2025 July 9, 2025

Trusted Servant

As always, the ad hoc committee is so appreciative to the Area for all of your participation this weekend, and to the Agenda committee for continually giving us workshop time so that we can interact with the Area. The ad hoc is moving 2022-04-02 005 (a1) & 2022-04-02 005 (a2) out for vote in April! Yes, you heard that correctly! As always, you can contact us at: area41nebraska@gmail.com. 2022-04-02 005 (cc) Agenda Item FUNction Ad Hoc: Committee Comments The Area 41 FUNction ad hoc committee has spent much time and research, and could continue to do much more ad infinitum. We do not claim that these recommendations are the best, as there are many great options. We do, however, agree that these recommendations are highly likely to be better, that change is necessary, and that we are honoring what we have been asked to do: “2022-04-02 005 Agenda Item Agenda: Review current practices and recommend changes, if necessary, to improve how Area 41 functions in order to best serve groups and individuals in the Area.

We are taking ourselves too seriously. We spend too much time arguing semantics, rules, and wordsmithing. Let’s spend more time studying the concepts of AA, training future leaders, and enjoying ourselves, rather than spending too much time arguing about business.

We believe that, as an Area, we need to change ourselves to be of maximum service to those around us. Many things that we do use up time that could be better used elsewhere. We have outlasted our previous structure & it is time for change. According to Concept 9, “If an idea looks like a good bet, we try it on — experimentally when that is possible.” Some of these changes will need adjustments. As we all know, growing pains never really stop, but our current situation with hotel costs are becoming unsupportable, and we as a fellowship don’t go out west together, and our newsletter cannot technically be done early enough, and we’re missing a lot of groups voices at Area, and our stuff is out of date, and sometimes we have a lot of long boring stuff, which don’t get us wrong, sometimes is necessary, but a lot of it might not be.

Items in Committee:

2022-04-02 005 (a3) Agenda Item FUNction Ad Hoc: For a trial run of 3 rotations, pause the 4-Corners workshops and its requisite service position at Area 41, if the agenda item voting to hold one day service assemblies in a separate city than the Area 41 Business Meeting passes. The passing of this agenda item shall suspend: April 1990 Motion for the Area to sponsor having a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 4 one day workshops per year by any Area Committee that is asked for the four corners of the State utilizing Area funds.
2022-04-02 005 (b) Agenda Item FUNction Ad Hoc: Replace GSR & DCM Workshops with Topic Workshop(s).The passing of this item will repeal the GSR Workshop and alternate GSR Workshop positions.
2022-04-02 005 (c) Agenda Item FUNction Ad Hoc: The Area Chair is to appoint committee chair and service positions from a pool of interested candidates, nominations, and anyone else that the Area Chair may identify as a suitable candidate. The final slate of candidates to be approved by the Area by a 2⁄3 vote.
2022-04-02 005 (d) Agenda Item FUNction Ad Hoc: Area 41 should invite a speaker once per year from another Area, at the purview of the Area Chair.
2022-04-02 005 (e) Agenda Item FUNction Ad Hoc: Keeping in mind the always existing right of decision of the area chair and agenda committee, and that sometimes special circumstances arise, the fellowship would like it known that they appreciate efforts to attempt business meetings on Saturdays.
2022-04-02 005 (f) Agenda Item FUNction Ad Hoc: A Resolution, We, the Area Assembly of 2024-2025, acknowledge that due to the existence of an ad hoc committee and some of the decisions of the current Area Chair, there have been adjustments to the agenda and workshops, unlike what we’ve seen, and it has provided the ad hoc committee some valuable insights. We affirm any future area chair’s right of decision, but we also wish to formally document our experiences for the record.
- Our experience with extended lunch and dinner breaks has been overwhelmingly positive. With these longer breaks, we have found that attendance at post-dinner workshops has significantly improved—rising from approximately 25%-50% to near full participation. Having topics at post dinner sharing sessions may have helped too, rather than just open sharing sessions.
- Overall, we have observed reduced arguments, decreased stress, and an increase in unity and restfulness. These changes have contributed to a more generally positive outlook for our assembly.
- While it is common for chairs and agenda committees to consider adjusting meal and break times, our experience suggests that the benefits of extended breaks are substantial. The relaxation and unhurried pace of meals have had a trickle-down effect, fostering greater unity and reducing unnecessary conflicts. This has led to increased engagement and attendance.
- Regarding workshops, we prefer them to be shorter and more focused, with multiple presenters, and with opportunities for sharing sessions. We request that future topics be relevant and beneficial to our service positions. Thank you.