RECOVERY IN THE HEARTLAND

R.I.T.H. Area of
Narcotics Anonymous

AREA SERVICE COMMITTEE MET @ WINSTED

March 21 (third Sunday) the regular monthly RITHASC met at the gym of the Winsted Elementary School.  The groups represented by a group service representative (GSR) included every meeting in the RITH Area Service Committee’s meeting list.  Seventh Tradition donations to the RITHASC were made by 1) Cokato “Focus on Recovery NA” 2) Glencoe “Superstar Survivors NA” 3) Winsted “Wednesday Night Winners NA” 4) “Monticello NA” 5) Waconia “New Way NA” 6) Chaska “May Day NA,” for a total of $232.00.  Additional RITH Gig tee-shirt sales brought in $122.00.  A motion to donate the remaining (paid for) shirts to increase unity in and outside the area was passed. 

AREA ELECTION RESULTS

Recovery in the Heartland Policy Guidelines called for the positions of Secretary and Treasurer to be elected in February, and Regional Committee Member (RCM) and Alternate RCM to be elected in March.  The newly elected officers are:  Secretary, Naomi K.; Treasurer, Ruth T.; RCM, Tom T., and Alternate RCM, Tim W. 

NEWSLETTER BUDGET APPROVED

A temporary budget of $40.00 was approved for the Area to further investigate the need and/or value of a newsletter.  Members of the Service Committee suggested cleantime anniversaries and personal recovery stories be included.  Your temporary editor will include cleantime anniversaries only with permission from those members.  A copyright release form will need to be signed before personal recovery stories can be accepted.  Members with knowledge, skills, interest, but mostly willingness to serve on the newsletter committee or staff are invited to become involved.  Call Tom T. toll-free at 866-336-7021 or 701-720-8669.  Pending committee forming guidelines, “RITH NEWS” will use the Handbook for Narcotics Anonymous Newsletters from the NA World Services of Chatsworth, CA. 

AREA ACTIVITIES

The subcommittee for the Second Annual “Recovery in the Woods” met at Perkins in Buffalo, Thursday, March 25^th.  Chairperson Al S. has scheduled the next meeting for Thursday,
April 1^st.  Members willing to be of service are invited to attend or call Al S. at 320-395-9813. 

Sandi J. was elected chairperson for the 10^th Annual Island Gig.  Recovery in the Heartland takes over Coney Island on Lake Waconia the weekend after “Pig,” July 23–25 this year.  Sandi has already gotten the ball rolling on tee-shirts.  Please give Sandi your service when she asks for it. 

BUDGET AND GUIDELINES COMMITTEE MEETS

The committee met at the school gym in Winsted on Saturday, March 27^th, to develop guideline and budget proposals.  Denise H., the Policy Chair, has reprinted proposed changes and/or amendments that needed fine tuning.  Denise and her subcommittee have spent three days in service to address specific needs and concerns of Recovery in the Heartland area. 

The rotation of area service officers is proposed to include an Activities Chairperson.  The proposed rotation would keep some experienced officers in place.  These are only proposed and will be voted on at the next regular RITHASC meeting, April 18^th.  All members of NA are encouraged to attend with your input, at Cokato City Hall (back entrance under the water tower), 3^rd Sunday, at 1 p.m. 

Tentative proposed budget was as follows:

Elections will be as follows, if the proposal passes:

The Policy Guidelines define officer qualifications and duties.

 UPCOMING EVENTS

AREA MEETINGS NEED SUPPORT

 Check out the “new” meeting in Monticello, Monday evenings, 7 p.m., at 407 Washington.  Even though this meeting has already made a donation to the ASC, meetings need support in ways other than financial.  A well established meeting, “Heart of the Lakes NA” (7 p.m. at United Methodist Church, 250 Oak Ave. N in Annandale), could use your time and input on Friday evenings (non-smoking).  Saturday nights, “Straight on Birch NA” (7:30 p.m. in the old bank building at 33 Birch Ave S. in Maple Lake) has been struggling to keep up with the needs of a treatment center for boys.  The message of NA recovery is needed. 

 AREA CLEAN DATE ANNIVERSARY

Do you want your clean date in the next issue?  I will need to hear from you no later than the Area Service Committee meeting of the issue you want your clean time noted.  Call Tom T., toll-free at 866-336-7021, if no answer, leave a voice message. 

 WOMEN IN RECOVERY WORK STEPS

Women in our area have been working with The NA Step Working Guide together, sponsor-sponsee style, for several months now.  The group has grown into a women’s group in our area and have been asked to put on a workshop at Recovery in the Woods.