| Recovering Couples Anonymous | |
| Official World Service Organization Website |
Contact The RCA World Service Office
By Phone
(314) 830-2600
By Fax
(314) 830-2670
By E-Mail
RCAWSO@iname.com
Web Site
http:/www.recovering-couples .org
Snail Mail
P.O. Box 11872, St. Louis, MO 63105
The Pre-Convention Meeting
The RCA Pre-Convention Board of Trustees meeting was held in San Jose,
California on October 17, 1997.
New books/binders of pertinent RCA information were provided for each Board member so that everyone would have the necessary tools to do their job on the Board. Those board members retiring from the Board turned over their books for the new members who would be elected at the convention.
The Treasurer presented comparison charts for actual vs. budgeted figures for fiscal years 7/1/96 -6/30/97 and 7/1/95 - 6/30/96. The quarterly group financial report that was mailed to each group regarding their WSO contributions was presented and discussed.
Ways to increase the Seventh Tradition donations were discussed. Results of the Vision 2000 Survey, which indicated that the Fellowship wanted to be asked and educated about the WSOs need for and use of funds, were read.
The Board voted to have the Fundraising Committee develop Suggested Contributions literature. The literature would recommend a group contribution, as a percentage of the total Seventh Tradition funds collected, and show how the contributions are used at WSO to carry the message of RCA. The literature would be included in the Starter Packet.
It was also noted that local and regional Special Events raise money
for WSO
and should continue to be encouraged.
Other suggestions to increase Seventh Tradition donations were:
to encourage Regional Liaison couples to communicate the WSOs
financial needs to meetings in their regions via phone calls and/or
in person;
to find ways to help maintain and expand existing meetings and
begin new meetings in areas where none now exist.
Copies of AAs Fellowship Survey brochure, which is updated every 6 six years , was distributed. This format for disseminating the information to the AA Fellowship worked well and the chair announced that a sample RCA Vision 2000 brochure would be available at the Saturday presentation.
A sub-committee of the Vision 2000 committee is developing monthly themes for local RCA groups to use during the coming year. The information will be available on the RCA Web Site, in the Hand in Hand and from the WSO. The Fundraising Committee will be able use the themes to help develop their projects and materials.
It was announced that literature is available describing and defining Board service and that current Board members should make every effort to get this information to any couple at the convention who might be interested in serving on the Board.
Mark, the RCA Board chair, and Ana Maria, his partner, shared that they have enjoyed serving on Board and thanked all Board members for their dedication, hard work and commitment.
Mark presented a WSO Board overview. The WSO Treasurers Report was given by Mark M. and Ken K. and discussed by RCA members present. Judy W. presented the WSO Office Managers report.
A motion was made to vote on changing the by-law as proposed. The vote failed to carry the majority so the by-law remains unchanged with the minimum number of Board meetings remaining at four each year.
A communication from couples in Stockholm, Sweden who have started an RCA meeting was read. The founding couples discovered RCA on the Internet. One couple visited the United States and attended a meeting in St. Petersburg, Florida and spent several days with an RCA couple there. English speaking members of the Swedish group are meeting for pot luck dinners during which they translate RCA literature. They e-mail questions about words and phrases that they dont understand to the RCA couple in Florida.
The Board will use information from the Vision 2000 every member survey to set goals and objectives for the coming years and to guide them in making decisions about issues that come before them.
January 24 & 25: Phoenix, AZ;
April 18 & 19: Los Angeles, CA;
July 31, August 1 & 2: Minneapolis, MN.
Fall is in the air!! This Fall we experienced a first in RCA our first CTOBER Convention which was held in San Jose! It was well attended and very successful. If you have never attended an RCA Convention, you will have another opportunity next summer! From July 31 August 2, in Minneapolis, the 8th Annual RCA Convention will celebrate 10 years of RCA! Plan to be there for a great recovery experience!
An event at every annual convention is the election of new WSO Board
members to replace retiring couples who have served a two year term.
The new Board then elects officers for the year. This year I have the
privilege of serving you as chairperson. My duties include, but are
not limited to:
defining the agenda for each of our quarterly board meetings;
chairing board meetings as well as the open business meeting
at the annual
convention;
overseeing and working closely with the WSO manager to ensure
we provide
services according to RCA traditions, policies and group conscience;
creating new, or Ad Hoc, committees to serve according to the
needs of the
Fellowship;
facilitating Board decisions between meetings as necessary;
helping the Board develop and maintain a long range vision;
seeking a balance between what we want to do and what we can
practically
accomplish with available resources.
I will need all the help I can get!
Please pray for me and the other board members as we attend to the business of RCA and seek to expand and enrich our Fellowship. When you feel there is something of which I need to be aware, please write, call or e-mail me via the WSO office. I need to hear from you to stay in touch with the Fellowship and get reality checks.
Some of the Boards goals and objectives for this year are:
1) Support the growth of the fellowship;
2) Implement the wishes and recommendations, as expressed by the Fellowship,
in the Vision 2000 survey;
3) Continue development of the RCA Web Site (www.recovering-couples.org);
4) Revision of the RCA blue book;
5) Develop and write an RCA 12 + 12;
6) Develop a Regional Liaison Couple job description;
7) Support and encourage local and regional events, retreats and conferences;
8) Expand our outreach through telephone sponsoring;
9) Create material on How to Start an RCA Meeting and How
to Keep Your RCA
Meeting Alive and Well;
10) Support the Minneapolis fellowship in making the 98 Convention
a success;
11) Support our newly crafted RCA Diversity Philosophy Statement.
Signe, my partner of 8+ years, and I have been members of RCA for nearly as long as we have been in a committed relationship. Our home group meets on Sunday nights in Oakland, Ca. I am very grateful to RCA for the help, support and recovery our relationship has received in our years of working this program together. We have learned how to use the tools of recovery to build a healthy relationship. The role modeling and experience, strength and hope of all of you support us each 24 hours. Thank you for showing up and being willing to work the RCA program!
I look forward to sharing my thoughts, feelings and point of view as this years WSO Board chair. Keep coming back IT WORKS! Support your local meeting. If you dont have one - start one. Well be glad to help.
Join us for the next Recovering Couples Anonymous convention in Minneapolis, Minnesota on July 31 through August 2, 1998. Minneapolis is one of the most livable cities in the world, and we have selected a superb location for the convention, right in the heart of the city, on Nicollet Mall. There will be lots to do, both program related and city related.
We are busy putting together what we think will be a great program that will carry forward the spirit of San Jose. Watch the Hand In Hand for more details as they become available. To receive a registration form now, contact the WSO.
If any RCA member is interested in helping to identify improvements to the Web Site and/or to identify how the World Wide Web can be better used to assist the fellowship, why not join the Web Site Sub-Committee? If you are interested, just send an e-mail to the committee chair at cmdennis@pen.ci.santa-monica.ca.us.
In addition, there were 61 individual donations made to RCA by 33
individuals or couples totaling $2,998.27. Some of these were earmarked
for certain projects and others went into general operating funds.
There were six special events held by members of RCA in which $1,540.35
was
raised and donated to WSO.
RCA THANKS EACH AND EVERY GROUP FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS which enable the WSO Office to maintain the day-to-day office operations which are necessary to support and carry the RCA message. Your contributions help the WSO ensure the growth of RCA by promptly providing all of the requested recovery tools to individuals, couples, meetings and professionals.
Groups, we need you! You are RCA. In the Vision 2000 every member survey your number one dream was that RCA grow and become stronger. In order to make this dream come true, the WSO office needs the funds to print and distribute the messages of RCA recovery. The WSO Board is in the process of developing literature about how much and what percentage of Seventh Tradition donations groups should send to WSO. This information will be in the next Hand in Hand.
Each RCA group was sent a How We Did as a Whole summary of their Seventh Tradition contributions for the Fiscal Year
7/1/96 through 6/30/97. In the next issue of Hand in Hand, I plan to list all RCA group contributions to WSO for the fiscal year.
Because a picture is worth a thousand words, I have prepared a chart so that you can see our monthly Income and Expenses (7/1/96-6/30/97).
As you can see, the tall spike dated 9/96 towering above all other monthly figures represents the moneys we receive from our largest source of revenue THE ANNUAL CONVENTION.
The convention held in San Jose, in October 1997, was very successful. The numbers are currently being processed and I look forward to sharing with the Fellowship the Convention Committees contribution to the World Service Organization. AGAIN, thank you San Jose RCAers for putting on such a wonderful convention.
The Fundraising Committee is getting off to a great start with the Holiday Appeal!!! Each Coupleship will soon receive in the mail a way to express your gratitude to RCA at this Season of giving and sharing. November is gratitude month and it is a time to show our support for RCA, so that we can continue to reach couples who are still suffering and help our fellowship to grow. It is only through your contributions that the work of RCA can be done. Remember, we are fully self supporting, declining outside contributions.
The other project that has been completed is the Birthday Gratitude envelope!!! Couples can now express their gratitude to RCA on their Couple Recovery Birthday/Anniversary by sending a donation in the envelope to WSO. Please let Judy at WSO know how many envelopes your group will need and she will mail them out to your Group Contact Couple.
Thank you for all your love and support. May you all have a 98 of joy and recovery!!!
We are a diverse community!
Age 29 - 75+
Married 1.2 times and had 1.4 significant relationships
Income $10,000 to more than $100,000
Most heard of RCA from friends
On average we are members of 1.5 other 12 Step programs
In current relationship less than 6 months to 35+ years
Recovery as a couple from less than 6 months to 7 years on average.
Attend 3 RCA meetings per month
56% are working the Steps and, on average, are on the 6th Step
How We Found RCA
CHART
1. Build vibrant, healthy meetings in every country and in every city.
2. Reach all of our communities with the message of RCA experience,
strength
and hope.
3. Make RCA a joyful couple experience grounded in the 12 Steps.
4. Use the tools we have more effectively, and build others that enhance
our
diversity and goals.
5. Strengthen our meetings through more warmly embracing newcomers,
supporting new meetings and focusing on the 12 Steps.
6. Strengthen our recovery through sponsorship, step work and more directly
addressing our sexual wounding.
7. More effectively embrace and support our diversity through outreach,
tools
and delegates.
8. Use the World Wide Web to improve our accessibility to the global
community of couples.
9. Make RCA financially sound and self-supporting.
Most Valuable RCA Tools
CHART
1. Improved meeting support and structure
Active support for new groups
Meeting sponsorship by phone
Introduction to those new to 12 Step work
More consistent attendance
More time to share
Focus on program topics
Less cliquish
2. Retreats and weekends
3. 12 Step workbook
4. Model contracts
1. More and healthier meetings
2. Ask for donations and inform members about uses
3. Fund raising events
4. New traditions
5. New creative tools
On a personal note - I would like to thank everyone for all of your cards, prayers and love. It is very meaningful to me and I am most grateful. Thanks also for the wonderful honor at the convention. - Judy W
In the Vision 2000 survey, the fellowship expressed a desire to receive information that would make meetings more interesting and inspiring as well as help in developing a perceived connection between local groups around the world. Out of these desires grew the idea for monthly themes. Local groups may decide to use these themes for meeting topics, meeting development aids and for fundraising. By doing so, they will become one of many groups world-wide focusing thought and energy on a single topic of value for recovering couples.
The monthly themes will also be placed on the RCA Web Site so they will be available to members of the fellowship who have internet access. There will be quarterly Hand in Hand articles on the themes and the WSO will use the themes for projects.
Here are the themes for 1998:
January - Acceptance
February - Faith
March - Commitment
April - Facing Fear
May - Trust
June - Action
July - Humility
August - Cooperation
September - Forgiveness
October - Awareness
November - Gratitude
December- Sharing Your Love.