PR Subcommittee Minutes

[Kelly McD]

Opened Meeting: 12:10pm

Roll Call:

H&I Chair - X

PI Chair - X

Literature Chair- X

Activities Chair- X

IT Chair - X

DOC Coordinator- X

Working Steps For Recovery- X

Introductions from visiting members

Reports:

IT Chair - The web coordinator 1 has resigned the position and the letter will be attached so that others can read it in the minutes. There may be some delays in responses with IT since this position is open.

PI Chair -This past quarter has been a very busy one getting ready for the upcoming Regional Learning Days event in Olympia, WA on July 28-29. The PR committee has been meeting twice monthly for the past few months, and the event is coming along and will be amazing. We will have a coffee truck there all-day selling drinks and we will be having a taco truck for dinner. We will also have T-shirts for sale for $15 and a tie-dye station if folks will want to tie-dye their shirts. Flyers are located on the table. Other than that, we set up the new regional PI booth and the booth made it to WNIRCNA and then to the mobile convention. We will be setting it up at the regional learning days. We did have one guideline meeting and started a plan for updating, but participation was low. The second meeting no one was able to attend so the vice chair and I have decided to pause on it until after the Learning Days event so that we can better focus on that task. PR was also asked for members to come up to the British Columbia Region to do an IDT about communication with their regional PR committee. Since I am able travel there and had the availability, I offered to attend and will be facilitating with Kia. That will be the last weekend of August. I also just purchased my flight to WSLD in November and am excited to attend that as well. Other than that, we are plugging along and I will have more to report tomorrow after all-subs.

H&I Chair - Since April RSC my regional service energy bank has been spent on co-chairing the PR Learning Days committee. We are SO EXCITED to throw a fabulous event at the end of the month. It has been a steep learning curve to shift into event-planning and also a wonderful bonding experience for the PR admin. We are grateful for the support and collaboration with the WPS area activities committee. Following the event, we intend to draft a motion and revise the LD guidelines to align more supportively with the benefits of having both the PR admin AND an area activities committee on the LD event planning committee going forward.

I met virtually with H&I members in WPSNA who are getting a program similar to AA’s Bridging the Gap up and running in their area. They are calling the program Beyond the Bars and there are pink pamphlets available with more info. Many of these members were incarcerated previously and benefited from WSFR and H&I panel members and are now giving back. They are seeking to create a formal subcommittee that supports new members as they transition out of prison and into their first outside NA meeting. One of the leaders of this group, Clint, will be speaking at the H&I workshop at LD 2023, along with our RSC H&I VC, Joe A.

 

An ad hoc of RSC H&I members will meet between now and January’s RSC to update our subcommittee guidelines. The PI Chair, Kelly, and I just booked out airfare for WSLD in November and we are stoked to be of service in this way again soon.

Working Steps For Recovery- We are receiving about 10 to 15 letters a month. There is an increase from local institutions. I have had 2 meetings with West Puget Sound that has created a new committee connecting inmates that are going to be released to the NA fellowship like “Bridging the Gap”. They are picking our brains to better serve NA members being released into society. We are doing a presentation at the Regional Service-Learning Days. We have a new Working Steps for Recovery behind the walls webpage. The Western States Zonal Forum website has a link to our WSFRBTW webpage as well as links to other WSFRBTW committees in our Zone. I have hotel reservations for Western Service-Learning Days in November. I am working overtime tonight so I will attend H&I if I am up in time. If not, I will give this report at PR.

Yours in Service

Rob K.

The information can be found online if you

DOC Coordinator-     

I have been perusing Colorado’s NA page in search of their DOC coordinators information to re-engage. Ashley had given me her info previously and it’s been filed incorrectly.

I have called the help line there with no success and will continue to research other options through World Services and through other California service groups.

There has been concern brought to our attention for the reorienting of people coming out of prisons. I have been in communication with Work Release and local work placement services utilized by the residents of the Work Release programs. There is available to the employer, trade service, and specialty manufacturer a federal training program that allows a trade or service organization the assistance of having the government cover the wages of a new hire during a 90-training period. This program continues to cover half wages through the following 60 days (approx.) through to permanent hire. This Federally funded program is at no cost to the employer.

If an employer qualifies first through the State Work Source and requests that these new recruits be from local Work Release offices, the Prisons Work Release residential facilities could request, system wide, the placement of releasees who are interested in career opportunities in a vast arena of job placement opportunities.

We can meet the people’s need for support at the door through panels, local NA support, meeting ip’s, and a hug.

This, from personal experience, is doable.

In loving service

Logan H.

Are you interested in pursuing a reentry program with Narcotics Anonymous? Yes, there is interest in that, but more information is needed and also more people are needed to participate.

Literature Chair- HELLO AGAIN RECOVERY FAMILY. WE SEVERAL ATTEND THE SUB-COMMITTEE MEETING AND SADLY IT TOOK TIME TO ACTUALLY HAVE THE PLACE OPEN.
LAST MONTHS MINUITS READ AND APPROVED. IN ATTENDANCE WERE:
1) TRI-CITIES 2) PIERCE CO. 3) N.E.  OREGON 4) SO. WEST WASH 5) SO. KING CO. 6) BLUE MTN.
7) SEATTLE
  ELECTIONS WERE HELD AND SHAMUS M. NOMINATED AND ELECTED THANK YOU !
  NEW BUSINESS DISCUSSION WAS ON FAKE GROUPS SUBMITTING FAKE ORDERS .
CONSENSUS WAS, CAN THEY BE VARIFIED ?
DONE ONLY BUY EMAIL ?
ARE THESE GROUPS ATTENDING A.S.C. ?
  SOLUTION CAME TO BE TO RETURN TO PAPER ORDERING OF LITERATURE OR ACTUALLY HAVE THE ORDERS PRE-PAID.
MUST BE RESPONSIBLE WITH NA FUNDS

NEXT LITERATURE SUB-COMMITTEE MEETING WILL BE OCTOBER 14th FROM 10:00am TO 12:00 pm

IN GREATFUL LOVING SERVICE 

JOEL L REGIONAL LITEREATURE CHAIR PERSON

Activities Chair- We had good in-person and virtual attendance. The areas that were present are as follows:
•       Central Washington
•       Chelan/Douglas Counties
•       Everett
•       Lower Columbia
•       Northeast WA
•       North East Oregon Area
•       Pierce County
•       South King County
•       South Puget Sound 
•       Southwest WA
•       The Lewis County
The committee will be working on our guidelines after our next WNIRNAC meeting on 10/14/23 from 12-1 pm after regular business. All are invited to attend, especially those with experience reviewing guidelines. Because of this, I will not be attending the PR meeting; however, I will send a delegate.

We had an amazing meeting and covered topics regarding flyers, traditions, and financial sustainability. We also generated excitement about our upcoming WNIR Learning Days event in Olympia on July 28th & 29th!

Our next regional dinner will be at the Palace on 10-13-23 at 5 pm! We will be in the private room, provided it is still available!

We also voted in Mike D. from NEWANA as our Vice Chair!

GTS,

Michael L
WNIRNAC Chair

Behind the Walls- Is helping start up a reentry program to help introduce members leaving prison to Narcotics Anonymous so they get some assistance in starting their recovery as they leave prison. Currently the focus is Mission Creek, which is a woman's facility and they are starting there but would like to start a program that is region wide. He has a flier that is being passed out to get volunteers to assist in the process.

OPEN FORUM

Learning Days - There was a question about whether it will be hybrid and it sounds like there was a request for the main speakers to be streamed online. More discussion will be done at the Learning Days committee meeting and we will update the website when that gets done.

Are there resources for how to reach others that speak a langue other than English? There were suggestions to go to the NAWS website since there is information on there about other languages. Bonner also had suggestions and gave his contact information.

Jerry - Has sent the guidelines in the new format to all of the sub committees. Nothing was changed, it was just rearranged. They will need to be approved so if you are planning on updating them you can do that and then get them approved.

OLD BUSINESS- None

NEW BUSINESS- None

Closed - 1:21 pm