NA Northern Australia Local Service Conference Minutes held 6th August, 2023
Location: Virtual Zoom
Meeting ID: 869 1301 6074
Pass code: NA
Meeting Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81738621543?pwd=aG0xWjhCVXN4YnNuckswYnZNZnA1QT09
Date: 6th August, 2023
Time: 10am
Chairperson: Nathan
Minutes: Sami
Attendees: Nathan (Board Member)
Sami (Secretary of Board and Townsville GSF)
Brad N. (RCM and Board Member)
John C. (PR Hub Co-Ordinator and Board Member)
Meredith (H&I Hub Co-Ordinator and Board Member)
Andrew (Lockyer Valley GSF)
Lorin (Capricorn Coast GSF)
Alan (Brisbane North GSF)
Bruce G. (IT)
Krissy A. (Logan GSF)
Peter B. (Observer)
Bob (Hervey Bay GSF)
Peter (Springwood GSF)
Jess (Toowoomba GSF)
Dan B. (Logan GSF)
Apologies: Michael (Treasurer of Board)
Matt P.(Member of Board)
Bernard (Member of Board)
1) Open – Welcome by Chairperson (Nathan)
2) Acknowledgement of traditional owners (Sami).
a) Today we stand in footsteps millennia old. May we acknowledge the traditional owners whose cultures and customs have nurtured, and continue to nurture, this land, since men and women awoke from the great dream. We honour the presence of these ancestors who reside in the imagination of this land and whose irrepressible spirituality flows through all creation.
3) Service prayer (Brad)
God, grant us the knowledge that we may act according to your divine precepts. Instill in us a sense of your purpose. Make us servants of your will and grant us a bond of selflessness, that this may truly be your work, not ours – in order that no addict, anywhere, need die from the horrors of addiction.
4) Explanation as to purpose of meeting (Nathan)
a) (ie how can the NANANSA board support the efforts of groups across the region).
b) Update on board activity.
c) How can we better represent the cultural diversity of our membership?
5) GSF Reports
a) provide info on how many groups are in the GSF and what projects they are working and if there are opportunities for the board to assist. Board will clarify after each GSF rep speaks on salient points and take requests of assistance back to the next board meeting.
b)group reports:
| Representative | Group Area | Number of groups in your GSF | Projects | Assistance requested |
| Lorin | Capricorn Coast | 2 | Split from Rockhampton, new people in service roles, growth in Emu Park group and attended by the Rehab in Rocky. Received posters from John and will be put up using buddy system, BBQ’s and milestone birthdays. Good sales of literature. | Unity day, Stalls at events (mental health week etc)
Help from PI. |
| Alan | North Brisbane | 7 | North Bris BBQ every 3 months quite successful (Shorncliffe Pier). Celebration of birthdays. H&I meetings Caboolture secure mental health and Caboolture rehab. PI activities posting of posters, business cards and stickers across the community. | Next BBQ 10/9. Put that out to the wider community for attendance. |
| Andrew | Lockyer Valley | 3 | Opened 3 groups linking in with sunrise way @ Gatton meeting. Potenial Unity Day in the LV. Merged meetings into 1 group 3 meetings. | Some PI opportunities in Rosewood area, Flyer handouts?? OCM’s with steps completed. Can H&I be opened up to the rehabs in the LV area |
| Jess | Toowoomba | 2 | Change to SPAD meeting on Tuesday to provide variety of readings. Growth thanks to attendance is looking like there may be requirement to move facility. Dropped zoom. Unity Day / Speaker Jam. | Cancel Zoom meeting. Speaker Jam. OCM’s. LGBTQ – rainbow recovery. Prelim talks. . |
| Krissy A | Logan | 8 | Unity Day early 2023 – GSF closed but has restarted with monthly meetings. H&I @ Logan house. Beenleigh meeting Fri nights is now a guest speaker meeting. | Promote OCM attendance and participation in meetings. Insurance and fires (meeting at Waterford @ homeless persons shelter on private property. Meeting is using a pit fire with open flames as it is outside. Went to camp serenity and saw a big bonfire therefore why can there be a bonfire at an NA event but a spitfire can’t be had. Clarification of what is acceptable with an open flame and who is accountable when the property is privately owned. |
| Sami | Townsville | 3 | No longer holding GSF’s. Positive Unity Day. | Few members willing to step up for service. |
| Bob | Hervey Bay | 3 | 2 meetings continuing as Hybrid following covid allowing people from out of area to connect. Update posters that are out and about. Recovery BBQs open to all 12step programs. | Funding for local meeting info to be put on posters. Provision of information about the board that is more transparent. |
6) PR Report (John)
a) Queensland Rail Campaign – Train Deal on Offer
24 x Beside Door Panels Total
4 x Train Units running the entire QR Network
12 x Weeks (8 x Weeks Paid / 4 x Weeks Bonus)
TOTAL INVESTMENT – $2,000 ex GST
Total Value – $11,040
Estimated Passenger Journeys during the campaign – 84,785
All art work compiled by the media company after obtaining hi res/original images from the Gold Coast fellowship
Other features – 2 different images used; female and male with head in his hands.
– After images, a statement: A drug recovery program that makes it possible to stop using drugs (combined effort from the Board and members)
Usual info on text or phoning the hotline
Alongside QR code: Scan your future.
12 weeks in total from July 10 – October 1, 2023
At the end of the period S and J Media will give us the number of hits on our website coming from the QR code
Overall, excited by this. If we choose, as a group, to pursue this another time, then we suggest including the Indigenous poster instead of …..?
Need to think about which time of year.
b) Posters, business cards, stickers
Please email John if you want any. It will be posted in a timely manner. He will need numbers and size – Generally A4/5
Stickers are business card size and recommended for Telstra phone booths or anywhere else you see fit.
c) Presentations
PT and John presented to a half way house a few months back. Wilsen requested.
d) Phone line
Bruce is organising a Zoom meeting for PR people and phone line to coordinate our endeavors.
7) H&I Report (Meredith)
a) H&I Q&A (Meredith)
| Northern Australia Service Area H&I – August 2023 | ||||
| Location | Detox | Rehab/Mental Health Units | Correctional | Frequency |
| Townsville | ||||
| Alice Springs | 1 | Fortnightly | ||
| 1 | Monthly | |||
| Darwin | ||||
| Brisbane | 1 | Twice weekly | ||
| 1 | Weekly | |||
| 3 | Fortnightly | |||
| Weekly | ||||
| 2 | Fortnightly | |||
| 1 | 2 | Monthly | ||
| Toowoomba | ||||
| Total | 1 | 6 | 5 | |
| Breakdown of Brisbane H&I (this information is included in table above) | Frequency | Number of NA members on roster | ||
| Caboolture Mental Health Unit | Under discussion to recommence meetings | 0 | ||
| Chermside Secure Mental Health Facility | Fortnightly | 11 | ||
| RBWH Hospital Alcohol and Drug Service (HADS) | Twice weekly | 36 | ||
| Moonyah (Rehab) | Weekly | 19 | ||
| Logan House (Lives Lived Well) | Fortnightly | TBC | ||
| Wunya, Lives Lived Well (Caboolture) | Fortnightly | 14 | ||
| Southern Queensland Correctional Centre (Gatton) | Fortnightly | 1 | ||
| Brisbane Women’s Correctional Centre | Monthly | 6 | ||
| Helana Jones Correctional Centre (Female) | Fortnightly | 1 | ||
| Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre (Male) | Monthly | 4 | ||
8) Treasurer Report (Sami on behalf of Michael)
a) Sami shared her screen showing the latest financial reports that are posted on the website and demonstrated how to find future reports
9) Nominations for Board Membership (Nathan)
a) Minimum 2 years clean time, working steps (with a sponsor) and service position at group level (6months)
b) No nominations received
10) Close with Serenity prayer in the plural. (John)
God, grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change. The courage to change the things we can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
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