Welcome to District 13
Albuquerque (S of I-40 & E of I-25), Tijeras, Moriarity, McIntosh, Willard, Mountainair, Corona
District 13 meets on
the second Saturday of the month at
Metropolitan Community Church
1103 Texas St. NE 87110
10:00 AM
***District 13 will meet virtually via Zoom until further notice***
Next meeting:
Saturday, May 8, 2021 @ 10:00 AM via Zoom
Our Bridge the Gap, Corrections, CPC/PI, and Young People Liaisons are currently vacant.
Please feel free to attend and stand. Your input is welcome and service is needed!
Contact Laura S. for further information, including URL and Meeting ID.
(917) 676-3674
district13@nm-aa.org
Announcements:
Once again, kudos to our Technology Committee and District 9 for all of the work involved in hosting a virtual Assembly. Acclamation should also be extended to all voting members for coming together unanimously on the motion from the Ad-Hoc Committee About the Books. The collective unity we experienced in that moment was monumental.
At our April meeting we discussed a distribution plan and began to identify possible locations where District 13 could use our share of the books to carry the message. We intend to make these books available to the public unaware of, or unfamiliar with the solution of Alcoholics Anonymous, and look forward to refining our plan over the next five months.
District 13 is grateful for Area 46’s vote of confidence, and excited for the opportunity to host the March 2022 Area 46 Assembly. Our first step will be to form a subcommittee and secure a venue with deposit. It is our sincere hope that we are able to gather in person for this assembly.
At our March meeting, District 13 had the opportunity to discuss General Service Conference Agenda item VI.U: Consider if proposed agenda items for plain language, simplified language, accessible translations and large print versions of the book Alcoholics Anonymous, as well as workbooks to help study the program of Alcoholics Anonymous, can be addressed with a common solution. District 13 discussed the issue and unanimously agreed that Alcoholics Anonymous should be exploring possible solutions that could help make our message more accessible and relatable. Alcoholics Anonymous membership has plateaued at approximately two million members since the 1990s. Our District feels this lack of growth may be a consequence of taking no action on requests to accommodate lower literacy levels, and ignoring the need to evolve despite an increasing awareness of diversity in our membership. Understanding the historical value of the Big Book and the resistance to change it, several GSRs supported the idea of creating companion materials or a new book with more simple, modern, and inclusive language as an alternative. Others felt a separate book would create more division in our fellowship and expressed that it was time to address and/or take responsibility for our reluctance to alter problematic language in our basic text. Fear of change is natural for the alcoholic, however, our founders consistently recognized the need to grow and change with the times. Bill W. encouraged us to be mindful that “content or style that might offend or alienate those who are not familiar with the program should be carefully eliminated.” Bob S. set a precedent for accompanying materials, which ensured the A.A. message would reach a wider demographic of alcoholics. Tradition Five states that our primary purpose is to carry the message to the alcoholic who still suffers. If the still suffering alcoholic is telling us our program is inaccessible or exclusive, why are we taking no action? We enthusiastically support continued efforts to satisfy the need for accessibility and relatability of the book, Alcoholics Anonymous.
We are also beginning to visit groups virtually to encourage GSRs and/or Group Contacts to attend monthly District meetings and quarterly Area Assemblies.
District 13 spent a substantial part of 2020 focused on providing more of a Public Information presence during the COVID-19 health crisis. Our goal was to communicate to the public that Alcoholics Anonymous is here, both online and in person, if they, or someone they know needs help with a drinking problem. GSO-approved public service announcements were aired on a free broadcast, podcast and streaming radio platform, and similar information was submitted to local television and newspaper outlets through coordinated efforts with other Districts and the Area 46 Public Information Committee.
Workshops:
District 13 co-hosted a virtual workshop with District 12 about group considerations and concerns related to reopening meeting spaces in New Mexico in August 2020. We are so grateful for the support of 115 attendees from all over New Mexico State, as well as several participants from other parts of the country. Five local panelists, along with three non-A.A. guest speakers, shared their personal experience and professional expertise navigating this topic. The purpose of this workshop was neither to encourage nor discourage groups from holding in-person meetings at this time. It was not intended as a directive, especially with information changing so rapidly. We respect that each A.A. group is autonomous. We simply wished to offer information and resources so that each group might make informed decisions about reopening their meeting space in light of COVID-19. Links to the audio recording and Online Resource Guide are posted below, and a CD will be provided to Area 46’s Archives, as well as Albuquerque Central Office’s Media Library.
- D12 & D13 Reopening Meeting Spaces in New Mexico Workshop Audio Recording
- Area 46 COVID-19 Online Resource Guide
District 13 co-hosted a Safety in A.A. Workshop with District 12 in January 2019. The event was a huge success with over 150 attendees from all over New Mexico State, and even a few car-loads from Arizona. Past Delegate and Past Pacific Regional Trustee, Madeleine P., flew in from Portland, OR to serve as our keynote speaker. She, along with four local panelists, shared their personal experiences witnessing, addressing, and/or being the target of conduct that disrupts A.A. meetings; illegal activity; emergencies; sexual harassment, 13th Stepping, or stalking; threats of violence; bullying; financial coercion; racial intolerance; sexual orientation or gender identification intolerance; and pressuring A.A. members into a particular point of view or belief relating to medical treatments and/or medications, politics, religion, or other outside issues. The purpose of the workshop was to provide a forum for members to discuss the topic of safety, raise awareness in the Fellowship, and share solutions for creating as safe an environment as possible for all current and potential attendees at our meetings. A link to the audio recording is posted below, and a CD has been provided to Area 46’s Archives, as well as Albuquerque Central Office’s Media Library. We hope the content of this workshop will spark more conversations about the topic of Safety in other Area 46 Districts and Groups.
Group Contributions:
In March 2020, we voted unanimously to begin accepting digital contributions via a smartphone app-based payment platform. Offering a “virtual basket” is meant as an additional option, but not as a replacement for cash contributions. Either will be gratefully accepted by District 13 and put toward services for our local A.A. community. For more information about the “virtual basket” and collecting contributions digitally, check out the following: Best Practices for a Digital 7th Tradition, Digital Basket Question and Answer document, Payment Platform Comparison, and Box 459 article from 2017 which discusses this topic on pages 3-4.
Please consider including District 13 when your group makes quarterly distributions. It is through your generous contributions that we are able to provide services to our local A.A. community. Checks can be made out to District 13, and mailed to P.O. Box 11134, Albuquerque, NM 87112. To contribute digitally, follow this link: District 13 Virtual Basket, or send contribution in Venmo to user: district-13. If you have trouble accessing our account, please contact district13@nm-aa.org.
Archive of District 13 Business Meeting Minutes:
| January 2021 | February 2021 | March 2021 |
| January 2020 | February 2020 | March 2020 |
| April 2020 | May 2020 | June 2020 |
| July 2020 | August 2020 | September 2020 |
| October 2020 | November 2020 | December 2020 |
| January 2019 | February 2019 | March 2019 |
| April 2019 – No Meeting | May 2019 | June 2019 |
| July 2019 | August 2019 | September 2019 |
| October 2019 | November 2019 | December 2019 |
Your Trusted Servants:
| DCM – Laura S. | Alt DCM – Ariel M. |
| Treasurer – Jack M. | Secretary – Sarah H. |
Committee Chairs:
| Bridge The Gap – Vacant | Treatment – Mac L. |
| CPC/PI – Vacant | Corrections – Vacant |
| Intergroup Liaison – Jack M. | YPAA – Vacant |
District 13 Groups:
| GROUP | DAYS | TIME | LOCATION |
| AA at the VA | M – F | 1:00P | VA Campus, 1501 San Pedro Dr SE, Albuquerque
*Temporarily closed |
| Any Lengths Women’s Group | T, Th, Sa | Noon | Monte Vista Christian Church, 3501 Campus Blvd NE, Albuquerque
*Temporarily meeting online |
| Bozos on the Bus | Sa | 6:00P | Immanuel Presbyterian Church, 114 Carlisle Blvd SE, Albuquerque
*Temporarily meeting online |
| Burning Desire | T – Th
Su |
7:00P
6:00P |
112 Morningside Dr NE, Albuquerque
*Temporarily meeting online |
| Conscious Contact Meditation Meeting | M | 7:00P | First Congregational Church, 2801 Lomas Blvd NE, Albuquerque
*Temporarily meeting online |
| Direct Amends | T | Noon | Kirtland AFB, 1950 2nd St SE, Albuquerque |
| Early Birds | Su – Sa | 6:30A | Desert Club, 4305 Mesa Grande Pl SE, Albuquerque
*Hybrid meeting (online & limited in-person attendance) |
| Estancia Valley Group | T, Th | 7:00P | Church of Christ, 211 Irene Ave, Moriarty
*Limited in-person attendance |
| Fellowship Group | Th | 7:30P | Desert Club, 4305 Mesa Grande Pl SE, Albuquerque
*Temporarily closed |
| Free Spirits | T, Th | 6:00P | Monte Vista Christian Church, 3501 Campus Blvd NE, Albuquerque
*Temporarily meeting online |
| Grateful Girls | T | 7:00P | Immanuel Presbyterian Church, 114 Carlisle Blvd SE, Albuquerque
*Temporarily meeting online |
| High Country Group | Su | 7:00P | Holy Child Catholic Church, Cam Del Santo Nino, Tijeras
*Limited in-person attendance |
| High Noon Group | Su – Sa | Noon
4:00P |
Desert Club, 4305 Mesa Grande Pl SE, Albuquerque
*Temporarily closed |
| How It Works | Su, Th | 7:00P | St. Thomas of Canterbury Church, 425 University Blvd NE, Albuquerque
*Temporarily meeting online |
| Kiva Group | Th | 7:00P | St. Timothy’s Lutheran Church, 211 Jefferson St NE, Albuquerque
*Limited in-person attendance |
| Live and Let Live | M, Th | 7:00P | Metropolitan Community Church, 1103 Texas St NE, Albuquerque
*Temporarily meeting online |
| Native American Group | Th | 7:00P | Endorphin Power Company, 509 Cardenas Dr SE, Albuquerque
*Limited in-person attendance |
| Native Noon Group | W – F | 12:00P | Albuquerque Indian Center, 105 Texas St SE, Albuquerque
*Limited in-person attendance |
| New Frontier | W | 8:00P | Monte Vista Christian Church, 3501 Campus Blvd NE, Albuquerque
*Limited in-person attendance |
| Open Heart | T | 6:00P | First Nations Healthcare, 5608 Zuni Rd SE, Albuquerque
*Limited in-person attendance |
| Outhouse Group | F | 6:30P | Mountainair Methodist Church, 3rd St, Mountainair
*Limited in-person attendance |
| Queer Ideas of Fun | Su
F |
3:00P
5:30P |
St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 431 Richmond Pl NE, Albuquerque *Temporarily meeting online |
| Rule 62 Group | M
F – Su |
9:00A | Desert Club, 4305 Mesa Grande Pl SE, Albuquerque
*Temporarily closed |
| Six O’Clock Irregulars | Su – Sa | 6:00P | Desert Club, 4305 Mesa Grande Pl SE, Albuquerque
*Hybrid meeting (online & limited in-person attendance) |
| Stag | M | 6:30 P | Netherwood Park Church of Christ, 5101 Indian School Rd NE, Albuquerque
*Temporarily meeting online |
| Still Seeking Serenity | W | 2:30P | St. Timothy’s Lutheran Church, 211 Jefferson St NE, Albuquerque
*Limited in-person attendance |
| Straight Pepper Diet | F | 8:00P | St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 431 Richmond Pl NE, Albuquerque
*Temporarily meeting online |
| Tuesday Knights | T | 7:30P | Desert Club, 4305 Mesa Grande Pl SE, Albuquerque
*Limited in-person attendance *Temporarily meeting online simultaneously as well |