Office Hours:
1st Saturday
of every month from 10:00am - 12:00pm
Office Location:
6th & Gilpin, Denver,
CO... (Church of the Ascension)
Archives Committee Meeting:
1st Saturday of every month at 10:00am
The Area 10 Archives (Colorado),
mission statement is as follows:
"The purpose of the archives is to keep the record
straight so that myth does not predominate over fact as
to the history of our Fellowship.This record can easily
dissipate unless the material is properly cared for.The
function of the archives is to give the Fellowship a sense
of its own past and the opportunity to study it; while
at the same time protecting the material itself from damage
or loss and assuring the privacy of all individuals in
keeping with A.A. traditions."
Area 10 Archives
projects include:
-
-
Preservation and cataloging of audio
tape library
-
Scanning documents and indexing by
keyword
-
-
Maintenance of database records
-
Design
and maintenance of displays that travel to
Conventions, Assemblies, and Workshops
(wherever and whenever we're invited)
-
Supporting the District Archives
Chair *
How Can I Help?
We are always looking
for assistance: filing and indexing papers and materials,
updating and maintaining records of information as to
assemblies and those who have served on the Area 10 Committee,
transcribing longtimer interviews, preparing displays
for viewing at Assemblies and State Conventions. The
Archives Committee seeks individuals with a certain passion
for their sobriety, for preserving the history of AA
in Colorado or for being of service where service is
needed. Efforts are underway to develop practices and
procedures specific to Area 10 Archives relating to requests
for research. Research requests, forms, and longtimer
interview release forms, are being developed and will
be posted as soon as practicable. In the meantime we
will be following as closely as possible the guidelines
posted at the G.S.O. web site pertaining to Archives
access and confidentiality. ....Thank you and see you
at the Area 10 Archives!
Longtimer
Interviews
Area 10 Archives is preserving personal histories
of the longtimers in Colorado through interviews which
ask questions aimed at recording individuals’ impressions
of how Colorado AA was, what happened, and what we are
like now. The interviews do not reflect the individual’s
history so much as the individual’s view of AA in
Colorado. The transcripts are a partial picture of our
history from individuals’ perspectives. The complete
picture of our history is not contained in these documents.
All interviews are transcribed and stored in a format that
protects the anonymity of the person interviewed, as well
as anyone whose name might have been mentioned in the session.
Longtimer interviews are excerpted from time to time and
shared in service meetings in such a way as to shed light
on particular issues while preserving anonymity. The interviews
are the intellectual property of Area 10 with expressed
permission obtained by those interviewed to be used by
AA members who are authorized by the Area with delegated
authority to use the materials for the purpose of assisting
the Area to conduct its affairs or meets another accepted
criteria for release. It is the responsibility of the Area
Archives Chairperson to authorize access of these materials
to AA members whose purpose satisfies the purpose of assisting
the Area to conduct its affairs. The interview format was
developed to reach the heart of how the Group's message
was in the past carried to the newcomer and how this may
be different today, how we have handled disagreements over
issues that could have lasting impact on the fellowship
as a whole, how our approaches have in some cases changed
over time, and to what extent the Traditions and Concepts
have guided our process in sorting through these affairs.
Group Histories
We also strive to keep good information about
the Groups that make up Area 10. We have a Group
History form that can be filled out by any Group that
wishes to have its history available for others to see
or for their own members to look back and reflect on.
The District Archives Chair
How can the Area Archives Committee serve the
Groups and Districts, specifically? We ask that all Districts
send to Archives a copy of their District meeting minutes,
which is then filed in the District's folder. Any time
a District holds an inventory, the inventory results
can be sent to us as well. If the District holds a workshop,
please send us a flyer. We also like to be invited to
attend service workshops sponsored by Districts or Groups
so we can carry the message of what we do for the members
of our fellowship. Groups are welcome to send us their
records. Some Districts are fortunate and have a file
cabinet and/or storage area within their District for
storing their own archives. It still remains for a District
Archives Chair to maintain the files and records and
for the Groups to contribute to those records. Inviting
the Area Archives Chair to attend your District meeting
with the display and give a presentation....thank
you the Area 10 Archives Committee
from
GSO...
Like
any other A.A. service, the primary purpose of those
involved in archival work is to carry the message
of Alcoholics Anonymous. Archives service work is
more than mere custodial activity; it is the means
by which we collect, preserve and share the rich
and meaningful heritage of our Fellowship....from
the AA Guidelines ©
