Information About the Area 15 Literature Committee

The South Florida Area 15 Literature Committee is guided by these words of A.A. co-founder Bill W., who described the influence of A.A. literature as “incalculable”:

“Suppose, for instance, that during the last twenty-five years A.A. had never published any standard literature … no books, no pamphlets. We need little imagination to see that by now our message would be hopelessly garbled. Our relations with medicine and religion would have become a shambles. To alcoholics generally we would today be a joke and the public would have thought us a riddle. Without its literature, A.A. would certainly have bogged down in a welter of controversy and disunity.”
— The A.A. Grapevine, May 1964; The Language of the Heart, p. 348

Copyright © The AA Grapevine, Inc. (May, 1964). Reprinted with permission.

 

The Area 15 Literature Committee derives its mission from the A.A. Guidelines for Literature Committees published by the General Service Office. It seeks to encourage District Literature Committee Chairpersons, through their committees, to inform members of their districts of all available Conference-approved literature, audiovisual material and other special items; become familiar with the information on G.S.O.’s A.A. website (www.aa.org); display literature for group and district functions; consider suggestions regarding proposed additions to and changes in Conference-approved literature and audiovisual material; and encourage A.A. members to read and purchase A.A. literature.

Composition:
All District Literature chairpersons are members of this Committee. The Committee chairperson, and alternate committee chairperson/ secretary/treasurer are voting members and are elected in Committee every two years at the October quarterly using Third Legacy Procedure and are presented for approval at the Area 15 business meeting.

Scope:
Offers a forum to districts for sharing and reviewing Conference approved literature and other Area 15 literature. Maintains a supply of A.A. literature pertinent to the Committee’s purpose. Reviews literature as requested by Area Delegate, the General Service Office or other Area 15 committees.

Procedure:
Holds quarterly meetings where districts may share their experience. Sends out minutes and maintains a record of all district Literature Committee chairpersons’ addresses and phone numbers for communication purposes. Provides a communication channel to and from the Literature desk at the General Service Office. Communicates with the Area Delegate. Presents a report of committee activities and a treasurer’s report orally at the Area business meeting and in written form for inclusion in the Area minutes. Provides the Area Finance Committee with an annual request for funds at budget time.