Event History

2023

The morning sessions focused on the Conference Agenda Report (CAR) for the 2023 World Service Conference (WSC).
The afternoon provided time for the five sponsoring regions to give an update on activities in their regions. The Southern California, Central California, Northern California, Rocky Mountain and British Columbia regions are all busy preparing for the WSC and also struggling to start Narateen groups.

This is the first time the event was planned as a purely virtual event with an appeal for world wide participation.
The Pacific Northwest Region joined in the planning of the event.

This was the first event where the number of teleconference participants began to match the number of physical participants.
The Rocky Mountain Region participated for the first time.
We were fortunate this event happened before the COVID travel restrictions.

The focus for this event was on the Nar-Anon Twelve Traditions.
Robert P was elected event chair.
So. Cal. coordinated the information table.
Attendance was around 45 Nar-Anon members.
Members were present from the So. Cal., Central Cal., Nor. Cal., and High Desert Regions.
During the business meeting, Robert P described a vision for this evolving into a service focused weekend, detached from NA, involving more regions, with the option to move the event around to different regions in different years.
For the first time, there was a session scheduled for Friday evening. Members were also invited to attend a Sunday Step Study hosted by the Bakersfield Group. For some members, this is now becoming a three day activity.

The focus for this event was on Nar-Anon service.
Robert P was elected event chair.
Central California Region coordinated the information table.
Attendance was around 45 Nar-Anon members.
Members were present from the So. Cal., Central Cal., Nor. Cal., High Desert, and Baja Cal. Regions.
The NA activities have moved to the far side of the convention center meaning that fewer friends and family now see our information tables. Also fewer NA members now wander by looking for meetings. This means there is less overlap, and less outreach.
While occasional Nar-Anon members drive up for just one or two sessions, Bakersfield is a long distance from most population centers. The majority of the Nar-Anon participants now seem to arrive Friday and leave on Sunday, giving this more of a convention feel.
There was discussion about this being a different type of Nar-Anon event. It has evolved into more of a workshop and less of a day long meeting.
Members were invited to attend a Sunday Step Study hosted by the Bakersfield Group.

The focus for this event was on the Nar-Anon Twelve Steps.
Robert P was elected event chair.
Northern California Region coordinated the information table.
File archives went online and a website was set up for committee communication.
For the first time, committee decisions were made through anonymous email surveys.
The business meeting included representatives from So. Cal., Central Cal., and Nor. Cal. Visitors were present from the High Desert and Baja Regions.
The focus of the business meeting was on applying the Steps in our relations with others in service.
The business meeting agreed to invite all five regions to participate next year.
It was noted that as the sessions get deeper into Nar-Anon there is less participation from NA members and a more narrowly defined Nar-Anon audience.

The focus for this event was on Nar-Anon literature.
Robert was elected chair of the event committee.
Southern California Region coordinated the information table.
Both the Nor.Cal. and Central Cal. regions joined with So. Cal. in planning this event.
Planning was primarily completed through email rather than phone calls.
There was a change in the attendance pattern. Rather than members and visitors stopping by for a few sessions, there was a core group that stayed most of the day. While the attendance was only around 50 members, the room was still packed.

Planning was coordinated by Scott N from Central Cal. and Robert P from So. Cal. with support from those regions.
Southern California Region coordinated the information table.
About 100 people attended one or more of the sessions on Saturday. This larger than normal attendance was partially attributed to including more NA speakers within the Nar-Anon sessions. The NA speakers brought other NA members in to listen.
Members from So. Cal, Central, and Nor. Cal all participated in leading sessions, worked the information table, and attended the business meeting.
The business meeting included an excellent discussion regarding the boundaries between “outreach” as contrasted with “promotion”.
There was agreement that we should try to find a larger room for next year.

Planning was coordinated by Scott C, Scott N and Cathy Y from So.Cal. region with assistance from Robert P from Bakersfield.
Southern California Region coordinated the information table.
About 80 people attended the all day sessions on Saturday.
People attending this convention then went back and started meetings in Tulare (Nor. Cal.), Porterville (Central Cal.), Wasco (So. Cal. Spanish). This, in turn, sparked the creation of new meetings in Visalia (Nor. Cal.) and Tehachapi (So. Cal.).
Following the sessions there was a business meeting to discuss several topics with the creation of a new Central California region being one of the primary topics. So. Cal., Nor. Cal. and WSO representatives all met with the team from Monterey that was working to start the new Central California region.

This was an outreach event.
Planning was coordinated by Scott N from the So. Cal. region of Nar-Anon with assistance from Cathy K from WSO.
This event planted seeds that got other activities started in the south valley area.
Planning for the Bakersfield meeting started shortly after this convention.