Visit https://RebellionDogsPublishing.com for complete show note + links. Time for the tast of a new generation; the Peer2Peer world turns over the reins of stewardship to Generation Y - thank for your service Baby Boomer, it's the Millennial Era now.
This is Episode, Rebellion Dogs Radio # 58, we do an annul collection of what’s new, with AA’s second all-Zoom General Service Conference (USA/Canada), AA World Services, AA Grapevine, and the most recent—the 26th—World General Service Conference, we learn about AA outside the USA and Canada region.
There is 2020 Census Data coming out piecemeal. We will talk this new recovery community era. Millennials, quietly started turning 40-years-old last year—say what? The youngest Millennial is 25 this year. I know, we’re all getting older. They are the largest adult population in America now. Mover over Baby Boomer AA’s; there’s a new sheriff in town, Generation Y will take it from here. This Zoom meeting – zoom conference thing isn’t freaking them out. It’s greener, more time efficient, encourages team work, costs less, they can order shoes and cloths for home deliver during the meeting ... This is right up their alley.
Maybe that’s why the language of AA - once unchangeable because of it’s hallowed and nostalgic pedigree - is getting a facelift. Even some Bill Wisms are, as I suspect he would encourage, being modernized. Thought AA would never change? Whether that made you glad or sad, we were wrong. This isn’t the 20th century and a new generation has taken the helm.
Millennials; I see you. If you’re reading–and I know you are—yes, I’m a 1960 baby, I’m a boomer but we had our chance, it isn’t the founder’s generation to blame for a reified basic text, not a new publication of new works by AA Word Services since 1975-two generations ago—the blame for a stuck AA is Baby Boomers. We’re the ones who Bill W talked about when cautioning about fearing needed change:
“The essence of all growth is a willingness to change for the better and then an unremitting willingness to shoulder whatever responsibility this entails.”
Bill Wilson July 1965 when he knew he wouldn’t be around to captain the AA ship for long. So what I’m saying is we Boomers had out chance. We proved to no match for our own resistance to change. Millennials, you have the helm; I’m at service and in your debt.
The COVID pandemic effect has maybe sped up the process of AA getting unstuck. Everyone, everywhere is changing how we live, love and live in recovery; but demographic data from the 2020 US Census shows that 21st century America was already looking and acting differently and hold different beliefs, that the Christian primacy nation and recovery rooms of yore. Millennial stewardship of our meetings and fellowships will have a modern tone. This is their decade and same with the next one. The 20’s of this century will roar with non-violent communication. Annually, Rebellion Dogs re-calibrates our views based on what the latest statistics tell us about demographics and trends and what bearing this may have on our recovery. This is a popular show every year.