Purpose
Like all of A.A., the primary purpose of members involved with public information service is to carry the A.A. message to the alcoholic who still suffers. Working together, members of local Public Information committees convey A.A. information to the general public, including the media.

What We Do
Area 66 Public Information has one ultimate goal, and it is the same as that of every AA group and every type of service work: To carry the message to the alcoholic who still suffers, But public information tries to reach the alcoholic indirectly, as well as directly, in three ways:

1. By informing the general public about the AA program
2. By informing "the third person" whose work is or may be involved with the active alcoholic
3. By keeping the fellowship well-informed, so that members and groups may carry the message more effectively.

Why We Do It
Much of the Public has not had the opportunity to find out how the AA Program works. There are a great many misconceptions about AA in the public eye. Unless we inform the public, many practicing alcoholics may never find us. The PI Committee is prepared to meet any group of individuals that would like information about what AA is and what it is not.

History
The 1939 publication of our Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous, was the first A.A. information available for the public. By 1941, several articles on A.A. in national publications helped to encourage understanding and acceptance of A.A. Also significant were good relations with professionals, such as Dr. W. D. Silkworth, Rev. Sam Shoemaker and Dr. Harry Tiebout. In 1956, the Public Information Committee of the General Service Board was formed, with a corresponding Conference P.l. Committee established in 1961. The General Service Conference established this policy for A.A. Public Information: " In all public relationships, A.A.’s sole objective is to help the still suffering alcoholic. Always mindful of the importance of personal anonymity, we believe this can be done by making known to the still-suffering alcoholic, and to those who may be interested in their problem, our own experience as individuals and as a fellowship in learning to live without alcohol. We believe that our experience should be made available freely to all who express sincere interest. We believe further that all efforts in this field should always reflect our gratitude for the gift of sobriety and our awareness that many outside of A.A. are equally concerned with the serious problem of alcoholism." By 1973, the General Service Conference confirmed that “We must recognize that our competence to speak about alcoholism is limited in subject matter to Alcoholics Anonymous and its recovery program.”

How to get started in Public Information work:

• Contact the Area PI chairperson. Find out when and where the PI committee meetings are scheduled. Attend the meetings. Listen to projects that the committee is involved in; participate and do what you can to learn the ropes.

• Talk to other PI chairpersons and ask them to share their experience. Obtain the Public Information workbook from the General Service Office in New York, or your local Central Office. Read it and become familiar with what PI work is, and the suggestions for action. Or, look at this website for PI goals to carry out.

• Find interested persons in your group or district and ask for their help .

• Look at the list of suggested PI goals in the PI workbook. Consider which of these actions you'd like to achieve with your committee. Become familiar with the Traditions, particularly 6,8, 11 and 12, which apply most strongly with PI work

• Read and understand the concept of anonymity, and why it is so important to our fellowship.
  
  To learn more about volunteering for PI in El Paso, Distrcit 10, contact the Central Office at: 915/562-4081.