SOBRIETY NEWS 2000

March 2000

State, of the State Hospital

Staffing at the Harrisburg State Hospital meetings has been a bit tough, but well managed over the last year. Dennis H. has been coordinating AA volunteers at the Harrisburg State Hospital for nearly a year and brought continuity to what was a 2 year period of intermitent meeting activity. As for the year 2000 Dennis reports that there are volunteers committed until the end of March and the "Out ot the Dark" Group has volunteered to take the month of August. That did leave a hole in the schedule for April and May. A response to the call came when 40th Street volunteered for March and "Rule 62" took April. Volunteers are still needed for May.

In the past some of the leaner weeks have been filled by a group of volunteers from the Carlisle area. Dennis says that he's now hoping to get some volunteers from the Harrisburg area for May and needs to do that ASAP as he may be traveling. So, if your group would like to volunteer... you can take part in a rewarding and sometimes challenging time with the "folks up on the hill." Your group can sign up right now to handle a month meeting schedule. Don't panic it's just a once a week thing. Dennis says than during the last seven to eight months most of the meetings have been well attended by the patients.

New HAI Officers Off to a Good Start
The March Harrisburg Area Intergroup meeting saw the first "action" by new chair Karen P. and Vice Chair Leeann C. Special thanks to Dennis H. for covering for Georgia S. in the Secretary seat and  David D. (outgoing Treasurer) who held on to the financials just one more month for incoming T-man Craig P. Meanwhile, Ed H., last year's Chair, was enjoying a stay in a local hospital (nothing serious). Since he missed the meeting and was missed at the meeting. he was visited in his hospital room by  several AAer's following the meeting. Ed's out and was "fine" in just a few days.

DANCE, DANCE, DANCE Every third Saturday of the month! Fellowship House, Harrisburg

HERESWHATSUPAA            Events Around the Globe
March
10-12 Gallatin, TN: Area 64 CFC Workshop. Write: 2809 Avondale Dr., Johnson City, TN. 37604 10-12 Portland, ME: Big Book Conf. Write: 4 Kurt St., Brunswick, ME. 04011. E-mail: trudgin@gwi.net 10-12 Troy, Ml: March Roundup. Write: Box 2843, Southfield, MI 48037- 2843
16-19 Ft. Lauderdale, FL: Roundup. (Presented by gay & lesbian A A mbrs.) Write: Box 7273, Ft. Lauderdale, Fl, 33338-7273. Website: www.floridaroundup.com
17-19 Andover, MA: Mass. State Conf. of Young People in AA (MSCYPAA). Write: Box 124, Woburn, MA 01801. Website: www.mscypaa.org
17-19 East Dorset. VT: Big Book Weekend. Write: Wilson House, Village St., East Dorset, VT 05253
17-20 Phoenix. AZ: Conv. Write: 2109 N. 90th PL., Chandler. AZ 85224-1642
23-26 Greenville, SC: State Conv. Write: Box 1116, Fountain Inn. SC 29644.
24-27 Blowing Rock, NC: Agape Wknd. Write: 1772 NE 13 St. #C, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33304-1845
24-26 Cherry Hill, NJ: 36th Southern NJ Conv, Write: Box 267, Collingswood, NJ 08108-0267
24-26 Newport, RI: Conv. Write: Box 553, Portsmouth, RI 02871. E-mail: 1evans@edgenet.net Website: www.rhodeisland-aa.org/ricc 
24-26 Ocean City. NJ: Intergroup Roundup. Write: SEPIA, 1218 Chestnut St., Suite 1004, Philadelphia, PA 19107. E-mail: magsterdcm@aol.com 
31-Apr. 2 Butler, PA: Getaway Weekend. Write: 2919 Grover St., McKeesport, PA 15132-5358 E-mail: VPSH@aol.com
31-Apr. 2 Columbus, OH: Spring Roundup. Write: AA CentralOffice, 1561 Leonard Ave., Columbus, 0H 43219
31 -Apr. 2 Richmond. VA: Serenity Weekend. Write: Box 832, Midlothian, VA 23113. E-mail: Lbrown7473@aol.com
April 29- Dist 36 Workshop
April 30- N E Pennsylvania Region lntergroup Sharing .Session

Let others  know what's going on in your group. E-mail your events bbbafree@ix.netcom.com

MARCH SPEAKERS 
MEETINGS

19th Street Group, Fellowship House, 1251 S. 19^th Street, 
Harrisburg, PA
10th -Jim M.     17th - Craig P.      24th - Monique     31st . Anniversary Night

BRIDGE STREET GROUP, 421 BRIDGE STREET,
NEW CUMBERLAND, PA
12th - Steve F.        19th - Ed L.            26th - Dave D.
Hershey Group        Desire Group          Hershey Group

Joy of Living, Fellowship House, 1251 S. 19^th Street, Harrisburg, PA
An early heads up on this from Tina. April 5th at 6pm. Our Speaker will be William W of the Desire Group. Tina invites everyone to come and enjoy.

Groups wishing to highlight their speakers meetings should e-mail their upcoming schedules or hand deliver them to the sn editor at the Harrisburg Area Intergroup monthly meeting.

Volunteers are needed to serve as meeting Secretaries at Fellowship House, Contact Bruce S.

August 18th to 20th has been set for the Men's Closed AA Fourth Step Spiritual Retreat. The peaceful grounds of the Precious Blood Spiritual Center in Columbia have once again been chosen as the backdrop for the event. This year's sessions include "Why a 4th Step?; How We Do It; How're We Doin?; Filling the Holes and Winding it Up. This all inclusive event does have limited room space and the event leaders are urging anyone wishing to attend to sign up now. A $20 deposit will hold your reservation and the remainder of the payment isn't due until August 7th! Cost is $110 for a shared room or $130 for a private room. Send your $20 non-refundable deposit to: Men's Spiritual Retreat, Box 5722, Harrisburg, PA 17110.

Other Stuff (that is important)

A massive celebration is scheduled for April 3rd, as the 7am, ( Fellowship House, 1251 S. 19th Street, Harrisburg, PA) meeting marks year number 15! The actual anniversary is April 1st, yes it really started on April Fools Day, but that's a Saturday. So whoever sets these things up figured that Monday the 3rd would he the "official" day to go whoopee. No one has been able to put into words all the wonderful things that "might" happen on that day. (In other words, no one has planned anything.) "Jump Start" your week and join the women and men on April 3rd for this special event.

The 4:30 pm weekday meeting at 19th Street is looking for Secretaries. Contact Bruce S. and let's get this late afternoon meeting going again.

The " City Limits" group at 29th and Derry Streets. - United Methodist Church, is in need of support for it's Tuesday night 6:30 pm meetings.

Fisherville needs meeting attendees for it's Tuesday night (7pm) meeting at the Messiah Lutheran Church on Ender Road in beautiful downtown Fishervihle. It's a great - Big Book meeting. Check it out.

District 36 News

Alternate Distrtct Committee Member of District 36, Jane L., has just been appointed as a Non-Trustee Member on the Trustees' Committee for Correctional Facilities at AA World Services, Inc. Serving on this committee requires attending the AA Trustees meetings four times a year in New York City.

Jane came into the Fellowship in Moorestown, NJ in 1970 and went on her first prison commitment in the Spring of 1971 at Camden County Jail for Women. This was the first AA meeting at a women's jail in South Jersey. She and Cathy R. took meetings to this jail until 1972 when Jane moved to Pennsylvania where she was a GSR in the old District 2 and then served as Director of Unity on the Phila Intergroup Steering Committee. Also while in the Phila. area, Jane participated in prison meetings at the Phila House of Corrections and the Bucks and Montgomery County Prisons.

Since moving to Elizahethtown in 1988, she has been active on the' Lancaster Intergroup Steering Committee and as a GSR in District, 64 and 36 before becoming ADCM. Since  1996 she has worked for the PA Dept of Corrections - first at SCI Camp Hill and currently at the training Academy in Eiizabethtown. Her college work was in the field of Criminal Justice.

Jane regularly attends meetings in Hershey, Elizabethtown, and Wormleysburg, and she can be reached at 367-4985.

This is the first time that anyone from Eastern Pennsylvania has been appointed as a Non-Trustee Member to any Trustee Committee at AA World Services.

Harrisburg Area Intergroup Meeting Minutes March: 2, 2000

An estimate of the groups that attended are:  19th Street, 40th Street, Ain't you had Enough, Bridge Street, Chapter 5, How It Works, Colonial Park, Fellowship House, Hershey, It Works, Joy of Living, Keep it Simple. Lambda, Late Night, New Beginings, Out of the Dark, Pine Street, Rule 62, Survivors, There's More to Life, West Shore Area, and Winding It Up.

Karen P. called the meeting to order at 6:50 PM. Began meeting with Serenity Prayer. Secretary's Report: Minutes from February meeting were read. They were approved after one correction was made; Jane L. is the District 36 ADCM.

Karen and Lee Ann C reported on several upcoming events: N E Pennsylvania Region Intergroup Sharing Session 4/30/00, Dist 36 Workshop 4/29/00, Sober Cruise On S.S.Norway May 6- 13, 2000, Serenity Weekend March 31, April 1 &2, 43rd All Ireland AA Convention.

Committee Reports:
Meeting Schedules: These had been printed and were made available. Cost was set again at $5.00/5O. Neil did report that the bill to get them printed was $495.76. He did ask for any  corrections. It was brought up that two meetings that at St. Stephan's Episcopal Church were no longer being held. These were the S.O.S. Group and the Happy Hour Group.

Central Office: Don S reported that he had not received the data from the Med Bureau for February. he did give the January statistics that 61 hrs were covered by A A volunteers, In total, 499 calls had been received between the Med Bureau and the six A A volunteers. He asked for more volunteers. Don also provided the bill for the Ad in the Yellow Pages.

Literature Report: Jim D. reported that there were several orders to be picked up.

District 36: Jane L. asked about several groups that are not registered at the G.S.O. She had a flyer for them with the information to do so. She will contact those groups.

Corrections and Institutions: Dauphin County report was given by Moses B. He did report that they had a new volunteer that had been approved. 
Cumberland County was reported on by Kevin A. The number of volunteer groups had been reduced from 4 to 3. 
Perrv County did not report.
Camp Hill State Prison was reported on by Bob I. He asked for Al-Anon schedules for the inmates. He also asked for some old literature (Grapevines, etc) to be donated for these meetings.

He also asked for a case of "12 & 12"s to be used for a Study group that was being planned. The group at that point took a motion and approved the donation. He also asked for information about meetings in other areas. Brian F mentioned the AA website and Jim D mentioned that each state has a Service Directory where contacts can be made.

Harrisburg State Hospital was reported on by Dennis H. The meetings for January and the first 4 weeks of February were covered by volunteers from "Ain't you Had Enough'' and "Keep it Simple'' groups. The West Shore Women had taken the last Tuesday in February. 40th Street had volunteered for March and Rule 62 volunteered for April. Volunteers are needed for May.

There was a discussion about the local Detox programs. The Holy Spirit Hospital no longer takes anyone unless they have a medical problem that requires hospitalization. Most cases are now referred to the "Common Ground" program.

Activities were reported on by Neal W. The next activity is the Easter Egg Hunt. It will be held on 4/22 at noon. It will be at the Fort Hunter Park (river side pavilion), The group voted to provide the money for this activity which will he $50 for a security deposit, $35 to rent the park and $50 for prizes. It was also decided that rather than risk real eggs, the groups would be asked for plastic eggs with either candy or money inside,

Public Information:
Brian F stated that he had received 10 new e-mail subscribers. He also reported on a new ISP that was cheaper ($9.95/mo) for the planned AA website for HAI. Costs for this were presented again. Representatives were asked to be prepared to vote on this at the next meeting.

Archives: The "History of AA in the Harrisburg Area" update is ready to be published. It should be ready in about 30 days.

Treasurers Report: Dave D. presented the Treasurer's report for the past month. The balance in excess of the reserve was $569.11. He also presented a spread sheet depicting the financials of HAI for the past six years. (Contributions for 99 were much lower than any of the previous 5 years.)

Old Business: None

New Business: It was suggested by Dave D that the add resses of the various Treasurers be listed in the Sobriety News or at least where the group contributions are to be sent. There are several groups sending everything to the HAI address and Dave D has to sort it out. The contributions to Area 59, District 36 and World Services, Inc. Are different accounts and sending those contributions to HAI  delays the process of depositing the funds in the proper account.

Karen adjourned the meeting at 8PM.