Sobriety News June 2000

Here We Go

We’re not sure where all this is headed, but we’re grateful for the opportunity to carry the message.  Our former editor, Brian F., has moved to Florida and reports that things are going well for him  For that we’re glad.  For the time being, here’s what the new editor would like to do: 1) Stay Sober; 2) Concentrate of items of interest to our own area. We won’t be printing “Grapevine” listings of what’s going on in other parts of the state.  You read that in “Grapevine”, anyway; 3) Organize a network of “Sobriety News” representatives, one in each group, to pass on info about special events, speaker schedules, humorous one-liners, even brief essays in which members share their own experience strength, and hope; 4) Coverage of significant Intergroup actions rather than word-for-word minutes of Intergroup meetings; 5) increased coverage of District #36, our direct link with World Services; 6) Brief “pearls” from approved AA literature.  If you don’t like this lineup or have other ideas of where we should be headed, e-mail wcampbel@epix.net

Sobriety Celebration a Smash

Anyone who attended, agreed: the Memorial Day Weekend Sobriety Celebration was one of the more successful events to be held at Fellowship House in recent years.  Under the primary sponsorship of the Fellowship House Committee, the celebration was designed to rekindle a commitment to service, to remember with gratitude all those who have died in sobriety, and to have some good old-fashioned holiday fun at the annual chicken barbecue.  It succeeded on every count.

           

The key speaker was Father Bill, of the Caron Foundation, Wernersville, who drew an overflow crowd far in excess of 125 members.  In addition to sharing his own experience, strength, and hope in recovery, he warned that with diminishing support for treatment facilities, AA groups and individuals will bear a much heavier responsibility for carrying the message to the still-suffering alcoholic. “And if we are not committed to carrying that message,” he said, “it simply will not get carried.  Service with no thought of reward is the most vital part of recovery for all of us, and without it, our own recovery will be fleeting.”

 

After a refreshment break that followed Father Bill’s talk, his audience took part in an active discussion in which members examined their own service to the Fellowship and what they could do to increase their participation and that of their groups in service activities.

 

 

Ah, We Remember them Well

A few tears, a lot of laughs, but mostly just fond expressions of gratitude marked the Monday, May 31, service in memory of those who have died in sobriety and helped set the course of recovery for those of us who came later.  More than 50 AAs gathered around the memorial tree at Fellowship House, swapping remembrances and adding to the list of those we honor.  There are, of course, hundreds of members who have died over the past 60 years, and our list includes a relative few.  If you wish to add a name, contact Lynn G. or Buckskin Bob S., the two who conducted the service, or send the name directly to Sobriety News (e-mail wcampbel@epix.net) and we’ll pass the information on to them.  The list to date includes: Bill W., Dr. Bob S., Ed H., Ed C., Lucy H., Kier E., Bob “Stony” S., Betty G., Peggy W., Paul S., Donald “Cabby Don” K., Keith B., Jimmy, Bill M., Greg K., Jim P., Wally M., Joyce, Mick N., Emil L., Jerry L., Bruce O., Frank M., Stan L., Billie, Jeremy C., Ray Young, Revard Smith, June Nash, “Ponytail” Bruce, Allen Reese,  Winnie B., Joe C., Joe B., Jimmy C., Mike M., Ollie, Dick P., Jay Heim, Margaret S., Ed L., John Miller, Ike E., Dr. Robert S., Charlie Goodman, Kenny and Charlie E.

Not a Squawk in a Truckload

When Harry M. and his chicken-cookin’ crew unloaded 250 half-birds from Harry’s pickup truck and then looked at the threatening skies, they all figured they’d be eating chicken for breakfast, lunch , and dinner for weeks to come. But as the time for the Memorial Day chicken barbecue at Fellowship House drew near, the skies cleared and the rush was on.  All that was left two hours later were some greasy fingers and full tummies.  And how was the chicken? Not a squawk in the whole load,” said Harry.  “At least not from the chickens.”

New Hotline Ground Rules

In response to a proposal by Tina, AA Hotline manager, Harrisburg Area Intergroup adopted some changes in volunteer requirements at its June 1 meeting.  Key among them allows prospective volunteers with less than six months sobriety to observe hotline operations as a sort of on-the-job-training until they have the six months of sobriety required for their own volunteer service.  Another new requirement is that sponsors provide a statement attesting to a sponsee’s growth in the program and stability under pressure. “We have had some uncomfortable situations in which volunteers simply could not tolerate the abuse they received at the hands of callers, or they weren’t experienced enough to steer callers in a positive direction,” Tina said.  To this end, Tina also gained Intergroup approval to require volunteers to read “Living Sober.”

 

Pity the Poor Beer Man

As of June 8 there were four seats left for the bus trip to the Orioles-Indians game at Baltimore on July 29.  The trip, organized by Jay C. and his friends in the 40th Street Group, carries a price tag of $30 for everything, and that includes snacks and beverages on the bus.  If you want to go, you can give Jay a call at 564-9099 and try for stand-by status.  The bus will leave St. Catherine’s church at 40th & Derry Street at 10:30 a.m.  Jay says he’s holding two seats for a “Cheri,” but doesn’t know for sure which Cheri it is.  If it’s you, call him.  And by the way, who’s going to warn the poor beer man not to waste his energy on this gang?

 

Intergroup Plans Huge Event for July 15

 

Most AAs have attended a big conference out of town or traveled to Akron in search of a giant dose of inspiration.  Now, we’ll be able to get that same spiritual boost right here when Intergroup presents “A Shot of Enthusiasm” at 6 p.m. July 15 in Middletown.

“This is exactly what we’ve been hoping to achieve,” said one of the planners, who asked to be kept in the background.  “My wife and I just love the energy that surrounds conferences, and we’ve dreamed of generating that same kind of energy in the Harrisburg area.” And it looks like they will.

The idea was to get two top-rate speakers from our own groups‑a man and a woman‑whose own enthusiasm and dedication to AA would provide a natural lead-in to the key speaker.

The planning committee settled on Jim S., of Carlisle, and Sylvia, of East Petersburg.  Both are familiar in local AA circles.  Jim attends just about every AA function there is, and Sylvia was the recent speaker at Middletown’s anniversary dinner.

“Then we searched for the best featured speaker we could find,” said the anonymous planner.  “We had been to a conference in 1997 and had purchased a tape called ‘Women in AA.” We fell in love with all the women we heard, but one in particular really grabbed our attention.  She is Polly P. from Cyprus, California, and we have succeeded in getting her to come here.”

The meeting will get underway at 6 p.m. at the MCSO Building on Emaus Street in Downtown Middletown, right next to the Elks Theater. 

Members of various groups will begin setting up at 5 p.m.

The speakers will be followed by an hour of refreshments and fellowship at 9 p.m., and cleanup will begin at 10 p.m.

The number of tickets was intentionally limited to 200.  If you can’t find one or need directions to the meeting site, Call Bob H. at 944-5273.

 “Joy of Living” Marks First Anniversary

If you want a good time with some folks who bring new meaning to service and innovative activities, join the Joy of Living Group at their first anniversary party. The bash will be held June 25 from 3 to 6 p.m. at 507 Kelker Street, Steelton (Off Chambers Hill Rd.; get directions from Tina). Everything’s free‑food, swimming, other activities‑but everyone is asked to bring a covered dish (with food in it).

 

PENNSCYPAA Shoots for State Meet

One of the neat things about being the new editor is that you get to go around and meet people that you should have known all along. So it is with‑are you ready for this?‑Pennsylvania State Conference of Young People in Alcoholics Anonymous, or PENNSCYPAA.  You want enthusiasm?  These folks can talk a glass eye to sleep when it comes to boosting their group and what they’re up to.  We’re going to ask them to write a brief story about themselves for the next issue.  For now, you should know that they are not necessarily young people in terms of years.  In fact some of them sport gray hair or no hair at all. “Young to us means ‘young in sobriety,’ that we still have room to grow,” said Tim W.  “And we would like to think that includes everyone in AA.” PENNSCYPAA is bidding now for the group’s state conference, slated for July 23-25.  And they have succeeded in gaining Intergroup’s intent to support them in their effort.  The conference could bring several hundred AAs from around the state to Harrisburg and provide some added revenues, as it did the last time they hosted the state meet in 1993. “You could say we’re a fun group, but make no mistake about it‑we are serious about our sobriety, and that’s what this effort is all about,” said Tim W.

If you want to learn more about this gang, why not head out to their picnic, June 24 at Susquehanna Township Veterans Park across from the State Police Barracks on Elmerton Avenue.  Tickets are $8 in advance, $10 on the spot, and all kids are free.

 

Going the Extra Mile When It Comes to Service

            While most of us were in the great outdoors after our Saturday morning meetings, some 75-100 recovering alcoholics were huddled together working to keep the spirit of service and unity alive in our local groups.  This was the Eastern Pennsylvania General Services Assembly, which was held in Lebanon and hosted by the 12 districts that make up Service Area 59. Our district, #36, a part of that group, is made up of General Service Representatives (GSRs) from each local group.  That group then elects a District Committee Member (DCM), a post now held by Brad R. and his alternate Jane L.

It appears to be a complicated structure but it’s a vital one.  “We are the link between the local groups and General Services Office in New York,” Said Jane L., who stood in Saturday for Brad R. “Intergroup, on the other hand, holds the groups together to meet the local service needs.”

Sobriety News has asked Jane to write a brief story to further explain District 36’s function.

Saturday’s session covered three topics: “What is Service?” “Service in the Home Group,” and “Carrying the Message.”

In each case, three DCMs spoke briefly about service in their own recovery and then left the topic open to group discussions.

In her presentation, Jane L. said: “In my case, I don’t think service keeps me sober.  I think my Higher Power does that.  What service does is keeps me coming back.”

Remember, the most important element in this service chain is the Group Service Representative.  Does your group have one?  If not, why not? Dr. Bob said our who fellowship is about service and love.  And how do we separate the two?

 

Did Anyone Notice?

Saturday, June 11, marked the 65th anniversary of the day Bill W. gave Dr. Bob his last beer so he’d be able to steady himself enough to perform surgery.  It was the last drink Dr. Bob ever had, and that fact essentially marked the beginning of Alcoholics Anonymous.

 

Men’s Spiritual Retreat

If you’re still putting off taking that all-important Fourth Step or if you just weren’t satisfied the way it went when you did take it, the Second Annual AA Men’s Spiritual Retreat could be your doorway to sobriety you have only dreamed about.

The retreat will be held August 18-20 at Precious Blood Retreat Center in Columbia, PA.

This is an especially good opportunity for sponsors to help their pigeons gain a solid foothold as they embark on this crucial phase of their recovery.

Registration blanks are available through your local group or directly from Sobriety News (wcampbel@epix.net).

 

Just a closing note

In the for-what-it’s-worth department, please permit your friendly editor this personal observation: This is a fun job.Thanks. And thanks a bunch to our super-geek Andrew B, right, for putting up with the editor’s computer illiteracy. Please help us make this a worthwhile way to carry the message in the months to come.