STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

      The Sobriety News is a publication of the Harrisburg Area Intergroup of Alcoholics Anonymous. It is written, edited, and read by AA members, and those interested in the AA program of recovery from the disease of alcoholism, linking one alcoholic to another.

        Our desperation to find relief from the bondage of alcoholism has led us to this program as a new "design for living". Many members utilize meetings, sponsorship, self examination, amends, prayer, meditation, AA literature, service to fellow alcoholics, and many other tools to maintain their recovery. This publication is intended as one more tool to live a life of recovery. Because each AA member has an individual way of working this program, divergent views to recovery, within the concept of the Program of Alcoholics Anonymous, are welcome. An effort is made to print all viewpoints in this forum. Articles are not intended to be statements of AA policy, nor does publication of any article imply endorsement by AA or the Harrisburg Area Intergroup.

Future Plans for Sobriety News

In future issues, we plan to provide a calendar of events upcoming. This will depend on our active members contributing information about their coming events, participation of Intergroups in surrounding Districts, and our ability to gather information. We feel it is worth trying. Let us know what you think. Often, we miss opportunities within the fellowship because the message didn't get out. We all want to carry the message to other alcoholics. This will be one more way we can accomplish that.

Central Office AA Hotline

To better serve the community, Harrisburg Area Intergroup has added a cell phone to supplement the current central office phone. This system is already in operation by officers of Intergroup to identify and resolve any problems that come up. This system will allow the Hotline to be operated by alcoholics, who volunteer, to respond to calls on a 24 hour basis. Calls may come from people desiring information, literature, AA members needing help in finding a meeting, or newcomers who want information, or 12th step calls

AA members, who are looking for service work during the day, can volunteer to operate the Central Office Hotline by contacting Tina H. Tina can be reached by leaving a message with the Hotline (234-5390), at home (238-3545), by Email (spicee308@aol.com), or you can volunteer through your Intergroup Representative. Those who are unavailable during the day can be AA Hotline operators too through the use of a cellular phone. When the Central Office Hotline is closed, all calls will be forwarded to the cell phone. If the operator needs to turn the cell phone off for some reason, there will be voice mail, which the operator can retrieve at the earliest opportunity.

Intergroup Representatives can sign your group up to manage the remote Hotline for a month at a time, enabling your group members to take turns operating the hotline. You will have the training on how to operate the system and handle calls by your Rep. The materials accompanying the cell phone will provide everything you'll need to handle any calls you receive. Any gaps in information will be supplied by your higher power. 

Please remember, our phone service helps hundreds, who need help, each month. Many of us are here because someone took the time to pick up the phone when we needed help. Surely, you will get much gratitude from volunteering to be a Hotline Operator

I AM RESPONSIBLE WHEN ANYONE ANYWHERE

REACHES OUT FOR HELP

 I WANT THE HAND OF AA TO ALWAYS BE THERE

AND FOR THAT I AM RESPONSIBLE.

women's SERENITY RETREAT

The WSR 2001 will be held at the Precious Blood Spiritual Center, Columbia, PA, September 28-30, 2001. This will be a closed AA- 11th Step Retreat. Total cost for the weekend will be $130 for a double, or $145 for a single room. Lucy H Scholarships will be available for half the cost of a double room. Check the registration form to be considered for a scholarship and submit no later than August 15 for a September 1 response. More information or registration forms are available by contacting Ellen D at 975-2657. Women have given glowing reports of this retreat in previous years. I'm sure this year will be just as beneficial.

We are self supporting

Through the contributions of our members we are able to do many things to help the groups, members, and newcomers within the district. For the past several months, the Intergroup's Office copier has been out of service. If any AA member has a copy machine that they no longer want, I guarantee that Intergroup could put it to good use.

Groups Continue Supporting Intergroup

For the month of July, contributions from six groups totaled $805.93. This brings the total contributions, year-to-date, to $3,924.46. We would like to thank the following groups for their contributions to the Harrisburg Area Intergroup Fund. They were 19th Street, Harrisburg West Shore Area, Progress, Trudgers and Survivors, West Shore Area Women's, and the Women's Serenity groups. Representatives of the following groups attended the July Intergroup meeting: Pine Street; How It Works; Trudgers; Ain't You Had Enough; Lambda; Bridge Street; Serenity Group; More to Life; Hershey; Trinity; Millersburg; Winding It Up; Up the Creek; and Dillsburg Group. We would also like to thank all the groups and members who continue to donate time toward Intergroup's activities. These activities include men and women's prison meetings, literature, the AA Hotline, and the many other vital AA functions that help alcoholics recover in our community. Intergroup performs those services to our community which no single group is prepared to handle, and it coordinates activities between the 56 groups it serves. Remember that we can do together what none of us could do alone.

PENNSCYPAA XIII Resounding Success

A round of applause for the PENNSCYPAA XIII Committee for a job well done. I heard things like: It's the first drink that gets you drunk- like a train reaction, it's the first car that kills you; Keep It Simple; If you walk 20 miles into the woods, then you'll have to walk 20 miles out, if you take the right direction; Life has gotten so good, I forgot it wasn't me who did it; My life depends on AA or Amen; "Being of maximum service to God and the other people about us", you get more out of it than you put into it; Service for free; Suit up and show up; Follow the people who have joy and lightness about them from their program, because the others will have to get it synthetically; and so much more. There were workshops on service, sponsorship, and Traditions; how to stay sober from the old-timers; a dynamite comedy and puppet shop; and marvelous conversations with other recovering alcoholics. I met alcoholics from Akron, Athens, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, New York City, Lancaster, Baltimore, Wilkes-Barre, York, and even from the Harrisburg Area. Our own Brian D and the Pacific Group's Kathy M shared enthusiastic personal recovery stories. There were AA meetings around the clock. There were other fun times too, like a banquet, a pool party, and a dance. The many who helped bring this off through time and effort, for fun and for free, have surely learned the rewards of being of service. This kind of activity is a motivator to work the AA Program of Recovery with enthusiasm. Our daily lives often make us slip into laxity, forgetting how we got sober, and how cunning and powerful our disease is. You will have a chance again for this kind of fun in recovery experience next year at  PENNSCYPAA XIV in Pittsburgh for 2002.

UNITY COMMITTEE

The Unity Committee, patterned after a Scranton Group, has been formed to carry the message of what Intergroup does for the groups and members it serves. The concept is to have the Committee make a brief presentation at the invitation of groups to give their members a better understanding of how Intergroup works and how all members benefit from its activities. There is still a need for some more volunteers to help the Committee perform its mission. If you would like to do this kind of rewarding service work to utilize your unique skills, and surely learn from it, you can volunteer through your Intergroup Rep. If your group doesn't have one, perhaps you may want to find out what you are missing by volunteering or inviting Charna D and her committee to your meeting. An effective way to communicate with Charna is through Email at (charnad@att.net) Give Charna a call at 533-9478 and find out about the committee and its objectives, it might keep you and/or others sober.

Traditions Checklist

TRADITION EIGHT: Alcoholics Anonymous should remain forever nonprofessional, but its service centers may employ special workers.
1. Is my own behavior accurately described by the Traditions? If not, what needs changing?
2. When I chafe about any particular Tradition, do I realize how it affects others?
3. Do I sometimes try to get some reward-- even if not money-- for my personal AA efforts?
4. Do I try to sound in AA like an expert on alcoholism? On recovery? On medicine? On sociology? On AA itself? On psychology? On spiritual matters? Or, heaven help me, even on humility?
5. Do I make an effort to understand what AA employees do? What workers in other alcoholism agencies do? Can I distinguish clearly among them?
6. In my own AA life, have I any experiences which illustrate the wisdom of this Tradition?
7. Have I paid enough attention to the book Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions? To the pamphlet AA Tradition How it Developed?

  SOS Conference Sold Out

The York Sunlight of the Spirit Conference is full. The exciting list of speakers may be part of the reason. Past success may be another part. This Fourth Annual SOS will be held August 17-19 at the Holiday Inn at 334 Arsenal Road, York. This is located near exit 9E from Interstate 83. Off this exit, bear to right (toward Lancaster) to the first set of traffic lights. Take another right on Toronita St. The Holiday Inn is on your immediate left. If you are registered, you will get to hear Bobby C of Philadelphia as the first speaker on Friday at 8pm. Saturday starts off with Jeanne M from Baltimore at 8:30am. Saturday at 10:30am is a panel with Clancy I and Johnnie H, both from California, followed at 2pm by Pat Y of Pasadena. At 4pm will be Johnnie H from Long Beach, and at 8:30pm, Sandy B from Tampa rounds out the day. The Conference wraps up Sunday morning with the enthusiasm of Clancy I of Los Angeles at 9am. You'd be hard pressed to find a better excuse to leave the Susquehanna Area, than this traditionally strong conference.

Intergroup Picnic et al

The 16th Annual Intergroup Barbeque Picnic is scheduled for September 1. As usual there will be plenty of food, recovery, games, and fellowship. The event will take place at the New Cumberland Borough Park from Noon till 6pm. You can get tickets from your Intergroup Representative for $3.00, and children are free. Don't forget the Harrisburg Area Intergroup meeting Thursday the 2nd at 6:45pm, and the District 36 General Service Rep meeting on Monday August 13th  following the Mechanicsburg 20th Anniversary Celebration at the same church (see below); both meetings need your support. Did you know that there is a dance at Fellowship House on 19th Street every third Saturday from 8:30 pm till midnight? It costs $3 for adults and please, no children under 11 years old. The Intergroup Bookstore is still open for business on Saturday mornings from 10:00 till 11:15 for Groups to restock their literature cabinets with books and pamphlets.

20th Anniversary Celebration

The 20th Anniversary of the Mechanicsburg Serenity Group will be celebrated at the Mechanicsburg Presbyterian Church, 300 East Simpson Street, Mechanicsburg, PA. This is located on the corner of Simpson Ferry Rd & Sheperdstown Rd, right in town. The date is August 13th. The doings will be held between 6 and 9pm. Fran M is a well respected speaker from New York City, who will give her experience strength and hope. The evening is open to the whole family. There will be lots to eat, but you can bring a dessert , if you wish.

August Speakers

The Friday 8:30pm speakers for the 19th Street Group are: Aug 3, David S; Aug 10, Wayne K; Aug 17, Keith D; Aug 24, Diane R; Aug 31, Anniversary Night. The Sunday 8pm Bridge Street speakers are: Aug 5, Ray R, More to Life: Aug 12, Dave W, Up the Creek; Aug 19, Bob H, Survivors; Aug 26, Randy F, Out of the Dark; and September 2, Steve D, Up the Creek. The Hershey Speakers for August 4, Joyce F from the Elizabethtown Group, and September 1 is Randy M from More to Life. The Middletown Survivors speakers for Aug 23 and Aug 30 are unannounced.

IT'S TIME TO GO CAMPING

Join your fellow AAs and the folks from GLRCYPAA XII in the beautiful Pocono Mountains for Labor Day Weekend. Hickory Run State Park will be the scene of activities like swimming, hiking, fishing, campfire meetings, drum circles, ghost stories and more. You won't want to miss this! The cost will be $25 for all three nights, or $20 for just Saturday and Sunday only/ per person. Bring your own camping gear, food, and Big Book. You must register by August 27. For information, call Cecily at (215) 848-5311 or Carol at (267) 334-0766.

ANNOUNCE YOUR EVENT- WRITE YOUR OPINION

Let the AA community know what's going on in your group, express your opinion on any AA topic you want to share about, or contribute material you find helpful or meaningful in your recovery. You can inform the editor and get your information out by sending your material to Sobriety News, Harrisburg Area Intergroup, 1251 S 19th Street, Harrisburg, PA 17111, or Email me at (asdungan@mindspring.com )