The
12 Steps for 12 years
The There's More to Life Group on April 28 marked 12 years of carrying
the message to many hundreds of recovering alcoholics in the Harrisburg
area with a morning-long celebration at Community Methodist Church in New
Cumberland. And what a celebration it was! Sammie G. & Valerie O.,
two good friends from Richmond, VA, took an audience of just under 200
through "The Twelve Steps, a Design for Living"---a humorous, but dead
serious, account of how a thorough study and application of the 12 steps
helped re-shape their own lives. Jim S. emceed the event. Also participating
were Greg B., Tom Z., Dave L., Bob S.---who did a "sobriety count down"---and
Karen M., who introduced the speakers. Fran N., one of the heroes of the
program in these parts, got a warm tribute from her good friend, Bill.
Fran had died just the day before and was to be memorialized at a service
the following Monday. Probably no one had a hand in starting more
meetings than did Fran. She lived and loved AA and she will be missed.
Thanks to everyone who helped make this one of the top events of the year
in our recovering community.
Memorial
Day will have something for everyone
The slate of events for the two-day Memorial Day observance at Fellowship
House will feature some stirring speakers, a memorial service for those
who have died in their sobriety, a chicken barbeque,
and several discussion meetings. It will also mark the 50th anniversary
of the founding of Alanon Association, Inc., the non-profit corporation
formed for construction of Fellowship House. The first day of the
observance---May 27---will begin with a welcome at 8 a.m., followed by
the first speaker, Sam P., of Dover, who has 30-plus years of sobriety.
After a 9:30 a.m. coffee-bagel-juice break, there will be an open discussion
meeting and then another coffee break. The second speaker, Emma G.,
of York, will take the lectern at 11:30. She will be followed by
lunch, and you're invited to bring a covered dish or dessert. The
regularly scheduled AA meeting will be held at 2 p.m., followed by a coffee
break at 3:15 p.m. and then the final speaker, Bill F., of Maryland, will
share his experience, strength and hope at 4 p.m. The Sunday activities
will then be adjourned for cleanup. The chicken barbeque---an annual favorite
among Harrisburg area members---will be served up at 2 p.m. Monday, May
28 at $4 per ticket. The regular Monday AA meetings will go on as
scheduled. The Monday activities are being handled by the 19th Street Group,
which will conduct services at the Memorial Tree at approximately 11:30
a.m.
A lot of people have worked hard to make this Memorial Day weekend at Fellowship House a rich one for you. They hope to see you there.
Going
by the book!
What do you do when members say they want an easier, softer way to order
and obtain literature for themselves or their group? You take steps
to change things. And that's what the Intergroup Literature Committee
has done. Among recent changes for the better, the committee has
started
opening the "book shop" at Fellowship House Saturday mornings from 10 a.m.
to noon on a trial basis to fill orders, stock the shelves and all
that other good stuff that book store folks do. The committee had
been coming in on Saturday mornings from 9:45 to 10:30---and they may continue
that if the demand is great enough and they get enough volunteers. And,
of course, your Intergroup rep can purchase books the first Thursday of
each month at Intergroup meetings---if you have a rep attending the meetings.
Things work more smoothly if they get orders in advance. That's easier
now, too, since you can get the order form right off the website at aaharrisburg.org
or at the intergroup office anytime volunteers are manning the phones.
The orders can then be dropped off at the Intergroup office, mailed in,
brought to Intergroup meetings, given to a literature committee member,
or even called into the office or to a committee member.
The committee now includes Jim D. (It Works, 40th Street groups) 566-7244;
Jim F. (Elizabethtown Group)
371-8395;
and Al D. (Middletown Group) 944-2096. Other volunteers have agreed
to help.
Keep in
mind that you can avoid the crunch after Intergroup meetings if you'll
take advantage of the Saturday operating hours.
The literature in stock includes all the hard and soft-cover items that
AA World Services publishes and all the pamphlets as well. Normally, the
book shop has the hard and soft-cover Big Book, the pocket version
(first 164 pages plus the appendices), and the large-print editions.
Also on hand are Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions in hard-cover,
soft-cover, and gift editions (small hard cover with a ribbon), and large-print
editions. Both the Big Book and the "12 & 12" come in casette versions.
The shop also stocks limited quantities of AA "service items"---handbooks
and workbooks, service manuals, AA guidelines, videos, and tapes.
Additionally, the shop has a few of the items published by Grapevine---Language
of the Heart, the Best of Grapevine, and The Home Group.
Finally,
you can also find all the Harrisburg Area publications---the schedule,
TheHistory
of AA in the Harrisburg Area, and the Bridging the Gap brochure
for use in prison outreach.
Important note: the level of stock is very dependent on the Intergroup
treasury. If contributions are down, the treasury is down, and as
a result, the book supplies may be down as well. Enough said about
that.
Although we enjoy a discount when we purchase in quantity, the literature
sales are a non-profit operation. What little margin the committee realizes
is easily dissipated by our donation of books, especially to prisons.
So that's it. You asked for more access, and the committee has seen
to it that you get that access. We hope you'll take advantage of
it.
Keep
'em comin'---and thanks!
Four groups made contributions totalling $290 in April. They are 19th Street,
Survivors, Progress, and Back to Basics. With last month's $845.01, the
year-to-date contrinution total is now at $1459.71. Intergroup thanks
you---as do all those who depend on the programs Intergroup sponsors to
carry the message. Again, we must emphasize that there are no dues
to which Intergroup is entitled---just the tradition that AA is self-supporting
through its own contributions. We are reminded that Bill W. thought it
a terrible thing for a group to build up a treasury just for status sake.
The SN editor overheard one small group in the area state that they had
$70 in the coffee can and didn't know what to do with it. We do.
Always looking for old copies of the "Big Book" and "12 & 12" for recycling to the prison meetings. One or a dozen---every little bit helps. No one can appreciate better than an AA how helpful it is to have the message carried into prison, and this is a way we can all help. Get in touch with Moses B., who heads the prison outreach or just take them to the Intergroup Office in Fellowship House.
Pearl of the month
attitude
is not helpful to anyone. Every new alcoholic looks for this spirit among
us and is immensely relieved when he finds we are not witchburners.
A spirit of intolerance might repel alcoholics whose lives could have been
saved, had it not been for such stupidity. We would not even do the
cause of temperate drinking any good, for not one drinker in a thousand
likes to be told anything about alcohol by one who hates it.
Just
a little chuckle from "Grapevine"
You
can find a good laugh or two by stopping by the Rule #62 (Don't take yourself
too damned serious) page on the "Grapevine" website at aagrapevine.org.
Here's one, by L.M. in Chicago, that was passed on to us by several members.
I had twelve bottles of whiskey in the house and my wife told me to empty
the contents of each bottle in the sink---or else; so I proceeded with
the unpleasant task. I withdrew the cork from the first bottle and
poured the contents down the sink, with the exception of one glass, which
I drank. I withdrew the cork from the second bottle and did likewise, with
the exception of one glass, which I drank. I withdrew the cork from
the third bottle and poured the whiskey down the sink, with the exception
of one glass, which I drank.
I pulled the cork from the fourth sink and poured the bottle down the glass,
which I drank. I pulled the bottle from the cork of the next and
drank the sink out of it, and threw the rest down the glass. I took the
sink out of the glass, bottled the drink and drank the pour.
When I had everything emptied I steadied the house with one hand and with
the other four hands I counted the bottles, corks, glasses and sink, and
as the house came by I counted them again. I finally had all the
houses in one bottle which I drank.
I'm not half so think as you might drunk but I fool so feelish that the
drunker I stand here the longer I get.
Speakers
and short snorts
If you want to billboard upcoming speakers at your meetings, just e-mail
wcampbel@epix.net.
Ron
G. will speak at the 2 p.m. May 6 meeting of the 19th Street Group
at Fellowship House. At the Bridge street Sunday 8 p.m. meetings,
scheduled speakers are John M., 16th Street Group, May 6; Kathy
B., Dillsburg Area Group, May 13; Newt H., Trinity Group, May
20; and Randy M., Trinity Group, or Todd H., Gettysburg,
May 27.....Here's a a big tip of the hat to all the folks who helped organize
the Easter egg hunt at Fort Hunter, and yes, that is "carrying the message"
in a whole lot of ways.....Overheard at the Intergroup meeting: "Proper
Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance.".....Don't forget the special
meeting of District #36 May 7 at 6:30 p.m. at Fellowship House. Everyone
is invited to attend. The meeting will deal with the possibility
of splitting the huge District 36 into two districts. Your input
will be important....Don't forget to make a note of the Sunlight of the
Spirit Conference, August 17-19, in York. You can get all the info
at their webiste, sosyorkpa.org.
Spring
Fling is May 12
The 19th Street Group's Spring Fling---one of the more popular events in
this area---will be held May 12 at the Oberlin Fire Hall from 7 p.m. to
midnight. For $10 you get an all-you-can-eat roast beef dinner and
all-you can-dance music by Ron G. Don't try to buy a ticket at the
door. Get one in advance from any 19th Street Group member or call
Bill
P. at 451-0120 and have one reserved for you. As always, the
beat goes on with the group's monthly dance---3rd Saturday of every month
from 8:30 p.m. to midnight.
Intergroup
meetings starting to rock and roll
If April was any indication, there's a heightened interest in attending
Intergoup meetings. The April turnout was probably the best in a
couple of years. On hand were reps from Out of the Dark (2), Trudgers,
It Works, Pine Street, Carlisle (2), Ain't You Had Enough, KIS Carlisle,
Woman's Serenity, We Have a Choice, Progress, 40th Street, District #36,
Lambda, There's More to Life, a whole slew from 19th Street, Hershey, West
Shore, Survivors (2), Trinity, and Fisherville. Lots of good discussion,
lots of Georgia's cookies, lots of good-hearted humor from a bunch of people
just trying the best they can to make sure the message gets carried to
anyone who needs help. If your group wasn't represented, make sure
it is next month. Intergroup meetings are held the first Thursday
of every month. There are a lot of important issues being decided---finances,
new telephone outreach, activities---and you want to be a part of that.
One hour is all it usually takes, from 6:45 to 7:45, so why not make that
a key item for your group's business meeting: choose a rep in time for
next month's meeting.
Free
offer!
Bob H., who claims he is bringing Sobriety News to the cutting edge
of AA information, passed on a letter which was written by Ruth Hoch to
Bill W. November 10, 1955. Having worked as Bill's secretary in the
very first days of AA (before it was even named "AA"), she had been asked
for her recollections of events surrounding the growth of the Fellowship
and the writing and publication of "The Big Book." Her letter is a treasure
for AA history buffs. It is too long to print here---six-plus pages.
But we will freely make it available to anyone who would like to have it.
Just e-mail us at wcampbel@epix.net and we'll get a copy to you.
If you have e-mail, so much the better. Ruth's letter may make you laugh,
may even bring a tear or two of gratitude, but most of all it will give
you a clear picture of the struggles that the early AA people went through
to make sure that this God-given program of recovery made its way
to us. You'll also come away with a new resolve to do what you must
to help make sure it is passed on to future generations.
Women's
Serenity Day
The
first annual Women's Serenity Day is set for May 19 from 9:30 a.m. to 5
p.m. at 1124 Kent Drive, Mechanicsburg. You'll get a beautiful day
of fellowship with women in the program, your breakfast, and a closed
AA meeting. Bring your own bag lunch. Admission is $5, but
space is limited, so you're asked to register in advance by calling Deb
S. at 728-1985 or Gail S. at 796-1554. Then send your $5 to the above
address.
Intergroup
finances
Thanks
to hefty literature sales and a fair amount of contributions, Intergroup
ended March with $1,020.95 more in the treasury than the month before.
Treasurer Craig P. reports income of $2,096.71 for March and expenses of
$1,085.76. We started March with a balance of $2,659.23, including
a $2,000 "prudent reserve." Our balance at the end of the month was $3,
670.18, including the reserve. Income included $845.01 in contributions,
$1,241.70 for literature and $10 for schedules; expenses included Verizon
(telephones) $117.52, Fellowship House rent, $200, and literature $768.24.
Traditions checklist