* Look for more information about these events in Sobriety News.
** See links page for flyer

To links and current events

Your Help for the Calendar of Events

A complete Calendar of Events depends 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.

OUR FACE IS CHANGING

We now have the capability to update Sobriety News during the course of the month, so events can be added to the Calendar. You may, therefore, find it helpful or informative to check back to the website periodically to see what has been added. Your group has access to a printed copy of Sobriety News through your Intergroup Rep. As changes are made to the Internet copy in http://www.aaharrisburg.org your group will have no way of knowing new information about upcoming events unless a group member with internet access brings the information to the group. This can be another option for service that members can perform to maintain sobriety through action.
    The HAI index page has various links which gradually will become more active. A link has been added to the Meeting Schedule so you can print out the schedule on a single sheet of 8 1/2X11 paper. This schedule is current with the latest information available. If you see an error, or information for your meeting has been changed, the schedule will be updated if you notify Sobriety News at asdungan@mindspring.com or if you notify an Intergroup Officer or mail the info to HAI, Fellowship House, 1251 S. 19th Street, Harrisburg, PA 17105. This current schedule can be duplicated for group purposes from this link at any time it is needed, and will be maintained in as current a state as possible to try to minimize the problems of accuracy encountered with the printed schedules of the past, which are updated semi-annually.
    Flyers will be added as they become available and removed when an event passes. If you are looking at this on the Internet, you will see that many of the insert pictures are links you can click on to get added information or flyers. Keep checking.
    The above suggested service opportunity to bring internet information back to the group could also be broadened to include flyers, and current meeting schedules. The printed schedules and flyers will still be available but may continue to have their current disadvantages too.
 

Dillsburg 25th Birthday

    The Dillsburg 25th anniversary spaghetti dinner and speaker meeting started promptly at 6:01PM on Saturday September 7. The spaghetti, garlic bread, salad, and desserts were outstanding, and the joy with which group members shared this occasion with their guests, underlined the saying that you can only keep it by giving it away. Ed H told of the beginnings of the group when he'd open up, set up, make coffee, and no one would show up. He was told to stay for the full hour, because someone might show up late, needing a meeting. He now values all the time he spent waiting, because he read the Big Book for many hours in that lonely kitchen before people started showing up on any kind of regular basis. Thank you Ed for showing up when others didn't, but it did help keep you sober all these years, didn't it?
    The speaker, Jack C, from Hagerstown, MD, shared his experience in a very humble fashion, with the great sense of humor only alcoholics seem to have about their flawed lives. He said he may not be much, but he is certainly all that he thinks about. And when discussing with his sponsor how angry he was with God, for not answering his prayer that his father stop drinking, his sponsor replied, but he did stop drinking 12 years later. You wanted it NOW, and in what must be a nanosecond to God, he answered your prayer. What's the problem, and he quipped with an acronym that that's "Simply How I Think".
    He told an incredible story of the downward spiral, denial, and the misery of white knuckle sobriety. He believes that members who say, "Don't drink and go to meetings.", or "Meeting makers make it.", do a great dis-service to the newcomer. Because serenity only came for him after he surrendered and worked the steps with a sponsor.

We are here to enrich the world
and we impoverish ourselves
if we forget the errand.

Bill M at the Bug Light

    Saturday, September 20, saw Bill M of SOS & PENNSCYPAA Conference fame, share his message of hope at his home group on his 18th anniversary. In front of a capacity crowd of enthusiastic recovering alcoholics from York, Baltimore, Lancaster, and Harrisburg (not to mention his wife and his mother), he shared many truths about how it was. He told stories of lying, stealing and cheating, and of recovering. He told how his little daughter was diagnosed with cancer, and how another father who's daughter also had cancer and had died, sat with him and tried to comfort him. From this he learned what the spiritual nature of the AA Program is. It is not about us (me) but our trying to be of maximum service to others that gives us serenity and ultimately, true happiness.
    Bill found in the Program that what worked for him was to take direction from people he hated, to do things that he didn't think would help, and that you can only get it by giving it away. He promised that anyone can have what he has gotten, all they have to do is do what he's done; and if he's done it, so can you.

Lancaster Intergroup Picnic

    The Lancaster Intergroup Pig Roast was held at Long's Park on Sunday, September 15. In spite of the less than cheerful weather several hundred recovering alcoholics showed up to celebrate their recovery. The speaker, Georgiana told a story of the toll of alcoholism on her and her family, the insanity of denial, and the results of working the Program that she learned to work in the rooms. The pig was delicious as were all the other entrees (too numerous to mention). There were some heated volleyball games, there were certainly friendly conversations, and we learned that in God's world, rain is not good or bad, and accepting that is the difference between a happy or unhappy day.

The AA Home Group Workshop

The Happy Destiny Group and District 36 General Service sponsored a four hour workshop on Saturday September 28 at the Second Presbyterian Church of Carlisle. Panelists, Al D from the Middletown Groups, Bob S from There's More to Life Group, and Ed E from the Mid-City Group, each addressed problems and successes their groups have had in developing a strong homegroup. There were delicious coffee and donuts, and following the panel a free lunch. Activity resumed after lunch by breaking up into groups for discussion on specific questions of what is important in developing an enthusiastic and active group. In conclusion a member of each group reported the findings of each workgroup's discussions. The participation reflected the enthusiasm individuals had caught from the workshop.

New Meetings and CHANGES

Leanne C reports that there is a new meeting, Wednesday at 7:00AM, at the Rockville United Methodist Church at 6th St and Linglestown Road, in Susquehanna Twp. It is just two blocks off Front Street and is convenient for many who drive Interstate 81 to get to work. It is a Closed Discussion, with reading from "As Bill Sees It"; it is non-smoking. It is handicap accessible and there is coffee. By Group conscience, the name will be A New Day Dawning Group.

The new Harrisburg Monday Night Men's Meeting started Monday September 9, at 8:00PM at the Susquehanna Valley Evangelical Free Church located at 6433 Union Deposit Road (2 blocks north of Neys Road). The meeting will start as a non-smoking closed discussion. Come support it and make it a really good one. If you have a question, or need directions, call Simon at 421-5645, or Joe at 579-4405.

The West Shore Area Group which meets at the Trinity Lutheran Church at 20th & Market Sts is changing the format of their Monday evening meeting, which starts at 7:30PM. Beginning in October, Mondays will be a Closed Step Meeting. The final Monday of each month will be a Closed Traditions Meeting.

The Dillsburg Area Group has started a closed Big Book meeting on Wednesday nights, starting at 7:01PM at Saint Paul's Lutheran Church at the top of the hill on South Baltimore Street (Rt74). This active Group's 25th anniversary spaghetti dinner celebration is reported on above in this newsletter.

"A Great Day to be Alive"

Sunday, October 6, will be "A Great Day To Be Alive" according to the Lykens Winding-it up Group. They're sponsoring another hike to the "Love Rock" starting at 1:00PM and having an Open Discussion meeting on the rock. After the return down the mountain, there will be chili and desserts at the church. Click on the hike logo for the flyer. Print at 319% in Microsoft photo editor. Last year proved to be a lot of fun. The hike is fairly steep, but not treacherous.

Day of Sharing in Lancaster County

Lancaster County Intergroup is sponsoring another Day of Sharing on October 6 from 1-5:00PM at the East Petersburg UCC Church, on main Street in East Pete. There will be a panel on sponsorship, a brief presentation on Bridging the Gap, a sobriety count up, a lady with one year's sobriety will share about getting sober in Lancaster, a book raffle, Free FOOD, and the guest speaker will be Bill M from York.

Pearl of the Month contributed by Jim M, c. Twelve and Twelve, page 27
                                            
Then I woke up. I had to admit that A. A. showed results, prodigious results. I saw that my attitude regarding these had been anything but scientific. It wasn't A. A. that had the closed mind, it was me. The minute I stopped arguing, I could begin to see and feel. Right there, Step Two gently and very gradually began to infiltrate my life. I can't say upon what occasion or upon what day I came to believe in a Power greater than myself, but I certainly have that belief now. To acquire it, I had only to stop fighting and practice the rest of A. A.' s program as enthusiastically as I could.
                                             

Middletown 13th Anniversary Spaghetti Speaker Meeting Celebration

The Middletown Survivors will be celebrating their 13th anniversary on October 12, at the Middletown Presbyterian Church. Festivities will begin at 6:00PM with A Spaghetti Dinner.  April D from the Wrath of Grapes Group of Glen Burnie, MD, will speak at about 7:15PM. There will be a dessert line for the world famous Middletown desserts from 8:00 till 8:15, and the story of Dave D from the Harbor City Group in Baltimore will start at about 8:15. Johnnie H of the Pacific Group will not be able to share his story at this time, due to sudden illness; it is hoped he can come at some later date, and of course we wish him a complete recovery. Seating will be limited to 250, so don't be late. Bring a dessert along to add to the selection. Click on coin at right for flyer.
     District #36 had planned to bring Johnnie in for a 12 Noon Prison Workshop but this will have to be rescheduled at a later date.

HALLOWEEN DANCE

The 19th Street Activities Committee is presenting a Halloween Dance on October 26th at the Fellowship House. It will run from 8:30PM till Midnight. DJ Pat Evans will be providing the sounds for the evening, and refreshments will be provided. Cost will be $3.00 for those who don't come in costume, and the costumes will be judged for Scariest, Funniest, Most Original, and Best Overall. The same categories will be used in judging children's costumes. Join them and join in some fun. There is a copy of the flyer on the links page.

The Into Action Big Book Weekend

Experience the Twelfth Step in a spiritual and experiential journey through the Big Book. The basket for the seventh Tradition will be passed until expenses are met. Your must register by November 1. You can register on the net at www.geocities.com/IntoActionBB  There is a copy of the flyer on the links page.

Pockets of Enthusiasm

Pockets of Enthusiasm presents "The Problem Has Been Removed. It Does Not Exist For Us." The Conference will be held in Virginia Beach, VA on November 8-10, 2002, at the Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort at very reasonable rates. The conference is $20. Guest speakers are Don P, Karl M, Michael C, Michael E, Bobby C, Clancy I, and Tom F. Register before October 15. See the Flyer, click here.

Service to another Alcoholic

We can only stay sober ourselves by reaching out to another alcoholic. We can do that by getting our home group to volunteer for a particular 2 hour period each week, allowing group members a brief opportunity to answer the central office hotline. This will also provide the cell phone operator a two hour break which allows planning those things like going out in public where it is quite inconvenient to answer the phone (to say nothing of damaging to anonymity).
     You can help assure that help is available for the suffering alcoholic, alcoholics needing meeting schedule information, literature, or other assistance by volunteering to operate the central office hotline, or by getting your group to take the cell phone for a month. Why not give Tina H a call at home (238-3545), or Email (spicee308@aol.com), or you can volunteer through your Intergroup Rep. Central Office needs phone volunteers to handle the phone during the day to help reduce the burden on the cell phone volunteer. This is rewarding service work, and Central Office hours are pretty flexible.

Traditions Checklist

NEW NATION-WIDE MEETING LIST PROJECT

A new website is being created by optimistic alcoholics who believe the spirit of service lives in the fellowship, and that there will be a grass roots support to accomplish and maintain the accuracy of this source of meeting lists for the traveling alcoholic who needs to find a meeting.  You can check out the site at www.aacompanion.com and see the bare beginnings. This site is by and for alcoholics who seek recovery through the Program of Alcoholics Anonymous, but has no affiliation with Alcoholics Anonymous World Services or any other organization

The goal of the AA Companion website is to create a single source for finding an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting anywhere in the United States, a national repository of meeting schedules in a common, easy to read format. Because some locations have websites, some don't, there is a provision to enter local website address on this site so people can get the meeting information they need. Check the site and make sure that others can find meetings through this national directory either by entering each meeting, or to avoid duplication, by entering the address of the website where the meeting list info is available.

If you need to find a meeting in another state, you can check in the Intergroup section where there are clickable internet addresses for meetings in their own websites. For example, Maryland and Virginia and others already have statewide websites that list every meeting by zip code or town name.

God opens the door of hope
when we can't reach the handle