ADIEU BUT NOT FAREWELL

Working With Others Weekend

The Working with Others Weekend will be sponsored by the There's More To Life Group Friday and Saturday, November 21 and 22, 2003 at the Community United Methodist Church at 16th and Bridge Sts, New Cumberland. There will be Fellowship starting at 5:00PM on Friday, followed at 6:00PM by Speaker Searcy W from Dallas TX. Searcy has accumulated 57 years of sobriety and is one of AA's pioneers. He was Ebby Thatcher's sponsor at the end of Ebby's life. This will be an open speaker meeting and will close at about 7:30PM. Click here for a copy of the Flyer.

Saturday will be a Closed AA Seminar, beginning at 10:00AM, with four panelists who will share on sponsorship, and working with others. Panelists will be Valerie & Alex D from Richmond, VA; Barbara C from Jenkintown, PA; and Brian D from TMTL. Saturday's seminar should end at approximately 1:00PM.

Both of these events will be free, and light fare and refreshments will be provided at both. Also, both events will be taped, and tapes and CD will be available for purchase. 

SUNLIGHT OF THE SPIRIT CONFERENCE

The SOS Conference in York was a high spot in this year's conference events again. Whether a newcomer or longtimer, you could not have gone away without hearing something you could personally relate to and hear a concept of alcoholism you'd never thought of in that way before; probably several times. Many thanks to the SOS Conference Committee for an outstanding event. Another exciting conference is already planned and some of your favorite speakers will be there next year; watch for the flyer.

The Conference was ushered in by Patricia C from the Twelve and Twelve meeting of Alexandria, VA. Patricia shared about her feelings of inadequacy, fear, loneliness, and being terrified of God. She found that alcohol took that all away. Her mind was always racing at 50,000,000 miles per hour, asking herself, "what's going to happen to me?" She found disco joints stopped that as well as the noise in her head. Her consumption increased rapidly to the point where she puked and passed out in parking lots. She was irritable with friends because she couldn't control them. She was desperate and at her first meeting, there were three women speakers, each sharing about how they'd had a child die. Patricia thought that it was pretty amazing that none of them drank even in that horrible grief. At her second meeting, she said of each speaker, "Yeah, that's me." At that point she admitted she was an alcoholic, and these meetings had given her hope. She was told that a lack of power was her problem, and if she wanted to live, she'd better develop a relationship with God. When she was finally able to, she said the feeling was much like being in love. She tries to keep that relationship first in her life today.

The second speaker was Harold G from the Back To Basics Group of Annapolis, MD. Harold wondered where else you would get a bunch of drunks out at 9AM to listen to someone else talk? Harold told bizarre stories of his drinking, which led to not being able to promise his wife or kids anything, because he knew he'd be drunk and broke. He'd come home, lock himself in his room and get drunk. Finally he ran away from it all and lived on the streets. He ended up in the hospital for a year with tuberculosis, and during that time thought about all his regrettable experiences that had some connection to alcohol. He was told that everything he'd ever need to know was in the book Alcoholics Anonymous; after he'd read it about a hundred times he came to believe that was true. Through living the 12 Steps we build an arch through which we pass into the sunlight of the spirit. What it all comes down to is 'Love and Service'. That's all there is to it.

Wayne B gave a riotously humorous and enthusiastic talk which filled several CDs, and the audience wouldn't let him stop. (That was really just some good natured teasing by Bill M in retaliation for a comment about his hair, or lack thereof.) Wayne, in talking about God's grace said, to a newcomer, a free undeserved gift sounds like you don't have to do anything. He said that if you don't have a resentment, get a sponsor and you'll have a few. His sponsor gave him a few by saying things like, 'If you ever learn to laugh at yourself, you'll never be unamused'. Or one time when he disrupted a meeting by coming in late and drunk, they told him he'd have to leave, he refused, so they literally threw him out. Laying in the middle of 16th Street, he heard his sponsor yell out the door, "Keep comin' back". When Wayne's sponsor would tell him to do something, Wayne would go to the AA shoe box, that's loafers, slippers and sneakers. He said we are people who used to drink, smoke or pop anything, no questions asked. But when we hit bottom and are told to get a sponsor and work the steps, we say 'What'll that do for me'?

Polly P, from the Seal Beach Speakers Group of Cypress, CA, said she didn't have a drunk-a-log, because with her medications and alcohol, she slept through it. She expressed the belief that the chapter, "The Family Afterward", does not get the attention it deserves. She sees people who stop drinking, and because they go to meetings and are involved in AA service work, they are excused from having to devote time and attention toward their family. She knows that because of her neglect and abuse of her two sons, it is her job to be a mother to them, and she will never even the score. People concentrate on the acceptance aspect of the serenity prayer, but fail to realize that more importantly you must strive to change the things you can. If you take alcohol away from a horse thief, then all you have is a sober horse thief. Living the Steps and Traditions in your life is how you change. She is grateful this program has taught her how to be an example, in all her affairs, as a member of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Tom I from the Primary Purpose Group of Southern Pines, NC, came to his senses in a maximum security prison at age 24. He didn't believe he would ever get out of there. He's not an alcoholic because he went to prison, he went to prison because he's an alcoholic. He couldn't imagine a life sober, nor did he want one. But when it was suggested that he go to the prison's AA meeting, he went. He kept on going and got a design for living. One time he heard someone share about the fourth step, and he went back to his cell and planned to write about how the world had wronged him, but ended up fully conceding to himself that he was an alcoholic. He had accepted that in depth, as a result of that first attempt. Perhaps the most important thing he ever did. He believes "miracles are what happens when preparation meets opportunity, and God makes the introduction". People, like him, who have hopeless futures and give themselves to this simple program, see the walls come tumbling down. He'd lost his driving privilege for life but his parole officer arranged for him to get one because it would help in his AA service. The North Carolina Prison system sought him out to be employed and promoted time and again because of his preparation in AA, and work he did bringing meetings into the prisons. As we grow, we take on more and as we take on more, we grow. We thank Tom for the preparation, and God for bringing him to York to give us the opportunity to hear him.

The final speaker was Sandy B from Tampa, FL. He appropriately closed the conference with a message on spirituality. He explained that religion is a history of a higher power as it is expressed by persons of a specific view of it, for the purpose of attracting people to it. Spirituality, on the other hand, is simply a group of principles for living - any religion you look at has those same principles. What these principles do is make you perceive the world differently. In essence, they tell us that there is an ultimate power that has power over everything; and that we, as individuals have power over very little by ourselves. When you are living in accordance with these spiritual principles, you see the world differently. You fit into it better. The world didn't change, you did. This concept should be quite familiar to the alcoholic who after a few drinks sees a beautiful world full of beautiful people, as a matter of fact 'I'll buy them all a drink". They had the right idea, they just had the wrong higher power.

Hawaiian Luau & Pig Roast

The 19th Street Group's Activities Committee held their first annual (?)  Luau and Pig Roast on August 23. They started with the delicious Pig at 5:00PM. After the food there was a guest speaker Lindsey at 7:00PM. At 8:30PM Ron G Ho started the music for some dancing fun. The event was well attended and everyone seemed to be having a great time in sobriety.

Annual Summer Picnic at Campbelltown

New Meetings and CHANGES

A new speaker meeting will be starting Sunday April 27 at Fellowship House at 2:00PM. On the last Sunday of each month the 2:00PM meeting will be a regular speaker meeting. The speaker on September 28 will be Harold.

There is a new Big Book Study Group starting Tuesday September 9th at the Faith United Methodist Church, 1120 Drexel Hills Boulevard, New Cumberland. Bring your Big Book and check it out. Directions: 83 South - New Cumberland Exit 40B turn left at the light. Go straight at the light at 83 overpass, Drexel Hills Blvd is @ one block where you turn right. Church on the right.

The fledgling 7:00PM Sunday night Way Out Group which meets at the Epworth United Methodist Church at 21st and Derry Streets will be providing BABYSITTING, starting with the August 3, 2003 meeting. For those needing a meeting and a way to assure that the children are safe and not a distraction, this service may be their answer. See the flyer on the links page, or click on the thumbnail at the left; take a copy to your group. Come see what's happening - be a part of, not apart from.

The Millersburg meeting has dissolved and has been removed from the schedule.

There has been yet another change to the meeting schedule at the Colonial Park Any Lengths Group. The Wednesday night 7:00 p.m. open men's meeting is changing. Starting on Wednesday, May 7th the meeting will become a closed step and traditions meeting. Both men and women are welcome and as is their policy, smoking is permitted.

The New Day Dawning Group at Sixth St and Linglestown Road, which meets at 7:00AM on Wednesdays needs support. This is a handy spot for people coming down the river to get some morning inspiration before tackling the realities of a workday.

The Joy of Living Group restarted April 23rd and they need support. The meeting is held at Fellowship House at 6:00PM on Wednesdays.