Sobriety News
 JULY 2005

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.

July Calendar of Events*


Jun 30   Thursday till          70th year AA International Convention in Toronto
to Jul 3  Sunday
Jul 1        Friday 8:30PM       19th St Speaker Terry T    
Jul 2        Saturday 8:00PM   Hershey Speaker Julie M from Big Book Study Group
Jul 3        Sunday 8:00PM     Bridge St Speaker Joe Z from 40th Street
Jul 8        Friday 8:30PM       19th St Speaker ???
Jul 10      Sunday 9:00AM     Out Of The Dark Picnic & Speaker Meeting**
Jul 10      Sunday 8:00PM     Bridge St Speaker Kim A from Middletown
Jul 15      Friday 8:30PM       19th St Speaker Randy from West Shore Area
Jul 17      Sunday 8:00PM     Bridge St Speaker Bob H from Middletown
Jul 21      Thursday 7:00PM   Middletown Speaker Sally L
Jul 22      Friday 8:30PM       19th St Anniversary 
Jul 24      Sunday 8:00PM     Bridge St Speaker Faith E from 40th Street
Jul 28      Thursday 7:00PM  Middletown Speaker Alice H    
Jul 29      Friday 8:30PM       19th St Anniversary Nite
Jul 31      Sunday 8:00PM     Bridge St Speaker Ron L from 40th Street

LOOKING AHEAD

Aug  6     Saturday Noon      HAI 20th Annual Picnic at New Cumberland Borough Park
Aug  6     Saturday 8:00PM   Hershey Speaker Bill C from Winding it up Group
Aug 19 - 21    Weekend          8th Annual Sunlight of the Spirit Conference**
Sept 16-17 Fri/Sat                  Primary Purpose weekend, Camp Hill Presbyterian Church
                                            101 N 23rd St Camp Hill   http://www.bbsgpa.org/
Nov 4-6    Weekend                AA State Convention
Jul  2008                                Al-Anon International Convention in Pittsburgh, PA

To links and current events

Rotation of Service Positions
As is our custom in the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous, our humility demands that we pass on our service positions to others. It therefore has been our opportunity to have a new editor since May and Jim is now functioning as editor on his own. This is our news paper and participation by members is what makes this work, so please, send me your articles, your thoughts, your Group's announcements, and make this the best source of local information it can be. Send your e-mail thoughts to me at jfee@comcast.net or mail them to Sobriety News, Harrisburg Intergroup, 1251 South 19th Street, Harrisburg, PA 17104.

The Links Page

The AA blue button above will take you to the links and current events page. Did you know that the links page also has links to Flyers of events, other AA websites and meeting schedules, and to back issues of Sobriety News? 
You can make flyers of your group's activities available to others for printing off the internet by e-mailing a copy to FLYERS.  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.
    
Greater Harrisburg Meeting Schedules

There is a link to the Meeting Schedule here, (or if you have Microsoft Word, click the coin at right, so you can print out the schedule .  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 us at aa@aaharrisburg.org , 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 or by clicking on the chip at the right.

There are links to meeting schedules on the links page for Lebanon Area, and York. We hope to soon be able to add the Lancaster schedule also.

Carrying The Message

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.

Help for the Hearing Impaired

If anyone in our AA community knows sign language and is willing to be of service, there is a need in the Harrisburg Area for your help.  If you are willing to help a hearing impaired person, please notify intergroup through your intergroup rep.

When all else fails,
try following directions   

INTERNET SOURCE FOR RECORDED AA TALKS

There is a new source for some good AA recordings of talks from the Harbor City Speakers, Acts of Recovery, South College Speaker Group, Steps in Action, Unity in Action, White Rose, and various others. These are free for you to download in MP3 format on your computer. The web address is http://greatfact.org You can hear speakers from the Greater Harrisburg Acts of Recovery that you may have missed.

You must be present
to Win

Acts of Recovery

The York Acts of Recovery was held on June 11, and like all of these events that are patterned to provide four speakers who have worked the Program of Alcoholics Anonymous which they found in the first 164 pages of the Book by the same title. They were willing to travel at their own expense from Dover, DE, Wilkes-Barre, PA., West Chester, PA, and Baltimore to give their time and surrender their fears of public speaking to carry a message of hope to others who suffer from the same disease as they. The first of the speakers was Grace E. from Kennett Square. whose topic is "Professional Cooperation". She shared her story of her futile attempts to overcome her problem, but it wasn't until she finally gave up dependence upon human will that she had any success. She spoke at a rehab where they offered her a job. She didn't think she could do it because they were about things that weren't consistent with her experience. Her sponsor told her, you aren't there to sponsor 90 clients, you are there to provide the services that your employer is paying you for. And that is why she loves the first line of the Serenity Prayer. 
    David L from Wilkes-Barre, said that he had just moved back to Pennsylvania ---- voluntarily, and he tells us that because previously he had moved from some states because he was told you can't stay here. He talked of the "Downward Spiral", which didn't stop until he found that he suffered from the absence of a God of his understanding. When he first got here (because the pain was too great), in AA, he knew it couldn't be that simple. He thought he'd wrap his mind around it and figure it out. After about 87 failures to get a handle on it, he decided to see if these people who'd been telling him to surrender to God knew what they were talking about. He finally came to believe that a Power greater than himself could restore him to sanity. 
    Agnes S. from Baltimore was asked to share about "God's Blessings". Instead of counting her blessings, she always resented how she looked, the size of her breasts, her weight, her lot in life, her pug nose... Once she went to a hospice where she saw a woman wearing one of those plastic nose and glasses things, which she thought looked rather silly. She asked the nurse why that woman was wearing that silly thing, and the nurse replied that it was because cancer had eaten her nose. She realizes that God shows us what we need to see in ways that we can understand. Today she loves her nose and realizes that we often don't appreciate what we have until we lose it, or it hurts. She thanks God today for her job at Generous Motors, for the many gifts she has received, and for a sober life.
     Joe T. from Dover, DE.  wrapped up the marvelous afternoon with "Simplicity and Consistency". Another way of saying that is 'Keep it simple, and follow directions'. There were a bunch of guys who drew straws, and a guy name Bill got the short one, so he had to sponsor Joe. Its a good thing because Joe said he needed someone just like Bill, a no nonsense keep it simple and follow direction kind of guy. Everything Joe owned was in one of those brown paper shopping bags when he got here. He'd had 2 wives, 2 children, 2 DUIs, lost 2 houses on the same street, had 2 too many, and had stayed out 2 late. The only warm and fuzzy thing he had was a head of lettuce in the refrigerator, because the electric had been shut off weeks ago. He was desperate enough to follow direction. He had worked Steps One and Two before he got here, and was willing to get on his knees to say the Third Step prayer with Bill. He then worked Steps Four and Five immediately after as he was told. He'd found he was self centered and afraid, and Bill told him any life run on self will can hardly be a success. He was sick enough to get well. AA was already in place, and he knows who got it in place. His name is God, and he's kept Joe sober since 1986, so why would he change God's name now.

Out of the Dark Picnic & Speaker Meeting

The Out of the Dark Group is hosting an open speaker meeting and picnic on Sunday, July 10, at 9:00 a.m. We will meet in Lemoyne at the Negley Park pavilion along Cumberland Road.   Come and enjoy fellowship in the great outdoors with man; Eileen S. from the Out of the Dark group sharing her experience, strength, and hope.  They will provide ham, drinks, and plenty of coffee. Covered dishes are appreciated. Negley Park overlooks the Market Street Bridge and the River from high on the hill in Lemoyne. If one comes West across the River on the Market Street Bridge and continues to the left up thru the "bottleneck", take a right turn at the traffic light at Third Street go one block and turn right on Walnut Street and continue on to the Park. For additional information call Kris K 566-4780.  

20th Annual HAI Picnic

Mark your calendar for Saturday August 6th so you remember the HAI 20th Annual Picnic at New Cumberland Borough Park. Get your tickets from your Intergroup Rep before July 7th so that a barbeque chicken will be waiting for you. There will be games for the kids, and for the adults. The doings begin at noon and clean up at 6:00PM. Bring dessert or salad if you'd like. Tickets will be available from your Intergroup Rep for $5.00 (Children are free). Barbeque chicken, hot dogs and hamburgers will be proffered. Bring a desert, salad, or covered dish to share if you wish. Have fun and stay for the AA open discussion meeting at about 4:00PM. Bring a comfortable chair if you don't enjoy picnic benches. This is always a fun affair.

 Primary Purpose Weekend

The 2nd annual Primary Purpose Weekend will be held on September 16th and 17th at the Camp Hill Presbyterian Church (101 N.23rd St Camp Hill).  Speakers are Valerie D from Richmond, Va. and Gerry W from Cleveland, OH.  More information is available at http://www.bbsgpa.org


After you know it all
it's what you learn, that counts

Anecdotage

Alcohol Always lied to me

I drank for Courage .... and woke up night after night horrified
I drank for Sophistication...and became crude
I drank to find Peace...and ignited a war within myself
I drank to be Friendly...and became argumentative and nasty
I drank to be Sexy...and turned people off
I drank so I could relate to others...and I babbled
I drank to put down Loneliness...and found myself retreating more and more into a my shell
I drank to Relax...and woke up tense
I drank to be entertaining...and became an obnoxious clown
I drank to Live More Fully...and contemplated suicide
I drank for adventure...and discovered disaster
I drank to be more Honest...and insulated my friends
I drank to Quiet my Nerves...and woke up with hangover jangles
I drank to feel Better...and ended up sick and throwing up
I drank to have Fun...and passed out in the middle of the party
I drank to pep Myself Up...and ended up exhausted
I drank to feel Successful...a Big Shot...but ended up a failure
I drank for Security...and became afraid of my shadow
I drank to feel better about Myself...and ended up hating me
I drank to prove I could handle Alcohol...and ended up knowing it controlled me

Author Unknown  (thanks to AmiJo)

New Meetings and Changes
There is a new open beginners meeting called the Hershey Step One Meeting, which will meet at the Derry Presbyterian Church on the corner of Derry and Mansion Roads on all but the first Saturday of the month at 7:00PM. The meeting chair will read an excerpt from AA literature and open the meeting for discussion.  The meeting will be only 45 minutes because of the Hershey Group meeting which will be following in the same room.

The Way Out Group, which meets at the Bethany A. M. E. Church (formerly the Epworth United Methodist Church) will be changing its meeting day to Monday evening at 7:00PM, because of a conflict with planned Sunday evening Services in the new congregation's church. All other details about the meeting are unchanged. The last Sunday meeting will be July 17, and the first Monday meeting will be July 25. See the flyer.

The meeting scheduled at Fairview Twp. Firehouse on Sunday mornings is moving! The last meeting is Sunday July 3, 2005. Beginning Sunday July 10, 2005 the new meeting location is 122 Geary Ave. In New Cumberland. A new Firehouse is slated to be finished construction in March of 2006. The meeting may or may not return to that location. Stay tuned.
You may contact Richard W. 717-329-8320 Or Andrew B. 717-697-6319 with any questions. You may also email aa@aaharrisburg.org. Link to full information.

The Dillsburg Group has changed their Monday night meeting from 8:01PM to 7:01PM. All other information remains unchanged.

The Any Lengths Group in Colonial Park has changed the format of their Tuesday evening meeting to Step and Tradition. All other information remains unchanged.

The Big Book Study Group, by group conscience, has voted to discontinue the Friday night meeting. The Tuesday Big Book Study will continue meeting at Faith United Church of Christ at 1120 Drexel Hills Blvd, New Cumberland, Tuesday at 7:00PM.

There is a new meeting in Loysville, Perry County on Saturdays at 7:00PM at the Centre Presbyterian Church on Route 850 in Loysville. See the Flyer for more details and directions. Welcome to the District #36 family "Empty Jug" Meeting of Loysville!

The Double Trouble Meetings on Wednesday and Friday at 7:30PM are at a new location at Gaudenzia New View, 1728 North Second Street (rear), Harrisburg, and starting on May 8,  an additional meeting has begun at 6:00PM on Sundays. All three are closed discussion, non-smoking.

The Wednesday night 7:15 Progress Group meeting at Ridgeway Community Church @  Elmerton and Progress Ave. reports that the church locks the doors @ 7:15.  The group cannot always hear if someone knocks on the door after that so it is best to be there for the meeting before the meeting. 

Are you ready to let go
and live your destiny ?

This-n-That

Don't forget the Harrisburg Area Intergroup meeting Thursday July 7, at 6:45pm, and the District 36 General Service Rep meeting on Monday July 11 , at 6:30; both meetings need your support. The Intergroup Bookstore is still open for business following the HAI meeting and on Saturday mornings from 10:00 till 11:15 for Groups to restock their literature cabinets with books and pamphlets. 

June Intergroup Meeting

 At the June 2nd meeting of Intergroup, Chairperson RC  opened the meeting with the serenity prayer. Several issues were discussed.

The secretary's report was read by Ami Jo and accepted.  Kevin read the treasurer's report which was also accepted.

The State Hospital - Because of impending changes in the Harrisburg State Hospital Operations, there will no longer be a Tuesday or Thursday Meeting. There will be a Sunday 2:00PM meeting for the foreseeable future. The Big Book Study Group will fulfilled that obligation in June.  There's More To Life had the cell phone commitment for June and BBSG will cover that commitment in July.  The 40th Street Group volunteered to help out with the Gaudenzia Juvenile Facility meeting on Wednesday evenings for a limited time. Volunteers for the various county and state prison and Gaudenzia Juvenile facilities continue to carry the message to those who hope to change their lives through a more spiritual way of living; if you'd like to benefit from this 12th Step opportunity, see your Intergroup Rep, or leave a message with the hot line at 234-5390.

The price on all literature items, except for the Big Book increased in July.  

Groups represented at the June meeting were: HAI Officers, 40th Street, Big Book Study, Chapter 9 Family Group, Dauphin County prison meetings, District 36 Gen Service, Harrisburg Men's Group, Hershey,  Pine Street, Progress Step & Traditions, Survivors, TMTL, Trudgers, The Way Out, West Shore Area,  Mid City and Winding It Up. Was your group represented?

When People asked me what I do,
I say I go to meetings.

Traditions Checklist

TRADITION SEVEN: Every AA group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.

1. Honestly now, do I do all I can to help AA (my group, my central office, my GSO) remain self-supporting? Could I put a little more into the basket on behalf of the new guy who can’t afford it yet? How generous was I when I was tanked in a barroom?

2. Should the Grapevine sell advertising space to book publishers and drug companies, so it could make a big profit and become a bigger magazine, in full color, at a cheaper price per copy?

3. If GSO runs short of funds some year, wouldn’t it be okay to let the government subsidize AA groups in hospitals and prisons?

4. Is it more important to get a big AA collection from a few people, or a smaller collection in which more members participate?

5. Is a group treasurer’s report unimportant AA business? How does the treasurer feel about it?

6. How important in my recovery is the feeling of self-respect, rather than the feeling of being always under obligation for charity received?


 *The Traditions Checklist Questions were originally published in the AA Grapevine in conjunction with a series on the Twelve Traditions that began in November 1969, and ran through September 1971. Sobriety News prints the Checklist for the number of the month that corresponds to the number of the Tradition that it deals with, because of the prohibitive length of all twelve. It is important that we be aware of the Twelve Traditions in our lives of recovery, because they help assure that AA will continue to be here for us, and for others who want it.
Printed by permission. THE AA GRAPEVINE INC., PO BOX 1980, GRAND CENTRAL STATION, NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10163-1980

 

Alcoholics are in a class by themselves, 
everyone else has graduated

 

Pearl of the Month©  AA Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p 75 

"We saw we needn't always be bludgeoned and beaten into humility.  It could come quite as much from our voluntary reaching for it as it could from unremitting suffering.  A great turning point in our lives came when we sought for humility as something we really wanted, rather than as something we must have.  It marker the time when we could commence to see the full implication of Step Seven: Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings"

With permission, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.

Food For Thought

Contributions are made to Food For Thought by recovering alcoholics who have this outlet to share feelings and opinions about living in recovery. The material included does not necessarily express the views of Harrisburg Area Intergroup, or Alcoholics Anonymous. It is simply an opportunity for recovering alcoholics to express thoughts they would like to share. Why not share something of yourself with our readers?

Wilsonland

July 2035:  

 I've just returned from the grand opening of Wilsonland, AA's first official theme park.  AA has come a long way since its founding 100 years ago!  Akron, site of Wilsonland was swarming with AAs and most of the hotels in town were booked solid.  I had reservations at Smith Suites, a 350 room hotel complex built next to Wilsonland.

Like any theme park, Wilsonland has theme-related rides and attractions.  The Early Sobriety Roller Coaster, the 4th Step haunted House and the HALT refreshment stands are just a few examples.  I stopped at the Gratitude Gift Shop to pick up some souvenirs.  I go a conference approved set of Easy Does It jacket, shirt, coffee mug and bumper sticker.  I was surprised to learn from my sponsor (who has 50+ years of sobriety) that once upon a time there were no Conference-approved bumper stickers and other goodies.  How on earth they stayed sober back then I don't know.  The bumper stickers alone can save someone's sobriety at 100 paces.

The new studios of the AA Today Show are also at Wilsonland.  Since there are round-the-clock programs broadcast nationwide on the AA Cable Channel, I expected an elaborate facility and I was not disappointed.  Only the most modern equipment was in use.  Group contributions are well spent in this studio.  I stayed to watch the taping of the next day's segment of "Slogan Studies"  Tom Jackson, a well-known Big Book scholar, was explaining the real meaning of "Keep it Simple"  I watched the taping of the whole show and was amazed that Tom made the subject so clear in just half an hour.

My sponsor, he really is a relic, told me he remembers the days before AA Cable, when AAs read and interpreted the AA literature for themselves and discussed what they learned at meetings.  It's amazing any of those old-timers survived under such primitive conditions.  Imagine actually reading the Big Book.

The Speakers hall of fame was my next stop.  Here, in a quiet, soft lit setting were photos of AA's greatest speakers.  All dead, of course, posthumous nominations only are accepted.  I bought tapes of some of our more famous speakers, and on my way out the door I got the newest edition of the "Speakers Directory" since I am program chairman for my home group.  All the speakers are rated from one to four clowns or one to four teardrops, depending on their comedic or emotional audience appeal.  My sponsor told me when he was program chairman he just asked people whose sobriety he respected to speak at his home group.  He said there was no Speakers Directory.  I tell you, it's a miracle he's sober today.  Can you imagine some of the speakers they must have had.  How did they ever sit through meetings with those amateurs?

I stopped by the Carry-the-Message video store and picked up one of their catalogs of 150 titles.  The preview room was showing Carry-the-Message Production's newest film "Yes, it will work for you, too"  Part of the far-reaching plan to increase our outreach effort to specialty groups, this film targets the mid-young (25-30) blonde haired, short, overweight population.  Although the target group could have been more defined, I thought the film was well made, and will indeed help carry the message.

My sponsor told me about the days before films.  Can you believe it--how did they ever carry the message?  He said they used to talk to people themselves, that AA had only one message and that message was the same for any group.  That would never work today.  And why should I talk to people about the AA program.  They can find all they need to know just by putting a video on their TV. Besides, I can do all the 12th Step Work I need by just showing up at my home group every week--when that doesn't conflict with my busy schedule.  And the "special group" people need a special meeting.  What would I say to them?

In the video store  I bought a copy of "The Evolution of Anonymity: The Letter of the Tradition"  The tape jacket promises that this tape will help AAs learn the fine art of spreading their AA membership before a broad public audience without ever actually saying "I am a member of Alcoholics Anonymous" thus violating the letter of the Tradition.  Buzzword dropping, conspicuous use of AA symbols, and ways to start unconfirmed rumors in the press are just a few of the methods the tape explores.

My sponsor told me that AAs used to worry about something called "The Spirit of Anonymity".  This is some outdated notion that anonymity has to be guarded at the public level whether the anonymity breaks are explicit or implicit.  He said that hinting around at AA membership in full view of the press is just as bad as stating AA membership openly.  Those old timers certainly were an intolerant bunch.

I guess it goes without saying that I'll never get my sponsor to visit Wilsonland.  he's just too hopelessly lost in the past, and doesn't understand what AA is really about.  His curmudgeonly view is that not all change and growth is for the better.  Well, I don't care what that decrepit sponsor of mine says, I had a great visit to Wilsonland and I plan to keep coming back.
Thanks to Glenn S from the BBSG for forwarding this for thought. ( Originally printed in AA Grapevine, May 1991) 

This Month in AA History

1935 - Ernie G (AA#4) contacted Dr. Bob and sobered up.  He later married Dr. Bob's adopted daughter Sue in September, 1941, but the marriage was a disaster as Ernie later relapsed .  Ernie also authored the 1st edition story "The Seven Month Slip"     

1939 - Perry Hutchinson of the NY Times wrote a very favorable review of the Big Book.  It did not help sales since the Big Book was not available through bookstores.

1947 - Bill W took instructions in the Catholic faith from Monsignor (later Bishop) Fulton Sheen.  The instructions lasted about a year and Bill eventually lost interest.  

1950 - AA's 15th anniversary and the 1st International convention in Cleveland, est. attendance 3,000.  

1955 - 2nd international convention in St. Louis, est. attendance 5,000.  2nd edition of the Big Book printed, 30 new personal stories were introduced.
SOBRIETY NEWS is published monthly, and is usually available on the website the Tuesday night before the first Thursday of each month, so paper copies can be distributed to Reps at the Intergroup meeting. You can locate this newsletter, as well as lots of other stuff that would interest members of groups belonging to the Harrisburg Area Intergroup, at http://www.aaharrisburg.org

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 Sobriety News is e-mailed monthly to free subscribers who have indicated a desire to receive it. You may indicate a wish to be added to the mailing list by clicking on Subscribe   and then clicking on send. There is no charge for this service. It is normally mailed the Tuesday before the first Thursday of the month by BCC (blind copy) to protect the anonymity of recipients. You need to notify us if you change e-mail addresses, and you may not receive it, if your computer or internet service provider screens out mail that does not have your name in the To: box.

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