Sobriety News
 FEBRUARY 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.

February Calendar of Events*

Feb  3 Thursday 6:45PM Election of Officers & HAI Rep meeting
Feb  4 Friday 8:30PM 19th Street speaker Rick O.
Feb  5 Saturday 11:00AM  A Walk Thru the Steps** in Richmond, VA
Feb  5 Saturday 8:00PM Hershey Speaker Dick J ~ 40th Street Group
Feb  6 Sunday 8:00PM Bridge Street Speaker Elaine S from Bridge St
Feb 11 Friday 8:30PM 19th Street speaker Jim M.
Feb 13 Sunday 8:00PM Bridge Street Speaker Paul S from Pathfinders
Feb 14 Monday 6:30PM District #36 General Service Meeting
Feb 17 Thursday 7:00PM Middletown Survivors Speaker
Feb 18 Friday 8:30PM 19th Street speaker Dave D.
Feb 19 Saturday 12-5:00PM Philadelphia Acts of Recovery**
Feb 20 Sunday 8:00PM Bridge Street Speaker Chris D from Dover
Feb 24 Thursday 7:00PM Middletown Survivors Speaker
Feb 25 Friday 8:30PM 19th Street Anniversaries
Feb 26 Saturday 5:30PM - ? Intergroup Winter Dinner Speaker/Dance**
Feb 27 Sunday 8:00PM Bridge Street Speaker Jim M from Mechanicsburg

LOOKING AHEAD

Mar  3 Thursday 6:45PM HAI Rep Meeting & Elections
Mar  4 Friday 8:30PM 19th Street speaker
Mar  5 Saturday 8:00PM Hershey Speaker Vivian F from Middletown
Mar  6 Sunday 8:00PM Bridge Street Speaker
Mar 13 Sunday 5:00PM Sponsorship Group 4th Anniversary with 
Clancy I and Tom F**
Mar 14 Monday 6:30PM District #36 General Service Meeting
Mar 18 - 20 Fri - Sun Serenity Weekend Richmond, VA**
Mar 19 Saturday 12 to 5PM Acts of Recovery in Reading**
Mar 29 Thu - Sun EACYPAA Conference in Wilmington, NC
May 7 Saturday 12-5:00PM Harrisburg Area Acts of Recovery
Jun 30 - Jul 3, 2005 Thurs - Sun 70thYear AA International Convention in Toronto, Canada**
To register now visit:
https://www.one-stop-registration.com/2005ic/OSR.Index
July 2008 International Convention of Al-Anon in Pittsburgh, PA
* 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.

Resentment is like taking poison and ~
Then waiting for the other person to die!

OUR FACE IS CHANGING

    Sobriety News is updated 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.
    The HAI index page has links to flyers of coming events, or you can click on the AA blue button above. Did you know that the links page also has links to other AA websites and to back issues of Sobriety News? Also there is a link to the Meeting Schedule (or click the coin at right) so you can print out the schedule (if you can access Microsoft Word) 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 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.
    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.

Intergroup Dinner and Speaker/Dance Evening

There is a small group of loyal recovering alcoholics who are dedicated to doing service, that others may receive the message of recovery through meeting schedules, State and county prison, hospital, and recovery house meetings; cell and central office hot line phones; availability of AA literature; newsletter and internet site; and the occasional eating/speaking/and fellowshipping event. This same band of people who give of their time for the AA community, year after year, because of their own spiritual awakening, want to share the joy they have received from these ventures by sharing bread, a message, and fun with others from the AA community. For a donation of $5.00 to help defray costs for this spaghetti dinner and dance, anyone can also hear two of the Fellowships most dedicated servants speak about the importance and rewards of representing one of the (currently) 47 groups eligible to support Harrisburg Area Intergroup. They would like to enlist your involvement in service, and they would like you to enjoy an evening of fellowship in sobriety with other similarly involved participants. So come on out to the Oberlin Firehall around 5:30PM on Saturday February 26, and join in.

Help for 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 their help. If you are willing to help a hearing impaired person, please notify Intergroup through you Intergroup Rep.

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 

If I don't change,
My sobriety date will.

 

Acts of Recovery

The Acts of Recovery are spreading rapidly across the country, making it possible for those new in parenting, or in the job market, to obtain the flavor of conferences that can otherwise cost hundreds of dollars.  These events condense into five hours, provide four quality messages of experience, strength and hope, and a lunch, free of cost. You can participate in this experience by attending the next Harrisburg Acts on May 7, or if you don't want to wait, attend the Acts of Recovery in Philly on Feb 19. See the flyers on the links page.

All of AA's suggestions are free,
I need only pay for those I ignore.

New Meetings and Changes
 Starting on February 1, 2005, there will be a Tuesday Noon AA Open Discussion Meeting at the Trinity Lutheran Church, 20th and Market Sts in Camp Hill. This will be a non-smoking meeting and it is handicapped accessible.

Effective Friday January 14th the meeting at 40th street was changed to an open discussion meeting. The fourth Friday will continue to be an open speaker meeting. 
Effective Saturday January 15th the Saturday night meeting at 40th Street will be a closed Big Book meeting.

There is a new closed discussion meeting, called There Is A Solution, which started on January 6th at the Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Mechanicsburg. The meeting will be from 6:30 to 7:30PM each Thursday in Room 207 at 1480 Jerusalem Road, Mechanicsburg. See the flyer on the links page.

The Harrisburg Area (Monday Night) Men's Group will be starting a new Thursday night meeting, same time, same place, beginning January 6, 2005. The location is the Susquehanna Valley Evangelical Free Church, 6433 Union Deposit Rd. The meeting begins at 7:30PM and is a non-smoking men only closed approved AA literature discussion meeting.

The Sunday evening Alateen meeting at Holy Spirit is no longer meeting; and the Al-Anon Tuesday and Thursday evening meetings at Trinity Lutheran in Camp Hill have been changed to 7:30PM. The Tuesday Al-Anon meeting at St Patrick's Cathedral has been moved to the Teen Room. These changes are reflected on the new AA meeting schedule for January 2005.

A new meeting in Hershey, called the NOONER IN HERSHEY has started at 12:00PM at the United Church of the Redeemer, 500 West Chocolate Ave, Hershey. (Just around the bend as you enter Hershey on 422, coming from Harrisburg) Bring your lunch, come late, leave early if you must. Copy the Flyer.

Two editorial changes were made to the meeting schedule  to correct incorrect starting times. The West Shore Women's Group meets Wednesday at 6:00PM, and the Up The Creek Group starts at 8:00PM Thursdays.

Please support the Friday night Women's meeting at the Dauphin County Prison. For more information on how to do this important service work, call Sondra D at 566-7666.

The ego seeks the destination,
But the soul seeks the journey.

This-n-That

Don't forget the Harrisburg Area Intergroup meeting and Elections Thursday February 3, at 6:45pm, and the District 36 General Service Rep meeting on Monday February 14, 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. 

District #36 General Service Officers

The General Service elections were held last November and Bob S from There's More To Life Group was elected District Committee Member (DCM), Frank T from Happy Destiny is the new Alternate (ADCM), Karen M from the Big Book Study Group is Treasurer and Bob J from The Way Out Group is Secretary. You may send you Group's General Service contributions to Karen at District # 36, P. O. Box 5325, Harrisburg, PA, 17110

January Intergroup Meeting

At the January meeting of Intergroup, Chairperson Albert D opened the meeting with the serenity prayer. Bob B who has been serving as Central Office Manager for the past couple of years announced that Dennis H from the There's More To Life Group has stepped forward to take over the important duties of managing the Central Office, and the Hot Line. We thank Bob for his dedicated service and wish him the best of successes in his new service commitments in Lebanon County, and look forward to working with Dennis in carrying out the vital services of the Harrisburg Area Intergroup. 

Bill C, on behalf of the Literature Committee, has determined that no literature may be sold without a completed literature order form. He passed out copies of the form for book and for pamphlets at the meeting and copies will be available at the bookstore, after the HAI Rep meeting and Saturday mornings between 10 and 11:00AM.

The chairperson, Albert, announced that it is time for election of officers again, and it's time for him to rotate into other service activity. He and Bruce N from Out of the Dark agreed to solicit a slate of officers for election at the February meeting. If you would be interested in serving the needs of the local AA community in this way (Chairperson, Co-chair, Secretary or Treasurer), you may contact Albert or Bruce personally, email us at  aa@aaharrisburg.org or send a notice by snail mail to HAI, 1251 South 19th Street, Harrisburg, PA 17104.

There was discussion on the speaker/dinner/dance evening, which hopes to express the dedication of HAI to carrying the message in Central Pennsylvania in those ways no individual group can, in the hopes of enlisting cooperation and support for its service commitments. The committee has met, and planned the February 26 event, to be held at the Oberlin Fire Hall, with spaghetti being the bill of fare. There will be a nominal charge of $5.00 per person, with Intergroup paying the balance, to cover the cost of the entertainment portion of the event (dancing). Elaine S disbursed tickets for sale for the event, and will attempt to contact groups not present to give them the opportunity to get tickets.

The State Hospital was covered by the Way Out Group during January, and the Middletown  Groups will sponsor the Hospital meeting in February. The  40th Street Group responded to cell phone calls in January,  and the New Cumberland Big Book Study Group volunteered for February. The Out of the Dark Group will answer the Hot Line in March. 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.

Groups represented at the January meeting were: HAI Officers, 40th Street, Big Book Study, Bridge Street, Dauphin County prison meetings, District 36 Gen Service, Hershey, Monday Night Men's, Out of the Dark, Survivors, TMTL, Trudgers, The Way Out, Up the Creek, and West Shore Women's. Was your group represented.

Let me be...
Wise enough to know when I am wrong,
Strong enough to see where I am weak, and
 Brave enough to face myself when I am afraid.


Traditions Checklist

TRADITION TWO: For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority -- a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.

  1. Do I criticize or do I trust and support my group officers, AA committees, and office workers? Newcomers? Old-timers?
  2. Am I absolutely trustworthy, even in secret, with AA Twelfth Step jobs or other AA responsibilities?
  3. Do I look for credit in my AA jobs? Praise for my AA ideas?
  4. Do I have to save face in group discussion, or can I yield in good spirit to the group conscience and work cheerfully along with it?
  5. Although I have been sober a few years, am I still willing to serve my turn at AA chores?
  6. In group discussions, do I sound off about matters on which I have no experience and little Knowledge?


*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

Pearl of the Month c. 2001 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 550-1

AA has taught me that I will have peace of mind in exact proportion 
to the peace of mind I bring into the lives of other people,
and it has taught me the true meaning of the admonition
"happy are ye who know these things and do them,"
For the only problems I have now are those I create
when I break out in a rash of self-will.

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? 

From: 
"Conscious Contact" Dec 2004 ~ the newsletter of the third oldest intergroup in the world ~ 
Central Ohio Group Fellowship, volume 55 -issue XII

These Steps Have Worked
IF FOLLOWED AS DIRECTED IN THE BIG BOOK! Submitted by Anonymous

Bill W in his own words to Dr Carl Jung said his vision of AA was to pass along "chain style" one alcoholic to the next about their alcoholism and "laying wide open each new prospect to a spiritual experience". That was the only remedy Bill W. knew and that was the only remedy that AA passed along. The simple actions to enable an alcoholic to have a spiritual experience. Up until that time no human power, no group, no doctor could bring that about. Even Dr. Carl Jung lacked the ability to cause his alcoholic patients to undergo a spiritual experience. Another belief the founders had was that no wisdom gained from our past drinking episodes and no human power nor even a life style change could keep us immune from drinking again. So, it was necessary for an alcoholic to turn his will over to his own concept of a Power Greater than himself immediately. That meant immediate surrender of alcohol. Then surrendering their old life through confession of their wrongs and praying for forgiveness and God to remove their shortcomings. Then they prayed to offer their lives and will over to the care of God. The "sufferer" often got immediate relief and peace. They worked out ways to make amends to all the people they had wronged. And they were instructed on how to pray and meditate to become dependent on God.  ("I was to test my thinking by the new God-consciousness within. I was to sit quietly asking only for direction and strength to meet my problems as He would have me." p.13 Big Book)
    Next they were told that they must do the same thing with another alcoholic if they were to keep this sobriety. So when the newcomer was well enough to leave, he joined his sponsor in his "home group" and then he returned to the hospital to do the same steps that were taken with him with another new prospect " chain style" And so on...Read in "Bi1l's Story" pages 13-14 AA and Earl T's story "He Sold Himself Short" AA Big Book.  " The steps are simple and can be taken by anyone who has an honest desire to stop drinking. Let's not complicate them by reading Freudian complexities into them. KEEP THEM SIMPLE!" Dr. Bob S (co-founder Alcoholics Anonymous). He took 4,800 people through the 12 Steps-that's one person per day. And some of them are living today and have over 50 years of sobriety and testify that they took the 12 Steps in several hours. See " He Sold Himself Short in the Big Book.

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

INTERNET SOBRIETY NEWS SUBSCRIPTIONS
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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