Sobriety News
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.May Calendar of Events*
May
1 Sunday 8:00PM Bridge Street speaker
David from Desire Group
LOOKING AHEAD
Jun 2 Thursday
6:45PM Harrisburg Area Intergroup meeting
May 5 Thursday 6:45PM Harrisburg Area
Intergroup meeting at 1251 S. 19th Street
May
6 Friday 8:30PM 19th Street
speaker Jeff L from Up the Creek
May 7 Saturday 12 - 5 Greater Harrisburg Acts of Recovery**
May 7 Saturday 8:00PM Hershey speaker Jill V
from York's Fourth Dimension Group
May 8 Sunday 8:00PM Bridge
Street speaker Brian B from 40th Street Group
May 9 Monday 6:30PM District # 36
General Service meeting
May 13 Friday 8:30PM 19th Street
speaker James P from 19th Street
May 14 Saturday 12 - 5 Baltimore Acts
of Recovery**
May 15 Sunday 2:00PM SAM at Fellowship House
with Father Mark of Caron**
May 15 Sunday 7:00PM Concordia Group's 28th
Anniversary Celebration
May 15 Sunday 8:00PM Bridge
Street speaker Ken T from West Shore Area Group
May 19 Thursday 7:00PM Middletown Survivors speaker
May 20 Friday 8:30PM 19th Street
speaker Chrissie P from 19th Street
May 21
Saturday
Middletown Shot of Enthusiasm with Bob D from Las Vegas**
May 22 Sunday 8:00PM Bridge
Street speaker Anthony from 40th Street Group
May 26 Thursday 7:00PM Middletown Anniversary speaker(s)
May 27 Friday 8:30PM 19th Street
Anniversary Night
May 29 Sunday 8:00PM Bridge
Street speaker Wayne A from West Shore Area
Jun 11 Saturday 12 -
5PM York Acts of Recovery at Eastminster Presb Church
Jun 13 Monday
6:30PM District #36 General Service meeting
Jun 16 - 18
Weekend
35th Area 29 Maryland State Convention
Jun 30 to Thursday
till 70th year AA
International Convention in Toronto
Jul
3 Sunday
Jul 10 Sunday
9:00AM Out Of The Dark Picnic & Speaker Meeting**
Aug 6 Saturday
Noon HAI 20th
Annual Picnic at New Cumberland Borough Park
Aug 19 - 21
Weekend
8th Annual Sunlight of the Spirit Conference**
Sep 16 - 17
Weekend
2nd Annual Primary Purpose Weekend in Camp Hill
Jul
2008
Al-Anon International Convention in Pittsburgh, PA
To links and current events
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 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 on the index page (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.
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.
Faith is hope in things unseen.
AA
Radio Meeting is now streaming at:
The It Works Group celebrated its 10th Anniversary on Monday April 18th with a spaghetti dinner followed by a special speakers meeting. The group meets in the basement of the St. Francis of Assisi Church in the 1400 block of Market Street in the Allison Hill area of Harrisburg on Monday nights at 7:30 PM. It had its first meeting on April 17th 1995 and was formed as a result of requests from the community following the shooting of a young boy on his way to church outside the nearby bar at the corner of 13th and Market Streets. Of the 7 people who attended the first meeting, three were at the anniversary meeting, a 4th was unable to attend as he was under Dr’s care for a back injury, and a 5th had retired and moved to Alabama. About 30 people attended the Anniversary meeting and enjoyed the speakers for the event, Eddie R and Joe O, who recounted some of their experience and the impact which the group had on their sobriety.
article contributed by Jim D of It Works Group
There's
More To Life 16th Anniversary Sometimes
I thought he was telling my story, especially that perception of being a loser
that made him project that he was going to fail, and I don't think I was alone
in that. I heard a fellow remark as we were leaving the building later, 'How'd
he know all that stuff about me?' Fortunately, he put together with the
description of his bottom (reached in almost record time I would think), a
message of hope and faith that was gained by working through the Twelve Steps.
The There's More To Life Group
celebrated their sixteenth year of carrying the message at the corner of 16th
and Bridge Streets in New Cumberland on April 22. There were plentiful cold cuts
and accompanying eats to fill the stomach, and the fellowship and the
experience, strength, hope, and humor shared by Brian D went a long way to
filling the soul. It was heartening to see quite a few different groups from
separate rehabs at this event, what a positive experience that would have been
for me when young in recovery, and I presume for them.
There was so much about Brian's story that seemed familiar, almost as though I'd
read it somewhere. Every time I hear his story he keeps falling out that same
window, one would think he'd learn, but maybe that is an indication that he's a
real alcoholic, making the same mistakes over and over.
contributed by Albert from the
Way Out Group
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.
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
INTERNET SOURCE FOR RECORDED AA TALKS
Spiritual
and emotional growth
Does not depend so much upon success,
As it does upon failures.
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,
condensed into five hours, provide four quality messages of experience, strength
and hope, and a lunch, free of cost. Of course ,
you don't have to be new in recovery to take advantage of these opportunities.
You can participate in this experience by attending the next Harrisburg Acts on May 7, with four great speakers who will be: Brian Q from York, "Obviously"; Paula P from Hershey, "We were Reborn"; Vicki N from Baltimore, "The First Principle of Success"; and Tom F from Glen Burnie, "Great Events Will Come to Pass". See the flyer .
SAM Speaker Meeting
There will be a SAM meeting, that's a Sunday Afternoon Meeting, with guest speaker Father Mark from the Caron Foundation. The meeting will begin at 2:00PM, Sunday May 15 at the Fellowship House at 1251 South 19th Street. This will be a non-smoking meeting. Desserts and Goodies to share will be appreciated. Contact person is Mary J at (717) 579-3818. See the links page for the flyer.
A Middletown Shot of Enthusiasm
Those Middletown people are
going to do it again, with a shot of enthusiasm on May 21 at the Middletown
Presbyterian Church. The event will start with a Spiritual Maintenance Workshop
at 5:30PM on Saturday May 21, at the Church on the corner of North Union
and East Water Streets in Middletown. (That's one block South towards the river from
the Middletown Square on Rt 230) After the one hour workshop there will be time
to share some Middletown desserts, before two speakers, Leslie S from Ephrata,
PA and Bob D from Las Vegas, Nevada, share their experience, strength and hope
with us. Hope to see you there. Click on the graphic for the flyer.
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 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.
Primary Purpose Weekend
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.
The difference
between
Pride and Humility:
Pride is Who
is right.
Humility is What
is right
Anecdotage
The Watering Hole
The noon meeting was, as usual, packed. I sat in my regular spot - dead in the middle of the non-smoking side of the room. It was a few minutes before 12:00, with everyone buzzing, settling in with their coffee and ashtrays. Two men walked in and moved toward the last seats available: the front of the smoking section.
At first, all I could see was their backs, but as they turned to sit I recognized one of them. Let’s call him Mike. A few years earlier, Mike had worked in one of the divisions I oversee for a large organization. As the division manager, I had given his supervisor authorization to fire him for behaviors that could arguably be typical of many alcoholics. Mike’s departure was viewed as “good riddance” by management and labor alike.
While working for us, he had made the acquaintance of another staff member I’ll call Bob. Bob had come from a small upstate town after being honorably discharged from military service. He was a young man trying to make his way in the big city, but with no special skills. However, unlike Mike, Bob was an excellent worker. He had a really good attitude and willingness to work long and hard. In other words, he was a dream come true to an employer of unskilled blue-collar labor His supervisor and coworkers shared a high opinion of him. Ironically, that high opinion would lead to a very strange turn of events.
The fact is, unskilled labor became a scarce resource in the 1990s. Low unemployment rates kept employers competing for workers, particularly ones with good habits. In an effort to hang on to Bob, we decided to give him a promotion and a rather substantial raise in pay. I still remember how happy his supervisor was when I told him we could do this. He couldn’t wait to give the news to Bob, which he did the next afternoon.
If I thought his supervisor was happy, it paled in comparison to Bob’s reaction. He was downright ecstatic - so happy and surprised, he asked if he could leave early. Apparently, he was so overwhelmed he was weak. With a warm, fuzzy feeling, his supervisor told him to go home and enjoy the day. I’ll wish forever that I could take that decision back. We never saw Bob again.
The police later determined that when Bob got home, he discovered two men, later identified as Mike and a drifter, robbing his apartment. Mike eventually confessed, claiming that he had expected Bob to be at work, and that the drifter killed Bob — strangling him with his bare hands. Mike got a few years and the drifter got life. Poor Bob got forever. He must have been in terror as he died. To this day, a memorial plaque dedicated by his co-workers hangs in his work area. I had the task of telling his parents the circumstances; I wanted them to know how much we had liked their son.
Now here was Mike at an AA meeting, with his back to me. It would be so easy. I felt the rage starting up inside. My face must have turned colors. I had felt anger in meetings before, but never like this. I started to plot how I could get a shot at Mike. I knew that physically I could take him. Then a really strange thought hit me: I am at the watering hole.
On the African savannah, water is scarce. At the watering hole, predator and prey completely change behavior. Zebras and lions take turns: the zebras drink without fear of the lions and the lions drink without thought of eating the zebra, often within a few yards of each other. These primitive animals instinctively know that the watering hole is for their common good. If the zebras can’t drink, eventually the lions will starve. The watering hole is a sacred resource available to everyone. No creature may take it away from any other, or eventually all will be lost. You could say that their common welfare comes first.
That thought and all of its implications allowed me to let go of some real anger that day. I never acknowledged Mike’s presence. I think he saw me out of the corner of his eye, but he refused to look at me. After the meeting, he and his friend had the meeting secretary sign what I believe was one of those prove-it-to-the-court papers, and they immediately left. I never saw Mike again. But the realization that AA is there for our common good became cemented in me. When I saw the parallels between the meeting and the watering hole, I could never look at AA the same way again. Every person trying to gain sobriety meets the Third Tradition, whether or not they meet with my approval. No matter what may have occurred between us outside the rooms, it must remain outside. I must always remember that AA is the watering hole.
Stephen T.
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
New Meetings and Changes
The Big Book Study Group
Friday night meeting needs support. The group meets Tuesdays and Fridays at
7pm at Faith United Church of Christ,
Trying to
pray is praying.
Don't forget the Harrisburg Area Intergroup meeting Thursday May 5, at 6:45pm, and the District 36 General Service Rep meeting on Monday May 9, 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.
April
Intergroup
Meeting
At the
April meeting of Intergroup, Chairperson RC opened the meeting with the serenity prayer. Several issues were discussed and deferred for later discussion or action, including, obtaining tax free status from the IRS, how to treat donations made on behalf of deceased members who may not be members, involvement of Intergroup with the Professional community (doctors/lawyers), and supplying an Intergroup liaison with other AA entities.RC announced that there is a new meeting at the Conewago Place Rehab on Fridays at 8:00PM. If you would like to help with taking the message into this facility, contact RC, Doug K, or Moses B for directions or to answer any questions you may have.
The State Hospital was covered by the There's More To Life during April, and the Way Out Group volunteered for May. (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 19th Street Group carried the cell phone during April, and the Middletown Groups will answer the Hot Line in May; and There's More To Life has asked to take this commitment for June. 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.
Groups represented at the April meeting were: HAI Officers, 40th Street, Big Book Study, Bridge Street, Dauphin County prison meetings, District 36 Gen Service, Fellowship House, Hershey, Millersburg, Never Too Young, Out of the Dark, Pine Street, Survivors, TMTL, Trudgers, The Way Out, Up the Creek, West Shore Area and Winding It Up. Was your group represented.
Sobriety
is a gift,
The price of which
Is eternal vigilance.
Traditions Checklist
TRADITION FIVE: Each group has but one primary purpose -- to carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers.
*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
Serenity
isn't freedom from the storm,
It is peace within the storm.
Pearl of the Month © 1975, Living Sober, p 19.
"That word 'serenity' looked like an impossible goal when we first saw the prayer. In fact, if serenity meant apathy, bitter resignation, or stolid endurance, then we didn't even want to aim at it. But we found that serenity meant no such thing. When it comes to us now, it is more as plain recognition -- a clear-eyed, realistic way of seeing the world, accompanied by inner peace and strength. Serenity is like a gyroscope that lets us keep our balance no matter what turbulence swirls around us. And that IS a state of mind worth aiming for."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?
Reflections of Step One
Thanks to Glenn S of the BBSG for forwarding this.
My experience and attitude with Steps 2-12 is simply a reflection of what I experience in Step One. If I am honest with myself in Step One, I cannot
escape the truth. I cannot escape the reality that there is nothing I can do to keep myself sober. I will see that I am guaranteed to drink again. There
is no hope in step one. I will digest the truth that I do not have the power to choose whether I will or will not drink. Relying on my memory of
suffering to keep me sober is no longer an option. My better judgment and greater intellect will not produce a mental defense against the first drink.
As a result of experiencing the First Step, rather than it being an intellectual exercise, I am in touch with my powerlessness at a gut level.
This tends to produce discomfort. This discomfort is a gift. This very gift promotes a desire to seek Power, which I do not possess. This discomfort is
not to be confused with fear being the motivation to stay sober. To rely on fear to stay sober is dangerous. For, the day will come when the fear will
disappear and then there will be no reason for me to stay sober.
INTERNET
SOBRIETY NEWS SUBSCRIPTIONS
To be honest in my First Step is to surrender completely. I am surrendering to the fact that I have no power. This surrender is what produces the hope
and promises in the remaining Steps. Without this surrender, I will not experience an entire psychic change nor will I experience the many gifts that the Big Book authors talk about.
As a result of now having the desire to seek Power, I am much more motivated to establishing a relationship with a Power greater than myself. If I have
difficulty with the Higher Power concept or a belief in some kind of God in Step 2, it is generally because I am clinging to the idea that I have power. It is a blatant sign I have overlooked something crucial in my First Step.
If I did not experience my powerlessness at a gut level, I will not be eager to seek Power.
After having that First Step experience, I will not balk at making a decision in Step 3 to turn my will and my life over to some kind of Power
greater than myself. Keeping in mind that decision basically says I am willing to do Steps 4 through 12 in their entirety. If Step One was an
intellectual exercise for me, I will not see the urgency with Step 3.
This First Step experience and my desire to seek Power, promotes the willingness to do an honest and thorough inventory because I now know the
stark reality I am facing. I must have these things removed so I can gain access to some Power, which will save my life. I am willing to tell someone else my entire life story and I will not leave any stone unturned. My
experience with Step One will allow me to see I am facing a life and death situation. Without that experience in Step One, I will not truly understand the seriousness of my malady and I will balk at doing an inventory or I will
take short cuts so I can get it over with.
My First Step experience promotes eagerness to share my inventory. I am eager to get to the truth so I can be free. I cannot intellectually produce
this eagerness if I did not experience step one at a visceral level.
As a result of my First Step experience and the hope I experienced in Steps 2 through 5, I am eager to take the exact nature of my wrongs to God in
Steps 6 and 7. I want them removed so I can stay sober and be free of the things that have caused me failure and defeat. Without a First Step experience, I will see these Steps as mere stepping-stones for bigger and
better things to come.
I am much more willing to make a list of all the people I have harmed and much more willing to finish my amends as a result of experiencing the
seriousness of my malady in Step One. It will become crystal clear that I will die if I do not go to any lengths to repair the damage I have caused. If my experience in Step One was an intellectual one, I will have a casual
attitude about making amends. I will tell myself that I will make these amends when the situation presents itself or I may convince myself that I
will not die if I drink again and I can always get sober again.
From my experience with making amends, as a result of my First Step experience and the hope I experienced in the following Steps, I am much more
motivated to do a daily 10th Step. My spirit knows how essential it is to maintain contact with the power that enables me to stay sober. Without a visceral experience in Step One, I will see Step 10 as something I can take
or leave.
At this point I am eager to establish and maintain a relationship with a God of my understanding. I look forward to my meditation practices. I am
energized and enthusiastic about this relationship. I want to learn more about this God that I really don’t understand. Without that First Step experience I will view meditation and prayer as a chore and I will not see
how essential it is for me to have access to this power that I hear others talk about.
It is abundantly clear that I must pass this on to others or I will die. I am eager to work with others. I look forward to taking others through the
Steps and I am enthusiastic about the process. I am energized and often feel like I am on fire with something that I never before could even imagine. Now
I understand why they say the loneliness will vanish and this will be the bright spot of my life. Without a First Step experience and the experiences
in the following Steps, there will be minimal desire to work with others. When asked why I don’t sponsor others, I will say no one has asked me. I
will not have the necessary motivation to take it upon myself to seek out the newcomer and still suffering. I will be lazy. I will sit back and
express how grateful I am for what the program has given me. I will lack the motivation to give back what was so freely given to me.
Even though there have been times when I have been resistive and balked at various times in the Steps, the quantity of willingness and eagerness
produced through the process has far outweighed my reluctance.
Now I fully understand why I was taken through the Steps so quickly. I did not have time to think about my experience. I simply experienced it. As a
result of this experience, the compulsion to drink was removed in a very short period of time. Maybe that is why they say the Steps are to be experienced rather than understood and our experience through the Steps will
give us the understanding. For that, I am eternally grateful and I could never in my lifetime repay Alcoholics Anonymous for what you have so freely
given to me.
I wish to thank all of you for your help.
I am neither cocky nor am I afraid for now I am free.
Paul F.
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
Get
a grip on Letting Go.
REMOVAL