Sobriety News
July 2006
Sobriety News
July 2006
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
* Indicates Flyer on the Links
page
| June 30 - July 2nd | Weekend | Firecracker Roundup http://www.firecrackerroundup.org | |
| July 1 | Saturday | 8:00PM | Hershey Speaker Phil S from Back to Basics, Lititz |
| July 2 | Sunday | 8:00PM | Bridge Street Speaker Chris D from the Dover Group |
| July 6 | Thursday | 6:45PM | Harrisburg Area Intergroup Monthly Meeting |
| July 7 | Friday | 8:00PM | 40th St. Speaker Faith from Out of the Dark Group |
| July 7 | Friday | 8:30PM | 19th Street Speaker Liam |
| July 9 | Sunday | 9:00AM | 2nd Annual Out of the Dark Group Picnic Brunch Open Speaker Meeting Speaker @ 9:00AM, Brunch from 10:00 - 11:30 |
| July 9 | Sunday | 8:00PM | Bridge Street Speaker Dave C. from the Dover Group |
| July 10 | Monday | 6:45PM | District 36 meeting @ Fellowship House |
| July 11 | Tuesday | 7:30PM | Unity Committee @ West Shore Area Group |
| July 14 | Friday | 8:30PM | 19th St. Speaker Rich F |
| July 15 | Saturday | Noon - ? | Summer Soberfest in Carsonville, PA. For more info contact Cathy S @717-362-3207 or 717-579-3780 |
| July 16 | Sunday | 8:00PM | Bridge St. Speaker Sara S. from West Shore Women's |
| July 20 | Thursday | 7:00PM | Middletown Speaker |
| July 21 | Friday | 8:30PM | 19th St. Speaker Ron L |
| July 23 | Sunday | 8:00PM | Bridge St. Speaker Ginger H West Shore Area Group |
| July 27 | Thursday | 7:00PM | Middletown Speaker |
| July 28 | Friday | 8:30PM | 19th St. Anniversaries |
| July 30 | Sunday | 8:00PM | Bridge St. Speaker Ruth B West Shore Area Group |
Looking Ahead
| Aug 5 | Saturday | 8:00PM | Hershey Speaker Walt D from Mount Joy Group |
| Aug 17 | Thursday | 6-8:30 | Palmyra Group's Fifth Anniversary* |
| Aug 18-20 | Weekend | 9th annual Sunlight of the Spirit Conference, York, PA* | |
| Aug 25-27 | Weekend | 18th annual PENNSCYPAA, Erie, PA.* |
| Aug 26 | Saturday | 12-5 | HAI picnic @ New Cumberland Boro Park* |
| Sept 5-10, | Tues-Sun | 49th Sessions By-The-Sea* |
| Sept 10 | Sunday | 1:00-5:00 | Dillsburg Pig Roast - Speaker Kelly M @ 3:00Pm* |
| Sept 22-24 | Weekend | 22nd annual Women's Serenity Retreat | |
| Sept 24 | Sunday | 12-6 | Al-Anon District picnic @ Ft. Hunter park |
| Sept 29 | Friday | 7:30-10 | BBSG 3rd Annual Primary Purpose Workshop http://bbsgpa.org |
| Sept 30 | Saturday | 9:00-4:00 | |
| Oct 7 | Saturday | Emotional Sobriety Workshop with Polly Pistol in Middletown | |
| Jul 2008 | TBD | Al-Anon International Convention - Pittsburgh, PA | |
| Jul 2010 | TBD | AA International Convention - San Antonio, TX |
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 has links to Flyers of
events, other AA websites and to back issues of Sobriety News? Currently,
there is an ongoing project to add recreations of old paper copies of Sobriety
News, so they too can be available freely to those who wish to
browse. You can make flyers of your group's activities available to
others for printing off the internet by e-mailing a copy to jfee@comcast.net 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. 
5th Annual Recovery Rafting and Camping Trip
June 23-25, about 60 recovering alcoholics met at the Tall Timbers Campground in Fayette County for white-water rafting, camping, fellowship and the traditional Saturday evening AA meeting. Donna D from the Never Too Young Group, was the chairperson for the meeting and she had picked Unity for a topic. Unbeknownst to her, a dozen alcoholics from Fairfax Virginia happened to notice the circle and triangle signs at intersections near the group campsite, and found their way to the meeting. It was exciting to hear sharing from members of the two contingents about unity, service and recovery - deeply rooted in the Steps, Traditions, and the Concepts. Besides the extreme aspects of rafting the Lower Youghegheny River, people had the options of visiting "Fallingwater" (the amazing 1930s architecturally reknowned F. L. Wright house), checking out the sights and retail establishments in the Ohiopyle State Park, hiking the many trails in the beautiful mountains of Fayette County, or just lounging at the campgrounds enjoying the peace, serenity and beauty. It is truly a blessing that so many alcoholics from all areas of the District #36 area and beyond have developed friendships in recovery through practicing the principles of helping each other (as white water demands) and in sharing the responsibilities of the group needs at a campground. Some used to talk of doing things like this, and now some choose to actually do it.
21st Annual Intergroup Picnic
The annual Harrisburg Area
Intergroup Picnic will be held again at the New Cumberland 
Boro
Park this year on August 26, from noon till 6:00PM. Get your $5.00 tickets soon
from your Intergroup Rep (children under age 12 are free), to make sure a
barbeque chicken will be waiting for you.
There will be games for the kids, and for
the adults. 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.
Intergroup's
Unity Committee Active Again
On June 5, representatives from the Unity Committee, trying to spread unity
among all member groups, traveled all the way up to New Bloomfield to attend
the meeting of the New Beginnings Group. On 6/28 the group
visited the Never Too Young Group in Duncannon. Various
unity visitors shared messages of gratitude for the past participation of these
groups, shared how involvement in Intergroup activities and responsibilities has
helped their own sobriety, and, for the newer people in recovery, shared just
what Intergroup does for the member groups here in Central PA. On 7/11 they
will visit the West Shore Area Group in Camp Hill. They also plan to visit the
Dillsburg
Group
on August 14 to show
the joy of unity.
If invited, a group of active service oriented alcoholics, on behalf of the Unity Committee may come breath some fresh air into your group.
9th Annual Sunlight of the Spirit
The 9th Annual Sunlight of the Spirit
Conference will be held this year August 18 through August 20. The location will
again be the Holiday Inn on Arsenal Road (first road east of Interstate 83 at
Rt. 30 exit). Registration is again $20.00 to
cover the expense of the Convention. Register early, as the 400 available spaces
go quickly and are usually sold by June. The tentative schedule is shown below.
This is always an outstanding recovery event and we are lucky to have it so
close by. You can complete and print the registration form at their website www.sosyorkpa.org/index.html
| August 18 | Friday | 8:00PM | Larry O | Upper Marlboro, MD |
| August 19 | Saturday | 9:00AM | Mari G | Wasaga Beach, Ontario |
| August 19 | Saturday | 11:00AM | Dennis N | Charlotte, NC |
| August 19 | Saturday | 4:00PM | Patti O | Laguna Nigel, CA |
| August 19 | Saturday | 8:00PM | Wayne B | Santa Monica, CA |
| August 20 | Sunday | 9:30AM | Don M | Louisville, KY |
Area # 59 Meeting
Schedules
There is a link to the Meeting
Schedules here,
( if you have Microsoft Word, you can print out the schedules that use the
doc. extension). These schedules are 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 schedule update ,or if you notify an
Intergroup Officer, or mail the info to HAI, Fellowship House, 1251 S.
19th Street, Harrisburg, PA 17105.
There are schedules available for many Districts within Area # 59, including Lebanon, York and Lancaster Counties, as well as for District 42 (Sunbury-Lewistown), District 35 (Gettysburg-Chambersburg, and Hanover), District 38 Pottsville, Northeastern Pennsylvania (Wilkes-Barre-Scranton), Reading Area, Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, Southeastern PA, and Williamsport District 48.
Recently, schedules and websites for District 58 ( Schuylkill County), and District 59 (Bloomsburg - Danville) have been added.When
you are in it up to your ears
Keep your mouth shut
We need your
help locating old copies of Sobriety News
We are looking for older copies of
sobriety news that were created before the website was developed. We have
in archive everything from January 2000 to present plus the following older
editions.
1996 - August,
October, November, December
1997 - January, March through the rest of the
year,
1998 - January, February,
March, June
Sobriety News was first published in 1983. If you have one of the missing copies and would like to help, please contact obsessed489@comcast.net or jfee@comcast.net We will make a copy of your edition and return it to you. Thanks in advance for your help.
Carrying The
Message
Volunteers Needed for Dauphin Co.
Women's Prison
Dauphin
County Women's
Prison is in need of volunteers to carry the message to those currently
incarcerated. This is a chance
to be of service
to those "But for the Grace of God" could be us. If interested
please contact Karen M @ 717-938-5953 or @ beautylady@comcast.net.
One year of sobriety is required.
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?
12 Concepts
Illustrated
From the publication
Concepts Illustrated, The Sobriety News will publish the Concept each
month, which corresponds to the number of the month, because we so seldom are
exposed to these very important concepts of relationships, whether it be between
levels of the
Concept VII
The Conference recognizes that the Charter and the Bylaws of the General Service Board are legal instruments: that the Trustees are thereby fully empowered to manage and conduct all of the world service affairs of Alcoholics Anonymous. It is further understood that the Conference Charter itself is not a legal document: that it relies instead upon the force of tradition and the power of the A. A. purse for its final effectiveness.
This Concept attempts to clarify the relationship and "balance of powers" between the Conference and the General Service Board. "This... may look like the collision of an irresistable force with an immovable object." On the one hand, "the board is invested with complete legal power over A. A.'s funds and services; on the other hand the Conference is clothed with such great influence and financial power it could overcome the legal rights of the board.
"Thus, the practical power of the
Conference is, in the final 
analysis, superior to the legal power of the board.
This superior power derives from the traditional influence of the Conference
Charter itself; from the fact that the delegates chosen by the groups always
constitute more than two thirds of the Conference members"; and finally
from the ability of the delegates to cut off financial support by the groups.
"Theoretically, the Conference is an advisory body only; but practically
speaking, it has all the ultimate power it may ever need."
The Conference "recommends"- though its recommendations have the force of directives to the board. The board executes these recommendations. The board does have the legal authority to veto a Conference recommendation - but in actual practice, it never has done so. As Bill tactfully puts it, the trustees "simply refrain from using their legal right to say 'no' when it would be much wiser, all things considered, to say 'yes'.
"If... the Conference will always bear in mind actual rights, duties, responsibilities and legal status of the General Service Board; and if the trustees will
constantly realize that the Conference is the real seat of ultimate service authority... neither will be seriously tempted to make a 'rubber stamp' out of the other... in this way, grave issues will always be resolved and harmonious cooperation will be the general rule."Printed by permission of A. A. World Service
“I am responsible when anyone anywhere reaches out for help, I want the hand of AA to always be there and for that I am responsible”.
Help for the
Hearing Impaired
Most
people fail in Life
Because they major in minor things
Internet Source
for Recorded AA Talks
There is a new source
for some good AA recording 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.
God
grant me the senility to forget
the people I never liked anyway,
The good fortune to run into the ones I do,
And the eyesight to tell the difference
Anecdotage
This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody. They were asked to contribute to Sobriety News and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it but Nobody did. Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody’s job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it but Nobody realized that Everybody would not do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.
The best vitamin for
making friends - B1
New Meetings and Changes
A new Spanish speaking meeting has started . The Grupo AA Los Amigos is meeting on Monday & Friday from 7:30-9:00PM and on saturday from 4:00-5:30PM. The meeting is held @ 1418 Derry Street in Harrisburg. Iglesia Luz & Esperanza.
A new meeting will be starting in September. The meeting will be held at the United Church of Christ @ 56 Banks Street in Pennbrook. The group will meet on thursdays from 7:00-8:00PM. The 1st & 3rd thursdays will be a beginners meeting and the 2nd & 4th thursdays will be a step meeting.
The Lambda Group (gay), which meets at the Friends Meetinghouse at 6th and Herr Sts. on Mondays and Fridays is changing the meeting time for the Friday meeting to 8:00PM. Both meetings now are 8:00PM closed, non-smoking, except the last Friday, which is an Open Speaker Meeting.
The There is a Solution Group which meets on Thursdays at 6:30 on Jerusalem Rd. in Mechanicsburg is in need of support. Copy the flyer on the links page and take it to your group.
The Out of the Dark Group has changed it's format for the 1st Sunday of each month. The group meets at 9:00AM at the Wormleysburg Borough Hall and starting in March, 2006 the meeting will be an open speakers meeting.
The Millersburg Group which formerly met on Monday Nights has changed the name of the group to The Open Door Group and will now meet on Tuesdays at 8:00PM. The meeting is held at the Feed My Sheep Ministries located at 242 Market St, Millersburg. The format is Open discussion and it is a non-smoking meeting.
The new Loysville "Empty Jug" meeting has moved to the Assembly of God Church on 6th Street in Newport. The meetings are still Saturday nights at 7:00PM, and the formats are unchanged, see the flyer .
The Mid-Morning Reprieve Group which meets on Tuesday mornings @ 10:00AM at 16th and Bridge Streets is in ne
ed of your support. Please see the flyer on the links page for more details.There is a change of place for the Sunday night Al-Anon meeting. Formerly Holy Spirit Hospital, now at the: Chapel Hill UCC (corner of Poplar Church & Erford Rds.), entrance in rear of church, 2nd floor-Rm. 4. Also, Al-Anon's next District meeting is on Tues. Jan. 31st @ 6:00 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Camp Hill Rm. 232.
T
he difference between Pride and HumilityJune
Intergroup Meeting
Volunteer Chair Albert D. opened the meeting with the
serenity prayer.
The following groups were represented at June's Intergroup meeting: Big Book Study Group, Serenity Group, Bridge St., Dillsburg, Duncannon, Trudgers, Rule #62, 40th. St., Winding it Up, Hershey, 19th St., More to Life, Out of the Dark, Trinity, Survivors.
WAS YOUR GROUP REPRESENTED.Donations
Harrisburg Area
Intergroup
District 36
1251 S. 19th
St.
PO Box 5325
Harrisburg, PA.
17104
Harrisburg, PA.
17110
Also, the addresses for contributions to Area 59 and GSO are
Eastern PA General Service Area
59
General
Service Office
1112 Silver Maple
Dr.
Box #459
Clarks Summit , PA
18411
Grand Central Station, New York, NY 10163
Pearl of the
Month
If newcomers could see no joy or fun in our existence, they wouldn't want
it. "We absolutely insist on enjoying life". (pg
132, The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous)
An alcoholic was walking along the beach when he saw a bottle. He stopped and rubbed it, and a genie popped out. "You have 3 wishes." The alcoholic said "I'll take a bottle that is never empty." Whamo, he has a bottle that is never empty and starts to drink.
The genie taps him on the shoulder and says, "and what are your other two wishes?" "Oh," says the alcoholic, "I'll have two more like this one."
Food For
Thought
AA is a Spirit
It cannot be touched, nor can it be completely understood. It is as wide as the world, yet small enough to fit snugly into the mind and heart of man.
It has brought light where only darkness dwelt. It has given hope to those who yearned in despair. It has nourished forgiveness in those who know no pity. It has given strength to the weak and humility to the strong. It has given greatness to the common. It has spurred to higher goals those who strove for nothing. It has brought to the destitute a home. It has transformed sorrow into a weapon of happiness. It has given purpose to the trackless and shelter to the lost. It has taught patience to the hurried and action to the slothful.
To the youth, it has given vision. To the aged, promise. To the lonely, companions. To the restless, rest. To the sick, it has been a doctor. To the dying, it has revived the desire to live. To those who have fallen, it has been a helping hand.
It has no judgment against the unteachable, nor has it praise for those who learn. To the outcast, it has been a family. To the childless, it has given children. To the ignorant, wisdom. To the wise, tolerance.
It has given to all men and women that which is most precious - it has given love for truth with enough left over to share with each other.
Taken from the June/July, 2004 issue of
"Here's How" a Chicago area newsletter.
NEW - Nothing else Worked
This Month in AA
History
1917
Bill W sailed from Boston to NY Harbor on the British ship Lancashire. Later, on
the voyage to England, an officer shared brandy with him. Detained in London,
Bill visited the Winchester Cathedral and experienced a "tremendous sense
of presence.” He read an epitaph on the headstone of a Hampshire Grenadier
(Thomas Thetcher) later to be cited in Bill’s Story in the Big Book.
1922 Lois experienced two ectopic pregnancies (the first in Jun and the second in Jul). After the second misfortune, Bill W and Lois were obliged to face the fact that they would never have children. They applied to the Spence-Chapin adoption agency but to no result. In later years, they found out that they were denied the opportunity for adoption due to Bill’s drinking.
1934 Bill W’s second admission to Towns Hospital (again paid by Dr Leonard V Strong). Bill met Dr Silkworth for the first time. Silkworth explained the obsession and allergy of alcoholism but Bill started drinking again almost immediately upon discharge. Bill was unemployable, $50,000 in debt ($675,000 today) suicidal and drinking around the clock.
1938 Dr William Duncan Silkworth wrote a letter of support for AA for use in fundraising for the book. The letter was incorporated into the chapter The Doctor’s Opinion.. Dr Esther L. R of Baltimore was the member who suggested to Bill W to get a “Number one physician” in the alcoholism field to write an introduction.
1950 At the 1st International convention in Cleveland, Dr Bob made a brief appearance for his last talk. Part of his now famous short statement was “There are two or three things that flashed into my mind on which it would be fitting to lay a little emphasis. One is the simplicity of our program. Let’s not louse it all up with Freudian complexes and things that are interesting to the scientific mind but have very little to do with our actual AA work. Our Twelve Steps, when simmered down to the last, resolve themselves into the words love and service.”
SOBRIETY NEWS is published monthly, and is usually available on the website the Wednesday 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
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REMOVAL