Sobriety News
June 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.

June Calendar of Events
* Indicates Flyer on the Links page

June 1 Thursday 6:45PM HAI Meeting @ Fellowship House
June 2 Friday 8:00PM 40th St. Speaker Harry S
June 2 Friday 8:30PM 19th St. Speaker Mary P
June 3 Saturday 8:00AM Hanover Intergroup Fellowship Breakfast*
June 3 Saturday 8:00PM Hershey Speaker Meeting Greg W. from The Way Out Group
June 4 Sunday 9:00AM Out of the Dark Speaker TBA
June 4 Sunday 8:00PM Bridge St. Speaker Alice A from TMTL
June 5 Monday 7:00PM Unity Committee @ New Bloomfield
June 9 Friday 8:30PM 19th St. Speaker Joe W  
June 11 Sunday 8:00PM Bridge St. Speaker Jeff C from BBSG and Living Sober Gps
June 12 Monday 6:45PM District 36 meeting @ Fellowship House
June 15 Thursday 7:00PM Elizabethtown 31st Anniversary, Speaker Clay R*
June 16 Friday 8:30PM 19th St. Speaker Patrick
June 17 Saturday 5:30PM 40th St. Spring Fling @ Oberlin Fire Hall.  Dinner @ 5:30, Speaker Jay C from 40th St. Group @ 7:00PM followed by Dance from 8:00 - 11:00.  Donations of Desserts appreciated. * 
June 18 Sunday 8:00PM Bridge St. Speaker TBA
June 22 Thursday 7:00PM Middletown Speaker Jimmy W
June 23 Friday 8:30PM 19th St. Speaker Mark B
June 24 Saturday 8:00AM Third Multi-District History & Archives Gathering in Lebanon*
June 25 Sunday 8:00PM Bridge St Speaker TBA
June 28 Wednesday 8:00PM Unity Committee @ Duncannon
June 29 Thursday 7:00PM Middletown Speaker Adam S
June 30 Friday 8:30PM 19th St. Anniversaries
June 30 - July 2nd Weekend   Firecracker Roundup http://www.firecrackerroundup.org
       

Looking Ahead
July 1 Saturday 8:00PM Hershey Speaker Phil S from Back to Basics, Lititz
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 11 Tuesday 7:30PM Unity Committee @ West Shore Area Group
Aug 18-20 Weekend   9th annual Sunlight of the Spirit Conference, York, PA*
Aug 25-27 Weekend   18th annual PENNSCYPAA, Erie, PA.*
Sept 5 - 10, 2006 Week   49th Sessions By-The-Sea*
Sept 29 Friday 7:30-10:00 BBSG 3rd Annual Primary Purpose Workshop http://bbsgpa.org
Sept 30 Saturday 9:00-4:00  
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.

Intergroup's Unity Committee Active Again
On May 1st that devious and overactive rabid group of recovering unifiers of the HAI Unity Committee struck again, this time at the Bethany AME Church at 21st and Derry at the meeting of the Way Out Group. The meeting was chaired by Derrick K, who shared about the effect unity and service has had in saving his sobriety and his life. He recognized support of Intergroup by some of the members, while realizing that there were some group members who were really unfamiliar with the functions performed by the Harrisburg Area Intergroup, and he laid out in general terms the many activities Intergroup performs to assist member groups in carrying the message. He mentioned the publishing of meeting schedules, the Sobriety News, prison and half-way house meetings, and the Hot Line. He opened the meeting where others shared how service and unity have been their solution to their self-centered natures. There seemed to be an increased enthusiasm in participants by meeting end - and that is one of the things unity does.

On May 16, this roving group of active unity volunteers attended the Middletown Trudgers Group meeting. The Trudgers are one of the most active supporters of Intergroup, and Elaine S chaired a meeting that bristled with excitement to be sharing about what this group has always believed is the bottom line in recovery, and that is, a group of people pitching in to help others and each other.

If invited, a group of active service oriented alcoholics, on behalf of the Unity Committee may come breath some fresh air into your group. They plan to visit the New Beginnings Group in New Bloomfield at 7PM on June 5 as another attempt to show the joy of unity.

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.

A A = Answers Available

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
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.

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 SIX: An AA group ought never endorse, finance, or lend the AA name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property, or prestige divert us from our primary purpose.

  1. Should my fellow group members and I go out and raise money to endow several AA beds in our local hospital?
  2. Is it good for a group to go out and lease a small building?
  3. Are all the officers and members of our local club for AAs familiar with "Guidelines on Clubs" (which is available free from GSO)?
  4. Should the secretary of our group serve on the mayor's advisory committee on alcoholism?
  5. Some alcoholics will stay around AA only if we have a TV and card room. If this is what is required to carry the message to them, should we have these facilities

*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

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 organization, or members of a family.

Concept VI
On behalf of AA, as a whole, our General Service Conference has the principal responsibility for the maintenance of our world services, and it traditionally has the final decision large matters of general policy and finance. But the Conference also recognizes that the chief initiative and the active responsibility in most of these matters should be exercised primarily by the Trustee members of the Conference when they act among themselves as the General Service Board of Alcoholics Anonymous.

We have seen that the "final responsibility and the ultimate authority" for AA's service activities rest with the AA groups (Concept I), but to carry out this responsibility they must delegate to the Conference (Concept II). The Conference, in turn, must delegate administrative authority to the General Service Board of Trustees. Again, it is helpful if you are familiar with both the Conference Charter and the Bylaws of the General Service Board to understand this relationship and the freedom of action that the trustees must have.

The trustees have the legal and practical responsibility for the operation of AA World Services, Inc (which embraces AA publishing as well as the General Services Office) and of the AA grapevine, Inc. These entities have a combined cash flow of many millions of dollars annually. The trustees are also responsible for AAs public information activities. They are the guardians of the Twelve Traditions. They are responsible for carrying the AA message to other countries around the world. They are AA's "bankers," overseeing the financial operations and investing AA's substantial Reserve Fund. (Read the text of Concept XI for a more detailed account of their functions.)

Bill makes the point that although "our objective is always a spiritual one," nevertheless our world service is a "large business operation." "Indeed, he says, "our whole service structure resembles that of a large corporation. The AA groups are the stockholders, the delegates represent them, like proxyholders, at the annual meeting; the General Service Board Trustees are actually the directors of a 'holding company.' And this holding company (General Service Board) actually owns and controls the two subsidiaries (AAWS and the AA Grapevine) which carry on the...services.

"This very real analogy makes it...clear that, like any other board of directors, our trustees must be given large powers if they are to manage the...affairs of Alcoholics Anonymous."

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
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.

Inventory taking is not all in red ink.

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.

 The person who says it cannot be done
should not interrupt the person doing it.

Anecdotage

The Survivor

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island.  He prayed feverishly for GOD to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming.  Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut of driftwood to protect himself from the elements, and to store his few possessions.

One day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, with smoke rolling up to the sky.  The worst had happened, and everything was lost.  He was stunned with disbelief, grief and anger.  "God, how could you let this happen to me?" he cried.

Early the next day he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island.  It had come to rescue him.  How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man.  "We saw your smoke signal" they replied.

It's easy to get discouraged when things are going bad, but we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of pain, and suffering.  Remember that, the next time you little hut seems to be burning to the ground.  It just may be a smoke signal that summons the grace of God.

P R I D E = Personal Recovery Involves Deflating Ego.  

New Meetings and Changes

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 need 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 R U S T = Try Relying Upon Steps and Traditions

May Intergroup Meeting
 Chairperson Kris S. opened the meeting with the serenity prayer.

142 calls were received on the cell phone for March.  40th St. volunteered for December, all months are now covered for the remainder of the year.  Unity Committee continues to visit groups carrying the message.  Kevin B, co-chairperson reported that the by-laws committee had their first meting.  No new business was presented. 

The following groups were represented at the meeting, BBSG, TMTL, Never Too Young, Hershey, Winding It Up, 19th Street, The Way Out Group, Rule #62, 40th Street, Trudgers, Survivors, Bridge Street, Out of the Dark, Mechanicsburg Serenity, Monday Night Men's and Dillsburg.  WAS YOUR GROUP REPRESENTED.

Donations
 Aprils donation to Intergroup from the local groups totaled $604.00.  Contributions were received from Hershey Group, 40th St. and Bridge St.  If you are mailing donations to either Intergroup or District please use the following addresses:

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   
“We are like the passengers of a great liner the moment after rescue from shipwreck when camaraderie, joyousness and democracy pervade the vessel from steerage to Captain's table. Unlike the feelings of the ship's passengers, however, our joy in escape from disaster does not subside as we go our individual ways. The feeling of having shared in a common peril is one element in the powerful cement which binds us. But that in itself would never have held us together as we are now joined. "The tremendous fact for every one of us is that we have discovered a common solution."
©  2001 AAWS, Inc.;
Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 17

 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?

It is only after we have completed Step Five, when humility has been experienced and self-respect has been restored as a result of our admitting to God and another human being the exact nature of our wrongs, that we are in a suitable spiritual condition to carry out the provisions of Step Six.

H.E.L.P. - Hope, Encouragement, Love, Patience

This Month in AA History
 1935    After a multi-day binge on the way to and at an AMA convention in Atlantic City, a drunken Dr. Bob was picked up at his office nurse's house in Cuyahoga Falls.   Bob went through a 3 day sobering up period with Bill W's help.  Scheduled for surgery at City Hospital, Bob pronounced, "I am going through with this - I have placed both operation and myself in God's hands.  I'm going to do what it takes to get sober and stay that way"  Bill gave Dr. Bob his last drink (a beer) and a "goofball" (a barbiturate) to stead him prior to surgery.

1936    The Oxford Group was at the height of its popularity.  10,000 people flocked to the Berkshires for a meeting in Stockbridge, MA.  An OG "house-party" (a cross between a convention and a retreat) in Birmingham, England drew 15,000

1941    Ruth Hock received a newspaper clipping of the Serenity Prayer from NY newspaperman and member Jack C.  It was from the obituary section of the New York Herald Tribune.  An older member, Horace C suggested printing the prayer on a card and sending it in the mail going out of the NY office.  Horace personally paid to have the cards printed.

1947    The AA Preamble first appeared in the Grapevine.  It was written by Tom Y, Grapevine's first editor.  The Grapevine also announced the availability of a set of two 12-inch phonographic records of a general talk on AA by Bill W.  Cost was $3.30 per set.

1953    Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions was published.  Bill W described the work as "This small volume is strictly a textbook which explains AA's 24 basic principles and their application, in detail and with great care"  Betty L and Tom P helped Bill in its writing.  Jack Alexander also helped with the editing.  It was published in two editions: one for $2.25 for distribution through AA groups, and a $2.75 edition distributed through Harper and Brothers for sale in commercial bookstores.     

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
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 .

REMOVAL
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