Fort Wayne
Alcoholics
Intergroup
Anonymous
Dear Reader,
First and foremost, thank you for picking this up. On our journeys to sobriety there can be a lot of confusion, bumps in the road, setbacks, anger, or just an overwhelming feeling of lost.
We have created this newsletter and blog to hopefully help you on your way. Almost every single person you will meet in these rooms have been where you are. We have all wondered where to start, does this program truly work. how do I find a sponsor, how do I find meetings, and so on?
Anything that you are thinking and/or feeling in this moment is very normal. Good news is, there are thousands of people ready and willing to help. The only requirement to being a member of Alcoholic Anonymous is a desire to stop drinking.
If I could personally give you any advice it would be to take what you can and leave the rest. There is no need to understand everything right now. There is a reason we say, “One day at a time.”
It is a process. It takes time. You have given alcohol this much time of your life, why not give a new approach such as this, some. You’ll be surprised at how things can truly turn around for you. When I first came into AA, I read their promises. It truly made my think, “What if this works? What if I can have what I so desperately want and need in my life? What if I could truly turn my life around?”
The AA Promises
Are these extravagant promises? We think not. They are being fulfilled among us – sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. They will always materialize if we work for them.
Sincerely yours,
Robin R.
Grateful Alcoholic
#WeDoRecover
#rockingsobriety
Our AA Preamble, that was introduced in the June 1947 issue of the AA Grapevine magazine was written by the then-editor, who borrowed much of the phrasing from the Forward to the original edition of the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous. The A.A. Preamble has been updated for the third time since being published in its modern form in the Grapevine in 1947.
What is the change is to this historic document?
From the July 2021 issue of the Grapevine:
After two years of discussion by the Fellowship, and after much thoughtful deliberation at the 2021 General Service Conference, the AA Preamble has been updated.
The words “men and women” have been updated to be “people”, continuing A.A.’s spirit of inclusion of all who have the desire to stop drinking.
Download A.A. Preamble
#HeardinaMeeting” can be used on social media to make it easy to find posts that are related.
For instance, when we are sitting at this meeting and someone says something awesome and it is a phrase that we have never ever heard before or we’ve heard it 20 times and always forget it and we want to remember it we can tweet it or post it on Instagram with “#HeardinaMeeting”. Later we can easily search social media and find it.
In the AA Grapevine Half-Hour Variety Podcast Episode 6: Getting Comfortable with the Second Step they debuted their special segment, “Hashtag Heard in a Meeting” in this episode.
The AA Grapevine Half-Hour Variety Hour. Featuring AA members Don and Sam, premiered on October 4, 2021. Each week Don and Sam will interview a different member about their experience, strength, and hope, in a casual “meeting after the meeting” manner. Special features such as “#HeardinaMeeting,” will enhance each episode. To hear the podcasts, go to aagrapevine.org/podcast.
I used to thank God for putting AA in my life. I now I thank AA for putting God in my life.
#Heardinameeting
I didn’t have a Higher Power when I got sober. Mine was a “Hower Power” whom I was always asking, “How are you going to do this for me? How are you going to help me through that?”
#Heardinameeting
Self pity is like sitting in shit. It’s warm and it’s comfortable but it’s gonna get stinky.
#Heardinameeting
Sponsorship is gratitude in action.
#Heardinameeting
My disease is out to kill me but it will settle for making me miserable.
#Heardinameeting
I was always able to stop. I just couldn’t stop starting.
#Heardinameeting
When I got into this program I wanted magic. What I got was miracles.
#Heardinameeting
AA works on all kinds of nuts (including myself). I just needed to find the right wrench.
#Heardinameeting
Listen to AA members Don and Sam, and their special guest, Josh, debute their special segment, “Hashtag Heard in a Meeting” in this AA Grapevine Half-Hour Variety Podcast.
Click on this link: https://youtu.be/e3tXgzxjjZM
A friend called me up and asked me about potentially merging groups. He realized the majority of the members of his homegroup attended the exact same meetings throughout the week but realized these meetings were identifying themselves as separate groups. In addition, few outsiders attended these meetings other than members of his homegroup. At an intergroup meeting, he saw several intergroup reps from his homegroup. They represented other groups, but identified his homegroup as theirs.
He called asking “what’s the right thing to do?” I suggested he read all the literature he could find on the 2nd Tradition and Concept I. Tradition 2 talks about the importance of the input of homegroup members in the group conscience which ties into Concept I reminding us A.A. groups run A.A. and not any individual, or stand-alone A.A. meetings unaffiliated with an A.A. group.
In hindsight I would also encourage my friend to read all the literature on Tradition 4. The long form of Tradition 4 reminds us to consult other groups on certain matters and asks us to examine how our behavior can impact A.A. locally or at greater scale.
In addition, I suggested it would be a great discussion topic to schedule on the agenda for his homegroup’s next monthly business meeting.
We discussed pros and cons of consolidating groups or meetings to fit under one group.
By combining meetings under one group, they could leverage economies of scale to negotiate better rent, as they’re renting meeting spaces in “bulk,” and can buy refreshments in in bulk” reducing overall costs.
Plus, savings would free up additional funds the group could use to carry the message, and they could contribute more to their local District, Intergroup, Area, and the General Service Board.
In addition, instead of having to find a General Service Rep, Alternate GSR, Intergroup, Alternate IGR, Secretary, Treasurer, etc, for several “groups” they would only need to find one. In addition, with greater purchasing power they could afford to send their General Service Representative to area assemblies, regional assemblies, and regional forums so they could perform their service to the group better.
Inversely, I pointed out when groups split into two, they have half the money, but double the expenses and half as many people to fill twice as many service positions.
After the call, a past member of the group mentioned risks some groups face. In the past strong personalities tried to dominate the group and make unilateral decisions without consulting the group or would not allow homegroup members to make motions unless it fit their agenda. These strong personalities only called group consciences when they felt it was necessary to have them; they avoided regular monthly business meetings. All which goes against Tradition 2. He cautioned consolidating groups might provide avenues for remaining difficult personalities to aggregate power.
Ultimately, I told my friend, “I don’t think there is a right or wrong answer. I think it wouldn’t hurt to read what our Traditions and Concepts might suggest on this matter, and bring back this information to the ‘main’ homegroup and have a discussion.”
When presented with such questions, my service sponsor suggests I encourage others to read the literature and come to their own inclusions. For this reason I recommended my friend consult our literature, inform his conscience, and ask his group to discuss and decide what they feel is right.
Anonymous
Submissions: The Rocking Sobriety newsletter welcomes feature articles, supporting articles, group histories, anniversary’s, jokes, cartoons, and upcoming events as long as they relate to the AA experience and reflect an awareness of AA’s singleness of purpose. Submissions are reviewed by the newsletter committee and recommended to the editor for publication.
Length of submissions: The Rocking Sobriety newsletter will publish work of different lengths from feature articles to one-liners.
Please send your submission to AAFortWayne@gmail.com or mail it to the Fort Wayne area intergroup at 2118 Inwood Dr Suite 112, Fort Wayne IN 46815.
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