Each of us in A.A. - Alcoholics Anonymous · as well as any interested A.A. members in attendance, to share experience, strength and hope with representatives of the General Service

Each of us in A.A. has received the gift of sobriety. All of us have found a new

usefulness and most of us have found great happiness.

This adds up to the gift of life itself—

A new life of Wondrous Possibility.

–Bill W. 1955

Vol. 62, No. 4 / Winter 2016

www.aa.org

News and Notes from the General Service Office of A.A.®

Box459_Winter_2016.indd 1 11/7/16 9:21 AM

2 Box 4-5-9, Winter2016

n2017RegionalForumsRegional Forums strengthen the Fellowship’s ThreeLegaciesofRecovery,UnityandServicebyprovidinganopportunity for A.A. groups and area trusted servants,aswellasanyinterestedA.A.membersinattendance,toshareexperience, strengthandhopewithrepresentativesof the General Service Board and G.S.O. and Grapevinestaffmembers.There isno registration fee forRegionalForums;theyarehostedbytheGeneralServiceBoardandcoordinatedbyG.S.O.

These weekend sharing sessions enhance and widencommunication,andhelpsparknewideasinbettercarry-ingthemessagethroughservicework.First-timeattend-eesarespeciallywelcomed.

Mailings regarding each Regional Forum are sentto area committee members, delegates, D.C.M.s, andcentralofficesandintergroupsapproximatelysixmonthsahead of time. Online registration is also available atwww.aa.org.

• Northeast—June 2-4, DoubleTree by Hilton,PittsburghCranberryHotel,Mars,Pennsylvania

• West Central—September 8-10, Holiday Inn, SiouxFalls,SouthDakota

• Southwest—October 20-22, San Antonio, MarriottNorthwest,SanAntonio,Texas

• East Central—November17-18, Hilton SpringfieldHotel,Springfield,Illinois

nSharingOurStepsItisawellknownfact inA.A.’searliestdaysthatBillW.and many of the pioneering members had “big plans”for the fledgling Fellowship — plans that extended tovisionsofA.A.hospitals,schools,communitycentersandsocial reform.AsBillW.put it in theessayonTraditionSix (Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 155), “Themomentwesawthatwehadananswer foralcoholism,itwasreasonable…forustofeelthatwemighthaveananswer toa lot of other things. TheA.A. groups, manythought,couldgointobusiness,mightfinanceanyenter-prisewhateverinthetotalfieldofalcoholism.Infact,wefelt duty-bound to throw the whole weight of the A.A.namebehindanymeritoriouscause.

“Hereare someof the thingswedreamed.Hospitalsdidn’tlikealcoholics,sowethoughtwe’dbuildahospitalchainofourown.Peopleneededtobetoldwhatalcohol-ismwas,sowe’deducatethepublic,evenrewriteschoolandmedicaltextbooks.We’dgatherupderelictsfromskidrows,sortoutthosewhocouldgetwell,andmakeitpos-siblefortheresttoearntheirlivelihoodinakindofquar-antinedconfinement…Weseriouslythoughtofrewritingthelawsoftheland,andhavingitdeclaredthatalcoholicsare sick people. No more would they be jailed; judgeswouldparoletheminourcustody.We’dspillA.A.intothedarkregionsofdopeaddictionandcriminality.We’dformgroupsofdepressiveandparanoid folks; thedeeper theneurosis,thebetterwe’dlike it. Itstoodtoreasonthat ifalcoholismcouldbelicked,socouldanyproblem.

“Itoccurredtousthatwecouldtakewhatwehadintothe factories and cause laborers and capitalists to loveeach other. Our uncompromising honesty might sooncleanuppolitics.Withonearmaround the shoulderofreligionand theotheraround the shoulderofmedicine,we’d resolve their differences. Having learned to live sohappily,we’dshoweverybodyelsehow.Why,wethought,our SocietyofAlcoholicsAnonymousmightprove tobethe spearhead of a new spiritual advance! We mighttransformtheworld.

“Yes,weofA.A.diddreamthosedreams.Hownaturalthat was, since most alcoholics are bankrupt idealists.Nearlyeveryoneofushadwishedtodogreatgood,per-formgreatdeeds,andembodygreatIdeals.”

However, as A.A. groups and individuals tried anynumberofthese“bigideas”intheFellowship’searlyyears—hospitals,education,reform—Billnoted,“Inconster-nation,we sawourselvesgettingmarried toall kindsofenterprises,somegoodandsomenotsogood.”

Summingup theA.A.position,Bill continued: “Theseadventuresimplantedadeep-rootedconvictionthatinnocircumstancescouldweendorseanyrelatedenterprise,nomatterhowgood.WeofAlcoholicsAnonymouscouldnotbeallthingstoallmen,norshouldwetry.”

Nevertheless, as A.A.’s program of recovery beganto spread throughout the world, crossing innumerableboundaries of language, culture and geography, many

Box 4-5-9ispublishedquarterlybytheGeneralServiceOfficeofAlcoholicsAnonymous,475RiversideDrive,NewYork,NY10115,copyright©2016byAlcoholicsAnonymousWorldServices,Inc.

Mail address:P.O.Box459,GrandCentralStationNewYork,NY10163

G.S.O.’s A.A. Website: www.aa.org

Subscriptions:Individual,$3.50peryear;group,$6.00foreachunitof10peryear.Check—madepayabletoA.A.W.S.,Inc.—shouldaccompanyorder.Tohaveissuesdelivereddirectlytoyourinbox,registeryouremailontheA.A.DigitalSubscriptionServiceonG.S.O.’sWebsite.

Please post Twelve Tips on Keep-

ing Your Holiday Season Sober

and Joyous (page 10) on your

group bulletin board.


Box 4-5-9,Winter2016 3

sufferers in other realms came to recognize how theTwelve Steps and Twelve Traditions could help them,too. Friends and family members of alcoholics saw thebenefitstheStepscouldbringtotheirownconcernsandsought to adapt them to their own needs. Sufferers ofafflictionsotherthanalcoholismreachedoutforthehelpinherentinA.A.’sprogramofrecoveryfromalcoholism.

With itspositionofnonendorsement firmlyanchoredinA.A.Tradition,and theguidance contained inA.A.’sPreamblethattheFellowship“neitherendorsesnoroppos-esanycauses,”ithasbeenpossibleovertheyearsforA.A.toshareitsStepsandTraditions—uponrequest—withothergroupsorfellowshipsofpeoplerecoveringfromvar-iousaddictions,compulsivebehaviors,andmentalhealthproblemsand, in theyearssince1955andupuntil2015,663groupsorfellowshipshaverequestedandweregivenpermissionbyAlcoholicsAnonymousWorldServices, Inc.(whichholds thecopyright), touseoradapt theTwelveStepsand/orTwelveTraditions.WhileA.A.neitherendors-esnoropposesanyof thesegroupsor fellowships,manyhave proven to be great resources for those who sufferfromawiderangeofmaladiesandcircumstances.

Says Dr. Robert DuPont, a well-known nonalcohol-ic practitioner in the addictions field, “The twelve-stepapproachisever-changingandgrowing.Italsoisendless-lydiverse, fitting inwitheverycultureandsubculture intheworld.Itisadaptableandsensitivetovastdiversity… .

“Whenpeopleaskmethepercentageofsuccessof…the twelve-step fellowships, I say it is100percent—forthose who follow the programs as they’re intended tobe followed. This means not just going to an occasion-almeeting,but tomanymeetings everyweek,havingasponsor…‘working’eachoftheTwelveStepsindepth…andmakingrecoverytheNo.1priority.”

And so,withour experienceof theTraditionsasourguide,A.A.hasbeenable to share the fundamentalsofourprogramwith literallyhundredsofothergroupsorfellowships who are seeking relief from a broad rangeof difficulties, keeping in the forefront of our policiesand procedures Bill W.’s heartfelt admonition: “Thereare those who predict that Alcoholics Anonymous may

wellbecomeanewspearhead fora spiritualawakeningthroughouttheworld.Whenourfriendssaythesethingstheyarebothgenerousandsincere.ButweofA.A.mustreflectthatsuchatributeandsuchaprophecycouldwellprovetobeaheadydrinkformostofus—thatis,ifwereallycametobelievethistobetherealpurposeofA.A.,andifwecommencedtobehaveaccordingly.OurSociety,therefore,willprudently cleave to its singlepurpose; thecarryingofthemessagetothealcoholicwhostillsuffers.Let us resist the proud assumption that since God hasenabledustodowellinoneareawearedestinedtobeachannelofsavinggraceforeverybody.

“Ontheotherhand, letusneverbeaclosedcorpora-tion;letusneverdenyourexperienceforwhateveritmaybeworthtotheworldaroundus.”(The Language of the Heart,p.346)

n24thWorldServiceMeetingHeldinNewYork“OneWorld,OneA.A.,OneLanguageoftheHeart.”Suchwasthethemeofthe24thWorldServiceMeeting(WSM),heldat theHiltonWestchesterHotel inRyeBrook,NewYork,October23-27,2016.HostedbytheGeneralServiceBoardofA.A.oftheU.S.andCanada,theeventbroughttogether representatives from over 40 countries or lin-guistic zones around the world, providing a continuinginternational forum for shared experienceand ideasoncarryingtheA.A.messageofrecoveryfromalcoholism.

Sinceitsinaugurationin1969,theWSMhassucceededin bringing together far-flung A.A. service centers andreflectsa finalvisionofco-founderBillW.,whobelievedthere could be “one world of A.A.” to assure that helpwould always be available for sick alcoholics wherevertheymightbeorwhateverlanguagetheymightspeak.

The event alternates biennially between New Yorkandother locationsaround theglobe, convening in suchdiverse cities as Cartagena, Colombia; Auckland, NewZealand;Oviedo, Spain;Malahide, Ireland;MexicoCity,Mexico;andWarsaw,Poland.

Described asa livingandgrowing exchangeof expe-rience responding to the needs of A.A. worldwide, themeetingcoveredanumberofrelevanttopicsandofferedsharingbetweenA.A.structuresthatarewellestablishedandthosethatarejustbeginningtosolidify.

Workshops on country-to-country sponsorship, thehomegroup,A.A.serviceandspirituality,andtheadvan-tagesanddisadvantagesofsocialmediainA.A.highlight-ed themeeting.Butasalways, at theheartofanyA.A.gatheringisthesharingbetweenonealcoholicandanoth-er,and inapresentation titled“Wearenotaglum lot,”LoretaB.ofLithuaniasharedsomeofherstory.

“When I came toA.A., Iwasonly29-years-old.NowIknowhowyoungthatwas.Ihadlostason,lostagoodhome,lostteeth,lostweight.Iwasbrokenfromthetruth.

nReminder:RésumésforTrusteesElectiondueJan.1,2017ThreenewClassB(alcoholic)trusteeswillbeelectedattheGeneralServiceConferenceinApril2017.Résumésmustbe receivedatG.S.O.no later than January1,2017,andmustbesubmittedbydelegatesonly.

The new Southeast regional trustee will fillthe position currently held by Chet P. of Orlando,Florida. The new East Central trustee will replaceBill F., of Marietta, Ohio, and the new trust-ee-at-large/U.S. will replace Bob W. of Westfield,Massachusetts.


It’shardtotellhowaloneIfelt.AndwhileIdidnothavemoney toput into the SeventhTraditionbasket, servicebeganformeonthefirstday.

“Iwashedmanyacup,sweptthefloorsaftermeetings.Iused to comehungry,belly rumbling. Itwasa shame,butIreallywantedtostopdrinking.Fromthefirstday,Ifeltapeace,asafety—meetingaftermeeting.”

Loreta stayed sober, stayed involved, and eventuallyfoundherselfinNewYorkasaWSMdelegate.

“Overnineteen yearsago,” shenoted, “Iwasn’t anygoodtomyselforanyoneelse.NowIfeelwhatitmeanstobeofservice.Itisanindescribablefeelingonecannotbuy.IampartoftheFellowship.”

AsBillW.wrote in1960, “From thebeginning, com-munication in A.A. has been no ordinary transmissionofhelpful ideasandattitudes.Becauseofourkinship insuffering,andbecauseourcommonmeansofdeliveranceareeffectiveforourselvesonlywhenconstantlycarriedtoothers,ourchannelsofcontacthavealwaysbeenchargedwiththelanguageoftheheart.”

And thusmembers fromaround theglobediscussed— inworkshops, committeemeetings,andpresentationsessions—abroad rangeof topics related toRecovery,UnityandService.Ultimately,havingmadenew friendsand strengthenedA.A.’sworldwideconnections throughtheir sharing, delegates journeyed home to pass alongtheexperience, strengthandhope theyhadgathered, toenrichA.AintheirowncountriesandfurtherextendthehandofourworldwideFellowship.

ThenextWSMwillbeheld inDurban,SouthAfrica,onOctober6–11,2018,withthetheme:“OurTwelveTraditions:A.A.’sFutureintheModernWorld.”

nC.P.C./T.-A.AppointedCommitteeMemberThe trustees’ Cooperation With the ProfessionalCommunity/TreatmentandAccessibilitiesCommitteehasanopeningforanappointedcommitteemember(ACM).Wearesearchingforaqualifiedindividualtofillthisser-viceposition.

Someofthequalitiesmostdesirableforthisappointedcommitteememberopeningare:• ExperienceinA.A.service.• Professional or A.A. service experience working with

peoplewithphysical,emotional,ormentalchallenges.• Cultural,ethnicandracialsensitivity.• Availability for meetings of this trustees’ committee

heldduringGeneral ServiceBoardweekends (usuallythelastweekendinJanuary,JulyandOctober),aswellasonemeetingduring theGeneral ServiceConferenceinApril.

• Atleastfiveyearsofcontinuoussobriety.• Theabilitytoworkwithinthecommitteestructure.

In seekingapplications forall vacancies inAlcoholicsAnonymous, the Fellowship is committed to creating alargeapplicantfileofqualifiedpersonswhichreflectstheinclusivenessanddiversityofA.A.itself.

To obtain a résumé form for this opening pleasecall the Treatment and Accessibilities desk at G.S.O.(212) 870-3344, or email [email protected] or [email protected] contact the C.P.C. desk at (212) 870-3107 or [email protected],2017.

4 Box 4-5-9, Winter2016

n“BluePeople”GraphicAgatheringoffolks,silhouetted.Inblue.Agatheringofpeople,allsortsofpeople,thatlookjustlikeus.

Thisgraphicimageisaffectionatelyknownasthe“BluePeople.”OriginatedinJanuary2006,thesimplegraphichascometoberegardedasaheartwarmingrepresentationoftheinclusivenessofAlcoholicsAnonymous,apowerfulandmuch-adoreddepictionofourmembership.AgraphicimagethathasalsocometobesynonymouswithG.S.O.’sA.A.website,aa.org.

TheGeneralServiceOfficereceivesmanyrequestslikethefollowing:“Canweusethe‘bluepeople’graphicfromthehomepageofwww.aa.orgonourlocalA.A.website,oronstationery,businesscards,banners,orotheritems?”

The“bluepeople”graphicisacopyrighteddesignandtrademarkofA.A.W.S.,Inc.,withallrightsreservedforuseexclusivelybytheA.A.W.S.Board,AAGrapevineBoard,theGeneralServiceBoardofU.S./Canada,andtheGeneralServiceOfficeofU.S./Canada.

A.A.WorldServices,Inc.,BoardofDirectors,June17,2016


nRegionalForums:AMoveableFeastInAprilof1975,Dr.JackNorris,aClassA(nonalcoholic)trusteeandthenchairpersonoftheGeneralServiceBoard,presenteda reportonan idea thathadbeenunderdis-cussionby the trustees for some time.The idea revolvedaround thepossibilityof settingupa seriesof “regionalget-togethers”wheremembersandtrustedservantscouldmeet to exchange information and experience with theGeneralServiceBoardandtheGeneralServiceOffice.Thepurposeoftheseget-togetherswouldbethreefold:topro-videbetter communicationbetween theGeneral ServiceBoardandgrassrootsA.A.;toprovidetheGeneralServiceBoard with an opportunity to “take the pulse of A.A.”personally;andtoreaffirmwithA.A.severywherethattheonlypurposeorinterestoftheGeneralServiceBoardistocarrythemessageofrecoverytoalcoholicseverywhere.

Noted the report, “Inbrief, the idea is simply this. Itseemedtousthatfor25yearsA.A.sfromallovertheU.S.andCanadahadbeencomingheretoNewYorktolistento the Board reports, to approve Board actions and toadvise the trusteesas requested.Nowwe think it’s timefor theBoardtoreverse thisdirection.Wethinkperhapswe shouldcomeout to you, regionby region,and listentoyourreports,answeryourquestionsandtalkwiththemembersthroughoutthiscountryandCanadaonaper-sonalbasis.”

And so Regional Forums were born — a series ofget-togethersopen toallA.A.s thatwould,hopefully,asthereportnoted,“airmanyfeelings,voicemanyopinions,makemanysuggestions—butwouldmakenodecisions.”

Recognizing the role played by the General ServiceConference as the decision-making body within A.A.,RegionalMini-Conferences,as theywere initiallyknown,wouldbemoreinformal,withagendas,presentationsandproceduresdevelopedat the local level,with theGeneralServiceBoardassumingallfinancialresponsibility.

The first such Mini-Conference was held in theSoutheastRegion, inAtlantainDecember1975,with275peopleinattendance.

Over 40 years later, Regional Forums are still goingstrong,andtodaytherearefourRegionalForumsayear,spreadamongtheeightregionsoftheU.S.andCanada.Infact,the200thRegionalForumrecentlyfellattheWesternCanada Forum in Kamloops, British Columbia on theweekendofAugust26-28,2016.SaidSteveS.,G.S.O.staffmemberontheRegionalForumsassignment,ofthe200th,“There was cake served in the afternoon and a specialPowerPoint slide prepared to commemorate the event.Peoplehadagoodtimeandgenerallyweretouchedthatthis landmarkevent justhappened to fall on the forumthattheywereattending.Wehadalargecakeandpeopleseemedexcited.Thecakedisappearedquitequickly.”

AForumprogramusuallyconsistsofpresentationsontherolesofClassA(nonalcoholic)trustees,ClassB(alco-holic)trustees,A.A.W.S.andA.A.GrapevineandLaVina,

G.S.O. staff and directors, A.A. around the world andA.A. finances. Following eachpresentation there is timefor questions and answers. On Saturday morning, del-egates give presentations on topics they have selected.General sharing sessions are scheduled throughout theweekend, which give members and trusted servants anopportunity to ask questions or make comments fromopen microphones placed throughout the room. OnSaturdayevening severalworkshopsareheld simultane-ouslyona varietyof topicsof local interest, oftenmod-eratedby trusted servants in the region.A.A. videosarealso shown, suchas thehistory video “Markingson theJourney”and,most recently,A.A.’snewestpublic serviceannouncement “Doors” and the new corrections video“A New Freedom.” Sunday morning first-time Forumattendeesare invited to share their comments, followedbytalksfrompasttrustees.AttheendoftheForumevery-one receivesan“earlybird”newsletter that summarizesboard and staff presentations. A Final Forum Report islaterassembledandsenttoallwhoattended.Thisreportincludesthedelegatepresentations,workshopsummariesandpasttrustees’sharing.

Says Ivelisse Rivera, a nonalcoholic employee atG.S.O.whohasbeenhelping toorganizeandcoordinateRegional Forums since 1992, “Regional Forums are thegreatestthingthateverhappenedtoG.S.O.”

Truetotheoriginalvision,RegionalForumshavepro-videdameansofcommunication,avirtualmoveablefeast


The Big Book is translated into 69 different languages and the foreign literature display at Regional Forums provides tangible evidence of how far the Fellowship can reach.


ofinformationcreatingasolidconduitbetweenlocalandregionalmembersand theGeneral ServiceBoard.NotesIvy,assheisknowntothemanyRegionalForumattend-eesshehascrossedpathswith:“IthinkthemainthingIhaveseenovertheyearsforRegionalForumsisthattheycreatetrust, trustbetweentheFellowship, theofficeandthe board. Because attendees are able to meet face-to-face, it makes people more relaxed about the future ofA.A.And they trustmore.They see thededication.TheyseethatA.A.iswaymorethantheirgroupandtheygetaninsidescooponwhatishappeningthattheywouldn’tgetotherwise.”

An importantpart in thesuccessofallForums is therole played by the local host committee. Whether it isgreetingattendeesat thedoors, staffing the registrationtables, setting up G.S.O. and Grapevine literature dis-plays,puttingupworkshopsigns,distributinghand-outs,andmuchmore,localA.A.salwaysrisetotheoccasiontohelpout.

And today, getting information about Forums haschanged considerably since 1975. Where once word ofupcoming Forums was disseminated through cumber-some (and costly) mailings, information on RegionalForums is just a click away on G.S.O.’s A.A. Web site(www.aa.org). There you will find a Forums schedule,Regional Forum flyers, a Forum calendar poster, alongwith Online Registration and, where available, links toonlinehotel registration. Forplanningpurposes,prereg-istration is encouragedandon-site registration isalwaysavailable.ThereisnochargeforRegionalForumsregistra-tionandthecostsoftheeventarecoveredbytheGeneralServiceBoard.

Oneof themostwelcome evolutions on theRegionalForumsfronthasbeenashiftoverthepastsevenoreightyears to focus Forums more specifically on first-timeattendees. “We’re always looking for ways to make theinformationmore engagingandas closelyapplicable towhatthegroupsandmembersaredoingtohelpalcohol-ics,”saysSteveS.“Thepresentationsandthesharingandtheopenmicrophones,it’sallgearedtosupportmembers

andgroupsastheycarrytheA.A.message.”Wrote one first-time attendee from the Forum in

Kamloops,“ImaynevergettoNewYork.ImayneverseemyG.S.O.friends inpersonagain,butrestassured,yourpresence inour small townhasmadeall thedifference.Youprobablyalreadyknow this,butwhenyou take thetimetotravelthousandsofmilesandputupwiththetri-alsoftravel,Iamthebeneficiary.

“Myrededicationtothedailypracticingoftheprogramisbecauseofyou...

“ThanksfromthebottomoftheheartIfoundIhad.Ionlymisplaceditforafewdecades.”

Theemailwas signed, “Gratefully, Scott,”alongwiththeaddendum,“Justamember,notaG.S.R.oraD.C.M,justa(now)soberguy.”

Some other comments from first-time attendees atForumsacrosstheU.S.andCanada,echoScott’senthusi-asmandgratitude:

“Thebugyouget for service? I’m infected. I realizedthat you all are not hundreds of people I don’t know,you’reapartofservicetowhatisnowlikeahugehomegrouptome.”

“I’moneyearsoberandstruckbyhowevenaswedis-cussmillionsofdollars,weareallthesame.”

“Theorganization,professionalismandleadershipareimpressiveandhelpmerealizehowmuchmore there istoA.A.”

“Iwashittingawall insobrietyandcominghasbeenanadventure. I’m reconnectingwithpeople I’veknownforyearsandithasrekindledmyloveforservice.”

“Asawomanoftenhavingveryfewwomentoconnectwith inmy smallhometown, Iamblownawaybyhowmanyawesomewomenareherethisweekend.”

“This has been an amazing weekend, thanks every-body!TwentyyearsagoIgotpickedupoutsidethewallsof prison… I feel free all over again, that’s what thisweekendhasgivenmeandIwanttogobacktomygroupandjustbeapartof.”

“Ihadtoshowupforfirst-timersharing.Ididn’twanttomisswhatIhadtosay!”

6 Box 4-5-9,Winter2016

Cakes set up in celebration of the 200th Regional Forum. According to Steve S., Regional Forums coordinator, with over 275 A.A.s in attendance the cake didn’t last very long.


When it comes to Regional Forums, everybody hasa story to tell about their first.GregT.,G.S.O.’s generalmanager,whoattendseachForum,sharedhis.

“My first Regional Forum came as a director of theGrapevineboard—aPacificRegionalForum in1996. Ivividlyrememberbeingdazedandconfusedastomyrole,butbeinggentlyguidedby staffandotherboardmem-bersastowhatmyparticipationwastobe.”

Having attended many Forums since, Greg still feelstheeffectsofthatfirstone.“Justwithinthepastcoupleofdays,”hesays,“Iwascontactedbysomeoneonanunre-latedmatterwhoremindedmeofmakingaconnectionatthatForum,thefirsttimewehadevermet.AndsoitstillreverberatesandhelpstoinformmycurrentcommitmenttoserviceinA.A.

“Asgeneralmanager,”Gregcontinues,“themostfas-cinatingaspectformenowisgettingabetterunderstand-ingandappreciationfortheroleof thedelegate,beyondthe Conference, within their own regional context, andseeing them ‘inaction’among their fellows.Oneof thebest thingsaboutRegionalForums I’veattendedorpar-ticipated in as general manager has been the delegatepresentations.Idon’twanttoshortanyotheraspect,butthe delegate presentations I have heard have been out-standing, informative,andhavecausedsomereallygoodthinkingandreflectionontheprinciplesofvariousaspectsofservice.

“Theworkshops, too, arean importantandperhapsunderestimatedfeatureofForumsbecauseitisveryoftenthere that the most immediate issues are first broughtforwardbythosewhoaremostdirectlyaffectedandcon-cernedbytheseissues.AgrassrootsaspectoftheForums,fulfillingtheoriginalvision,carryinginformationfromonedistantA.A.outposttoanother.”

SaysAmiB.,Grapevineexecutiveeditor/publisher,whoalsoattendsmostForums,“MyfavoritethingisbeingabletomeetA.A.membersthatIwouldneverhavetheoppor-tunity tomeetotherwiseand togeta feel for localA.A.ThereisauniquefeelingateachForum.

“TheGrapevine/LaVinaworkshopsarewonderful,too.Eachoneisdifferentbecausethoseinattendancechoosethetopicandcreatethewayourtimetogetherunfolds.

“Lately, we’ve been starting with something we’venamed:What’sYourStory?

“Inturn,eachmemberintheroomtellstherestabriefsynopsisof the story theywouldwrite forGrapevine.Bythe end we’ve usually heard a wonderful cross-sectionof stories that could make up an entire issue. Then wenameour‘issue’aftertheplace,suchastheThunderBay-Denver-KamloopsorKonaedition.Everyoneusuallyhasagoodtimeanditcanbeverytouching.”

Information,then—andthebondthatexistsbetweenonealcoholicandanother—maywellbethefooduponwhichweA.A.members feast.And through the looselystructured systemofourRegional Forums, the seriesof“regional get-togethers” started over 40 years ago, thatfeastismostcertainlyamoveableone.

n‘A.A.IsNotJustaGiftforHearingPeople’Gettingsobercanbeadifficultjourneyforanyone,butitismadeevenmoredifficult ifaperson isdeaf.ThevastmajorityofA.A.meetingsaregearedonlyforthehearing,something thatTeresaK.,SpecialNeeds&AccessibilitiesChairforDistrict7(Area36)intheTwinCitieswouldliketoseechanged.

“We talk about being a fellowship, but we often getstuck behind the language barrier and we don’t reachout.Wetendtobelievethatbecausetherearenopeoplewhoaredeafinourmeetings,thattherearenoalcoholicswhoaredeaf.Butofcourse,thereare—alcoholicswhoaredeafare justnotatmeetingsbecause theirdisabilitymakesitdifficultforthemtoparticipate.”

Teresa’s home group is Foxhall Chapter Seven inMinneapolis, one of two open speaker meetings in theTwin Cities area that regularly employ American SignLanguage(ASL)interpreters.Andthisismorethanmanycitieshave,Teresapointsout. “Becauseof its reputationfortreatmentcenters,Minneapolisdrawsalotofrecover-ingalcoholics,andthereisactuallyaDeaftreatmentpro-gram.So there isa littlebitofaDeaf sobercommunity,wholookformeetingstoattendaftertheyleaverehab.”

FoxhallChapterSevenusedtoemployacompanythatwouldrecordspeakersonaudioandmakethemavailableonCDs.Afterthecompanybowedout, thegroupdecid-edtotapethemeetingthemselves,makingtheaudiofileavailable ina free email subscription. Itwasbuta step


nA New FreedomFilmedinsidecor-rectional facil-ities in the U.S.a n d C a n a d a ,this 30 minutevideo features adiverse group ofA.A. memberswho are current-lyincarceratedorhave been incar-cerated and arestaying sober oneday at a time.They share whatit was like when they drank, what happenedafter participating in A.A. in prison, and whatit’s like now as a result of working the TwelveSteps and continuing to participate in the A.A.Fellowship.(DV-18;$10.00)

Filmed inside correctional facilities in the U.S. and Canada, this 30 minute video features a diverse group of A.A. members who are currently incarcerated or have been incarcerated and are staying sober one day at a time. They share what it was like

when they drank, what happened after participating in A.A. in prison, and what it’s like now as a result of working the Twelve Steps and

continuing to participate in the A.A. Fellowship.

30 Minutes

A. A. General Service Conference approved

Copyright © 2016 by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.All rights reserved.

DV - 18 750– 8/16 (MM)

A New

FreedomA New

Freedom

French & Spanish Subtitles

A N

ew

Fr

eed

om

A

.A. W

orld Services, Inc.


8 Box 4-5-9,Winter2016

from there todeciding to employanASL interpreter sothatpeoplewhoaredeafcouldattend themeeting,andtovideotapingtheinterpretersothatthosewhocouldnotattendwouldhaveaccess to the talks. (Theothermeet-ingintheTwinCitiesareawithanASLinterpreteristheThreeLegaciesSpeakerMeeting,whichpoststheASLvid-eostoaprivateYouTubechannel that theDeafcansignupforviaemail.)

ThemovetohiringandvideotapinganASLinterpreterat Foxhall Chapter Seven was not without controversy,because,ofcourse, itcostmoney.WhiletheGoogledrivewherethevideofilesarestoredisonly$25ayearfor200gigabytes,havinganASLinterpretercometothemeetingonceaweekcosts$80.“Andtherewassomehandwring-ingoverthisexpense,”Teresasays.“Whichisunderstand-able. Sometimes only one or two people who are deafcometoameeting.Butthethingis,peoplewhoaredeafstarttothink:‘Ihaveapricetagattachedtomewhenitcomes to trying toaccessAlcoholicsAnonymous.’Moneyisarealconcern,butingeneralweneedtofigureouthowtosolvethis.Thereisaspiritualprinciple—ifwedotherightthing,goodthingshappen.”

Teresa,whoisahearingperson,begantogetinvolvedwith theDeaf “when I sawpeoplewhoaredeaf inourmeeting and I saw hearing people not talking to them.So Imadeapointofhangingoutwith them. I tookanASLclass, learnedabitofsignlanguage.AndIbeganto

understandsomeoftheissuesintryingtobridgethegapandgettheDeafandthehearingtalkingtoeachother.”

AttheFoxhallChapterSevenmeeting,whiteboardsareprovidedintheASLseatingsectionandtheDeafandthehearingcantexteachother.ThereareafewA.A.swho,likeTeresa,knowsomeASL.Andalotcanbegottenfromcontext,incommunicatingwithpeoplewhoaredeaf.Buteventhevideotaping,asvaluableas it is, isonlyabegin-ning,Teresasays.Andsince theGeneralServiceOffice isin theprocessof selectinganASL interpreter foranewtranslationofAlcoholics AnonymousandTwelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,Teresahasbeenable tohelpprovideG.S.O.withcontacts toprofessional interpreters, aswellasshareinformationaboutpotentialinterpreterswiththemembersofherAccessibilities committeewhoaredeaf—oneevenwroteacomprehensiveassessmentofalltheapplicants.

“MydistrictgavemyAccessibilitiescommittee$900tousethisyearatspecialserviceeventstomakeA.A.acces-sible to theDeaf,”Teresa says. “Itdoescostmoney,butwhenthemoneyisthere,itcanreallymakeadifference.Butit’snotjustmoney.Ifyouseeapersonwhoisdeafatameeting,takealeapandcrosstheroomandtalktohimorher.Noteveryonehasacar,especiallyinbigmetropol-itancommunities,soofferaride.Ifyouareonacommit-tee,askifanyonehashadcontactwithalcoholicswhoaredeaf.Justbecausetheyarenotintheroom,doesn’tmeantheyarenot interested.Remember, every reasonahear-ingpersonhasnottocometoameeting,apersonwhoisdeafhas,aswell.Andthenthere’sonemore—theycan’tunderstandwhatisgoingon,orrelateinaccessiblewaystothefellowship.

“Insomeways,frankly,hearingpeoplearethemselvesthebarrierbetweentheDeafandA.A.Weneedtobreakdownthisbarrier.A.A.isnotjustagiftforhearingpeople.It’sforeveryone.”

nA“Mock”A.A.Meeting,WithaPurposeIt’s a real A.A. meeting. Or is it? It takes place in theclassic church basement. Coffee and light snacks areavailable.As themeetingbegins, the chair introducesaspeaker,who shareshisorher experience, strengthandhope.Afterwards,peoplespeakonthetopic.Atthebreak,there are announcements about anniversary celebra-tions,workshops,andbusinessmeetings,andtheSeventhTradition basket is passed. The meeting ends with theSerenityPrayer.

But thismeeting,whilepeopledandchairedby soberalcoholics,isnotreal,ornotquite.Itisa“demonstration”meetingforthebenefitofthe20orsostudentdoctorswhositatthebackoftheroom,observing.Thisdemonstrationor instructionalmeeting is thebrainchildof theArea78C.P.Ccommittee inCalgary,Alberta—an ingeniousand

nAAGrapevineAnnouncesOur Twelve Traditions: A.A.memberssharetheirownstoriesofexperience

A co l l ec t ion o fGrapevine storiesin which membersshare their experi-enceswiththeprin-ciples containedin A.A.’s TwelveTraditions.Thesto-riesoffergroups,aswell as members,workable solutionsto many problems.GV35, $10.99; fiveor more copies ,$10.50.

Toorderthisbookoranyotherproduct, includ-ingthenewGVappforiPhonesandiPads,fromtheGVcollection,visitusatAAGrapevine.organdclickonStoreor call (800)631-6025U.S./Canada, (818)487-2091Internationalorfaxusat(818)487-4550.

T HE SERE N I T Y PR AY ERGod grant me the serenity

to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can,

and wisdom to know the difference.

OUR TWELVE TRADITIONSAA members share their own stories of experience

AAGRAPEVINE

AAGRAPEVINEAAGRAPEVINE

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475 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10115 www.aagrapevine.org

In this collection of stories from AA Grapevine, members write about their experiences with the core principles con-tained in AA’s Twelve Traditions. Born of the trial-and-error experience of the Fellowship’s earliest years, the Twelve Tra-ditions provide the spiritual—and practical—underpinning for AA’s ongoing adventure of living and working together. Seen through the eyes of individual members, the stories in this book offer groups, as well as members, workable solu-tions to difficult problems.

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powerfulinstrumentforensuringthatdoctors(andnurses)areintroducedtoA.A.earlyintheircareers.

KeithA., chairof theArea78C.P.C. committee, saysthat thesedemonstrationmeetingshavebeengoingon inCalgarysince2009,whenC.P.C.memberswerestrugglingto figureouthowbest to reachout tobusydoctors inalargecity.Theyrealizedthat itmightbemoreeffectivetotrytocontactthedoctorsjustbeforetheygraduated,whentheywouldalmostcertainlybemoreaccessible,andhavemoretime.ThroughaC.P.C.memberwithconnectionstotheUniversityofCalgary, theprogramwassetup,and ithas flourished. In sevenyears,950doctorshaveattendedthedemonstrationmeetings,which theuniversitymakesmandatory for the studentdoctors.TheA.A.’swho takepart in the demonstrations must have at least a year’ssobriety,andwhilethemeetingismock,thesharingisnot.“Ithas tobe fromtheheart,”Keithsays.“The topicsareeither ‘MyDoctorand I,’or ‘ReligionandSpirituality,’ thelatterofwhichisimportant,sincedoctorsarereluctanttorecommendpeople toaprogramthey think isoverlyreli-giousinnature.Wehavestudentdoctorsfromallreligions,allcountries,allwalksoflife.Whentheyseeweareaspiri-tualprogram,theycanappreciatewhat’sgoingon.”

After thedemonstrationmeeting,Keith says, the stu-dentdoctorsarereorganizedintosmallgroups,eachwithtwodoctorsand twoA.A.s.The studentdoctorsask theA.A.showtheprogramandtheStepswork,howtheydealwithdenialinapatient,howtospeaktothefamilyofanalcoholic. The second part of the meeting is scheduledforanhour,and,accordingtoKeith,thestudentdoctorsalmostneverleavewhenthehourisup.

After their graduation, Keith says, the doctors are“going to do internships or become specialists or focuson family medicine.” But under Canada’s medical sys-tem,manydoctors sign“return for service”agreements,

wheretheyagreetoworkinunderservedcommunitiesforaperiodoftimeinreturnforhavingbeengivenfinancialsupportfortheireducation.Indirectly,therefore,thewordofA.A.isbeingspreadaroundthecountrytoareaswhereitmightnototherwisebefound.

TheArea78C.P.C.committeerunsasimilarprogramforstudentnurses,bothattheUniversityofCalgaryandatMountRoyalUniversity,alsoinCalgary.Thistakestheformofaonce-a-semesterseminar,whereapresentationismade tonursing studentsabout tograduate—since2009,over1,000 studentnurseshaveattended.Thepre-sentationsareusuallymadetoabout30nursesatatime,inaclassroom,withonemaleandonefemaleA.A.mem-ber,who talk forabout tenminutes each, provide A.A.literature,andanswerquestions.“Afairamountofnurs-es,asmanyothers,havealcoholismintheirfamily,”Keithsays. “Or may be alcoholics themselves. Most of themappreciatewhatwearedoing.Ourfeelingisthatnurses,evenmorethanthedoctors,aregoingtobeexposedtotheactivealcoholics,oratleastmayhavetheinitialexposure.”

TheArea78C.P.C.committeeisambitiouslyseekingtobranchthistypeofdemonstrationprogramoutintootherareasoffocus,inparticularthejudicialsystem.Keithsays:“Wearejustnowapproachingthechiefjusticeswholookafter judges in thecourt systemtoofferpresentations tothem.Whatwedowith the studentdoctors iswhatwewouldliketoseesetupforthejudges.”

Area78isthelargestinNorthAmericaand,Keithsays,manyof thedoctorswho first attended thedemonstra-tionmeetingssevenyearsagoareonly justnow“comingback through the system” after having worked in ruralareasandIndianreservations.Whatevertheirspecialtyofpractice,theyarealmostcertainlymoreenlightenedaboutalcoholismforhavingbeenthebeneficiaryofthisextraor-dinaryservicework.

Box 4-5-9, Winter2016 9

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10 Box 4-5-9, Winter2016

Twelve Tips on Keeping Your Holiday Season Sober and Joyous

HolidaypartieswithoutliquidspiritsmaystillseemadrearyprospecttonewA.A.s.Butmanyofushaveenjoyedthehappiestholidaysofourlivessober—anideawewouldneverhavedreamedof,wanted,orbelievedpossiblewhendrinking.Herearesometipsforhavinganall-roundballwithoutadropofalcohol.

Line up extra A.A. activities for the hol-iday season. Arrangetotakenewcomerstomeetings,answerthephonesataclub-houseorcentraloffice,speak,helpwithdishes, or visit the alcoholic ward at ahospital.

Be host to A.A. friends, especially new-comers. Ifyoudon’thaveaplacewhereyoucanthrowaformalparty,takeonepersontoadinerandspringforthecof-fee.

Keep your A.A. telephone list with you all the time. Ifadrinkingurgeorpaniccomes—postpone everything else untilyou’vecalledanA.A.

Find out about the special holiday parties, meetings, or other celebrations

givenbygroupsinyourarea,andgo.Ifyou’retimid,takesomeonenewerthanyouare.

Skip any drinking occasion you are nervous about. Rememberhowcleveryou were at excuses when drinking?Nowputthetalenttogooduse.Noof-ficepartyisasimportantassavingyourlife.

If you have to go to a drinking party andcan’t takeanA.A.withyou,keepsomecandyhandy.

Don’t think you have to stay late. Planinadvancean“importantdate”youhavetokeep.

Worship in your own way.

Don’t sit around brooding. Catchupon thosebooks,museums,walks,andletters.

Don’t start now getting worked up about all those holiday temptations. Re-member—“onedayatatime.”

Enjoy the true beauty of holiday love and joy. Maybeyoucannotgivematerialgifts—butthisyear,youcangivelove.

“Having had a . . .”NoneedtospellouttheTwelfthStephere,sinceyoual-readyknowit.


Calendar of EventsEvents listed here are presented sole-ly as a service to readers, not as anendorsement by the General ServiceOffice. For any additional informa-tion,pleaseusetheaddressesprovided.Please note that we cannot attest to the accuracy, relevancy, timeliness, or completeness of information pro-vided by any linked site.

December1-3— Muharraq, Kingdom of Bahrain. 15th

MERCAA. Info:mercaa.org2-3—Lexington, Kentucky . We Have

Recovered Big Book Workshop. Write: Ch.,Box11805,Lexington,KY40578-1805

2-4—Orlando, Florida. Southwest Reg.Forum. Write: Forum Coord., Box 459,Grand Central Station, New York, NY10163;[email protected]

9-11—Birmingham, Alabama. Magic CityRoundup III. Write: Ch., Box 550058,Birmingham,AL35255;

www.magiccityroundup.com

January6-8—Dodge City, Kansas. 47th SW KS Conf.

Write: Ch., Box 276, Satanta, KS 67870;[email protected]

13-15—Mahnomen, Minnesota. 15th WildRice Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 203,Mahnomen,MN56557;

www.wildriceroundup.com13-15—Weston, West Virginia. Jackson’s Mill

Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 825, Clarksburg,WV26302;www.jacksonsmillroundup.com

17-22—Raleigh, North Carolina. Tar HeelMid-Winter Conf. Write: Ch., Box 18412,Raleigh,NC27619-8412;

www.tarheelmidwinter.org19-22—Port Canaveral, Florida. Space Coast

Roundup. Write: Ch., 720 E. Haven Ave.,Ste.3,Melbourne,FL32901;

www.aaspacecoast.org20-22—Mankato, Minnesota. Recovery

Unity Service Conf. Write: Ch., Box 2812,Minneapolis,MN55402-0812;

[email protected]—Hilton Head Island, SC. 37th Annual

Hilton Head Mid-Winter Conf. Write: Ch.,Box 6256, Hilton Head Island, SC 29938;www.hiltonheadmidwinterconference.com

27-29—Amarillo, Texas. 33 aniversario de lazonanortedeTexas.ParaInfo:Box31836,Amarillo,TX79120

27-29—Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada. 49th Nanaimo’s Rally. Write: 2300 BowenRoad,Nanaimo,BC,V9T3K7;

www.nanaimoaarally.com

February3-5—Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada.

Fun in Sobriety Mid-Winter Round-up.

Write: Ch., Box 742, Queen St., Station A,Fredericton,NBE3B1B0;

[email protected]—Fort Walton Beach, Florida. 46thGulf

CoastRound-up.Write:Ch.,1635ParksideCir.Niceville,FL32578;

www.gulfcoastroundup.com10-12—Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. TCYPAA.

Write: 5833 Clinton Hwy #202, Knoxville,TN,37912;www.tcypaa2017.com

10-12—Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. WRAASA.Write:CH.,Box47068,Winnipeg,MBR2H3G9;

www.wraasa.wixsite.com/201716-19—Cleveland, Ohio. 53rd Internat’l

Women’s Conf. Write: Ch., Box 20267,Cleveland,OH44120;

www.internationalwomensconference.org17-19—Virginia Beach, Virginia. 41st

Oceanfront Conf. Write: Ch., Box 66173,VirginiaBeach,VA23466;

oceanfrontconference.org17-19—Pattaya, Thailand. ThailandRoundup.

Info:www.aathailandroundup.org24-26—Framingham, Massachuset ts .

NERAASA.Write:Ch., 1657WorcesterRd.,Framingham,MA01701;

www.neraasa2017.org24-26—St. George , Utah. 20th Dix ie

Winterfest.Write:Ch.,Box1715,St.George,UT84771;www.dixiewinterfest.org

24-26—Ripley , West Virg inia. CedarLakes Round-up. Write: Ch., Box 20388,Charleston,WV25362;

[email protected]—Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada.

CanadianEasternReg.SvcAssembly.Write:Ch.,21-442MainSt.,Shediac,NBE4P2G7;www.ceraasa.org

March3-5—Cheyenne, Wyoming. West Central Reg.

Svc. Conf. Write: Ch., Box 4164, Cheyenne,WY82003;[email protected]

10-12—Aberdeen, North Carolina. Area 51

CorrectionsConf.Info: [email protected]—Spokane Valley, Washington. NW

Pockets of Enthusiasm Roundup. Write:Ch., Box 8143, Spokane, WA 99203;nwpockets.org

10-12—Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 74th ONReg.Conf.Info:aaorc.ca

17-19— KS Hengelo, Netherlands. Women’sRecoveryWeekend.Info:

[email protected]—West Harrison, New York. 49thSENY

Conv. Write: Ch., Box 904, Carmel, NY10512-0904;aaseny.org

24-26—Fort Worth, Texas. 3er Foro EstatalHispano de Oficinas Intergrupales eIntergruposdel estadodeTexas.Para Inf.:3244W.SeminaryDr.,Ste#B,FortWorth,TX76133;[email protected]

24-26—Qawra, Malta. Malta’s 11th AnnualInternationalConv.Info:

www.aamalta.org.mt/convention31-2—Inverness, Scotland. 51st Highland

Gathering. Write: Ch., 2A Duff St. ,Inverness,ScotlandIV35JA,UK

April8-9—Couva, Trinidad & Tobago. 61st Nat’l

Conv.Write:Ch.,LP#52RivuletRd,Couva,T&T;[email protected]

7-9—La Mirada, California. 36th Annual H&I Conference. Write: 14299 FirestoneBlvd.LaMirada,CA90638;socalhandi.org

May5-7—San Juan, Puerto Rico. 61ma Area 77

Conv.Write:Ch.,Box361692,SanJuan,PR00936-1692;[email protected]

12-14—Metairie, Louisiana. 49th Big DeepSouthConv.Write:Ch.,638PapworthAve.,Ste.A,Metairie,LA70005;

www.bigdeepsouth.org18-21—Eretria, Evia, Greece. 23rd Internat’l

Conv.Info:[email protected]

Planning a Future Event?

TobeincludedintheBox 4-5-9Calendar,informationmustbereceivedatG.S.O.fourmonthspriortotheevent.Welisteventsoftwoormoredays.Foryourconvenienceandours—pleasetypeorprinttheinformationtobelistedontheBulletinBoardpage,andmailtoEditor:Box459,GrandCentralStation,NewYork,[email protected]

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Box 4-5-9,Winter2016 11

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BULLETIN BOARDItems and Ideas on Area Gatherings for A.A.s —Via G.S.O. Winter 2016



Documents

Each of us in A.A. - Alcoholics Anonymous · as well as any interested A.A. members in attendance, to share experience, strength and hope with representatives of the General Service