459 New~ and Notes From. Lhe Geneml Service Office of A.A.®

VOL. 39, NO. 21 APRIL-MAY 1993

A.A.s in Indiana R e invent the ‘Six-Pack’ In Indianapolis, Indiana, the A.A. groups are big on getting and giving six-packs. But these are not the a mber bottles you find in the liquor department of your local supermarket. They are sets ofA.A. Conference-approved books that are already in every local public library and many correctional facilities, schools and churches as well. “\lllhat we’re doing here,” says Mary K.W., a member of the Indianapolis Intergroup staff, “shows that with a little imagmation and a lot of leg work, anyone can ‘do’ Public Information. The impo!’tant thing is to communicate with the groups. Once they know there’s a need, they tend to respond q uickly.” Over a yea!’ ago, she explains, “we came up with the idea of selling six-packs while looking for ways to carry the message. This is how it works: We buy the books from the General Service Office at bulk rate and put them together in two sets of sL”<-packs- (1) six soft-cover books including Alcoholics Anonymous Ohe B1g Book), Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, Living Sober, C(lme to Believe, Dail)l Reflections and A.A. in Prison; and (2) six hard-cover books consisting of the Big Book, Twelve and Twelve, A .A. Comes of 1\g’e, As Bill Sees It, Dr. Bob a.ncl the Good Oldt:imers and ‘Pass It On.’ “T he groups purchase these six-packs a t the cost value of $19 and $30 respectively; then they are placed where needed. An accompanying note reads something like this: ‘Please accept these books from the Serenity Group of Alcoholics Anonymous. Located just down the street from this library, at .22.’3 Vine Street, we hold both open and closed meetings for men and women. Members of the p ublic are welcome to attend our open meetings, which are held every Friday night at 8 p.m. For more information, please call the Indianapolis Intergroup: (317) 632-7864.’ ” Groups are kept informed of six-pack sales by their intergroup representatives, by al’ticles in “Paper II,” the intergroup newsletter, a nd by word of m outh . Mary K. notes that a number of indivtdual A.A.s have fimded six-packs as an expression of thankfulness fol’ their recovery, especially around anniversary time and In

Ranb11rg Studw-lndicmapolis

November, which is Gratitude Month. A while back, she remembers, a popular minister in A.A. died. Instead of sending flowers and fruit baskets, many of his fellow A.A.s contr ibuted six-packs to libraries and churches in his (first) name. The accompanying notes contained variations of the following: “These books are given in honor of an A.A. member who loved books, and with the great hope that othel’s will find what we have.” The message of hope is taking effect. Mary K. tells of one man who “dipped into an A.A. six-pack at his local library, then returned for more. Today he and his wife a re both sober in the Fellowship.”

Beginners Meetings Offer A.A. Help and Love “When I dragged into my first begnmers meeting,” says Kristi M. of San Francisco, ” I wanted to feel human again, but I was scared and numb and d1dn’t know how to stop drinking. One man with a booming laugh said he’d had trouble too, but that after three tall glasses of orange juice, it was easier to postpone the dnnk because he didn’t have any room left. There was l’eal sharing tn those rooms. People offered their phone numbers, gave me a meeting list and some A.A. pamphlets; and they told me I’d never have to be alone

Box 4-5-9 is published bimonthly by the General Service Office

of Alcoholics Anonymous, 475 Riverstde Drive, New York, NY 10115, ©Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., 1993. Mail address: P.O. Box 459, Grand Central Station New York, .NY 101G3

Subscriptions: Individual, $3.50 per year; group, $6.00 for each unit of 10 per year. Check-made payable to A.A.W.S.,

Inc.-should accompany order.

again. For the first time in years, I felt that life without alcohol might be worth livmg.” Since A.A.’s earliest days, Tweltlh Stepping newcorners has been integral to recove1y in A.A. Active alcoholics were definitely not welcome at regular meetmgs, so the idea was to dry them out first . rn Cleveland, Clarence S. reported in 1940, “Several groups do not permit a rummy to attend unless he has been hospitalized or talked to by ten men.” He said that the A.A.s had a ” ‘definite setup’ with three hospitals and two sanitariums, and that there were ten to 15 hospitalized at all times.” (Dr. Bob and the Good Oldtim.ers , p. 263) The idea ofthose early “counseling sessions,” according to Clarence, was to “prepare a fellow and give him a pretty good understanding of the aims and principles of A.A. before he comes to meetings.” These sessions were the forerunners ofbeginners meetings, sometimes called “under-six-months” meetings, as we know them today. Since each A.A. group is autonomous, formats vary. They range from small, unplanned, informal discussions, with newcomers domg most of the talking and a different leader each time, to large sessions, prearranged in a series, with one continuing leader giving prepared talks on specific A.A. topics such as the importance of early sponsorship and new habit patterns. Numerous groups say they have been helped by !he suggested Guide for Leading Beginners Meetings, an eight-page paper that comes in a special envelope with a selection of ten appropriate A.A. pamphlets. Also of help IS Living Sober, a booklet that outlines tools for the newcomer and also serves as an idea source for discussion topics. Both are available from the General Senrice Office. One New York City group holds an hom-long beginners meetmg every Monday night just before its regular open-discussion meeting. It is led by a rotating panel of three members of the group with varying lengths of sobriety. Newcomers are given “begmners kits,” which are made up by the group and mclude basic recove1y pamphlets, a wallet card and the local meeting book. A number of groups also include pocket phone books in their kits, some blank and others hsting the numbers

of willing group members vvith a length of sobriety. In Vancouver, British CoJumbia, reports jack F., beginners meetings of the Participation Group “are usually in the Step/discussion format. We rotate through the first three Steps; someone reads one, and then the meeting is thrown open fm: discussion. About two-thirds of those present are newcomers. They are encouraged to share what’s happenmg in their lives and to ask questions about staying sober and working the Steps. The older group members also participate, not to teach or instmct, but simply to guide the newcomers toward discovery of the Step under discussion .. . each person sharing out ofhis own experience, strength and hope.” In large groups especially, jack notes, “newcomers can get lost in the crowd- something that is less likely to happen if, at regular meetings, your group has greeters at the door; holds beginners meetings; announces them fi·equently; and encourages older members to ‘bring a newcomer.’ Like any other form of Twelfth Stepping, it’s a great way to stay sober ourselves.”

SERVICES AT G.S.O. The Correctional Facility Connection Large numbers of sober inmates in U.S. and Canadian prisons are reaching out to us every day by writing letters. A !ugh percentage of those letters land evety week on the desk of Helen T., who currently serves as G.S.O.’s Correctional Facilities coordinator. Hundreds of letters fi·om inmates come pouring in each month, says Helen. “Most ofthem request informa_ tion on A.A., as well as help in getting literature for a group that meets in the facility. Sometimes they write because they need assistance in getting outside speakers for a meeting inside the facility. Almost always there is a request for free books,” she explains. There are at present A.A. groups meeting at 1,900 correctional facilities in the U.S. and Canada, and the number of inmates attending meetings is steadily growing. Last year G.S.O. sent out 8,500 pieces of Spanish and English literature at a cost of over $8,600. Although inmate requests for literature are forwarded to the area where the inmates’ correctional facilities are located, Helen says she never refuses an inmate’s request outright. She always sends pamphlets and sometimes a softcover B1g Book. “I try to be responsible and realistic,” she says. “However, it’s not realistic to think that G.S.O. can send free books to every inmate who ~·rites to us.” In addition to answering inmates’ letters there’s a fair amount of mail fror:n professionals within the in-

stitutions (chaplains, correctional facility administrators, drug treatment ·personnel), who need guidance, for example, in starting an A.A. group at a prison or want information about the Fellowship in general, Helen says. Unlike the rest of us, many i1m1ates attend a n average of only one A.A. meeting a week, she explains. In some instances, because of a particular facilities’ regulations, inmates are fJTSt put on a waiting list before they can attend any scheduled in-house A.A. meeting. If there is one topic that comes up most frequently in her letters from inmates it’s one expressing confusion between A.A. and other twelfth-step programs, Helen says. “A great deal of time is spent trying to explain who and what we are,” she adds. On the other hand, she also receives numerous, “highly gratifYing” m essages from inmates telling her of their relief in finally understanding that they have been imprisoned because of crimes committed while they were drunk. Others, picked up for DWis and put through a correctional facility’s substance abuse program, write G.S.O. for m ore information about alcoholism. “Thousands of inmates simply want, and need, to share,” Helen says. She never answers such letters without sharing some aspect of A.A. experience, strength and hope, bu t she also tells them of the Correctional Correspondence Service, through which they can correspond with other A.A.s. This service is “in desperate need of more male A.A.s to correspond With inmates,” Helen says. There are at pre!:>t!nt enough outside women A.A. correspondents, but the shortage of men has been severe for quite a while. Anyone wishing to volunteer for this needed service should contact G.S.O.; maybe even anA. A. group would like to write or share tapes of their meeting vvitb a few mmates, provided that tapes are allowed in the facility and that the inmate has a player of some sort. No one should ev.er doubt that the A.A. message is taking root in correctional facilities. Helen says she is constantly reassured by a number of inmates writing for help prior to their release. “It’s so gratifYing to know how many people want to let us know they are bemg released and relocating to an area. They want very much to have an A.A. contact before they get out,” she says. “I’m beginning to see more and more how many truly want to make contact with A.A. as soon as they’re released from prison because they know their chance of going back is far slimmer if they stick close to A.A.” she says. Even though the G.S.O. staff assignment serves as a “necessary funnel” for the flow of inmate requests for information, literature and prerelease contacts, the work could never be adequately done “without the help and cooperation of the many area and district chairpersons” with whom she is in frequent contact, Helen says. Work is rewarding for anyone doing this type of service,

she says, and periodically she receives a letter confirming just how well the A.A. message is getting across in correctional facilities. One such letter recently came from a m ember in Canada . In 1971 Mike was serving a three-year sentence when he was put in touch \’\rith an outside A.A., who had served time in the same institution. Last March he was on hand a t Mike’s twentieth anniversary celebration. “If there is anyone out there thinkmg t he work that is done in penal institu tions is not working, please drop that opinion fast and make sure it doesn’t spread,” Mike writes. He was G.S.R. for his group, alternate D.C.M. m his district, and is still “involved in institution work.” Helen says, “services from G.S.O. only open the door to A.A. recovery. Real recovery for the confined alcoholic depends entirely on local correctional facilities committees and you out there who reach out the hand of Alcoholics Anonymous in love and service to those who cannot come to us.”

Visit to Lithuania Is a Dream Come J’nte “An unforget1able experience in my life of sobriety happened last summer, when I joined nine other American A.A.s on a journey to Lithuania, the land my parents departed from some 80 years ago. A d ream I had never dared to dream became a reality.” The trip was organized by members in Santa Monica, California, continues George P., a founder of Chicago’s English-speaking Pradzia Group, which recently celebrated its 20th anniversary. ”Our p urpose was to share our experience, strength and hope with our fellow A.A.s in Lithuania, which is still reveling in its recent return to sovereignty.” During their eight-day visit, the Americans-who hailed from a number of cities including Boston, New York, Seattle and Washington, D.C.-were warmly welcomed everywhere they went. “We covered approximately 2,500 miles,” George reports, “and spoke to doctors, psychiatrists and other staff at various hospitals and clinics (narcological institutes). They were amazed by our concept of alcoholism as a disease requiring long-term treatment. In Lithuania, most alcoholics are ‘dried out’ and returned home without a thought to psychiatric help or aftercare.” The U.S. contingent was accompanied on its tour by 15 Lithuanians. George, or ‘jurgis” as he was called, points out that “you step back in time 50 years as soon as you arrive in this Baltic country. The cities are very 3

old and the pace oflife is still unrushed; $15 represents over a month’s salary; and many of the things we consider necessities, sut:h as toilet tissue, are nonexistent.” While in the capital of Vilnius, the Americans attended a meeting of the Ausra Group (a name that, loosely translated, means “dawning of a new day”). “Romas 0., the member with the longest sobriety and his country’s flag bearer a t A.A.’s 1990 International Convention in Seattle, celebre~ted his third anniversary while we were there,” George relates. “We sang and danced in the forest and cqjoyed a grand party- all of us sober, too! We wound up our visit in Vilnius with the first Lithuanian Conference. A resounding success, it was followed by a second one this last May and is well on the way to becoming a tradition.” Since returning home, George reports, “I have received about 60 letters from my new Lithuanian friends. Some speak ofstruggling with the First Step, others have found the Higher Power, and all are delighted with the Lithuanian translation of the Big Book that was completed last year. just recently, I heard from a former patient of a clinic we had visited. He writes, ‘After speaking to you and some of your group, I am still sober. I do believe that you all were angels dusted from heaven.’ “As a recovering alcoholic, I can say with certainty that I’ve been called many things, but an ‘angel’? Only in Lithuania!”

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to describe that happy state. But, as the Fellowship has grown, some members like to say they’re “recovered” alcoholics while others prefer “recovering” -A.A.-speak for “staying sober just one dny at a time.” As Bill W. notes in the Big Book (p. 85): “We are not cured of alcoholism. What we really have is a daiJy reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our sptritual condition.” And, in a letter written in 1949 (As Bill Sees It, p. 16), he said: “Most people feel more secure on the twenty-four-hour basis than they do in the resolution that they will never drink again. Most of them have broken too many resolutions. It’s really a matter of personal choice; every A.A. has the privilege ofinterpreting the program as he likes.” When communicating with professionals in the field of alcoholism and others outside the Fellowship, G.S.O. generally employs the word “recovered” to avoid confusion. Otherwise these people tend to ask, “What do you mean by ‘recovering’? ff old Joe hasn’t had a drink for six years, how come he’s sllll trying to sober up?” But there are no rules. Whether used as a noun, verb, adjective, participle or dangling modifier, “recovery” in A.A. is still all about fulfilling our primary purpose-“to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety.” As one member says-only half-kiddingly-“You can call me a ‘sober drunk,’ a ‘recovering alcoholic’ or JUSt plain ‘dry,’ but don’t call me late to my A.A. meetmg. The rest is froth on the milkshake.”

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Did You Know . .. What’s the Best Way To Say ‘I’m Sober Today’? “My name is Mark P. and I am an alcohohc. I see the

word ‘recovered’ in the Big Book and other A.A. literature, but I hear at some meetings that there is no such thing-we are only ‘recovering.’ Tell me, please, which is it?” In responding to Mark, who lives in Pershing, Indiana, and to other A.A.s from Scotland to South Africa who ask the same question, General Service Oflice staff members point out tha t early members of A.A. frequently used the word “recover~.” They used other terms as well: “straightened out,” “released” and “maintaining sobriety,” to name a few. And when his son-inlaw had one slip after another, A.A. co-founder Dr. Bob gently observed tha t he’d never really “jelled.” In those begmning times, when someone sober six months was viewed as an old timer, members were too busy trying to hang on to sobriety to worry about how 4

… how coffee and doughnuts, or other pastries, became to A.A. meetings (almost) what the Steps are to recov_ cry? It happened in the late 1930s, during the Great Depres-

sion. When the first regular meetings of A.A. began to be held at the King School in Akron, some of the members gathered afterward at nearby Klstler’s Donuts, at the corner of Aqueduct and West Market Streets, for refreshments and continuing fellowship. Other, less solvent members could not afford such Iunny, so it was suggested that the doughnuts and coffee be taken back to the m(;’eting and shared all around. Before long, refreshments became integral to A.A. meetings everywhere. Kistler’s is long gone, but not the “thirteenth tradition” it was instrumental in creating. Over the years, many a “hopeless” drunk has stayed for that first A.A. meeting because it held out the lure of free hot coffee and a doughnut.

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Update: A . A . ‘s Log On Electronic Meetings In Growing Numbers ” … I’m an alcoholic. My name is Peter. I have been sober 10 years and have experience vvith sponsors. My first one happened by def~mlt-he was there and gave me a great foundation. just before his fifth anniversary, he picked up a drink and I haven’t seen him since, God bless him …. My next sponsor. Hmmm. He was a bust so I fired him. The third was magic. He passed away but will always be in my heart. Now I have joe, who shows n1e thejoy of life. What I’ve learned is: Ask your Higher Power for guidance, listen to the A.A. world around you, and sobriety will happen …. ” “Hi! I’m Dave, just popping in. I er~oyed the discussion and I feel somehow close to you overt he netwavcs.” “Go ahead, jean!” “In a minute. Right now I just want to sit still and finish my coffee.”

The sharing is as old and healing as A.A. itself. The way it’s transmitted from one alcoholic to another is high-tech and young and evolving as fast as you can say Alcoholics Anonymous. Even as the Fellowship itself is expanding rapidly, more members than ever before arc turning to their personal computers to give and receive the A.A. message of recovery (Bo.r 4-5-9, Aug.-Sept. 1987). Son1e use their real names, or monickers such as “Serenity,” “Gratitude” or “Ezeduzit.” They schedule instant “rneetings” over national and international electronic networks–a number of them listed with the General Service Office-or leave each other messages or “mail” via bulletin board services (BBs). Says Don T., ofSeattle, Washington, a SysOp for three bulletin boards (Seattle-Tacoma-Olympia Recovery BBs): “Bulletin boards are analogous to a fellowship hall. You walk in, and on all the doors are posted the various ‘meetings’ available, from A.A. to Al-Anon and much more. As members come into the ‘room,’ they identii)’ themselves by their code names and may input questions and comments as the meeting proceeds.

“The experience is similar to participating in a regular A.A. meeting-it can be every bit as variable, exciting or a bit dull as the case may be. We get together at specific times, we share the way things were before we sobered up and how they are now. Sometimes we have moments of great absorption and clarity, sometimes our attention wanders and we get offthe subject entirely. These are not a substitute for live meetings, but they’re a great help to all of us who need to reach out between meetings, and especially to those who are hearing impaired and shut-ins-handicapped people, A.A. Loners and the elderly, \vho may have trouble getting to regular meetings.” Ron A., of neighboring Tacoma, is the local SysOp for fidoNel, an amateur electronic mail system. As such, all of its participants and operators arc unpaid volunteers. Started up in 1984, it now has the capacity for international communication, but for practical purposes is limited io the United States and Canada. “Essentially,” Ron says, “there arc 30 bulletin boards in my local calling area, with hundreds of topical conferences we can hook into, approximately 15 of them related to recovc1y in twelve-step programs. All you basically need is a computer, a modem and a terminal program.” One aspect of FidoNet, common to most bulletin boards, is EchoMail, a system whereby a user can leave private and public messages for other users who call the same bulletin board. “More often than you might think,” Ron reports, “some needy alcoholic will stumble onto an A.A. bulletin board, start communicating with a few people and sober up. When that happens, it’s really heartwarming.” He adds that, according to EchoMail rules, “commercial advertising, abusive language and attitudes are generally fi·owned on. Should you be the recipient of abuse, try not to respond ‘in kind.’ Also, many EchoMail conferences have a designated moderator. This person is responsible for sticking to the topic and for posting the conference rules once a month. Should the moderator feel it necessary to censure a user—i.e., deny the person access-he or she has the authority to do so.” In Menomonee falls, Wisconsin, Bob R. is a fidoNet SysOp. He remembers “a person or two who ‘got out ofline’ while I was serving as moderator. I tried humor and distraction as ploys-after all, I didn’t want to play God–but one time I did have to bare my byte. ‘You made your point,’ I finally told him, ‘now let’s move on and talk about something else.’ I wish I could say it worked, but it didn’t; I finally had to contact the current SysOp, who promptly tossed the offender off the system.” Sitting in front of a keyboard affects some people like getting behind the wheel of a car does others, observes Maurice S. of Redondo Beach, California. “It’s a high-tech version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. These othervvise nice people have some sort of a kneejerk

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reaction when they’re on-line and need to be put in their place-or out of it!” Ron H., ofWoodside, N.Y., used to serve as SysOp for a national bulletin board service that is now obsolete (Bo.r 4- 5-9, April-May 1988), and says that he has temporarily dropped out of on-line activities. “Meeting with A.A.s across the cow1try right in your own hom e is great,” he says, “but it is time-consuming and can get expensive. That’s why there’s quite a turnover in hackers, which in turn makes updating membership lists dlfficult. “Of course, where the service is electronically unified into a na tional commun ications network, as mine was, long-distance calls are not a problem. But there are other costs. Compu,erve, one of the largest services arom1d, eliminates a monthly fee but costs m ore than $10 an hour. Th e price of plugging into a na.tional network is one reason for the proliferation of local bulletin boards that can be set up easily on a home computer. Then the only added cost is for modem phone calls, which are usually reasonably priced by virtue of being within the immediate area, a nd it sure beats the price of all those bottles I guzzled down in my drinking days!” For those 9f you who would hke to join your fellow A.A.s on-line, the General Service Office has an Electronic Meeting Directory that lists the name, city and modem number ofindivid ua l A.A. bulletin board meetings in the U.S. and Canada.

Founders’ Day Weekend: Akron A.A.s Celebrate the ‘Good Oldtimers’ In Akron, Ohio, where the Fellowship b egan, A.A.s from around the world will gather june 12-14 for the 58th Annual founders’ Day Weekend. “It’s a wonderful time,” says Linda N. who, together with Walter C., chairs this year’s event, which is hosted by the Akron Intergroup. “The city ofAkron is a veritable archive of A.A. history a nd nostalgia. Everywhere you go, there’s a reminder of Dr. Bob or Bill W. and all the oldtimers who never dreamed that the little group they formed to help each other stay dry would grow so astonishmgly. f ounders’ Day Weekend g1ves us the opportunity to connect with our past and each other and so strengthen our common bond. Last year we attracted approximately 8,000 A.A.s, AJ-Anons and Ala teens; this year we expect even more.” Most of the events will happen on the campus of Akron University. Besides a wide variety of panel discus6

sions and workshops, there will be an early-bird meeting, a late-night alkathon, dances, and a performance of “The Silver Buz?.ard” by members of the Amateur Actors Guild-all of them members of the greater A.A. family. On Saturday, starting at 9 a.m . and leaving every hour on the hour, buses will transport visitors to v;;~rious locations tha t have become part of our A.A. heritage, among them: St. Thomas Hospital, the first institution of its kind to open its doors to alcoholics and where Dr. Bob and Sister Ignatia created an eight-bl’d alcoholic ward; the King School, which became the first regular A.A. meeting place; and a visit to the home of Dr. Bob and his wife, Anne. For registration forms and more information, write: Founders’ Day Committee, P.O. Box 12, Akron, Ohio 44309-0012.

One-Third of General Service Board to Rotate By the end of the 1993 annual Conference the General Service Board will have seven new trustees-one-third of its membership. This year’s slate is larger than usual. In addition to the scheduled rotation of a Class A (nonalcoholic) trustee, the chairman of the board has decided to rotate a year early. So, for the past 12 m onths, work on trustee selection has been going on full speed. T he two bodies entrusted with the job of gathering names, sifting through resumes and follow-ups in a challenging array of election procedures are the trustees’ Nominating Committee and the Conference Committee on Trustees. This year’s openings on the 21 member (7 Class A-nonalcoholic and 14 Class B-alcoholic) board are for: Two Class A trustees, one ofwhom will be chairman of the General Service Boa rd; two general service Class B trustees, one for the Grapevine Corporate Board, the other for the A.A.W.S. Board; two regional Class B trustees, one from the East Cen tral Region, the other from the Southeast ; and one trustee-at-large/U.S. In addition to the above, a third Class A trustee opening was reported recently. A letter will be sent announcing that a search will be underway for this opening as well as the ongoing need for a pool of names for future openings. If you have names of any ” fhends of the Fellowship” you feel would be appropriate, kindly discuss with your area d elegate or regional trustee. The board will not fill this opening w1til a thorough search is conducted, therefore the board will be short one trustee for the next year. Nominating procedures call

for at least a three months’ (or longer) search for a new Class A trustee-depending on the board’s needs. While the overall selection process is complex, the choice and electton of the trustee-at-large/U.S. IS perhaps the most “arduous, and time-consuming of the lot,” says Susan U., the G.S.O. staff member currently serving as secretary to the trustees’ Nom111ating Committee and the Conference Committee on Trustees. There are 77 Conference areas in the U.S., each one technically allowed to forward to the committees a resume for a qualified candidate. “At this stage there are close to fifty resumes- just for trustee-at-large/ U.S.,” Susan says. To simplifY matters-and whittle down this unwieldy number-a caucusing of the six U.S. regions will be held at the Conference. The Conference delegates from the U.S. and the trustees’ Nominating Committee will then choose from thts group and submit the candidate to all the delegates for a full Conference vote. There are seventeen nommating procedures to aid in the selection ofboard members, directors and appointed committee members. For example, to fill the Class A (nonalcoholic) board openings, letters fi·om the General Service Doard go out to all trustees, directors, delegates and staff not-ifYing them of the upcmning vacancies. The board expresses its particular need at this timewhether for a person with expertise in the social science, medical, legal or corporate and financial fields. This year the board is looking for an individual \Vi.th corporate-financial background and the delegates have been so advised. Where there is a need for a generalist, however, someone who is not from any particular field but Is considered highly qualified, G.S.O. mamtains an active file ofabout 50 individuals whose names were submitted by area delegates and past trustees over the last ten years. Since this year’s opening is for a corporate-financial person, the Nommating Committee invited three people to attend the board weekend at the end of februai)’, to brief them on board needs and operations. One of these three will be selected to serve as a Class A trustee. That indiVIdual’s name will be presented- for disapprovaJ , if any-at the Conference. Conference elections are “exciting,” and you really have to see one in progress to get the sense of “the spiritual way A.A. works,” says Greg M., Pacific regional trustee now serving as chairman of the trustees’ Nominating Committee. The methods of selection are complex, but they were worked through by our founders to make sure that the most qualified individuals are elected in the fairest way possible. For example, eight candidates for just one regional trustee vacancy-the Southeast Region- have been submitted this year. The Third Legacy voting procedure is as follows: the 13 delegates from the Southeast Region

vote, along with an equal number of individuals from the trustees’ Nominating Committee and the Conference Committee on Trustees, bringing the total number of votes to 26. Ifthe required two-thirds majority (17 votes) ts not obtained on the first ballot, or on successive ballots, the final two names that have been runners-up are thrown into the hat and the first one “drawn out of the hat” wins. Over the years there have been a surprising number of regional trustees who have come to serve on the board from the hat.

New Literature Catalog : Prices Effective March 22 Our new catalog ofConference-approved Literature and Service Material is enclosed with tllis issue. Two order forms are included with each catalog, and a separate order form will be encJm,ed ‘.vith each order sent to you, thus saving sending a catalog each time. You will note new prices on special items, effective March 22, 1993. It is necessary to increase the prices of committee discount packages, most foreign language literature and miscellaneous items. Most of these items have been sellmg below cost for quite some time. By increasing the retail prices we hope to continue offering the 20% discount and no shipping charge, complimentary Group Handbooks and literature for new groups, and complimentary literature and service material for Correctional and Treatment Facilities, Public Information and C.P.C. activities. Ifyou would like to order additional catalogs or order forms please check the appropriate boxes on the order form when placing your next order.

P.I. When Necessity Is the M other of Communication Last sununer the Road to Serenity Group in Danville, Indiana turned a communications crisis mto a challenge and, through the mechanism of its group conscience, came up with a sound solution. The problem did not cxystallize overnight. For 7

months, the church where the group met every Monday evenmg hod been plagued by break..ins. Small items disappeared now and again, people were found sleeping in the pews. “The group’s communication with the church administration, always mj11imal at best, now deteriorated further,” relates Southem Indiana delegate Chuck H. “Most of the church members were unfamiliar with A.A. and tended to stereotype u s all as derelicts. So naturally, when it carne time to band out blame, they eyed the A.A.s first.” When the church asked the group to be responsible for security, it dedined, stating that it could not possibly act as a guardian angel for the entire building. Some weeks later, the group was stunned to find itself in the newspaper. The June 9th issue of the Hendricks Count)’ Fl)lcr sta ted that the church had approached the Cow1ty Substance Abuse Task Force “to hire someone to watch the church during A.A. meetings and to repair damage allegedly done to the building while meetings were in progress. It received $1,560 to cover the salruy costs.” The Road to Serenity Group immediately held a meeting to review the turn of even ts and “to achieve a representative group conscience on whether it would be in the best interest of A.A. to continue our relationship with the church”-which, ironically, wanted the group to st.<~y. “What became evident to us,” reports immediate past general service represen tative Jenny R., “was that we had assumed the non-A.A.s would understand and cooperate with us ‘vvithout our telling them who and what we are.” Determined to close the communications gap, the group went into action. Consulting with the minister, it scheduled two meetings: one with the church’s 12m ember board of tnlstees a nd another immediately afterward with its 30. to 40-member general board. At the same time, the group stated its fX>Sition clearly in nn open letter to the trustees. Som e salient points: “The Road to Serenity Group of Alcoholics Anonymous is gra teful for the hospitality and cordiality which you have shown us over the years. By a substa ntinl m ajority, the members of our group have voted to continue our weekly m eetings at this church. “The Tenth Tradition of our fellowship states that A.A. ‘has no opinion on outside issues; hence the A.A. name ought never be drawn into public controversy.’ In keeping with this Tradition, our group una mmously agrees tha t, as a group, we may express no public opinion on the grant which was sought and obtained by the chm·ch .. . . “However, we are further bound by our Seventh Tradition , which sta tes that ‘any public solicitation of funds using the name of Alcoholics Anonymous is highly d angerous, whether by groups, clubs, hospitals, or other outside agencies.’ Our group does not question the good intentions of the board in applying for the grant already approved. But it is our position that application for

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future grants or monies, using the name of Alcoholics Anonymous as a condition to receive such funds, will result in the relocation of our meetings to another facility.” Continuing, the letter quotes from the Sixth Tradition to underscore the group’s steadfast position that, “while we intend to fully cooperate with the secwity measures requested of us by the church, we can in no way make ourselves responsible for security overall.” Initially, says Jenny, “the meetings with the church people were tense, but as they listened to us talk about the Fellowship, a nd as they saw that we were really very much like them, they relaxed perceptibly. Many of them were a mazed to find that we are a spiritual organization, with rrumy goals akin to their own. Importantly, they understood that we accepted full responsibility for the lack of communication, but not for the vandalism.” Today a three-m cmbet· liaison committee oft he Road to Serenity Group stays in close touch ‘>Vith the church administrators . They meet regularly to resolve small misunderstandings a nd problems before they have a ch<mce to escalate . “We have learned about the importance of commumcation the hard way,” Chuck comm ents, “and we will remain vigilant . Only by staying in close harmony with our ou tside friends can we hope to carry the A.A. message effectively.”

C.P.C. A.A. Exhibit Attracts Wide Interest at Canadian Deaf Festival “Many of those who attend ed the 1992 Canadian Oe<Jf festival were pleasantly surprised that the Vancouver A.A. Deaf Action Group was an exhibitor. The booth was staffed at all times with A.A. members who were hearing impaired or who had normal aural acuity but were able to commumcate in ASL (American Sign Language). It provided the first contact Wlth the Fellowship for a number of people-both the deaf and the professionals who work with them.” Importantly, adds Viki E., manager of the Central Office in Vancouver, Bri tish Columbia, 1t also provided the first public CX}Xlsure for some members of the Deaf Action Group, origmally an ad hoc committee that now operates as a n arm of the Intergroup committee on Coop eration With the Professional Community. Its ma in

aims aJ·e to carry the A.A. message to professionals who work vvith the deaf, and to help bring more deaf alcoholics into mainstream A.A. meetings with an interpreter on hand . At the Festival, Vikl points out, ” the fact that the A.A. contact at the booth was friendly and clearly identifiable as a member of the deaf community was a real plus. Visitors left with a better understandmg of how A.A. works. A key realization for many of themincludmg those familiar with A.A. – was that deaf people 111 recovery are an integr·al part of the Fellowship.” The Festival, a biennia] conference sponsored by three orgamzations.- the Canadian Associahon of the Deaf, the Canadian Cultural Soct~ty of the Deaf and the Canadtan Deaf Sports Association- was held last juJy in Richmond, B.C. The A.A. table-top display and literature were furnished by the General Service Office. There was a literattrre sign-up station for packets of pamphlets for professionals and subscriptions to About AA., the newsletter for professionals published by the trustees’ C.P.C. committee, to be mailed afler the Festival.

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ALCOHOUCS £\’

~ 3457 Kingsway. Van

…..A captioned video of “Chapter 5 (How 1t Works) of the Big Book in American Sign Language” and the video “Hope;-: Alcoholics Anonymous,” explainmg the principles and tools of A.A., ran continuously next to the literature dtsplay. Also on hand were written invitations to call intergroup, using the special T.D.D. (Teletype Device tor the Deaf), and arrange for a visit there with someone who can converse in stgn language. “By any criterta,” Vikl observes, “the project was a success, both for the Canadian Deaf Action Group and the public. Members of the committee got practical personal experience with A.A. Traditions and communicating with the community at large. As for the attendees, the wisdom of one hearing-impaired person helping another to sta.v sober was not lost on them.”

Treatment Facilities Eastern Missouri Holds High the Zip List A.A. members in this area are available to take you to outside meetings after you are discharged. These temporary contacts know the fear of going to the first meetings alone, and they want to help introduce you to potential sponsors and make you feel at ease. So, ifyou have a drinking problem and want a temporary contact, your home zip code will be used to match you with one of these A.A. members. Please see me after the meeting.

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Holdmg high the computerized “Zip List” for a ll to see at A.A. meetings in treatment facilities has been one effective way to help alcoholic patients, or clients, connect with temporary A.A. contacts “outside.” Nowhere is this form ofTwelfth Stepping more energized than in Eastern Missouri. Says Craig B. ofSt. Louis, who chairs the area T.F. committee and serves as coordinator of one of its district Bridging the Gap (BTG) subcommittees: “On this side of the Mississippi River, well over 1,000 alcoholic patients have signed up for temporary contacts in the last three vears alone. Our version of Bridging the Gap is one drunk offering help to another in A.A. meetmgs, and we hold 28 of them weekly at 18 different treatment facilities .” At present, Craig reports, “approxtmately 43 percent of our discharged patients go to at least one meeting with their contact, and some attend even more. The ‘Guidelines for A.A. Temporary Contacts,’ available fi·om the General Service Office, recommends that contacts take patients to a minimum of three meetings; and we keep reaching toward that goal, although we find that even three may not be enough in some instances.” Occasionally, Cra ig says with a grin, glitches in the rapidJy growing zipcoded nehvork do occur, “computers being only as smart as we alcoholics who run them.” He recalls one fellow named Mark who, upon release went home. His roommate wasn’t there, so he waited alone for his A.A. contact to call. After several hours had passed and still the phone didn’t ring, he called the district coordinator . Heavy sleuthing revealed that the A.A.’s phone number and Mark’s were identical. The contact turned out to be none other than the roommate- and he hadn’t been notified and was out to lunch! Craig says that patient referrals addicted to sub-

9

stances other than alcohol “present a continuing problem. Contacts have been told they’ll be working with alcoholics but sometimes, en route to meetings, they’ll find themselves with people who say they ‘did drugs, not alcohol.’ In that case, the contact will head for an open A.A. meet ing.~ inside and outside A.A., he stresses, “what we try to avoid at all costs is controversy. We ask those who chair our meetings in treatment centers to let the patients decide for themselves whether or not they have a problem with alcohol. We can’t assume they do or don’t; we can only make certain that the hand of A.A. is there if they have a drinking problem and want our help.”

Correctional Facilities Update: Michigan Contact Program Gets A New Lease on Life When it comes to arranging prerelease contacts, everything old is new again in Michigan-and “much more effective the second time around,” says Western Michigan’s immediate past delegate Charlie 0. Back 111 the mid-eighties, Charlie relates, the Western and Central Michigan Correctional Facilities Committees “developed what we thought at the time was a pretty good program (Box 4-5-9, Oct.-Nov. 1988, p. 10). In many instances we fulfilled our goal-to smooth the inmate’s transition from A.A. on the inside to regular A.A. meetings on the outside. But there was a big hitch: One part of the state-the Southeast- was not tnvolved. So what we had was a two-legged stooL No matter how great the wood and the workmanship, it wasn’t much use in the long nm.” For several years the program all but collapsed. Then, in January 1992, concerned A.A.s m service held a statewide m eeting at the central office in Lansing to see what they could do; and soon it took off, with the help ofC.f. committee members all over Michigan and $50 “seed money” fi·om each of the three areas involved to cover printing and mailing costs. “We didn’t throw out the baby with the bathwatcr,” says Charlie. “The program today incorporates new ways of doing things but, al the same time, it borrows heavily from our past experience.” 10

Mike K., chairperson oft he Michigan C. F. Committee, a lso serves as coordinator of the statewide Prerelease Contact Program. The biggest difference between then and now, he feels, can be summed up in two words: enhanced communication. “We have very active coordinators for each area-Shelley O’D., Southeast; Dale f., Central; and LarryW., Western,” he points out. “We maintain close telephone contact with each other and meet regularly. Importantly our files, which of course are completely confidential, are kept up-to-date.” How the program works: As statewide coordinator, Mike receives all incoming information concerning inmates who arc within 90 days of release and have filled out a form expressing the desire for a prerelease contact. He immediately relays this mformation to the appropriate area coordinator who, in turn, passes it on to an A.A. volunteer. It is then up to the individual volunteer to contact ttle inmate. Often the release date is known months in advance, a situation that allows the inmate to develop a rapport with the new A.A. contact through visits, correspondence or both. Here Mike notes that MichigaJl’s prerelease program should not be confused with bridge-the-gap efforts, which are initiated only after inmates are released. “Our contacts,” he explains, “may be initiated by the prison, must have its permission, and usually begins while the alcoholic is still there.” Both types of programs, however, stress the temporary nature of the outside contact. As the Michigan Guide for Volunteers states, ”the purpose of a tempora1v contact is to introduce ncwlv released residents to a iocal A.A. group and support them until they find a sponsor.” LanyW., Western area coordinator, notes that ” there are 33 prisons in Michigan, not counting the mediumsecurity prison camps, and 17 of them are right here in Western Michigan. Our communication with them is excellent on the whole, probab~v because we work at it. Last year, all the areas sent key prison administrators a letter informing them about our Prerelease Contact Program. We followed up with phone calls and, in some cases, information presentations.” As Mike comments, “most problems with prison administrators seem to stem from ignorance or lack of information. There is a good deal of turnover among the staffs, so educating them about A.A. is a continuing process. We arc vigilant and it pays off. I know of quite a few inmates who received a helping hand through this program. They are sober today, and several are active in C.F. work. They’ve discovered what we already knew: that carrying the message to our fellow alcoholics inside sure helps us to stay sober.” The Michigan Prerelease Contact Program would be pleased to share its experience with other areas. just write to: Statewide Correctional Facilities Committees, P.O. Box 353, Haslett, MJ 48840.

BOXe41519 BULLETIN BOARD Items and Ideas on Area Gatherings for AA.s –

Calendar of Events Events listed here are presented solely as a service to readers, not as an endorsement by the General Service Office. For any additional infonnation, please use the addresses provid ed.

April 1-3- Jack.~on Mill, West Virgima. Jackson’s Mill Roundup. Write: Ch,, il<Jx 69, Colfax, wv 26566 1·4 – Longview, Texas. 24th Row1dup_ Write: Ch., Box 2082, Longview, TX 75606 Z-3 – Prince Rupert, British Columbia, Canada. B.C.Nukon Quarterly. Write: Ch. , 1058 7th Ave. East, Prince Rupert, BC V&J ~8

Z-4 -Lethbridge, AITJe1ta, Ca11ada. Southern Alberta Roundup. Wl”lte: Ch., Box 2 12., Lethbridge, AB TlJ 3Y5 2-4 – ScmUI Rosa,Califomia. 21st H&>l Conf. Write: Ch., 1709 Cleveland Ave., san ta Rosa, CA 95401 2-4 – Atlantrc Beach, E1orida. Springbreak Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 51225,jacksonville Beach, FL 32240-51225 2.4 – Marietta, Georgia. Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 669995, Marietta, GA 30066 2-4 – Dauphi11, Mamtoba, Canada. Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 453, Dauphin , Mil R7N 2V3 2·4 – Gra11d Forks, North Dakota. Spring Roundup. Write: Ch., il<Jx 1262, Grand Forks, NO 58206 2-4 – Pame.sville, Ohio. Swing Into Spring. Write: Ch., Box 4322.5, Richmond Hts. , OH 44143 8. 10 _ Vancouver, Bnti.sh Co/umbra, Canada. 14th Conv. (presented by gAy&> lesbian members). Write: Ch., Box 1031, Station “A,” Vancouver, BC V6C 2P2 8-11 -San D~, California. Spring Roundup. Wnte: Ch., Box 4577, Carlsbnd, CA 92018 8-11 – Na.shvrlle, Tennessee. Agape Weekend. Write: Ch., 9462. Bay Colony Dr. #1N, Des Plaines, IL 60016 9-11 – Blackpool. England. Nor·thcm Conv. Write: Ch., 6 Queen St., Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England Y0111 IIA 9-11 – R{)semont, IUinois. GLRCYl’AA Ill. Write: Ch., 14-3 0 Miner St., Box 158, Des Plaines, IL 60016 9-11 – Reno, NCIIGL!a 21st Spring Festival. Write: Ch ., Box 72., Reno, NV 89504 10-11 – Pentrcton, British Columbia, Canada. 47th Spring Rally. Write. Ch. , #1393245 Puris 51., Penticton, BC VZA 3T9 16·18 _ Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Spring. time in the Ozarkn. Write: Cb., Box 431, Eureka Springs, AR 72632 16-18 Ridgccr’eSt, California. Roundup. Write: Ch. , Box 6 157, Ridgecrest, CA 93555

Via G.S.O.

1b.18 – Fort Wayne, I11diana. 13 th Conv. Write: Ch., Box 11545, Ft. wa,~w, IN 46802 . 16· 18 – Scottsbluff, Nebrasku. 38th Nebraska Panhandle. Write: Ch ., Oox 256, Scottsbluff, N E 69361 16. 18 – CApe May, New jersey. 26th Ro und. u p. Write. Ch., 1218 Chestnut St. , Rrn. 1004, Philadelphia, PA 19107 16.18 – Roswell, New Me.riro. Ninth Roadrunner Roundup. Write: Ch., !lox 2768, Roswell, NM 88202 16-18 – Lo11caster, Pennsylvania, The TriSta te Conv. Write: Ch., Box 5032, lArthcr·vllle, MD 21094 16-18 . ·- Scl’anton, Pennsylvania. Sixth Men’s Nat. Con f. Write: Ch., Box 3653,Scranton, PA 18505.3653 16-18 – Rapid City, South Dakota. Rush. m ore Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 594, Rapid Citv, SO 57709-0594 16-18- – Superior , Wisconsin. 48th Ro undup. Wnte: Ch., Box 996, Supcnor, WI 54880 23-25 – Mcwi, Hawaii, Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 707, Makawao, HI 96766 23_25 _ M anhattan, Kansas. 16th Anniversary. Write: Ch., Box 1433, Manha ttan , KS 66502 23·25 – Lincoln, Nebraska. Spring Fling Conv. Write: Ch., 8GG South 33rd St., Lincoln, NE 66510.3401 23-25 _ Stillwater, New je~:SeJ’· Yo ung Pt-ople’s Conf. Write: Ch., il<Jx 8205, Pisca tawav, NJ 08854 23-25 – ·Tulsa, Oklahoma. Third Indian Ctlnv. Wnte: Ch., Box 675, 1\rl~, OK 74101 23-25 – Ca{!(ary, Alberta, Cimadll. 20th Banff Roundup. Write: Ch., 101·12.8 15th Ave. S.W., Calgan•, AS TZR OPS 23-25 – Kapuska.Sing, Ontario, Ctlllacla. CongrcR de Kapuskasing. Write: Ch., 2 Champlain, I<apuskasmg, ON P5N 3A9 30-May 2 – Mosney. Ireland. All Irel1md

APRIL·MAY 1993

Closed Meeting Topics From the Grapevine For more detailed suggestions, see the pages noted . April (page 21): Friends; young and old. May (page 43): The Three Legacies.

Corw. ’93. Write: Ch. , BreaffV, C<t~tlehar, Co. Mavo, Irela nd · 30-May i – Lake He11shaw, Califonria. Ei!(hth Mtwday. Write : Ch ., 13ox 1381, Bonita, CA-91908 30-May 2 – R.eveLstoke, Bliti.~lr Columllia. Cwwda. Annual Roundup. Writt’: Ch., Box 1751, Rcvelstoke, BC VOE 2SO 30-M(r)’Z _ Gr-ce11sburg, Pemrsplvnnia . 39th Lave! Highlands Cont: Write: Ch., 1169 Calgatc Or., Monroeville, PA 15 146 30-Ma)IZ- Tl·oom, Scot/and. Scottish Conv. Write: Ch ., &ltk Ch:unbers, 50 Welling. ton St., Glllsgow G2 041 Scotland 30May2- 0.~ter-sw!d,Swcden . Family Com·. Writ(‘: Ch., Biblioteksgatan 33, S-83142 Osten<und, Sweden 30-May 2 – Wausau , Wisco11silr. 52nd An· nuHI Spdng Conf. Write: Ch., Box 455, Wauw u, WI 54402-0455

May LewW011, lclalw. 18th Spring fling. Write: Ch., Box 52, Kendrick , 10 83ll37 1.2 – Greelwillc,MissisMppr. Delt<t Roundup. Write: Ch. , Rt. 2, Bo>. 63, Leland, MS 38756

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Planning a Future Event? Please send your info.rrnahon on June, Jul_v or August event~. two dny~ or mort·, in trmc to reach G.S.O. by Apri/10, the c-alendar deadline for the June/july i,;.<uc of Bo.r 4-5-9. For your· convenience and ours – please type or pr·inl the information to be li.•tt'<l on the Bulletin Doard page, and mail to us: Dateoji’WIIt; from

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Name of evem: Place (city, .~1/rte·—————————or prov.l; – — – – — – — – — – – – – – – — – – — – – –

For i1!{ormation, write: le.ract mailmg nddress) – – – – – — – – – – – – – — – – — – — – –

Co11tact phOIII’ # ifor office use 011lyJ: – — – – — – – – — – – – — – – —

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May (cont.) 7-9 _ Lc.ugllli11, NtMtda. Ninth Tri-State Roundu p. Box 1809, Bullhead City, A2 864.42 7-.?- Thunder· Bay, OrHarro, Canada. 27th Annual Ro undup, Write: Ch. , Box 73, Thunder Bav, ON P7C 4VS 7-9 – Racrr:e, ·w ,samsin . 42nd Spring Con f. Wnte: Ch., 5102 Green Bav Rd., Suite 174, Ken osha, WI 531’11 • 7.9 – Sherida11, W)’Umir”-~ Spring Conv. Wd te : Ch., 16 14 Wa rren Ave. , Shendan, WY 82842 14.-16 Aptos, Califorma. NORCAL Woman-to-Woman Co nf Write: Ch. , 261 Clevelan d Ave,, Mill Valley, CA 9494 1 14-16 – Relwboth Bead1, Delawart. Stare Conv. Write: Ch., Dox 672, Claym011t, DE 19703-0072 14. 16 _ Fort Wa)ltrC, lrldia na. East Cen tral Regional Forum. Write: Secrermy, Dox 459, Grand Cen tral Sta tion, New Yo rk , NY 10 163 14. 16 – Oklahonw City, Ok lahoma. State Conf. Write: Ch,, Hox 13472, Oklahoma Citv, OK ?:ii13-1472 14·16· – Metro, South Dakota. The Th1·ce Legac1es. Write: Ch., 1100 W. Z3rd St. , Mitchell, so 5730 1 !<1.11) _ • Lot~gueu il, Quebec, Canada. t11ilm e Grand Congres. Write; Ch. , C.P. 123, Station LongueuJI, Longueuil, Quebec J4K 4X8

2 1-23 – Detrort, MrchZI\an. W.C.I.G.O. Com•. Wnte : Ch ., Box OZ148, Detroit, Ml 48202 21-43 …_ Warwtck, New York. Third Spnng Con f., Write. Ch ., Box 210, Midd letown, NY 10940-0705 27-30 – New YO<·k, New York. 3 6 th JCYPAA. Write; Ch., Box 951, Bmnx, NY 1~ 28-30 _ C..astiegw·, British Columbia, Ca nada. 20th Rounclnp. Write: Ch ., 3 14 3 rd 1\ve., Castlegar , DC VlN .2A6 2.8-30 – Boyne Mounta i11, i’vltch(lfart. InterArea Spting Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 311, Central Lake, Ml 49622 28-30 _ St. Paul, M innesota. Gopher Sta te noundup XX. Write: Ch., Box 6.5295, Sl. Pau l, MN 55165-0295 28-.30 – Laval, Quetx·c, Canada. 15th Dist rict Com·. Write: Ch. , C.P. 1502 , Succu rsale St-Ma rtin , Chomcdcy, Lava l, Quebec H7V lAO 28-30 – &u1 A1tge/o, Te.ras. Concho Valley Conf. Write: Cll., Box 1341, San An~clo, TX 76902 28-31 – Boston, Mnssaclwsetts. 17 th Ho undup, Write: Ch., Box 1009, Gener<J I Mail facility, Boston , MA 02205 29-30 – Sophia Antipolis, France. french Rhriera Conv. Write; Ch., 20, Alll!e de Ia Tour, Doma ine de Pierrefeu, 06560 Valbonne, Fra nce

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Athabasca, Alberta. Canada. Arh.abasc:~ Roundup. Write: Ch_, Box 3316, Alhabasca, AB TOG OBO 4-G – Keamf!J’• NebmskL1 , State Reunion . Wr·ite; Ch., Box 11063, Om a ha,Nl:: GB111 · 0063 <1-6 – Burlington, Vermout. Northeast Regional forum. Wnte· St.-crelarv, Box 459, Gnmd Central Station, Net~ York, NY 10163 10-13 Springfield, Mi:;sow·i. Round-up. Wri tE’. Tr., Box 1607, Springfield , MO 65801 11-13 – Mernmack. New 1/ampshire. 28th Area Assemblv Conv. Write: 321 Lincoln St. #204, M~chcstE’r, NH 03103 18-20- Brookvilie,Ntw l’ork. fifih Roundup (sponsored by gay(;,:, lesbian m em bers). Write: Ch,, Box 539, Smithtown, NY 11787 18-20 – Akro11, Ohio. llth LTM Conf’. Wnte : Ch., Box 300446, Columbus, OH 43236 18-20 – Blenheim. Ont(ll’iO, Canada . Midseason Cam pout. Write; Ch., Bo.x 5, Chatham, ON N7M SKI 18-20 – Wheeling, West Virgi11ia. 41st State Conv. Write: Ch ., Box 898, Moundsville, wv 26041 25.27 – Alpine. Ariwna. Lun<t La ke Round.. up. Write: Ch., Box 2155, St. johns, AZ 65936 2.5-27 – Moodus, Coruuxticut. Solx>rfest ’93. Wntc: Ch. , 1U Mable Rd .• Easton , CT 06612 25.27 – Key West, Florida. Sunset Rollndup ’93. Write: Ch ., Box 4 165, Kev West, Fl., 4-6 –

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NanDO.Si’ Bay, British Colum/)i(l , Gannda. 33rd ParksvillE’ Qualicum Rally. Writ<‘: Ch., Box 2227, Pnrk.’MIIe, BC VOR

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2-5 – Brokeu Bow, Nebmskn . Annual Pressv Pa rk Campout. Write: Ch., Box 147, AieL~, NE 68810 8-11 _ Gr'(‘(‘nslxwo, North Carolina . 46th State Conv. Write: Ch. , Box 8554 , Greensboro, NC 27419-8554 9. 11 _ Columbia . Mi.’iSOur1. State Conv. WritE’: Ch., 11597 Esperanw, f lo rissant, MO 63033 15. 18 – Lubbock, Te.m.~. Lubbock Caprock Co nv. Wn te: Ch ., 3509 91st St. , Lubbock, T.X 794.2 3 16-18 _ Kir~'{/ield, Maille. Round-up. Write: Ch., Box 1463, Portland, ME 04102 16-18 – Ea.st Llmsing, Mich(~11. 16th Regional Corw. – 41st State Conv. Write: Ch., Box 235, St. j oh ns, Ml 48879 1′:’-19 – Nucmberg, Gemrmt)’. A Vision Fur Yo u. Write: Ch., Alta-Reut St r. 102, 6510 Furth, Gcrma n v 23-25 – M(msjietd , Ohio. OYPM. Write: Ch ., Box 162, Mansfield , OH 44901 23-25 – WindsOI”. Olllario. Cllnndn. Es,<E>x Counh• Con v. Write: Ch. , Box 1502. Sta tion . “A,” Windwr, ON N9A 6R5

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2SO 25-27 – Ma11chester·, E11gfmul. Ninth Manchester Conv. Write: Ch. , 17 Orchard St. , w. Didsbury, Mancheslet· M20 8LP EnK· land

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