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59

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

VOL. 40, No. 4 /AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 1994

The Role of A.A. Literature: When the Chips Are Down, Reinvent the Basics What would have happened if A.A. and its groups had no literature? As co-founder Bill W. observed (Grapevine, 1964), “our message would have been hopelessly garbled … . [and] A.A. would certainly have bogged down in a welter ofcontroversy and disunity.” ”Today,” says Canadian delegate Larry S., from the British Columbia/Yukon Area, “when the integrity of our message is being challenged and diluted in so many directions, we need more than ever to appreciate and read our literature, and to pass it on to other alcoholics.” Here he offers some thoughts on the subject that are laced with his personal experience and investigation on “where we’ve come from and where we are going.” In 1993, he explains, after examining from every possible angle the pros and cons of using sobriety tokens and souvenirs, the Ad Hoc Committee on Chips and Medallions of the General Service Conference, in agreement with the consensus of the 1958 Conference, reported its finding that the use of such mementos “is a matter for local (group) autonomy and not one on which the Conference should record a definite position …. ” Additionally, the committee said, “it is not appropriate for A.A. World Services, Inc., or the Grapevine, Inc., to produce or license the production of sobriety clups and medallions.” The recommendations were clear and the Conference has abided by them, but confusion still abounds, says Larry, who has experienced it firsthand. Prior to the 1993 Conference, he elaborates, “I had the privilege of serving on the Ad Hoc Committee on Chips and Medallions. Readmg all the background material on various ways of canying the A.A. message, I asked myself what had happened to the impmiance of our literature. And I recalled, like it was yesterday, the first responsibilities my sponsor gave me. He told me to be at the meetings a good hour ahead to set things up. Invanably he would atnve early too, hand me a piece of A.A. literature to read, and quiz me about its contents on the way home. That was a big way in which he communicated the A.A. message ofsobriety. It worked for me then as it does today.”

In Larry’s home area, it turned out, others were equally concerned about the role of A.A. literature. Accordingly, he relates, “a few of us conducted an informal phone survey of60 A.A. members fi·om four groups, all with less than two years’ sobriety.” The question asked was: “How many possess and/or have read the pamphlets ‘The A.A. Group,’ ‘Questions and Answers on Sponsorship,’ ‘The Twelve Traditions lllustrated’; and the books Came to Believe, Living Sober, As Bill See.s It, A .A. Com es ofAge and Alcoholics Anonymous?” The results were jolting. None of the 60 AA. members polled either had or had even read either the pamphlets or Came to Believe, U ving Sober or even A.A. Comes ofAge. However, six members said they owned or had read As Bill Sees It; and 37, the Big Book. “With the hope of effecting change,” Larry reports, “we began to discuss this state of affairs at our group, district and area meetings. The upshot is that some groups accustomed to awarding sobriety chips and medallions now substitute A.A. literature instead. For example: for 30 days’ sobriety, they give ‘The A.A. Group’ pamphlet; 60 days, ‘Questions and Answers on Sponsorship ‘; 90 days, ‘The Twelve Traditions Illustrated’; 6 months, either Living Sober or Came to Believe; and 1 year, a Grapevine subscription or A.A. Comes ofAge.

Box +-5-9 is publi’lhed bimonthly by the General Service Office

of Alcoholics Anonymous, 475 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10115, ©Alcoholics Anonymous World SeMces, Inc., 1994 Mall address: P.O. Box 459, Grand Central Station . , New York, NY 10163 Subscriptions: Individual, $3.50 per year; group, $6.00 for

each unit of10 per year. Check- made payable toA.A.W.S., Inc.-should accompany order.

“Some groups liked the idea of the literature,” Lany says, “but also wanted to stay with the chips. So they compromised: They now buy ordinary poker chips and present them together with literature to newcomers with 30, 60 and 90 days of sobriety. “It’s just a beginning. Yet maybe we can turn from bemg a ‘wanting’ society back to a ‘giving’ society when newcomers learn what the Fellowship is about and grow healthy and live the joy of sponsorship and canying the message to the alcoholic who still suffers. It’s called getting back to basics.”

NOTE: The 1994 General Service Conference Literature Committee reviewed issues regarding A.A. literature logos and recommended that: 1. “The words ‘This is A.A. General Service Conference-approved literature’ be displayed on the front cover of all A.A. Conference-approved literature wherever possible.” .2. “The logo be discontinued on all Conferenceapproved literature.” All of the ma1 ks employing the circle and tnangle are being phased out, but A.AW.S. will continue to protect other registered marks such as “Alcoholics Anonymous,” “A.A.,” “Big Book,” etc. Lastly, it should be borne in mind that, except for the fact that A.A.W.S. no longer uses the circle and triangle marks in an “official” sense to designate A.A. literature, the circle and tnangle marks are available fbr use by the Fellowship at large as they have always been.

Coming Soon: Literature Price Decreases At its August 1 meeting, the General Service Board approved the recommendation of the trustees’ Finance and Budgetary Committee to reduce literature prices this fall . See the enclosed memo for details. 2

9th Annual Intergroup Seminar The Vancouver and Lower Mainland Intergroup will host the ninth annual Interg;roup Seminar, November 11-13, at the Westin Bayshore Hotel by Stanley Park in the heart ofVancouver, BriUsh Columbia. Intergroup/ central office managers and employees from across the U.S. and Canada will meet for a weekend of sharing and learnmg though workshops, panel presentations, and fellowship, accordmg to Vtki E., the office manager. Together, with a handful of general service delegates, trusteer:. of the General Service Board, A.A.W.S. directors, and G.S.O. and Grapevine employees, they will focus on the spirit and substance of service as embodied in Traditions Eight and Nine, with special attention to topics of interest to all- relations between area committees and intergroups, increasing/encouraging involvement of the groups, volunteers, and survival in these difficult economic times. The registration fee is $20. To guarantee a room at the special-event rate, reservations should be made by October 10. For more information or to register, write: Viki E., Vancouver and Lower Mainland Intergroup, 3457 Kmgsway, Vancouver, BC, Canada VSR SL5; or call (604) 434-3933.

Sharing a High On Service “In January 1992,” Wiites Bob H. of Austin, Minnesota, “I had been sober just three weeks when my sponsor began urging me to attend our area service conference. I didn’t want to go but I did, and when I walked into the big room, my fears were running riot! “What was I so afraid of? Caring, friendship, an introduction to AA service…. What I experienced that weekend shouJd happen to ~very newcomer. Seeing all those alcoholics together, and not one of them drinh.ing, gave me the frrst natural high-the ftrSt truly spiritual experience-that I can remember.” Now continuously sober more than two years, Bob has stayed high on A.A., sponsorship and service ever since. “Thanks to my sponsor, I’ve been active in my group, the Austin Go-Getters,” he says. “I’ve served both as alternate and regular general service representative, and do whatever 1 can to give freely what has been given me. “I’m glad and grateful that I said yes to my sponsor from the beginnmg, because it meant that I was also saying yes to life.”

Young People’s Group

Holds ‘Oldtimers Night’ Memories. The snows of yesteryear. Where are they? And while we’re at it, where are the Fellowship’s oldtimers? They’re not forgotten , certainly, but we do mtss them and often wonder what ha.s happened to these trusted friends who forged a helpful, sober path ahead of us; whose powers of example cast a clear, guiding light for us, especially when we were new. A number of oldtimers remain in our midst, to be sure, never having stopped sharing their experience, strength and hope with us. But we who are newer, greener, often ask why so many seem to have permanently chifted away from the groups where we first knew them. Did we somehow drop, even drive, them away? Or did they leave u&-wittmgly, deliberately- behind? Each question raises new ones, and they are rarely answered satisfactorily. One fact is certain: wondering and guessing gets us nowhere. One A.A. group grabbed that fact by the horns and ran with it. The Endfield Young People’s Group in Connecticut has been gathering oldtimers in with the zeal and skill of experienced fishermen. And the oldtimers have willmgly been swimming rig}lt into the net the group spread out for them. The net is Oldtimers Night, and so far there have been two, the second one drawing an even larger crowd than the first. The group plans to schedule these nights regularly now. “Around September of 1993, a member of our group brought up an idea at our business meetmg,” writes John S. ”The thought was for any group member to invite one or more people tney knew in A.A. with 10 or more years of continuous sobriety, to invite them to simply show up at the meetmg and get acquamted or reacquainted. Well, the ftrst Oldtimers Night, held last October, had nearly 130 in attendance, and several had 10 years sobriety or more!” Usually, John wtites, the group’s turnout tor special events is 80 to 100 people. Word spread of the group’s Oldtimers Night and some g r oup members were asked if another such evening was in the works. The interest spurred them to schedule another one in April. “This evening, there were approximately 200 people in the basement of St . ~da lbe1i’s Church, all celebrating Sobriety! You could mdeed feel the presence of a Higher Power and the loving hand of Alcoholics Anonymous working its miracle,” writes j ohn. “To our pleasant surprise, we h eard four or five speakers who had regularly attended the group when it was formed 18 or 19 years ago! And all of them have mamtained their sobriety; it was one more of thousands of ways that proves that A.A. works!” john w rites,

adding that, since his joining the group in 1985, he had never seen any of the old timers who spoke. “So it really blew me away simply to have these people come together again on this night to share with us how it was for them 18 years ago. As we say, fondly and lovingly in our group, young is from 9 to 90.” Jolm concludes: “We do not have a date set for our next Oldtimers Meeting, but this alcoholic has a feeling it won’t be long before it takes place.”

Serenity Can Bleom In Your Own Backyard A newcomer in A.A. has built a very special J apanese bonsai pavilion in his backyard. “It is made,” he says, “of wood, nails, screws, nuts, bolts, washers and the Serenity Prayer. This last served as a blueprint, construction man~ernent, time clock and training department. While the pavilion will never grace the pages of Better Homes and Gardens, I am, for the first time that I can recall, completely satisfied with the r esults of my work.” Writmg to the General Service Office last November, Neil W. of Washing t on, D.C., noted tha t he had b een “sob er in the Fellowship for two months. It has been one of the most difficult, yet rewarding periods of my life, and as an atheist of 25 years’ standing, my search for a Hlgher Power has proved neither simple nor direct. “Now my bonsai pavilion serves as my place of daily reading, mediation and, yes, prayer. I find that to be surrounded by nature in this way helps put me in touch with my Higher P ower, which is beginning to be revealed to me one day a t a time.” In his letter to G.S.O., Neil requested a copy of the Serenity Prayer in J apanese. “I intend to engrave the symbols into the pillars of the pavilion ,” he explained, “so that I can reflect upon them each time I enter, and so that I can read them to my cluldren and others who visit, in the hope that they, too, may benefit.” Discussing the essence of meditation in Step Elev~::n (Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 101), A.A. cofounder Bill W. says that it is “an individual adventure, somethmg which each one of us works out in his own way…. And let’s always remember that meditation is in reality intensely practical. One of its first fruits is emotional balance. With it we can broaden and deepen the channel between ourselves and God as we understand Him.” He might have been t:ipcak.ing of Neil.

3

Think 1995! ‘lime to Register for A.A.’s International Convention The registration/housing forms for the 1995 International Convention in San Diego, june 29-July 2, 1995, -are now being sent out around the world. You can get your form from your G.S.R., your area structure, your central office/intergroup or your G.S.O. (You can make copies if you need more.) To help keep it simple, please be sure to: 1. read the fonn thoroughly; 2. fill it out carefully, following the instructions given; 3. print legibly; and 4. remit payment(s) to the correct address. The process of registenng and assigning housing will begin six weeks after the worldwide mailing is completed. Because thousands and thousands ofcompleted registration/housing forms will return simultaneously and promptly, housing will be randomly assigned, within prefe1Ted plice ranges (double occupancy) and locations indicated, as closely as possible. Again, the mailbags full of completed registration/housing forms can only be processed by the clerks one at a time, at random. The preregistration fee is $65.00; on-site reg1stratton fee is $70.00. (The f01m indicates methods of payment, etc.) Your registration badge entitles you to attend all Convention events, including the Thursday night festivities, the Stadium meetings on friday, Saturday and Sunday, and all of the marathons, panels, workshops, topic, special inte rest and other meetings at the

Convention Center and other sites. In addition, your badge entitles you to complimentmy shuttle bus pick up and drop off at all Convention locations. In keeping with our Seventh T radition, and Conference Action, the International A.A. Birthday celebrations must be self-supporting. No group funds are used for the Convention. Because we have many A.A. meetings at the International Convention, some ask, regarding the registration fee, ”What about our Third Tradition and ‘no dues or fees’?” The expenses of putting on an event of this size are astronomical; for example, renllng a stadium and a convention center, renting other spaces, transpor tation shuttles, labor costs, simultaneous translations, lighting, sound, security, insurance, and much, much more. The registration fee helps cover these expenses. As at other International Conventions, many A.A.s will be accomp anied by their Al-A.nons and Alateens (check appropriate badge box on fonn), and Al-Anon and Ala teen have scheduled a variety of daytime activities, including meetmgs and workshops at the San Diego Concourse Center, and the aqjacent U.S. Grant and Double tree Hotels. And, of course, Al-Anons and Alateens will join in the festivities a t the Harbor “Block Party,” the Big Meetings and more.

81. HOUSING REQUIREMENTS

C1. PAYMENT BY CREDIT CARD

0 0

Please charge my credit card$ _ _ _ _ US lor _ _ person{s).

0

1/We do not require housing. 1/We request hotel/motel accommodations {complete sections 82 and 83 below).

IllEXP;AATtONOAl I I I EI

Please mail a requesl form for dormitory accommodations (all dorms are twin-bedded).

I I I I B2. HOTElJMOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS ARRIVAL: DEPARTURE:

Day Day

ROOM TYPE

Date Date

0

Single

ROOM OCCUPANCY Adults _ _ _ Children

0

Double

0

Accessible R

0

Suite

0

Rollaway Bed

0 Discover ~~f:jrg’required)

e also charge my card for the housing deposit .$75 or $125 depending on room rate).

‘I’

e prefer to pay the housing deposit after the hotel room Is assigned.

ROOM RATES P(• fet.-.d (.1 one)

Maximum (.1 one)

1.

0

2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

0 0 0 0 0 0

7.

C2. BY CHECK OR MONEY ORDER 1/VVe enclose the following in payment for _ _ person(s). $60 • 79 $80 • 99 $100 • 119 $120 ·139 $140 ·159 $160 . 179

179 • A ho””ng ooposit of $75 (tor room raleS $99 and below) 0< $125 (lor room rates S100and over) wfll be required. This depos~ maybe paid rK>Wbycredit cardooty; orpakl aJtot t’l$ ~et room ~ asSignod by cheCk. money order or credi1card.

4

0 0 0

$65 US per person totailing ….. ..• . . .. . $ _ _ _ __

•

Make checks/money order payable to “1995 CONVENTION FUND.”

•

International checks/money orders must be In US funds drawn on a US bank.

$90 CAD per person totalling . . . …….. $ _ _ _ __ $220 NPESO per person totalling . . …… $ –

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Do NOT includo housing doposft. H ycu h avc roq<1ested housing youwimbe asked to Stlnd a housing doposll after the hotel room is BS$I!’1f’ed.

San Diego is a beautifi.ll setting for our celebration of A.A.’s 60th Birthday! From La Jolla, the jewel of the Pacific, to just south of the border, Tijuana, Mexico, all of the neighborhoods will delight you. The historic mission sites and Old Town, Balboa and M1sS1on Bay Pal’ks, Sea World, the Zoo, the beautiful Coronado Pacific Beach, Ro~arito Beach in Mexico, the swimming, the fi~olung, the surfing, the sailing, the seafood! And, many conventioneers, regardless of where their accommodations arc located, can choose to stay all day in the Convention Center downtown area, taking a break from meetings, meetings, meetings; to stroll the waterfront, shop at the Horton Plaza Mall and Seaport Village, observe or saiJ in the sailboats in the harbor, and, of course, everywhere run into old and new friends, all speakmg the language of the heart!

A.A.’s New Board Members Peter Roach, of Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, a longtime educator, as well as businessman, was elected Class A (nonalcoholic) trustee at the General Service Board meeting following the 44th Conference. Prior to his retirement in 1992, Peter was director of education of the Peterborough School Board, responsible for the education of 11,000 students and a large operating budget. A lifelong teacher, first in Canadian elementary, then secondary schools, he also owned and ran a medical supply company, and was often actively involved with his hometown’s manufacturing community. “My association with AJcoholics Anonymous goes back a long time,” Peter says. “In our family of ten, six could have been classified as aJcoholics. Not all of them found A.A. But one who did, an older brother who died of a brain tumor a few years ago, was in the Fellowship for 25 years and, you couJd not believe what his fellow AA.s did lo comfort the family and be with him during the weeks before he died.” Of his new role as trustee, he says, “I feel very privileged to have been selected and if I can bring my combined ad.rrunistralive and budgeting skills to help A.A. better meet its needs, I want to do that.” Moreover, he adds, “I’m new at this, don’t pretend to know eveJ)rthing that goes on, but I’m very willing to learn. I’ve seen how the Fellowship can save lives.” Julian R., of Boulder City, Nevada, a past delegate from Nevada, fonper alternate delegate, treasurer, D.C.M. and G.S.R., replaces Greg M., as the Pacific regional trustee. He said, when told of his election, aceordmg to the Third Legacy procedure, that he “was very grateful to have been given the privilege to serve the Fellowship in this capacity. The secret of our past sue_

Peter Roach New Class A (nonalcoholic) trustee

cess and growth has been our unity. Even though the times are changing, what has remained constant has been our unity, reinforced by our Traditions. It will be the key to our future success.” Julian adds, “Communication is also very important. In recent years technology has provided us with added communication capabilities. It is up to our trusted servants to match these capabilities with communication skills, thereby preserving the tmst level within the Fellowshlp.” William B., of Comer Brook, NewfoundJand, Canada, replaces Marc P., as Eastern Canada regional tmstee. A past delegate, aJternate delegate, and D.C.M., Bill aJso sees the Fe!Jowship spreading rapidJy in a changing world and hopes in the next few years to help make “more people in the Fellowship aware of service on a worldwide scale.” Efforts in this direction have to be aimed “at the basic level,” Bill .’ldds. He wants to see the Fellowship “attract new members to be aware of the service stmcture of A.A. Among our Three LegaciesRecovery, Unity, Setvice-there’s no problem with recovery. We come in, hear stories, get the hang of it at the basic level. But service is more complicated and many people. shy away from getting involved.” His own service experience, he says, taught him that “there are people who have a flair for service work, G.S.R., D.C.M., or what have you, and I think we should groom those p eople, identifY their taJents, acknowledge them.” Peter B., of Arlington, Virginia, a former G.S.R., and area assembly program chair, is the new AA.W.S. generaJ service tntstee. Peter says, ‘cit’s not the kind of thing one aspires to or mns for. It’s another forn1 of service, very grattfymg and very humbling; you do the thing that needs lo be done, like when you go to a meetmg, you set 5

up chairs or make coffee.” EchoingJulian, he believes it’s essential to preserve A.A. unity, particularly dwing the CWTent, rapidly changmg times, resorting always to the “group process and a willmgness to accept the conclusions of that process.” In addition, he says, “One of the ways I see our carrying the message a t the board and G.S.O. level, is to enhance the group and individual members’ ability to cany the message.” That means, h e adds, “sharing with people who are in touch with alcoholics, being available to them through our C.P.C. work, through our literature and tlu·ough our P.I. activities.” Peter served as an AA.W.S. director for two years and as an appointed committee member on the trustees’ C.P.C. Committee for four years.

New A.A. Guidelines For Literature Committees In 1993, the Conference Literature Committee suggested that the trustees’ Literature Committee develop an A.A. Guideline for literature committees, compnsed ofshared expertence from the Fellowslup. These Guidelines, now available, are a summruy of experiences of A.A.s in general service areas, districts, central/intergroup offices and A.A. groups who have formed literature committC(..’l:l and share how they ”Let Literature Carry the Message, Too.” Write Litcrahrre Coorchnator, G.S.O. for a copy (MG-9).

the problem is. Then, confused and off cour:.e, we seek to blame and mdict: ‘They can’t relate to the Big Book the way it is written’… ‘They want the power’ … Cilld on ad infmitum.” Forced by personal circumstances to put A.A. service temporarily on the back burner, Tom says that distance has afforded perspective: “In being forced to step back, r have come to realize what is missing, and I think it is this: A trend that seems to have developed in A.A. over the past couple of decades m1rrors what’s been happening in society. It is the desire-no, demand-that A.A. do for me what I am not willmg to do for myself.” This attitude, Tom believes, “fhes in the face of AA.’s Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, which clearly spell out our responsibilities to ourselves, to each other and to A.A. as a whole. We are the only truly democratic organization in the world,” he points out. “At first, fortunately, we grew in number slowly enough for our fow1ders to’ oversee and guide us. But recently we have grown so fast and so big that it has seemed n~essruy to some, perhaps even mandatory, that we adopt strategies of society at large.” What can we do about it? Says Tom: “We must stop looking for answers elsewhere. Instead of saying that something needs to be done, let’s just do it! In our home groups, let us return to the basic principles that have made it possible for you and me to be members of this wonderful Fellowship. “The solution begins with me and you. One person taking the phrase ‘I am responsible’ and putting it into practice on a daily basis, not just when convenient. It’s called commitment.”

Vrewpoint The Missin~ Piece of the Puzzle Is Us “For some time now,” says AA. mexnber Tom R, “I have become increasingly apprehensive about the negative dtrect)on the Fellowship seems to b e takmg. I have felt less filled with the ‘glow’ after meetings. Have felt tensions in the air as others sought answers to the malaise affecting A.A. as a whole.” Writing in ”The Primruy Purpose,” the newsletter of the Vancouver Area Intergroup, Tom feels that we may be forgetting Dr. Bob’s admonition to “Keep it Simple.” As ru1 A.A. member active in general service, he says, “I, along with many others, have looked to ad-hoc cornrnittees, motions, Advisory Actions and splits to solve the simplest ‘problem.’ We have studied, investigated, discussed and chewed until we no longer even know what 6

Credit Card Payments For Literature Orders Effective ]w1e 15, 1994, G.S.O. will accept either V!sa or Mastercard payment for your literature orders. This practice is being introduced on a six-month trial basis ru1d will be reevaluated in December 1994. Durmg that time, perhaps you will let us know if credit card payment is working well for you or if it has created any problems. On a new order form you will see the credit card section in the bottom right comer. Please be sure to sign the form ifyou would like to pay with a credit card Ifyou arc placing an order by phone and have a push button telephone, please call: 1-212-870-:3312. Otherwise, please call the switchboard 1-212-870-3400 and ask for order entry. There are no handling charges for credit card orders.

Keeping 59 Years of Paper in Order: G.,S . O..’s Files Department

Top row, left to right: Wilma joseph, nonalcoholic supervisor, Files Department; the myriad .files, covering over 1,004 feet. Bottom row: Retrieving information on the reader/printer; jewel james (nonalcoholic), recording information on the Camera/Processor/Monitor (C/P!M); a master micmjiche that contains 98frames.

When a member of the Fellowship in a small village in Alaska or a Loner or Internationalist in the heart of Africa or on the high seas, or a G.S.R. in, say, Hartford, Connecticut, writes to G.S.O. for information or any of thousands of possible varieties of requests, and information-sharing, the job of keeping track of it all, year after year, belongs to nonalcoholic Wilma joseph, who heads G.S.O.’s Files Department. Over the years, the accumulation of flies, letters and all manner of different documents, (filed according to subject category) that have reached G.S.O. is in the millions. And it’s safe to say that Wilma can lay her fmger on any document you might ask her to retrieve within a very short while, possibly minutes. Wilma has directed the department for nineteen of the twenty-one years she’s been at G.S.O. Interestingly, for all of technology’s advances, her basic method is, though now computerized, essentially the same, and continues to serve the Fellowship with a great deal of efficiency. If the manner oflogging all outgoing conespondence

from staff members remains unchanged, the sheer volume of what needs to be filed puts the whole business in another ball park. “It was all much smaller years ago,” Wilma reports, referring to the expansion of A.A.’s groups in the U.S. and Canada alone to the present total of 55,828. This number doesn’t include the burgeoning number of groups around the world, as well as Loners, Internationalists and imnates, all of whom write to A.A. for a variety of reasons all the time. It all gets filed. To maintain order in what could be a chaotic flow of paperwork, Wilma’s files arc broken down according to 1) group, and 2) subject. She has a many-paged notebook, containing the listing of the various subject categories, that cover a wide range. For example, requests for help, she explains, may be “about a troublesome member or someone who’s an agnostic or there’s a financial matter or how to best help a handicapped individual.” Someone else may write for speciflc information regarding changes in one of the Fellowship’s many pieces of literature. All of the literature, down to 7

each pamphlet, has its own subject folder. A copy of every outgoing letter from G.S.O. gets fl.led and, of course, all incoming mail is also filed, attached to the relevant staff member’s response. Typically, a staff member will receive a letter from someone, seeking help of some sort. The request will be pertinent to the staff member’s assignment-{;.P.C., P.I., International, Treatment Facilities, and so on. The staff member, in answering the letter, may need some background information that will be found in the subject’s folder. Entering letters into the computer began only three years ago. Prior to that, Wilma says, “each letter used to be logged into a loose-leaf folder by hand, assigned a classification, the s taff member’s initials, the person to whom the letter was addressed, along with city and state and a notation of where the letter was flied. Now all that is done on the word processor. You can imagme how time-consuming it all was,” Wllma says cheerfully, adding that, while still time-consuming, the process of logging information is obviously more streamlined now. On any given day, Wilma reads through about 60 letters (a conserva tive number), written by staff members and attached to th e letter received. Wilina ascertains each letter’s subject matter and then logs each one onto the computer, following the same lines she used to follow by hand. “The bulk of my time is spent reading the letters,” she says, “making sure that each one is coded properly for flling.” This is essential in order to avoid future search problems. In addition to group and subject files, there are separate files for book and litera ture orders, nuscellaneous contributions, delegate files, C.P.C. orP.I. committee flles, and so on. Once the information is logged onto the comp uter, the letters are then filed into folders by Wilma’s only full-time assistant, nonalcoholic Janice Gravesande, with the help of part-timers, usually students. Janice files a couple hundred letters eve1y week. When necessary, excess matetial is weeded. A great deal of correspondence comes from G.S.O.’s Records Department, where information on group names a nd locations are constantly changing. “We keep all historical data regardmg groups.” G.S.O.’s new quarters havE provided the filing department with considerably more space than it used to have, but even so, any amount of space will eventually be used up. With that in mind, a camera processor monitor was purchased eight years ago with a capability offllmmg 98 letters on individual 4″ x 6″ pieces of f!lm-called microfiche~retrievable for inspection by copying out documents when needed. Three small cabinets stored with microfiche are the equivalent of an entire wall full of folders presently in use. Unfortuna tely, the docun1ents reproduced on microfiche aren’t satisfactorily clear to read, so there’s a search on for a be1ter system to be 8

installed in the near future, Wilma says, possibly one involving optical disks. As relentless as all the .paper pile-up is, “I love my work,” W!lma confesses. “I feel a satisfaction when I’m helping an alcoholic out there, or finding a letter for the staff people so they ron help an alcoholic.”

Getting Well in A.A. -A Day At A Time This is the true-life story of a modern-day Cinderella we’ll call Gina, told by member Tanya B. of Anchorage, Alaska, who you rrught say has played the role of fairy godmother. Sometime last August, Tanya begins, “Gina began coming to our 11 p.m. candlelight meeting, which allows for privacy and anonymity in a special way. She would slip into the room afler the lights had been turned off, squeeze silently against the darkened wall, as close to the door as possible with her head bowed, and dash out before the fmal prayer.” Apparently reassured that her coach wouJd not tum into a pumpkin, nor her horses into mice, Gina soon started coming to the meeting earlier, staying later, and even holding hands during the closing prayer. Then she broke free qwckly as before and was out the door in a flash, but not before perfonnmg her first act of service in A.A. She turned the lights back on before stealing a way. ”The day came,” says Tanya, “when Gina sat r ight in the middle of the meeting room, opened her mouth and spoke. Afterward she ran over to me (she knew many of us by our shoes), threw her arms around my neck, and thanked me for something unintelligible. Then she ran out. “Several weeks later, I again saw Gina sitting in the center of the room, gazing around and matching faces to all the shoes she knew so well from keeping her eyes glued to the floor. She stayed after the meeting and, before I knew what was happening, asked me with tears in her eyes to sponsor her ‘ifit wouJdn’t be too much of a bother.’ After a period of shanng, we agreed it would work. Some months la ter, she is blossoming into a whole and wonderful person I feel privileged to know.” This sober Cinderella wears shoes and boots instead of glass slippers. But her story, as Tanya points out, “is a little miracle to bring light to our days.” Best ofall, it signals a happy beginning instead of an endmg, and it is duplicated in rooms all over the world every day and mght, wherever A.A.s come together.

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Thirteenth World Service Meeting The Thirteenth World Service Meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous will be held October 9-13, 1994, in Cartagena, Colombia. The theme will be “Back to Basics.” The meeting is held every two years, with the location alternating between New York and a country selected by a site-selection committee. The primary purpose of the World Serv1ce Meeting IS to ·carry the message to all alcoholics-wherever they may be; whatever language they speak. Some presentation topics throughout the week will be: “Anonymity,” “Sponsorship is a Language of the Heart” and “Marntaining our Tradihons in a Changrng World.” Workshop topics will be on “Communication Between Countries,” “Literature-a Basic Tool” and “Understanding Anonymity.” John G., s taff member serving on the International desk, is the coordinator and has worked closely with the host country’s G.S.O. in Colombia, organizing the fiveday meeting where 38 delegates from 25 counhies are expected to attend.

From the

MailPag

we able to learn the AA program.” He says that contact with other groups in the region helps a lot, too, and that he and others have traveled to visit other groups–in the last nine months alone- in Vilnius, Lutsk, Odessa, Moscow, Shklov, Kiev and Vitebsk. Especially popular among the pamphlets his fellow A.A.s like, he says, are “44 Questions,” and “This is A.A.” • The Accessibilities Committee of Northwest Pennsylvania (ACNP) has brought out an extremely helpful report on the steps it took to standardize criteria for handicap-accessible meetrng sites, and the regulations groups must adhere to for handicap accessibility (HA) listings. The three, strictly adhered to criteria are: 1) on-site, marked parking space (blue sign with wheelchrur symbol); 2) handicap accessible entrance (i.e., free of curbs, steps, or other impediments); and 3) a restroom that’s accessible without assistance to a person in a wheelchair, which has specific measw·ements for entry, and grab bars readily available for fixture use. A helpful booklet on the subject: “Readily Available Checklist: A Survey for Accessibility,” is put out by the National Center for Access Unlimited. • The first International Deaf Group Meetmg-by-Ma!l Newsletter was published and distributed to the group’s fifteen members on March 5. John B., a founder of the group, writes how he got sober 26 years ago, and invites members to share their A.A. strength and experience. Depending on the response he receives, he hopes to distribute the newsletter twice a year. For further informatlon, write to John B., 656 Brunswick Dr., Apt. 205, Saint John, NB, Canada E2L-3S5. (Please enclose a selfaddressed, stamped envelope.)

P.L KauaiAA.s Circulate Literature • “Greetings fi·om the Minsk Group, ‘The First Step,”‘ writes Alexander B., wanting to express his group’s “deep gratitude” for the A.A. literature it has received from G.S.O. since it came into existence nine months ago. He writes that the budding groups that are sprouting up like wildfire in the Republic of Belarus, and elsewhere, can’t get enough literature. “Our sobriety is quite young and we do not have much experience,” Alexander confides. “Under the circumstances, only with the help of those priceless (let me call them that way) books are

The five public libraries on the Hawauan island ofKauai now have A.A. litera ture r acks, thanks to the efforts of the district Public Information corrunittee. Says area P.I. chai!person Curtis H.: “In carrying the AA message to alcoholics and their families and friends, we tJy to reach them wherever they are in our communities, as in our well-used libraries.” The racks are stocked with pamphlets, which are free of charge. They cover a broad r ange of topics that include: “Is A,A. for You?”; “Letter to a Woman Alcoholic”; “Young People and A.A.”; “Time to Start Living,” (for alcoholics over age 60); and 9

“Is There an Alcoholic in Your Life?” Also available from

the libraries, for regular checkout, are the Big Book, TWelve Steps and nwlve nw:litions, and AA Comes of1\ge. An article appearing in the local Kauai newspaper announced presentation of the new A.A. literature racks. It was accompanied by a front-face photo of a branch librarian accepting a rack fi·om an A.A. member, back to camera. “In the spirit of Tradition Eleven,” Curtis says, ”we try to make sure we’re publiCizing our program of recovery, but not ow’Selves.”

Correcdonal Facilities Sponsorship Program Makes Haste Slowly In Pennsylvania The program started in 1990 with one question drrected to a group of inmates: “How would you like to have a sponsor to talk with one-to-one to complete the Fourth and Fifth Steps?” The response was enthusiastic. But then, says Rosetta B., Eastern PemlSylvania Correctional Facilities chairperson, “it took four years to get the inmate sponsorship program off the ground. First we had to wait for the green light from the drug and alcohol staff of the facilities themselves; then we set about the not-so-easy task of fmdmg enough volunteer A.A.s with some length of sobriety.” By December 1992, Rosetta relates, “the C.F. committee of the ABE Intergroup (an acronym for the three Areas. covered- Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton) conducted its first sponsorship meeting ‘iilSlde.’ There were 11 sponsors and 11 mmates sitting down at one table across from each other. The meetmg was opened with a readmg of’How It Works,’ from Chapter Five of the Big Book. Then 22 pairs of hands reached across the table and joined together. Within seconds, t he meeting began.” Mike T. who, \Vith fellow C.F. committee member Ken M., has taken more meetings than he can count into area jails and prisons, reports that the fledglmg sponsorship program is alive and thrivii1g. «Inmates are given the opportunity, many for the frrst tune in their lives, to develop a consistently carii1g, supportive relationship. They fi·equently voice such comments as, ‘I don’t feel so alone in the world’ and ‘I never realized there were other people who feel the way I do.'” Mike poii1ts out that “all sponsorship meetings are volw1tary. Of comse, the irm1ates know that attendance

10

will look good on their records, but we have been pleasantly surprised by how many of them genuinely want to be there.” Here he notes that the sponsorship program is strictly a prerelease effort, “but we’re working on establishing follow-up. There’s also a Bridge-the-Gap program run by our area Hospitals&> Institullons committee that’s available to inmates once they’re on the outside.” fresh from its recent experience in setting up a sponsorship program, the C.F. committee offers some “Suggested Guidelines” that it hopes may be of help to other areas. Some excerpts: 1. There must first be an established A.A. meetmg in the correctional facility. 2. Explain at the meeting what a sponsor does and does not do; how a sponsor assists in working the Twelve Steps. Then, if the group is interested in having individual sponsors, take a group conscience vote concerning the establishment ofa sponsorship program. 3. Take the idea to the facility’s drug and alcohol staff supervisor. Be prepared to discuss in detail what a sponsorship program is about. And remember that it takes fune and effort to get a program going. Don’t let those p eriods when nothing seems to be happening get you down. 4. Establish clear, ongoing communication between A.A. and the facility. 5. Once the program has received clearance from the facility, determine the number of A.A. volunteers needed to serve as sponsors-preferably those with at least one year of continuous sobriety. Then arrange a meeting between the sponsors and the facility personnel to further communication as well as understanding of security requirements. 6. Once the meeting day and time have been established, be sure to start and end on time. Follow all rules and regulations, ever mindful that we AA.s are guests of the facility. “Sponsoring an inmate is very much like being a sponsor on the outside,” Mike observes. “By b eing there week in and week out, we gradually build trust and friendship; share our own experience with the Twelve Steps; and help the person to substitute fear with hope and the A.A. way of life.”

CoiTectional Facilities Workbook The Correctional Facilities Workbook booklet may now be purchased separately, without the vii1yl folder. To order the insert only, use item number M-451, $2.50.

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15 19

BULLETIN BOARD

Items and Ideas on Area. Gatherings for A.A.- Via G.S.O.

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 information, please use the addresses provided.

August 4 -7 – Cedaredge, Colora®. Ninth Annual Int’l. Serenity Run. Write: Ch., Box 1143, Colorado Sprin~, CO 80903 5-6 – jacksonville, Florida, Angels are Happening. Write: Ch., Box 1091, l’ernandina B~.ach, FL 3203 5-7- Indian Wells, California. Maad Dog Daze. Write: Ch., Box 4383, Palm Desert, CA92261 5-7 – Redwood Creek, California. 16th HC! Campout. Write: Ch., Box 6872, Eureka, CA95502

5-7 – Tulameen, British Columbia, Canada. 13th Campout. Wri te: Ch., Box 3C, Comp 3, 1\Jiameen , BC VOX 2LO 5-7- Ucluelet, British Columbia, Canadt1. 10th Almual West Coast RaUy. Write: Ch., Box 925, Uduelet, BC VOR 3AO 5-7 – Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. Eighth Annual Algoma Oisttict Campout. Write: Ch., 341 Morin, Sault Ste. Marie, ON P6C3ES 5-7- Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada. MCYPAA. Wnte: Ch., 57 McDougall Ave., Moncton, NB E1C 6B1 5-7 – Guelp h, Ontario, Canada. 25 th Annual Conv. Write: Ch., 4 Leacock Ave., Guelph, ON N1E 6B1 5-7- Cmmwell, ConnectiCUt. 11th Annual Walk Roundup (sporuored by gay liP lesbian m embers). Write: Ch., Box 1389, New Haven, CT 06505 5-7- Sp~d, fllinoi.s. 1994 State Conf. Write: Ch., Box 181, Petersburg, IL 62675 5-7 – New Orleans, Louisiana. Big Easy Does II Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 51266, New Orleans, LA 70151-1266 5-7 -Negaunee, Michigan. U. P. Roundup, Write: Ch., Box 243, Palmer, MI 49871 5- 7 – Havre, Montana. Mini Roundup . Write: Ch., Box 2443, Havre, MT 59501 5-7- Las vegas, Nevcuia. Soberfest (pre.. sented by gay a nd lesbian members). Write: Ch., 2413 S. Eastern , #309, las Vegas, NV 89104 5-7- State ColiLge, Pennsylvania. State Conv. Write: Ch., Box 522, Pa oli, PA 19301 6-7 – Fort Morgan, Colorado. 15th NE Colorado Mini-Weekend. Write: Ch., Box 1063, Fort Morgan, CO 80701 11-1.4 – Washington, D.C. The Capital Roundup (presented by gay and lesbian members) . Writ e: Ch., Box 76786, Washington, DC 20013-6785 12-13 – Tampa, Florida. Angels are Happ ening. Write: Ch., Box 1091, Fernandina Beach, FL 32035 12-14 – Woodstock, Onta.rio, Canada. 13th Marathon of Unity. Write: Ch. , Box 22002, Woodstock, ON N4S 8Yl 12-14 – Hull, Quebec, Canada. Annual

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Conf. Write: Ch., C.P. 24, Succursale A, Hull, QCJ8Y 6M7 1Z..l4 – Tiel, The Netherlands. Roundup. Write: Ch., Harstenhoekweg 74, 2587SM The Hague, Netherlands 12-14 -Kutztown, Pennsylvania. Ninth Annual Area Conv. Write: Ch., Box 1334, Reading, PA 19603-1334 12-14 – Lake Poi11sett, South Dakota. Serenity Weekenders Campout. Write: Ch., R.R. 4, Box 21, Yanktown, SO 57078 12-1 4 – Arlington, Virginra. Area Conv. Write: Ch., llOX 2281, Memfteld, VA 22116 13-14 – Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada. 30th Roundup. Write: Ch., St. Croix, Hants County, NS BON ZEO 13-14 -Nacogdoches, Te.ras. 48th Anniv. Write: Ch,, 12Z1 Muny St., Nacogdoches, TX 75961 17-20 – Atlanta, Georgra. 50th Southeast ConfJ41st State Pre-paid Conv. Write: Ch., Box 80671, Atl:mta, GA 30366 18-21 – Omaha, Nebraska. Cornhusker Roundup XVII. W rite : Ch., Box 425, Bellevue, NE 68005 19-21 – Soldotna, Alaska. Wilderness jamboree. Write: Ch., Box 2165, Soldotna, A.K 99669 19-21-Anallelm, Califomia. 10th Orange City. Conv. Write: Ch. 2776 W. Russell PI, Anaheim, CA 92801 19-21 – Oakhurst, Califo77ua. Mini Conf. Write: Ch., Box 23, Oakhurst, CA 93644 19 -21 – Paso Robles, Califomia. 27t h Annual Conv. Write: Ch., Box 13308, San Luis Obispo, CA 93406 19 -21 – Ganges, British Columbia , Canada. Rally. Write: Ch. RR3, Site 12, Comp 7, Ganges, BC, Salt Sprin$) Is. VOS 1EO 19-21 – Port Hardy, Brrtislt Columbia, Canada. Rally. Writ e: Ch., Box 2581, Port Hardy, BC VON 2PO 19-21 – Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. Lakeshore Conf. Write: Ch., ZOO Thornton Rd. N., Oshawa, ON LlJ 6T7 19- 21 – Ednumd.ston, New Brunswick, Canada. Fourth Congress. Write: Ch ., 125 rue Rice, Edmunds ton, NB E3V 1T5 19-21 – Meekct·, Colorado. White River Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 1036, Meeker, C081641 19-21 – Snyder, Nevada. Campout. Write: Ch., Box 154, Snyder, NE 68664

AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 1994

19-21 – Staten Island, New York. NY State Infonnational Workshop . Write; Ch., Box 090063, Staten Island, 1\’!Y 10309 19-21 – Powers, Oregon. Campout. Write: Ch., Box 503 Powers, OR 97466 19-21 – Cla~ington, Pennsylvania. Sixth Magic Forest Carnpathon. Write: Ch., Box 1567, Washmgton, PA 15301 19-21 – So-anton, Pcnnsylva11ia. SCYPM. Write: Ch., Box 4&, Dunmore, PA 18512 19-21 -Beaumont, Texas. Dist. Conf. Write: Ch., Box 2243, Nederland, 1’X 77627 19-21 – College Station, Texas. 11th Annual Conv. Write: Ch., Box 9409, College Station, TX 77842-9409 20-21 – Provo, Utah. Area Pre-Asssembly Workshop. Write: Ch., Box 154, Springville, UT 84663 21-23- Beaumont, Te.ras. 11th Annual Conf. Write: Ch., R t. 1 , Box 352, Burkeville, TX 75932 25-28 – Kettle Falls, Washington. Summer Campout. Write: Ch., 3473-B, E.Jumpoff Joe Rd., VaUey, WA 99181 26-28 – Writing on Stone Park, Alberta, Canada. Com Roast. Write: Ch., Box 618, Shelby, MT 59474 26-28 – Jacksor11 Mi.•>sissippi. Eighth Old Timers Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 68662, Jackson, MS 39286 26-28 – Joplin, Missouri. Summer Hummer. Writ e: Ch., 527 Winfield , Joplin, MO 6480 26-28- Chautauqua, New York. Tri-State/ Ont. Conf. Write: Ch., Box 758, Derby, NY 14047 26-28 – Cltatltmooga., Tennessee. ChaoChao Roundup. Write: Ch., Box Z105, Chattanooga, T N 37409

September 2-3 – ]acksouville, florida. Angels are Happening. Write: Ch., Box 1091, fernandina Beach, FL 32.035 2-4 – Phoenu:, Ati.wna. XXII Convenci6n Hispana. Write: Ch. , Box 61512, Phoenix, AZ 85082- 151.2

2-4 – Penttcton . British Columbia, Canuda. 29th South Ok.,11agan Labour Day Round up . Write: Ch., Box 20036, Penticton, BC V2A 8K3

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Planning a Future Event? Please send your infniTt’l<ltion on October, November or December events, two days or more, in time 10 reach G.s.o. by A~t 10, the calendar deadline fot· the October-Novernb<·r Issue of Bar 4-5-9. for your convenience and ours __ plense type or print the information to be UMecl on the Bulletin Board page, artd mail to us:

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Dateqfwent:.from _ _ _ __ _ __ ___ to – – – – – – – —J 19 _ __ Name ofevent:

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Place (city, state orprov.):

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For i,-!fomltltum, wl’itc:

(exact mailingaddl’fSS) _ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

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Contact pl10ne #(for office use only): – — – — — – – – – — – — – —

Flip up this end of page -for events on reverse sule

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September (Cont.) 2-4 –

Colorado Springs, Colorado. Sta te Conv. Write: Ch., Box 25362, Colorado Springs, CO 80936-5362 2-4 – Evansville, Indiana. INCYPAA. Write: Ch., Box 6756, Evansville, IN 47719-0756 2-4–Hourrw, J,ouisiana. Jambor ee. Write: Ch., 4204 Hwy. 24, Gray, LA 70359 2-4 – Polson, Montana. lOth Camporee, Write: Ch., 2900 South Shore Rt., Polson, MT59860 2-4 – Abilene, Teras. Big Country Conf. Write: Ch ,, 1919 Wes tview, Abilene, TX79603 2-5- Powell Rivet·, British Columbia, Canada. 47th Rally, Write: Ch., 6898 Kamloops St., Powell River, BC V8A 1M4 2-5- Chapleau, Ontarro, Canada. 27th Anniv. Roundup . Wnte: Sec., Box 634, Chapleau, ON POM lKO 2-5 – Tampa, Floru:la. Eighth Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 262545, Tampa fL 33685 8-11 – Huntsville, Alabama. 39th Annual Area Conv. Write: Ch., Box 1091, Huntsville, AL 35807 9-10 – Tampa, Florida. Angels are Happening. Write; Ch., Box 1092, Fernandina Beach, fL 32035 9-11. –

Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada.

35th Roundup . Write: Ch., Box 85, Grande Prairie, AB T8V 3Al 9-11 __ Bt’«mpton, Ontario, Catwda, 12th Conv. Write: Ch., Box 401, Brarnpton, ONL6V2L3 09-it – Dunvi fle, Ontario, Canada. 28th Conv. Write: Ch., Box 163, Dunville, ON N1A2XS 9-11 – Cromwell, Cormeclict.tl. Area Conv. Write: Ch., 16 Cindy Lane, Berlin, CT06037 9-11-Many, Louisiana. 27th Annual COnf. Write: Ch., Box 3658, Fort Polk, LA 71459 9-11 – Park Rapids, Minnesota. fou rth Heartlands Roundup, Write: Ch., Rt. 1, Box 18, Park Rapids, MN 56470 9-11 – Columb11s, Ohio. Eighth Area COnv. Write : Ch ., 6944 Sp ringhouse Ln., Columbus, Oh 43229 9-11 -Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Ninth Annual Gay/Lesbian Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 9.2794, Milwaukee, Wl5320.2

10-11 – San Miguel de 1’ucuman, At;gMtina. Eighth Intergroup Congress. Write: Ch., Casilla Correo 621, 4000 San Miguel de Tucuman, Rep . Argentina 15- 18 -Sacramento, Califomia. Ninth Annual Big Book Seminar. Write: Ch., Box 661522, Sacramento, CA 95866 16-18 – Page, Arizona. Roundup. Wr ite: Ch., Box 3682, Page, AZ 86040

16-18- Por’t Alberni, British Colttmb~a, Canada. Rally. Write: Ch., 4438 Latham Rd., Port Albern!, BC V9Y 5S9 16-18 – Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada., Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 1127, Revelstoke, BC VOE 2SO

16-18 – Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. E . Canada Reg. Forum. Write: Ch., Box 459, Grand Central Sta., New York, NY 10163

16-18 –

Mont-Laurier, Quebec, Canada.

fourth District Congress. Write: Ch., 3591 Chemin Lac Nadeau #2, Mont_Laurier, QCJ9L3G7

16-18- Swift Curent, Saskatch ewan Canada. 33rd Annual Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 1848, Swift Current, SK S9H 4M6

16-18 –

Yorkton, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Roundup. Write: Ch., !lox 1537, Yorkton, SK S3N 3K3 16-18- Grand .Junction,

Colorado. Color Daze. Write: Ch. , Box4013, GrandJunction, CO 81502 1.6-18 – Muscatine, Iowa. Melon City Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 1244, Muscatine, lA 52761 16-18- Lenox, Massachusetts. Back to Basics. Write: Ch., 368 Congress St., Boston, MA 02210 16-18- Duluth, Minnesota. 49th Roundup. Write: Ch , JJox 16771, Duluth, MN 55816 16-18- TUpelo, Mississippi. Fall Jubilee. Write: Ch., 11 W. Marion St., Pontotoc, MS38863 16-18- Natchez, Mississippi. Southern Hospitality Conv. Write: Ch., Box 18242, Natchez, MS 39122 16-18 – Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri. EDI ’94. Write; Ch., Box 499, Fort Leonard Wood, MO 65473 16-18 – El Ptado, New Mexico. Taos Mountain Fiesta. Write: Ch., Box 253, El Prado, NM 87529 1..6-18- Bastmp, Tera.s. Fellowship in the Pines. Write: Ch., Rt. 1, Box 5.25, Cedar Creek, TX 78612 1.6-18 – Ogden, Utah . Fall Assembly. Write: Ch., 192 North 4 700 Wes t, West Weber, UT 84404 1.6-18- Williamsburg, Virginia. Second Annual Southeast Seminar, “Woman-toWoman”. Writ e : Ch., Box 8192, Richmond, VA.23228 16-18 – Eau Claire, Wisconsin. 38th Area Conf. W’r ite: Ch., 3365, Locust Ln., Eau Claite, WI 54703 23-25 – Mesa, Arizona. 1994 Area Cony. Write: Ch., Box 1086S, Glendale, AZ 85318-0865 23-25 – San Francisco, California. SecoJld Annual Conv. Write: Ch., Box 42383.2, San francisco, CA 94142 23-25 – Santa Maria, California . ’52nd District Conv. Write: Ch., Box 2523, Lompoc, CA 93438

23-25- Hamilton , Ontario, Canada. Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 91021, Effort Square Postal Outlet, Hamilton, ON L8N 4G3 23-25- Wichita, Kansas. Kansas Area Conf. Write: Ch., Box 48661, Wichita, KS 6720L8661

23-25

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Harrisonbr.trg,

Virginia.

ShenandQah Valley Roundup. Write: Ch., Rt. 2, Box 187-B, Broadway, VA .22815 23 -25 – Winchester, Virginia.. 40th Four State/DC Fall Get-together. Write: Ch ., Rt. 1, !lox 164-C,Boyce, VA226.20 23-25- Cheyenne, Wyoming. Fall Conf. W r ite: Ch., Box 1481, Cheyenne, WY82003 29-0ct 2 – Amarillo, Texas. Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 412, An1arillo, TX 79105 30-0ct 2 -Sari Diego, California. 43rd So. Calif. Conv. Write: Ch., 7158 Hillsboro St., San Dlego, CA 92120 30-0ct 2 – Vegreville, Alberta, Canada. Dist. .20 Roundup. W1ite: Ch., # .202 532246th St., Vegreville, AB T9C 1E6

30-0ct 2 – Chase , Bntish Colum.b ia, Canada. Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 334, Chase, BC VOE 1MO

30-0ct 2 –

Repentigny, Quebec, Canada..

12th Annual Conf. Write: Ch., 116, rue Helene, Rcpentigny, QCJ6A 2Z6 30-0ct 2-Ft. Co1lins, Colorado. Soberfest. Wn te : Ch., Box 270356, Ft. Collins, C0805.27

30-0ct 2 –

Snowmass Village, Colorado.

Roundup. Write: Ch, , 523 Cowenhoven Ct., Asp en, CO 81611

30-0ct 2 –

Mackinac Island, Michigan.

Mackinac Weekend. Write: Ch., 302 S. Waverly, Lansing, Ml 48917 30-0ct 2 – Lincoln, Nebraska. Big Red Roundup. Write: Ch., .2’840 S. 70th St., Ste. 127, Lincoln, NE 68506 30-0ct 2 – Rochester, New York. 14th Annual Conv. Write: Ch., 1.0 Manhattan Square Dr. Rochester, NY 14607 30-0ct 2 – Cleveland, Ohio. 11th Annual Midwest Woman to Woman Seminar. Write: Ch., Box 6774, Cleveland, OH44101

October 1-2 – ]acksonvill.e, Florida. Angels are Happening . Write: Ch., Box 1091, Fernandina Beach, FL 3.2035 7-9 – Batesville, Arkansas. Recovery Unli m.i ted. Wr ite: Ch., Box 4144, Batesville, AR 72503

7-9 –

Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada.

30th NS/NL/LB Assembly. Write: Ch., 234 Shaft St., Glace Bay, NS B1A 6W4 7-9- Sherbt-ooke, Quebec, Canada. 24th Congress of Sherbrooke. Write: Ch., 880, Jogues, App. 301, Sherbrooke, QCJlH 2X9 07-09 – French Lrck, Indiana. Back to Basics Roundup . Write. Ch., Box 2003, Martins>1lle, IN 46151 7-9 – Kalispell, Mo11tana. Fall Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 2326 Kalispell, MT 59903-2326 7-9 – 1’ahlequah, Oklahoma. Serenity Harvest Conf. Write, Ch., Box 12601, Oklahoma City, OK 73’157 7-9 _ Ogden, Utah. Ninth Aruma! Roundup. Write: Ch ., Box 9152, Ogden, UT84409 7-9- Seattle, Washington. Coming of Age Conf. (presemed by gay and lesb1an members). Write: Ch., 1.202 E. Pike #552, Seatle, WA 98122 8-9 Tampa., Flol’ida. Angels are Happening. Write:. Ch., Box 1091, I’crnandina Beach, FL 32035 11-18- Alicante,’ Spain . Calpe Conv. Wnte: Ch., Finca San Antonio, Apartado 15, Benisa, Alicante, Spain

14- 16 – Charlottetown, Pr·ince Edward Island, Canqda. NB/PEl Area Assembly. Write: Ch., 20 Pownal St. #3, Charlot tetown, PEl ClA 3V8 Hong Kong. 25th Anmv. Write: Ch., 2nd Floor Flat, 00.283 Lot 429, Hot Ha Vtllage, Sai Kung, Hong Kong

15-16 –

28-30- Duderstadt/Gottmgen, Getmany. European Roundup (sponsored by gay

and lesb1an members). Write, Ch., Box 42 08 21, 0-12068 Berlin, Germany 28-30 – Amhet·st, New York. Fall Conv. Write: Ch., 1340 Millersport Hwy, Amherst, NY 142.21 November

November 3-6- Memphi..~, Tennessee. 20th Annual Bluff City fellowship. Write: Ch., Box .240831, Memphis, TN 381.24-0831

4-5- Jacksonville, Florida. Angels are Happen ing. Wri te : Ch., Box 1 09-1, Fernandina Beach, FL 32035 11-13- Salt Lake City, Utah. 50th Anniv. Write; Ch., Box 522164 , Si!lt Lake City, UT 84152-2164

18-20 –

The Abbey Fontana, Wisconsin.

Fifth Annual Soberfest. Write: Ch. , Box 213, Ringwo0 d, IL 60072-0213