BOX4005oo9

NEWS AND NOTES FROM THE GENERAL SERVICE OFFICE OF A.A. February-March 1981

Vol. 26, No. 1

Bulletins Foster Friendship Among A.A. Groups Call a special meeting! Light the candles! Box 4-5-9 now begins its second quarter-century. At least, that’s what the volume and issue numbers (near the top of this page) seem to say. On second thought, cancel the silver-anniversary celebration. A trek through the archives proves that formal communication among the A.A. groups, via publications issued by the General Service Office and its forerunners, began more than 40 years ago. A mimeographed sheet dated Nov. 14, 1940, was sent out from the Alcoholic Foundation (predecessor of the General Service Board). Bill W. and his nonalcoholic secretary, Ruth Hock, edited and distributed A.A. Bulletin, as it was then called. In subsequent years, the name of the little newsletter was changed to The Group Secretary (1952) and General Service Bulletin (1954). In 1956, A.A. Exchange Bulletin appeared. Evidently, it was decided then that the G.S.O. bulletin was here to stay: The first issue was typeset and printed (rather (continued on p. 5)

Wi4g you peak… DON’r use Profanity DON’ruse d(ty words DOW’r talk about pills DO’44r talk about your drug addiction

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WHY THE GENERAL SERVICE CONFERENCE

These ancestors of Box 4-5-9 helped carry out G.S.O. s role as a clearinghouse for A.A. groups, widely sharing information and ideas received from them. Nonalcoholic Nell Wing (see p. 5) put the G.S.O. bulletins together from 1966 to early 1973, when she moved on to the new Archives Department. There, Nell also collects local A.A. newslettersa valuable history source.

One Group’s Decision:

Group ElectionsA.A.

Down With Regulations!

Principles in Action

Chico C from South Florida tells its how his group discovered that the “good” can be “the enemy of the best.” Earlier this year at our monthly group-conscience (business) meeting, we voted to place a sign at the podium stating, “Please refrain from using profanity, and do not discuss your drug problems during your talk.” The month’s chairperson would read the notice before introducing speakers. Our area, like others, has had its share of A.A.’s who hardly mention alcoholism, discussing their (continued on p. 6)

“My name is Joe M., and I am a member of the Sober Group, Anytown, Canada. I am writing in the hope that you can help our group with the election of a steering committee. Our questions are: “How many members should be on the steering committee? “What group officers should we elect? “How much sobriety should our new officers have? “How long should one person hold the same office?” At a time of year when many new group officers are rotating in, (continued on p. 4)

Box 4-5-9 is published bimonthly by the General Service Office ofA lcoholics Anonymous, 468 Park Avenue South, New York, N. Y.

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Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., 1981

Mail address: P.O. Box 459, Grand Central Station, New York, NY 10163. Subscriptions: Individual, $1.50 per year, group, $3.50 for each unit of 10 per yr. Check – made payable to A.A. W. S., Inc. – should accompany order.

EXPANDED, REFURBISHED QUARTERS FOR G.S.O. A report from the general manager Partitions are being knocked down. New air-conditioning machinery fills the freight elevators. Battered, probably pre-WW II desks are being tagged for replacement. Your General Service Office is in the process of expanding and refurbishing its quarters. Inconvenience and confusion are the order of the day. But service to A.A. groups and members – and the filling of literature orders – continues without interruption. Everyone is making the best of a difficult situation, because the end result will be a more roomy, more comfortable, betterlooking, up-to-date office, of which the Fellowship can be proud. It all started last year when the General Service Board authorized A.A. World Services to sign a new ten-year lease in our present building (after the Conference had recommended not moving G.S.O. out of New York). In doing so at very favorable terms we acquired another full floor, or about 25 percent additional, badly needed space. Then, at the 1980 General Service Conference, the delegates made a lot of unflattering comments on the inadequacy and shabby appearance of our present quarters. And they recommended that “when G.S.O. and Grapevine offices are expanded, the offices be modernized and the appearance – . . be vastly improved.”

And that’s what we are trying to do, within budget limitations in this day of inflated costs for construction work and furniture. But, as one trustee pointed out at the last board meeting, the increased working room and improved working environment should have a tangible payoff in more efficiency, and it should also make it easier to hire highquality office help. Incidentally, none of the cost of the expansion and refurbishing comes from group contributions. All group contributions go to pay for group services. And since contributions almost always fall short of meeting this need, the deficit is made up out of publishing income – which also must pay for any unusual and nonrecurring budget items such as the renovation of the office. In addition, it will be necessary to draw from the Reserve Fund, which is also funded by publishing income. So we hope you will visit us in our new quarters, which should be completed by this summer at the latest. As you step from the elevator into the large, tastefully decorated reception area where a lovely tour guide will greet you with a cup of coffee, or where you can select literature from an “A.A. bookstore” – you will hardly know the old place. Until you see the Big Book on display, and the Steps and Traditions, too. Then you’ll know you’re home. Bob P.

A.A. GOES ON TV VIA FILM AND P.I. SPOTS By action of the 1980 General Service Conference, A.A. groups and committees seeking to arrange TV showings of the 30-minute film “A.A. – An Inside View” no longer need permission from A.A. World Services, Inc. The Conference recommended that the film “be released for general distribution” and that “the delegate be notified, if possible” ’1

when the film is shown on TV. The film has been warmly received by TV stations around the U.S. and Canada, as well as by both A.A. and non-A.A, groups that have seen it. A further indication of media interest in A.A. is the fact that more than 300 TV stations have requested one or more of the six new public service announcements about A.A. These are available through public information committees in your area, or from the General Service Office. Three are in English; one is captioned for the hearing-impaired; one is in French; one, in Spanish.

THEME SELECTED FOR THIS YEAR’S CONFERENCE “A.A. Takes Its Inventory” is the theme chosen for the 3 1st General Service Conference, to be held at the Hotel Roosevelt, New York City, April 26-May 2, 198 1. Delegates, General Service Office and Grapevine staffs, A.A.W.S. and GV board members, and alcoholic and nonalcoholic trustees will gather for a week of discussion and action on issues suggested by A.A.’s in the U.S. and Canada. In addition to taking part in committee meetings, workshops, and presentations, Conference members this year will select the site for the 1985 International Convention and nominate four alcoholic (Class B) trustees (who will be presented to the General Service Board for election at the post-Conference April meeting). (continued on next page)

Central Office Corner

Trustee Corner NEW TRUSTEES – TWO SERVICE STORIES

THAT FIRST PHONE CALL

It’s about time! Meet the two newest alcoholic (Class B) trustees, elected in April 1980. Bud G., West Central regional trustee, hails from Fargo, N. Dak., where one of his greatest A.A. enthusiasms is editing the newsletter Silver Dollar. Since he sobered up 15 years ago, Bud has been a general service representative, district committee member, area secretary-treasurer and chairperson, and Panel 26 delegate. As chairperson of the Confer ence Grapevine Committee, Bud worked with more than 100 A.A. newsletters, encouraging them to carry the message of the – GV. On the job, he is a claims representative for a Federal agency. General service trustee Don D. comes to the board with four years of service on the Grapevine Corporate Board, where he was first treasurer and is currently chairperson. In several New York City groups, and in Northport, N.Y., where he got sober in 196 1, Don has worked hard at jobs ranging from coffee maker to group chairperson and intergroup representative. He is an investment counselor by profession.

Most of us had our initial contact with A.A. through the telephone. Some of us called a friend who had already surrendered; some, a doctor or a member of the clergy, who gave us another number to call. But many of us looked up Alcoholics Anonymous in the phone directory and asked for help. That’s why answering services are so important to make sure help is there wherever and whenever the suffering alcoholic calls. Word from an A.A. group on Long Island, New York, attests to the particular value of such services in suburban and rural areas. Answering services can be sponsored by an individual group, several local groups, or those in an entire region. A central number can be answered by volunteers at a local office, or the telephone company can automatically connect the number to a member’s home phone for a day. If your group is not covered by an answering service (or a central office), Guidelines are available to help you set one up. The Guidelines cover everything from how to pay for an answering service to how to handle questions from a frightened drunk. Write to: G.S.O., Box 459, Grand Central Station, New York, NY 10163, for your copy of Guidelines on A.A. Answering Services.

THIS YEAR’S CONFERENCE (continued) A Western Canada regional trustee will be named to fill the unexpired term of Aime D., who died soon after his election in 1980. Others to be nominated are: U.S. trustee-at-large (replacing Ruth H.), Southeast regional trustee (for Sam S.), and East Central regional trustee (stepping into the shoes of Virginia H.). This year’s Conference will revive a custom from Bill W.’s day, a “What’s on Your Mind?” sharing session, where questions not appropriate for committee or workshop discussion will be brought to the floor. Conference members will also have a chance to view an early (1950’s) “March of Time” film about A.A. The true excitement of any Conference, though, lies in the working-out of the collective group conscience. Time after time, in 30 years of Conferences, decisions that are best for A.A. as a whole have emerged out of spirited, sometimes heated, discussion. In a week filled with unexpected developments, one result is always certain: Once again, the right decisions for A.A. will surely be made.

AREA ’COURSE’ ON A.A. SERVICE “I don’t know what service is,” wrote Agnes S. to a member of her area service committee in West Virginia. “I go to a lot of meetings. But how do serious newcomers learn, so that we can exercise our responsibility? May I suggest a special meeting, with a knowledgeable person explaining the history of service and how it works?” Grace D. responded swiftly, setting up a series of monthly meetings. She reports: “Attendance has been good. Group conscience decided we should cover all general service material available from G.S.O. We started with the structure chart – which gave us two good meetings on service in general and moved on to the A.A. group and the general service representative, and we’re scheduled to discuss the district committee member next. We plan to cover ’The A.A. Service Manual’ and all the Guidelines, show all the filmstrips – and when we’re finished, start all over again!”

G.S.R. Corner

Delegate Corner 3

“We do not care to run the group, but when the new members have been sober a few months or a year, we lose them, because they can’t take an active part in running it. Any suggestions?” If you have just taken on the responsibility of a group office – or if you’re eager to serve but can find no chance in your group – you, too, may be looking for answers.

TRILINGUAL HANDBOOK The Group Handbook has a new look. Contrary to the adage “You can’t tell a book by its cover,” the handbook now sporting an attractive loose-leaf binder with the title in Spanish, French, and English is a visual reminder that the service structure spans A.A.’s of all three major language groups in the U.S. and Canada. The material in the handbook has, of course, long been available in three languages. It is sent free of charge to all new groups that register with G.S.O. and can be ordered by any group for $4. The new binder was developed as a practical response to the growth of non-English-speaking groups 300 Spanish and 1,500 French, with numbers increasing daily. GROUP ELECTIONS (continued from p. 1) and old ones are rotating out, letters like this arrive regularly at the General Service Office. And letters with questions about the flip side of rotation come in, too: “We have a problem in our group. A few older members monopolize the leading of the group. These are people who have been sober anywhere from five to 30 years – about six people. When they have a business meeting, they sneak upstairs, and no one else has any say in it.

Rotation: a spiritual principle The great majority of groups follow the principle of rotation, changing officers at regular intervals (usually every six months or so except for theG.S.R. [general service representative ] ,whose twoyear term is in gear with the rest of the general service structure). This practice strengthens group life, by calling on new people with new ideas. And it strengthens individual sobriety, too, by keeping us closer to humility. Rotation means that problems with personalities don’t have time to crop up, and that no one member becomes swollen with power or resentful at being imposed on. Rotation brings the opportunity for all to participate in the joys and rewards of giving service. Continuity is important, too But officer-rotation time can also usher in a period of confusion. Barbara G. of New York City put it this way: “When I was named to chair my group’s Step meeting, I went around asking various people what I was supposed to do – and no one could tell me. “Now, when officers are elected, the outgoing officers get together with them and make a point of explaining the job. This assures that the group continues to function smoothly. And when our leaders are doing their jobs, others seem more aware of their own responsibility as group members.” What officers do most groups have? Since Tradition Four makes each group autonomous, practice varies, and the experience of other groups in your vicinity is frequent-

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ly a good guide. “The A.A. Group” pamphlet (a basic resource for all group matters) lists officers named by the “typical” group: steering committee members, group chairperson, secretary, treasurer, G.S . R., program chairperson, intergroup or central office representative, Grapevine representative. In some groups, the steering committee is composed of both present and past officers, to ensure continuity. And some groups elect alternates for some or all offices, providing an opportunity for more people to serve, and for new people to ease into responsibilities. In informal A.A. fashion, few groups have rigid sobriety requireinents. The majority have found that a reasonable period of continuous sobriety (from a few months to a year) is helpful, and most choose members who have demonstrated willingness and availability. “The A.A. Group” has a sound suggestion, based on compiled A.A. experience: “It has generally been found that giving members jobs solely to help them stay sober does not work; instead, the group’s welfare is of primary concern in choosing officers. A review of Traditions One and Two helps at election time.” When officers won’t rotate Power-drivers have been an A.A. institution from the beginning. Indeed, Bill W. often confessed that his own urge to control – and his being voted down – was a source of Traditions One and Two. So it isn’t surprising that some groups have officers who seek to control rather than to serve. In these situations, it’s important to remember that the Traditions do work. Tradition Two tells us: “Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.” Usually, when one or more responsible members take the “governors” aside for a quiet talk, the problem can be quickly settled. Or it can be brought up at a group business meeting. A.A.’s at a recent Regional Fo-

rum, asked for a consensus on nonrotating leaders, were terse and to the point: “Vote them out!”

JAM-PACKED OPEN HOUSE SPURS IMPROVEMENT PLAN Larger crowds than ever before (around 750 visitors) jammed the halls of the General Service Office and Grapevine office on Open House Day, November 14, 1980. A.A.’s from all over the Northeast Region, along with a carload from Quebec, four members from South America, and one from Australia, toured the offices, drank gallons of coffee (for some reason, doughnut consumption was down this year), and enjoyed showings of the archives filmstrip, “Markings on the Journey,” and the new public information TV spots. As in other years, visitors seized the opportunity to buy literature on the spot, especially items not usually seen on group display tables. History-minded A.A.’s headed for the new “Dr. Bob and the Good Oldtirners”; many saw the pamphlet “A Newcomer Asks” for the first time; and Conference Reports and directories were in demand. 1981 Grapevine Calendars and the new Pocket Planner were greeted enthusiastically, as was the GV’s perennial favorite, “The Best of Bill.” Even though not many copies of the Big Book were sold (probably a sign that most members already own it), the newly produced tapes of its first 13 chapters were a popular item. The continually increasing crowds of Open House Day visitors from the region have promoted thoughts of a change. A possible plan would be to schedule the event every other year, alternating with the Northeast Regional Forums (the next Forum: Memorial Day weekend 1981). A biennial open house would have an all-day, expanded format, with a chance for all to stay longer and enjoy a more relaxed visit.

BULLETINS (continued from p. 1) than typed and mimeographed) and was marked “Vol. 1, No. 1.” One issue at a time, we have arrived at Vol. 26, No. 1. The bulletin has been called Box 4-5-9 since 1966, when the new name was suggested by an A.A. in Michigan. Though name and format have changed, we are still following the editorial philosophy expressed in 1940 by the first editor, Bill W.: “This bulletin is an effort to develop a mutual idea-exchange sheet to establish a closer feeling of friendship between A.A. groups.” In 1940, A.A. was relatively small. There were only 50 groups and roughly 1,500 members. By 1956, there were over 6,750 groups and almost 140,000 members. Today, there are about 40,000 groups and more than 1,000,000 members, in 110 countries. The job of communicating with this huge readership and achieving A.A. unity of purpose and direction is much more complex. Large daily newspapers and weekly news magazines have hundreds of reporters who go out into the streets to dig up the news that fills their pages. They have correspondents all over the globe who cable or call in stories. They have access to the “movers and shakers”

Archivist Nell Wing (nonalcoholic) helped track down early G.S. 0. bulletins.

who shape our lives. And because they keep us all well informed of the world about us, they help us to do a better, more intelligent job of coping with that world. That’s what, in a small way, we’re trying to do with Box 4-5-9 – help A.A. groups and members everywhere do a better job of carrying the message. You are our reporters and correspondents. The members of your A.A. group are the “movers and shakers” for Box 4-5-9. Send us your ideas. Tell us what subjects you’d like to see covered in future issues. Perhaps an idea from a group in Sweden may be of help to a group in Taiwan or Oklahoma. As we start our 26thor 41st year, let’s all dedicate ourselves to the editorial direction set by Bill W. Let’s all strive for “a closer feeling of friendship.”

TOLL-FREE MESSAGES? WAITSEE THIS UPDATE Since the news item “Toll-Free Messages to G.S.O. Now Possible” appeared in the Aug.-Sept. 1980 Box 4-5-9, the number of messages being transmitted to this office has been increasing steadily. Although details were not spelled out in the original article, this system was inaugurated primarily to serve and expedite the literature needs of your local intergroup/central office, or to handle matters of urgency. As long as the Telex system is used to speed A.A. books and pamphlets where they are wanted, it works splendidly, delivering incoming messages directly to our order department. Unfortunately, any other kinds of message phoned in via the Telex also come to the order department. Then, each misaimed message (about group problems, general information, or Grapevine) has to be rerouted to the appropriate staff member or department, and a delay may result. Also, the Telex pro(continued on p. 6)

TOLL-FREE MESSAGES? (continued from p. 5) vides no return address, as a letter usually does, and it becomes that much more difficult to provide the needed service. We are sure that you will help us get back on line by using the Telex system only for the purpose for which it was intended.

LETTERS IN THE LANGUAGE OF THE HEART ’Because I’m sober’ We always enjoy receiving letters like this one, which was signed simply: “Sincerely, A Friend.” “I am writing this letter to say thank you for caring. I am 16 years old and have been very close to a certain guy for a year now. When I first met him, he was into drugs and drinking. I didn’t realize how bad it was, but he would call me and the next day he wouldn’t even remember it. He was getting into trouble in school and at home, and I felt helpless. “Finally, one night, I realized how bad it was. We actually got into a fistfight, and I went home and cried over what happened. I didn’t talk to him until about a month later, when he called me. “He told me he had been sober for a week, and sounded so calm and beautiful. I didn’t find out that he was going to A.A. until a while after, when he felt he trusted me enough. “Since then, I have seen him several times, and talk to him every day. We have really become close friends, and I want to thank you for bringing out the beauty that was always in him. “I realized how much your organization had helped him when he called the other day in the best

mood I had ever seen him in. I asked him why he was so happy, and he replied, ’Because I’m sober.’ So I wanted to say thank you and God bless you.” Carrying the message offshore By boat and plane, Ginna G. has helped get the message through to alcoholics on a small island. She writes from Rochester, Mass.: “I first visited Cuttyhunk Island for a general meeting. It was open to the public, simply to give information on how a person could recognize alcoholism and to talk about the help available through A.A., professional counseling, and Al-Anon. Though only seven people attended, the word soon spread among the islanders, who decided to hold another meeting. “A.A. meetings are now held each Friday night (whether I’m there or not), are now listed with the central office in Boston, and have had an attendance of eight to ten. “On Labor Day weekend, a group from my regular Wednesdaynight meeting went to the island by boat, and the meeting was a standout. Also, the meeting is being attended by transient yachtsmen, one of whom told me he had avoided Cuttyhunk because there was no A.A. meeting. “One other item: Cuttyhunk is a very small island – no newspapers, only eight telephones, and at this time, only two admitted alcoholics living there year-round. A boat brings supplies and furnishes transportation to the mainland, and my husband and I run a daily air service until the ice comes in at our home base. Since both people on the island are new in A.A. and need reinforcement and support, we have devised a unique system. Each morning, my husband flies a tape to the island (an answer to their previous day’s tape), and returns one to me. The answer goes down the next morning. It seems to be working well now; during the winter months, we will have to reduce it to twice weekly.

“I am very grateful for the copies of the Big Book and ’Twelve and Twelve’ you sent, and for all the pamphlets. These have been sent down to the island, and some of the pamphlets have been placed in the town hall.” DOWN WITH REGULATIONS! (continued from p. 1) drug addiction at great length dur ing their talks. And then, we have those whose talks are a constant outpouring of profanity. Our group took action to try to eliminate these problems. It was a unanimous decision; yet almost as soon as we made it, I felt a nagging sense of unease. Some time after, we had a young gal speak who has a dual problem. At the beginning, she stated that she would try to clean up her act. She referred to those “other drugs” in a vague and almost humorous manner. Many of us laughed at the grammatical gymnastics she was going through in order to comply with “the sign.” When I attended the Pacific Regional Forum in Phoenix, these same situations were discussed. When I returned to my group, I suggested “the sign” be removed. Certainly, there were good reasons why “the sign” was there. But as the “Twelve and Twelve” states, “. . . sometimes the good is the enemy of the best.” If we begin to set up rules and regulations as to how A.A.’s are to tell their stories, where will it end? Shall some groups go on to forbid the word “God”? What about saying we got sober in a “treatment center”? We saw that we could not afford to set a precedent based on fear and intolerance. How could we tell others how to give their talks? The A.A. program gives us our freedom, and part of that freedom is to grow as individuals at our own pace. The group conscience was unanimous: Down with “the sign,” and up with freedom!

THE BULLETIN BOARD February-March 1981 ITEMS AND IDEAS ON AREA GATHERINGS FOR A.A.’S – VIA G.S.O.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

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FEBRUARY Jan. 30-Feb 1 – Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Second Annual Young People’s Cony. Write: Ch., P.O. Box 6744, Calgary, Alta. T2P 2E6 Jan. 30-Feb. 2 Casa Grande, Arizona. Tenth Sahuaro Agape Weekend. Write: Secy., 813 San Miguel, Phoenix, AZ 85013 6-8 Hudson Hope, British Columbia, Canada. Roundup. Write: Ch., P.O. Box 457, Hudson Hope, B.C. VOC 1VO 6-8 – Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Annual Halifax/Dartmouth Midwinter Roundup. Write: Roundup Ch., 128 Frederick Ave., Halifax, N.S. 132N 2L1 6-8 – Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. 30th Annual Rally. Write: Ch., 531 Whiteside St., Victoria, B.C. V8Z 1Y3 6-8 – Dellroy, Ohio. Atwood Midwinter Conf. Write: Conf., P.O. Box 65, Novelty, OH 44072 6-8 – Owensboro, Kentucky. 30th Annual State Conf. Write: Ch., P.O. Box 88, Owensboro, KY 42301 13-15 – Christchurch, New Zealand. New Zealand Cony. Write: Secy.,P.O. Box 2062, Christchurch, New Zealand 13-15 – Lake Whitney, Texas. 18th Quarterly Young People’s Conf. Write: Conf. Cli., 7212 Stonewall Rd., Fort Worth, TX 76140 13-15 – Costa Mesa, California. 1 7th Annual Nat. Women’s Conf. Write: Conf., P.O. Box 2274, Mission Viejo, CA 92690 13-15 – Bellevue, Washington. Seventh Annual Winter Holiday. Write: Publicity, P.O. Box 3791, Bellevue, WA 98004 13-15Greeley, Colorado. 30th Annual Stampede. Write: Ch., 2343 1St St., Greeley, CO 80631 14-15 canora, Saskatchewan, Canada. Annual Roundup. Write: Ch., P.O. Box 871, Canora, Sask. S0A OLO 14-15 cainrose, Alberta, Canada. First Annual Roundup. Write: Ch., P.O. Box 1387, Camrose, Alta. T4V 1X3 20-22 Atlantic City, New Jersey. Eighth Annual 4021 Club Winter Holiday. Write: Ch., 4021 Club, 4021 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19104 20-22 – Nanaiino, British Columbia, Canada. Lucky 13th Annual Rally. Write: Ch., P.O. Box 15, Nanaimo, B.C. V9R 5K4 20-22 Sacramento, California. Fourth Annual Spring Fling. Write: Spring Fling, P.O. Box 162066, Sacramento, CA 95816 20-22 – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. 14th Annual Roundup. Write: Ch., 311-220 3rd Ave. S., Saskatoon, Sask. 20-22 El Paso, Texas. 19th Annual Jamboree. Write: Secy., P.O. Box 1405, El Paso, TX 79948 –

21-22 – Pincher Creek, Alberta, Canada. First Annual Roundup. Write: Ch., P.O. Box 87, Fort MacLeod, Alta. TOL OZO 27-Mar. 1 – Ripley, West Virginia. Cedar Lakes Roundup. Write: Ch., P.O. Box 2481, Charleston, WV 25329 27-Mar. 1 Grimshaw, Alberta, Canada. First Annual Roundup. Write: Ch., P.O. Box 436, Grimsliaw, Alta. TOFI iWO 28-Mar. 1 Courtney, British Columbia, Canada. 30th Anniv. Rally. Write: Ch., P.O. Box 1337, Comox, B.C. V9N 6J5

PLANNING AN APRIL OR MAY EVENT? Please be sure to send your information on April or May events for A.A.’s in time to reach G.S.O. by February 15. This is the calendar deadline for the April-May issue of Box 4-5-9 (to be mailed March 15). Naturally, G.S.O. cannot check on all the information submitted. We must rely on local A.A.’s to describe the events accurately.

MARCH 6-8 – Sioux Falls, South Dakota. W. Cent. Reg. Forum. Write: Reg. Forum Secy., P.O. Box 459, Grand Central Sta., New York, NY 10163 6-8 – Colorado Springs, Colorado. Spring Area Assy. Write: Ch., 1853 Arroya, Colorado Springs, CO 80906 13-15 – Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 31st Annual Reg. Conf. Write: Ch., 272 Eglinton Avenue W., Toronto, Omit. M4R 1132 20-22 Kiamesha Lake, New York. Eighth Annual Fellowship Roundup. Write: Ch., P.O. Box 267, New City, NY 10956 20-22 – North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Ninth Annual N. Shore Roundup. Write: Alano Club, 103 W. 3rd St., North Vancouver, B.C. V7M 1E7 20-22 Irving, Texas. 28th Anniv. Write: Ch., P.O. Box 842, Irving, TX 75060 20-22 – Corpus Christi, Texas. 27th Annual Coastal Bend Jamboree. Write: Ch., P.O. Box 3201, Corpus Christi, TX 78404 20-22– Ocean City, New Jersey. 17th Annual S. Jersey Cony. Write: Cony., P.O. Box 172, Oaklyn, NJ 08107

20-22 Quebec, Quebec, Canada. Sixth Bilingual Area Cong. (French-speaking). Write: Ch., 18 Rue du Havre, Apt. 19, Beauport, Que. G1E 4W1 20-22 – French Lick, Indiana. 28th Annual State Cony. Write: Ch., P.O. Box 1232, Indianapolis, IN 46206 21-22 – Weyburn, Saskatchewan, Canada. 24th Annual Roundup. Write: Ch., P.O. Box 997, Weyburn, Sask. S4H 2L2 27-29 – Kerrville, Texas. 16th Quarterly Agape Weekend. Write: Coord., 3609-A Las Colinas, Austin, TX 78731 27-29 – Salmon Arm, British Columbia, Canada, 13th Annual Roundup. Write: Ch., P.O. Box 1371, Salmon Arm, B.C. VOE 2T0 27-29 – New Orleans, Louisiana. l3th Annual Deep South Cony. Write: Ch., P.O. Box 50123, New Orleans, LA 70150

CLOSED MEETING TOPICS FROM THE GRAPEVINE February: “A Daily Decision” can be used to start a discussion on replacing self-pity with the new sense of values gained through the A.A. program; “Self-Support” can help in exploring the importance of Tradition Seven for both our Fellowship’s survival and our OWU sobriety; three articles by members who had trouble getting and staying sober suggest an examination of personal factors in slips and group attitudes toward those returning. March: Use the three-part section called “Ego Deflation” in discussing why this process is vital for initial recovery and for continuing growth in sobriety; if Step meetings on Three, Four, and Five are coming up, read “A Higher Power I Don’t Understand” and “Tile Distance Made Good” for two viewpoints on the close linkage of these three Stepsindeed, of all Twelve Steps.