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

VOL. 38, NO. 5 I OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 199.2

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HAAM Radio Carries Fellowship and Wannth ‘Over the AAinvaves’ T he illustration on the mailing card shows a hand lightly but firmly holding a stemmed wine glass upside down. Under the heading HAAM, one learns that “HAAM radio, established in 1953, is an international fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous m embers who also hold amateur raclio licenses. These HAAMs extend warmth and friendship to their members who have difficulty attending regular meetings . A.A. short-wave listeners also are invited to participate . .. . For information, contact ARS N8KDW, 4121 S. Fulton Place, Royal Oak, Michigan 48073, U.S.A.; or call 313-549-5275.” The call letters belong to Henry K., who maintains a n up-to-date list of approximately 250 HAAMs around the U.S. and Canada that he is pleased to share. “Our people come and go,” he says. “We have an open door policy and never know who will pop in.” In the interest of anonymity, the regular meetings are called “Friends of Bill W.” Moreover , they are more like informal get-togethers than meetlngs. “Because the radio bands (transm ission channels) are open to anyone,” Henry explains, “we don’t have a format as such. One HAAM will ask, ‘How’s your week been?’; another will answer, ‘.Just terrific’ or ‘Could have been better’ or ‘I went to a meeting last night and the subject was gratitude . .. it made me realize how good life is.’ Then someone else might share news about a new member, or about an old one who hasn’t been heard from in a while.”

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Remembering to preserve the anonymity ofindividual members is hardly a problem since the lfAAMS know each other mainly by their call letters. Ask them about A.A. friends with whom they’ve networked for years and chances are they’ll speak of them a ffectionately as WA2DAX, N4CTC or KW3X. If you want first names, they frequently have to refer to their listing. A.A. oldtimer Ben L. (W7FNE) of Klamath Falls, Oregon, is an old ham radio hand as well. “Because there is great camaraderie a mong these people,” he says, “it was na tural that A.A. members who also were licensed barns would get together.” The first attempt to make contact, Ben believes, was initiated by an operator named Lew of Seaford, Delaware. In a letter that appeared in the june 1953 issue of the A.A. Grapevine, he wrote, “I have a small homemade transmitter that cost about $20 (I have spent tha t much plenty of times for whiskey), and have contacted fellows 500 miles away…. I will answer all letters and help however I can.” A year later, in May 1954, the Grapevine carried a one-paragraph call for the signals of “amateur radio operators who would like to contact each other via the a ir waves.” And in june 1967, it carried an article, “·- ·- Message by Morse,” signed “Anon.” but written by Ben, who “had started a ham radio net in 1964, using Morse code recovery signals aboard ship because I was sea-going at the time and needed to keep in touch with

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Box 4-5-9 is published bimonthly by the General SeiVlce Office of Alcoholics Anonymous, 475 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10115, ©Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., 1992. 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 to A.A.W.S., Inc.-should accompany order.

A.A.s over great distances, from the Indian Ocean for instance. “We had a great little net going for many years, but as the oldtimers died, it gradually faded. Today there are only hvo of us using Morse code- Jim D. of Taney Town, Maryland and I use it about three times a week when we have our one-on-one get-togethers.” One of the few women on Henry K.’s HAAM list is Lee H. (KBGM..’G-1) of Sunnyvale, California. “There is a Mary Ann listed for Pennsylvania and a Sonya for New York,” she reports, “but I’ve yet to make contact with either ofthem.” Sober in A.A. for 19 years, Lee became involved in HAAM in the mid-’80s. ‘:Joining in our ‘Friends of Bill W.’ m eetmgs is like holding hands across the country,” sh e relates, and ” it feels really good. Sometim es a strange voice will ask, ‘Who’s Bill W.?’ We’ll usually explain that the name refers to a TwelveStep program, though occasionally someone will kid, “Bill W.? He’s George Washmgton’s brother …. ” Lee adds that amateur radio is the only hobby regulated by international treaty. Amateur bands agreed upon by most nations arc sandwiched in among the short-wave frequencies a ssigned to ships, aircraft, international broadcasting stations, the armed forces, police and others. To operate an amateur station, in the U.S. and Canada, a license is needed. Beginners are granted a “novice” license upon completing a test that most hams find relatively easy, a nd they can work their way on up to “extra” class, which confers some special frequency privileges. The coordinator of the active California HAAM net is Robert B. (Iq6IL) of Santa Barbara. ” In helping alcoholics who check into our meetings,” he observes, ” I find that I help myself most ofa ll. ” Although non-A.A.s can and do wander into HAAM meetings, he stresses, “we do not violate the Traditions. We are amateurs all, and we’re n ot out to proselytize or p romote A.A. in any way.” Robert notes that he is in touch with A.A.~ all over the world and has made “some wonderful friends,” among them Wilf MacK. (VY2AA) of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada, who identifies him&elf as “always alcoholic.” As often happens, the hvo HAAMs 2

decided to become more than each other’s disembodied voice; they met when Robert flew up to Pdnce Edward Island. “The HAAM experience has a ripple effect,” Wilf comments. “I’ve been involved for about 23 years and have e1~oyed every moment. We have a saying here that if you make an A.A. contact today, chances are you won’t drink today or get into trouble. In my case, that’s proved very true.” Hank K. (N40XO) ofTarpon Sprmgs, florida, concurs. “This is another form of Twelfth Stepping,” he says, “and it provides a solid support system.” He points out that HAAMs carry A.A.’s “language of the heart” to the nth degret! because “we use a language that the untrained listener cannot understand. For example,” he offers, “if someone’s not going to meetmgs, I might toss in a concerned 028 (‘A banana that gets away from the bunch usually get:; peeled.’) or 229 (‘You might be the only Big Book that some poor alcoholic wtll ever read.’). Then, let’s say I’m signing off. I send you my 73 (for ‘going now’) my 88 (‘Jove and kisses to your lady’) and, for good measure, a 24 (‘stay sober a day at a time’). It’s fun, it works, and there’s always room at the round table for one more.”

1992 Membership Survey UnderWay In July, in preparation for A.A.’s trieruual A.A. Membership Survey, anonymous questionnaires were sent to 496 Canadian and U.S. groups through their area delegates. The questionnaires were completed during the first two weeks of August at a regular meeting of each group and returned to the delegate, who returned them to G.S.O. Questionnaire responses are being entered into the computer, and the c:ompilation of the raw data “vill be reviewed by the trustees’ Public Information Cvmmittec this winter. Then, from the gathered information, the committee will prepare a proposed 1992 A.A. Membership Survey pamphlet for consideration by the 1993 Conference Public Information CvllUDHtee. A.A. has conducted this survey every three years since 1968. The General Service Conference approves taking the Survey and determines the content of the questionnaire. Ac; stated on the 1992 Survey Questionnaire: “The purpose of the survey has been to keep A.A. m embers informed on current trends in membership characteristics, and to provide information about Alcoholics Anonymous to the professional community and to the general public as part of the effort to reach those who still suffer from alcoholism.”

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A.A.-Rap With Us New Video R.esponds to Expressed Need

One definition of “rap” is “to share freely and frankly with people with similar problems.” The new A.A. Conference-approved video,AA.-Rap With Us, featuring four anonymous young A.A. m embers, underscores the principle that our Fellowship is open to any alcoholic, including people of color, the very young and those from less. advantaged backgrounds. The 16-minute video uses “rap” lyrics and music to bridge the stories of alcoholic despair and A.A. recovery shared by four young members, two females and two males. The history of the new video began in early 1990 with the General Service Board’s focus on canying the A.A. message to alcoholics who may be unaware of the A.A. help that is available. Around the same time, correspondence to G.S.O. pointed out that the members portrayed in our film YoungPeopleandAA. were mainly white, leaving an identification gap for· some young alcoholics. Thus, a 1990 Conference Advisory Action directed that the trustees’ P.I. Committee “consider the feasibility of developing video and television public service announcements with the focus on younger A.A. members and all minorities, within the framework of A.A.’s desire to carry its message to all alcoholics, and bring a recommendation back to the 1991 Conference.” The trustees’ P.I. Committee then began to study ways

The Many Tongues of A.A. Language “Hola, Mercedez!” the group around the long rectangular table yelled back to a woman from Mexico who had just identified herself (in Spanish) as an alcoholic. “Hola, Gustavo!” they then called back to a young man from Mexico. “Hola, Nilda!” in unison to a blonde from

of conveying the A.A. message to those who may not have had the opportunity of A.A. contact. Various methods of translating the A.A. m essage into public information pieces were diScussed. The committee then sought bids from film producers for a pilot video for the 1991 Conference P.I. Committees’ consideration. Four Califom1a, New York and Texas area delegates assisted in selecting the young A.A. members, who were filmed in September 1991. Suggested guidelines were established to assure that A.A.’s Traditions were followed in each phase of the taping. The rough cut of the full production was shown to the trustees’ P.l. Commit_ tee and then forwarded to the Conference P.l. Committee. The proposed video was shown to the 1992 Conference membership and approved for production and distribution. Followmg minor editing suggested by the Conference, the title, A.A.-Rap With Us, was chosen as the most appropriate from among many suggestions m ade by members of both P.I. committees. A.A. groups and committees involved in carrymg the A.A. message to younger alcoholics may obtain AA.Rap With Us through their loca l intergroup or central office, or order ii:·om the General Service Office: VS-13, $15.00, 20% discount applies.

Argentina. Around the table they went, responding to each of the twenty A.A.s in attendance. Then, to a new visitor, from New York City, “Hi, Rosemary!” Hola? Hi? Want to guess where this group was sharing? Rio? Madrid? Wrong. This was the regular Monday night, bilingual m eeting-it’s called Dukes 24 (Sweet 24)- in a densely populated, mixed area on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. It is the first meeting of its kind in New York City.

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There is no official interpreter as the sharing in different languages goes around the tab~e; the meeting’s chair and co-founder (March 1992), Dan M., fluently translates. Dan speaks ·four languages- Spanish, English, Portugese and Italian-easily shifting from one to the other. The group’s bilingual listing (Spanish and English) is, in fact, usually expanded. On any Monday night, Da n may be called on to use all four of his languages, depending on who d rops in. “Recently two Belgians showed up (they spoke English) and occasionally Italians or tourists from Spain come,” Dan says. To a visitor the meeting seems more multilingual than bilingual. There’s even a cross_cultural flavor spicing the group’s sharing. “Listen,” Dan quickly counters, “A.A. language is from the heart. We understand each other because I’m a drunk, we’re all drunks.” And he’s r ight. from the reading of the Preamble (in both Spanish and English), through the sharing (translated into English), through the closing Serenity Prayer (in Spanish), the talk is strictly A.A.: acceptance, problems, gratitude, letting go. The group started, Dan says, because- incrediblyin this particular 55-block (north and south) area of Manhattan, there was only one Spanish-speakmg m eeting all week. “It was incredible because the people needed a Spanish-speaking mcetmg, of course. But also because many young people around here, who really could u.se A.A. , are fully bilingual. This is an important aspect of their Jives. We try to reach them in different languages,” he adds. Quite a number of Dulces 24’s members, who are clearly more comfortable speaking in their native tongue, want the option to speak English at the meeting if they want to. Aida, who comes from Puerto Rico and calls herself a “New Yorklcan,” explained it this way- in English: “First of all, Spanish is very warm and we share a lot through our Spanish backgrounds. But English-speaking meetings are more open, people reveal more about them selves in English-speaking m eetings, and I want that openness in my hom e group. This meeting has both openness and warm th.” The international salad of languages continued to bounce around the room. Regina, from Brazil, told the group, in Portugese, that she was being reunited with her estranged daughter after a lapse of twelve years1 Nilda, from Argentina, shared that after years of failed efforts by m embers of her family, only A.A. had been able to help her to stop drmking; Ivan, a Brazilian who had just flown in via Tokyo, talked of his gratitude at bemg able to share all over the world with fellow A.A.s; and several others-from Peru a nd Mexico-told of having been freed by the fellowship ofyearsofloneliness. While Dukes 24 is the first bilingual group in New York, others seem to be proliferating, Dan says, in many other parts of the country-Texas, Florida, Connecticut, 4

Pennsylvania, New Jersey, California-wherev!!r there is a large Spamsh-speaking population with strong roots in the United States. And, of course, bilingual meetings have long been a staple in Canada. “I wouldn’t call it a trend,” Dan says, “but people want to express themselves in the language they’re comfortable in.” That comfort is frequently experienced in two languages-a person’s native tongue and the one he or she has become very familiar with. For example, in some Latin American cities, Dan says, “After Engllshspeakmg people began a meeting and then left the country, quite oflen the natives of the area keep the meeting going in English because, well, because they’re comfortable with it.”

The Area Newsletter: A Place Where A.A.s Keep in Touch The ink was barely dry on the first edition of the Big Book, in April 1939, when A.A.s were working on yet another way to communicate with one another on a regular basis-employing that time-honored vehicle, the no-frills newsletter. So far as is known, the Fellowship’s first newsletter was the “A.A. Bulletin,” published in November 1940 by the Alcoholic Foundation (now the General Service Office). The forerunner of Box 4-5-9, the Bulletin was inked out on a vintage mimeograph m achine. Four years later, in j une 1944, the first issue of the A.A. Grapevine cam e to life. An ambitious eight-page newsletter that evolved from a large, 10″ x 12″ format into the pocket-sized m agazine we know today, it was conceived primarily as a “m eeting in print.” While Box 4-5-9 has given us a continuing picture of the growth of A.A.’s groups and the expansion ofits world services, the Grapevine has recorded the Fellowship’s development in terms of personal recovery. Over the years, A.A. newsletters have mushroomed in communities throughout the U.S. and Canada. Mostly they are published by area intergroups or central offices, assemblies, district committees, and archives. Many have colorful names rangmg from “The Filing Cabinet” a nd “The Cork” to “Serenity Gazette,” “Free Spirit” and “The Nightcap.” Most of them follow the example of the early “A.A. Bulletin,” which emphasized the themes ofself-support along with “unity within, harmony without, and an open door for everybody.” They generally carry news of service activity and coming events, mixed with articles ada pted from other A.A. newsletters and Conference-approved literature. Homilies and humor have a lways abounded, Arkansas archivist Bob W. points

out, “which is indicative of A.A. members’ ability to learn from one another and to laugh at ourselves.” Down in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the “No Booze News” reaches at least a thousand A.A.s every month. Edith R., manager of the central office, who “puts it together more or less,” reports that maybe a dozen subscribers pay $5.00 a year for their mailed copies; the rest are distributed by hand, usually at the m onthly central office representatives’ meeting. The cost ofprinting the four-page newsletter nms just under $180 a month and is absorbed by the central office budget. “We publish a list of volunteers who will be handling the night phone calls,” Edith explains, “along with a calendar of upcoming events, including individual anniversary celebrations; the report of recent m eetings and who attended; and letters, when we get them. Ofcourse, we use first names and last-name initials only!” The june ISSue, she notes, featured convention news, a story on the A.A. support system, and the reassuring oneliner: ‘Eat a live toad in the m orning a nd nothing worse will happen to you the rest ofthe day unless you drjnk.’ ” In Wilmington, Delaware, “News From Intergroup” is published 10 times a year,” reports office manager Nancy S. She explains tha t the cost of putting out the 8-to-12-page bulletin “is kept to a minimum, thanks to the desktop publishmg skills of editor Bob B. We average 550 copies at a time. More than 100 of these are mailed to subscribing A.A. individuals and groups around the country at a charge of 50 cents a copy, or $5.00 for a year’s subscription; the rest are distributed mainly to the groups. The newsletter expenses total about $400 a month, and are covered by donations from members and literature sales.” Then there’s the “Rogue Newsletter,” published by the Rogue, Oregon Central Office for the past seven years. One sheet printed on both sides, “it costs only $19 a month to produce the 150 or so copies we need,” says manager Eddie H., an old timer of43 years’ standing for whom “The Rogue” is a labor of love. “As for the color,” he adds, “that depends on who’s taking the copy to the printer.” In Houston, Texas, Dick P., executive secretary ofthe Intergroup Association, says that each issue of “The Link,” a six-page newsletter published bimonthly, reaches 500 people. “The postage cost is fairly hjgh,” he says, “because we mail out about 300 copies at a cost of 52 cents each, or $156.00. But the paper runs only about $30 a month and we input the copy on the computer, then Xerox it.” Started in the 1960s as “The Intergroup Newsletter” and renamed “The Link” in 1988, the Houston bulletin “is important to a lot of A.A.s,” Dick observes. “Besides providing information about A.A. happenings in our area, it shows us as we are in recovery and service-much like a family album. Tuming the pages of past issues affords a wonderful sense of growth, change and continuity.”

New Grapevine Tapes Two new cassette tapes, “Sponsorship,” Volumes One and ‘JWo, are now a vailable from the Grapevine. The collection of a rticles shar·es the experience of A.A. members who have found sponsorship a vital part of their sobr·iety, and those whose lives have been enriched by sponsoring others. A variety of approaches, including sponsoring inmates by mail and temporary sponsorship, along with some “how to do it” tdeas, a re presented. Grapevine tapes are $5.50 each; $5.00 when purchasing two or more. To order: P.O. Box 1980, Grand Central Statron, New York, NY 10163-1.980.

AAGrapevine

Areas Step Up Efforts to Capture Our Yesterdays Before It’s Too Late A wealth of A.A. history resides amidst the m em ories and mementoes of old timers who are still with us, many of them in their 80s and 90s. Accordingly, new and established archival committees are accelera ting efforts to fill existing gaps in the A.A. fa mily album-and often they reap some fascinatmg pictures of the past. To date, there arc active archives in m ore than threefifths of the 91 areas in the U.S. and Canada, and new ones are springing up all the time, among them the Joint Committee on History a nd Archives launched recently by the Northern New Jersey General Service Area and Intergroup. Says member Ken B.: “Our primary purpose is twofold: (1) to document and preserve the historical record of A.A. in New Jersey; and (2) to tape interviews with as many old timers as we can, then transcribe the recordings to a good quality, nonacidic paper for a permanent record.” Like their counterparts everywhere, the New j ersey a rchivists delight in their “finds,” and their excitement is contagious. “We’ve come up with some real surpnses from the 1940s,” Ken reports. “One is a letter about a female newcomer who was barred (temporarily) from 5

meetings of a group ‘ for m en only’ in Bergen County. Another is a listing ofsegregated meetings in Newj ersey (referenced as ‘Negroes’). And what may be the earliest of its kind, a ‘Yow1g People’s Meeting,’ was found on a 1948 list.” The new corrunittee is actively seeking a number of specific artifacts, among them old programs used for intergroup banquets and area conventions. “What is nothing more than yellowed dust-catchers to you may be pMt of the historical record to us,” Ken points out. “For example, while looking over the few old programs we do have, we discovered that the guest speaker at our second Intergroup Banquet in 1947 was none other than Btl! W.! And A.A.’s good friend Dr. William Duncan Silkworth spoke right along with him.” Ken asks tha t “if any individual member or group has old materials pertaining to A.A. in Newj ersey-programs, m eeting lists, correspondence- and you are willing to donat~ them (or loan them for copying),” please contact: Archives Committee, P.O. Box 1256, Asbury Par k, NJ 07712.

Services at G.S.O. Keeping Track of A.A.’s Pulse Around the Globe “We are crying in Peru, Lois!” laments j aime R. , calling from G.S.O. in Ltma. “We have no literature and no money.” Lots F., the staff member who serves on the International Desk at G.S.O., reassures ja ime that the complimentary package of literature that sh e sent him some time ago has not had time to arrive yet. jaime is still anxious, so she adds, “I’ll check on it a nd get back to you.” She hangs up and tells her b ilmgual assistant to verity the date the package was mailed. Other calls intermp t her, some with more urgen t requests than others, each one a s time-consuming as the next. In between telephone calls and tackhng a pile of correspondence- Lois answers an average of 175 letters a month from evety comer of the globe-she continues with the job of p lanning and coordinating the Twelfth World Service Meeting, to be held in New York City, OctOber 25- 29. Thirty-nine delegates from 25 countries aJ·e expected to participate. The theme of this year’s meeting, which rakes place every two years, is “Service: Everyone’s Privilege.” All of these activities make up only a partial job description of the staff member who rotates every two years onto this assignm ent. Broadly speaking, il covers every aspect of carrying the A.A. message anywhere outside the U.s. and canada, 6

With the exception of literature o~ers, the International coordinator gets everything from all over the world-a pnone call f!·om Stockholm, a letter from a group in Tanzania or Kenya or from the General Service Office in Great Britain, it all fu1mels through this assignment. The letters run a \>vide gamui, each one indicative

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i This waU display of the .22 foreign -language editions of the Big Book is in the hallway leading into G.S.O.’s conftr·ence r·oom.

of the way A.A.’s m e&sage of hope has spread to so many countries. A typical sampling: a letter from Trinidad from someone who d oesn’t know there’s a National Council on Alcoholism office in Trinidad; another from an A.A. in Kenya who never received the Big Book, Twelve and Twelve and Living Sober that was sent months ago. Then there’s a $200 contribution from an English-speaking group in Japan; a letter of inquiry from Ireland’s Department of Health in Dublin, regardmg children of alcoholics. This last correspondent will be referred to the International Council on Alcoholism in Switzerland. Yet another letter is from a 64-year-old Russian, overflowing with gratitude for the A.A. meetings in Moscow that G.S.O. helped htm to find, and he asks, finally, ifhe can be put in touch with other Russian. speaking A.A. members with whom he could correspond. He will be sent a list of Russian-speaking A.A.s in the U.S. who have volunteered for this kind ofTwelfth Step work. Lois also serves as secretary to the trustees’ Inlerna. tiona! Committee, which suggests policies and actions to carry the message overseas, particularly in countries where there is, as yet, no service stmcture. ” I let them know what I’m doing in terms of planning the World Service Meeting, what’s happening with translations, what’s going on with A.A. around the world,” she says. Overseeing translations of A.A. literature-from initial inquiry to publication- is a large part of the International a ssignment. The Big Book is now published in 23 languages, including English. “The publication of tra nslations is one of the m ore complicated aspects of this assignment,” Lois says, adding, “There isn’t a cut and dried w ay of doing it. And in some mstances, there’s the chicken and egg question. For example, there may not be any groups (except for English-speaking groups) in a country be-

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cause there isn’t any literature.” The rapid spread of A.A.’s message, coupled with desperate need and limited funds 1n many countries have brought about changes in the Fellowship’s translations policy. In many instances in the past, Lots explains, an A.A. member claimtng fluency in the particular foreign language, requested permission to do a translation of the Big Book. The A.A. World Service Board would tell him or her to go ahead with a translation. If a translation service’s reviewer indicated the text was satisfactory, the country was given the go-ahead. The book was then published, distributed and paid for by the country’s A.A. service structure or a literature committee over an agreed period of time. More typically, if a country wanted some literature, “We urged them to start with pamphlets. They’re easier to do. As their servtce structure grew, and they wanted to translate the Big Book, we provided the money to publish it, and as they sold the books, they would pay us back.” The problem is that many countries lack either service structure or funds or both. “We broke precedent in Russia,” Lois says, explaming that A.A.W.S. sent a considerable amount ofliterature to that country last year. The need for help there was so huge that, several years ago, “after a lot of discussion the General Service Board decided to do a giant Twelfth Step call,” she says. Simultaneously, there surfaced a bw·geoning need for translations in the U.S., where alcoholism was becomtng a problem among immigrant Cambodians, Vietnamese and Chinese. So the red tape was cut again and the trustees’ International Committee decided to translate and “publish basic recovery pamphlets in those languages for distribution in our own country. “I felt overwhelmed by this assignment when I started,” Lois confesses. “It’s not the kind of thing you can look up in a manual … you have to know the players, and I felt inadequate. You need to know why two intergroups in a city overseas are competing or why the general service structure in another country is having a rift.”

It took her six months on the job to understand why her predecessor, Sarah P., called it her favorite assignment. “I’m very challenged by this job and really love it now,” she says. Many A.A.s around the world are now old friends. “Often I hear about their struggles, how hard they work to carry the message. Hearing frvm Russia, 1 get the feeling of what it must have been like in this country in the late Thirties. They truly go to any length to stay sober and carry the message.”

If A.A. Didn’t Have Committees, We’d Have To Invent Them A.A. is often called an upside-down organization because, as Bill W. has pointed out, “the ultimate-responsibility and final authority for our World Services resides with the groups rather than with the trustees or General Service Office.” But how do the groups communicate their group conscience to the General Service Conference? Indeed, in A.A.’s “benign anarchy,” how does anything affecting the Fellowship a& a whole get done? Enter the committee network, that multi-faceted mechanism which links the many parts of A.A.-starting within the home group and extending to the district, the area, the trustees’ committees, General Service Conference committees and the Conference itself. To many, the word “committee” connotes that which is drab, dull and ponderous as a dray horse. But “if it weren’t for committees,” says California, Northern Coastal Area’s past delegate Frank P., “we would be hard put to accomplish anything in A.A. Our committees to a great extent are what make our ‘benign anarchy’ possible. They gather information, assimilate it, auive at a consensus, and make recommendations in the interest of the groups they serve.” Frank, who presently serves on the advisory board of the San Mateo Central Office, says that, “Serving on various A.A. committees has contributed to my personal growth in more ways than I can recount. It has brought hom e to me the importance of placing ‘principles before personalities,’ it has been a constant reminder that, as our friend and past trustee chairperson Bernard Smith observed, ‘while A.A. is important to the existence of the individual, no individual must be vital to the existence of A.A.’ And it has taught m e not only to develop opinions, after doing the necessary spadework, but to summon the courage to express them-and to have the compassion to allow others to express theirs.” Past trustee Ralph R. agrees. “I’d like to thjnk I’m 100% right all the time,” he says, “but of course it isn’t 7

!i so. As the member of a committee, of a working body greater than myself, I’ve come to value the differences of opinion. Also, I’ve found that working with people from various parts of the country provides a broader and deeper point of view. Our geographic location definitely has a bearing on our perceptions.” If we didn’t have committees to arrive at a group conscience, Ralph points out, “we’d have to invent them or else be ruled by edict, something few alcoholics would long tolerate in recovety. Making room for the minority, or dissenting, view is vital to the Fellowship’s unir.y, to its sunrival. Not infrequently, the minority view will win out in the end, which tells me how important it is to have the courage to articulate my convictions.” In describing the rewards ofcommittee involvement, both Frank and Ralph mentioned their experience with rotation. “In A.A. we talk about the importance of serving in leadership positions as informed and trusted servants,” Frank notes, “but the full significance didn’t hit me until it was time to rotate off and let go. That’s when I realized that there’s always someone else around to ‘do right’ or mess things up as well or better than I can. Rotation keeps committees from stagnating and individual members from getting too big for their britches.” Reflectively Ralph observes that “communication is the essence of A.A. It’s part and parcel of our primary purpose: to carry the message of recovery from alcoholism. Our committee system is simply a sane and manageable tool for pooling our shared experience, strength and hope to make certain that A.A. will be here for future alcoholics as it was for us.”

Tennessee Holds Up A MiiTor to Its Defects and Strengths “Let It Begin With Me” aptly themed a Tennessee Area Assembly in Memphis last fall. It was the scene of a collective, in-depth inventory that few attendees, including Donald A., charrperson of the state’s Grapevine Committee, are likely to forget. “This inventory,” Donald writes, “was successful largely because the moderator, Mary Ann C., a past delegate from Virginia, had done her hom ework and was totally prepared. After studying our area minutes compiled over the past two years, she developed a comprehensive questionnaire that was passed out to everyone present for use as a guide.” T he questionnaire was divided into several sections, or levels, including: Personal, Group, District, Area 8

Officers and Area Assemblies. The questions, more than 100 of them, were uncompromising and covered every conceivable aspect of service. The inventory process went on into the night hours and lasted all weekend. Comments Mary Ann: “Taking inventory can be discomforting, but productive and fi·eeing as well·. The Tennessee Assembly really worked to identifY problem areas and shoulder responsibility for their solution. It was a privilege to be part of it all.” Looking back on the experience, Don says gratefully, “I’ve learned just how little I know about seJvice above the group level. So, with a personal thanls you to the moderator foropenmgmy eyes, ‘let it begin with me.'”

P.I. New TV Public Service Spots

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“Alcoholism-it doesn’t care who you are” says an anonymous voice opening six new television public service atmouncements (P.S.A.s) focusing on seniors and teens. Available on one tape in either %” (TV-37), 1″ (TV-38) and 2″ (TV-39) formats, the new TV spots include anonymous A.A. members from the older and younger population~;, who make clear that A.A. is open to all alcoholics, regardless of age, sex or situation. Available for $10.75, the six spots in 30 and 10 second lengths include two directed to senior alcoholics, two more to teens, and two that address both groups. Each P.S.A. is formatted to allow for the addition of a voiceover or graphics conveying the local AA. information phone number. The simplicity and clarity of each m essage is due to the original P.S.A.s, which regular Box 4-5-9 ·readers will recall from the P.I. Section in the October/ November 1991 issue. They came about when three california area assemblies joined hands to respond to requests for short televised messages to reach alcoholics not covered by existing P.SA.s This cooperative project was guided by an ad hoc committee composed of representatives from each of the three areat>, a11d the final scripts were reviewed and approved by each assembly. After the inter-area production was completed, the background and “how to” were generously shared with AA.s in other areas who were interested in adapting the idea locally. A joint decision was then made to offer the master tape and all rights to A.A. World Services, Inc., the board that oversees the production and distrib ution of all Conference-approved ma terial. This unusual offer was referred to the trustees’ Public Informa-

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tion Committee, who, following approval by the General Service Board, gratefully approved that the P.S.A.s be forwarded to the 199.2 Conference Public Information Committee for consideration. The Conference Committee found these P.S.A.s to be well done and useful in filling a gap in our present inventory of Conference-approved public service communications, and they were approved for distribution. Local A.A. committees may purchase one or more tapes through their local intergroup or central office, or from the General Service Office.

Treatment

Facilities Treatment Facilities Service Within the Traditions A letter recently came to the Treatment Facilities Desk referring to an item in a 1984 issue of the former Treatment Facilities Bullettn. The writer felt that these guidelines for A.A.s who carry the message into hospitals and detoxes, while keeping to A.A.’s Twelve Traditions, is most timely and bears reprinting. So do we; so her.e they are:

the minds of administrators, patients, staff or the public. A.A. is available to the treatment facilities but public linkmg of the A.A. name can give the impression of affiliation. Therefore, an A.A. meeting or group that meets in a treatment facility should not bear the name of the facility. • When A.A.s are invited into a facility to conduct a meeting for patients only, no contribution is required as this meeting is not an A.A. group. • A.A.s carry the A.A. message because it helps them stay sober. • A.A. ought to abide by the rules and regulations of a treatment facility, even though they may disagree with its policies. Although A.A.s may disagree with the methods used by some treatment facilities they learn to “walk the walk,” and simply carry the A.A. message. A.A.s who do Twelfth Step work in treatment facilities should not be diverted from their prin1ary purpose. • A.A.s who carry the message into treatment facilities reprellent A.A. itself to facility personnel. Those who engage in this work should remember that they are the “attraction” to A.A., not only for the patients but also for all staff members of a facility. • Placing principles before personalities enables A.A.s who carry the message into treatment facilities to keep their primary purpose first. Let us always remember that anonymity-not taking credit for our own or others’ recovery-is humility at work. • Let us stop being concerned about how a treatment facility or professional does their work for the alcoholic. Let us be concerned with one thing-Let us carry the message ofA.A. to the suffering alcoholics-Let us try.

Within the Traditions

• The unity of an A.A. meeting within a treatment facility is essential for carrying the A.A. message. • A.A. members who carry the message into treatment facilities, like all A.A.s, are but trusted servants. They do not power-drive an A.A. meeting in a treatment facility. They allow the Higher Power to govern the meeting. • Patients who are dually addicted may attend A.A. meetings as long as one of their problems is alcohol. Only the patient may decide whether he or she has a desire to stop drmking. • Tradition Five is really what Twelfth Stepping in treatment facilities is all about; to carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers. This is what A.A.s do best, share their experience, strength and hope with the suffering alcoholics, especially those in trea tment facilities. There can be no more important commitment for an A.A. member than to carry the message. • We cooperate but we do not affiltate. We wish to work with treatment facility program admmistrators and staff but we do not wish to be merged with them in

CoJTectional Facilities A.A.s Dialogue With Professional Friends At Ohio Workshop «we have had workshops in the past, but this was the first to feature a panel of professionals, all of them in the judicial system. A number of sensitive issues were aired and shared, and you could literally feel the channels of communication opening up.” So reports joan A., who chairs the Northeast Ohio Correctional Facilities Committee. She notes that a number of the 40-odd A.A.s present were concerned 9

about p roblem s arising from court-mandated referrals. “What do you do about referrals who are angry and disrup t the meet)ng?” someone asked. “And what do you d o with the ones who aren’t even alcoholics?” The professional panel , which included a judge, a p robation officer, an inmate services director and a t reatment program ma nager, listened intently to the comments and offered a few of their own. (They allowed that a few nonalcoholics occasiona lly slip through the net, but said that effective screening procedures were in place.) To avoid overcrowding at one or two m eetings, it was suggested that the C. F. committee furnish the judge and progra m officials with a list of all A.A. m eetings within the court’s jurisdiction and request that clients be rotated. At the sam e time, send the new people just to open speaker meetings, where they can only listen, not speak, and so a re less apt to be d isruptive. At one point during this discussion, Joan relates, “we were given a m oving reminder of why we were there. ‘I was court-mandated,’ this fellow said. ‘I didn’t think I belonged . I wa s disruptive alright, and I hated you for a long time. Now I’m two years sober in A.A., but if you hadn’t been here for m e, I d on’t know where I’d be today.’ “The positive ripple effect from the workshop is still being felt,” joan says, “and we’r e working to make sure tha t this is the first of m any m ore to com e.”

C.P.C. How Listless Committee Put a Tiger in Its Tank “The 10-year-old committee was not so m uch a working body of people as it was a stray cat-there alright, but a sad sack, and hardly anyone seem ed to care.” Rich S., im mediate past delegate, Northwest Ohio/ Southeast Michigan area, is speaking of the area comm ittee on Cooperation With the Professional Community, which he has chaired since lastja nuary. “A few of us got together ,” he recounts, “and decided that the only way to turn our cat into a cougar was to get people interested and involved.” First the handful of concerned members “recruited shamelessly, pleading our case at meetings and asking for help everywhere,” Rich relates. It worked, and the committee began to grow. Then came the matter of involvement. It became apparent that, in order to effec-

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tively carry the A.A. m essage to area professiona ls at their meetings and conven tions, the C.P.C.s needed an e;<hibit . Short of funds but long on collective ideas and energy, they decided to construct it themselves. That lively nu rsery-rhyme favorite, “The House that jack Built,” bas nothing on the exhibit that materialized in just a month’s time. ” It took a b unch of sober, enthusia stk drunks working together to accomplish an instant

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miracle that cost nex1 to nothing,” observes Rich with a grin. “Need a framework, m etal parts, carpeting, printing? Where do you get help? From concerned A.A.s who happen to be in the business or who know someone who is. When we went to an unknown glassmaker, even he turned out to be a recovering alcoholic!” \..omposed of three separate panels, the exhibit in its entirety is 4 feet htgh, 2 teet wide and 6 feet long. It is carpeted attractively in royal blue and gray. The left and right panels read “Alcoholics Anonymous”; the middle one, featuring two hands clasping, spells ou t the identity of the C.P.C. com m ittee; and the w hole is well stocked with A.A. Conference-approved literature. “We’re having a lot of fun and success with this thing,” Rich repor ts. “At a recent medical meeting, we were sandwiched between two treatmen t center exhibits; yet our exhibit drew the most attention.” The committee, now 22 active -members strong, is reaching out to professionals in local hospitals, schools, and the judicial system, to name some. “We’re getting a lot of positive feedback,” Rich notes. “Word travels, and requests for information are coming in. It’s all very exciting and assuredly wouldn’t be happenmg without the support of our area assem bly and intergroup’s P.I. committee. It seems that our commona li 1y of p urposeto help the suffering alcoholic-sparks on-target ideas and brings us ever closer together.”

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BOX G

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4 15 19 BULLETIN BOARD

Items and Ideas on Area Gatherings f or AA.s –

Via G.S.O.

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OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 1992

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Calendar of Events Events listed here are pre:.t:nt<.>d solely as a service to readers, not as an endorsement by the Genet·al Servtce Office. For any additional information, please use the addresses proVJded.

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October

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1-4 – Denver, Colorado. Rocky Mountai’n Roundup. Write: Ch. , 1200 Humbolt, #1~, Denver, CO 80218 1·4 _ Amw·illo, Teras. Top ofTexM Roundup. Wnte: Ch., Box 412, Amarillo, TX 79105 2-4 – Roosevelt Lake, Arizona. Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 5242, Scollsdale, A7. 85261 2-4 _Anaheim, Califomrn. 41st Annual So. Cal. Conv. Write: Ch., Box 767J, Long Be.1ch, CA 90807-0671 2-4 _ Aspen, Colorado, first Roundup. Wntc: Ch., 1362 SnowbunnyLane. Aspen, co 81611 2-4 – Pocatello, Idaho. Idul •o Area Fall Assembly. Write: Ch., Box 774, Pocatello, ID 83204-0774 2-4 – · Mw-co Island., florida. 12 Step Weekend. Write. Ch., 345 Colon~<~l Ave., Marco Island, n. 33937 2-4 – Bismarck, North Dakota. Sta tc Rwnd. up. Wrile : Ch., Box 22.44, Bismarck, NO 58502 l-4 -Rochester·, New York. Rochester· Conv. Write: Ch., RAAC, 10 Manhattan sq., Roch<!ster, NV 14607 2.-4 – Cinarmati, Ohio. Ninth Aru1ual Mid· states Wo m an to WomAn Sem inar. Write: Ch., Box 141300, Cincinnati, OH 45250· 1308 2.-4 – Pittsburgh, Penrl-5)’/vania. ZZnd An· nual N.F.. Regional Conv. Write: Ch. , Box 1Z4, Polk, PA 16342 2.-4 – Spearjislt, &mth Dakota. Area 63 fall Conf. Write: Ch. , Box 661 , Sturgis, SO 57785 2-4 – Clarksburg, West V~nia. jacl<son’s Mill Roundup. Write: Ch., Box825, Clarksburg, WV 26302 2.-4 – R.t;gina, Saskatchewan, Canada. 17t h Annual Regina Roundup. Write: Ch., 236408 Broad St., Regina, Sl< S4R tXJ 2-4 – Reperuigny, Quebec, Canada. 10€me Congres Annuel Repentigny_ Write: Ch., 755, rue Sherbrooke, Repentigny, Quebec J5Y ZG3 2-4 _ Berlin, Germany. Frrst Roundup (hosted by gay &> lesbaan members). Write : Ch., Kurfurstenstr. 81, 1000 Berlin 42, Germany 3-4 – I’ort-Cartier, Quebrc, Canada. 29 An· niversaire de Poct-Ca.rticr. Write: Ch., 46 – Mais:;oneuve #12, Port-Cartier, Quebec

GSB 1SZ 8. 11.- Las Vega.s,Nevada. Nat;onal!Interna-

tiona! Native Amencan Indian Conv. Write: Ch., Box 30335, N. Las Vegas, NV 80030-0335 9-11 – MO’}tgomery, Alabama. ALINW FL Area Assembly. Write: Ch., Box 5446, Navarre, fL 32566 9-11 – San ta Barbara, Califomia. Sober Unity. Write: Ch., Box 238, Santa Barbara, CA 93102 9.11 – Cedar Rapid.~, Iowa. State Fall Coni: Write: Ch., Box 10632, Cedar Rapids, lA 52402 9-11 – Grerrada, M ississippi. 17th Annual North Mississippi Roundup. Write: Ch., Rt. 1, Box 2.19A, Prttsboro, MS 38951 9-11 – Fallon, Nevada. Lahonton Valley Roundup/Sobriety Harvest, Wnte: Ch., Box 2274, Fallon, NV 89406 9-11 – Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Second Serenity Harvest. Write: Ch., Box 12601, Oklahoma City, OK 73157 9.11 – St. John’s, Nm<foundland. Canada. 28th Assembly. Write: Cb., 35 Densmore Lllne, St. .John’s, NF A1G 1J8 9·11- Orillia, Onta.rio, Canada. 27th Annual Conv. Write: Ch., 43 Daphne Cres., Barr1e, ON L4M 2Y7 9-11-Toronto, Ontat1o, Canada. Gratitude ’92. Write: Ch., Box 74, 552. Church St., Toronto, ON M4Y ZHO 9-11 – Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. 37th Annual Northeastern Area Conf. Wnte: Ch., 4033-551 Cooper St., Sault Sic. Marie, ONK PGC 4W3 9-11 – Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada: 22eme Congres de Sherbrooke. Write: Ch., 240 Rue Court Appt 10, Sberbrooke, Quebec H4T 1AO

9·11 – Montroal, Quebec, Canada. 33rd Montreal Bilingual Conv. Write: Ch., 5789, d’Iberville, Montreal, Quebec H.2G 288 9-11- Rimini, Rome,Italy, 20th Celebration. Write: Ch., Servtzi Generali ltaliani, Via Di Torre Rossa 35, 00165 Roma

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Closed Meeting Topics From the Grapevine

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for more detailed suggestions, see the pages noted. October (page 23) : The family aflerward; A.A. history. November (page 27): Threefold ill-

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ness; Anonymity and a ttra ction rather than promotion.

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9-11 – IVken, South Carolina. Carolambda Recovery Weekend. Write: Ch., 803 Howard Sl., Columbia, SC 29205 9-11 – Harri.sonb11rg, Virgi11ia. Shenandoah Valley Roundup. Wnte: Ch., Rt. 11, Box 186, Harriso nburg, VA 22801 9-11 – Montego Bay, ]amlllCa, West Indies . 11th Discovery Weekend. Write: Ch., Box 138, Reading, PO,St.Jamcs,jamaica, W.l. 1″ ·11 -Crescent City, Califomia . Sixth An· nual Rally. Write: Ch. , Box 1067, Crescent City, CA 95531 15-18 – Savannah, Geotgia. 1992 Georgia Pre-Paid Conv. Wr ite: Ch., Box 13016, Savanuah, GA 31416 16-18 San]o.se, California. 45th Annual Fall Con f. Write: Tr., 1540 Market St., Rm. 150, San Francisco, CA 94102 16-18 _ Fort Collins, Colorado. Soberfest ’92.. Write: Ch., 320 West Olive, Fort Collins, CO 80521 16-18 – Bagdad, Kentucky, Bagdad Conf. Write: Ch., 1805 Strand Ave., Louisville, KY 40205 16-18 – l.ou.siviJ.le, Kentucky. Sixth KCYI’AA. Wri te: Ch., Box 2062, Loui3villc, KY 40201

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lJianning a Future Event?

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Please send your information on Occember ,January or February events, two days or m ore, in time to reach G.S.O. by October 10, the calendar deadline for· the Holiday issue of Bo:r: 4-5-9. For yom convenience and ours – please type or print the infor mation to be listed on the Bulletin Board page, and m ail to us:

Date ofevent: from _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ to _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ ,19,_ __ _ __ Name ofevent: – Place (city, state

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or prov.): – – – – – – – – — —

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For i11jomtaticm, write:

(t..ract mailing address) – – — – – – — – – – – – – — – — — –

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Co>1tact piwne II lfor ojjice use o n l y ) : – – – – – – — – – – — – – – – – –

Flip up this end of pa_.~e – more events listed on reverse si.de

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October (cont.) 16·18 – Troy, Mich~an. Tri County Conf. Write: Ch., Box 542, Warren , Ml 48090· 0542 16-1.8 – Rochester, Mimwsota. fourth An. nual Hiawathaland Get-T ogether. Write: Ch., Box 5792, Rochester, MN 55903 1.6-18 – Lincoln, Nebraskct. Big Red Roundup Ill. Write: Ch ., 2840 S. 70th St., Ste. 127, Lincoln, NE 68506 16-18 Greensburg, Peruuylvania. 38th Laurel Highlands Conf. Write: Ch., 1169 Colgate Dr., Monroeville, PA 15146 16-18- W11111ipeg, Man.i tcba, Ganada. Keys· tone Conf./48th Roundup. Write: Ch., 505. 365Hargravest., Winnipeg, MB R382K3 23-25 – Flogstqff, Arizona. State Conv. Write: Ch ., Box 31361, Flagstaff, AZ 86003-1361 23-25 – St. Cloud, Minnesota. Roundup. Write: Ch.,Box 125, St. Cloud, MN 56302 23-25 – ThilifRiver f’alls, Minnesota. Harvest Festival. Write: Ch., Box 99, Route 1, Warren , MN 56762 23-25 – Falls Church, Virginia. Fall Assem. bly. Write: Ch., 2616 Occidental Dr., Vienna, VA .2 2180 23·25 – Mishicot, Wisronsir1. 41st Fall Conf. Write: Tr., Box 2081, Manitowoc, WI 54221 24-31 – Walker, Louisrana. The Gathering, Write: Ch., Box 66703, Baton Rouge, LA 70896 29-Novembcr 1 Rog!Jr-svrlle, Alabama. Riverside Roundup IX. Write: Ch., 300 Memorial Or., Athens, AL 35611 29-November 1 – Hager’SIOwn, Marylallii. Eighth MCYPAA Fa ll Conf. Write. Ch., Box 1388, Ellicott City, MD 21043 30-November 1 – North Little Rock, Arkansas. 10th Annual Arkansas Woman to Woman. Write: Ch., 409 Healy, North Little .Rock, AR 72117 SO-November 1 – Ensenada, Baja California, Me.r:iro. Third International Baja Roundup. Write: Ch ., Box 435280, San Ysidro, CA 92143 30-November 1 – V.am:ouver, British Columbia, Canada. B.C./Yukon Area Cont: Write: Ch ., Box 76887, Station “S”, Vancouver·, BC V5 R 5’f3 3Q-November 1. – Des Moines, Iowa. Racoon River Ronndup II. Write: Ch., Box 752, Des Moines, lA 50303 30-November 1 – Moline, Illinois. T hird Annual YPIAA Fall Conf. Write: Ch., Box 205, Silvis, lL 61282-0205

30-November 1 – Las Ve.gas, Nevada. SOber· fest ’92. Write: Ch., Box 20345, Las Vegas, NVBSU Z 30-November 1. – Buffalo, New York. 51st Buffalo Fall Conv. Write: Ch., Box 137, Westside Station, Buffalo,NY14213-0137 30-Novembcr 1 – Kerhonkson, New York. HMB 42nd Annual Conv. Write: Ch. , Box 554, Hurley, NY 12443·9998 30-November· 1. – Pairwsvtlla, Ohio. fall Conf. Write: Ch., Box 3656, Youngstown, OH 44513

30-November 1 – London, Ontano, Canada. 39th Westem Ontario Conv. Write: Ch., 388DundasStreet, London, ON N6B 1V7 30-November 1 – Mt. Vernon, Washington. Fifth Roundup. Write: Ch., 3212 North.. west Ave. # C-3.23, Bellingham, WA 98225

November 5-8- Honolulu, Hawaii. 31st Annual Hawaii Conv. Write: Ch., Box 23434, Honolulu, HI 96823-3434 6-7- Grafton, Illinois. Great River Roundup. Write: Ch., Box.559, Wood River, IL62095 6-8 – Ql,vrmsboro, Kentucky. 32nd Tri-State Conv. Write: Ch., 302 E. Third St., Owmsboro, KY 4.2301 7-8 – Lomas de Zamora, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Cuarta Convenci6n lnternacional en Argentina. Write: Ch., Loyola 1182 – C1414, Bueno~ Aires, Argentina 1.2-15 _ Helen, Georgia. 13th Chattahoochee For’e&t Conf. Write: Ch., Box 363, Statesboro, GA 30456 13-14 – Comwall, Ontario, Canada. 45th Conf. Write: Ch., 4 Sece:.nd St. E., Cornwall, ON K6H 1Y3 13-15 .- Pt. Smith, Arkansas. Border City Rowrdup. Write: Ch ., 1901 S. Greenwood, Ft. Smith, AR 72901 13-15 – Okcloji, Iowa. Ninth Annual PreWinter Rally. Write: Ch., Box 426, Sutherland, lA 51058 13-15 – Yannouth, Nova Scotia, Canada. 14th Lighthouse Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 91, Meteghao River, NS BOW 2LO 13·16- Bloomington, Minnesota. Founder’s Day Weekend. Write: Ch., 2218 first Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55404 14-15 – Albuquerque, Nt!W Mexico. SW Sobriety Dash. Write: Ch., 909 Adams NE, Albuquerque, NM 87110 20-2.2 – jonesboro, Arkansas. Thanksgiving Program. Write: Ch., Box 755,Jonesboro, AR 72401

Z0-2.2 – Santa Barbara, Califomra. Eighth Annual Conv. Write: Ch. , Box91731,Santa Barbara, CA 93190-1731 20-Z2 – Wichita, Kansas. Ninth Annual fall Roundup. Write: Ch ., Box 48153, Wichita, KS 67202 20·Z2-fitchburg,Mas.sachusett.s. 29th State Conv. Write: Registrar, Box 454, Leomhr~ter, MA 01453·0454 20-22 – Fontana, Wisconsin. McHenry’.: Sobcrtest. Write: Ch., Box 213, Ringwood, IL 60072-0213 21-27 – Nassau, Bahamas. lllh Conf. Write: Ch. , Box.SS 6089, Nassau, Bah3tnas 23-25 _ Reno, Nevada. Second H~l Conf. Write: Ch., Box 2406, Reno, NV 89505 26-29- Las Vegas,Nevada. 26th Round.. Up. Write: Ch., Box 43177, Las Vegas, NV 89116 26-29 – New York, New York. Big Apple Roundup (presented by gay tP> lesbian m embers). Write : Ch. , Box 451, Village Station, NY 10014-0451 26-29 – Houston, Texas. Housto n Roundup (presemed by gay & lesbian members). Write: Ch., Box27703, Dept. 339, Houston, TX 77027 27-28- Southhampton, Bermuda. Berm)Jda Conv. Write: Ch., Box WK178, Warwick, Bermuda 27-29 – Diamondhead, M ississippi. Grati· tude Roundup. Write: Ch., Box 7851, Gulfport, MS 39506 27.29 Kalamazoo, Mich~an. 14th MCYPAA, Write: Ch., Box 1063, Grand Rapids, Ml 49501 27-Z!J – Everett, Washmgton. Conf. Write: Ch., llox 1703, Everett, WA 98206 28-29 – Neosho, Missouri. Winter Holiday XII. WJ’ite: Ch., Box 306, Granby, MO 64844

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December 4-5 – Sikeston, Missouri. 12th Annual Five Corners Conv. Write: Ch.,205 N.Jack. .,n , Kennett, MO 63857 4-6 – Virginia Beach, Virginia. Southeast Rt:gional Forum. Write: Regional r o rums Secretary, Box 459, Grand Central St~l!ion , New }’ork, NY 10163 iS-January 3 – Chicago, Illinois. Second Annual Blazing Trails Mega Alkathon . Write: Ch., 2018 W. Giddings St., Chicago, lL 60625

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