April - Aainthedesert.org

April 2008
A publication of the Central Intergroup Office
of the Desert serving the Coachella Valley.
Central Intergroup
Office of the Desert
35-325 Date Palm Drive
Suite 134
Cathedral City CA 92234
Open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Mon.-Fri.
10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sat. & Sun.
Step Four
West Valley 760·324·4880
East Valley 760·568·4004
Fax 760·324·4851
Web site: www.AAintheDesert.org
Made a searching and fearless moral
inventory of ourselves.
[email protected]
Tradition Four
Each group should be autonomous except in matters
affecting other groups or A.A. as a whole.
Intergroup Meeting
1st Thursday of the month, 7 p.m.
Board of Directors Meeting
3rd Thursday of the month, 6 p.m.
General Service, District 9
Meeting Time unknown
Meeting Location unknown
Mailing Address: P O Box 3684
Palm Desert 92261-3684
Concept Four
At all responsible levels, we ought to maintain a traditional “Right of Participation,” allowing a voting
representation in reasonable proportion to
the responsibility that each must discharge.
Hospitals & Institutions
Last Wednesday of the month, 6:30 p.m.
Fellowship Hall
45940 Portola Ave.
Palm Desert
Mailing Address: P O Box 1843
Palm Desert 92261
Mid Southern California Area (MSCA)
P O Box, 51446, Irvine CA 92619-1446
Web site: www.msca09aa.org
The General Service Office, P O Box 459,
Grand Central Station NY 10163
Web site: www.alcoholics-anonymous.org
AT CENTRAL OFFICE
Please call 324-4880 FOR DETAILS
Application on AAintheDesert.org
Desert Lifeline, April 2008
Central Office Activity
We are Responsible!
Central Intergroup Office of the Desert
Board of Directors
February
342
6
123
Meeting Info
12 Step Calls
Visitors
Literature Sales
Chairman: Jerald W.
Vice Chairman: SherAli J..
Treasurer: Bertha G.
Secretary: Kara S.
207
Al-Anon
Other 12 Step
Misc. / NA
Business
Directors
Wendy B.
John E.
Paul G.
Paul A.
Jim D.
14
13
41
46
Desert Lifeline Editor: Katrina B.
Answering Service
Office Manager: Jim K.
12 Step
3
Meeting Info
5
Other
TOTAL:
3
803
Letters to the Editor or Articles for the Desert Lifeline
must be received by the 15th of the month for consideration of
publication in the following month’s issue.
Please submit your material for The Desert Lifeline to:
Central Intergroup Office of the Desert
35-325 Date Palm Drive, Suite 134,
Cathedral City, CA 92234.
E-mail: [email protected]
Thanks to all who are of service.
It makes a difference!
Birthday Celebrations
Cody K
1
Kyle C
5
Jon H
1
Kim W
6
Katrina
1
Lauren S
6
Vince
2
Sam C
7
Andrea N
3
Alfred T
10
Barry S
3
Garrison T
10
Jan C
3
Sasha L
12
Cole C
4
Scott H
Eddie T
4
Chuck S
25
12
Chuck R
34
Tina H
19
John H
34
Charlie B
21
Danny L
40
We thank all of the birthday celebrants for their
contributions to the Central Office Birthday Club.
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Desert Lifeline
Lifeline,, April
January
2007
Desert
2008
NEW MEETINGS & MEETING CHANGES
Location & time change
Men’s Stag, Monday, Was 7:00 PM—Now 6:30 PM, has
moved from Foundation for the Retarded, Palm Desert to
Aqua Blanca Office Center, 41750 Rancho Las Palmas,
Building F, Rancho Mirage (C M D)
Location change
Midday Gratitude Group, Tuesday, 11:45 AM, moved from
Palm Desert Public Library, Seminar Room, 73300 Fred
Waring Dr, Palm Desert to Christ of the Desert (Newman
Center), 73441 Fred Waring Dr, Palm Desert (D S)
Time Change
Discussion, Saturday, 7:30 PM, Presbyterian Church,
54400 North Circle Dr., Idyllwild (D)
February
Website Usage
Highest # of sessions in a day: 155
Highest # of hits in one day: 2,940
Avg. sessions/day: 123.9
Avg. hits/day: 2,093.76
Total sessions: 3,593
Total hits: 60,719
New Meeting
New Beginnings, Tuesday, 7:30 PM, Morongo Indian
Reservation, Tribal Hall, Cabazon (P)
Please visit us at: www.AAintheDesert.org
Maps now available for most meetings …..Check it out!
February Web Site Hits
Soul Searching - There is a saying in the 12- step
programs that recovery is a process, not an event. The
same can be said for this step--more will surely be revealed
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Desert Lifeline, April 2008
VOLUNTEERS – Central Office
Thanks for your service in February
Ann T.
Barbara G.
Bob B.
Carlos M.
Dave O.
Dennis H.
Don P.
Dorit R.
Emil M.
Hay A.
Dallas E.
Jill J.
Jim D.
John H.
Kathy P.
Lynda B.
Mark M.
Mike B.
Paul A.
Peggy M.
Phillip F.
Steve C.
Steve P.
Suzy & Bob A.
Tony M.
Tracy M.
Please mail the Subscription
form with your annual
subscription fee of $20 to the
address on the front of the
Desert Lifeline for your
Central Intergroup Office.
DESERT LIFELINE
Subscription Form
Name:
_____________________________________
Address: ______________________________________
City:
_____________________________________
State:
___________
Phone:
____________________________________
Don’t miss an issue, have the
Zip code: ____________
DESERT LIFELINE
delivered to your mail
box each month.
Home Group: ________________________________
34th Annual Maad Dog Daze
Committee meetings
Sunday, 4:00 PM, Fellowship Hall, Palm Desert
April 6th
May 4th
June 1st
July 13th (due to 4th of July weekend)
July 27th (to be determined)
Contact Beth @ 346-3316
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Desert Lifeline, April 2008
Book of the month!
As Bill Sees It
Soft Cover Edition
Normally $6.50 — this month $5.50
Palm Springs Cornfield Group
Council Chamber
Friday Night, 7 p.m.
Apr
4 - Cory S. - Fullerton
11 - Kevin W. - LA
18 - Rashid - South Bay
25 - Kelly L. - Covina
New Items at Central Office
Living Sober CDs - $10.00
Bills Own Story DVD - $10.00
Bill Discusses the Twelve Traditions DVD - $10.00
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Desert Lifeline, April 2008
Tradition Four
Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other
groups or AA as a whole.
Tradition four is a constant reminder that any two or three alcoholics gathered for sobriety may call
themselves an AA group, and as a group they may run their meeting any way they choose. Fortunately for me, I
have never experienced any real violation of this tradition.
Most meetings I attend have regular readings such as portions of Chapter 3, Chapter 5, 12 Traditions, and a
closing reading of either A Vision for You or the Promises, but one meeting in particular liked the idea of “keep it
simple” so our secretary picked the leader and a page of Daily Reflections and the meeting commenced.
Several times over the two years I attended that meeting there would be someone who would make strong
comments about our meeting not being run right, suggesting that other readings should be added to our format.
Sometimes these new members to the group have insisted on a full group conscience to overturn the way our
meeting was run. As expected one of two things occurred, they either joined our little hot bed of mental health
or they found another meeting more to their liking.
Granted, I’m pleased to note that not every meeting I attend is that minimalist but I do attend meetings where
“Spiritual Experience” is read instead of Chapter 5 and the Traditions. Some meetings around the country have
bible passages read, personal stories read, or even passages from authors who have written books on or about
spirituality.
I am truly grateful to Alcoholics Anonymous. I owe my life to AA and the groups are where I go to hear the message of AA. While I do prefer some groups or meetings over others, I am glad that any meeting can run its own
affairs any way they want.
Jay A.
Tuesday night men’s Big Book study
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Desert Lifeline, April 2008
Step Four
Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
This is where the work begins. Some, if not most, alcoholics are frightened by this step. We exclaim "What an order, I can’t go through with it! I've done so many terrible things when I was drinking!" Do not be discouraged. I
was blessed with a sponsor who suggested a searching and fearless method to work this step. He simply said
"It's a moral inventory, not an immoral history.” A moral inventory of ourselves is not comprised solely of our
wrongs, or immoral history. Approaching the Fourth Step in this manner is a sure fire way to miss the important
and necessary elements of working this step fearlessly and thoroughly.
Searching is defined as: To look into with thorough scrutiny and rigorous objective examination.
Fearless is defined as: Marked by freedom from fear and by resolution in braving dangers.
First, my sponsor had me write about the good, healthy, qualities and attributes of myself as they are today. All I
have is today, and today I have not had a drink. Today, I have turned my will and my life over. Today, I am willing
to change. Today, I am aware and present. By being aware of whom I am today: I now have the tools to work on
a
broken house, rather than a broken house and no tools. Thus, I was able to objectively view my previous nature
of the wrongs I had done. l was able to understand the nature of my fears and resentments of people, places, and
things. I came to understand myself as a person who was now willing to go to any length to get it, and to take certain steps to grow along spiritual lines; to thoroughly understand my part and intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle me; with progress, not perfection.
I have found this suggested method to be one that l could work with, then, and now, as I continue to take personal
inventory. The Fourth Step is not so scary after all.
Matthew McQ
Attitude Adjustment, 559 S. Palm Canyon, Palm Springs
r,
e ev e
l
a
s
t
bes
it.
s the
This i
t m i ss
’
n
o
.D
G r et a
t 7 AM
, 4/ 26
y
a
d
r
Satu
a
Sober In The Sun Annual Garage Sale
2500 Via Esceula, Palm Springs
Saturday, 4/26
starts at 7AM
We’ll Take Furniture, Collectibles, Books, Good
Clothing, Electronics, but
NO JUNK PLEASE
Pick Ups or Deliveries Available NOW!
Call Jeff H at 760-808-7347
Or Christopher at 760-904-8849
to arrange a pick up or delivery
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Desert Lifeline, April 2008
Puzzle answers will appear in next month’s Desert Lifeline.
You can also find them on our web site — www.aainthedesert.org
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Desert Lifeline, April 2008
Planning meeting on Thursday, April
3rd, 6PM at Central Office
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Desert Lifeline, April 2008
Concept Four
Throughout our Conference structure, we ought to maintain at all responsible levels a
traditional “Right of Participation,” taking care that each classification or group of our
world servants shall be allowed a voting representation in reasonable proportion to the
responsibility that each must discharge.
The AA service manual states that participation has been carefully built into the conference structure.
The conference charter provides that Trustees, Directors, executive staffs, and Delegates all have
voting privileges at the conference. It goes on to say that, “Preservation of participation in our service
structure is to those of us who already understand its application and benefits, as a matter of highest
importance to our future.”
The early founders knew they were going to die someday and they wanted the program of AA to
continue on in order to save the lives of all alcoholics in future generations. I thank God every single day
they did or I would be dead today as a direct consequence of my alcoholic drinking. Many others in my
life made attempts to help me stop drinking. They failed utterly. Not because they didn’t care, because
they didn’t understand the deadly seriousness of the disease of alcoholism. AA literally saved my life.
Today I am sober and celebrating 32 years of a decent and responsible life because of AA. I thank all
those individuals who saw the need for AA to all future generations and became of service in some way
to keep AA alive. I am so grateful that I have become of service in many ways myself over the years. I
have always had some service job in one area or another. It was my turn to give back. I have also had a
vote at the annual conference each year of my sobriety as a direct result of those I have voted for in
General Service and Delegates.
You too can have a vote. General Service representatives should be voted in at each AA group to carry
your voice to the conference. If you don’t have one in your group, you can always vote one in. We have
a Central Office in the valley. Your group can vote in a representative and you can have a voice at the
Central Office which is located in Cathedral City, get your group to vote in a Representative. I hear
some folks say, I don’t like what’s going on. I ask them who their representative is. Their response is we
don’t have one. No one wants the job. Well, the way I see it is this, if you don’t have a representative,
than you should not be complaining. If no one wants the job ask your group to vote you in, and then you
can represent your group. Then you have the right to complain. Once we all take responsibility, then we
are abiding by concept IV.
Dave H.
Primary Purpose Group K.I.S. Fellowship DHS
After attending a few AA meetings, I realized why they use the term
"barfly" to describe us. We barf and we lie.
———————————————————————————————————————
We do not shoot our wounded; we pick them up and carry them home.
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Desert Lifeline, April 2008
A. A. Desert Pow Wow
with Al-Anon Participation
Renaissance Esmeralda Resort
Indian Wells, CA
June 12, 13, 14, 15, 2008
Flyers and registration forms available at most meetings or at Central Office.
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Desert Lifeline, April 2008
CENTRAL INTERGROUP OF THE DESERT
INTERGROUP MINUTES
February 7, 2008
Jerald W. called the meeting to order with the S erenity Prayer.
Board Members
Chairman:
Vice Chairman:
Secretary:
Treasurer:
Jerald W.
SherAli J.
Kara S.-Absent
Bertha G.
Directors
Wendy B.
John E.
Paul G.
Paul A.
Jim D.
Also Present:
Jim K., Office Manager
36 people were in attendance
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE : Jerald read the Reason for Central Intergroup and passed around
the 12 Traditions to be read by attendees.
INTRODUCTION OF NEW ATTENDEES: Mike-Alkies Only, Wed. 7PM Sacred Heart Palm
Desert, Connie-Stepping Stones, Tuesday 10AM Fellowship Hall, Sid -Primary Purpose in
Palm Desert, Sylvia-All Sunny Dunes, Matthew-GSR liaison.
MINUTES: Upon motion duly made and seconded, the minutes for January 3, 2008 were approved
with the following corrections: Minutes approved were for “December 5, 200 7”, Treasurer report was
for “November 30, 2007”, Manager report E, Secretary workshop is from “1 -3”, Webmaster stats are
for December, Group Rep comments under B there is no dash between Pow and Wow, and is to
read Jim “K” for anonymity, next Intergroup meeting should read February 7, 2008 and next board
meeting to read January 17, 2008.
TREASURER’S REPORT : Bertha presented the Monthly Financial Report for December 30, 2007.
Upon motion duly made and seconded, the Financial Report was approved as presented.
MANAGER’S REPORT : Jim reported on the following:
A. Please sign in at the door. This is used for calling wi th the meeting reminder and also
used for the election eligibility determination. Also, please take any Desert Lifelines to
your meeting location if the rep isn’t here tonight.
B. Thanks to Jerald W. for Step 2, Marvin T. for Tradition 2, and Paul G. for Conc ept 2.
Bertha G. volunteered for Step 3, John E. for Tradition 3 and Rebecca for Concept 3.
C. Book of the month is the Daily Reflections Large print Edition - usually $7.75, this month
only $6.75.
D. Central Office could use more volunteers for back up and also for the Monday 9AM-1PM
slot. You can volunteer for 1,2,3, or all 4 Monday’s. Please put the word out.
E. Secretary workshop is on February 17, 2008 from 1 -3PM. Call Central Office to sign up.
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Desert Lifeline, April 2008
F. New meeting at COD on Tuesdays 11:45-12:30 beginning 2/19.
Changed meetings: Ladies Night Out is moving to 41750 Rancho Las Palmas Bldg F
effective 2/20 and the NEW TIME is 6:30. Also Sunday Serenity is moving to Cinema
Palme D’Or Theatre #4 72840 Hwy. 111 in Palm Desert Town Center (Backside of
Westfield Shopping Mall between JC Penney and Macy’s)
SPECIAL EVENTS: Fran G. reported on the following: Spring Fest is on for April 26 at the Club at
Shenandoah (formerly Tri-Palms) Tickets will be $20 and will be available for sale at Central Office by
March, and at the March Intergroup meeting for the Reps to take with them to sell. The first planning
meeting is March 6, 6PM before the Intergroup meeting at Central Office. A big “THANK YOU” to Jim
and Fran for all their hard work to make this happen (CLAP CLAP CLAP)
OUTREACH COMMITTEE: Paul G. reported: Let’s keep spreading the word. Welcome to all the new
reps tonight. It’s a great way to be of service and it’s a lot of FUN! Let him know if there’s any meeting
you’d like him to attend and spread the word.
WEBMASTER: Jim K. reported on the following:
Stats for January
Highest # of sessions in one day- 235
Highest # of hits in one day- 3,290
Average sessions- 142
Average hits- 2,122
Total sessions- 4,397
Total hits- 65,792
OLD BUSINESS: None
NEW BUSINESS:
A The first Maad Dog Daze committee meeting is on Sunday 2/5, 4PM at Fellowship Hall,
and the second meeting is on Sunday 3/2.
B Pow Wow has almost 600 people registered for the banquet already. Please take flyers and
make an announcement at your meeting.
GROUP REPRESENTATIVES - COMMENTS AND/OR CONCERNS: A question was asked and
answered about prudent reserves.
H&I/G.S. Dist. 9 REPORTS: Brock reported for District 9 that they are having the next Area
Assembly meeting here in the desert on Sunday 2/10, 9AM at the ABC Club. They have also just
elected new Officers.
SEVENTH TRADITION: Passed
Upon motion duly made and seconded, the meeting was adjourned followed by the Lord’s Prayer.
NEXT INTERGROUP MEETING: Thursday, March 6, 2008@ 7:00 PM
NEXT BOARD MEETING:
Thursday February 21, 2008 @ 6:00 PM
Respectfully Submitted,
Wendy B.
Substitute Secretary
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Desert Lifeline, April 2008
"The difference between me
and God is that God never
plays at being ME!"
————————————————
"I am grateful that MOST of the
time I do not spend too much
Time worrying about what other
people are thinking --- heck! I
don't know what I am thinking
most of the time, so I'm
probably wrong about what
they are thinking, anyway!"
————————————————
Heard in a meeting on Step Ten:
"My sponsor suggested that I
might have to do fewer
'promptlies' if I would treat
other human beings like
human beings."
Reprinted with permission
AA Grapevine
My first sponsor for the first six months
of my sobriety would tell me, "Greg,
just listen for the pop."
He would never tell me what he meant.
Then when I took my six-month chip he
told me the pop is the sound I will hear
when I finally pull my head out of my
'nether orifice'." (of course, he too used
a more colloquial term! ;-)
————————————————————When I was drinking I went to extremes.
I was either a victim or I was an assassin.
It wasn't a character defect I gave up
easily when I got sober.
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Desert Lifeline, April 2008
New Meeting Directories are here!!
Winter/Spring 2008
Only 50¢ at Central Office
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Desert Lifeline, April 2008
Overheard at a Group's Business meeting when someone who did not have a service
commitment made themselves available to be coffee maker for the group:
Sponsee: "But I don't even DRINK coffee."
Sponsor: "That's okay, sweetie. They don't care if you drink coffee.
They care if you MAKE coffee."
———————————————————————————————————————-Overheard in the parking lot from Sponsor to Sponsee: "If you
could only learn to laugh at yourself, I guarantee you'll never
be without material!"
———————————————————————————————————————-The longest journey is from the head to the heart.
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