April 2015 - Alcoholics Anonymous

RECOVERY TIMES
Vol. 44, No. 5, May 2015
The Alcoholics Anonymous San Fernando Valley Central Office Newsletter
THE KNOCK ON MY DOOR
One late November night there was a knock on my door.
I yelled, "Come in," and the door opened. Standing there
was one of my drinking pals, soaking wet and talking
really fast. He seemed nervous. I got him some dry
clothes as he began to tell me his story. He'd rolled his
truck in a ditch of water. As he spoke I just kept thinking
to myself, my kids and I could have been in that truck!
My friend and I did everything together. His story scared
the heck out of me.
The very next Wednesday I called another friend of mine who was in AA. I asked her to pick me
up to go to a meeting. I had no idea what I had gotten myself into but she attended these
meetings and she seemed to be OK. I was really scared when I walked into the meeting room. I
felt as though everybody's eyes were burning holes into me. I could feel my face getting hot; it
was bright red.
I made it through my first AA meeting, and the next week my pal from the truck accident
attended his first meeting too. I had never been to jail or charged with a DUI, my license had
never been taken for anything related to my drinking, but I was getting out of control and
trouble with the police was just waiting to happen. I saw that my drinking was starting to
interfere with my job and my marriage. In fact, after I'd been in AA for about a year, my kids
outright told me that they had been losing respect for me.
I'm grateful for AA and the literature. Now if I have a problem I can't find the answer for, I first
go to the Big Book, and if that doesn't work, I call my sponsor.
I'm so grateful for that knock on my door that November night. I've been sober eight years now
with the help of my Higher Power, my sponsor and my AA group, which has become part of my
family. I divorced my husband and started working on myself and I've gotten the respect of my
kids back. I can only thank AA for that. Anonymous, Copyright c. 1944-2012. AA Grapevine, Inc.
All Rights Reserved. Reprints by permission only.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
The Central Office invites you to our Office Warming Saturday/Sunday, April 18-19, 10 a.m. –
3 p.m. Refreshments will be served but if you have any special goodies, please bring them to us!
The purpose of this office warming is to invite the members of A.A. to see our new office at the
southwest corner of Sherman Way & Woodley, just west of the Mobile Station at:
16132 Sherman Way, Van Nuys, CA 91406
Upcoming Calendar of Events:
31st Annual Tri-State Roundup: May 14-17, 2015, Laughlin, NV, www.tristate-roundup.com
34th Annual H & I Conference, May 15-17, 2015, Holiday Inn, La Mirada, CA www.socalhandi.org
AA Desert Pow Wow: June 4 – 7, 2015, Indian Wells, CA, www.desertpowwow.com
31st Annual South Bay Roundup: August 27-30, 2015, Torrance Marriott, southbayroundup.org
64th So. CA AA Convention: October 2-4, 2015, Rancho Mirage. www.aasocal.com
_____________________________________________________________________
SERVICE COMMITTEE SCHEDULE:
San Fernando Valley Central Office Board Meeting: May 13, 2015, 6:30 p.m., Central Office,
16132 Sherman Way, Van Nuys, CA 91406
San Fernando Valley Intergroup Meeting: May 11, 2015: New IGRs: 6:30 p.m., General
Meeting: 7 p.m., St. Innocent Church., 5657 Lindley Ave., Tarzana.
San Fernando Valley H & I (3rd Monday): April 20, 2015: 7 p.m. Orientation,
8 p.m. Bus. Meeting, St. Innocent Church, 5657 Lindley Ave., Tarzana.
General Service Dist. 1: (1st Wed.): May 6, 2015: 6:30 p.m., 7552 Remmet, Canoga Park.
General Service Dist. 2: (1st Tues.): May 5, 2015: 6:30 p.m., 4011 Dunsmore, La Crescenta.
General Service District 7: (2nd Sat.): May 9, 15, 2015: 9 a.m., Women’s Club: 33201 Agua
Dulce Canyon Rd, Agua Dulce, CA.
General Service District 11 (1st Monday): May 4, 2015: 6 p.m. New GSRs - 6:30 p.m.,
315 W. Vine Street, Glendale
General Service District 16 (1st Monday): May 4, 2015: 6:15 p.m. meeting, 15950
Chatsworth, Granada Hills.
General Service District 17 (1st Monday): May 4, 2015: 6 p.m. New GSRs, 6:30 p.m., Bus.
Mtg., 5000 Colfax, NoHo.
SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES IN THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY
A.A. Central Office maintains 24/7 Phone Service for AAs. Go to:
www.sfvaa.org to find meeting info, upcoming events, service meeting
info, or download a copy of Recovery Times. Want to be of service? We are always in need of volunteers
to answer phones, especially on weekends and holidays. If you have a year or more of continuous
sobriety, please call Central Office: (818) 988-3001.
Public Info. Committee provides info to the public about what A.A. does & doesn’t do. Need volunteers,
especially young people and Spanish-speaking AAs, for health fairs & to speak at schools & businesses.
SF Valley Hospitals and Institutions Committee (H & I): Temporary contacts are needed to pair the
alcoholic leaving rehabilitation, treatment or jail with A.A. in their home community. Contact Central Office
for info. H & I also needs volunteers to carry the message of A.A. into hospitals, prisons and treatment
facilities to those who are unable to get to meetings. See meeting info previous pg. (SFV H & I).
San Fernando Valley Convention Committee: Volunteers are welcome to participate in the planning of
the 2015 Convention. (See Page 4 for more info under SF Valley AA Convention).
San Fernando Valley Young People in AA: 1st Sunday of the month @ 1 p.m. at Unit A., 10641
Burbank Blvd., North Hollywood. (Regular weekly meeting: Monday night at 8 p.m.).
San Fernando Valley Intergroup: Central Office holds a monthly meeting for all Intergroup reps on the
2nd Monday of each month at St. Innocent Church, 5657 Lindley Ave., Tarzana. Intergroup reps provide an
important service to the group by sharing information on upcoming AA events in the Valley. To serve as
an Intergroup Rep, call: (818) 988-3001.
Please Support Your Central Office by sending a representative to the Intergroup monthly meetings.
We meet the 2nd Monday of every month at St. Innocent Church at 5657 Lindley in Tarzana. We
would love to see you!
Celebrating an A.A. Anniversary? Please consider making a $1.00 donation for each
year of your sobriety and we will list your name and birthday year in the month of your
sobriety. Please send your donation during your birthday month. Greg B. – 21 Years,
Bonnie H. – 24 Years, David F. – 27 Years, Kevin McC – 31 Years, Eleanor D –
32 Years, and the Saturday AM Women’s Meeting – 5 birthdays, 32 Years.
Deaths (Things We Cannot Change): If you are aware of the passing of a Fellowship member, please
call us at (818) 988-3001.
Has your meeting changed? Please provide meeting updates in writing to: The Valley Central Office,
16132 Sherman Way, Van Nuys, CA 91406. If you would like a copy of Recovery Times, please send
us your name, address and payment for $7.00 to cover cost & delivery. Also include information on
whether you want a new subscription, are renewing, or if you are enclosing an additional contribution. If
moving, please give us your former address.
Remember: Central Office Has Moved to: 16132 Sherman Way, Van Nuys, CA. (SW corner of
Woodley & Sherman Way, west of the Mobile Station). Many people don’t realize that Central Office is
open every day for book sales (Monday – Sunday) except for holidays. However, we are closed the last
Friday of the month for Inventory. Our large warehouse has all of the A.A. approved literature and
pamphlets that your group needs, plus medallions and chips. Central Office is a legitimate non-profit.
Personal donations cannot exceed $3,000 per year and must be from members of alcoholics anonymous,
not from outsiders. For more info, call: (818) 988-3001 or check out our website: www.sfvaa.org.
SAN FERNANDO VALLEY CENTRAL OFFICE
Minutes of Intergroup Representatives Meeting, March 9, 2015
OPENING: Dawn H. - opened the meeting at 7:04 p.m. with The Serenity Prayer. Daniel read “The Twelve
Traditions.” Cheryl accepted a motion for approval of minutes from Feb.’s Intergroup Meeting, with corrections.
TREASURER’S REPORT: Brian H. said Gratitude Month helped put Central Office in the black: We are: MTD
$2332.49 and YTD $9339.08.
EXECUTIVE SECRETARY'S REPORT: Bob F. - Everything is running smoothly at Central Office, and we rescheduled the open house for April 18-19 from 10am - 3pm.
Recovery Times -Deadline for submissions is 15th of the month; send to e-mail: [email protected].
MEETING RELATED BUSINESS: - BRIAN H. introduced 5 new Intergroup Representatives:
Tigran: Windsor Club, Glendale; Casey L: Curtain Call, NoHo; Gina C: Just the Black Print, Sherman Oaks;
Marianna K., Unit A, NoHo & Ron, Question and Answer, Woodland Hills.
IGRs were reminded to encourage recruitment of IGRs from meetings that are not currently represented.
There are currently 787 meetings in the San Fernando Valley but only 50-60 meetings represented at IGR.
Orientation for new IGRs begins at 6:30 p.m. prior to monthly IGR Meeting.
SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES



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General Service District 16: Daniel-PRASA, Lisa doing a great job, Louis is DCM
General Service District 1: John: Norm attended report: 15 areas represented, 1143 people attended;
panels, roundtable discussion; opinion polls formulated to go out to groups www.area93.org.
General Service District 17: Paul – The meeting is 1st Monday 6:30 to 7:30 at 5000 Colfax; he attended
PRAASA where unregistered meetings were discussed with General Service to help achieve greater unity
at the group level.
Dawn: Thanked all those who attended PRAASA in Layton Utah, March 6-8, 2015.
o
San Fernando Valley Hospital & Institutions Committee: Nancy - Need more volunteers (with a
“clean” record) for jail panels.
O
San Fernando Valley AA Convention: Joel S. - Will be meeting in April for the 2016 Convention.
O
Santa Clarita Valley AA Convention: Bernard: the 11th Annual SCVAAC will be October 15-18, 2015
OLD BUSINESS: Literature Sales are CLOSED the last Friday of each month. Central Office doors remain
open; phones are still answered. Reminder for groups to report upcoming group events, and remove expired
Group event flyers from literature tables. Continue to send meeting changes IN WRITING to Central Office.
NEW BUSINESS: - 12 attendance certificates were available for IGRs.
ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM AA GROUPS & SEVENTH TRADITION:
 Nicole: Burbank Group Meeting at 8pm and Dance at 10pm on 4/11/15.
 Tigran: Windsor Club Tristate Roundup in Laughlin, May 15 -17, 2015.
 Tammy: Mason & Lassen Group needs support: 8pm Friday Speaker meeting.
 Sandy: Registration available for Woman to Woman at Mt. St. Mary’s College, May 29-31, 2015.
 Jamie: Announced a 103 year old old-timer named Gardiner (66 years sober) will be speaking the last
weekend in June.
Dawn H: reminded groups to bring at least 350 flyers for upcoming events so each meeting can have 5 copies.
Flyers must be for “AA-related events” (defined as “an event that includes an AA Meeting as part of the event”).
ACKNOWLEDGE BIRTHDAYS FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH – 34 YEARS OF SOBRIETY:
Alexis: 3-6-14, 1 year; Tigran: 3-7-11, 4 years; Cheryl M: 3-17-86, 29 years. Note: Correction for last month:
David had 1 year (not 7 years).
VACANCIES ON BOARD - There are currently no vacancies on the Board.
Founders’
Message
"As individuals and as a
Fellowship, we shall surely
suffer if we cast the whole
job of planning for
tomorrow onto a kind
Providence. God has
endowed us human
beings with considerable
capability for foresight and
he evidently expects us to
use it. Therefore we must
distinguish between
wishful dreaming for a
happy tomorrow and
today's use of our powers
of thoughtful estimate -estimate of the kind which
we trust will bring future
progress rather than
unforeseen woe."
CLOSING: Dawn H. made a motion to adjourn which was recognized and
seconded. Meeting adjourned with The Lord’s Prayer at 7:26 p.m. Prepared
and submitted by: Cheryl A, Recording Secretary
THE GIFT OF SILENCE
When I consider all the times,
I've tried to pick the day
That someone else got sober,
and threw the jug away.
I realize by my failures and it's come completely clear
It seldom goes the way I planned, when others crave their beer
I didn't stop promoting, for I thought I had it right
Their plan for me was simple, they just stayed out of sight.
Then one day while visiting, a loved one out of town
I showed up with laryngitis and, I couldn't speak a sound
AA Co-Founder Bill W.
I opened up her phone book, and underlined A.A.
May 2008, "Addressing
the Wound."
and after three days silent, I continued on my way
"One old-timer explained it
this way to me: 'Don't let
your mind rattle on at
meetings. Then all you'll hear
from someone else is
something that gets you
thinking about what you have
to say. Listen to everything
the person talking has to say,
as if your life depended on it
-- because it might one day.
Two month after being home, a brother on a call
Listen to everyone this way,
especially the ones you want
to ignore,' this old-timer said.
'God won't deprive you of the
answer you need, if you've
come to an AA meeting
needing an answer.
If it's true that things I Do, speak louder than things I Say
He may, however, have your
answer come out of the
mouth of the person you
least expect to have your
answer. God has a sense of
humor.'" May 1990
"Quiet Guidance."
said "You know Sis got sober, she doesn't drink at all"
I asked about the details, he said he couldn't say,
The only thing he knew for sure," she goes to A.A.A. (how cute!)
Forty two years later and, she hasn't had a drink
The success of that twelve step call, has made me stop and think
I thank my God for
By Rick R., Poway, CA
giving
me,
laryngitis
on
that
day.
Got a Story to Share? The Recovery Times accepts submissions from
sober A.A.’s. Feel free to send us stories you have written about sobriety
(500 - 800 words), cartoons or other submissions. Please email Pat at:
[email protected]. We reserve the right to accept and print whatever
we feel is appropriate. Thank you for your contributions! Editor
BEHIND THE CUPCAKES
She didn't think hiding her booze was a big deal
I always knew that I had a problem with alcohol but I kept
trying to prove that wrong. For years, I was in and out of
rehabs and coming in the front doors of AA only to sneak out
the back.
I liked sitting in the rear of meetings so that no one would
notice me and ask me to share. How could I relate to these
sober fools who said things like, "You will be happy, joyous and free" or "Give it to God." It all sounded like a
revival meeting to me and I half-expected to end up singing "Amazing Grace" at the end.
Along the way, I had lost the trust of my family—of both my husband and my children. I wasn't allowed to be
around my grandchildren without supervision.
All I wanted was to be on an island with no other inhabitants. Just me and my booze. I wanted everyone to leave
me alone. I wasn't hurting anyone—or at least I didn't think so. I was just Mrs. Robinson hiding my lover in the
cabinets with the cupcakes.
I had to hit bottom before I could admit defeat.
I took myself to an AA meeting, sat in the second row, listened to everything that I possibly could, and asked
the hardest person I heard that day to be my sponsor. After thoroughly going through the Steps slowly and
asking question after question about what this program could do for me, I had finally arrived.
I found my Higher Power. I have been blessed with peace. I have gotten my children's trust back. I am now free
to be alone with my precious grandchildren. I am now a G.S.R. and I have found my life's journey.
I no longer look for the back door in a meeting. What I look for are the beautiful faces of my AA friends who
along with me have found happiness, joy and a new-found freedom.
—Kathy G., Bellaire, Texas Copyright c. 1944-2012. AA Grapevine, Inc.
by permission only.
All Rights Reserved. Reprints
2015 INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION OF A.A.
JULY 2-5, 2015 - ATLANTA, GEORGIA
The 2015 International Convention of Alcoholics Anonymous will
be held July 2 - 5, 2015 in Atlanta, Georgia with the theme "80
Years – Happy, Joyous and Free." A.A. members and guests from
around the world will celebrate A.A.'s 80th year with Big Meetings held Friday night, Saturday night
and Sunday morning in the Georgia Dome. Other meetings, scheduled or informal, will take place
throughout the weekend in the Georgia World Congress Center and local hotels.
WELCOME
BACK, SUCKER
After 11 years, he stopped going to meetings and an old friend
returned
I’ve been sober 24 of the past 26 years. Before finding AA, I had
lost my business and my home and I was living on the streets. I ate
other peoples’ leftover pasta and meatballs out of dumpsters and I
knew that the best cigarette butts in town were in a three-foot sand
ashtray outside of the theme park in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Every
day I’d fill my empty cigarette pack with 20 almost perfect butts
that had been hastily stubbed out by tourists.
In 1988, I crawled into my first AA meeting. Desperate and alone, I discovered a power greater than myself that
spoke through the people in AA. I loved meetings; I made the coffee, and I cleaned up afterward. And every
time I emptied an ashtray, I remembered Hershey, Pennsylvania. I also thanked God each time for this privilege
I had never earned. I chaired many meetings and even spoke in jails. I had a sponsor and I sponsored others. I
got my business up and running again, and my wife let me back into her life “little by slowly.” Most important,
I discovered a loving God who promised me that if I followed the Steps and asked for help I’d continue feeling
happy, joyous and free.
So why, you may ask, have I been sober only 24 of the past 26 years? Sure, I had heard that “meeting makers
make it,” but after my seventh anniversary in AA I started going to only three meetings a week because, well,
my life was happening! After eight years, I was attending just two … then finally one meeting a week. By my
10th anniversary, I decided that I’d learned everything I needed to know about staying sober; that I didn’t need
“you people” anymore. I took on the full-time job of walking sober—alone.
I stayed sober for a year without AA, but my spirituality was going ... going ... gone. I had forgotten about God.
Finally, in my 11th year, my business started failing, but instead of going to a meeting, I bought a half pint of
vodka. I had no intention of getting drunk; I just wanted a few sips to take the edge off. But that bottle had a
different idea. From my first swallow, it said, “Welcome back, sucker.”
I immediately started drinking a quart and a half a day for the next two years. During that time, I checked into
10 detoxes and two rehabs. I hit five people with my truck, and even when the last two were taken away in an
ambulance, I could not stop drinking.
I know now that my relapse began way before I put that first drink to my lips. It began the day I stopped going
to meetings, stopped working the program, stopped depending on “you people” to remind me of the guy I used
to be and how easily I could be that guy again.
I’ve been back in AA for more than 12 years now. Over that time I’ve seen many friends die of alcoholism, and
I consider myself one of the lucky ones. God has given me the chance to tell you that if you are here for the first
time, I relapsed for you. So come to meetings, hear my story, and then hold on to your chair real tight. I’m the
guy sitting right beside you, the one who reminds you why you’re here. Yesterday, I was the person who you
never wanted to be again. But today, just for today, I am the person you just might want to be. I definitely
learned the hard way that “meeting makers make it.”
—Larry K., Manhasset, N.Y. Copyright c. 1944-2012. AA Grapevine, Inc.
by permission only.
All Rights Reserved. Reprints
Central Office of SFV
16132 Sherman Way
Van Nuys, CA 91406
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED