2/2016 - Eastside Intergroup

Pass It On
Eastside Intergroup Newsletter
February 2016
Page 1
The Magic of Sobriety by Anonymous
Page 2
Upcoming Sober Events and
Meeting Updates
Page 3
ESIG Pancake Breakfast!
Page 4
January Office Report
by Nancy O.
Page 5
Birthday Club
Faithful Fivers
Pink Can Contributions
Page 6 and 7
Notes from the Archives
by David C..
Page 8 and 9
Where Did the 12 Steps Come
From by Bill W.
Page 10
Office Information
Newsletter Volunteers
Hotline Volunteers
Contributions
Page 11
Thank you ESIG Representatives
The Magic of Sobriety
It is truly magical to be sober for a few years. The ability to be sober and remember the night without waking up with headaches or wondering where the vehicle
was left are the promises of the program. It feels good to know my car is parked
outside in the driveway versus somewhere in the greater Seattle area.
I sobered up not knowing about the promises. At first, I thought AA was a group
of people who were losers. Not my kind of people. People who were boring and
nothing exciting to do especially on weekends. How can everyone participate in
life without an alcohol. How can this be possible? I couldn’t imagine having fun
with my friends without liquor. What am I going to do on the weekends?
As minutes, hours, and days became weeks and weeks became months, being
sober became a little easier. The maddening of being sober was disappearing and
instead a sense of calmness will sweep through me . I kept hearing about the
promises and working the steps. I obliged to work the steps and peace was not
restored. It was not restored because there was no trust with my sponsor. I didn’t
trust my sponsor completely. We did not share the same disease despite sharing
the same program. Luckily I am working with a sponsor that knows who I was, and
who I am now. I trust my sponsor. I do not keep secrets from my family or sponsor. I am honest in all my affairs. It feels good at night knowing this fact. I do not
have to worry about leaving my phone or car unattended. Another promise has
come true.
Sobriety has introduced a new way of living. I do not spend money on liquor and
instead concentrate on living a healthy lifestyle. I am active through physical activity while being present in my day. I eat well and maintain an active lifestyle. I
also have prayer and meditation in my life. It keeps me centered and calm
through the rollercoaster of life. Despite being sober, life still has difficult moments but I have a toolbox to handle these challenges. The ability to live an authentic life is the promise coming true.
Thank you AA for a beautiful life. I could not imagine a better life than this one.
The best is yet to come. Living Raw is living the promises.
Meeting Updates
Additional information about these and other events is
available on our website in the Events section at
www.eastsideintergroup.com
NEW ADOLESCENT MEETING!
Highland Happy Hour
Friday’s 6pm-7pm
Highland Covenant Church
Feb. 13th: PI/CPC Quarterly Potluck Lunch from 9:30 am to 3
pm at St. Highlands Community Church in Renton. Potluck with
lunch provided, bring dish to share.
Feb. 13th: Grapevine/Literature Committee Quarterly from 9
am to 3pm at the Fall City Methodist Church in Fall City. Potluck
with lunch provided, bring dish to share.
15022 NE Bel Red Rd. Bellevue
*needs young people support
NEW LOCATIONS
Kirkland Attitude Modification (KAM)
Saturdays 9 a.m.
Feb. 13th: Live at Pine Lake Speakers Meeting from 7 to 9
pm at Pine Lake Covenant Church in Sammamish. Speaker is
Doug R. from San Francisco, Ca.
Kirkland Congregational Church
Feb. 29th: 12th Step Workshop hosted by Eastside Intergroup from 5:30 to 7:15 pm at the Alano Club of the Eastside in
Bellevue. Space is limited. Please call 425-454-9192.
Tuesday’s 10am
March 5th: Step 11 Workshop hosted by District 35 1:00pm
to 4:00pm at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Issaquah.
March 5th: Bingo 7pm-9:30pm at Hope Hall in Snoqualmie.
March 12th: Hotline & Phone Training 10am-11:30is at
Eastside Intergroup Office in Bellevue.
March 19th: 43rd Burien Little Assembly 10am-9pm at Green
River College in Auburn.
106 5th Ave. Kirkland
Eastside Women
Church of the Resurrection
15220 Main St. (Cabana in back)
Bellevue
NEW MEETING TIME
Kirkland Sobriety
Headquarters
Fridays at 7pm
Kirkland Congregational Church
106 5th Ave. Kirkland
April 1-3: Seabeck Men’s Retreat—36 Spiritual Principles.
SUPPORT NEEDED
April 3rd: Eastside Intergroup Pancake Breakfast—
Sammamish Four Square Church in Bellevue.
UNBRIDLED GROUP
Thursdays 7:30 p.m.
Open meeting
United Methodist Church
Feb 11-14th: 52nd International Women’s Conference at Norfolk in Virginia. Please email [email protected] for additional information.
March 4 –6th: 2016 Pacific Region A.A. Service Assembly
(PRAASA) at the Spokane Convention Center in Spokane.
Please view www.praasa.org for additional information.
June 24-26th: Pacific Northwest Conference 2016 at the
Pendleton Convention Center in Pendleton, Oregon. Please
view www.pnc1948.org for additional information.
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7525 132nd Ave NE.
Kirkland,
KIRKLAND STUDY GROUP
Open Step Study Meeting
Saturday night 8 to 9 p.m.
Rose Hill Presbyterian Church
Kirkland
Breakfast includes:
Pancakes
Scrambled Eggs
Bacon/Sausage
Hash Browns
Juice
Coffee/tea
When:
Saturday April 2nd
Doors Open at 10am
Breakfast until 11am
Speakers 11am-12pm
Adults $7
Raffle Prizes at Noon
Kids Under 12 $2
Where:
Lake Sammamish Four Square Church
14434 NE 8th St.
Bellevue, WA 98007
Ticket available through your Intergroup Reps & at ESIG Office
Raffle Donations needed & appreciated! (thanks!)
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February Office Report
January 2016 Office Report
Happy New Year!
Thank You January Office Volunteers: Leah W., Carrie W., Ted W., Steve C., Wallene D., Leslie G., James
K., Travis S., John E., John M. and our newly trained volunteers Susan H. and Helen R. You all make a
HUGE difference in my life!
We’re still getting a lot of people stopping by to see our new office and we get such a warm feeling of community when they do. The location is much more accessible than our old one which keeps the front door
moving all day long. It’s nice to hear from all of you, how much you too, appreciate this move.
We have a few things on the calendar the next couple of months the first being our Annual Pancake Breakfast & Speaker meeting on April 2nd at the Lake Sammamish Four Square Church in Bellevue. Flyers are
available on our website and tickets are available from your Intergroup Reps and at the Intergroup Office. As
always, we are looking for donations for the raffle which should consist of new items or contributions of money which we would then shop for the items for you or your group. Please no used items.
We are holding a 12th Step Workshop on Monday February 29th from 5:30pm to 7:15pm at the Eastside Alano Club. Space is limited to a maximum of 30 and you will need to RSVP if you plan to attend. This is an
interactive workshop and is NOT A PANEL. We have several topics we will be covering.
Our next Hotline/Phone training will be at the Intergroup Office on March 12th from 10am to 11:30(ish). This
workshop covers training for both the after-hours hotline and training for answering the phones in our office
between 10am-6pm. Please RSVP so we know how many donuts to buy – LOL! (Really!)
I know it’s early but please mark your calendars for August 6th for the Annual Eastside Intergroup Picnic at
Beaver Lake Park from 11am to 3pm.
Our Treatment Chair Tim M. has been involved in setting up a new meeting for mainly adolescents here in
Bellevue. It’s on Friday nights from 6pm to 7pm at the Highland Covenant Church located at 15022 NE Bel
Red Rd. The first meeting had 15 people and they named the group Highland Happy Hour. It’s a meeting
that could use some additional support from some of our younger AA community.
On January 16th I had the opportunity to attend and participate in the workshop hosted by District 34 covering AA’s 3rd Legacy: Service & Action. District 34 did a great job and the panels were all very informative.
If you or someone you know is interested in volunteering at the Intergroup Office we presently have openings
on Monday afternoons, Tuesday mornings, and some Fridays. Please give me a call at 425-454-9192 if you
are interested so we can chat about what you may enjoy doing here.
On a trial basis, beginning February 6th our office will be open from 10am to 2pm on the first Saturday of
each month for those of you that are not able to make it in during our M-F hours of 10am to 6pm. We hope
this helps and look forward to seeing many of you. The office will be staffed by volunteers.
Finally for those of you that have listened to me talk about how far away my mom lives and how much time it
takes to get her to doctor appointments, and how I wish she would move here, and… and… and… She
moved! She now lives in Woodinville and life will be much easier for me and I hope for her as well.
Thank you for letting me be of service,
Nancy O.
Office Manager
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How can you help Support the Eastside Intergroup Office
in addition to the 7th Tradition?
What are Faithful Fivers?
Faithful Fivers are AA members who graciously pledge
to contribute $5.00 each month to support Eastside Intergroup in its efforts to carry the AA message of hope
and recovery to those alcoholics who still suffer in the
Eastside area. As a Faithful Fiver, your contribution
can and will make our vital services possible.
The Faithful Fiver idea came about when we remembered that we wasted much more than $5 each month
during our drinking days.
Contributions to Eastside Intergroup from AA members
are limited to $3,000 per member per year and are tax
deductible under Internal Revenue Code: 501(c)3.
Eastside Intergroup Birthday Club!
Many of our members contribute to ESIG $1, $2
or $5 per year during their AA Anniversary
month.
We’ll print your name, sobriety date and home
group in our Newsletter.
Your Birthday Club contributions directly
support your Eastside Intergroup Office which
provides a 24 hour phone line, meeting schedule, website, literature & coins sales, and much
more!
Birthday Club!
Name___________________________________
Home Group______________________________
Thank You January 2016 Faithful Fivers!
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Dave W.
Pat A.
Barbara M.
Pam Z.
Beth L.
Sobriety Date_____________________________
Contribution $_____________________________
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Ulf W.
 Nancy O
Get your name & home group in the newsletter!
January 2016 Birthdays
Nancy 0. , 1/12/88, 28 years
Home group: Solutions Group
Yes! Please enroll me as a
Faithful Fiver!
Here is my contribution of
$_______for _________months
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Name_________________________________________
Address_______________________________________
City__________________ State/Zip_________________
Return this form to:
Eastside Intergroup
13401 NE Bel-Red Rd. Suite B6
Bellevue, WA 98007
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Pink Can Contributions
In January
Living Sober
Seven & Sober
Sober Women
Fresh Start
Notes from the Archives
By David C., District 38 Archivist
Hello from the vaults of the District 38 Archives. This month I want to talk
about Sponsorship. Did you know that the first edition of our Big Book never even
mentions anything about having a sponsor! In the earliest days of A.A., the term
"sponsor" was not in the A.A. jargon. Then a few hospitals in Akron, Ohio and New
York began to accept alcoholics (under that diagnosis) as patients -- If a sober A.A.
member would agree to "sponsor" the sick man or woman. The sponsor took the
patient to the hospital, visited him or her regularly, was present when the patient
was discharged, and took the patient home and then to the A.A. meeting. At the
meeting, the sponsor introduced the newcomer to other happily non drinking alcoholics. All through the early months of recovery, the sponsor stood by, ready to
answer questions, or to listen whenever needed. In fact if you had a day or two of
sobriety, you were someone the newcomer could look to for guidance, because
you knew how to stay sober!
Bill Wilson was constantly amazed at the growth and apparent success that
Cleveland was having in sobering up alcoholics. He visited there every time that he
went to Ohio. Bill later wrote in A.A. Comes of Age: “Yes, Cleveland's results were
of the best. Their results were in fact so good, and A.A.'s membership elsewhere
was so small, that many a Clevelander really thought A.A.'s membership had started there in the first place. The Cleveland pioneers had proved three essential
things: the value of personal sponsorship; the worth of the A.A.'s Big Book in indoctrinating newcomers, and finally the tremendous fact that A.A., when the word
really got around, could now soundly grow to great size.”
Even though sponsorship took off and really helped many people in the early
days, it had its down side also. Bill W. writes: "Though three hundred thousand
have recovered in the last twenty-five years, maybe half a million more have
walked into our midst, and then out again. We can't well content ourselves with
the view that all these recovery failures were entirely the fault of the newcomers
themselves. Perhaps a great many didn't receive the kind and amount of sponsorship they so sorely needed. We didn't communicate when we might have done so.
So we AA's failed them."
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Archives continued….
More work was done on improving the principals of sponsorship. The first
pamphlet ever written concerning sponsorship was written by Clarence H.
Snyder in early 1944. Its original title was to be "A.A. Sponsorship...Its Obligations and Its Responsibilities." It was printed by the Cleveland Central Committee
under the title: "A.A. Sponsorship... Its Opportunities and Its Responsibilities.”
Sponsorship has since become one of the foundations of the recovery programs for of all the 12 step fellowships and one of the greatest blessings of
membership. With it we can help one another to succeed and arrest the disease
called addiction one day at a time regardless of the nature. More will be revealed…..
P. S. Keep your eyes open for information on District 38 Sponsorship Workshop
in May. Till next time……
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Where Did the 12 Steps Come From?
A Fragment of History by Bill W. , A.A. Grapevine on July 1953
At this point a third stream of influence entered my life through the pages of William James' book,
"Varieties of Religious Experience." Somebody had brought it to my hospital room. Following my
sudden experience, Dr. Silkworth had taken great pains to convince me that I was not hallucinated.
But William James did even more. Not only, he said, could spiritual experiences make people saner,
they could transform men and women so that they could do, feel and believe what had hitherto
been impossible to them. It mattered little whether these awakenings were sudden or gradual,
their variety could be almost infinite. But the biggest payoff of that noted book was this: in most of
the cases described, those who had been transformed were hopeless people. In some controlling
area of their lives they had met absolute defeat. Well, that was me all right. In complete defeat,
with no hope or faith whatever, I had made an appeal to a Higher Power. I had taken Step One of
today's AA program -- "admitted we were powerless over alcohol, that our lives had become unmanageable." I'd also taken Step Three -- "made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to
God as we understood him." Thus was I set free. It was just as simple, yet just as mysterious, as
that.
These realizations were so exciting that I instantly joined up with the Oxford Groups. But to their
consternation I insisted on devoting myself exclusively to drunks. This was disturbing to the O.G.'s
on two counts. Firstly, they wanted to help save the whole world. Secondly, their luck with drunks
had been poor. Just as I joined they had been working over a batch of alcoholics who had proved
disappointing indeed. One of them, it was rumored, had flippantly cast his shoe through a valuable
stained glass window of an Episcopal church across the alley from O.G. headquarters. Neither did
they take kindly to my repeated declaration that it shouldn't take long to sober up all the drunks in
the world. They rightly declared that my conceit was still immense.
Something Missing
After some six months of violent exertion with scores of alcoholics which I found at a nearby mission and Towns Hospital, it began to look like the Groupers were right. I hadn't sobered up anybody. In Brooklyn we always had a houseful of drinkers living with us, sometimes as many as five.
My valiant wife, Lois, once arrived home from work to find three of them fairly tight. They were
whaling each other with two-by-fours. Though events like these slowed me down somewhat, the
persistent conviction that a way to sobriety could be found never seemed to leave me. There was,
though, one bright spot. My sponsor, Ebbie, still clung precariously to his new-found sobriety.
What was the reason for all these fiascoes? If Ebbie and I could achieve sobriety, why couldn't all
the rest find it too? Some of those we'd worked on certainly wanted to get well. We speculated day
and night why nothing much had happened to them. Maybe they couldn't stand the spiritual pace
of the Oxford Group's four absolutes of honesty, purity, unselfishness, and love. In fact some of the
alcoholics declared that this was the trouble. The aggressive pressure upon them to get good overnight would make them fly high as geese for a few weeks and then flop dismally. They complained,
too, about another form of coercion -- something the Oxford Groupers called "guidance for others."
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Where Did the 12 Steps Come From?
A Fragment of History by Bill W. , A.A. Grapevine on July 1953
A "team" composed of non-alcoholic Groupers would sit down with an alcoholic and after a "quiet time"
would come up with precise instructions as to how the alcoholic should run his own life. As grateful as we
were to our O.G. friends, this was sometimes tough to take. It obviously had something to do with the
wholesale skidding that went on.
But this wasn't the entire reason for failure. After months I saw the trouble was mainly in me. I had become
very aggressive, very cocksure. I talked a lot about my sudden spiritual experience, as though it was something very special. I had been playing the double role of teacher and preacher. In my exhortations I'd forgotten all about the medical side of our malady, and that need for deflation at depth so emphasized by William James had been neglected. We weren't using that medical sledgehammer that Dr. Silkworth had so
providentially given us.
Finally, one day, Dr. Silkworth took me back down to my right size. Said he, "Bill, why don't you quit talking
so much about that bright light experience of yours, it sounds too crazy. Though I'm convinced that nothing but better morals will make alcoholics really well, I do think you have got the cart before the horse.
The point is that alcoholics won't buy all this moral exhortation until they convince themselves that they
must. If I were you I'd go after them on the medical basis first. While it has never done any good for me to
tell them how fatal their malady is, it might be a very different story if you, a formerly hopeless alcoholic,
gave them the bad news. Because of this identification you naturally have with alcoholics, you might be
able to penetrate where I can't. Give them the medical business first, and give it to them hard. This might
soften them up so they will accept the principles that will really get them well."
Then Came Akron
Shortly after this history-making conversation, I found myself in Akron, Ohio, on a business venture which
promptly collapsed. Alone in the town, I was scared to death of getting drunk. I was no longer a teacher or a
preacher, I was an alcoholic who knew that he needed another alcoholic as much as that one could possibly
need me. Driven by that urge, I was soon face to face with Dr. Bob. It was at once evident that Dr. Bob knew
more of the spiritual things than I did. He also had been in touch with the Oxford Groupers at Akron. But
somehow he simply couldn't get sober. Following Dr. Silkworth's advice, I used the medical sledgehammer. I
told him what alcoholism was and just how fatal it could be. Apparently this did something to Dr. Bob. On
June 10, 1935, he sobered up, never to drink again. When, in 1939, Dr. Bob's story first appeared in the
book, Alcoholics Anonymous, he put one paragraph of it in italics. Speaking of me, he said: "Of far more importance was the fact that he was the first living human with whom I had ever talked, who knew what he
was talking about in regard to alcoholism from actual experience. In other words, he talked my language."
(To be continued in March’s Edition)
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Thank you January Hotline Volunteers!
Office Information
13401 NE Bel-Red Suite B6
Bellevue, WA 98005
Phone: 425-454-9192—24 hours
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.eastsideintergroup.com
Office Hrs: Mon.-Fri. 10:00am-6:00 pm
first Saturday each month 10am-2pm
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Joe M.
John K.
John M.
John R.
Keith S.
Leslie G.
Mark J.
Merrill G.
Mike S.
Richard J.
Newsletter Contributors
Office Manager - Nancy 0.
Email: [email protected]
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Bill J.
Carmen A.
Carrie W.
Chuck M.
Elton B.
Eric C.
Fred M.
Ginny K.
Guy P.
Jim R.
Publisher……................Alma O.
Editor……………..…….Sandy B.
Intergroup Meeting
First Thursday of each month
7:30-8:30pm
All members welcome!
Bellevue Christian Reformed Church
1221 148th Ave NE, Bellevue 98007
Archivist……………..…David C.
Personal Story…..… Anonymous
Office News …….…… Nancy O.
Thanks to the following Groups for sending contributions
to the Eastside Intergroup office in the month of January
2016. Group contributions enable us to pay the rent and
bills for your Intergroup Office, maintain our phone lines
24 hours a day 7 days a week, publish a monthly newsletter, provide a meeting directory, and carry AA information and literature.
Nameless Bunch Of Drunks
Fresh Start
Big Book Step Study
Sober Valley
Moss Bay
Redmond Recovery
Any Lengths Group
Bills Story
Sober On Sunday
Kenmore Friday Nighters
Ladies Step Study
Women's Saturday Share
The Nooners
Anchor Group
Anonymous
Eastside Beginners
Serenity Break
H.O.W.
Women of Worth
Snoqualmie Stag
Bellevue Breakfast
Sober Women
Living Sober
Friday Night Firehouse
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Sara K.
Sheree P.
Susan M.
Ted W.
Tim B.
Tina B.
Travis S.
Hotline Backups:
Sheree P.
Pat A.
Bill R.
Steve C.
Bob F.
Coordinators:
Eric C. & Bill J.
Thank you January
Office Volunteers!
Carrie W.
Helen R.
Leah W.
Leslie G.
Rick L.
Steve C.
Susan H.
Ted W.
Wallene D.
Group Contributions District, GSO & Area Info
Eastside Intergroup:
Eastside Intergroup
13401 NE Bel-Red Rd. Suite
B6
Bellevue, WA 98007
Western WA Area 72
702 Kentucky St., #535
Bellingham, WA 98225
General Service Office (GSO)
P.O. Box 459
Grand Central Station
New York, NY 10163
District 34
Bellevue, Redmond, East Lake
Sammamish, Mercer Island
District 34
P.O. Box 50081
Bellevue, WA 98015
Ten
District 35
Issaquah
District 35
P.O. Box 442
Issaquah, WA 98027
District 36
Snoqualmie Valley, Duvall,
North Bend
District 36
P.O. Box 1963
North Bend, WA 98045
District 38
Kirkland
District 38
P.O. Box 322
Kirkland, WA 98083
District 39
Bothell, Kenmore, Woodinville
Thank you Intergroup Reps!
The following Intergroup Reps were in attendance at our meeting. See you on Thursday, Feb. 4th!
Andy G. – Core Relations, District 35 PI &
ESIG PI Chair
Beth L.—Reflections & Eastside Open
Breakfast
Betsy N.—Women of Worth & Sober Women
Brian G.—Living Sober
Charlie C.—Web Committee
Dan H.—Pine Lake Stag & ESIG Corrections
Chair
Eric C.—ESIG Hotline Coordinator
Erin A.—ESIG CPC Chair
Erin E.—District 34 Liaison
Garret V.—Eastside Men’s Group
Holly F.—Moss Bay
Jeannie H.—Essentials alternate
Jeffrey G.—POE
Jerry B.—Anchor Group
John K.—Sammamish Big Book Study & Live at
Pine Lake
Kathy H.—Sober Seniors
Kiera E.—District 35 Intergroup Rep
Kristi G. - Issaquah Tuesday Night & ESIG
Events Chair
Kyle M.—Maximum Service
LeighAnne D.—ESIG CPC Alternate
Lindsay L.—Maximum Service
Lisa S.—59 Minutes at Pine Lake
Margaret H.—Eastside Women
Margie C.—ESIG Web Committee
Matthew M.—LAPL Liaison
Phil K.—Area 72 Corrections Chair
Sheree H.—Fresh Start
Tim M.—A Way Up, Newport Hills Study
Group & ESIG Treatment Chair
Gracias! Thank You!
What does an Intergroup Rep do?
An Intergroup Rep is elected at his/her Home Group and attends the Eastside Intergroup Meeting
on the 1st Thursday of each month from 7:30pm to 8:30pm. You represent your home group at
the monthly meeting and hold a vote for your group.
Because Eastside Intergroup covers five Districts and is a central clearinghouse for local AA activities and information, you become a vital link between the Intergroup office, the Districts, and your
home group. The Intergroup Rep keeps his or her home group informed about work being done,
activities going on, etc. You become a part of the networking between Eastside Intergroup and the
groups.
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