Central Office
#8 - 2020 Douglas St.
Victoria, BC, V8T 4L1
250-383-0415
Fax: 250-383-0417
[email protected]
www.aavictoria.ca
JULY
2015
24hr HELPLINE:
250-383-7744
WE ARE NOT A GLUM LOT
Is maintaining personal anonymity within AA a violation of
Tradition Eleven?
What- beyond protection from stigma-can
anonymity mean for a newcomer? For an
old-timer?
Several good discussion meetings could center on individual experiences with the
“spiritual substance” of anonymity
All three topics from Grapevine August 1981
Deadline for AUGUST In Touch is July 27th
You really ought to stop smoking
Don G., Hornell, N.Y.
C O N T AC T S w i t h C e n t r a l O f f i c e
Come and visit YOUR
local AA/Central Office,
JUNE 2015
AA
12 Step
General
CO
166
15
52
TAS
37
04
00
TAS
Missed: 08 No Stats: 04
EMAIL
178
Visits
Come on your own, bring your
sponsor / sponsee, a newcomer….See what we are all
about. We sell AA and
Grapevine Literature
164
WEBSITE 2219
TIGERTEL 02
Your IN TOUCH is a vehicle for AA information published after the Intergroup meeting, which is held on the 1st Thursday of each month.
Content is for information only; inclusion does not imply Intergroup endorsement or approval. AA World Services Inc. & AA Grapevine Inc. content is reprinted by permission.
1
LOCAL EVENTS, RALLIES,
N E W S & U P D AT E S
District 12 meeting,
1st Sunday of every
month, 6pm @ Gordon
United Church, 935
Goldstream Ave.
PI/CPC meeting 2nd Thu
of the month 5:15pm @
Central Office, 2020
Douglas St.
MEETINGS:
CHANGES, CANCELLATIONS
& NEW MEETINGS
William Head Roundup,
Aug 8, 12.30-5pm Clearance forms will be available
at Central Office. Please
submit prior to July 31.
Info Jeff 250-478-1579
[email protected]
Sober & Serene meeting has changed their name to
Peace of Mind and their new location is 4566 West
Saanich Rd. Saanich Community Church. Their meeting
will be held Tue, 7.30pm .Entrance double side doors off
parking lot.
Sidney Noon Serenity 10030-3rd St, (St Elisabeth’s
Church) has added two more meetings;
Tuesday & Thursday @ 7 am.
Effective immediately.
District 15 Fun in the Sun
Picnic, Aug 23, 11am-3pm
@ Centennial Park off Wallace Drive, Sidney. More
VICYPAA will be meeting info: Kevin
every 2nd and 4th
250-888-4795
Wednesday of the month
6 pm at Central Office.82020 Douglas Street
For more info; Benny
250-893-2774
CLUE invites women
in the fellowship to our
annual summer potluck
on Tuesday,
July 28, 2015 at 6:00 pm
at St. Patrick's Catholic
Church, 2060 Haultain,
followed by our open
birthday celebration &
regular meeting @7:30.
William Head meeting
could benefit from some
more volunteers to go into
the institution for Beachcombers AA meeting- If
you think this type of service work might interest
you then please contact
Jeff E. at 250-478-1579
New meeting; Sober Riders meeting, O, Sat 10am,
7728 Tsawout Rd,, Council Chamber. Starting Date July
4th More info Renee 250-891-6978
District 10 Workshop;
Social Media and
Anonymity, Sep 19, 10am2pm @ 511 Michigan,
James Bay United Church.
For more info contact Gayle;
250-385-1321
Sixty Minutes Monday, 7.30pm will be changing locations
starting Aug 3, to City Lights Church, 550 Obed Ave.
Sunny Side up Women’s Sobriety, Sat, 11am, 234
Menzies, James Bay New Horizons is changing from Joe
& Charlie Study to Tape/Discussion meeting. Effective
immediately.
Archives Chair is forming
a committee looking for
volunteers to help sort, inventory and preserve our
archives material
Contact Craig 250-216-8832
New A.A contact # for Salt Spring meetings
effective immediately 250-221-1559
Not in July directory until later July printing.
OUT OF TOWN EVENTS,
RALLIES & ROUNDUPS
If you are looking for
something to criticize in
this newsletter you will
probably find it.
We aim to please everyone!
Salt Spring Rally; Aug 14-15-16 @ Farmer’s
Institute, 351 Rainbow Rd, www.saltspringaa.org
Email; [email protected]
Pre-registration; Debbie; [email protected]
More Rally info; www.aa.org www.bcyukonaa.org
2
CHAIR REPORTS
LITERATURE CHAIR
T.A.S. CHAIR
Feel free to email me or visit central
office if you have any questions or
are requiring literature. Please remember that if you have a question
about AA policy , we probably have a
pamphlet that shares our collective
experience in that.
Rob Mc, [email protected]
We have been experiencing a number of missed shifts and late cancellations. It has been difficult to find
people to sub so last minute Please
give us a heads up so we have time
to find a replacement. We need
more volunteers!!
250-383-0415
TREASURER
We will have the finance report for the
months of July and August in the August In Touch. For info contact
Central office 250-383-0415
P.I. & C.P.C. CHAIR
Interested in learning more about or
participating in PIC/CPC activities?
Join us at our meetings on the second Thursday of the month, 5:15pm
at Central Office, or contact Jason,
the PIC/CPC Chair, at 778-430-2049
or by email at
[email protected]
CENTRAL OFFICE
WE are in real NEED for more males
and females to be added to our 12th
step list, and pm volunteers to add
their name to the sub list. Please contact us for more info. Volunteers welcome anytime.
Central Office is a great place to
be between meetings.
INTERGROUP CHAIR
During the summer it is common to
have a few visitors and it is very
helpful to them to have a supply of
current meetings. Please stop by
Central Office . Central Office has a
good supply of literature, medallions, current meetings, newcomer
packages, and
Adopt a Doctor packs.
Yilas, David C.
5 DISTRICTS CHAIR
Victoria AA has lots to look forward
to this summer. We are happy to
have Jade, the Alternate Delegate
from Area 79 visit us on June 28th.
The DCM’s are preparing to go to
the July Area 79 Quarterly in Williams Lake, and Intergroup is meeting in July for the 1st time in a long
while. Other events to look forward
to are the Salt Spring Rally, William
Head Round Up and many more
great times coming up to enjoy our
sobriety in 5 Districts.
Yours in Love and Service,
Emma C.
HELPING OTHERS
July 24
Our very lives , as ex problem
drinkers, depend upon our constant
thought of others and how we may
help meet their needs
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p 20
Self-centeredness was my problem.
All my life people had been doing
things for me and I not only expected
it, but I was ungrateful and resentful
they didn’t do more. Why should I help
others, when they were supposed to
help me? I was filled with self-pity,
anger and resentment. Then I learned
that by helping others, with no thought
of return, I could overcome this
obsession with selfishness, and if I
understood humility, I would know
peace and serenity.
No longer do I need to drink
SUITING UP &
SHOWING UP
INTERGROUP REPRESENTATIVES
at your July 02, 2015
Intergroup meeting:
There were 20 people present with
12 Non-Voting members and 08 Voting
members
Akron, Attitude Adjustment, C.L.U.E,
Daybreak, Discovery,
It Works, Keystone, Living Today,
Process to Recovery,
Sidney Noon Serenity,
Sixty Minutes, Soberettes,
Come check out intergroup and let your
group have a voice
For more info call Central Office
250-383-0415
3
BOOK
of the
MONTH
Here is Bill W., the man everybody
knew and nobody knew. Here too, inextricably entwined with his life, is the
dramatic story of the founding of
Alcoholics Anonymous, its early
struggles and amazing growth.
Bill’s character was complex and
contradictory. Although we always
tried to place him on a pedestal, he
strove for genuine humility, declining
honors and stressing the spiritual
value of anonymity. The co-founder
of A.A., he was never a member of
A.A., because we never allowed him
to be. Ego-driven, he nevertheless
always gave credit to others: to Ebby,
to Dr Bob, to Lois, as appropriate. A
charismatic leader, he eschewed
power and “was willing to let go of us
before we were willing to let go of
him” (in Dr Jack Norris’ words). He
has been hailed as one of the most
significant figures of the 20th century;
yet a nonalcoholic typist for the
manuscript of this book commented,
Isn’t it too bad he never did anything
with his life!”
In these pages is the full and
rounded story of a remarkable life;
The boy growing up in Vermont, always striving to be Number One. The
army officer serving over there” in
World War I. Bill’s romance and marriage to Lois. The fair haired boy of
Wall Street plummeting to rum-soaked
despair. Ebby T. and Dr Silkworth,
Bill’s spiritual experience, and his
meeting with Dr. Bob. And of special
significance to the A.A. reader, Bill’s
role in Alcoholics Anonymous.
In preparation over five years, this
is the definitive biography of Bill W.
Every word is documented, every
source is
checked. For
the scholar
this volume is
invaluable.
For all of us, it
is exciting
reading.
Quotes from the 1940 AA Preamble:
“We have all come to know that as alcoholics we are suffering from a serious illness for which medicine has
no cure.”
“Our condition may be the result of an allergy which makes us different from other people. It has never been
by any treatment with which we are familiar, permanently cured. The only relief we have to offer is absolute
abstinence, the second meaning of A.A.”
“An Alcoholics Anonymous is an alcoholic who through application and adherence to the A.A. program has
forsworn the use of any and all alcoholic beverage in any form.”
“We do not speak for A.A. as a whole and you are
free to agree or disagree as you see fit, in fact, it is
suggested that you pay no attention to anything
which might not be reconciled with what is in the
A.A. Big Book.”
“If you don't have a Big Book, it's time you bought
one. Read it, study it, live with it, loan it, scatter it,
and then learn from it what it means to be an A.A.”
Yours in service, Craig T., Archives Chair
4
Group Information pg S 28
It is important for the group to send information to each of the following entities: G.S.O.
and the district, the area and to
the local intergroup/central office. While local,
area and national offices
communicate regularly, they have different
purposes and different mailing lists.
Two simplified forms have been developed to facilitate transmittal of information to
G.S.O.: 1) Alcoholics Anonymous New
Group Form is for one time-use only, when a
new group is started; 2) the Group
Information Change Form is to be filled in
whenever a groups changes its name or
meeting address, elects a new G.S.R., reports a change of address and/or
phone number, reports the designation of a
new second contact, or reports a
change of address or phone number for the
second contact. To assure direct and regular communication between the group and
G.S.O., each group is assigned a
service number. It is helpful to refer to
this number when writing to G.S.O.
and when sending contributions.
We learn that Step 1, 2, and 3 tell us “Give up.”
Step 4, 5, and 6 tell us, “Clean up.”
Step 7, 8, and 9 tell us, “Make up.”
And Step 10, 11, and 12 tell us, to “grow up.”
5
Your AA Central Office in Victoria keeps track
of all the groups, their service
numbers, addresses, contact info for groups
as well. We send a group
info form out every year.
Make sure your groupinfo is up to date
at your AA Central Office.
Want to check your groups Info 250-383-0415
PA M P H L E T P I C K S
PAMPHLET # P-47
These newsletters include information about
A.A. history and current activities; sharing
What is the purpose of anonymity in Alcoholics
Anonymous? Why is if often referred to as the greatest
single protection the Fellowship has to assure it’s continued existence and growth?
If we look at the history of A.A. from it’s beginning in
1935 until now, it is clear that anonymity serves two different yet equally vital functions:
 At the personal level, anonymity provides protection
for all members from identification as alcoholics, a
safeguard often of special importance to newcomers.
 AT the public level of press, radio, TV, films and other
media technologies such as the Internet, anonymity
stresses the equality in the Fellowship of all members
by putting the brake on those who might otherwise
exploit their A.A. affiliation to archive recognition,
power, or personal gain
When using the digital media, A.A. members are responsible for their own anonymity and that of others.
When we post, text, or blog, we should assume that we
are publishing at the
public level. When we
break our anonymity in
these forums, we may
inadvertently break the
anonymity of others.
from groups, service committees, and individual A.A. members; and notices
of upcoming events.
About A.A. is the newsletter from the
General Service Office of the U.S. and
Canada for professionals of all types
who deal with alcoholics, including
professionals in the fields of healthcare,
law, corrections and clergy.
Box 4-5-9 is a quarterly news bulletin from
the U.S./Canada General Service Office.
This newsletter includes information about
A.A. service, literature, events, sharing from
groups, service committees and individual
U.S./Canada A.A. members.
Other content:
Anonymity on a person-to-person basis.
Anonymity at the
public level.
The Archives eNewsletter, Markings features
Some questions and
answers about anonymity.
stories about the history of A.A. and articles
relating to the Archives profession for A.A.
local Archivists involved ingathering and
preserving the Fellowship ’s history.
Facts about anonymity
in A.A.
6
CALENDAR
SUN
JULY/AUGUST 2015
MON
TUE
WED
THU
FRI
SAT
6
7
8
VICYPAA 6 pm
Central Office
more info pg 2
9
10
PI/CPC @ 5:15pm
Central Office.
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
VICYPAA 6 pm
Central Office
more info pg 2
23
24
25
26
5 Districts meeting;, 2 pm.
@ 1611 Quadra/
Mason John the
Divine Church
27
28
29
C.L.U.E
Annual summer
potluck. More
info pg 2
30
31
1
5
District 12
Meeting, 6pm
@Gordon United
Church, 935 Goldstream Ave
JULY
JULY 27 is
the deadline
for the AUG
IN TOUCH
AUG
2
District 12
Meeting, 6pm
@Gordon United
Church, 935 Goldstream Ave
3
CENTRAL
OFFICE
CLOSED
4
5
6
Steering Committee meeting
6 pm @ Central
Office.
Intergroup meeting @ 7.30pm @
901 Kings
7
7
August In Touch
ready for pick up
by 11 am @ Central Office
8
William Head
Round Up
More info pg 2