(Unsubscription instructions are included at the end of this message.)
November 2009 e-AA Newsletter
This newsletter includes reports submitted from: Alternate/Acting Secretary, Sally; Treasurer, Ketra; Online Intergroup Representative, Susan; Grapevine Rep, Scott; Literature Committee Chair, Sheila; Twelve Step Coordinator, Todd; Email Coordinator, Ian; Forums Coordinator, Juanita; Real Time Coordinator, Pat; Links Editor, Arlena; and Listkeeper, Trish O. At the end is a link to the Winter 2009 About AA: A Newsletter for Professionals.
1. Alternate/Acting Secretary's Report, Sally
November was a very productive month. We filled 3 Trusted Servant positions and discussed the process of our elections.
Todd is the EHN (Email Help Now) 12th step Coordinator, Scott is our Grapevine Representative and Chris is now the Secretary for the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions email meeting (12and12). Welcome and thank you to all three of you.
I appreciate all the help i have received while acting as our Secretary. E-aa.org is a terrific group, and I am glad to be part of it.
2. Treasurer's Report, Ketra
Follow this link http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B8FVry85kLj6ZmFhM2VlYjYtYjkyYi00YTRhLWE4MDctM2ZjYTM3NWY0MjI0&hl=en
to view the Nov. (+ a few Dec. items) treasurer's report.
Top line:
We took in 136.95 and spent $402.53
BUT DON'T PANIC! Because of our new chat & hosting arrangements, our necessary prudent reserve is only around $450.00 (est.).
THUS, I did distributions of $200 to AAWS and $50 to OIAA.
ALSO INCLUDED is payment to our Chatblazer provider for 6 months of continued service through July 2010.
I left a little buffer for literature & unforeseen mishap, bringing our balance to a cushy $559.40.
For your convenience, contribution methods are:
PayPal:
http://www.e-aa.org/group_seventh.php
Mail:
The e-AA Group
732 Viader Ct.
Santa Clara, CA 95050
USA
3. Online Intergroup Rep's Report, Susan
All is well at the Online Intergroup, 'cept for the sudden resignation of the Chair, who resigned at the end of November. The alternate Chair, Jan BB stepped up as Chair as of December 1st, and there is currently a special election happening to elect an alternate Chair.
4. Grapevine Rep's Report, Scott
Our November Grapevine winner is Don C! We had 44 entries to the drawing this month. I have sent a reminder on Sunday every week.
November's Grapevine is, by tradition, the classics issue. Featuring some of the best stories published in the magazine over the last 65 years, it highlights the extraordinary growth of AA since its founding, affirms its unchanging principles and reminds us of the enduring nature of our disease. This year, the focus is on women, beginning with a story written in 1944 by Lois W., the wife of AA's co-founder. Sharing what it was like to wake up and find "drunks all over the house," Lois, Bill W.'s wife offers a vivid glimpse of the early days of the program and rare insight into the profound¡ªand not always happy¡ªimpact that AA had on her family.
Describing what it was like "lurching in and out of Saigon traffic" in search of a meeting in the 60s, "Surrender in Saigon," from the January 1988 issue, depicts what it was like trying to get sober when "drinking problems required administrative action (like firing) not treatment." In "Families First," from the January 1948 issue, the author tells what it was like coming to terms with the damage her alcoholism did to her children, when there were so few women in AA to turn to for support. But she prevails. "I can't give them a home but I can give them understanding," she realizes. "I have to create a home of the spirit in which we all have a part."
Inviting us to reach back in time and connect with the AAs who paved the way to our recovery, the stories in this issue assure us that this is a home in which we are all welcome. One story that really touched me was "Amends on the 50 yard line." About a father that was supposed to drive his 16 year old daughter as homecoming sophomore attendant around the football field, but while washing the convertible he would do it in, he decided a drink would sound good. Needless to say, by the time the event arrived, he needed to be held up as he was in a blackout. The man, finally had hit bottom, stating "I had finally hit the point of too much pain, for me and everyone around me. Through Rehab and then hard work in the AA program, two years later he was able to escort his daughter once again to the 50 yard line, this time as homecoming queen! Showing this program of AA and the love of God, can give us a chance to right our wrongs and become productive parts of society!
Subscriptions to the Grapevine can be ordered here: http://www.aagrapevine.org/catalog/shop/gvsuborder.php
The cost for a 1 year subscription is $27 for the USA, $31 for Canada and $39 for all other international orders.
Call for Articles: The AA Grapevine is your meeting. Please feel free to share. We are always looking for new stories to share with our readers, especially for our Special Sections. If you would like to share a story with us, please keep in mind that we need to receive it at least three months prior to publication. The Grapevine welcomes articles on every aspect of recovery in Alcoholics Anonymous
¡¡
We are always glad to get stories about helping others and working with professionals. In addition, we always welcome articles about the Traditions and the Twelve Steps. Suggested manuscript length is three to seven double-spaced pages. Include your full name, address, phone number, and e-mail address. Please keep a copy of your work because manuscripts cannot be returned. Refer to our Submission Guidelines for more information.
¡¡
Mail to:
Editorial department, Grapevine,
475 Riverside Drive, New York, New York 10115
or by email to
gveditorial@aagrapevine.org
5. Literature Committee Chair's Report, Sheila
Quiet this month, no Big Books sent. One story posted: "Incredible Journey: She had this moment when she realized that all the booze in the world couldn't make the pain go away." Go to the story browser http://e-aa.org/stories/index.php?pageNum_rsStoryBrowser=6&totalRows_rsStoryBrowser=37 to read it and check out the others that have been posted previously.
6. 12th Step Coordinator's Report, Todd
First and foremost: Thank you to members of the EHN Step-12 email list.
We are all part of a very valuable AA tool¡ Email Help Now¡ Thank you!
Thanks e-AA group members for allowing me to coordinate this list.
On 11-19-09 members approved me in the position.
So the following tally is from November 19, 2009:
Requests: 25
Replies approx: 58
Items we are working on:
1. Welcome letter for new persons to the committee
2. Reducing Reply Spam ~ Possible Change to the List-Email address.
We really want our replies to be opened, and not dumped as Spam.
7. Email Coordinator's Report, Ian
Karl has rotated out as secretary of the 12&12 email meeting. Chris S has stepped up to become the new secretary. I'd like to thank Karl
for his service. Karl remains on the email committee, at least as an observer.
Discussion has begun about the Safety Valve or SV email list. Whether we still want it. Whether we want to change it to be more of a "discussion lounge" rather than the implication of being there just for "letting off steam". This discussion is ongoing, and I have sought input from the SV participants.
There was also some discussion about making the Women' Lounge or WL email list a gender-neutral venue, there being a certain irony about an AA group hosting a "lounge" venue whereby a large proportion of the group's members are excluded.
If anyone has any opinion on these or any other matters relating to the email lists (how they function, new suggestions, etc.), I'd invite
them to contact me or one of the email meeting secretaries.
8. Forum Coordinator's Report, Juanita
The forum is active and running well. There is nothing new to report at this time.
9. Chat Coordinator's Report, Pat L.
e-AA's chat rooms continued to be busy during the month of November 2009. We've had an influx of new people, which is always a good thing. There were several technical issues with regard to the new server with ChatBlazer, our web hosting provider. Response time after I submitted service requests was sometimes deficient, resulting in people not being able to access the rooms, people being randomly bumped from the site after logging in, etc. I kept in solid touch with ChatBlazer each time these issues arose, and their customer service reps assured me that they would be resolved, which in time they were. In my opinion, they happen too often, and negatively impact our site accessibility.
We have placed a notice on the front page of the site, informing people that we have ongoing technical issues, and to keep trying to log in if they get error messages. I also have routinely encouraged people to let me know as soon as possible if they run into any problems associated with access to, or interruption while on, the site. People have been more than helpful in doing so, and I appreciate it.
We celebrated Thanksgiving with a successful alcathon, with solid volunteer participation, and a good turnout at meetings. My training as Chat Coordinator by my predecessor was intermittent and incomplete. I requested Dean's assistance in helping me to complete training, which he graciously said he would do. Jenny and Buster have been stellar and more than helpful in assisting me. We also welcomed Scott D. as the newest member of our admin team in November.
10. Links Editor's Report, Arlena
No new links were added in the month of November. We continue to check current links to make sure they are still active.
11. Listkeeper's Report, Trish O.
Things are running smoothly in the Listkeeping dept. Nothing new to report on this end.
12. In the Winter 2009 edition of About AA: A Newsletter for Professionals, the topic of spirituality vs. religion is addressed under the headlines "We Tread Innumerable Paths," "Keeping the Gateway Open," "'I've Come a Long Way,'" and "God As We Understood Him." To read these reflections and explanations intended for a non-AA professional's use in advocating AA, go here http://aaworldservicesinc.cmail4.com/t/y/l/uilyil/khuhukkir/r Very interesting contributions to discussions on the subject with the non-AA in your life :-)
--
You may automatically unsubscribe from this list at any time by visiting the following URL:
http://www.e-aa.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/u/eNews/
If the above URL is inoperable, make sure that you have copied the entire address. Some mail readers will wrap a long URL and thus break this automatic unsubscribe mechanism.
You may also change your subscription by visiting this list's main screen:
http://www.e-aa.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi?f=list&l=eNews
If you're still having trouble, please contact the list owner at: newsroom@e-aa.org
Web site address:
The e-AA Group
PO Box 712073
San Diego, CA 92171
256-825-1919
http://www.e-aa.org
Mailing List Powered by Dada Mail
