TRADITION 11 THE STEPS & THE TRADITIONS

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1 Scaan SOUTH COUNTY AA NEWSLETTER South Palm Beach County Intergroup Association, Inc. Serving A.A. Groups in Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach and Lantana 32 Years of Service ~ The Hand of AA Hours a Day Volume 32, Issue 11 NOVEMBER 2016 TRADITION 11 Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain anonymity at the level of press, radio, and films. Have you ever seen a television show or movie that depicts an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting? It s funny how they always get it wrong. Why is this you may ask? Because you have to experience it. You see and you feel the fellowship you cannot read about it or see it on a screen. That is Tradition Eleven s principal attraction rather than promotion. In Alcoholics Anonymous we never praise ourselves. As the newcomer who walks into their first meeting witnesses what we have that newcomer is excited and cannot wait to get it only to find out that you don t get anything. How we spend our time is in giving it away. Now, the treatment centers can advertise on television and radio. God bless them. Their purpose is to make money. They do a wonderful job in describing addiction the psychological approach the hidden traps of the mind. Alcoholics Anonymous deals only with the alcoholic and his spiritual condition. Alcoholics Anonymous must be doing something right... over three million alcoholics have recovered. Because it works. So our best advertisement is our sober members happy, joyous and free. Imagine this if you will. You are at home one evening watching television, a commercial comes on and the spokes person says Hi, I m Tommy B. and Alcoholics Anonymous is the place to be! From alcohol you will be free. And from this commercial I do newspaper articles I do guest spots on Dr. Phil and other medical shows I become a spokesman for Alcoholics Anonymous. I wind up building a large following. And then I go out and get drunk again now all those people who followed and believed in me now believe Alcoholics Anonymous does not work. AA dies and so do we. If you think that is strong language I am sorry but it is true. We, the fellowship, must protect this gift that was so freely given to us. We cannot allow the program of recovery contained in the 164 pages of Alcoholics Anonymous to be tampered with in any way. And as our fellowship grows, our love for one another must grow. It is with our laughter that we promote ourselves. We must all remember that we are here because of our loving God and to that end we make sure that Alcoholics Anonymous will be here for alcoholics yet to come. Always remembering our primary purpose to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety. Love and service, Tommy B. THE STEPS & THE TRADITIONS STEP 11 - Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out. TRADITION 11 - Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio and films.

2 Bakersfield, Cal. Californian, March 1944 Questions and Answers by Frederic J. Haskin Q. Please give some information about Alcoholics Anonymous P.W. A. This is a brotherhood of alcoholics who are banded together to help one another combat their common enemy, alcoholism. The organization has no salaried officers, no due, no house organ. It does not solicit funds. Each member is a one-man or one-woman membership committee, bringing to meetings friends or new acquaintances who need help in their fight against alcohol. SPBCI Archives Committee Archives Committee Chair Mike B. GRAPEVINE ANNUAL PHOTO CONTEST aagrapevine.org/photocontest Each year, Grapevine holds a competition for photographers to be featured in our Wall Calendar. We d love to see your most striking photographs that reflect the joy of living, serenity and other sobriety themes. Contributors of selected photos will receive a complimentary copy of the new Wall Calendar. All photograph submissions due by December 1, SPBCI Holiday Schedule Office Closed November 11 November 24, 25 and 26 December 23, 24 and 26 December 30 and 31 January 2, 2017 Page 2

3 South Palm Beach County Intergroup - Profit & Loss - September 2016 New Intergroup Reps. Big Book Adventure ~ Kyle R. Happy Hour Group ~ Renne S. West Boynton Group ~ Joe H. Women s BBSS Delray ~ Melissa P. Office Volunteers Charlie, Dennis, George, Hunter, Joe H., John B., Josh, Josh M., Linette, Marianne, Mike, Sarah R., Stan, Tommy, Cecilia and Sarah S. THANK YOU! Intergroup Activity Log Sep 16 12th Step Calls 2 First Call to AA 12 Meeting Inquiries 79 Business Inquiries 128 Walk-Ins 258 QB Sales Receipts 250 Page 3

4 GROUP CONTRIBUTIONS: SEPTEMBER 2016 AND YEAR-TO-DATE 2016 Page 4

5 AA HOTLINE RELAY PHONE The Hand of AA is Available 24 Hours a Day! November - Spiritual Awakenings December - Drunk Squad January - Thursday Men s Solution February - New Beginnings March - Boca Women s Group April - Boca Boyz November 24 Delray Central House Group Thanksgiving Day Feast Anniversary Meeting moved to the 7:00 PM andrewberzak@gmail.com May 11-14, 2017 Big Book Seminar, Boca Raton Intergroup Business Meeting Minutes September 28, 2016 AA EVENTS FAITHFUL FIVERS With Gratitude for their support: Michael G. and Linda P. November 3-6 Intergroup/Central Office/A.A.W.S./Grapevine Seminar Kansas City, MO November National A.A. Technology Workshop (NAATW) Winston, Salem, NC December 2-4 Southeast Regional Forum Lake Mary Marriott - Lake Mary serfnfac2016@gmail.com OTHER EVENTS The Other Events listed below are presented solely as a service to SCAAN readers, not as an endorsement by SPBCI. November 5-6:30 PM No Matter What Group Gratitude Dinner Advent Lutheran Church Gymnasium - $25 per ticket (Frank) (Scott) BIRTHDAY CLUB SOUTH PALM BEACH COUNTY INTERGROUP CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ANNIVERSARY! Your donation goes to help the valuable services provided by Intergroup including the AA hotline, meeting schedules, 12 step work, literature inventory, SCAAN newsletter and hospital/institution meetings. Name Anniversary Date Home Group Contribution* $ *Recommended contribution is $1 for every year of sobriety. If you would like a reminder notice next year, please fill out the address portion below or provide an address. Address City Chair: Cheryl S: The meeting opened with a moment of silence followed by the Serenity Prayer. Chair called for approval of last month s minutes; Bari W. made a motion to approve August 31, 2016 minutes. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously. Chair welcomed new group reps. Chair announced that Intergroup is always interested in ideas and suggestions from the body to benefit our AA community and suggested that Intergroup reps discuss with their homegroups ways on how to distribute excess funds in the future. Vice Chair: Billy R: Vice Chair reached out to all new reps and asked anyone he hasn t spoken to yet to please get in touch with him. Treasurer: Gary K: Thank you to Jeannie for running the financials reports in QuickBooks and sending them to me. For August 2016, we had a net revenue of $442. Year to date Big Book sales and total sales are ahead of last year, contribution income is down less than 1%, net revenue is also less than last year. Comparing August of this year to August of last year, contributions from the groups is down, sales are ahead. As motioned and passed by the body, we have made the distribution of our funds over and beyond our projected needs and prudent reserve. That distribution was made in September and will be reflected on the September statements presented in October. Group contributions received through the end of last month are included in this report. We remain transparent in our financial reporting. The P&L statement and group contributions will continue to be included in the SCAAN, are available online. Members may also stop into the Intergroup office anytime to review the reports. Please feel free to reach out to me should you have any questions or suggestions. Remember, this is your Intergroup. Thank you for the opportunity to be your treasurer. Secretary: Jay W: Please remember to sign in on the Intergroup Rep rosters on your way in. Thank you! Office Manager: Jeannie G: Thank you to the Office Volunteer Staff, and all my fellow AA s willing to do service for Alcoholics Anonymous. The Where and When October 2016 is now available for purchase. Copies are located on the sign in table. Please note the office will be closed Monday, October 10th in observance of Columbus Day. New Group Reps: Kyle R. from Big Book Adventure Club, Renee S. from Happy Hour Group, and Melissa P. from Women s Big Book Study Committee Reports: Archivist: Michael G: No report. Excused absence. Archives: Mike B: Elected this month! Report to follow next month. Bridge the Gap: Bari W (women): Bridged one woman from a treatment center in Delray to her hometown of Tampa. If you work in treatment, or know someone who is going home, please State/Zip Page 5

6 let them know we have this service. Tom K (men): Elected this month! Report to follow next month. General Service Liaison: Maria L: Did not make it to the meeting this month due to transportation issues but that issue has been sorted and will be present each month moving forward. Group Information: Open position. Public Information: Dan M: Jeannie G. gave me a Public Information book with ideas and suggestions from World Services. I also met Michael G., our Intergroup Archivist. Michael G. previously had this position and he provided me insight, suggestions and guidance. Michael G. and Jeannie G. put together a supply of brochures, books, and literature for me. I will carry the box in my car as I make monthly calls. I initially plan on spending 2-4 hours a week. Hospitals and Institutions: Natasha V (women): Received full list of meetings and current volunteers from office manager. Currently updating list by reaching out to listed volunteers and confirming their commitment. There are currently open positions to lead meetings, and have also received notification of one more about to open up in the month of October. Two new meetings have started and I am still seeking a female volunteer to chair a meeting on Thursday nights. Proposed a volunteer sign up sheet to Steering Committee to be discussed at their business meeting. I am hoping having a list of willing volunteers to run meetings will aid me in finding chairs for new meeting requests, fill positions as people finish their commitments and to fill in when chairpersons cannot make their meeting. I suggested these sheets could be given to intergroup reps to discuss with their group members. Adam P (men): Elected this month! Report to follow next month. SCAAN: John T: No report received. Excused absence. Articles are always welcome and can be submitted to the Intergroup office. Telephone Relay: Tony C: Phone relay is covered through June. No issues to report. Where & When: Sheryl M: Excused absence. No report. 12th Step Committee: Emily L (women): Excused absence. No report. Steve J (men): I called all the men s numbers remaining on the list that did not contact me back. Those that didn t respond I removed from the list. I added the new names that wanted to be added. Now I just have to send the updated list to Intergroup so it can be available at Intergroup and added to the binder for the Intergroup after hours phone. I plan to have that done by next business meeting. Liaison to North County Intergroup: Kendall C: Hello my name is Kendall and I am an alcoholic. So here s what s going on in North Palm Beach County: Ed the office manager is slowly but surely getting better. They have November Service Meetings November 13 District 8 General Service Business Meeting - Triangle Club 4:00 PM: GSR/DCM SHARING 4:40 PM DISTRICT 8 BUSINESS MEETING November 16 SPBC Intergroup Steering Committee Meeting Wednesday, 5:30 PM - SPBCI Office November 30 SPBC Intergroup Monthly Business Meeting Wednesday, 7:00 PM - Delray Central House been training volunteers in the mean time to pick up the slack in office operations. The special needs committee is looking for volunteers willing to bring meetings to homebound and hospitalized alcoholics. Also they need people to provide transportation to and from meetings and other AA events for the blind. The institutions committee reminded us that the Big Book Ball is coming up and they are getting together committees and need support. More information will be coming soon. Thank you for allowing me to service. Old Business: Committee Elections: Vice Chair facilitated elections for the following open positions: Archives Chair, Mike B. was elected. Bridge the Gap (men), Tom K. was elected. H&I (men), Adam P. was elected. Group Information, no one stood and the election will continue again next month. New Business: A Gratitude Dinner: Frank J. announced that a Gratitude Dinner will be hosted by the No Matter What Group November 5th at Advent Lutheran for $25 a ticket. Next Business Meeting: October 26, 2016 Closed meeting with the Lord s Prayer. Respectfully, Jay W. South Palm Beach County Intergroup Association, Inc South Federal Highway Building C, Suite Delray Beach, FL hours: southcountyaa@comcast.net Website: Office Hours Monday-Friday: 9am - 5pm Saturday: 10am - 1pm STEERING COMMITTEE Chair - Cheryl S. Vice Chair - Billy R. Treasurer - Gary K. Secretary - Jay W. Office Manager - Jeannie G. COMMITTEES Archives Mike B. Archivist Michael G. Bridge the Gap - Men Tom K. Bridge the Gap - Women Bari W. General Services Liaison Maria L. Group Information OPEN Hospitals & Institutions (W) Natasha V. Hospitals & Institutions (M) Adam P. Liaison to North County Intergroup Kendall C. Public Information Dan M. SCAAN John T. Telephone Relay Tony C. Twelve Step Committee - Men Steve J. Twelve Step Committee - Women Emily L. Where & When Sheryl M.

TRADITION 10 THE STEPS & THE TRADITIONS

TRADITION 10 THE STEPS & THE TRADITIONS Scaan SOUTH COUNTY AA NEWSLETTER South Palm Beach County Intergroup Association, Inc. Serving A.A. Groups in Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach and Lantana 32 Years of Service ~ 1984-2016 The Hand