SOBER NEWS
New York Inter-Group – Spring 2010
307 Seventh Avenue @ 28th Street, Room 201
New York, NY 10001-6007
212-647-1680, 914-949-1200
TDD for the Deaf 212-647-1649, Fax 212-647-1648
www.nyintergroup.org
[email protected]
The 7th Tradition: It’s a “We” Thing…
When I was approached about taking on the position as
Treasurer for NY Inter-group, my first thought was, ”Um…NO”.
I didn’t want to do it, didn’t like the fact that it was a 2 year
position (Fear of Commitment, Party of One please…), and felt I
wasn’t qualified (This is coming from a bookkeeper mind you).
I laid out these reasons to my sponsor, waited for him to concur,
and was met with a very loving : “I THINK IT’S A GREAT
IDEA. YOU NEED TO DO THIS. ISN’T IT TIME YOU
GREW UP?” So, armed with that bit of inspiration I wandered
into the position. I’ve never regretted a moment of it since. It
has completely changed my sobriety.
I soon discovered my ignorance of the 7th Tradition, and always
thought it was just a matter of a buck in the basket, and forget the
rest. Little did I know that when I contribute a couple dollars as
an individual, I’m playing a big part of the “We” in the 7th
Tradition. WE are self-supporting. My later sponsor would
point out to me that I have a spiritual responsibility to contribute
to the basket, and that my group has a spiritual responsibility to
contribute to the services structure of A.A. (Inter-Group, GSO,
Area, District) We are self-supporting so that A.A. as a whole can
do the vital 12th Step work that is needed.
As many of you know, the NY Inter-Group Steering Committee
have been getting the word out about declining contributions
over the last year. Your response to this call has been amazing,
and your efforts have been evident. I’m very happy (and
GRATEFUL) to report that the “We” of Alcoholics Anonymous
has STEPPED UP over the last few months, and significant
progress has been made in narrowing the gap of group contributions. We’ve also re-couped approximately 10% of the 33% dip in
the Prudent Reserve. This is certainly proof, that WE…are
responsible. Thank you all. Let’s keep up the great work!
Yours in Service,
Brian C
Treasurer, NY - Intergroup
The Big Meeting
Sunday June 13th, 2010, 1:00pm – 3:00pm.
(Doors open a t 12:15pm)
New York Hilton Hotel, 1335 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10019 (between 53rd & 54th streets)
3rd floor Grand Ballroom.
An open three-speaker meeting that celebrates the 75th
anniversary of Alcoholics Anonymous’ founding date, June
10th, 1935 (the date of A.A.’s co-founder Dr. Bob’s last drink).
There is no admission fee and no tickets are necessary. A
Seventh Tradition collection will be taken.
For further information about The Big Meeting,
please contact the New York Inter-Group office
at 212-647-1680 or 914-949-1200.
The Bill W. Dinner Table Lottery
Thursday June 17th, 2010, 7:00pm
New York Hilton Hotel
1335 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10019
(between 53rd & 54th streets)
2nd Floor, Murray Hill Suite
(call NY Intergroup for further information)
Sober News - Spring 2010
1
Young People in AA InternationalConference
Every year, one lucky city is selected to host a four day AA event
called the International Conference of Young People in Alcoholics Anonymous (ICYPAA.) This year, New York City and the
AA community here, have the privilege of hosting. The conference will take place August 26-29, 2010 at the Marriott Marquis
in Times Square.
ICYPAA is an annual celebration of sobriety in Alcoholics
Anonymous where thousands of AAs of all ages gather together
to have meetings, fellowship, and most importantly to carry the
AA message of recovery, unity, and service. Since the first
ICYPAA, which took place in Niagara Falls, NY in 1958, NYC
has been selected to host the event three times (1982, 1993 and
now 2010.)
To put something like this together takes a tremendous amount
of effort by a lot of AAs. Leading up to the conference, help is
needed in planning the program, getting the word out, and
throwing events. During the ICYPAA weekend we're going to
need hundreds of volunteers to help out with registering attendees, providing security, helping out-of-towners with transportation questions (subway/airport/on-foot directions, etc.), and
much, much more. In addition to all of this conference-related
activity, we do things like take meetings to Riker's Island, answer
phones for New York Inter-Group, and have a 12th Step service
where we meet people who contact us via our web site and bring
them to a meeting. Any member of AA can help us out - we'd
love the company on this journey.
Our efforts in getting the word out about this year's ICYPAA
have crossed the globe, but we want to make sure that people
right here in the city know what's going on. We have more AA
members in New York City than any other city in the world, and
it is important that every group knows that ICYPAA is a part of
AA, is for drunks of all ages, and is happening in Times Square
August 26-29, 2010. We need your help to make that happen.
If you want to book a hotel room or register for the conference,
you can visit our web site at www.icypaahost.org. Registration
costs $30 until August 4th and $35 at the door. Some people
who have been pre-registering have also been including a little bit
extra as a scholarship contribution. At ICYPAA, all of the
scholarship funds that have been given will be used toward
registrations for those who can’t afford to pay.
For more information, email [email protected]. If you
want to find out more information about the conference or are
interested in doing service, you can reach the chair, Daniel S., by
phone at (718) 755-5398 or by email at [email protected].
We hope you will join us at what is sure to be an experience you
must not miss.
In fellowship,
Daniel S.
52nd ICYPAA Chair
2
Note from the Big Meeting Chair
Hi, I my name is Jamie, and I am happy to serve as the Big
Meeting Chair. I love AA, and have been involved with service
since I came in. The Big Meeting, AA’s Birthday, has a date –
Sunday, June 13th. This year it is sponspored by Westchester, and
I am happy to serve as your Chair. We are still awaiting Speaker
Nominations – the deadline for that is March 22nd.
We are still looking for Volunteers on all our committees and we
hope to see you at our next planning meeting here at the Intergroup Office on March 11th at 7:30 pm. Any questions, please
call me at 914-777-3294 or email at [email protected].
Jamie
The Bill W. Dinner
Saturday November 13th, 2010
Afternoon Program �Free� 1:00 – 4:00pm.
The Bill W. Dinner begins promptly at 7:00pm
New York Hilton Hotel, 1335 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10019 �between 53rd & 54th streets
3rd floor Grand Ballroom.
This event celebrates the 76th anniversary of A.A.s’ co�founder
Bill W.’s sobriety date �December 11th, 1934�. It is New York
Inter�Group’s only annual fundraiser and the net proceeds help
keep the doors open, the phones answered, etc.
The ticket price for the 2010 Bill W. Dinner will be �100.00.
There is no charge for attending the Afternoon Program.
For further information about The 2010 Bill W. Dinner and
the Bill W. Dinner Afternoon Program, please contact the
New York Inter�Group office at 212�647�1680 or 914�949�1200.
The Corrections and Treatment
Facilities Committee’s 55th Annual
Literature Fund Dinner
Saturday July 24th, 2010 8:00pm.
Antun’s Restaurant
96-43 Springfield Blvd., Queens Village, NY
The committee’s annual and only fundraiser event,
the net proceeds are used solely to purchase A.A.
Conference approved literature that is distributed in
the treatment and correctional facilities it services.
Tickets and Information:
Tickets are $65.00 each
Available at the New York Inter-Group
office Monday through Friday between
9:00am and 5:00pm.
For further information about this event,
please call the New York Inter-Group office
at 212-647-1680 or 914-949-1200).
Sober News - Spring 2010
To Wi-Fi or not to Wi-Fi?
If you’ve been to either of the last two Quarterly Delegates
Meetings, you’re bound to have heard some of the discussion
about the pros and cons of putting Wi-Fi in at the Inter-group
office. Some of you, like me, doubtless have various wireless
devices and are completely comfortable in the world of wireless
technology, while some of you might not even know what I’m
talking about.
So here is a little primer on Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi is a clever play on words
on the older standards of Lo-Fi (Low Fidelity) and Hi-Fi (High
Fidelity). It is a technology that allows people to connect to the
Internet without having any cords attached to their devices, that
is to say, wirelessly. (Wi-Fi - get it?) Most laptop computers,
Palms, iPod Touches, iPhones, and ’Droid phones also have
wireless capabilities meaning that they can access the Internet
from anywhere that is a “Wi-Fi Hotspot.” Hotspots have crept up
all over the city and the world: most City parks are hotspots.
Coffee-shops, luncheonettes, libraries, and various other places as
well. At all of these places people with any sort of wireless device
can check their email, update their Facebook status, Tweet, etc.,
usually for free, but sometimes for a small fee. The point is that
Wi-Fi is everywhere and probably here to stay.
So what’s the discussion about having Wi-Fi at Inter-group? Well,
there are lots of different thoughts and opinions about it. What it
boils down to is that some folks feel strongly that having a Wi-Fi
hotspot installed at Inter-group would draw many more volunteers in to the office as phone volunteers knowing that they could
bring their laptops and get some work done between calls or even
perhaps use their laptops to help AAs calling from outside the
New York area to help quickly find the phone number for their
local Inter-group. But wait, you say, there are directories for that
in the office! And people sitting behind their laptops updating
their Facebook isn’t the fellowship that “ought to be” when a
person is answering phones at Inter-group. Perhaps! But perhaps
Wi-Fi will draw all sorts of new volunteers who will experience a
world of service they never would have known.
There are as many opinions on this matter as there are AAs. If
you’d like to weigh in on the subject, talk to your Delegate, come
to the Quarterly Delegates Meeting, or send me an email at
[email protected] or call Intergroup at (212)647-1680.
The Inter-group Steering Committee is actively discussing this
very topic and has received some thoughtful proposals for how to
make it a reality. We would love to hear from you.
Yours in service,
Matt B.
Interim Secretary, New York Inter-group Steering Committee
What is the
Anniversary Club?
The Anniversary Club is just one more way to show
our gratitude and help the still sick and suffering
alcoholic. New York Inter-Group’s Anniversary Club
is a simple way for AA members to show their support by contributing each year on their sober anniversary. The suggested donation is $1.00 for each
year of sobriety.
Every year, Anniversary Club members receive
Anniversary Club cards from New York Inter-Group
during the month of their anniversary celebration.
Anniversary Club donations are used to do 12th step
work and to help defray the cost of updating, printing
and distributing the Greater New York City Meeting
Book, to pay the phone bill at the main office so that
the phones will be answered, etc...
Joining the Anniversary Club is easy! Simply mail
the coupon in the Meeting Book (see the cover for
the page, under ‘Celebrate your A.A. Anniversary’)
along with your check to:
New York Inter-Group Anniversary Club
307 Seventh Ave., Room 201
New York, NY 10001-6007
Office Telephone and Call Forwarding
Volunteer Orientation
New York Inter-Group office, 307 7th Avenue,
@ 27th & 28th Streets, Room 201, Manhattan, 10001.
Orientations are held:
Monday morning between 9 AM and 1:30 PM
Wednesday through Friday between 6 PM and 9 PM
Saturday afternoon between 1:30 P.M. and 6 P.M.
No appointment is necessary for those time periods. If you are
unable to attend one of the listed times, please contact a New
York Inter-Group staff member at (212) 647-1680 to arrange a
convenient orientation time. One-year of continuous sobriety
is required to answer telephones at New York Inter-Group.
MEETING CHANGES
Has your group changed meeting times or days,
moved to a new meeting place, or discontinued
a meeting? If so, please help to keep the Meeting
Book accurate by filling out the form on the back
cover of the Meeting Book and mailing it in to:
New York Inter-Group
307 Seventh Ave., Room 201
New York, NY 10001-6007.
Sober News - Spring 2010
3
New York Inter-Group Calendar of Events
March 9th
Westchester Corrections and Treatment Facilities Committee Meeting, 7: 30 P.M.,
Immaculate Conception Church, 199 North Broadway, 2nd floor, Tarrytown Pocantico
Hills: 1 meeting place, @ College Avenue, Route 9. Sleepy Hollow, NY 10591. Meeting
is held on the 2nd Tuesday each month same time and location.
11th
2010 Big Meeting Planning Committee Meeting, 7:30P.M., New York Inter-Group
Office, 307 7th Avenue, @ 27th & 28th Streets, Room 201, Manhattan 10001.
13th
Corrections and Treatment Facilities Literature Packing, 10 A.M., NY Inter-Group
Office, 307 7th Ave., @ 27th & 28th St., Room 201, Manhattan 10001. Literature packing on the 2nd Saturday of each month, same time, location. Newcomers always welcome.
Spanish Language Corrections and Treatment Facilities Committee Meeting, 3:00 P.M.,
Spanish Intergroup Office, Oficina Central Hispania de A.A., 2234 First Avenue @ 120th
Street, Manhattan 10029, Meeting is the 2nd Saturday each month, same time, location.
18th
Manhattan Corrections and Treatment Facilities Committee Meeting, 6:30 P.M., NY
Inter-Group Office, 307 7th Avenue, Room 201, @ 27th & 28th Streets, Manhattan
10001. Meeting is held on the 3rd Thursday each month, same time and location.
Queens Corrections and Treatment Facilities Committee Meeting, 7 P.M., Christ Congregational church 85-27 91st Street, @ 85th Road Church Hall on Ground Floor,
Woodhaven, NY 11421. Meeting is the 3rd Thursday each month, same time, location.
19th
Bronx Corrections and Treatment Facilities Committee Meeting, 7:00 P.M., St. Nicholas
of Tolentine, @ Fordham Road and Andrews Avenue, University Heights group meeting
place, Bronx 10468. Meeting is the 3rd Friday each month, same time, location.
20th
Westchester Area Forum, 9:30 A.M., First Baptist Church, in the Wilson House, Bryant
Avenue and North Street, enter parking lot on Bryant Avenue, White Plains, NY 10605.
Meeting is held every other month, same time and location.
Bronx Area Forum, 11:00 A.M. to 12:30 P.M., Bedford Park Congregational Church,
3008 Bainbridge Avenue, Gunhill group meeting place, Bronx 10458. Meeting is held on
the 3rd Saturday every other month, same time and location.
20th
Brooklyn Area Forum, 2:00 P.M., Queen of All Saints Church, 300 Vanderbilt Avenue,
between Lafayette & Dekalb Ave., Brooklyn 11205. (Army Plaza Group) Meeting is
held on the 3rd Saturday every other month, same time and location.
Queens Area Forum, 4:00 P.M., Good Shepherd Methodist Church, 30-44 Crescent
Street Astoria, NY 11102. Enter on 30th Road; the meeting is in the Basement. Meeting
held on the 3rd Saturday every other month, same time and location.
21st
2010 Bill W. Dinner Planning Committee Meeting, 1:00P.M., New York Inter-Group
Office, 307 7th Avenue, @ 27th & 28th Streets, Room 201, Manhattan 10001.
22nd
Staten Island Corrections and Treatment Facilities Committee Meeting, 7:00 P.M., How
Club 552 Port Richmond Avenue Staten Island, NY 10302. Meeting is held on the 4th
Monday each month, same time and location.
27th
Brooklyn Corrections and Treatment Facilities Committee Meeting, 1:00 P.M., 103
Quincy Street, Between Franklin & Classon Avenue, Basement (Daily Reflection Group),
Brooklyn 11238. Meeting is the last Saturday each month, same time, location.
Date To Be Announced Please call the office for the date and time.
Group Relations Committee Meeting, 6:30P.M., New York Inter-Group Office, 307 7th
Avenue, @ 27th & 28th Streets, Room 201, Manhattan 10001. Meetings are bi-monthly.
April 10th
Corrections and Treatment Facilities Literature Packing, 10 A.M., NY Inter-Group
Office, 307 7th Ave., @ 27th & 28th St., Room 201, Manhattan 10001. Literature packing on the 2nd Saturday of each month, same time, location. Newcomers always welcome.
Spanish Language Corrections & Treatment Facilities Committee Meeting, 3:00 P.M.,
Spanish Intergroup Office, Oficina Central Hispania de A.A., 2234 First Avenue @ 120th
St., Manhattan 10029. Meeting is the 2nd Saturday each month, same time, location.
13th
Westchester Corrections and Treatment Facilities Committee Meeting, 7:30 P.M.,
Immaculate Conception Church, 199 North Broadway, 2nd floor, Tarrytown Pocantico
Hills :1 group meeting place @ College Avenue & Route 9, Sleepy Hollow, NY 10591.
Meeting is held on the 2nd Tuesday each month same time and location.
15th
Manhattan Corrections and Treatment Facilities Committee Meeting, 6:30 P.M., New
York Inter-Group Office, 307 7th Avenue, Room 201, @ 27th & 28th Streets, Manhattan
10001. Meeting is held on the 3rd Thursday each month, same time and location.
Queens Corrections and Treatment Facilities Committee Meeting, 7 P.M., Christ Congregational church 85-27 91st Street, @ 85th Road Church Hall on Ground Floor Woodhaven, NY 11421. Meeting is the 3rd Thursday each month, same time, location.
Staten Island Area Forum, 7:30 P.M., Immanuel Lutheran Church, 2018 Richmond
4
Avenue, between Rockland Avenue & Signs Road, Staten Island, NY 10314. Meeting is
every other month, same time and location.
16th
Bronx Corrections and Treatment Facilities Committee Meeting, 7:00 P.M., St. Nicholas
of Tolentine, @ Fordham Road and Andrews Avenue (University Heights Group), Bronx,
10468 Meeting is held on the 3rd Friday each month, same time, location.
21st
Manhattan Area Forum, 7 P.M., New York Inter-Group Office, 307 7th Ave., @ 27th &
28th St., Room 201, Manhattan 10001. Meeting every other month, same time/location.
24th
Brooklyn Corrections and Treatment Facilities Committee Meeting, 1 P.M., 103 Quincy
Street, Between Franklin & Classon Avenue, Basement, (Daily Reflection Group), Brooklyn 11238. Meeting is held on the last Saturday each month, same time and location.
26th
Staten Island Corrections and Treatment Facilities Committee Meeting, 7:00 P.M., Orientation Meeting @ 6:30pm, How Club, 552 Port Richmond Avenue, Staten Island
10302. Meeting is held on the 4th Monday each month, same time and location.
Date To Be Announced Please call the office for the date and time.
2010 Big Meeting Planning Committee Meeting, New York Inter-Group Office, 307 7th
Avenue, @ 27th & 28th Streets, Room 201 Manhattan, 10001.
2010 Bill W. Dinner Planning Committee Meeting, New York Inter-Group Office, 307
7th Avenue, @ 27th & 28th Streets), Room 201, Manhattan 10001.
May 8th
Corrections and Treatment Facilities Literature Packing, 10 A.M., NY Inter-Group
Office, 307 7th Ave., @ 27th & 28th St., Room 201, Manhattan 10001. Literature packing on the 2nd Saturday of each month, same time, location. Newcomers always welcome.
Spanish Language Corrections and Treatment Facilities Committee Meeting, 3:00 P.M.,
Spanish Intergroup Office, Oficina Central Hispania de A.A., 2234 First Avenue @ 120th
Street, Manhattan 10029, Meeting is the 2nd Saturday each month, same time, location.
11th
Westchester Corrections and Treatment Facilities Committee Meeting, 7: 30 P.M.,
Immaculate Conception Church, 199 North Broadway, 2nd floor, Tarrytown Pocantico
Hills: 1 meeting place. @ College Avenue & Route 9, Sleepy Hollow, NY 10591. Meeting is held on the 2nd Tuesday each month same time and location.
15th
Westchester Area Forum, 9:30 A.M., First Baptist Church, in the Wilson House, Bryant
Avenue and North Street, enter parking lot on Bryant Avenue, White Plains, NY 10605.
Meeting is held every other month, same time and location.
Bronx Area Forum, 11:00 A.M. to 12:30 P.M., Bedford Park Congregational Church,
3008 Bainbridge Avenue, Gunhill group meeting place, Bronx 10458. Meeting is held on
the 3rd Saturday every other month, same time and location.
Brooklyn Area Forum, 2:00 P.M., Queen of All Saints Church, 300 Vanderbilt Avenue,
between Lafayette & Dekalb Avenue, Brooklyn 11205. (Army Plaza Group) Meeting is
held on the 3rd Saturday every other month, same time and location.
Queens Area Forum, 4:00 P.M., Good Shepherd Methodist Church, 30-44 Crescent
Street Astoria, NY 11102. Enter on 30th Road; the meeting is in the Basement. Meeting
held on the 3rd Saturday every other month, same time and location.
Westchester Booking Meeting, 6:30 A.M Memorial United Methodist Church, 250
Bryant Avenue, Betwe en North and Mamaroneck Avenues, White Plains, NY 10605.
Booking Meeting will also be held 8/21/10 & 11/20/10.
17th
Staten Island Corrections and Treatment Facilities Committee Meeting, 7:00 P.M., Orientation Meeting @ 6:30pm How Club 552 Port Richmond Avenue, Staten Island,
10302. Meeting is held on the 4th Monday each month, same time and location.
20th
Manhattan Corrections and Treatment Facilities Committee Meeting, 6:30 P.M., New
York Inter-Group Office, 307 7th Avenue, Room 201, @ 27th & 28th Streets, Manhattan 10001. Meeting is held on the 3rd Thursday each month, same time and location.
Queens Corrections and Treatment Facilities Committee Meeting, 7 P.M., Christ Congregational church 85-27 91st Street, @ 85th Road Church Hall on Ground Floor, Woodhaven, NY 11421. Meeting is on the 3rd Thursday each month, same time and location.
21st
Bronx Corrections and Treatment Facilities Committee Meeting, 7:00 P.M., St. Nicholas of
Tolentine @ Fordham Rd. & Andrews Ave., (University Heights Group) Bronx 10468
Meeting is held on the 3rd Friday each month, same time and location.
29th
Brooklyn Corrections and Treatment Facilities Committee Meeting, 1:00 P.M., 103
Quincy Street, Between Franklin & Classon Avenue, Basement (Daily Reflection Group),
Brooklyn 11238. Meeting is the last Saturday each month, same time and location.
Date To Be Announced Please call the office for the date and time.
Group Relations Committee Meeting, 6:30P.M., @ New York Inter-Group Office, 307 7th
Avenue, @ 27th & 28th Streets, Room 201, Manhattan, 10001. Meetings are bi-monthly.
2010Bill W. Dinner Planning Committee Meeting, @ New York Inter-Group Office, 307
7th Avenue, @ 27th & 28th Streets), Room 201, Manhattan, 10001.
2010 Big Meeting Planning Committee Meeting, @ New York Inter-Group Office, 307 7th
Avenue, @ 27th & 28th Streets, Room 201, Manhattan, 10001.
Sober News - Spring 2010