August 2006 Victor Valley Newsletter Page 1

Anonymity is a Daily Blessing
Something that God offers all to be of service to others.

The anonymity that I focus on today tells me that it does not matter who carries the message. That the message continues to be carried is all that matters. This is the great reality. The highest I can go in A.A. is sober. With this in mind, the necessity for anonymity – self-sacrifice – is more important than ever today. We often dwell on anonymity in relation to last names and in relation to the press, radio, and films. And we all seem to understand this anonymity even though we sometimes debate it, confuse it, and misuse it. I feel, personally, that we tend to overlook or perhaps not fully understand, the real anonymity that goes much deeper, to the core of our beings, that weaves its way through all our Traditions is the spiritual tie that binds us and unites us in love in this incredible Fellowship of ours. Our Twelfth Tradition reminds me that anonymity is our spiritual foundation; and, therefore because of A.A.’s increasing role in society, its necessity has to be more important that ever to each of us. The importance of the spiritual substance of anonymity has been indelibly shared with me since my earliest sober days. I was told that self-sacrifice meant that I would give up my personal desires in order to promote the common good and that I would give up my natural desires for personal distinction in order to take part in weaving a protective mantle for our society. I learned that anonymity is humility at work and that it expresses itself as we adhere to the following: as a society of equals it does not matter who does the job, only that the job get done, and we help others unconditionally without expectation of credit or reward; we acknowledge our dependence on a Higher Power, knowing that any success we may achieve is far more to His credit than ours; we remember that of ourselves we are nothing, that it is God within who does the works – that He has the power and the message while we are the channels and the messengers. In service to Alcoholics Anonymous for almost twenty-five years, I have learned that we achieve humility by recognizing A.A.’s true place in the world. In Alcoholics Anonymous, we have something stronger than our human personalities to rely upon; this something is our spiritual principles – which are not our own invention but reflect eternal spiritual values. We A.A.s are richly blessed, gifted with the great opportunity to humbly rely on God’s power to carry the message of hope to those, placed in our path, who are suffering. Anonymity is a daily blessing that God offers each of us.
Diane O., Cupertino, CA via, The Grapevine, January 2000

   Getting Spiritually Connected
How Money and Spirituality Mix In A.A
Almost all of us are familiar with the Seventh Tradition. We hear about it at every meeting we attend. The announcement often sounds like this: “There are no dues or fees for A.A. membership; we are self-supporting through our own contributions.” To the newcomer, this Tradition would appear to be about money. The Seventh Tradition isn’t about money. It’s about self-support. The Seventh Tradition is one of the most spiritual principles that A.A. has. Self-support is our responsibili8ty as grateful, sober members of A.A. We need to understand the spiritual meaning of our Seventh Tradition so that we can carry the message of this Tradition. Participation in the Seventh Tradition connects us, individually and as groups. Imagine the fellowship of A.A. as a single entity, a body if you will. This body is comprised of areas. Each area is comprised of [D]istricts and contains [C]entral [O]ffices. Each of the [C]entral [O]ffices and [D]istricts is comprised of groups. And each of us are members on one or more groups. We’re all connected. Like a body’s circulatory system, we’re connected by the support we unconditionally (or conditionally, as the case may be) give to each other. On a spiritual level, there’s only one of us. we are connected and feed each other with various types of support: our prayers, our time, our experiences, our service and, yes, our financial support. I believe there are at least three levels to view how well we grasp the “Spirit of our Seventh Tradition.”
   For many of us when we first come in, the concept of “spiritual” is foreign. I heard “God will do for you what you couldn’t do for yourself.” All I had to do, my sponsor said, was to participate and begin “living in the solution, rather that living in the problem.” The Seventh Tradition is about living in the solution, participating and giving back. By doing so, I become spiritually connected to the whole of the Fellowship. What do I put in the basket? A buck? They were putting a buck in the basket in 1960. When I consider that everything I am today and everything I have today is a direct result of A.A., I know that my debt to A.A. is great. I need to give more than a buck. How much of my time am I giving in service? I should probably be dead from this disease by now. I am grateful today for the opportunity to repay the debt that grows with each breath I take. This, to me, is spirituality.
   The disease of selfishness and self-centeredness manifests itself at the group level as well. Today, more than 50% of our groups, both here in San Diego and across the United States and Canada, do not participate in the Seventh Tradition with our General Service Office (G.S.O.) in New York. Many of these same groups, also do not support their [C]entral [O]ffices, [H & I] Committees, [A]reas [or] Districts. More than one half of the groups have chosen (by their actions) not to be spiritually connected. G.S.O. . . . the [C]entral [O]ffice, the [A]rea and the [D]istric will treat these groups just like any other group, providing support and resources to them when need, but these non-participating groups and their members will be missing something from their spiritual tool kit. Other groups may manifest the disease of selfishness and self-centeredness with regard to how they treat their Seventh Tradition funds. Does your group buy “extras?” When I lived up in North County, my home group only paid rent and purchased literature and coffee. (ed. note: Some of our own groups do not even buy their literature from our own Central Office. Betty B.) If we had cookies or cake, someone brought them. Our group got great value knowing that it had unselfishly decided to do its best to fulfill its responsibility to support activities affecting A.A. as a whole. One group in San Diego gives all of its Seventh Tradition funds away each month, trusting in the Higher Power to provide enough the next month. In the few instances when this group came up short, they just passed the basket again. (ed. note: Wow! What a concept!) There is a lot of fulfillment among the members of this group as a result of this practice. Again, it’s a process of connecting, arriving at an informed group conscience and allowing the Higher Power to express Itself.
   How is your group doing at carrying the message “as it applies to A.A. as a whole” or to its members? Carrying the message doesn’t stop within the walls of our meeting rooms. Carrying the message includes printing literature, communicating to professionals who come into contact with us before we get sober, translating literature into other languages, answering the phones at G.S.O. and Central [O]ffice, buying books for [a]lcoholics who are confined, and much more. Thirteen years ago I had business in Hungary. It was only four years after the Berlin Wall had come down. I knew I would need meetings while traveling. I called the General Service Office (which is supported by our groups). They told me of the International Meeting Directory (which had been published from the groups’ support). I purchased the directory at our [C]entral [O]ffice (which exists through the groups’ support). I found several meetings in Budapest and, later, in other parts of Europe. I stayed sober thanks to the spiritual principle of self-support. The Big Book had just been translated into Hungarian (thanks again to the support from our groups). I met a Hungarian man who had just become sober and was deeply grateful for the Hungarian Big Book. You see, his brother had died of the disease of alcoholism only a few years before A.A. had arrived in Hungary. I felt deeply connected to this man as a result of being connected to A.A. There are so many stories around the world like this: alcoholics confined to their cells, loner alcoholics in need of a Big Book or maybe the person reading this article (the [Newsletter for the Fellowship] was made possible by group support).
   Today G.S.O. has told us that group support must increase in the coming years or its services may have to be cut. There is a spiritual solution: the Seventh Tradition. Let’s all start talking about it. Let’s make it the topic of our meetings. Let’s get our group business committee to discuss it. Are we each being responsible with the amount that we are putting in the basket? Do we use the G.S.O. “birthday envelopes?” Is our group connected or is it a “silent group?” Do we know how our group is using its Seventh Tradition funds? Are our groups being responsible with their Seventh Tradition? Can we do better? What part am I playing to increase group awareness? What does my seat cost?
Roy G. via, The Coordinator, San Diego, CA

August 2006 Page 1 \| Page 2 \| Events \| Reports \| Humor
Anonymity is a Daily Blessing Something that God offers all to be of service to others. The anonymity that I focus on today tells me that it does not matter who carries the message. That the message continues to be carried is all that matters. This is the great reality. The highest I can go in A.A. is sober. With this in mind, the necessity for anonymity – self-sacrifice – is more important than ever today. We often dwell on anonymity in relation to last names and in relation to the press, radio, and films. And we all seem to understand this anonymity even though we sometimes debate it, confuse it, and misuse it. I feel, personally, that we tend to overlook or perhaps not fully understand, the real anonymity that goes much deeper, to the core of our beings, that weaves its way through all our Traditions is the spiritual tie that binds us and unites us in love in this incredible Fellowship of ours. Our Twelfth Tradition reminds me that anonymity is our spiritual foundation; and, therefore because of A.A.’s increasing role in society, its necessity has to be more important that ever to each of us. The importance of the spiritual substance of anonymity has been indelibly shared with me since my earliest sober days. I was told that self-sacrifice meant that I would give up my personal desires in order to promote the common good and that I would give up my natural desires for personal distinction in order to take part in weaving a protective mantle for our society. I learned that anonymity is humility at work and that it expresses itself as we adhere to the following: as a society of equals it does not matter who does the job, only that the job get done, and we help others unconditionally without expectation of credit or reward; we acknowledge our dependence on a Higher Power, knowing that any success we may achieve is far more to His credit than ours; we remember that of ourselves we are nothing, that it is God within who does the works – that He has the power and the message while we are the channels and the messengers. In service to Alcoholics Anonymous for almost twenty-five years, I have learned that we achieve humility by recognizing A.A.’s true place in the world. In Alcoholics Anonymous, we have something stronger than our human personalities to rely upon; this something is our spiritual principles – which are not our own invention but reflect eternal spiritual values. We A.A.s are richly blessed, gifted with the great opportunity to humbly rely on God’s power to carry the message of hope to those, placed in our path, who are suffering. Anonymity is a daily blessing that God offers each of us. Diane O., Cupertino, CA via, The Grapevine, January 2000 Getting Spiritually Connected How Money and Spirituality Mix In A.A Almost all of us are familiar with the Seventh Tradition. We hear about it at every meeting we attend. The announcement often sounds like this: “There are no dues or fees for A.A. membership; we are self-supporting through our own contributions.” To the newcomer, this Tradition would appear to be about money. The Seventh Tradition isn’t about money. It’s about self-support. The Seventh Tradition is one of the most spiritual principles that A.A. has. Self-support is our responsibili8ty as grateful, sober members of A.A. We need to understand the spiritual meaning of our Seventh Tradition so that we can carry the message of this Tradition. Participation in the Seventh Tradition connects us, individually and as groups. Imagine the fellowship of A.A. as a single entity, a body if you will. This body is comprised of areas. Each area is comprised of [D]istricts and contains [C]entral [O]ffices. Each of the [C]entral [O]ffices and [D]istricts is comprised of groups. And each of us are members on one or more groups. We’re all connected. Like a body’s circulatory system, we’re connected by the support we unconditionally (or conditionally, as the case may be) give to each other. On a spiritual level, there’s only one of us. we are connected and feed each other with various types of support: our prayers, our time, our experiences, our service and, yes, our financial support. I believe there are at least three levels to view how well we grasp the “Spirit of our Seventh Tradition.” For many of us when we first come in, the concept of “spiritual” is foreign. I heard “God will do for you what you couldn’t do for yourself.” All I had to do, my sponsor said, was to participate and begin “living in the solution, rather that living in the problem.” The Seventh Tradition is about living in the solution, participating and giving back. By doing so, I become spiritually connected to the whole of the Fellowship. What do I put in the basket? A buck? They were putting a buck in the basket in 1960. When I consider that everything I am today and everything I have today is a direct result of A.A., I know that my debt to A.A. is great. I need to give more than a buck. How much of my time am I giving in service? I should probably be dead from this disease by now. I am grateful today for the opportunity to repay the debt that grows with each breath I take. This, to me, is spirituality. The disease of selfishness and self-centeredness manifests itself at the group level as well. Today, more than 50% of our groups, both here in San Diego and across the United States and Canada, do not participate in the Seventh Tradition with our General Service Office (G.S.O.) in New York. Many of these same groups, also do not support their [C]entral [O]ffices, [H & I] Committees, [A]reas [or] Districts. More than one half of the groups have chosen (by their actions) not to be spiritually connected. G.S.O. . . . the [C]entral [O]ffice, the [A]rea and the [D]istric will treat these groups just like any other group, providing support and resources to them when need, but these non-participating groups and their members will be missing something from their spiritual tool kit. Other groups may manifest the disease of selfishness and self-centeredness with regard to how they treat their Seventh Tradition funds. Does your group buy “extras?” When I lived up in North County, my home group only paid rent and purchased literature and coffee. (ed. note: Some of our own groups do not even buy their literature from our own Central Office. Betty B.) If we had cookies or cake, someone brought them. Our group got great value knowing that it had unselfishly decided to do its best to fulfill its responsibility to support activities affecting A.A. as a whole. One group in San Diego gives all of its Seventh Tradition funds away each month, trusting in the Higher Power to provide enough the next month. In the few instances when this group came up short, they just passed the basket again. (ed. note: Wow! What a concept!) There is a lot of fulfillment among the members of this group as a result of this practice. Again, it’s a process of connecting, arriving at an informed group conscience and allowing the Higher Power to express Itself. How is your group doing at carrying the message “as it applies to A.A. as a whole” or to its members? Carrying the message doesn’t stop within the walls of our meeting rooms. Carrying the message includes printing literature, communicating to professionals who come into contact with us before we get sober, translating literature into other languages, answering the phones at G.S.O. and Central [O]ffice, buying books for [a]lcoholics who are confined, and much more. Thirteen years ago I had business in Hungary. It was only four years after the Berlin Wall had come down. I knew I would need meetings while traveling. I called the General Service Office (which is supported by our groups). They told me of the International Meeting Directory (which had been published from the groups’ support). I purchased the directory at our [C]entral [O]ffice (which exists through the groups’ support). I found several meetings in Budapest and, later, in other parts of Europe. I stayed sober thanks to the spiritual principle of self-support. The Big Book had just been translated into Hungarian (thanks again to the support from our groups). I met a Hungarian man who had just become sober and was deeply grateful for the Hungarian Big Book. You see, his brother had died of the disease of alcoholism only a few years before A.A. had arrived in Hungary. I felt deeply connected to this man as a result of being connected to A.A. There are so many stories around the world like this: alcoholics confined to their cells, loner alcoholics in need of a Big Book or maybe the person reading this article (the [Newsletter for the Fellowship] was made possible by group support). Today G.S.O. has told us that group support must increase in the coming years or its services may have to be cut. There is a spiritual solution: the Seventh Tradition. Let’s all start talking about it. Let’s make it the topic of our meetings. Let’s get our group business committee to discuss it. Are we each being responsible with the amount that we are putting in the basket? Do we use the G.S.O. “birthday envelopes?” Is our group connected or is it a “silent group?” Do we know how our group is using its Seventh Tradition funds? Are our groups being responsible with their Seventh Tradition? Can we do better? What part am I playing to increase group awareness? What does my seat cost? Roy G. via, The Coordinator, San Diego, CA
Your Central Office has open office shifts and call forwarding shifts. Call Craig at 760-242-9292 to be of service. We also need folks for the Twelve Step lists for all areas.
HOW CAN I HELP? You can help us update our mailing lists! Some of you may not wish to receive the newsletter or you may need to update your address. Others who receive “bulk” mailings for your meetings or groups, may be getting either too many or not enough. Whatever the circumstances are, PLEASE take a few minutes to PRINT THIS FORM , FILL IT OUT and MAIL TO: BETTY B. Victor Valley Intergroup, Central Office, Inc. 18888 Outer Hwy. 18, Suite 107 Apple Valley, CA 92307 It will take only a few minutes, and it will help us tremendously. Thank you for your effort. Betty B., Editor
Page 1 \| Page 2 \| Events \| Reports \| Humor