July 2006 Victor Valley Newsletter Page 1

The Twelve Rewards of the Twelve Step Program

Ann C. wrote this 'a number of years before' the 1985 International Convention in Montreal, Canada where she set it to tape at the Oldtimers Meeting. She wrote it to show the contrast that can take place in any of our lives if we will try to follow the AA principles.

We can all have Hope, instead of desperation;

Faith, instead of despair;
Courage, instead of fear;
Peace of Mind, instead of confusion;
Self-respect, instead of self-contempt;
Self-confidence, instead of helplessness;
The respect of others, instead of their pity and contempt;
A clean conscience, instead of a sense of guilt;
Real friendships, instead of loneliness;
A clean pattern of life, instead of a purposeless existence;
The love and understanding of our families, instead of their doubts and fears;
And the freedom of a happy life, instead
of the bondage of an alcoholic obsession.
All this and more through AA, are we grateful enough?
Gratitude will continue the miracle of your sobriety, I found that out.
as written by Ann C. of Niles, Ohio - sober April 1, 1948

Bill writes that:. . .

“An A.A. service is anything whatever that legitimately helps us to reach fellow sufferers. As we have seen, the Twelfth Step call is the greatest of A.A.’s services. But the publicity that caused the prospect to get in touch with us, the car we rode in, the gasoline we paid for, and the cups of coffee we bought him – all of these aids were necessary to make our call possible and effective. And this is only the start. Our services involve meeting places, hospital co-operation, Intergroup offices, and pamphlets and books. Services can require committees, delegates, trustees, and conferences. They include small voluntary money contributions so that the group, the area, and A.A. as a whole can function. They range all the way from the cup of coffee up to A.A.’s General Service Headquarters for national an international action. The sum of all these services is A.A.’s Third Legacy.” (p. 140)

In our drinking days we had sufficient knowledge to know that there was a better way of living, but it was beyond our wildest imaginings that such a life was possible for us. an idea that sprang from the imagination of Bill and Dr. Bob took root in our minds, and we became possessed of the knowledge that enabled us to convert our lives into lives beyond the limits of our imagination.
via, The Eye Opener

To Jack V.,
My apologies for omitting your contribution to “Buck of the Month” back in April. It was purely the fault of the Editor (me) for the oversight. Give our best to Mary and our love to both of you! Betty B

Tradition Talk
Tradition Seven: “Every A.A. group ought to be self supporting, declining outside contributions.”

Honestly now, do I do all I can to help A.A. (my group, my Central Office, my G.S.O.) remain self-supporting? Could I put a little more into the basket on behalf of the new guy who can’t afford it yet? How generous was I when tanked in a barroom?
Should The Grapevine sell advertising space so it could make a big profit and become a bigger magazine, in full color, at a cheaper price per copy?
If the G.S.O. runs short of funds some year, wouldn’t it be O.K. to let the government subsidize A.A. groups in hospitals and prisons?
Is it more important to get a big A.A. collection from a few people or a smaller collection in which more member participate?
Is a group’s Treasurer’s report unimportant A.A. business? How does the Treasurer feel?
How important is my recovery is the feeling of self-respect, rather than the feeling of being always under obligation?

via, Central News, Farmersville, CA

July 2006 Page 1 \| Page 2 \| Events \| Reports \| Humor
The Twelve Rewards of the Twelve Step Program Ann C. wrote this 'a number of years before' the 1985 International Convention in Montreal, Canada where she set it to tape at the Oldtimers Meeting. She wrote it to show the contrast that can take place in any of our lives if we will try to follow the AA principles. We can all have Hope, instead of desperation; Faith, instead of despair; Courage, instead of fear; Peace of Mind, instead of confusion; Self-respect, instead of self-contempt; Self-confidence, instead of helplessness; The respect of others, instead of their pity and contempt; A clean conscience, instead of a sense of guilt; Real friendships, instead of loneliness; A clean pattern of life, instead of a purposeless existence; The love and understanding of our families, instead of their doubts and fears; And the freedom of a happy life, instead of the bondage of an alcoholic obsession. All this and more through AA, are we grateful enough? Gratitude will continue the miracle of your sobriety, I found that out. as written by Ann C. of Niles, Ohio - sober April 1, 1948 Bill writes that:. . . “An A.A. service is anything whatever that legitimately helps us to reach fellow sufferers. As we have seen, the Twelfth Step call is the greatest of A.A.’s services. But the publicity that caused the prospect to get in touch with us, the car we rode in, the gasoline we paid for, and the cups of coffee we bought him – all of these aids were necessary to make our call possible and effective. And this is only the start. Our services involve meeting places, hospital co-operation, Intergroup offices, and pamphlets and books. Services can require committees, delegates, trustees, and conferences. They include small voluntary money contributions so that the group, the area, and A.A. as a whole can function. They range all the way from the cup of coffee up to A.A.’s General Service Headquarters for national an international action. The sum of all these services is A.A.’s Third Legacy.” (p. 140) In our drinking days we had sufficient knowledge to know that there was a better way of living, but it was beyond our wildest imaginings that such a life was possible for us. an idea that sprang from the imagination of Bill and Dr. Bob took root in our minds, and we became possessed of the knowledge that enabled us to convert our lives into lives beyond the limits of our imagination. via, The Eye Opener To Jack V., My apologies for omitting your contribution to “Buck of the Month” back in April. It was purely the fault of the Editor (me) for the oversight. Give our best to Mary and our love to both of you! Betty B Tradition Talk Tradition Seven: “Every A.A. group ought to be self supporting, declining outside contributions.” Honestly now, do I do all I can to help A.A. (my group, my Central Office, my G.S.O.) remain self-supporting? Could I put a little more into the basket on behalf of the new guy who can’t afford it yet? How generous was I when tanked in a barroom? Should The Grapevine sell advertising space so it could make a big profit and become a bigger magazine, in full color, at a cheaper price per copy? If the G.S.O. runs short of funds some year, wouldn’t it be O.K. to let the government subsidize A.A. groups in hospitals and prisons? Is it more important to get a big A.A. collection from a few people or a smaller collection in which more member participate? Is a group’s Treasurer’s report unimportant A.A. business? How does the Treasurer feel? How important is my recovery is the feeling of self-respect, rather than the feeling of being always under obligation? via, Central News, Farmersville, 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
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