Good Information on This Years Conference.

Not being as involved in Service this year, I love to find good information on what is being addressed (both before and after) the AA General Service Conference. If you’re not sure what I’m talking about, that’s the meeting held each year where AA delegates from all over the US and Canada meet up with the Trustees of Alcoholics Anonymous and a few others to hash out the issues that face our organization nationally. Literature, budget, Grapevine, Public Information, Cooperation with Professional Committee, Correctional Facilities, Treatment Facilities; committees for these and other topics are formed.

Looking at the topics discussed often times gives an AA member some idea of what issues we should stop and think about ourselves. These issues don’t resolve themselves, and our leaders that make the decisions have often reported about wanting more help from the fellowship to come to an informed consience.

So I usually start searching the web for information on the topics discussed at the conference some time after the holidays so that I can consider the topics myself and talk to others about them. That’s how I figure I can do my job as a member.

Last week I found the article on page to of the Eastern Area of Missouri newsletter (Gratitude Gazette) was a summary of the conference topics for 2011. Take a gander!

So THATS How It Works….

Interesting post on the Helper Therapy Principle. from the Times of India.

So often in meetings, folks say, “I don’t know how it work, IT JUST WORKS!” about AA.

I guess that’s why we have doctors, they can figure out how it works, quantify it, etc. Our job is to just do it.

It talks about this Helper Therapy Principle (HTP) as a way we can become less self-centered. In my case, that is really when ‘the program’ kicked in. The first chunk of sober time I had, I still questioned actions like a sharp 5 year old. My sponsor would tell me what to do…..WHY? WHY? WHY? Basically, my questioning was really resistance, even though I didn’t see it that way at the time. But in truth, just like a little kid, if I didn’t get a worthy explanation, I wouldn’t follow the suggestion.

Until I hit that wall in sobriety, came close to the drink, and rededicated myself to doing the deal.

Since then, sponsorship, 12 Step work, and service work are all a big part of keeping my mind off of myself. Some people say that all three things are synonymous, but not in my book. Sponsorhip is 12 Step work, but not all 12 Step Work is sponsorship. Aside from Sponsoring, having a chance to talk to the drunk on the front lines is huge for me. Picking up calls at the intergroup and hearing someone say that AA doesn’t work isn’t quite as “feel good” as giving out a medalion for my pidgeons AA aniversary. Feeling good is only part of the work though. Seeing where I could end up is just as valuable as seeing our successes. Service work to me is different entirely from 12 Step work. Service is just doing a job that makes 12th Step Work possible……often times for someone else. Speaking at schools, organizing committees, visiting doctors, lawyers, and clergy to tell them a little about what AA does and does not do; there are many many ways to do service. If someone were to stay sober for 25 years, they probably couldn’t cover all the different jobs there are out there. Those jobs give me something to focus on, and give me a chance to pay back AA for the wonderous recovery it has given me.

So get out there my fellow AA’ers and get busy with HTP!