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DISTRICT 11 CONFIDENTIAL April/May 2009 INTOACTION Web Copy Father Joseph C. Martin Died Peacefully The Morning of March 9, 2009 1924 - 2009 His method can be summed up in the statement: “A passionate belief in the dignity of a human being.” Father Joseph C. Martin died peacefully the morning of March 9, 2009 at his home in Havre de Grace, Maryland. The world is mourning today for the loss of Father Joseph C. Martin an authority on the treatment of alcoholism. He has been directly beneficial in saving thousands of lives around the world. His lectures reached grassroots America and through love and compassion he touched on the inner issues of alcoholism. “Every addict is a prisoner. He is a prisoner of the cells of his body which compel him to use whatever it is that is destroying him. He has no control over that.” In 1972 Father Martin made the film “Chalk Talk” on alcohol; a classic in the field of addiction education and treatment. “I wanted to make a presentation within the space of about an hour that would at least give a skeletal look at alcoholism; be a one shot presentation. But at least the audience would have gained something form it.” (Continued on page 2) INTOACTION Page 2 (Continued from the front Page) The joke, emblematic of Father Martin’s disarming Father Martin’s legacy and philosophy of treatment is approach to addiction, is immortalized in Ashley’s perpetuated at Ashley; a treatment center he founded chapel, where a 1-inch figure of a penguin was in 1983 in Havre de Grace, Maryland. inserted in one of the stained-glass panels. His method can be summed up in the statement: It was 1958 when Father Martin was admitted to a “A passionate belief in the dignity of a human treatment center. Ordained a decade earlier, he had being.” discovered his taste for alcohol that same year during a Thanksgiving dinner with fellow priests. “I’ve seen transformations in a human life that were unbelievable. We practically take it for granted “There are people who have to acquire a taste for gin, because we see it every day; the change in a human but I didn’t - I loved it immediately. I had two or life. And just to be privileged to be part of that…..” three doubles that day,” he said in his biography. His drinking escalated. “It never occurred to me that Father Martin was know as having: a soul of a perhaps there was something odd about a priest saint, the tongue of a poet, and a sense of humor walking toward a garbage dump in the middle of the that could reach anybody, no matter how low they afternoon carrying two suitcases filled with clanking were. bottles.” “You bend over backwards, you do things that you It occurred to his superiors, who noticed Father had never dreamed of doing years before and this guy Martin’s careless teaching habits and troubling gets drunk again and again and again – how far do behavior. In 1956, he was admitted to a psychiatric you go with an alcoholic? And he says, “As far as ward of a California hospital. No one suspected you can!.........and then, one step more” alcoholism, so when Father Martin left the hospital The above is transcribed from the “Remembrance appearing healthier and happy, he also returned to his Video”: double martinis and drinking shots of vodka from To View: bottles he kept in his bathroom. http://www.fathermartinsashley.com/interior.php ?section=AboutAshley&subsection=Tribute By 1958, Joe Martin could no longer keep his drinking and behavior under control, much less a An excerpt - secret. The Archdiocese of Baltimore ordered him Front-Page Story from Baltimore Sun. into treatment at Guest House, a Michigan treatment center for clergy. Father Martins trade mark: “The nightmare is over.” There, he was exposed to the tenants of Bill Wilson’s Alcoholics Anonymous program. Wilson, a Wall To know Father Martin is to know his penguin joke: Street businessman ruined by drink, had developed a A police officer spots a drunk walking down the 12-step, faith-based program that treated alcoholism street with a penguin. Tells the man to take the as a disease and stressed staying sober and helping penguin to the zoo where he belongs. The next day, others achieve sobriety. the officer sees the same drunk walking the same penguin. Thought I told you to take him to the zoo. Father Martin saved his notes from the lectures and “I did,” the drunk said. “He loved it. Today, we’re conversations during his time at Guest House. He going to the library.” also got sober. In the 1960s, Father Martin distilled Wilson’s 12 steps into literally a blackboard talk. (Continued on page 9) INTOACTION April / May 09 INTOACTION Page 3 INTOACTION Editorial Policy INTOACTION News is a bimonthly newsletter of District District 11 G.S.R. 11; NIA 20 of Alcoholics Anonymous. It is about, by and Meetings Are Held for the Members of the Fellowship of AA. Opinions On 1st Thursday of expressed herein are NOT to be attributed to AA as a whole, nor does publication of information imply any the Month at the endorsement by AA. Quotations and artwork from AA First United literature are reprinted with permission from AA World Methodist Church, Service, Inc. and/or The AA Grapevine, Inc. Submissions 236 W. Crystal Lake are edited for space and clarity ONLY. Contact Ave. Northeast information is required and anonymity is respected. Corner of Dole & Crystal Lake Avenue in Crystal Lake, Illinois. WEB. Issue – This section of the hard copy District Meeting 7:30 PM has Officer and Committee Personal Information which has been omitted here. Live Links DISTRICT 11’s WEB SITE: http://www.aa-nia-dist11.org I Wish I Were… SOBERFEST WEB SITE: I wish I were big enough to www.soberfest.org honestly admit all my shortcomings. Brilliant enough to accepts praise **SCHEDULE INFO CHANGES: PLEASE CALL without it making me arrogant. LINDA S., 815-678-4129 OR EMAIL AT: [email protected] Tall enough to tower over dishonesty. Strong enough to welcome criticism. From Group (Name)____________ Compassionate enough to Group #:______________________ understand human frailties. Dist. #:_______________________ Meeting City:__________________ Wise enough to recognize mistakes. Humble enough to appreciate greatness. Northern Illinois District Eleven P.O. Box 846 Group Contributions ~ Mail To: Brave enough to stand by my friends. McHenry, IL 60051-0846 Human enough to be thoughtful of my neighbor. N.I.A. Treasurer Northern Illinois Area, Ltd. And spiritual enough to be devoted to the love of God. P.O. Box 246 INTOAction: District 11’s Newsletter Bourbonnais, IL 60914-0246 Editor: David Gilbert 815-344-6523 **E-mail: [email protected] The General Service Office AAWS Responsibility Declaration P.O. Box 459 I am responsible. When anyone, anywhere, reaches out for help, I want the hand of AA always to be Grand Central Station there. And for that: I am responsible New York, NY 10163-0459 INTOACTION April / May 09 INTOACTION Page 4 The District empowered the Bid Committee at DCM REPORT April the January District business meeting to present Submitted by - Dan Michel a bid to the NIA Committee January 24th. Our bid was accepted. Now we get to work Hello AA Fellowship of District Eleven! preparing for the conference. I realize the objection to Lisle is that as the hosting district Spring is in the air and my neighbor is building a our volunteers will need to travel a long way or taller fence. Can you blame her? She lives next pay to stay at the hotel. Perhaps the District can to me, after all. I hope you all are enjoying the help with costs incurred by volunteers - that is weather after what seems like a long winter. something that can be discussed at the Much is going on in the fellowship. This time of business meeting. We have a long time before year is when we help our Delegate prepare for the conference to work that out, but I agree that the General Service Conference in New York volunteers should not be burdened with City. excessive costs to help out. The planning committee meets the 3rd Sunday of every All GSR’s at the District meeting March 5 month at NIMC. Meeting agendas are posted received a copy of the GSC agenda. on the district website one week in advance. Hopefully you had an opportunity to look it over Meeting minutes are posted as well, so you can and present your opinion concerning any items see what has transpired so far. Please come of interest to you. Your GSR may have out and volunteer. Open chair positions and job presented the agenda to your group and tried to descriptions are posted on the district website. arrive at a group conscious about some of the Thank you for letting me serve AA in McHenry agenda items. All GSRs will have an County, and for your efforts to carry the opportunity to present their Group's message. May God bless you and your loved Conscious to the Delegate at the NIA Spring ones. Assembly April 4th. Our Area 20 (NIA) Dan Delegate John C. will represent the Area's (Highlights added by Editor) Group Conscious at the GSC April 26-May 2 Avoiding Tension where it will be mostly business. Easy does it_____ Avoiding tension As people of excess, alcoholics tend to swing between On the fun side of things locally, we look forward periods of great activity and times of complete lassitude.