D I S T R I C T 9 The Triangle MARCH 2017 3rd Step: Made a decision to turn Sober For Thirty Years our will and our lives over to the by Jim Burwell care of God as we understood Him. 3rd Tradition: The only As noted in my story, "The Vicious Cycle," requirement for A.A. membership is in the Big Book, I came into the a desire to stop drinking. Fellowship in New York in January 1938. At that time A.A. was just leaving the 3rd Concept: To insure effective Oxford Group. leadership, we should endow each element of A.A. -- the Conference, the General Service Board and its There was one closed discussion meeting a service corporations, staffs, week, at Bill's home in Brooklyn, - committees, and executives -- with a attendance six or eight men, with only traditional "Right of Decision." three members who had been sober more than one year: Bill, Hank, and Fitz. This is about all that had been accomplished in the four years with the New York Oxford Group. ...continued on page 4 ~ A.A. Needs Our Support! ~ Please use the following addresses – and don’t forget your group’s ID # HMB District 9 HMB Area 48 A.A. World Services P.O. Box 8112 118 Polar Plaza #114 P.O Box 459 Utica N.Y. 13505 Amsterdam N.Y. 12010 New York N.Y 10163 Looking for a meeting? Go to http://meetings.aahmbny.org/ for a local listing. D I S T R I C T 9 Announcements District 9 Website is up and working! You can access it from the aahmbny.org site, under the Meetings tab District Websites. There are meeting lists, events listings, and more! HMB Fellowship Day: Saturday, March 4, 9am – 3pm, First Reformed Church, 52 Green Street, Hudson, NY. See the flyer online for info All are Welcome Group: Our Savior Lutheran, 1640 Genesee St. Utica Speakers for March: Jenny F - March 13 Nate S - March 27 Saturday Night Serenity Group: The first Saturday of each month is a speaker meeting. First Assembly of God, 9427 Maynard Drive in Marcy. For a complete list of area events, go to aahmbny.org Events Just for Fun P a g e | 2 Looking for a meeting? Go to http://meetings.aahmbny.org/ for a local listing. D I S T R I C T 9 IT’S NOT TOO EARLY 2018 CONVENTION PLANNING HAS BEGUN GET INVOLVED!! The following positions need to be filled: Co-chair – Works closely with and assists Convention Chair; in her absence resumes any and all responsibilities as necessary. Some past convention experience would be helpful. Preference will go to a member from District 9. Registration Chair – Works closely with Treasurer. Keeps track of all registrations and meal purchases; creates name tags and registration packets for each registered member; coordinates scheduling of volunteers at the registration table during the event. Familiarity with excel spreadsheets and access to a computer and printer is necessary. Greeter Chair – Recruits volunteers and creates a schedule to ensure all entrances are manned by greeters during peak convention hours. Souvenir & Logo Chair – Researches souvenir & pin prices; works with an imaging company to create a logo depicting the selected theme; places the order and picks up the merchandise when complete. Taper/Recorder Chair – Researches taping/recording businesses and contracts one for the weekend. Alanon Chair – Coordinates all meetings, workshops and panels for the Alanon portion of the program and relays all such information to Program Chair to be included in printed program. Must be a member of Alanon. For those not interested in taking on a full committee chair responsibility ALL committees - Registration, Program, Hospitality, Greeter, Souvenir, Entertainment, Taper - need help. Attend the next meeting scheduled for 5 pm on March 18, 2017 At Our Savior Lutheran Church, 1620 Genesee St, Utica, NY And find out how your talents can be best put to use P a g e | 3 Looking for a meeting? Go to http://meetings.aahmbny.org/ for a local listing. D I S T R I C T 9 ...continued from page 1 During those early meetings at Bill's, that they hoped I would either leave town they were flying blind, with no creed or or get drunk. procedure to guide them, though they did use quite a few of the Oxford sayings and That prayer must have been right on the Oxford Absolutes. Since both Bill and target, for I was suddenly taken drunk on Dr. Bob had had almost-overnight a sales trip. This became the shock and experiences, it was taken for granted that the bottom I needed. At this time I was all who followed would have the same selling auto polish to jobbers for a sort of experience. So the early meetings company that Bill and Hank were were quite religious, in both New York sponsoring, and I was doing pretty well, and Akron. There was always a Bible on too. But despite this, I was tired and hand, and the concept of God was all completely isolated there in Boston. My biblical. fellow alcoholics really put the pressure on as I sobered up after four days of no Into this fairly peaceful picture came I, relief, and for the first time I admitted I their first self-proclaimed atheist, couldn't stay sober alone. My closed mind completely against all religions and opened a bit. Those folks back in New conventions. I was the captain of my own York, the folks who believed, had stayed ship. (The only trouble was, my ship was sober. And I hadn't. Since this episode I completely disabled and rudderless.) So don't think I have ever argued with naturally I started fighting nearly all the anyone else's beliefs. Who am I to say? things Bill and the others stood for, especially religion, the "God bit." But I I finally crawled back to New York did want to stay sober, and I did love the and was soon back into the fold. About understanding Fellowship. So I became this time, Bill and Hank were just quite a problem to that early group, with beginning to write the A.A. Big Book. I my constant haranguing against all do feel sure my experience was not in spiritual angles. vain, for "God" was broadened to cover all types and creeds: "God as we All of a sudden, the group became really understood Him." worried. Here I had stayed sober five whole months while fighting everything I feel my spiritual growth over these past the others stood for. I was now number thirty years has been very gradual and four in "seniority." I found out later they steady. I have no desire to "graduate" from had a prayer meeting on "what to do with A.A.. I try to keep my memories green by Jim." The consensus seemed to have been P a g e | 4 Looking for a meeting? Go to http://meetings.aahmbny.org/ for a local listing. D I S T R I C T 9 ...continued from page 4 ..staying active in A.A. - a couple of meetings weekly. For the new agnostic or atheist just coming in, I will try to give very briefly my milestones in recovery: 1. The first power I found greater than myself was John Barleycorn. 2. The A.A. Fellowship became my Higher Power for the first two years. 3. Gradually, I came to believe that God and Good were synonymous and were found in all of us. 4. And I found that by meditating and trying to tune in on my better self for guidance and answers, I became more comfortable and steady. by Jim Burwell A.A. Grapevine, November 1999 San Diego, CA CHECKLIST - Tradition Three: P a g e | 5 Looking for a meeting? Go to http://meetings.aahmbny.org/ for a local listing. The Third Step in the "The first requirement well. He begins to think life (please notice that it says doesn't treat him right. He "Big Book" begins just "requirement" not decides to exert himself below the middle of "suggestion") is that we be more. He becomes, on the page 60. convinced that any life run on next occasion, still more self-will can hardly be a demanding or gracious, as How do we know that? Well, success. On that basis we are the case may be. Still the in this case, the "Big Book" almost always in collision play does not suit him. authors tell us: with something or Admitting he may be somebody, even though our SOMEWHAT at fault, he is "Being convinced, we were at motives are good. Most SURE that OTHER people are Step Three,..." people try to live by self- MORE to blame. He becomes Convinced of what? If we've propulsion (not just angry, indignant, self-pitying. taken Steps One and Two, alcoholics but MOST people). What is his basic trouble? Is we are convinced that we are Each person is forever trying he not really a self-seeker alcoholics and that a Power to arrange the lights, the even when trying to be kind? greater than ourselves can ballet, the scenery and the Is he not a victim of the restore us to sanity. rest of the players in his own delusion that he can wrest Sometimes the word "sanity" way. If his arrangements (which means "take away by is misunderstood. Other would only stay put, if only force") wrest satisfaction and words that capture the people would do as he happiness out of this world if essence of what is being said wished, the show would be he only manages (or here are restore us to reality, great.