SOUTHERN MARYLAND INTERGROUP 1-800-492-0209 www.somdintergroup.org

I am responsi-ble when any-

one, anywhere, reaches out for help, I want the

hand of A.A. always to be there, and for

that I am respon-sible.

DECEMBER 2019 Volume 43, No. 12

life·line | \ ˈlīf-ˌlīn : 1. A rope or line used for life-saving, typically one thrown to rescue someone in difficulties in water.

2. A thing on which someone depends for a means of escape from a difficult situation. https://en.oxforddictionaries.com

Whatever holidays may have meant to us in drinking days,

a real A.A. holiday is unforgettable for most of us whether

it is New Year’s Day, Hanukkah, Thanksgiving, or Christ-

mas. "There’s nothing quite like an A.A. Christmas," one

member writes, "Maybe not the first Christmas you are in

A.A., but certainly the first Christmas A.A. is in you. "A

magic fills the air for everyone, but in an A.A.’s life it’s very

special, as his heart and life are filled with so many gifts.

The gift of being loved, and of loving; of being understood,

and of understanding; of being wanted, and of wanting; of

being given to, and of giving. "Money cannot buy these

priceless gifts. An A.A. has love, friendship, an opportunity

to contribute and add to the world, a feeling of belonging,

and a desire to grow in A. A. so he will not have to reach

for the first drink. "As we look at Christmas lights we can

look at . all the enlightenment the 12 Steps have brought to us; of how we are now ’part of’ a worldwide fellowship and

are beginning to sense unity within through our 12 Traditions. "We need never be alone again, need never reach for a

drink at least today. "As we look at beautiful Christmas wreaths we can think, too, of the circle of unending love and

friendship surrounding A.A.’s triangle of Recovery, Unity, and Service. "We think quietly and gratefully of Bill and Dr. Bob

and the other early A.A.’s, so the A.A.’s around the world now of the Loners and our seagoing Internationalists and say,

’Merry Christmas to all, regardless of religious belief.’ "Yes, Christmas is a special 24 hours for A.A.’s. The phone rings

and it is a 12th-Step calla call for help. What greater gift can anyone have than the opportunity to give life to another suf-

fering alcoholic as it has been given to us? "In A.A. we call this service, and surely it is among the most precious gifts

that we in A.A. share with one another. "Every service that A.A. gives to alcoholics has come about as the result of a

demonstrated need and is based on experience. The Steps were written from the pooled experience of 100 recovered

alcoholics and given freely to any of us who wants to follow them to recovery. The Traditions, too, were evolved from the

actual experience and activity of early A.A. ’s and given freely to us as guidelines to growth, and to unity to ’at-oneness’

with each other and the rest of the world. "The aim of all A.A. service of all A.A. giving is identical with A.A.’s primary

purpose to give A.A. to all who want it." Thank you, dear friend, for that lovely and thoughtful A.A. letter. And thanks, too,

for all the other holiday messages we always are showered with here at G.S.O. Our Christmas prayer for all of you is

Bill’s favorite, that of Saint Francis: "Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace; Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness,

joy. "0 Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console; to be understood, as to under-

stand; to be loved, as to love; for it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying

that we are born to eternal life." https://www.aa.org/newsletters/en_US/en_box459_holiday67.pdf

SOUTHERN MARYLAND INTERGROUP 1-800-492-0209 www.somdintergroup.org 2

'Tis the season of glad tidings and good cheer, but

for people in recovery from drug or alcohol addiction, the

holidays can be an especially trying time to stay healthy

and sober. Unrealistic expectations, over-commitment,

unhealthy eating, financial strain and fatigue can fray

emotions. Travel complications and busy schedules can

add to the stress, as well. You might be spending your

holidays away from your addiction recovery support sys-

tem and sober routines, which can make you more vulner-

able to relapse. Holiday customs, childhood memories

and annual gatherings that are closely associated with

drug or alcohol use can also tug at your emotions and put

your recovery at risk. But there are ways you can prepare

for this challenging season and safeguard the greatest gift

you've ever given yourself and those you love: Your sobri-

ety. Here are seven practical tips to help you avoid re-

lapse and stay sober during the holidays and beyond.

1. Have Sober Strategies in Place: Develop a plan to

protect your sobriety ahead of any holiday event and ac-

tivity that could potentially trigger relapse to substance

abuse. This may mean going to a Twelve Step meeting

before or after the event, attending the festivities with

your sponsor or a sober friend, or making sure you can

leave the gathering at any time and are not dependent on

someone else for transportation. Your plan to stay sober

could also include "bookending" the event with before-and

-after telephone calls to someone in recovery. Feel em-

powered to limit your time in stressful situations or around

difficult people—and always have an escape plan. Much

of relapse prevention is having an awareness of the peo-

ple, places or things that could trigger trouble and plan-

ning strategies for staying

sober given those inevitable

situations.

2. Adjust Your Attitude:

Talk with your sponsor, a

friend who understands ad-

diction recovery, or a pro-

fessional counselor about

the emotions and expecta-

tions you have wrapped up

in the holidays—especially if

you find yourself replaying childhood experiences or

memories during this time of year. This is called

"calculating reality." Remember that your loved ones,

coworkers and friends are probably feeling tired and

stressed during the holidays, too. This realization alone

will help you adjust your attitude, lower your expectations

and be forgiving of yourself and others. Instead of show-

ing up at a holiday event feeling on edge or defensive,

orient your thinking to be open, accepting and positive:

Ask yourself, what is

the next right thing for

me to do in this situa-

tion? It's also important

to be aware that some

people in addiction re-

covery are vulnerable

to substance abuse

relapse after the holi-

days. The buildup of

stress and resentment

that might come with

the holidays can lead to rationalizations, denial and re-

lapse. In other words, we can convince ourselves that,

considering what we've been through, we are entitled to

drink or use. Sometimes, as alcoholics and addicts, we

manage things better when we're in the midst of a crisis

than afterwards. Remember, the disease of addiction is

as powerful the day after a holiday as it is the day of and

the day before. As we learn during addiction rehab and in

the meeting rooms, recovery is a one-day-at-a-time en-

deavor, no matter the season.

3. Be of Service

The holidays offer powerful opportunities for spiritual

growth by sharing your gratitude and joy with others. Con-

necting with others in this way can be a new experience

that takes courage. But because you're in recovery from

active addiction, you've already demonstrated the capaci-

ty for tremendous courage and change. So keep strength-

ening your recovery. Look for ways to be of service to oth-

ers: Serve a meal at a homeless shelter, reach out with

hospitality to a newcomer at a meeting, spend time with a

neighbor who is confined. There are a million different

ways to give back, pay it forward and be of service.

4. Be Mindful of What You're Drinking—and Thinking

At social gatherings, it might be helpful to always have a

beverage in hand so people aren't constantly offering you

a drink. When you order a beverage, pay attention to how

it is being made. If you ask someone to get a beverage

for you, he or she may not know your situation or might

forget your request and bring you an alcoholic drink. If

you accidentally pick up the wrong drink and swallow

some alcohol, this doesn't mean you will automatically

relapse. But watch for any rationalizations that could

creep in: "Hmm, I guess I can handle alcohol in social sit-

uations after all. Perhaps my period of abstinence taught

me how to control my drinking." Do not go down that road.

Instead, tell someone who understands recovery from

drug or alcohol addiction about your experience as soon

as possible. A mistake is not a relapse—but it can lead to

one if kept a secret. (continued on page 3)

Tips for Protecting Your Sobriety During the Holidays

SOUTHERN MARYLAND INTERGROUP 1-800-492-0209 www.somdintergroup.org 3

(...Protecting Sobriety - con’t from p. 2) 5. Avoid Known Risks: If you know Aunt Lucy is going to grill you about rehab,

avoid her. If Uncle Bob will try to mix you a stiff drink, stay away from him. If the office New Year's party is really all

about drinking or other drug use, make a brief appearance or don't attend. It is unrealistic in all of these scenarios to

say, "I can soldier through." That's what Step One of the Twelve Steps teaches us, right? That we don't have the

power. So, why put yourself in the position of having to "power through" an obstacle course of relapse triggers? Stay-

ing sober and safeguarding your recovery must always come first.

6. Practice Self-care: Celebrate the holiday season and the fullness of your sober life by taking time for yourself.

Proper nutrition, gentle exercise and restorative sleep can do wonders for your well -being. The better you feel physi-

cally, the stronger you will be emotionally. Nourish your spirit, too, through personal reflection and connection with

those you love. Find some quiet time each day for relaxation and meditation—if only for a few minutes, no matter how

busy you are. Let your spirit be your guide.

7. If You Need Drug or Alcohol Addiction Treatment, Consider Going to Rehab During the Holidays: Some

families might consider the holidays an inappropriate time to help a loved one get into addiction treatment when, in

fact, it could be an ideal opportunity. For many of the reasons mentioned above, substance abuse tends to ramp up

over the holidays. Addiction treatment initiated during the holidays could be the best gift you give to your family, your

friends and yourself. https://www.hazeldenbettyford.org/articles/tips-for-enjoying-sober-

Holiday Alkathons are events where we

gather on holidays (typically Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Eve/Day) for marathon

meetings, food, and fellowship. The holidays can be a particularly

difficult time of year for many of us - Alkathons

provide a safe, sober place to hang out with

friends, celebrate together and just chill.

In AA, the holiday season is often referred to as the Bermuda Triangle (once you go in, you may never come out)

and the Triple Crown, because if you can make it through early sobriety during those emotionally charged times, you

really do deserve some sort of prize. Which is why I love Alkathons. Alkathons, for those who aren’t familiar with the

term, are extended meetings that take place on three of the biggest drinking days/nights of the year and typically last

24-hours. Apparently AA groups started having them sometime during the ‘60s to help out people in early sobriety

struggling with the holidays and to give homeless alcoholics a holiday meal. At the one that I usually go to (in a town

bordering Boston), there’s free food and drink—we’re talking about an all-night full turkey dinner on Thanksgiving

and Christmas alongside the steady stream of alcoholics telling their stories from the podium.

I got sober on September 10th, 2003 and for me, Alkathons were an absolute godsend, because I was completely out

of my mind during that period. It was the first time in decades I had been sober during the holidays and my emotions

were all over the place; with no booze or pills to stabilize me (momentarily, anyway) I was a mess. While I had been

a heavy daily drinker for a long time before I got sober, the stretch between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day was

always especially brutal. I’d ramp up my drinking starting the day before Thanksgiving (which has been dubbed

“Blackout Wednesday” by bartenders and cops) and stagger to the finish line a day or two after the ball in Times

Square dropped. And it’s not just me, apparently. One study showed that an average of 728 people were injured or

killed in drunk driving crashes each day during the holiday season. So when the day before Thanksgiving rolled

around during my first year of sobriety, I was about six weeks sober and I really did not know what to do with myself.

I was usually at the bar by noon on that day, so instead I went to a noon meeting and then hit my regular Wednes-

day meeting (appropriately enough in a psych ward/detox). (continued on page 4)

SOUTHERN MARYLAND INTERGROUP 1-800-492-0209 www.somdintergroup.org 4

(Why I Love Alkathons - con’t from p. 3)

But when I got out, I felt like I had to be doing something,

but that something could no longer involve the customary

booze and drugs. So I went to the Alkathon, and it was

awesome. It was less of an AA meeting and more like a

giant party, filled with tons of people from the various

meetings that I went to in Boston and the surrounding

towns. I didn’t know many people well, but there was just

this really strong feeling of togetherness that made me

forget about my barroom buddies. The men’s group that

I belonged to had the 3-4am speaker slot on the sched-

ule, so I went home and took a nap before heading back

there. I wasn’t really sleeping very well during those days

anyway, so it was better than staring at the clock and the

ceiling. When I arrived, there were a number of homeless

drunk guys (which was a great reminder of why I should-

n’t romance the holiday boozing), but there were also a

lot of people like me—folks in early sobriety that weren’t

sleeping too well either. The next day was Thanksgiving,

and I went to the Alkathon before dinner, and that helped

me get through the day.

On Christmas Eve, I had to go to my in-laws for

dinner and that was a trap. They didn’t like me very much

and I never liked them either, so without the booze, it was

grossly uncomfortable. I had rarely ever been around

them sober (which is part of the reason they disliked me

so much) and my body was screaming for a drink as

soon as I arrived. Luckily my seven-year-old nephews

were there to keep me distracted, but in the back of my

mind I kept thinking that I could sneak a couple of glass-

es of wine and nobody would know because they were all

drinking themselves. But I also knew that I’d be meeting

my home group at the Alkathon at midnight, so that may

have been what kept me from going through with the

plan. My in-laws weren’t really even drinkers (except my

sister-in-law’s husband, who drank himself to death a few

years later), but my family was loaded with alkies and ad-

dicts. And if you’ve got any alcoholism or addiction in

your family, you know that the holidays aren’t usually an-

ything like a Hallmark Channel movie. By the time I got

sober, most of the madness in my family had stopped,

but I can remember a scene from when I was drinking

that’s a prime example of why Alkathons are so valuable

if you’re trying to stay sober. My younger brother, who

had gotten sober way before I did, was about a year-and-

a-half sober one Christmas when my other brother (who

later died from a booze and overdose) and I were in full

psycho Christmas party mode. We’d gunned down a

quart of Schnapps and some beers between us on

Christmas morning. The house was more like Nightmare

on Elm Street than It’s a Wonderful Life, so my younger

brother understandably had to get away from us. He told

me he had to get to an Alkathon to be with his group, and

while he was putting on his jacket, I gave him a finger-

wagging lecture—slurring about how he should be with

his family and not with “those people.” And although the

memory makes me wince, I’m sure there are a lot of peo-

ple who have similar versions of that same story - situa-

tions where drunken idiots lecture those who are trying to

stay clean and sober about what is right.

The truth is, what I get at Alkathons is usually a lot

closer to what the holidays are supposed to be about (at

least according to those aforementioned Hallmark Chan-

nel movies)

than it ever

was when

my siblings

and I were

down in the

basement

drinking

and doing

shots.

There’s a

sense of real closeness and belonging at Alkathons that I

don’t feel in too many other places, even at most of my

regular meetings.

While New Year’s Alkathons don’t offer as much

as the Christmas ones in the way of warm holiday spirit

(I’ve always thought of the holiday as more of St. Pat-

rick’s Day for the non-Irish), it’s still a good alternative to

all the booze-centric activities. Most of the people will be

sober, and it sure beats doing it on your own.

Johnny P. https://rehabreviews.com/love-alkathons/

SOUTHERN MARYLAND INTERGROUP 1-800-492-0209 www.somdintergroup.org 5

Dec 1934 - Bill & Lois start attending Oxford Group meetings.

Dec 1934 to May 1935 - Bill works with alcohol-ics, but fails to sober any of them. Lois reminds him HE is sober.

Dec 1938 - Twelve Steps written.

Nov/Dec 1939 - Akron group withdrawals from association with Oxford Group. Meetings moved from T Henry & Clarence Williams to Dr Bob and other members homes.

Dec 1939 - First AA group in mental institution, Rockland State Hospital, NY.

Dec 1939 - 1st home meeting in Los Angeles at Kaye M.'s house.

Dec 1939 - Matt Talbot Club has 88 members, us-es wagons to collect old furniture to recondition & sell, not A.A., used A.A. program, material, marked 1st effort reach alcoholics outside married middle-class category.

Dec 1940 - 1st AA group formed in St. Louis, Mis-souri.

Dec 1940 - group started Ashtabula, Ohio due to Plain Dealer articles. A.A. Cleveland has about 30 groups.

Dec 1948 - Dr. Bob's last major talk, in Detroit.

Dec 1950 - Grapevine article signed by both Bill and Dr Bob recommend establishing AA General Service Conference.

Dec 1955 - 'Man on the Bed' painting by Robert M. first appeared in Grapevine. Painting originally called 'Came to Believe'

Dec 1982 - Nell Wing retires from GSO after 35 years of service.

Dec 1, 1940 - Chicago Daily Tribune begins a se-ries of articles on AA by Nall Hamilton.

Dec 5, 1985 - Dave B, founder of Montreal Group dies weeks before 50th anniversary. His story add-ed to the 4th Edition Big Book.

Dec 6, 1939 - Bert the Tailor lends Works Publish-ing $1000.

Dec 6, 1979 - Akron Beacon reports death of Hen-rietta Sieberling.

Dec 7, 1949 - Sister Ignatia received Poverello Medal on behalf of A.A.

Dec 10, 1975 - Birds of a Feather AA group for pi-lots is formed.

Dec 11, 1934 - Bill admitted to Towns Hosp 4th/last time (fall '33, '34 in summer, midsummer and final admittance).

Dec 11, 1941 - Dallas Morning News reports 1st AA group formed in Dallas.

Dec 12, 1934 - Bill has his spiritual experience at Towns Hospital.

Dec 12, 1937 - Bill meets with Rockefeller Founda-tion and tries to get money.

Dec 13, 1937 - Rockland State Mental Hospital takes patients to meeting in New Jersey.

Dec 13 or 14, 1934 - Ebby visited Bill at hospital, brought William James's book, "Varieties of Reli-gious Experience".

Dec 19, 1939 - Los Angeles hold their 1st AA meeting there.

Dec 20, 1945 - Rowland H dies (he carried the Ox-ford Group message to Ebby).

Dec 27, 1893 - Rev Samuel Shoemaker is born.

http://www.a-1associates.com/aa/HISTORY_PAGE/significant_dates.htm

OUR TWELFTH TRADITION: And finally, we of Alcoholics Anonymous believe that

the principle of anonymity has an immense spiritual significance. It reminds us

that we are to place principles before personalities; that we are actually to practice

a genuine humility. This to the end that our great blessings may never spoil us; that

we shall forever live in thankful contemplation of Him who presides over us all.

SOUTHERN MARYLAND INTERGROUP 1-800-492-0209 www.somdintergroup.org 6

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

Rene G. 30 yr.

St. Mary’s City

Katherine L.

5yr, ODAAT

2 3

Dino 8yr.

Kayla B. 3yr.

Tuesday Night

Big Book

4

Vern., 2 yr.

North Beach

5 6 7

Casey M.,

28 yr, King-

ston Creek

8

Kim K. 15yr.

Solomons

9 10

Gwen B., 17yr.

Brown Bag.

11

Paul E., 3 yr.

North Beach

12

Cinthia Y., 2yr.

What’s The

Point?

13 14

Sam., 12 yr

North Beach

15 16 17 18 19

Amy D., 7 yr

Jeanine W. 23yr

St Charles Step

20 21

Wally S., 27yr

SABSIT

22 23 24 25

Steve H., 29yr.

Brown Bag

26 27 28

29

John W., 30yr.

Solomons

30

Cindy, 39yr.

Emotional So-

briety

Brian W., 4yr

Lusby Big Book

31

Donna B., 3yr.

Hollywood

December 2019

SOUTHERN MARYLAND INTERGROUP 1-800-492-0209 www.somdintergroup.org 7

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3

Vickie P., 5 yr

Cove Point

4

5

Adella A., 5 yr

Drunks ‘R’ Us

6

Jeff M., 10 yr

Lexington

Park

7 8 9

Sandy C., 3yr.

Charlotte Hall

10 11

Dennis B., 44yr

Kingston Creek

Kathy N., 11yr

Early Risers

12

Francis R.,

28yr. KISS

13 14 15 16 17 18

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

26

David D., 11yr.

KISS

27 28

Al S., 31yr.

Hollywood

Jeff P., 5yr.

Happy Destiny

29 30 31

January 2020

SOUTHERN MARYLAND INTERGROUP 1-800-492-0209 www.somdintergroup.org 8

Dear A.A. Friends,

Warm greetings from the Cooperation with the Professional Community (C.P.C.) desk at your General Service Office! Thank you for all that you do to inform professionals about A.A. and how we cooperate with them.

Following up, the LinkedIn page is now available https://www.linkedin.com/company/aaworldservicesinc, and the content is based on the 2019 Conference Committee on C.P.C. Additional Consideration that highlights and reaffirms the 2018 Advisory Action re-garding LinkedIn. The presence of a LinkedIn page describing Alcoholics Anonymous is intended to be a tool to aid local C.P.C. committee work in the U.S. and Canada to inform professionals about A.A. The trustees’ Committee on C.P.C./Treatment and Accessibilities noted the value of a static LinkedIn page as a touchpoint to get-ting professionals to the A.A. website, and the A.A.W.S. board approved the implementation of a LinkedIn page at their November 2019 meeting.

Please email me at cpc@aa.org if you would like to share experiences, questions, or comments related to C.P.C. work or this LinkedIn page.

Sincerely, Diana L, C.P.C.Coordinator 212-870-3107 cpc@aa.org https://www.linkedin.com/company/aaworldservicesinc

STEP 12: Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

How do I carry the message? When asked to be the speaker at a meeting, how should we tell our story? If our

primary purpose is to carry the message, when we are asked to share our story, what should we say and how should we

say it? The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous states on page 58, “Our stories disclose in a general way what we used to

be like, what happened, and what we are like now. If you have decided you want what we have and are willing to go to any

length to get it — then you are ready to take certain steps.”

This implies that the speaker identifies as an alcoholic who will share his/her experience, strength and hope. One might

begin by sharing their hopelessness, i.e., “what we used to be like” . Next, share about “what happened” , i.e., how got to

AA and how we first worked the program. The speaker finishes by sharing “what we are like now”, or how their life has

changed, how they work their program today and how the promises have been fulfilled. This provides an opportunity for

listeners to identify with the speaker and decide to move forward with the steps if they are ready to do so.

For some of us, speaker meetings conjure up memories of sitting for 40 minutes to an hour, listening to drunk-a-logs, war

stories, sometimes just plain babbling. Some speakers will even admit that they haven’t worked the 12 steps – staying so-

ber on meetings alone. Audiences are held captive, never getting a real solution to their problems. Unable to identify with

the speaker’s story, newcomers may be left bewildered or worse yet, depressed, feeling more isolated from the fellowship.

Remember the importance of sharing the solution. Our suggestion is to breakdown your story as follows:

1. What was I like? – 10% – Share your experience. Qualify yourself. What makes you a ‘real’ alcoholic?

Give your audience the chance to identify with you.

2. What happened? – 70% – Share your strength – how you found this solution and what you did to recover.

3. What am I like now? – 20% – Share your hope. Talk about the promises you have received as a result of working

this program.

How do we know if our talk has been effective? In the preface of the Big Book (4th Edition), it describes the potential im-

pact of our stories when delivered in a sincere manner: “If you have a drinking problem, we hope that you may pause and

think, “Yes, that happened to me” or, more importantly, “Yes, I’ve felt like that” or most importantly, “Yes, I believe this pro-

gram can work for me too.” https://bigbooksponsorship.org/articles-alcoholism-addiction-12-step-program-recovery/fellowship/asked-guest-speaker

SOUTHERN MARYLAND INTERGROUP 1-800-492-0209 www.somdintergroup.org 9

DOES YOUR HOME GROUP HAVE A GSR?

The GSR (General Service Representative): Our link between our Home Group and AA as a whole.

District 35 (Charles County) is a collection of the Home Groups’ representatives that

share their group's conscience and experience with each other and carry that collective

message to our Area 29 (Maryland General Services, Inc.). Without a General Service Rep-

resentative to represent your group, your groups’ voice is not heard. There is but a small

handful of groups that are represented at our District meeting. Be active! Be in-

volved! Show your gratitude!

The collective message of our District and Area meetings are in turn brought back to our

Home Groups. Do you know what that collective message is without a General Service

Representative? Elect a GSR at your next group conscience! District 35 meets the first

Thursday of each month at 7PM at Peace Lutheran Church. All members are welcome to

attend. We have service opportunities available! We are currently planning our Fourth Step

Workshop for April 2020 and will be holding a Sixth and Seventh Step Workshop in October

2020. Please join us, we’d love to see you there!

The Vital Link ... THE GSR By Bill W.

Let’s always remember that the base for our World Service

is to be found in the ability and dedication of our several

thousands of "G.S.R.’s." All these are the direct agents of

the A.A. groups themselves. They are the indispensable link-

age between our Fellowship and its global G.S.R. services;

they are the primary representatives of A.A.’s group con-

science. Without their effective support, activity, and wisdom,

our basic service foundation would crumble. How true this is

can be seen in the fact that all our State and Provincial Com-

mittee Members have to be chosen from among Assemblies

of G.S.R.’s, and they must be the chief agents of communi-

cation between groups and our world headquarters, and be-

tween Committee Members, Delegates and the A.A. groups

themselves. Taken as a whole, the G.S.R.’s constitute about

the most important body of service that we have. Hence

great care needs to be taken by the groups as they choose

these, their direct representatives a truly great responsibility.

In the long run, our edifice of world service can be no better

nor more secure than the far-flung foundation of General

Service Representatives upon which it really rests.

https://www.aa.org/newsletters/en_US/en_box459_holiday67.pdf

SOUTHERN MARYLAND INTERGROUP 1-800-492-0209 www.somdintergroup.org 10

ANYONE FOR RESOLUTIONS? We’ve asked lots of long-sober members about this, and here are some of their ideas for breathing new life

into your sobriety -

1. Work at a group or Intergroup office you’ve never held before.

2. See if some group wouldn’t like you to start some new Newcomers Meetings (there’s a G.S.O. kit on this).

3. Start helping the weakest group or meeting you can find, support them in your local AA community.

4. Write an article for the Grapevine, and keep it up even if the first six don’t get printed.

5. Pick up some CD’s or online speaker downloads - connect with a whole new world of A.A.

6. Become responsible for a meeting in an institution in your region.

7. Start sponsoring some Loners. Read the "Loners Meeting" bulletin below...

https://www.aa.org/newsletters/en_USen_box459_holiday67.pdf

Overview of Loners-Internationalists Meeting History

The first LIM bulletin, printed in 1949 as The Internationalists Round Robin, was a few pages of ex-

cerpts from letters received at G.S.O. and mailed to a small band of Internationalists determined to stay so-

ber no matter how isolated they were. By 1963, the bulletin consisted of five or six one-sided pages, mime-

ographed on blue paper. In 1976, an A.A. Loners meeting merged with the original Internationalists

meeting. Ever since the March-April 1980 issue, LIM has been printed on the familiar yellow pages.

LIM began through the efforts of Captain Jack S., a sailor who found sobriety in A.A. and understood

that to maintain sobriety he needed to reach out to other members through correspondence. Initially, Cap-

tain Jack was looking for A.A. contacts in port cities when he wrote a letter to G.S.O. dated March 28, 1946.

Captain Jack requested information on A.A. contacts because he was “. . . still at sea on oil tankers, on

which I have served for ten years. I have few contacts ashore with A.A., and have to rely on the Book and

the guy upstairs.” A G.S.O. staff member provided Captain Jack with the names of A.A. contacts in port

cities, and encouraged him to write to other seagoing members, which he did. After the publication of a

three-part article, “A ‘Loner’ at Sea,” by Captain Jack in the October, November, and December 1948 issues

of the A.A. Grapevine, plans began to take shape to start an Internationalists meeting-by-mail. Letters re-

sponding to that Grapevine article prompted another G.S.O. staff member to suggest to Captain Jack that

he consider starting a “Round Robin Meeting” via letters. Captain Jack responded positively and suggested

the name be “The Far East Internationalist Group.” He said that name “. . . would leave it open to lone

members stationed ashore in the Far East and also to men who sail these waters under flags of different na-

tions.”

Captain Jack died in December 1988 at age 91, a few months after celebrating his 42nd A.A. anniver-

sary. He had remained active in the Fellowship, seeking newcomers in Portland, Maine – where he had re-

tired – while continuing to answer the many letters that he received. A.A.’s phenomenal worldwide growth

is attributed in part to Captain Jack and hundreds of Internationalists like him who, sailing the seven seas,

carried the message wherever they dropped anchor. https://www.aa.org/assets/en_US/smf-123_en.pdf

SOUTHERN MARYLAND INTERGROUP 1-800-492-0209 www.somdintergroup.org 11

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SOUTHERN MARYLAND INTERGROUP 1-800-492-0209 www.somdintergroup.org 13

Saturday Serenity, 7pm OD/HC

First Saints Community Church

25550 Point Lookout Road

Leonardtown, MD

Beginners at Noon, 12pm OD/LIT

Beacon Of Hope (Next to Well Pet)

21800 N. Shangri-La Dr.

Lexington Park, MD

SMIA Meeting Minutes - 11/9/19

Opening: The meeting was opened by

Pat S. with the Serenity Prayer.

New Members and Visitors: Rose

and Jan from Today’s Group

Board Members and Committee

Chair Present:

Pat S. Chairperson, Janine G. Vice

Chairperson, Bruce O. Parliamentari-

an, Buddy F. Secretary, Cora W.

Treasurer, Bill L. Webmaster, Keith H.

Lifeline, Emme J. Telephone, John M.

Gratitude Dinner and John W. Serenity

Breakfast.

SMIA Chair Report: Pat S. asked for a

volunteer to submit a Service Biog-

raphy for the December Lifeline

SMIA Vice Chair Report: Janine G.

no report at this time

Secretary’s Report: Due to the Secre-

tary’s absence from the October meet-

ing there were no minutes provided for

the meeting

Treasurer’s Report: Cora W. gave

treasurers report for October 2019, the

report was accepted as read.

SMIA Chair Reports.

Archives: No Report.

Bridging the Gap: No Report.

Bookstall: No report

Telephone: Emme J. stated we had a

total of 6 calls for the month, 4 looking

for rides 1 needing meeting info and 1

looking for other info. A.A. Hotline,

New Caller ID (800-492-0209). Emme

has been researching our current

phone plan and looking into other op-

tion to try and lower the cost of the Hot

Line phone plan anyone who knows of

any pans that may help us cut this

enormous cost please contact Emme

or one of the SMIA Officers.

Lifeline: Keith stated things were go-

ing well, looking for people to share

about how and when their homegroup

started and the history behind their

group. Always need folks to write Ser-

vice Bios. Also please observe that

flyers cannot be submitted on a full

page, please use 1/2 or 1/4 page.

Website: Bill L., there were 2,271 vis-

its to the Website down 22. % Bill also

stated the GSO requires our database

to be formatted a certain way for them

to add to their app. Bill stated he has

been working on publishing the meet-

ing guide app. He is about 30% com-

plete. Bill said he needed someone

from Charles County to step up and

start publishing District 35 anniver-

saries. He also stated the need for up-

dated Where and When’s from each

Districts.

Corrections and Treatment: Calvert

Fred stated that there is an orientation

process before you can take meetings

into the correction facility. He also stat-

ed he can always use volunteers.

Charles Kim L. stated things were go-

ing well and working with bridging the

Gap and she could use more volun-

teers as well. ST Mary’s No Report.

PI/CPC: Calvert Rodger stated every-

thing was going well. Charles Cindy all

racks are full making sure to keep the

racks full at the recovery Houses St.

Mary’s no report

Gratitude Dinner: John M. everything

is going well could use Volunteers for

working tables and clean up

Serenity Breakfast: John W. stated

that 205 tickets were sold the silent

auction was a success there was a

large 50/50 raffle, after all was tallied

and paid. The Serenity Breakfast was

able to donate $1,490.00 to SMIA. We

at SMIA would like to thank John W.,

his staff and the Paul Hall Seamanship

School for their dedication to helping

carrying the message of A.A. to the still

sick and suffering.

Picnic: No report

Where and When: No report

Old Business: None

New Business: Cora stated that she

has been working with the bank to get

our account in order as a nonprofit for

tax purposes.

For the good of the Order: Jeff A.

stated that the Waldorf group will be

celebrating 50 years on Saturday No-

vember 9th.

District 36 has nominations coming up

for Service Position October 8th at the

Hollywood Rescue Squad meeting.

Adjournment: The meeting was ad-

journed at 10:37 am with the Responsi-

bility Pledge.

Submitted by Buddy F., SMIA Secre-tary

These groups need sup-

port and home group

members. Remember

the people who helped

you in your early days?

• Break your routine!

• Try a new meeting!

• Meet great folks!

• Share your E/S/H*!

• Enjoy service!

• Boost your sobriety!

* Experience, strength and hope

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SOUTHERN MARYLAND INTERGROUP 1-800-492-0209 www.somdintergroup.org 15

DISTRICT 1 CALVERT COUNTY

HELP WANTED!!

We need both:

ACCESSIBILITY CHAIR

GRAPEVINE CHAIR

Interested in these great service opportu-nities? Please join us

at the next District meeting!

7 PM, 3rd Monday St. Paul’s Episc. Church Prince Frederick, MD

District 1 - Trust Fund PO Box 234

Barstow, MD 20610

www.calvertaa.org

DISTRICT 35 - CHARLES

COUNTY

OPEN SERVICE POSITIONS:

• Hospitality Chair

• Communications Chair

• Grapevine Rep

District Meeting:

7 PM, 1st Thursday

Peace Lutheran Church

Waldorf MD

PO Box 1981, La Plata, MD

20646

DISTRICT 36 - ST. MARY'S COUNTY

District Meeting: 6:30 PM, 2nd Tuesday

@ Hollywood Rescue Squad Bldg., Holly-

wood

PO Box 1334, California, MD 20619

CO-CHAIRS NEEDED FOR

SERVICE COMMITTEES

JOIN US @ NEXT MEETING:

JANUARY 11, 10AM

SOUTHERN MARYLAND INTERGROUP 1-800-492-0209 www.somdintergroup.org 16

SOUTHERN MARYLAND INTERGROUP ASSOCIATION

CHAIR: Pat S.

VICE CHAIR: Jeanine W.

SECRETARY: Buddy F.

TREASURER: Cora W.

PARLIAMENTARIAN: Bruce O.

Where & When: Pat P.

Lifeline: Keith H.

Telephone: Emme J.

Website: Bill L.

Bookstall: Keenan W.

The Lifeline is an unofficial newsletter published by South-

ern Maryland Intergroup Association, Inc. Any opinions ex-

pressed are those of the writers. They are not endorsed by

SMIA, any group or AA as a whole. Group secretaries and

individuals are encouraged to send group news, anniver-

saries and events. Material may be edited for space and

content. Please send all Lifeline correspondence to:

somdlifeline@gmail.com

THE DEADLINE FOR ALL LIFELINE MATERIALS

IS THE 27th OF EACH MONTH.

Please send any updates for the Where & When to:

smia.whereandwhen@somdaa.org.

Current meeting guides are available at the

monthly SMIA meeting on a limited basis.

“Our leaders are but trusted servants, they do not govern.”

Our primary purpose is to help the

still suffering alcoholic. SMIA is

committed to this principle and

provides a 24x7 Telephone Ser-

vice. We need phone volunteers!

Go to our website,

www.somdintergroup.org. Click

on the Phone List link, complete the online form - this

is a secure method to add your name to the 12-Step

Call List. This protected information is only shared

with the Phone Committee Chair. You will be amazed

before you’re half way through.

SMIA PHONE REPORT

NOVEMBER 2019

County Want to

Talk Need a Ride

Meeting Info

Other * Total Calls

Calvert

Charles

St. Mary’s

Not Speci-fied

Total Calls

RECOVERY.

You must be present

to win.

*

WHAT IS AN A.A. ANSWERING SERVICE? An A.A. answering service of-fers a local gateway to reach Alcoholics Anonymous. The service receives inquiries from those seeking help and may refer callers to a nearby A.A. group or may have an A.A. member contact them. Most answering ser-vices serve groups in one community or county only. In some places, gen-eral service districts form the geographical boundaries. Some areas have started state or province-wide answering services. The responsibility for an A.A. answering service can vary: an answering service committee may handle these matters, an intergroup or central office may manage this ser-vice, individual A.A. members may take on the responsibility, or the an-swering service may be the responsibility of the district or area general ser-vice committee. https://www.aa.org/assets/en_US/mg-12_aaanswering.pdf