Joe ^ was right…

John, that’s also a great thought!

Mike P. – if you can, might be an idea to contact the PI chair in Patchogue (Intergroup Office) on Main St. If you recall, I was the PI chair for a while “back in the day.” lol…

Obviously the counselor doesn’t know that much about A.A. — I’ve never of “100 tools of AA”. Of course I won’t argue I can’t count the number of ways my life has improved since working through the Twelve Steps… Perhaps the counselor had to “google” AA tools and somehow landed on a page that was selling Batteries by the bulk… HOW would he know the differnce?

We can do better!

Someone who’s been sober a lot longer than myself brought up a few things for me to think about at a workshop last year… When we look back through A.A.’s history, we don’t have to look far to find “FRIENDS” of Alcoholics Anonymous — People who weren’t alcoholics who did a tremendous amount of work for Alcoholics Anonymous — Sister Ignatia, Doctor William D. Silkworth, Ruth Hock, John D. Rockefeller – to name a few. If you’ve studied the history, you can add to the list rapidly. Here’s the point to consider: How many “FRIENDS” can we mention that are in the spotlight helping A.A. today? —

All those professional people, who are getting paid to help knot-heads like me, are really starting off at a tremendous dis-advantage. If you approach any of them, they’ll tell you they’ve heard of Alcoholics Anonymous, but very few of them can tell you what Alcoholics Anonymous does or doesn’t do. The point: Noone knows more about A.A. than it’s members. It’s in the Big Book, and I believe it: You can help when no one else can.” I know a man who has just become a doctor. He told me that A.A. was mentioned one time in one of his classes, but there was no talk about it. How can we expect these professionals, to know anything about A.A. if nobody has ever told them? or more bluntly, “How will anyone know if we don’t tell them?”

That’s where Cooperation with the Professional Community – also known to some old-timers as C.P.C. .. From the AA Guidelines regarding Cooperation with the Professional Community:
C.P.C.—Members of these committees provide information about A.A. to those who have contact with alcoholics through their profession.
This group includes health care professionals, educators, members of the clergy, lawyers, social workers, union leaders, and industrial managers, as well as those working in the field of alcoholism. Information is provided about where we are, what we are, what we can do, and what we cannot do.

This is a GREAT opportunity to contact the District C.P.C. Chair and find out what can be done. Maybe set up an appointment with the Counselor… maybe even the entire staff where the Counselor works and have some folks on a C.P.C. committee give a presentation.

Of course, the pigeon will still have to do whatever the counselor says, but hopefully, the counselor will be a bit more educated in matters concerning A.A. before dishing out “assignments”. Who knows… we might even make a new “FRIEND” in the process!

John