From the discussion on the Concepts Checklist;

Concept VIII: The trustees are the principal planners and administrators of overall policy and finance. They have custodial oversight of the separately incorporated and constantly active services, exercising this through their ability to elect all the directors of these entities.

• Do we understand the relationship between the two corporate service entities (A.A. World Services, Inc., the A.A. Grapevine) and the General Service Board?
• How can the business term “custodial oversight” apply to the trustees’ relationship to the two corporate service entities?
• Does my home group subscribe to G.S.O.’s bimonthly newsletter Box 4-5-9? The A.A.Grapevine? Do I?

From the pamphlet “The Twelve Concepts Illustrated”

Long experience has proven that the board “must devote itself almost exclusively to the larger questions of policy, finance, group relations and leadership . . . . In these matters, it must act with great care and skill to plan, manage and execute.”

The board, therefore, must not be distracted or burdened with the details or the endless questions which arise daily in the routine operation of the General Service Office or the publishing operations, including the Grapevine. “It must delegate its executive function” to its subsidiary, operating boards.

Post from: Blisstree

Concept VIII

“Such gross misbehavior is not by any means a full catalogue of the harms we do. Let us think of some of the subtler ones which can sometimes be quite as damaging. Suppose that in our family lives we happen to be miserly, irresponsible, callous, or cold. Suppose that we are irritable, critical, impatient, and humorless. Suppose we lavish attention upon one member of the family and neglect the others.”

Through the years I’ve watched my share of alcoholics who’ve, unfortunately, allowed themselves to return to selfishness and self-centeredness. In quite a few instances these folks have shared in meetings in a manner that allows those listening to catch a glimpse of something being “off the beam.” An oldtimer noticed it in me once and said something to me about it. He told me that the majority of my sentences began with the word “I.” I was wrapped up in me!

“What happens when we try to dominate the whole family, either by a rule of iron or by a constant outpouring of minute directions for just how their lives should be lived from hour to hour? What happens when we wallow in depression, self-pity oozing from every pore, and inflict that upon those about us? Such a roster of harms done others — the kind that make daily living with us as practicing alcoholics difficult and often unbearable – - could be extended almost indefinitely.”

That is the manner in which these other folks also shared. Most of them accepted the thoughts of those who were there to help them through those moments, those who understood. Sadly, not all of them were open to receiving this help. Perhaps it was the way it was presented, I don’t know. That doesn’t matter.

I’ve learned through these years that I want to at least attempt to couch my thoughts, comments and suggestions in a manner that is the most receptive or motivates action within our Twelve Steps. I know without doubt that I’ll never be perfect at any of this but I still try. I try because a life is always worth saving if indeed that life is in jeopardy. I don’t know if it is in jeopardy unless I ask. So… I ask. And for the love of God I have no idea how this was misunderstood, but it was;

[Name deleted] – Are you really okay? I ask because there is something I noticed in this post today…

You began 9 of 13 sentences with “I.”

Wassup???

The misunderstanding wasn’t the problem. There was a personal “reaction” and that wasn’t the problem. There was a subsequent apology that was accepted gratefully. That certainly isn’t the problem. I want to walk away from this – yet I can’t yet. Why? Because there is a problem, for me.

I did what I did strictly out of concern for another person. There was no “agenda.” There was no bad motive. I had no ill intentions. Yet I’ve now been character assassinated, diminished and repeatedly criticized – wrongly! Those who’ve done this couldn’t have read this comment/question because if they had they’d no doubt have understood the reason behind it. They are just spouting off for the sake of spewing negativity on someone they don’t know to defend someone they think they do know.

And it hurts still. And I am allowing myself to react to this hurt with anger.

The paragraph I’ve quoted above ends with this;

“When we take such personality traits as these into shop, office, and the society of our fellows, they can do damage almost as extensive as that we have caused at home.”

The Internet can be understood as “the society of our fellows” imho. So your negative, name-calling, smart-assed comments have caused me harm. They hurt me when I was trying my best to find out whether someone needed help. You “holier-than-thous” ought to get the heck over your da** selves!

Post from: Blisstree

Subtler Misbehavior Quite As Damaging As Gross Misbehavior

From the discussion on the Concepts Checklist;

Concept Vll: The Charter and Bylaws of the General Service Board are legal instruments, empowering the trustees to manage and conduct world service affairs. The Conference Charter is not a legal document; it relies upon tradition and the A.A. purse for final effectiveness.

• Do we act responsibly regarding the “power of the purse?”
• Do we realize that the practical and spiritual power of the Conference will nearly always be superior to the legal power of the G.S.B.?

From the pamphlet “The Twelve Concepts Illustrated”

“If . . . the Conference will always bear in mind actual rights, duties, responsibilities and legal status of the General Service Board, and if the trustees . . . will constantly realize that the Conference is the real seat of ultimate service authority . . . neither will be seriously tempted to make a ‘rubber stamp’ out of the other . . . In this way, grave issues will always be resolved and harmonious cooperation will be the general rule.”

Post from: Blisstree

Concept VII

From the Service Material at the Alcoholics Anonymous web site.

Concepts Checklist – III, IV and V

Concept III: To insure effective leadership, we should endow each element of A.A. —the Conference, the General Service Board and its service corporations, staffs, committees, and executives—with a traditional “Right of Decision.”

• Do we understand what is meant by the “Right of Decision”? Do we grant it at all levels of service or do we “instruct”?
• Do we trust our trusted servants — G.S.R., D.C.M., area delegate, the Conference itself?

Concept IV: At all responsible levels, we ought to maintain a traditional “Right of Participation,” allowing a voting representation in reasonable proportion to the responsibility that each must discharge.

• Do we understand the spiritual principles underlying the “Right of Participation”?
• What does “in reasonable proportion” mean? Do we understand when it is appropriate for A.A. paid staff to have a vote at the General Service Conference or in our local service structure?
• Do we expect that, because we are A.A. members, we should be allowed to vote at any group, even if we are not active members of that group?

Concept V: Throughout our structure, a traditional “Right of Appeal” ought to prevail, so that minority opinion will be heard and personal grievances receive careful consideration.

• Do we encourage the minority opinion, the “Right of Appeal”, to be heard at our home group, district committee meetings, area assemblies and the Conference?
• What does our group accept as “substantial unanimity”?
• Has our group experienced the “tyranny of the majority” or the “tyranny of the minority”?
• Does our group understand the importance of all points of view being heard before a vote is taken?

Post from: Blisstree

Concepts Checklist – III, IV and V

From the wikipedia;

“Autonomy (Greek: Auto-Nomos – nomos meaning “law”: one who gives oneself his/her own law) is the right to self-government. Autonomy is a concept found in moral, political, and bioethical philosophy. Within these contexts, it refers to the capacity of a rational individual to make an informed, uncoerced decision. In moral and political philosophy, autonomy is often used as the basis for determining moral responsibility for one’s actions. One of the best known philosophical theories of autonomy was developed by Kant. In medicine, respect for the autonomy of patients is an important goal for doctors and other health-care professionals, though it can conflict with a competing ethical principle, beneficence. Politically, it is also used to refer to the self-governing of a people.”

Got it?

Each group should be autonomous. I take this to mean that, as a group, we make our own decisions and are able to “run” our groups as we see fit. That is, unless we step outside reasonable boundaries doing something that can harm our neighboring groups which would be “AA as a whole.”

For example, two groups have simultaneous meetings in the same area within close proximity, drawing members from the same folks. Close enough where an attitude develops because one group is suffering financially from lack of money and membership. The group that is short of members decides to go on a recruitment drive.

Use your imagination. How would they do that and isn’t that really the wrong thing to do? They would be trying to draw members away from the other group, hurting them in turn.

I’m not talking about groups on different sides of town. I’m relating to groups very close to each other, groups that might have been formed out of resentment. It happens. And it’s just an example.

I believe it leads to things like anniversaries every week at one group. Hearing “circuit speakers” at one group constantly. Dinners and dances in inordinate numbers. Flyers handed out. All of which is promotion instead of attraction yet it is an attitude problem to start with. It’s called ego and pride. It is old behavior.

Here’s the basis;

“In ethics, autonomy refers to a person’s capacity for self-determination in the context of moral choices. Kant argued that autonomy is demonstrated by a person who decides on a course of action out of respect for moral duty. That is, an autonomous person acts morally solely for the sake of doing “good”, independently of other incentives.”

Substitute “group” for “person.”

Post from: Blisstree

Autonomy

Concepts Checklist – Service Material From GSO

Most worthy of being passed along;

Concept I: Final responsibility and ultimate authority for A.A. world services should always reside in the collective conscience of our whole Fellowship.

• Does our group have a general service representative (G.S.R.)? Do we feel that our home group is part of A.A. as a whole and do our group’s decisions and actions reflect that?
• Do we hold regular group conscience meetings encouraging everyone to participate? Do we pass that conscience on to the district, area, or the local intergroup meetings?
• Is the “collective conscience” of Alcoholics Anonymous at work in my home group? In my area?
• Where do we fit in the upside-down triangle of A.A.?
• Are we willing to do what it takes to insure that our democracy of world service will work under all conditions?
  

Concept II: The General Service Conference of A.A. has become, for nearly every practical purpose, the active voice and the effective conscience of our whole Society in its world affairs.

• Do we have an understanding of the history of the General Service Conference (the “Conference”)?
• What is a Conference Advisory Action? Does our home group’s G.S.R., D.C.M., area delegate report back to the group on the highlights of the Conference and Conference Advisory Actions?
• Is our group meeting its wider Seventh Tradition responsibilities?
  

Concept III: To insure effective leadership, we should endow each element of A.A. —the Conference, the General Service Board and its service corporations, staffs, committees, and executives—with a traditional “Right of Decision.”

• Do we understand what is meant by the “Right of Decision”? Do we grant it at all levels of service or do we “instruct”?
• Do we trust our trusted servants — G.S.R., D.C.M., area delegate, the Conference itself?

Good stuff

Post from: Blisstree

Concepts Checklist – Service Material From GSO

A Spiritual Axiom

“It is a spiritual axiom that every time we are disturbed, no matter what the cause, there is something wrong with us.”

In the body of the person’s response in the Daily Reflection they say this;

“Feelings come from inside, not from outward circumstances. When my spiritual condition is positive, I react positively.”

On page 90 in the 12&12, speaking about the spiritual axiom and anger, it says;

“Few people have been more victimized by resentments than have we alcoholics. It mattered little whether our resentments were justified or not. A burst of temper could spoil a day, and a well-nursed grudge could make us miserably ineffective. Nor were we ever skillful in separating justified from unjustified anger. As we saw it, our wrath was always justified. Anger, that occasional luxury of more balanced people, could keep us on an emotional jag indefinitely. These emotional “dry benders” often led straight to the bottle. Other kinds of disturbances – jealousy, envy, self-pity, or hurt pride – did the same thing.”

Our poor “friend” Micky has, once again, resorted to lies and name-calling because he’s not getting his way. Now I am a coward and my father was (yeah, he’s dead fool) a murderer. And I won’t allow his comments to be read. Awww…

I now have over 130 screen shots of your spam which I am going to send to your ISP in Australia and Google, with a complaint that you are more than a spammer – you needlessly harass good people all over the Internet with your hateful name-calling and blog defacing. And I’m not sorry one bit!

Post from: Blisstree

Of Course It’s Not October 9th!

Guidance

“… this means a belief in a Creator who is all power, justice, and love; a God who intends for me a purpose, a meaning, and a destiny to grow, however … haltingly, toward His own likeness and image.”

As Bill Sees It, p.51

“As I began to understand my own powerlessness and my dependence on God, as I understand Him, I began to see that there was a life which, if I could have it, I would have chosen for myself from the beginning.”

This is in direct contradiction to the belief I had when I was drinking. There are still times when I struggle with these statements. For ex., I’d have never chosen the life I’m living now, in the beginning. Understanding that this sounds negative, let me say it is… quite a bit. There’s a huge difference today. I am enormously grateful for the life I am living! That is also in direct contradiction to the way I felt when I was drinking!

Do you think that might be why it says “however … haltingly?” I do

“It is through the continuing work of the Steps and the life in the Fellowship that I’ve learned to see that there is truly a better way into which I am being guided.”

Right there I find me in a world of impatience. How about you? “Time Takes Time.” Bleh…

“As I come to know more about God, I am able to trust His ways and His plans for the development of His character in me. Quickly or not so quickly, I grow toward His own image and likeness.”

When I was drinking, I thought He was there alright… only I swore continuously that His plans for me were not what I wanted for me and they pi**ed me off! Today, sober, I’ve never had it so good because, whether I like it or not, His plans for me are for my benefit, not for evil. I simply (?) have to be patient enough to let them unfold the way they’re meant to.

Post from: Blisstree

Unless I Had Come To Believe

This is from “The AA Group: Where It All Begins” pages 11 and 12;

Background for many topic meetings derives from A.A. literature, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (Big Book), Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, As Bill Sees It, Daily Reflections, and from the A.A. Grapevine.

A few specific topic suggestions may include:

• attitude
• defects of character
• fear
• freedom through sobriety
• gratitude
• higher power
• honesty
• humility
• making amends
• resentments
• sponsorship
• surrender
• the tools of recovery
• tolerance
• willingness

Now, even I have gotten into a bad habit, one which I think needs to change now. The chairperson asks for a topic, anything on your mind affecting your sobriety, and the room stares in silence. I have allowed myself to be influenced because I’m part of this. Imho, this means that the disease is winning a small battle. Could be a larger battle and I haven’t perceived it that way, yet.

I was taught to tell on my disease, that we are only as sick as our darkest secrets. This isn’t helping you or I get better. This is keeping us in bondage to this animal…

There’s a whole list up there. If we don’t like what’s on it, surely with our advanced alcoholic minds, we can come up with something???

Oh, and, btw, if you don’t come up with a topic – it isn’t a requirement – however, you have therefore given up your right to bit** about what the topic was after the meeting!

Post from: Blisstree

Can’t Think Of A Topic?

Well – at least he read the Step

“In no deep or meaningful sense had we ever taken stock of ourselves, made amends to those we had harmed, or freely given to any other human being without any demand for reward.”

Eventually I took stock to discover that I had worked on a “reward system” my whole life. With a foundation of expectations, hidden expectations, I was always ready to help – for a reason. And that reason was a reward. Material or emotional made no difference. “Look at me!” “Pay attention to me!” “Praise me!” “See me as worthy!” “Like me…” and so many others. All of which was so very fleeting, never lasting. And I didn’t really know that’s what I did until you folks taught me.

“We had not even prayed rightly. We had always said, ‘Grant me my wishes’ instead of ‘Thy will be done.” The love of God and man we understood not at all. Therefore we remained self-deceived, and so incapable of receiving enough grace to restore us to sanity.”

After you pointed it out to me, I understood. I had always placed those expectations on God to deliver to me what I wanted in my prayers and when He didn’t I went negative and lost faith, then became hostile and angry. That hostility and anger evolved into depression and the only thing that took all those painful feelings away, before AA, was alcohol – enough alcohol so I felt nothing.

Today, and for many years, during “those” times, I am grateful to feel the pain because it is necessary to my growth and the ability to help others – without reward…

Post from: Blisstree

I Suggested To My New Pigeon…