MBAIAA Newsletter – May 2021

Published on May 28, 2021

Step 5 – “Admitted to God, to ourselves, and another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.”

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions – Page 55

Somehow, being alone with god doesn’t seem as embarrassing  as facing up to another person. Until we actually sit down and talk aloud  about what we have so long hidden, our willingness to clean house is still largely theoretical.”

“It wasn’t unusual for me to talk to God, and myself, about my character defects. But to sit down, face to face, and openly discuss these intimacies with another person was more difficult. I recognized in the experience, however, a similar relief    to the one I had experienced when I first admitted that I was an alcoholic. I began to appreciate the spiritual significance of the program and that this Step was just an introduction to what was yet to come in the remaining Steps.”

Daily Reflections – Page 132

What’s Happening Locally

May Birthday Meeting – Saturday May 29th @ 7:00PM

The Birthday Meeting is hosted this month by The Topic Tag group.  They meet on Thursdays at 7:00PM on Zoom and traditionally meet at St. Johns in Monterey.  This group has a ‘topic tag’ format where one person shares on a topic, then calls on the next person to speak on a different topic and so on…  It makes for a lively discussion which ends up covering many thoughts on a variety of issues.  The Birthday Meeting is a traditional Speaker Meeting.  The Speaker this month will be Brian S. and he will share his experience strength and hope with us.  Again, the Birthday Meeting is on Saturday, May 29th at 7:00pm.

Please join us!  There will be a 50/50 raffle which you can participate in by sending money through Venmo.  Tickets are 3 for $5.00 and be sure to put the word ‘Raffle” on the transaction.  We will be drawing the winner at the end of the meeting.  The meeting will be open at least 20 minutes early and after the meeting for fellowshipping.  Come a little early, stay a little late, we will have time for fellowshipping. It will be wonderful to see all of your faces.  During this time of ‘Shelter in Place’, we cannot gather together in celebration as we usually do, so this will be the next best thing!

Also, we are happy to mail you a sobriety coin if you are celebrating a milestone.  Just send an email to Central Office and let us know your mailing address and the number of years you are celebrating.

  • Zoom Meeting ID:  652 224 0517
  • Password:  Sobriety

Monterey Bay Area Roundup (MBAR)

The Monterey Bay Area Roundup (MBAR) committee has made the decision to put all of it’s efforts into a face-to-face conference to be held on Labor Day 2022.  If you would like to participate in putting this fun event together, the planning meetings are on the second Saturday of each month at 11:00 am.

  • Zoom Meeting ID:  831 4306 2293
  • Password: 2022

MBAR’s next meeting will be held Saturday May 8th @ 11 AM.

Founder’s Day

To commemorate the founding of our program, MBAIAA is hosting a Zoom event called Founder’s Day on June 12th (June 10th is Dr. Bob’s sobriety date).  There will be a speaker meeting and various break out rooms (with prizes!) for trivia, music and fun.  There will be a Scavenger Hunt, and we will also have a knitting chat room called the’ Sereknitty Room’.  Come and show us your Pandemic knitting accomplishments or your newest projects and we will even have time for questions about whatever technique may be puzzling you.  Those questions will be answered by Jana (Hey! That’s me :).

There will be lots of time for fellowship and new ways to enjoy festivities on Zoom.  Be sure to join us and also be sure to spread the word.  We are reaching out to the Salinas and Santa Cruz fellowships and hope that you can help us in that endeavor too.  Make announcements at your meetings and bring friends. For the first time, this event will have a Spanish interpreter, so alert all of your Spanish speaking friends as well.

We will have a 50/50 raffle which you can participate in by sending money through Venmo.  Tickets are 3 for $5.00 and be sure to put the word ‘Raffle” on the transaction.  We will be drawing the winner at the end of the meeting.

  • Zoom Meeting ID: 652 224 0517
  • Password: 061035

Central Office Reopening

The other big news is that we are reopening Central Office , gradually at first, to serve your needs.  Starting April 27th the hours will be as follows:

  • Tuesdays 9:30am – 12:30 pm
  • Thursdays 12:30pm – 3:30pm
  • Saturdays 10:30am – 1:30pm

We ask that you be considerate of others and wear a mask and maintain 6ft social distance.

Remote Meetings

We have page on the website listing all of our remote meetings.  The Remote Meetings page also lists information on protecting our anonymity at virtual meetings.  Read it carefully and join us online. We need each other to continue our sobriety.

There are physical meetings happening as well – you can check the website for those too.  All meetings are following safe practices.

Digital Contributions At Online Meetings 1

Online meeting spaces make it difficult to “pass the basket”.  Some groups have set up digital contribution accounts with services like Venmo, PayPal, Google Pay, etc. to deal with this problem. Now might be a good time to review an essential piece of AA literature, “Self-Support: Where Money and Spirituality Mix”.

Each group is autonomous and might consider taking a group conscience on whether digital contributions are an option, and which platform (or mix of platforms) best suits their groups’ needs.

Why collect 7th Tradition for an online meeting?

Our regular meeting locations still have operating expenses

  • Our meetings facilities may rely on contributions to pay their rent and utilities
  • Meeting supplies will still be needed when our meetings reopen – coffee, paper products, literature, refreshments. And after an extended closure, we may experience a large influx of people who are motivated to re-join the fellowship in person.

Central Office and the General Service Office still have operating expenses

  • Websites – which we may now rely on more than ever!
  • Phone lines, rent and insurance on office space
  • Utility and other ongoing expenses
  • Paid Special Workers who deserve our continued support. Their compensation is crucial to their ability to serve us.

Our Districts and Areas and H&I still have expenses

  • Regular expenses to support the work of committees and events that will take place when the crisis has passed are still there.
  • Web services support for groups
  • Expenses for venues for events that have been cancelled may still need to be met, since any income from the event won’t be there to support the pre-payment of reservations, cancellation fees, etc. The expense of re-arranging for venues to reschedule events is very real.

News From General Service

District 01 is so excited to have our Area Delegate at our June District Meeting.  The Delegate will be sharing the Delegate’s Report which contains the results of this year’s agenda Topic group consciences.  The Delegate shared your groups’ consciences in New York (virtually) within the last month.  If you’d like to hear the full report and results, please join us June 15th 7pm at our District Meeting held on zoom.  GSRs will be sharing the flier with logon info in the upcoming weeks.

If your group does not have a General Service Representative (GSR) we encourage you to ask your group if anyone is available to hold the position. Visit the General Service pamphlet for full information on the role.

With gratitude and service,

Jessica A.

Current IGR Minutes and Financial Reports

A Note From Jana

It is hard to believe that we are heading into summer.  It has been a time that none of us will forget, but we have been able to welcome many newcomers and continue this great fellowship in new and exciting ways.  You have supported MBAIAA in a way that has moved me and the Steering Committee in a profound way.

As things begin to look more positive in terms of the pandemic, each group has the autonomy to decide their own method of re-entering the traditional ways that we meet.  I would suggest that each group has business meetings addressing these issues.  The most important aspect of those decisions must include contacting the landlord of your particular meeting site.  See what they are comfortable with and what particular county ordinances they are adhering to and bring that information to your group.  You can see ‘Considerations For Re-Opening’ here.  Please be sure that if any changes are to be made in the way that you meet, you inform the webteam so that people can find you.  The email in webteam@aamonterey.org.   Also if you could send an email to me at info@aamonterey.org to let me know the changes as well, it would be appreciated.

We are re-opening the Central Office cautiously and gradually.  Through the Summer, we will increase office hours as this pandemic wains, (hopefully) and will welcome our volunteers back as well.  Once again, the new hours are

  • Tuesday 9:30 – 12:30
  • Thursday 12:30 – 3:30
  • Saturday 10:30 – 1:30

We have a few new books from the Grapevine, so please come in and say hello and check them out.

Look after each other, support each other, remember that we can’t stay sober alone. Share with others what was so freely given to you.  Thanks again everybody and HAPPY SUMMER!

“Nothing is so bad that a drink won’t make it worse.”
The Best of the Grapevine volume 3

1 This information is from the AA Intergroup of SF & Marin Online Contributions page.