MBAIAA Newsletter – November 2021

Published on November 22, 2021

Step 11 – “Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for his will for us and the power to carry that out.”

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions – Page 96

“There is a direct linkage among self-examination, meditation, and prayer. Taken separately, these practices can bring much relief and benefit. But when they are logically related and interwoven, the result is an unshakable foundation for life. Now and then we may be granted a glimpse of that ultimate reality which is God’s kingdom. And we will be comforted and assured that our own destiny in that realm will be secure for so long as we try, however falteringly, to find and do the will of our own Creator.”

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions – Pages 98

What’s Happening Locally

November Birthday Meeting – Saturday, November 27th @ 7:00PM

The Birthday meeting is on Saturday, November 27th at 7:00pm and will be held on Zoom.  This month the meeting is hosted by The Fresh Start Meeting.  This is an online meeting that meets at 8:00pm on Sundays.  This month the speaker will be Joe M.

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!

  • 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 November 13th @ 11 AM.

Online Meeting Listings

Note that our website has a new format for listing our Online and In-person meetings on Meeting Guide Online. All Online meetings have been moved to this new format.

On your mobile device you can also access meetings using the Meeting Guide Mobile App.

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

Monterey General Service is busy and excited!  General Service is the link in the chain between your AA group and AA as a whole.  “We” are Alcoholics Anonymous.  If your group does not have a General Service Representative, please consider electing a GSR to provide your group with information pertaining to happenings in Alcoholics Anonymous.

About the GSR position: It is a two year commitment – a firm foundation in the Steps and Traditions is very helpful.  As a G.S.R. you are conveying the information, without giving your opinion, to your group.  Willingness is the key.  Your understanding will grow within these two years.  We meet the third Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. via a digital platform. Please read the pamphlet and, if interested , let your group know you are ready to be of service.

GSR Pamphlet

With gratitude and service,

Jessica A.

“I am responsible, when anyone, anywhere reaches out for help, I want the hand of A.A. always to be there, and for that, I am responsible.”
Responsibility Statement

Current IGR Minutes & Financial Reports

A Note From Jana

Central Office is fully open.  We are now open Mon – Fri 9:30 – 5:30.  We have a wonderful staff of volunteers who answer the phones and address the daily tasks of facilitating 12th step calls and being there to help the alcoholic who still suffers.  We are updating the website every day.  Many meetings are opening up to face-to-face.  Some have chosen to do a hybrid of Zoom and face-to-face.

In these ever-changing times, I would suggest that each group have business meetings addressing the issues of pandemic safety.  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 – You can e-mail them here.  Also, if you could contact me to let me know of the changes as well, it would be much appreciated.

November is traditionally known as Gratitude Month.  You can affirm gratitude for your sobriety by contributing what you can to support MBAIAA.  You can mail your donation to 1015 Cass St #4 Monterey CA 93940.  Or you can Venmo the funds – just indicate ‘Gratitude Month’ on your contribution.  As always, you are also more than welcome to slip it in the mail slot at the office :).

The Steering Committee has come up with a proposed budget for 2022.  We are asking each group to vote on the budget and to have the IGR to bring that vote to the December IGR meeting.  You can request a copy of the proposed budget here or view on our website here.

The IGRs registered their groups’ vote to continue having the birthday meetings on Zoom at least until January.  Trust that we are making every effort to resume the long-held tradition of the monthly Birthday Meeting, but we must do so in a well thought out and cautious manner.  The cost of utilizing the high school has gone way up.  The biggest reason is that they are forced to pay the custodian for additional hours to sanitize the place before we arrive and after we leave.  They have asked us to wear masks and to limit attendance to approximately 125 members.  The Steering Committee is formulating a group to search for new locations.  If you are interested in helping us find a place to meet, please email or call the office.  Hopefully we can begin the new year with a chance to start again fresh and proceed with caution.  Please feel free to come by or call (373 3713) so that we can discuss this matter and get a consensus of opinion.  You can also contact us here.

Just as we were able to respond to the shutdown, we will respond to the changes carefully and TOGETHER.

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 FALL!

“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.