MBAIAA Newsletter – June 2021

Published on June 9, 2021

Step 6 – “Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.”

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions – Page 63

“Having been granted a perfect release from alcoholism, why then shouldn’t we be able to achieve by the same means a perfect release from every other difficulty or defect?  This is a riddle of our existence, the full answer to which may be only in the mind of God.  Nevertheless, at least part of the answer is apparent to us.

When men and women pour so much into themselves, that they destroy their lives, they commit a most unnatural act.  Defying their instinctive desire for self-preservation, they seem bent upon self – destruction.  They work against their own deepest instinct.  As they are humbled by the terrific beating administered by alcohol, the grace of God can enter them and expel their obsession.  Here their powerful instinct to live can cooperate fully with their Creator’s desire to give them new life.  For nature and God alike abhor suicide.”

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions – Page 64

What’s Happening Locally

June Birthday Meeting – Saturday June 26th @ 7:00PM

The Birthday meeting is on Saturday, June 26th at 7:00pm.  We will celebrate AA milestones and a good time will be had by all!  The Birthday Meeting is a traditional Speaker Meeting.

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 June 12th @ 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.  Currently our hours are as follows:

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

Beginning June 21st we will be fully open – Monday thru Friday, 9:30am -5:30pm.  It will be so good to greet you and welcome you back!  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.  Also if you could send a message to Central Office to let me know the changes as well, it would be appreciated.

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.