MBAIAA Newsletter – October 2018

Published on October 22, 2018

Step 10 – “Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it.”

“Being fair-minded and tolerant is a goal toward which I must work daily. I ask God, as I understand Him, to help me to be loving and tolerant to my loved ones, and to those with whom I am in close contact. I ask for guidance to curb my speech when I am agitated, and I take a moment to reflect on the emotional upheaval my words may cause, not only to someone else, but also to myself.
Prayer, meditation and inventories are the key to sound thinking and positive action for me.”
Daily Reflections, October 12

Local Alcoholics Anonymous Events To Plan For

There are opportunities for fellowship and fun in the coming weeks. All events are listed on our calendar page.

Monterey Intergroup Birthday / Speaker Meeting
Saturday, October 27th @ 7:30 PM

Hosted this month by the Living Sober Meeting which meets on Fridays at 7:00 pm at St Phillips Church at 8065 Carmel Valley Rd. The speaker will be Jack. This is a monthly birthday meeting held on the last Saturday of each month (except for December when the meeting is held along with a holiday banquet ). The first part of the meeting includes a presentation of birthday medallions for those celebrating annual A.A. anniversaries and all are invited to participate. Birthdays are followed by an A.A. speaker who shares for 40 to 45 minutes and the meeting ends about 9pm. Coffee is typically ready no later than 7pm. Arrive early for good parking, fellowship and a great seat!

The Steering Committee and the IGRs have voted to increase the price of the raffle tickets at the monthly birthday meeting from $1.00 to $2.00 or 3 for $5.00. So come prepared! See you there!
Monterey High School Cafeteria
Herman Drive at Larkin, Monterey CA 93940

News From General Service

The 68th Annual Meeting of the General Service Conference of Alcoholics Anonymous was held in April and the final report is out.
The theme was “A.A. – A Solution for All Generations”.
Here is a brief excerpt, and a link if you’d like to read further;
“Conference week is long and often arduous, punctuated by board and committee reports, presentations and discussions, area service highlights, sharing sessions and, every other year, even a visit to G.S.O. and a trip to Stepping Stones, the longtime residence of Bill and Lois W. The main focus of each Conference, however, is on the deliberations of each of the thirteen Conference committees, and it is during committee meetings that the major work of the Conference is done. With voluminous background provided on each agenda item (this year was the first year that all Conference background material was made available for distribution in English, French and Spanish), Conference committees weighed and discussed numerous issues of interest to the Fellowship as a whole and came up with recommendations, some of which resulted in Conference Advisory Actions. (Advisory Actions appear on page 44.) Addressing some difficult issues — issues of trust, overcoming barriers, and keeping the Fellowship united — the Conference worked its way through agenda items, slowly and carefully formulating a path forward for the Fellowship. Not all Conference discussions resulted in Advisory Actions, though, and much of the important work of the Conference was articulated in the additional considerations of each committee — suggestions and guidance on how best to carry the message. In order to fully present the work of the committees, it was determined that these committee considerations should be printed in their entirety in the Conference Final Report.”

Here is a link to the entire report.

To see current IGR minutes and financial reports CLICK HERE

A Note From Jana

Recently, your Steering Committee has been working on the budget for 2019. We have taken a thorough look at past numbers and current numbers and estimate what those numbers might be for the coming year. The most striking thing about this year’s numbers is that Group Contributions are significantly down.
Fortunately, this year, we have been blessed with a couple of bequests from members who have passed away. We don’t receive gifts of this kind very often. Group Contributions (7th Tradition) comprise well over half of the income that we rely on to keep the hand of AA available to all.
We are researching the ability to accept digital contributions and are nearly ready to give that a test run.
We all know that the cost of everything goes up and up. Rents for meeting places have increased, forcing some meetings to move or even close. When the basket gets passed to you, it’s important to remember these things and what your sobriety has brought to your life.
You can view the Proposed 2019 Budget on our About MBAIAA page.
If you have questions or concerns, give me a call at the office.
We will be discussing the budget at the IGR meeting in November, and will be asking for a vote at the IGR meeting in December. Those meetings are held on the 2nd Tuesday of the month at 7:00pm at St James Church in Monterey. Contact the IGR person from the groups that you attend regularly, and ask to have a business meeting to discuss this issue. Only Intergroup Representatives and Steering Committee members are eligible to vote, so let your voice be heard!

We Are Always In Need Of People To Be Of Service

If you are interested in being a part of what we do here at Central Office, I am always looking for office volunteers . People to be on the other end of the phone when someone reaches out for help. It is generally a four hour commitment (either 9:30 – 1:30 or 1:30 – 5:30) 1 day per week. Currently, I need a few people to keep on a list of those who are willing to fill in for these positions once in a while. Call or come by and let’s talk!

In closing, please feel free to stop by Central Office. If you are one of the ‘Trusted Servants’ at a meeting (Secretary, Treasurer, etc,) and you have any questions about the responsibilities of that position, don’t hesitate to ask what those responsibilities might be.
I am in the office Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 9:30 -5:00.