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District Trusted Servants DCM—Dennis T.
320-510-2206
Alt. DCM—Wendell T.
507-964-5158
Secretary—Lisa B.
952-856-0828
Treasurer—Nick B.
320-522-1120
Group Records—Lisa B.
952-856-0828
Literature—Dave B.
320-296-1693
Newsletter—Dave B.
320-296-1693
Third Legacy—Ryan V.
320-510-0404
Treatment—Christina H.
507-351-6366
Treatment-
Corrections—Matt K.
(320) 510-5361
Treatment-
September, 2019 Volume 36 Issue 9
District 17 General Services “IN TOUCH” Newsletter
Next District Meeting September 10th @ 7:30 PM
Lighthouse Assembly of God Church Hwy 212 W, Plato
Please share the Newsletter with your Group!
Dcm report
My name is Dennis T. and I have the privilege of serving as your District 17 Committee Member (DCM). The District 17 Meeting took place the evening of August 13 in Plato. Alternate DCM, Wendell T. chaired the meeting in the DCM’s absence.
Once again in his smooth and efficient fashion, Wendell wrapped up the meeting in under an hour, much to the envy of the DCM and the appreciation of those in attendance.
The representative from Minneapolis Intergroup was present and reported on recent activity there. He noted that their funds are low, but at an acceptable level. Jeff M. presented to the Meeting Reports on Concept Seven and Concept Eight. Jeff volunteered to present on Concept Nine at the September Meeting.
Committee Reports, Treasurer’s and Secretary Reports were all received. GSRs in attendance shared related to their groups and announced upcoming noteworthy events. A recap and Discussion of the Delegate’s Report from the July Meeting rounded out the meeting.
Please join us at the September 10 District Meeting.
Feel free to contact me, your GSR or any of the District officers whose contact information appears in the newsletter with questions or for additional information. I will keep you updated about District activities in the newsletter.
Yours in service, Dennis Twiss, District 17 DCM
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District Trusted Servants
Technology—Rod W.
507-217-1659
Cooperation with the Professional
Community (CPC) - John L.
320-510-2332
Public Information - Daisy G.
802-917-2907
Grapevine - Rich S.
612-812-4127
Archives—Paul H.
(320) 583-0552
WEBSITE ADDRESS—
district17aa.net
MAILING ADDRESS—
District 17
P.O. Box 224
Glencoe, MN 55336
Tradition Nine: AA, as such, ought never be organized; but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.
1. Do I still try to boss things in AA?
2. Do I resist formal aspects of AA because I fear them as authoritative?
3. Am I mature enough to understand and use all elements of the AA program—even if no one makes me do so—with a sense of personal responsibility?
4. Do I exercise patience and humility in any AA job I take?
5. Am I aware of all those to whom I am responsible in any AA job?
6. Why doesn’t every AA group need a constitution and bylaws?
7. Have I learned to step out of an AA job gracefully—and profit thereby—when the time comes?
8. What has rotation to do with anonymity? With humility?
Reprinted from Traditions Checklist F-131 Page 4-5 with permission from AA World
Services Inc.
Reprinted from Concepts Checklist F-91 Page 3 with permission from AA World
Services Inc. Newsletter Deadlines
Sept. 24, 2019 for the Oct. 2019 Issue
Oct. 20, 2019 for the Nov. 2019 Issue
Nov. 21, 2019 for the Dec. 2019 Issue
Dec. 20, 2019 for the Jan 2020 Issue
Anyone can submit an article whether you are in general service or a member of Alcoholics Anonymous. Everyone who has any experience, strength and hope they wish to share, YOUR District Newsletter is a great place to do this. If your group has an event planned and you wish to have a flyer included, please send this and/or your articles to: Dave B. at [email protected] or butler.dave @mchsi.com.
Concept IX: Good service leadership at all levels is indispensable for our future functioning and safety. Primary world service leadership, once exercised by the founders, must necessarily be assumed by the trustees.
Do we discuss how we can best strengthen the composition and leadership of our future trusted servants?
Do we recognize the need for group officers? What is our criteria for election? Do we sometimes give a position to someone “because it would be good for them?”
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District 17 minutes
District 17 Minutes – August 13, 2019 Open with a moment of silence followed by the Responsibility Statement Introductions – 10 members present Mike – Intergroup Liaison to D17: 2019 group contributions are below budget, but expenses are also below budget. The intergroup annual open house was a success. Mike also passed flyers and MIRUS copies. Concept 7 & 8 – Jeff: Concept 7: The board of trustees has the power of finances and rule making, but the general service board may supersede the power of the trustees with the backing of the AA members. Jeff described the duties of a delegate to the general service board. He also stated that trustees are “custodians” to the general service board. Concept 8: Trustees to the general service board are the planners to the general service conference. They do the work behind policy change at AAWS. Our trustee is Tom A, from St. Cloud. Trustees are the bottom of the upside down triangle service structure. Dave commented more about the concept of custodial oversight. Volunteer for concept 9: Jeff GSR Sharing Wendell, NYA: Experiencing smaller groups during the summer. The group alternates weekly between a step and topic meeting, with an open speaker on the last week of the month. The last speakers were from Alateen, which was interesting. Kathy, Sisters in Sobriety: Well attended meeting. The group alternates between step, tradition, big book, and a stone topic night. The fifth week of the month is speaker night, which has been a success. Daisy, Gaylord: Lower attendance in the summer also. The group was very active in the Sibley County Fair. Even with low attendance, there will always be a meeting held! The group is having an open speaker meeting on the 3
rd Tuesday in September.
Jeff, Wednesday Knight Ave: The meeting rotates the chairperson each week, and the chair chooses a topic for the meeting. Topics usually come from The Language of the Heart and The Best of the Grapevine. Attendance is up, with the addition of a few newcomers. Dave, Hector: The July open meeting was just held, with the Olivia Group speaking. They have a topic chosen each week by someone in the meeting. Usually 5 to 10 members in attendance. Mike, Waconia Tradition Three: Well attended meeting, with newcomers often. There are a few members of the group interested in learning more about the “Google Ad Words” debate in the general service conference. Nick, Sunday Night by the Book: The meeting has been well attended, with a few newcomers. The 30th annual picnic was well attended. Saturday featured Al-anon, which was also well attended. Thanks to all who attended. Committee Reports Daisy, Public Information: The county fairs have been successful, with only a handful of volunteers to man the booths at each. Daisy has been busy handing out directories and seeking for places to put big books, as well as working on getting the PSA aired on local cable stations. She also attended the area assembly, which had good attendance in the PI committee. Dave, Newsletter: The newsletter was late, due to reports not being in by the deadline. Dave, Literature: There was a fairly small book order placed recently. He ordered a bunch of copies of a new pamphlet to use at CPC and PI events. Also a side note, District 24 wants to pay half of the Carver County Fair booth, so he passed the address on to them. Secretary Report – Nick, filling in for Lisa: Motion to approve minutes as printed – Motion by Dave, Second by Daisy. Treasurer Report – Nick: Passed around treasurers report. Noted that as of July 19, group contributions YTD are $2047.93. THANK YOU! Announcements: West Central Regional Forum is this weekend in Grand Forks, ND. Old Business - Nothing to report New Business – One member questioned how to get a hold of people who are in charge of the meeting locator online. There are a few inconsistencies with groups to the west of D17. 7TH Tradition and close with Declaration of Unity
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Please help your district carry the message
Consider a group contribution
2019 Southern Minnesota Area Assembly Calendar
Information about Area events can also be found in The Pigeon (our Area 36 newsletter) and on our website:
Oct. 12 Area Assembly New Ulm Community Center 600 N German St New Ulm, MN 9 AM—5 PM
Nov. ? Area35/36 Joint Workshop St. Cloud, MN 12 noon—4 PM
Dec. 7 Area Comm. Mtg. Mankato City Center Hotel
9:30-11:30 AM
1:00PM-5:00PM
All Southern Minnesota Area Assembly events are open to all members of Alcoholics Anonymous, except the Annual General
Service Conference. Everyone is encouraged to attend, and participate in, all SMAA events.
District 17 AA treAsurer’s report
Balance as of July 9, 2019 $428.63
INCOME
Dist. 17 7th Tradition $11.00 Waconia Tues. Tradition Three $75.00 Silver Lake AA $20.00 Hutch Sat. Open AA $19.00 Hutch Daily Reprieve AA $50.00 Watertown Wed. AA $75.00 Waconia Sisters in Sobriety $70.50 Winsted Monday AA $25.00 Book Sales $45.00
Total Income/Contributions $390.50
EXPENSES July Newsletter postage $43.80 July Newsletter printing $67.43
Total Expenses $111.23
Balance as of July 9, 2019 $707.90
Page 5
Applying the TRADITIONS IN MY LIFE:
TRADITION NINE
“AA, AS SUCH, OUGHT NEVER BE ORGANIZED; BUT WE MAY CREATE SERVICE BOARDS
OR COMMITTEES DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE TO THOSE THEY SERVE.”
To any of you that have been to an Area Assembly or District Meeting, you know how true this Tradition really is. Even at a Group Conscience meeting, things are disorganized. To the outside world, this seems like chaos. But in AA, we are guided by a loving God expressed through our group conscience (Trad. 2). The 12X12 calls AA “a society without organization, animated only by the spirit of service – a true fellowship.” I had never found a true fellowship until my first AA meeting. People made me feel welcome and wanted to help me and others find a way out of our misery, without wanting anything in return.
How does this principle, which shows me how to love one another, translate from the AA group to the rest of my relationships? If I become willing to stop organizing myself and others the way I want, and let God do the organizing, I have a chance of developing healthy relationships. All my life I have been searching for some divine order or alignment of the stars or whatever. I always thought that if I organized everything, and everyone did as I directed, the world would be a better place. Paradoxically, I have found in sobriety, that the more I turn it over to the God of my understanding, the more things naturally fall into that divine order and most things work out as they should, as long as I stay out of the way.
The 1st nine Steps delivered me from the bondage of my past experiences with alcohol. Similarly, the 1st nine Traditions deliver me from the bondage of poor relationships with others and into a state of divine order with God and ultimately with you and me.
When I look at the 1st 9 Traditions, I see what they have taught me about my relationships. Tradition 1 taught me not to be a loner (isolate) and that I can’t survive sober if I did. Tradition 2 taught me that sanity is seeing God as a loving God, seeing you as trustworthy and me as a trusted servant. Tradition 3 told me to get along with others in my life and put my sobriety first. Tradition 4 taught me to seek God’s approval and consult others about decisions affecting them and not to people-please. Tradition 5 says my primary purpose is to help the still suffering alcoholic (wet or dry) with love, tolerance and dignity. Tradition 6 warns of detours from my primary purpose (pursuit of money, power and prestige). The 7th Tradition enlightens me to be spiritually self-supporting with God and He will take care of my financial needs. The 8th Tradition taught me that if I am centered in god, I could have the zeal of a dedicated amateur in carrying the message. Now, the 9th Tradition assures me that when my 9th Step amends have been made, I will be led to that profound place of peace that I have thirsted for all my life. Now I ask you, is that a reward or what?
It’s really pretty simple. I just have to give up control. I stop trying to organize myself. I stop trying to organize you. I even stop trying to organize God into my limited ideas of what should be. When I stop fighting the flow of the stream, I won’t get slammed up against the rocks. When I let go, I drift with the current and life becomes a joy and not a struggle. When I’m not struggling, I am free to enjoy life.
This doesn’t mean that I don’t make plans. Being unorganized is different from being disorganized. I can follow God’s plan because I have let go of myself. I still make long range plans, but I only execute them a day at a time. I learn not to undertake more than I can handle or I will encounter more stress and difficulties. Nor do I go to the other extreme by avoiding my responsibilities in life. I am now able to handle those challenging things that God throws my way with ease. I find that when I am following God’s order, I stop giving orders. I am suggestive to others, just like AA is with me. This is especially true in sponsorship. I am able to let you make your own mistakes, because I’m not in charge. You have your own Higher Power that will guide you. I give up being rigid and over-controlling and allow myself to become spontaneous to God’s will. It’s much easier to be spontaneous and go with the flow of God’s stream than it is to paddle upstream against the current.
Do I attain these lofty goals all the time? No way! These are ideals that I strive for. “No one can maintain perfect adherence to these principles.” Just remember “Practice makes Progress”.
Dave B.
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2019
HUTCHINSON TREATMENT VOLUNTEER SCHEDULE
2nd Wednesday every month 6:00 p.m.
Sept. 11, 2019 Monday NA-Hutch
Oct. 9, 2019 Step-Action AA - Hutch
Nov.13, 2019 By the Book AA-Glencoe
Dec. 11, 2019 Hutch Sunday Morning AA
Contact Info:
Step Action Group – Jeanne Holfield - 320-583-0790 or Dave Butler – 320-296-1693 By the Book - Ryan Voss – 320-510-0404 Hutchinson NA - Rick Anderson – 320-296-2030 Sunday Morning A.A. - Connie R. – 320-223-3166
Please note – Office closes at 5 p.m. and doors are locked. Please call 320-484-4610 to let them know you are coming. Ask for Outpatient Counselors – they will watch for you.
We Are Not A Glum Lot 1. A man was playing piano in a bar with his pet monkey running around on top of the piano. A
drunk stumbled up and put his beer on the piano. The monkey inadvertently dragged his tail through the guys beer head. The drunk yelled at the piano player saying, “Hey! Do you know your monkey dragged his tail through my beer?” The piano player looked back and said, “No, but if you hum a few bars, maybe I can play it.”
2. The Saturday night speaker got up to tell his story…”I graduated from Harvard Law School, then was Ambassador to China, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for my diplomacy and then the Pulitzer Prize for my book.” One of the old timers in the back turned to another, “By golly, Now we have somebody special.” Then the speaker continued, “…then I joined AA and my sponsor told me to quit telling lies.”
3. Last June a newly sober alcoholic was flying from New York to LA, when the stewardess asked him if he would something from the bar wagon. He answered shaking, “No thanks! I’ve got to be home for Christmas!”
4. A penguin and a skunk walk into a bar. After quite a few, the skunk turns to the penguin and asks, “Is my suit on backwards?”
5. A sober AA is walking through the park when he comes across a wino sitting behind 2 baskets. “What’s in the baskets?” he asks. “There’s a lot of snakes here and I’m scared of snakes, so I keep a bottle of gin in this basket and if I see a snake, I guzzle the gin.” “What’s in the other basket?” the AA asks. Wino says “A snake.”
6. Before I got to AA, I didn’t have a PC or a cell phone. I did have the DT’s in a jail cell, though!
Page 7
The 2019 West Central Regional Forum took place in Grand Forks, North Dakota the weekend of August 16-18. I got home from a harrowing trip driving a rental truck to move my daughter to Washington, DC on August 14. I had decided not to make the trip to the Forum. But as soon as I got home, something was telling me to go to Grand Forks.
Earlier, a Sponsee had asked to spend some time with me over the weekend going over his 8th
Step amends list. So I called Aaron and told him we would have plenty of time to work on his list because I was picking him up Friday after work to go to the Forum.
We made the near five hour drive listening to the Twins game on the radio, laughing and talking about the Summer and how this AA program has given us tools to handle challenges and situations so differently than we always used to.
We got to the hotel a bit after 10:00 and the Friday agenda of the Forum had concluded. A good night’s sleep had us ready early Saturday morning.
As found on AA.org, Regional Forums originated in 1975 at the suggestion of Dr. Jack Norris, then Chair of the General Service Board of Alcoholics Anonymous. They were to be weekend sharing and informational sessions designed to help the General Service Board, A.A. World Services, Inc., the Grapevine Corporate Board, the Grapevine Staff, and the General Service Office Staff stay in touch with A.A. members, trusted servants and newcomers to service throughout the A.A. service structure.
The West Central Region is comprised of eight Areas: Southern Minnesota (Area 36); Northern Minnesota (35); Iowa (24); Montana (40); Nebraska (41); North Dakota (52); South Dakota (63); and, Wyoming (76). All Areas were well represented at the Forum.
We heard several presentations, including ones titled “Communicating Up & Down the Triangle”, “Tolerance: A Two-Way Street” and “Today’s World—Demonstrating Integrity, Anonymity & Service.”
We heard talks from Trish LaNauze, Trustee at Large/Canada; Albin Zezuda, Publisher of Grapevine Publications; and Greg Tobin, General Service Office (GSO) Manager. Our West Central Regional Trustee, Tom A. kept proceedings on track. A number of informative and entertaining workshops were available from which to choose.
A focus was placed on first-time attendees, like Aaron and me. Getting to meet and talk with Trustees from AA’s Board, both Class A (nonalcoholic) and Class B (alcoholic), along with Staff and Department Heads from the General Service Office made clear that all of us are really the same and share the goal and primary purpose of AA—to Carry the Message to the still suffering Alcoholic.
Dennis T
My adventures at the
West central regional
Forum
Grand forks, ND
Page 8
Gaylord Tuesday aa potluck & speaker meeting
Tuesday September 17th—8 PM
st. pAul’s lutherAn church
513 main ave—gaylord, mn
Please bring a dish to share Contact daisy—802-917-2907
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