1

MAY 2016MAY 2016 NORTHERN DELAWARE INTERGROUPNORTHERN DELAWARE INTERGROUP

NEWS from

Step FiveStep Five Admitted to God, to our-

selves and to another

human being the exact

nature of our wrongs.

Tradition FiveTradition Five Each group has but one

primary purpose —to carry

its message to the alcoholic

who still suffers.

(302) 655-5113 Suite 21-B Trolley Square, Wilmington, DE 19806

VISIT OUR WEB SITE—WWW.NDIAA.ORG

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Cover Story 1

Meeting Notices, etc 2

Anniversaries 3

Anniversary Club 3

Misc. Flyers/AA information 4

Total Contributions/2016 5

Institutional Commitments 6

Step Five/Tradition Five 7

INTERGROUP OFFICERS

Chairman: Nancy V.

Vice Chairman: Bob A.

Secretary: Rose T.

Treasurer: Courtney M.

(Continued Next Page)

A prank shows her the futility of her rage while working on the fifth step

This past winter, I drove down to our little park, and some

teenagers began throwing snowballs at my car. One hit my wind shield

hard. I burst into a rage. I ground my teeth as I stopped the car. The

kids must have seen that I was furious. How gratifying! I got out of

the car, and I can’t tell you what my intentions were. Was I going to

kill all the little darlings and chop them into small pieces? The absurd-

ity of the thing hit me, and I began to laugh. I made a couple of snow-

balls and threw them at the kids. They threw a few at me. A good time

was now being had by all. I said, “I think my score’s pretty good for

an adult.” And I got back into the car and drove off, laughing.

It’s wonderful when we can see a ridiculous element in some-

thing we’re doing or thinking that’s wrong. In the snowball episode, I

admitted that I was being an ass. I didn’t need God or an AA friend for

that one, though I told on myself later.

Anger, like fear, is destructive and self-destructive. So are

envy, resentment, self-pity, insecurity. Fear and insecurity can make

us opinionated and domineering, which isn’t good for our nearest and

dearest. Good old aged in-the-wood resentments can crop up with the

right stimulus and make us take other people’s inventories full-

volume, or nag them gently and forever, so that life becomes miser-

able for our beloved victims. Resentment and envy can make us mali-

cious and gossipy, unpleasant company both for those other people

and for ourselves. Have we looked in the mirror when we’re feeling

this way? It’s revelatory.

Perhaps we haven’t lashed out at anybody with words or actu-

ally done anything to them. Perhaps our anger is backed up into de-

pression, and we feel like the wrong end of a worm. get some if we’re

new in AA and feel we never had any.

2

AA NEWS MAY 2016

The next Intergroup meeting will be Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Northern Delaware Intergroup meetings are held the first Wednesday

of every month at 7:00 pm at St. Marks Lutheran Church, 501

Duncan Road (off Philadelphia Pike, Bellefonte), Wilmington,

DE 19809. All members of Alcoholics Anonymous are welcome.

Meeting Times and NoticesMeeting Times and Notices If you have any information on changes

to meetings, either old or new, please

let the Intergroup office know.

Ph. 302Ph. 302--655655--51135113

If we have taken Step Four, we have probably discussed some of our character defects already, so it’s

easier to remember them now. Step Five is a further sharing and verbalization of the moral inventory.

We are beginning to learn that nobody is going to send us to the guillotine because of our shortcom-

ings. We won’t be rejected. We won’t be punished. Not in AA.

How many times I have taken this Step with myself, with my AA friends, and with God! And I

haven’t always done it too well. But I am learning, as I go along, to eliminate complaint and excuse

and admit that I’ve done thus-and-thus to others or to myself, because of this or that anger or fear—or

that I have omitted doing what I really wanted to do, because kindness and consideration have been

submerged by harassment or worry. When someone else comes to you for help, or you listen to others

at a closed meeting and contribute some remarks yourself, you find, for the thousandth time, that you

are not alone. Other people have these feelings. They have done the same things. It’s perfectly aston-

ishing how often we go back to thinking of ourselves as “special.”

When I was drinking, I was an angry person who hated herself and took other people’s inven-

tories. When I was first sober, I was an angry person and went on taking other people’s inventories.

Now and again, I still am tempted to set somebody straight. If I do, I try to make amends. I am not as

given to arrogance as I was, because I am slowly accepting myself, liabilities and all. I even think I

might have a few assets. AA taught me that it was safe to evaluate myself.

Ten thousand thanks and a golden coffee mug to those who have listened to me so long and

helped me find out about myself. It’s a wonderful feeling to know that you don’t have to be a god or a

goddess, or a saint or a genius, to lead a reasonably happy, sober, healthy, communicative, construc-

tive, and useful life—with some laughter thrown in for good measure.

Reprinted from the Grapevine, June 1974, F. M., New Canaan, CT

To carry its message to the alcoholic who is suffering is our one purpose in this Fellowship of Alcoholics

Anonymous. For no other reason are we here, as this Fifth Tradition tells us. And we sober ones are also in

the process of recovering and may come across many fears and pains; so we too need the group to stay so-

ber; we cannot do it alone, So this is a program for alcoholics, active or sober. Our sole purpose is to pass it

on, so we may live and help others to find their lives. Let us never forget the precious gift that we were

given. AA is unique because we have one primary purpose. Let us not dilute this purpose in our group

meetings or activities, at group, district, or area levels. Though our program has the answer to the affliction

of alcoholism, through our Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, AA cannot help non-alcoholics. This

world is full of afflictions and wrongs, and there are other programs for other problems.

Reprinted from the May 1996 Grapevine, Raal M. San Antonio, Texas

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ANNIVERSARY CLUB (Updated 4/13/2016)

Celebrate your anniversary with an act of gratitude that will help Northern Delaware Intergroup continue to carry to the

still suffering alcoholic a message. The idea is to make a

commitment to send N.D.I. a dollar (or whatever you can

afford) for every year sober on your anniversary.

To register, just fill out the form on the right and together

with a check, mail to: Northern Delaware Intergroup Suite 21 B Trolley Square Wilmington, Delaware 19806

Anniversary Club Contribution Card

Sobriety Date

Home Group

Name

Contribution

AA NEWS MAY 2016

If you or other members of your group have reached an anniversary milestone. Please call or email the

information to the Intergroup office, or to the NewsletterChair@ndiaa.org so that we can let other A.A.

members know of this important achievement. (As of Jan. 2016 we will begin eliminating names not up-to-date.)

Barbara K.

Barbara W.

Becky R. F. 1/19/95

Betsy B. 10/01/00

Betty R.

Beverly F. 09/02/89

Bill C. 05/02/78

Bill D.

Bill F. 8/20/88

Bill W. 07/04/88

Bob A. 7/9/90

Bob M. 1/17/83

Brendan D. 5/3/09

Brenda A. 2/23/85

Candice M.

Carel B. 4/26/04

Carol V.

Carolyn W. 7/15/82

Cathy G.

Charles K.

Christopher K. 11/03

Cindy H.

Connie H.

David C. 2/1/94

David G. 7/6/99

David F. 11/23/07

David K. 12/03/72 44 yrs.

David M. 1964(Deceased)

Debbie G.

Debbie H. 03/16/91

Diane B.

Don B.

Don F.

Doris S. 04/80

Doug W. 2/28/91

Ed B.

Ed H. 01/28/96

Elizabeth A.

Floyd P.

Frances O.

Franny C. 05/07/96

Frank S.

Fred M. 5/5/90

Gail R. 06/04/92

Gene D.

Gene O.

George S.

Helen W.

Harry B.

Jaime B. 08/08/04

Jackie F.

Janice O.

Janice S. 12/25/2010

Jason B. 4/20/09

Jean R.

Jim S. 04/10/88

Joan S.

Joe W.

John R.

Johnny Boy B.

John S.

Kara G. 11/8/12

Kathy O. 6/11/97

Ken H. 11/4/97

Ken P. 09/20/83

Kerry O. 04/20/08

Larry

Laura R. 6/21/95

Leah S.

Len K. date?

Lisa A.

Liza F. 1/20/05

Maria G

Marilyn M. 06/26/99

Marylyn V.W.

Marie R. 9/6/83

Mary Ellen S. 1/24/10 Mary J.

Maryann D.

Matt S.

Melissa S. 06/23/08

Mike M. 4/20/91

Mike N.

Moe McK. 1993 Deceased

Nancy V. 2/21/05

Nell K.

Patricia K. 12/17/87

Patsy M. 1/6/88

Pat J.

Phyllis M. 03/09/88

Rob S.

Rob K.

Sally C. 10/15/95

Sande R.

Shirley U. 3/19/76

Stanley B. 03/05/79

Stacy V.

Susan N.

Suzanne M.04/04

Tenney W. 5/15/1982

Thomas B.

Tom H. 07/02/04

Tom McD. 01/16/96

Toni S.

Tricia B.

Valerie S. 2/3/89

Walt A. 01/94

Walt M.

Wayne S.

Wes J. 4/21/75

Wes M. 2/1/94

William M.

Wilson S.

Meets Sunday and Wednesday Nights at 7pm Christiana United Methodist Church

21 W. Main Street Newark, DE 19702

This is an open discussion meeting

This is an outside meeting!! Spring is here!

Humble Beginnings Group Needs Support!

The New Hope Group that meets at St. Mark’s in Stanton

(the meeting that meets upstairs) on Monday nights at

8pm has been cancelled. The meeting that meets down-

stairs is still active.

MEETING CANCELLED As of February 24, 2016

OLD NEWS

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AA NEWS MAY 2016

Northern Delaware IntergroupNorthern Delaware Intergroup

Ticket Information: Call Intergroup Office 302-655-5113

V.S.

hillcatshillcats Cleveland “Indians”

Tickets cost $11.00

Non-Alcoholic seating in Section K

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CONTRIBUTIONS in 2016 to Northern Delaware Intergroup

AA NEWS MAY 2016

GROUP NAME 2016 YTD APRIL

3-7-11 Group-not active $ - $ -

AA Basics $ 277.80 $ 118.35

Agnostic Delaware $ 320.00 $ -

Alone Together Group $ - $ -

Anonymous Group $ 120.80 $ -

Arden Group $ 60.00 $ -

As Bill Sees It $ - $ -

Augustine Group $ - $ -

Back to Basic Big Book Group $ - $ -

Basic 12 Steps $ - $ -

Basic Big Book $ 110.00 $ 50.00

Beaten Path $ - $ -

Beginners Freedom Group $ 336.00 $ -

Bellefonte Group $ - $ -

Big Book Group $ - $ -

Big Book Tuesday $ - $ -

Blue Rock Group $ - $ -

Brandywine Open God Step Group $ - $ -

Brandywine Springs Group $ - $ -

Brooklyn Terrace $ - $ -

BYOBB $ - $ -

Canby Park $ - $ -

Carry The Message Friday Night $ 80.00 $ -

Cedars Tuesday Night $ - $ -

Chadds Ford Group $ - $ -

Chichester Step Group $ - $ -

Christ Church Group $ 162.60 $ 42.60

Come As You Are Group $ - $ -

Conscious Contact $ 570.00 $ -

Claymont Group $ - $ -

Courage to Change $ - $ -

Dawn Patrol $ 2,791.93 $ 1,923.62

DECCYPAA $ - $ -

Delaware City Group $ 180.00 $ 180.00

Diamonds & Pearls Group $ - $ -

Displaced Park Place Group $ 358.04 $ -

Doorkeepers $ - $ -

Downtowner's Group $ - $ -

Early Risers $ 1,679.40 $ 950.40

Esh Group - Newark $ - $ -

ESH Group - Wilm. $ - $ -

Eye Opener $ 1,317.24 $ 434.84

Fairfax Speaker Meeting $ - $ -

First Stop Friday $ 840.00 $ -

First Stop Wednesday $ - $ -

First Things First Group $ - $ -

Five Alive Group $ 500.00 $ -

Freedom Group $ - $ -

Fresh air Group $ 113.00 $ 63.00

Friendship House $ 20.00 $ -

God Step $ 40.00 $ -

G.O.Y.A. $ 400.00 $ 100.00

Glasgow Pines $ - $ -

Greenhill Beginners $ 283.00 $ -

Greenhill Open Step Group $ - $ -

Greenwood Group $ 100.00 $ -

Growing and Learning $ - $ -

Growth Group $ - $ -

Happy Hour Group $ 50.00 $ 50.00

Hockessin Women’s $ 70.00 $ -

How It Works Group $ 50.00 $ -

Hudson Center $ 100.00 $ -

Humble Beginnings $ 60.00 $ 30.00

IGM Basket $ 52.50 $ -

In Bills Steps $ 218.00 $ 218.00

Into Action $ 200.00 $ 200.00

Just Do It $ - $ -

Just for Today $ 156.50 $ -

Keep it Green $ - $ -

Keep it Simple Newark $ - $ -

Keep it Simple, Wilmington $ - $ -

Kingswood Men’s $ 350.00 $ 350.00

Ladies of Literature $ 90.00 $ -

Lamplighters $ - $ -

Landenburg Group $ 60.00 $ -

Last Stop Friday Group $ - $ -

Late For Dinner Group $ 200.00 $ -

Living In The Solution $ 56.50 $ 33.50

Manor of Living Group $ - $ -

Member $ 2.80 $ -

Men of New Garden $ 324.45 $ -

Metroform $ - $ -

Middletown Step and Tradition $ - $ -

Millennium Group $ - $ -

Naaman’s Step Group $ - $ -

New Castle Group $ - $ -

New Day Group $ 921.59 $ 676.00

New Hope Group $ - $ -

New Life Group $ 100.00 $ -

Newark Group $ 108.00 $ -

Newport Breakdown $ 431.01 $ -

Newport Group $ 71.52 $ 71.52

No Excuses $ - $ -

North St. George's Group $ - $ -

Pace - Walt $ - $ -

Pacific Group $ 250.87 $ 250.87

Pencader Group $ 120.00 $ -

Pike Creek Group $ 204.00 $ -

Pioneers Group $ - $ -

Prices Run Group $ - $ -

Promises Women $ 82.00 $ -

Raphael Group $ 25.00 $ -

Red Lion / Sat. $ - $ -

Red Lion Search for Serenity $ 644.18 $ -

S.A.G.A. $ 141.28 $ 141.28

S.O.S. Group $ 250.00 $ -

Saturday Solutions $ - $ -

Search for Serenity $ 480.00 $ -

Second Chance $ - $ -

Serenity at Sunrise $ 38.00 $ -

Serenity Seekers-not active $ - $ -

Serenity for the Week $ - $ -

Silver Fox $ - $ -

Silverbrook Group $ - $ -

Sisters in Serenity $ 243.00 $ 134.00

Sober and Gay Group $ - $ -

Sojourners $ - $ -

Solutions $ 162.00 $ 162.00

South College Speaker Group $ - $ -

Spirit of Truth $ - $ -

St. Andrews 102 $ - $ -

St. Nicholas Group (Tues.) $ - $ -

Stepping Stones $ 125.00 $ -

Sunday Literature Meeting $ 22.00 $ -

Sunday Night Big Book $ - $ -

Sunrise Group $ - $ -

Swanwick Holloway Terrace $ - $ -

Swanwick Holloway Terrace Group $ - $ -

Today Group, Wilmington $ - $ -

Trolley Square BB $ 200.00 $ -

Tuesday Big Book $ 100.00 $ 100.00

Twelve & Twelve $ 120.00 $ -

Twelve & Twelve Step $ - $ -

Twelve Keys to Freedom $ 95.06 $ -

Twelves Keys Group $ - $ -

Upper Room Group $ 129.45 $ 86.25

US Group $ 34.40 $ -

Vent-a-Laters $ - $ -

Vet's Hospital Group $ 150.00 $ 100.00

Wed Night Beginners $ - $ -

Welcome Group $ - $ -

Wilmington Group $ 100.00 $ -

Women's Friday Morning $ 284.49 $ -

Women's Sober Hour $ - $ -

Yorklyn Diner Groups $ 1,400.00 $ 700.00

Zion Tuesday $ - $ -

TOTALS $ 19,733.41 $ 7,166.23

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INSTITUTIONAL COMMITMENTS FOR THE MONTH OF MAY

AA NEWS MAY 2016

Note: * These Institutions have requested a confirmation call of a meeting on the day of the commitment. Please call your Intergroup Rep.

INSTITUTION DAY TIME HOME GROUP CONTACT

CORNERSTONE SATURDAY 8:00 PM Keep It Green Bill H.

CORNERSTONE MONDAY 8:00 PM Tuesday BB Cindy

GAUDENZIA MONDAY 7:00 PM Chadds Ford Pam P.

GAUDENZIA FRIDAY 7:00 PM Newport Breakdown Cassie

GAUDENZIA SATURDAY 7:00 PM Fresh Air Brian

NDI Meeting WEDNESDAY 6:15 PM BYOBB Sandy

KIRKWOOD DETOX SUNDAY 8:00 PM Vent-a-laters Frank

KIRKWOOD DETOX MONDAY 8:00 PM Today Steve

KIRKWOOD DETOX WEDNESDAY 8:00 PM Sisters in Serenity Meaghan

KIRKWOOD DETOX FRIDAY 8:00 PM Second Chance Beth

KIRKWOOD DETOX SATURDAY 8:00 PM AA Basics Jerry

**MARY MOTHER of HOPE (women) THURSDAY 8:00 PM Doorkeepers Beth

*MEADOW WOOD MONDAY 8:00 PM New Day Katie

*MEADOW WOOD TUESDAY 8:00 PM Dawn Patrol Jeff

*MEADOW WOOD SATURDAY 8:00 PM Spirit of Truth Gene

*MEADOW WOOD SUNDAY 8:00 PM Freedom Tom D.

RVRC MONDAY 7:00 PM Late for Dinner Dave

*ROCKFORD CENTER TUESDAY 7:00 PM Pencader Tiffany

*ROCKFORD CENTER (Adolescent) MONDAY 7:00 PM Greenhill Open Step Tom H.

*WILMINGTON HOSPITAL TUESDAY 7:00 PM Silverbrook Men Mike

*WILMINGTON HOSPITAL SATURDAY 7:00 PM Courage to Change Dave C.

Questions? Call 302-655-5113 Intergroup Office

Note: **The Mary Mother of Hope commitment is only on 2nd and 4th week of the month.

7

Let us know what’s going on. •Anniversaries

•Special Events

•Meeting Changes

• Experience, Strength, and

Hope Messages You write it, we will print it.You write it, we will print it.

AA NEWS MAY 2016

For an additional articles on the Steps ,

visit the Grapevine website at

www.aagrapevine.orgwww.aagrapevine.orgwww.aagrapevine.org

An Alcoholic: I may not An Alcoholic: I may not An Alcoholic: I may not

be much, but I'm all I be much, but I'm all I be much, but I'm all I

think about. think about. think about.

Step FiveStep Five Admitted to God, to our-

selves and to another

human being the exact

nature of our wrongs.

Tradition FiveTradition Five Each group has but one

primary purpose — to

carry its message to the

alcoholic who still suffers.

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 !

God grant me the serenity to accept

the things I cannot change, courage to

change the things I can, and wisdom to

know the difference.

A throbbing headache isn’t the only side effect of overloading on

alcohol. Chug too many cocktails and you may be putting your actual gray

matter at risk. According to a new study from Rutgers University, consump-

tion of alcohol, from moderate-level drinking to binge drinking (drinking

less during the week and more on the weekends), can decrease the creation

of adult brain cells by as much as 40 percent.

In this study researchers examined the brain cell development of

rodents after consuming alcohol. When the blood alcohol level of the rats

reached 0.08 percent—the legal driving limit—researchers found the num-

ber of nerve cells in the hippocampus of the brain were reduced by nearly

40 percent compared to those in the sober group. The hippocampus—where

new neurons are made—is a section of the brain associated with long-term

memory and some new types of learning.

This stage of intoxication is equivalent to approximately 3-4 drinks

for women and five drinks for men.

“The purpose of the study was to underscore the long term effects

of alcohol exposure,” says Tracey J. Shors, PhD, professor of behavioral

and systems neuroscience in the department of psychology at Rutgers Uni-

versity, who helped conduct the study. “It may not be detrimental to have

one or two days of alcohol exposure, but week after week, you will have

many fewer neurons in your brain,” she said.

Why does booze have such a detrimental effect on your body?

“Alcohol is a direct neurotoxin,” explains Christine Gerbstadt, MD, MPH,

RD. “So not only does it kill nerve cells, but it also interrupts absorption of

important nutrients and alters the metabolism.” Alcohol also affects the

body’s ability to regenerate, says Gerbstadt. which means besides killing

useful cells, your body can’t repair the damaged ones, either.

Ready to cut back? No need to cancel your girls’ night out. Just be mindful

about how much you’re consuming—it might be more than you think.

“Moderate drinking” is qualified as just two to three drinks a day, says

Gerbstadt. One drink can be 1.5 ounces of hard liquor, 12 ounces of beer, or

four ounces of wine. Reprinted from Internet Rutgers University study, September 2014

8

SUITE 21-B TROLLEY SQUARE

WILMINGTON, DE 19806

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED Name Email

Address

City State ZIP

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