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February21st, 2025
401-438-8860
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Unity
Third Tradition – Long Form
Our membership ought to include all who suffer from alcoholism. Hence we may refuse none who wish to
recover. Nor ought A.A. membership ever depend upon money or conformity. Any two or three alcoholics
gathered together for sobriety may call themselves an A.A. group, provided that, as a group, they have no other
affiliation.
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Group Anniversaries
Sun. March 23rd East Greenwich–CAME TO LIVE- St Lukes Church, 99 Peirce St.,41st Anniversary, 7PM. Guest Speaker and Buffet
Mon. March 24th Woonsocket-UNITY- Precious Blood Church Hall, 94 Carrington Ave., 50th Anniversary, 8PM, Guest Speakers and Buffet
Fri March 28th No. Kingstown- STEP INTO LIFE– Wickford Junction, 1051 Ten Rod Rd.,20th Anniversary. 7PM Guest Speaker and Buffet.
Wed. April 9th Woonsocket-TOGETHER WE RISE– St. Joseph’s Church Hall, 1200 Mendon Rd. 1st Anniversary, Guest Speaker and Buffet.
NEW GROUPS
East Greenwich–LOST AND FOUND– Closed Literature. Westminster Union Church,119 Kenyon Ave., Tuesdays (Daily Reflections) & Thursdays (As Bill Sees It) at 10AM. East Providence- SEEDS OF HOPE. Open Literature. East Providence City Hall (3rd Fl. Conference Rm.) 145 Taunton Ave., Monday through Thursday at 12Noon. Beginning Mon., March 17th
NEEDS SUPPORT
Middletown-SERENITY STEP-Closed Step. United Congregational Church, 524 Valley Rd., Thursdays at 7:15PM to 8:30PM
Online Meeting-EARLY BIRD II– Open Discussion Zoom Meeting ID:89226046602 Password: 02886. Mon. thru Fri 8AM
CHANGES
Woonsocket-UNITY– Precious Blood Church Hall, 94 Carrington Ave., will be changing their start time to 7:30PM beginning Monday April 7th
Providence- OUT TO LUNCH BUNCH- Open Literature. Matthewson St United Methodist Church., 134 Matthewson St will only meet on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 12:15PM. Tuesday Meeting discontinued.
Coventry-FELLOWSHIP TOO– Sts John and Paul Parish Hall, 341 S. Main St., has changed their format to Open Daily Reflections.
ONE NIGHT ONLY
Newport-SUPER DUPER SOBER– Open Discussion. St Joseph Church, 79-83 Broadway. will not meet on Fri, March 14th
GROUPS RE-OPENING
Pawtucket- TRIANGLE- Open Speaker. Has moved to St. Lukes Church, 670 Weeden St. Fridays at 7PM. They will officially re-open on Fri., March 28th.
BOOKIES MEETING
The DESIRE TO STOP group will host a Bookies Exchange Session the last Saturday of each month at 11:30AM (Prior to the OLD TIMERS MEETING) Cameron Recovery Center, 68 Falmouth St., Attleboro, MA
EASTER ALCATHON
District 1 Is hosting a Easter Alcathon Holy Family Church, 414 So. Main St . , Woonsocket Sunday April 20th, 3PM to 9PM Meetings, Literature Raffles, Food, Fun, Fellowship ************************************************************************Service
ATTENTION ALL GROUPS and INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS
RI CENTRAL SERVICE Treatment & ACCESSIBILITIES Committee will once again provide AA meetings for both the Detox Unit and the Dual Diagnosis Unit at Roger Willams Hospital. Any Groups or Individual member willing to provide AA Speakers for a monthly commitment please contact RI Central Service
RI Central Service is always in the process of up-dating our 12-STEP LIST. Anyone willing to be added to the list should contact their Group Secretary or call Central Service. “When anyone, anywhere, reaches out for help, I want the hand of AA always to be there and for that I am responsible
The next regular meeting for Central Service Delegates will be held Via Zoom on Wednesday, March 19th, 2025, New Delegates Orientation will begin at 6:45PM , Regular Delegates Meeting at 7PM Zoom Meeting ID: 312 255 2726 – Password : RICS1. Meeting ID and links will be sent to all registered Central Service Delegates and will also be available on website
We need volunteers to help with our monthly mailing – takes less than one hour. The next mailing will take place at Central Service, 1005 Waterman Ave, E. Providence on Wednesday , March 26th at 9AM.
R.I.C.S PI/DUI Committee is recruiting a pool of Volunteer Speakers willing to occasionally share at State Driver
Retraining Classes. We will be answering requests from all CCRI Campus (Lincoln, Warwick, Newport and
Providence). If you would volunteer for this vital service or would like more information
please contact Gordon E. at [email protected] or call the Central Service Office
“The Area 61 Treatment and Accessibilities Committee (TAC) is looking for groups to share their experience, strength and hope across RI in various treatment and detox facilities. Please visit the “Treatment and Accessibilities” sub-committee page on AAinRI.com (found under the “Area 61 Subcommittees” button in the main navigation bar) and click the “Submit Group Interest in Facility Commitment” button to see facilities in need of commitments. Please complete the required fields in the form and submit. A TAC member will respond within 72 hours with available day/time openings for the facility.”
“WE HAVE TO LIVE IT” group will be host the District 5 JOY OF SERVICE
on Thursday, March 27th at the Y.A.N.A Club, 770 Aquidneck Ave, Middletown
This will be a Hybrid Event. Virtual meeting available via Zoom ID #87851250686 Password 000456
So RI Intergroup is always looking for members willing to volunteer to do 12 Step Work. Manning the Office, Answering Phones, Rides, as well as people wanting to become involved in Committee Work. There are several Opportunities for Service Available Contact So RI Intergroup at 401-739-8777 for more information
**Please note the RI Central Service Office will be closed on Monday February 17th to observe Presidents Day
***Please note the deadline for submitting any information for the next today is Friday, February 21st
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RECOVERY
RICS will sponsor a virtual “OPEN MIC NIGHT NITE” Saturday May 3rd Starting at 8PM. Zoom Meeting ID: 856 8703 0297 Passcode:891419 Anyone interested in performing or needing more information should contact Austin D Email: [email protected]om
Central Service will sponsor our annual GOLF SCRAMBLE on Friday, May 9th.
at the Cranston Country Club
69 Burlingame Rd., Cranston. $138 per person includes Greens fees, Carts,
Golf balls, Prizes, Coffee, Snacks and great Buffet
Registrations have been sent to all registered group secretaries
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“It must never be forgotten that the purpose of Alcoholics Anonymous is to sober up alcoholics. There is no
religious or spiritual requirement for membership. No demands are made on anyone. An experience is offered
which members may accept or reject. That is up to them.”
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September 2023 | Young & Sober | What’s On Your Mind?
What’s With the Dress Code?
By: Jeff Y. | Cleveland Heights, Ohio
Are the local small-t traditions at our meetings the same as our Twelve Traditions? A member shares his thoughts
When I came into AA in the mid-1980s, there were a number of local customs that were rarely spoken of in the present tense. These usually took the form of recollections and perhaps remonstrances from the speaker about the way things used to be.
Where I went to meetings, I’d hear people say, “We were taught that when you sober up, you should clean up.” A jacket and tie for the men, skirt and stockings for the women. That was the expected dress code when one led a meeting. And most emphatically, profanity was not tolerated. These recollections may have been a commentary on the changing times, as people flooded into meetings fresh out of 28 days of treatment back then. AA was changing and the oldtimers were concerned.
Thus, a kindly elder statesman explained to me the difference between AA’s Twelve Traditions and local meeting traditions. Every AA group has its customs and culture. These are the local traditions with a lower-case “t.” These customs varied from group to group, city to city, country to country. They might include the meeting format, specific readings and prayers recited and sponsorship practices. It even included whether and how the group participated in the local AA service structure and how group funds were allocated to support vital AA services of the local central office, district, area, AA Grapevine and the General Service Office.
All these things, this old-timer continued, were the result of the group conscience, which is outlined in Tradition Two. It’s not surprising then that the local AA small “t” traditions can and will change over time with an informed group conscience.
But are we placing more emphasis on tradition and custom than on our Twelve Traditions? I can’t say for certain because AAs tend to vote with their feet. Don’t like a meeting? Go to another. Try as many as you like until you feel comfortable. Get out of your zip code once in a while to see how others are doing it. Think they are doing it all wrong? Well, people are getting sober there. How bad could it be?
There’s a wonderful cross-pollination of ideas that occurs when I attend an AA meeting in another part of the country, and the recent impact of virtual meetings cannot be overstated. The ability to attend a meeting in London, Paris or Mexico City will show differing customs, but one primary purpose—to carry the AA message to the still-suffering alcoholic. AA has no secondary purpose.
Let’s say that you are asked to lead a meeting or share your story. The group conscience stipulates that men are to wear a tie and jacket at the podium. If you’re not the jacket and tie kind of guy, there arises a dilemma. It occasionally roars to life as a topic of local debate. Do you wear the tie or refuse the invitation? If you show up without a tie, some groups will provide you with one. Is it more important to honor the local custom or stand on your personal principles? More importantly, how is the new person served by this tempest in a teacup? What is your motivation in accepting the invitation to speak? The Big Book tells us that, “Our real purpose is to fit ourselves to be of maximum service to God and the people about us.”
To the traditionalists who think form is more important than function, I would offer this spiritual principle. The only requirement for AA membership is a desire to stop drinking (Third Tradition). The “long form” of this Tradition is more enlightening: “Our membership ought to include all who suffer from alcoholism. Hence, we may refuse none who wish to recover. Nor ought AA membership ever depend upon money or conformity.” Everything else is subject to a well-informed group conscience.
How well informed am I?
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