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November 18th, 2022
401-438-886
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UNITY
TRADITION 12 (Long Form)
And finally, we of Alcoholics Anonymous believe that the principle of anonymity has an immense spiritual significance. It reminds us that we are to place principles before personalities; that we are actually to practice a genuine humility. This to the end that our great blessings may never spoil us; that we shall forever live in thankful contemplation of Him who presides over us all
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Group Anniversaries
Fri. Nov. 25th Woonsocket-ST JAMES– St James Church, 24 Hamlet Ave., 8PM. 54nd Anniversary Guest Speakers and Buffet. Food donations Welcome
Sun. Nov.27th Providence-DAY AT A TIME– Salvation Army, 201 Pitman St. 10AM 55th Anniversary
Sat. Dec. 3rd Manville/ Lincoln – PEACE OF MIND. St. James Parish Hall, 57 Division St., 50th Anniversary. 10:30AM Guest Speakers and Buffet
Sun. Dec. 18th Coventry- SIMPLE –Cornerstone of Faith, 1081 Main St., 7PM. 47th Anniversary. Guest Speaker and Buffet
NEW GROUPS
Warren-WOMEN AND THE 12 & 12– Closed Step/Tradition, Women- St. Mary’s Of The Bay, 645 Main St., Mondays at 5:45PM
South Kingstown-A WAY OUT– Open Big Book/ Step, (Child Friendly). Peace Dale Congregational Church,261 Columbia St., Tuesday at 6:30PM
South Dartmouth, MA- THURSDAY NIGHT WOMEN-Open Discussion, Women. St. Mary Church, 795 Darthmouth St., Thursdays at 7PM
GROUPS REOPENING
Fall River, MA- SATURDAY NIGHT AA– Open Discussion. Father Diaferio’s Community Center, 220 Johnson St., 7:30 PM
New Bedford-LAST CHANCE-Open Speaker/Discussion. Pilgrim United Church Of Christ,634 Purchase St., Mondays at 7PM
CHANGES
Narragansett- SPIRITUAL AWAKENINGS will now meet at St. Peters Episcopal, 72 Central St., Mon. thru Fri. at 7AM. Sat and Sun meetings will remain at Narragansett Beach.
South Kingstown- TUCKERTOWN –has moved to New Life Assembly Church,251 Post Rd., Monday and Saturday ONLY at 1PM
Burrillville-AS BILL SEES IT – Open Discussion has move to Berean Baptist Church, 474 Chapel Street, Fridays at 10:30 AM
Burrillville-DAY BY DAY- St Patrick Church, 45 Harrisville Main St., Tuesdays at 7PM has Temporarily Disbanded pending new location
Woonsocket- AA STEP MEETING(Women)- is now a Closed Step (Women). Holy Family Church, 414 South Main St., Mondays at 7PM
ONE DAY ONLY
Providence- AGAPE – First Unitarian Church, 1 Benevolent St. 12:15PM will not meet Fri. Nov. 25th
NEEDS SUPPORT
East Providence- ACTIVE – Open Speaker. St. Martha’s Church, 2595 Pawtucket Ave., Fridays at 7:30PM
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THANKSGIVING ALKATHONS/MEETINGS
Thursday, November 24th
Woonsocket- District One will host a Thanksgiving Alkathon– at Holy Family Church, 414 South Main St., 11AM to 8PM. Meetings ever hour. Food and Literature Donations are welcome. For more information contact Pride I at 401-742-8663 or email misterpridester@yahoo.com
Warwick- So RI Intergroup will host a Thanksgiving Day Alkathon– at the So. RI Intergroup Office, 2845 Post Rd. Warwick from 9AM till 4:30 PM. Watch for more information on the Website in November
Middletown- District 5 will host a Turkey Day Alkathon at YANA Club, 770 Aquidneck Ave., 12 Noon to 4PM Thanksgiving meal, Goodies, Fellowship, Gratitude, & Meetings All Are Welcome! Come & Enjoy Donations are Welcome. Setup begins at 10:30 AM
Narragansett- G.O.D. group will host a Thanksgiving Day Alkathon Anchor Christian Fellowship, 32 Avice St., 9AM to 5PM Food, Fellowship & Meetings
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CHRISTMAS MEETINGS/ ALKATHONS
Providence- DAY AT A TIME– Salvation Army, 201 Pitman St. will be open on Christmas Day at 10 AM
District 1 will host a Christmas Day Alkathon At Holy Family Church, 414 South Main St., Woonsocket Sunday, December 25th 11AM to 8PM (Doors open at 10AM) Meetings every hour – Food & Literature Donations Welcomed For more information contact Pride at misterpriderster@yahoo.com
**************************************************************************NEW YEARS MEETINGS /ALKATHONS
District 5 will host a NEW YEAR’S EVE ALKATHON at Y.A.N.A Club, 770 Aquidneck Ave. Middletown. On Saturday, December 31st from 6PM until Midnight (…or thereafter) Food, Fellowship and Games
District 2/4 will host EAST BAY ALKATHON Riverside Congregational Church, 15 Oak Ave , East Providence (12/31/22) New Year’s Eve 6PM thru (1/1/23) New Year’s Day 6PM Hourly meetings begin at 6PM with a half hour break in between meetings for fellowship and food *************************************************************************
SERVICE
FRIENDLY REMINDER NOVEMBER IS GRATITUDE MONTH
Many AA members express gratitude for their sobriety with an Anniversary Contribution to any/all the different AA Entities. Some members customarily contribute a dollar for each year or a penny for each day-some give more, some give less, all contributions are valuable. It is the still suffering alcoholic who benefits from your generous spirit.
The next regular meeting for Central Service Delegates will be held Via Zoom on Wednesday, December 21st , 2022, at 7:00 PM
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, December 28th, at 9AM.
***Please note the deadline for submitting any information for the next today is Friday, December 23rd, 2022
The SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE group will host the District 5 “Joy Of Service” at Y.A.N.A Club, 770 Aquidneck Ave. Middletown on Saturday, December 10th at 7M Come learn about 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”
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RECOVERY
RI Central Service will sponsor a monthly virtual “OPEN MIC NIGHT NITE” Saturday in Dec 3rd Starting at 8PM Anyone interested in performing or needing more information should contact Austin D Email: 1wholestep@gmail.com
CARRY THE MESSAGE- AA SPONSORSHIP WORKSHOP Free Event Sponsored by District 4 / AREA 30 Murray Universalist Church, 505 North Main St., Attleboro, MA Saturday, January 14th, 9:30 AM to 2:00PM Panel of Four Speakers to share experience with Sponsorship followed by “Ask It Basket” Coffee, Pastries, Lunch and Fellowship
The Drunk Squad will be hosting Convention Play Rehearsals at the Area 61 Office, 3649 Post Rd., Warwick Tuesday at 7PM. Anyone interested in getting involved are encouraged to attend.
Come one, Come all! Our 47th Annual RI State Convention will take place at the Newport Marriott Feb 10-12, 2023. A wonderful weekend of Unity, Recovery and Service with great speakers from around the country, entertainment, marathon meetings and so much more. Don’t miss out!
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APRIL 1953
Tradition Twelve
THE spiritual substance of anonymity is sacrifice. Because AA’s Twelve Traditions repeatedly ask us to give up personal desires for the common good, we realize that the sacrificial spirit–well symbolized by anonymity–is the foundation of them all. It is AA’s proved willingness to make these sacrifices that gives people their high confidence in our future.
But in the beginning, anonymity was not born of confidence; it was the child of our early fears. Our first nameless groups of alcoholics were secret societies. New prospects could find us only through a few trusted friends. The bare hint of publicity, even for our work, shocked us. Though ex-drinkers, we still thought we had to hide from public distrust and contempt.
When the big book appeared in 1939, we called it “Alcoholics Anonymous.” Its foreword made this revealing statement: “It is important that we remain anonymous because we are too few, at present, to handle the overwhelming number of personal appeals which may result from this publication. Being mostly business or professional folk, we could not well carry on our occupations in such an event.” Between these lines it is easy to read our fear that large numbers of incoming people might break our anonymity wide open.
As the AA groups multiplied, so did anonymity problems. Enthused over the spectacular recovery of a brother alcoholic, we’d sometimes discuss those intimate and harrowing aspects of his case meant for his sponsor’s ear alone. The aggrieved victim would then rightly declare that his trust had been broken. When such stories got into circulation outside of AA, the loss of confidence in our anonymity promise was severe. It frequently turned people from us. Clearly, every AA member’s name–and story, too–had to be confidential, if he wished. This was our first lesson in the practical application of anonymity.
With characteristic intemperance, however, some of our newcomers cared not at all for secrecy. They wanted to shout AA from the housetops, and did. Alcoholics barely dry rushed about bright-eyed, button-holing anyone who would listen to their stories. Others hurried to place themselves before microphones and cameras. Sometimes they got distressingly drunk and let their groups down with a bang. They had changed from AA members into AA show-offs.
This phenomenon of contrast really set us thinking. Squarely before us was the question, “How anonymous should an AA member be?” Our growth made it plain that we couldn’t be a secret society, but it was equally plain that we couldn’t be a vaudeville circuit either. The charting of a safe path between these extremes took a long time.
As a rule, the average newcomer wanted his family to know immediately what he was trying to do. He also wanted to tell others who had tried to help him–his doctor, his minister, and close friends. As he gained confidence, he felt it right to explain his new way of life to his employer and business associates. When opportunities to be helpful came along, he found he could talk easily about AA to almost: anyone. These quiet disclosures helped him to lose his fear of the alcoholic stigma, and spread the news of AA’s existence in his community. Many a new man and woman came to AA because of such conversations. Though not in the strict letter of anonymity, such communications were well within its spirit.
But it became apparent that the word-of-mouth method was too limited. Our work, as such, needed to be publicized. The AA groups would have to reach quickly as many despairing alcoholics as they could. Consequently, many groups began to hold meetings which were open to interested friends and the public, so that the average citizen could see for himself just what AA was all about. The response to these meetings was warmly sympathetic. Soon groups began to receive requests for AA speakers to appear before civic organizations, church groups, and medical societies. Provided anonymity was maintained on these platforms, and reporters present were cautioned against the use of names or pictures, the result was fine.
Then came our first few excursions into major publicity, which were breath-taking. Cleveland’s Plain Dealer articles about us ran that town’s membership from a few into hundreds overnight. The news stories of Mr. Rockefeller’s dinner for Alcoholics Anonymous helped double our total membership in a year’s time. Jack Alexander’s famous Saturday Evening Post piece made AA a national institution. Such tributes as these brought opportunities for still more recognition. Other newspapers and magazines wanted AA stories. Film companies wanted to photograph us. Radio, and finally television, besieged us with requests for appearances. What should we do?
As this tide offering top public approval swept in, we realized that it could do us incalculable good or great harm. Everything would depend upon how it was channeled. We simply couldn’t afford to take the chance of letting self-appointed members present themselves as messiahs representing AA before the whole public. The promoter instinct in us might be our undoing. If even one publicly got drunk, or was lured into using AA’s name for his own purposes, the damage might be irreparable. At this altitude (press, radio, films, and television), anonymity–one hundred-percent anonymity–was the only possible answer. Here principles would have to come before personalities, without exception.
These experiences taught us that anonymity is real humility at work. It is an all-pervading spiritual quality which today keynotes AA life everywhere. Moved by the spirit of anonymity, we try to give up our natural desires for personal distinction as AA members both among fellow alcoholics and before the general public. As we lay aside these very human aspirations, we believe that each of us takes part in the weaving of a protective mantle which covers our whole society and under which we may grow and work in unity.
We are sure that humility, expressed by anonymity, is the greatest safeguard that AA can ever have.
(Editor’s Note: This brings to a close “The Twelve Traditions,” a new series of explanation. Bill has also completed a new interpretation of the Twelve Steps. These will not appear in The Grapevine, but we will soon announce publication date and details of a new book containing both the series on the Traditions and the Steps. Authorized by the 1952 General Service Conference, the book will be published by Works Publishing, Inc.)
BILL W.
Copyright © The A.A. Grapevine, Inc. April 1953