Minneapolis/St. Paul December
2001
Please copy this newsletter for your group.
GLBT in Recovery meets the first Sunday of each month at noon. Meetings have been held at Leo G.'s home (you can call 612-827-5163 or email me at mplsmac@earthlink.net for confirmation of meeting time and place). Anyone in a 12 step program is welcome to join us in planning our events. We would especially urge women and members of Al-anon and NA to join us. The next meeting is on Jan. 6, 2002. It is again time to elect new co-chairs for GLBT in Recovery. The terms are for two years. At the next meeting of GLBT in Recovery on Jan. 6, 2002, we will discuss combining forces with MinneSober, which will be held at Park House in October (which means LOTS of volunteers will be needed as compared to having hotel staff doing the work). It would be a separate committee within GLBT in Recovery. MinneSober Committee will also discuss it at their Jan. meeting. A decision will be made in February. The last event GLBT in Recovery sponsored, the Halloween Party, was successful. Although we did not quite break even, the party was enjoyed by everyone. We learned a few things that will make future parties even better. We added a raffle at $1 a ticket or 6 for $5, which will also be included in the upcoming New Year's Eve Party. The space at Park House is a wonderful space for events and it was decided to make as much use of it as we can. The Annual Gratitude Dinner will be held on March 9th this year. Tickets are $15 - advance tickets will be required this year. Last year we learned it is too difficult to plan a meal without having an idea of how many will be in attendance. A final decision on where it will be held and what will be served will be made at a later date. We decided to invite those who cannot afford the full suggested donation for GLBT in Recovery functions to donate their time in helping as volunteers at those functions - there are always people needed to help serve, sit at the ticket table, setting up, and tearing down.
GLBT in Recovery events are sponsored by the GLBT recovering community, but are open to everyone who is clean and sober.
Clean and Sober New Year's Eve Masquerade Party (as opposed to Costume Party) Sponsored by GLBT in Recovery Masks will be provided Feel Free to Wear Your Own Mask Park House Park Ave. So. and 22nd St. Parking in Rear of Building December 31, 2001 AA Meeting at 8 PM Party at 9 PM Suggested Donation $10.00 (free raffle ticket with paid donation) If you cannot afford the $10, please pay what you can afford Please Bring "finger food" or munchies Beverages provided
GLBT in Recovery would like to thank everyone who has volunteered in planning and helping at the Halloween Party.
We would especially like to thank the Friday women's group at Plymouth Church and our Anonymous donor for their generous financial gifts.
It was battered and scarred, and the auctioneer thought it scarcely worth his while to waste his time on the old violin, but he held it up with a smile! "What am I bid, good people, " he cried. "Who starts the bidding for me? One dollar? One dollar. Do I hear two? Two dollars. Who makes it three? Three dollars once, three dollars twice, going for three . . ." But no! >From the room, far back, a gray bearded man came forward and picked up a bow. Then wiping the dust from the old violin, and tightening up the strings, he played a melody, pure and sweet, as sweet as the angel sings.
The music ceased, and the auctioneer, with a voice that was quiet and low, said, "What now am I bid for this old violin?" as he held it aloft with its bow. "One thousand? One thousand. Do I hear two? Two thousand. Who makes it three? Three thousand once, three thousand twice! Going and gone!" said he. The audience cheered, but some of them cried, "We just don't understand. What changed its worth?" Swift came the reply .. "The touch of the Master's Hand."
And many a man, with life out of tune, all battered with bourbon and gin, is auctioned cheap to a thoughtless crowd, much like that old violin. Amass of pottage, a glass of wine, a game . . . and he travels on. He is going once. He is going twice. He is going and almost gone. But the Master comes, and the foolish crowd never can quite understand ~
The worth of a soul, or the change that is wrought by the Touch of the Master's Hand. Author Unknown
This was sent me by Jed W. in memory of his friend, Kermit.
Note Many of you know my friend Steve R. who now lives in Denver. He is coming up on 3 years. I'm sure he would like to here from many of you. His email is steve_roen@yahoo.com. (There is an underline between Steve and roen.)
My Sponsor always said to me, "slippery people ought to stay out of slippery places". What was there to do other than going out to dance or 'whatever' at a bar? He also said, "If you don't make sobriety as much fun as drinking, you will probably go back to drinking".
In the group I sobered up in 24 years ago, we had many sobriety parties. Since the group had almost 200 members and most of us were under 2 years sober, it amounted to parties almost every weekend - sometimes more than one a night. Most of them were very simple parties of bring snacks and beverages to share and show up. They were a lot of fun and we benefited by learning how to socialize in a safe, clean and sober environment. Not only were they fun, they acknowledge the accomplishment of time sober and, for some of us, gave us a goal for staying sober.
In the new year, it would be interesting to see more house parties and see if affects the rate of relapse. It does seem to me that the relapse rate was less at that time, and one of the things I see as a possible reason is that of finding things to do to keep us out of "slippery places".
The other reason I can think of is that nasty term "service work". We did have more opportunities working at taking 12th step calls at 2218. The work is still available at Intergroup, or joining committees for GLBT in Recovery, MinneSober, Gopher State Roundup, and the like. Try some of them and you may be surprised at how fun and beneficial they are for you!
If you would like to submit an article for the newsletter, have changes or additions to the GLBT meeting list, or wish to make a donation, please contact us at GLBT in Recovery, 3036 Dupont Ave. So, Mpls, MN 55408. You can reach us through our web site, www.GLBTAAMN.com, or call 612-827-5163. If you have an announcement to be put on the web site, click on the web master icon.