As we welcome the new year, we reflect this month on Step One, which is the fundamental reason most of us seek sobriety and recovery. Without admitting we are powerless over alcohol, there is not the chance to seek the institutional wisdom of others in A.A. who have done the same.

Although the further we get from alcohol, the less significant it becomes, it is still imperative to be reminded often of the hold alcohol had on our lives before we sought help. As stated in the 12 & 12, “Our admissions of personal powerlessness finally turn out to be firm bedrock upon which happy and purposeful lives may be built. We know that little good can come to any alcoholic who joins A.A. unless he has first accepted his devastating weakness and all its consequences.” — Reprinted from The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 21, with permission of A.A. World Services, Inc.

But however important it is to remember from where we came, it is equally as important to remember how far we have come. A new year. A new life. A new chance. Happy January.

As it’s January, the first month, let’s look at Step One, Tradition One and Concept One.

Step One — We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable. Under the lash of alcoholism, we are driven to A.A. and there we discover the fatal nature of our situation. Then, and only then, do we become open-minded to conviction and as willing to listen as the dying can be. We stand ready to do anything which will lift the merciless obsession from us. Why all this insistence that every A.A. must hit bottom first? The answer is that few people will sincerely try to practice the A.A. program unless they have hit bottom. For practicing A.A.’s remaining eleven steps means the adoption of attitudes and actions that almost no alcoholic who is still drinking can dream of taking. Who wishes to be rigorously honest and tolerant? Who wishes to confess his faults to another and make restitution for harm done? No, the average alcoholic, self-centered in the extreme, doesn’t care for this prospect — unless he has to do these things in order to stay alive himself. — Reprinted from The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pp. 21 and 24, with permission of A.A. World Services, Inc.

Tradition One — Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon A.A. unity. The unity of Alcoholics Anonymous is the most cherished quality our Society has. Our lives, the lives of all to come, depend squarely upon it. We stay whole, or A.A. dies. Without unity, the heart of A.A. would cease to beat; our world arteries would no longer carry the life-giving grace of God; His gift to us would be spent aimlessly. Back again in their caves, alcoholics would reproach us and say, ‘What a great thing A.A. might have been!’ — Reprinted from The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 129, with permission of A.A. World Services, Inc.

Concept One — Final responsibility and ultimate authority for A.A. World Services should always reside in the collective conscience of our whole Fellowship. We believe that we see in our Fellowship a spiritualized society characterized by enough enlightenment, enough responsibility and enough love of man and of God to insure that our democracy of world service will work under all conditions. — Reprinted from The A.A. Service Manual Combined with the Twelve Concepts, p. C5, with permission of A.A. World Services, Inc.

2023 Carry The Message Project

Want To help another alcoholic? Grapevine and La Viña are great twelfth-step tools to help other alcoholics. There are three easy ways. Go here to find out how. Or watch the “Carry The Message” on their youtube channel

Intergroup Service Opportunities

There are several ways that you can provide valuable service to Southern Delaware Intergroup to help ensure the hand of Alcoholics Anonymous to always be there. Remember: Anyone can join service committees; you do not need to be an Intergroup Rep to participate. We welcome your contribution in any capacity.

• Intergroup Vice Chair — Acts as Chairperson in the Chair’s absence and assumes other responsibilities as delegated by the Chair. See Section 7.2 from our Bylaws for details.
• Website/Tech Committee Chair — Convenes monthly meetings with the committee regarding website/tech activity and reports at the monthly intergroup meeting.
• Website/Tech Committee Members — Helps maintain our website. If you have experience with WordPress, please consider volunteering. Previous experience as a Webmaster is a plus.
• Liaison Area 12 — Serves as the conduit between Area 12 and Intergroup, representing Intergroup at area assemblies and area committee meetings.

For more information see our Service Committees page and plan to attend our monthly intergroup meeting on Thursday, January 5. If you have any questions, please contact us by email.

Newsletter Help Wanted

Want to be part of this newsletter? We would love to hear from you! We’re always interested in receiving short articles and experiences written by our A.A. members for possible publication. All submissions are subject to review and editing. Send submissions to support@sussexaa.org. Below are some ideas.

• How you worked a specific step.
• A favorite A.A. slogan and how it has helped you.
• How you got your first service position.
• Something your sponsor said that impacted you.

Meeting Schedule

Southern Delaware Intergroup needs your help keeping the meeting schedule current on our website. If your group is moving to a new location, changing Zoom links, not meeting on a regularly scheduled date, or changing anything about the meeting, please email support@sussexaa.org so the info can be updated on our website and passed to the GSO Meeting Guide App. Newcomers, visitors and members are looking for meetings, and having accurate information listed on our meeting schedule is important. 

Mark Your Calendar

Upcoming events that may be of interest to you.

• Southern Delaware Intergroup Monthly Meeting — Join us on Thursday, January 5 at 6PM via Zoom. Please note new Meeting ID: 987-8110-5001 and Passcode: 914711. Our intergroup is a resource for 12-Step work and Alcoholics Anonymous information in Southern Delaware.
• 59th International Women’s Conference (IWC) — Held February 16 through 19, 2023, the IWC will be a hybrid event at the Renaissance Dallas Addison Hotel, 15201 Dallas Parkway, Addison, TX and online via Zoom. For more information on the conference and to register, please see their website.
• NERAASA 2023 — The 2023 Northeast Regional Alcoholics Anonymous Service Assembly (NERAASA) will be held February 22 through February 26 at the Desmond Hotel located at 660 Albany-Shaker Road, Albany NY 12211. For more information and to register, see the NERAASA website. You can also send an email to info@neraasa.org. The purpose of NERAASA is for GSRs, DCMs, Area Committee Members, & Intergroup / Central Office Representatives of the Northeast Region to discuss General Service Conference-related issues & concerns affecting A.A. as a whole, as well as pertinent aspects of recovery, unity, & service common to the Areas of the Northeast Region.