June brings the summer solstice when the sun reaches its highest position in the sky and we experience on Tuesday, June 21, the longest day of sunlight of the year. Perhaps take that time to walk with a fellow in recovery, take a book and chair to the ocean or relish in nature by catching up on yard work.

June also is a special month as it brings Founders’ Day 2022 on June 10, 11 and 12 – live and in-person at the Akron University. The annual gathering is always held on the weekend closet to June 10, which marks the day in 1935 when A.A. co-founder Dr. Bob took his last drink in Akron, Ohio. More information can be seen below listed below.

During this June month, let’s take a look at Step 6, Tradition 6 and Concept 6.

Step 6 — “Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.” This is the step that separates the men from the boys. So declares a well-loved clergyman who happens to one of A.A.’s greatest friends. He goes on to explain that any person capable of enough willingness and honesty to try repeatedly Step Six on all his faults – without any reservation whatever- has indeed come a long way spiritually, and is therefore entitled to be called a man who is sincerely trying to grow in the image a likeness of his own creator. — Reprinted from Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions© (page 63), with permission of A.A. World Services, Inc.

Tradition 6 — “An A.A. group ought never endorse, finance, or lend the A.A. name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money property and prestige divert us from our primary purpose.” The moment that we saw we had an answer for alcoholism, it was reasonable (or so it seemed at the time), for us to feel like we might have the answer to a lot of other things. The A.A. group, many thought, could go into business, might finance any enterprise whatever in the total field of alcoholism. In fact, we felt duty-bound to throw the whole weight of the A.A. name behind any meritorious cause. — Reprinted from Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions© (page 156), with permission of A.A. World Services, Inc.

Concept 6 — “On behalf of A.A. as a whole, our General Service Conference has the principal responsibility for the maintenance of our world services, and it traditionally has the final decision respecting large matters of general policy and finance. But the Conference also recognizes that the chief initiative and the active responsibility in most of these matters should be exercised primarily by the Trustee members of the Conference when they act among themselves as the General Service Board of Alcoholics Anonymous.” Just as the A.A. groups find themselves unable to act decisively respecting world service affairs unless they delegate a great amount of active authority and responsibility to their Conference, so must the Conference in turn delegate a liberal administrative authority to the General Service Board, in order that its Trustees may act freely and effectively in the absence of the Conference itself. Bill W. makes the point that although “our objective is always a spiritual one” nevertheless our world service is a “large business operation”. — Reprinted from The A.A. Service Manual combined with Twelve Concepts, 2021-2023 Edition (page c20) , with permission of A.A. World Services, Inc.

SDIAA Bylaws Update

An ad-hoc committee was formed in early 2022 to review the current bylaws from 2012 and provide a revision that more accurately captures the evolution and changes within SDIAA.

Bylaws provide the rules and procedures for running an organization. Bylaws can also be considered the organization’s contract with its members and define how members must govern themselves during meetings, the frequency of meetings and how voting is conducted.

Go here to review the SDIAA draft Bylaws (May 2022) and go here to review the current bylaws (April 12, 2022) for comparison. You can also visit our Bylaws page where you can find both documents.

The procedure for accepting these bylaws is as follows

1. Intergroup representatives (IGRs) will have until the September 1, 2022 intergroup meeting to review the updated bylaws draft with their respective home groups.
2. Once the draft is reviewed by their respective home group, any questions, comments or clarifications should be submitted by the IGR to support@sussexaa.org no later than August 15, 2022.
3. Approval of the updated bylaws will be by a simple majority of those IGRs attending the September 1, 2022 meeting.
4. Each IGR will have one vote. If an IGR cannot attend the September meeting then the Alternate IGR (AIGR) can cast their home group’s vote.

Get your Literature Here! Help Carry the Message

SDIAA continues to offer A.A. conference approved books and pamphlets in English and Spanish language for sale at 10% off of list price. This includes free delivery. Signs and displays including pamphlet racks, placards, 12 Steps, 12 Traditions, and 12 Concepts window shades and A.A. meeting signs are also available at the discounted price.

All Conference approved items for sale can be viewed in the A.A. online bookstore. Contact the SDIAA Literature Committee via email at literature@sussexaa.org
with your literature requests and pricing.

SDIAA does not offer non-conference approved items like coins, jewelry, candles, greeting cards, etc. Out of stock items will be ordered from A.A. and you pay no shipping cost. This savings is one way that SDIAA can give-back and help support the A.A. Groups and members in Southern Delaware who carry the A.A. message to others.

Payments for all literature or display item purchases can be made at the time of delivery by check made out to SDIAA and write the word “Literature” and include Group Name (if applicable) on the check memo line.

And don’t forget! The A.A. Grapevine not only publishes the monthly Journal GRAPEVINE / La Vina available via subscription either on-line or in print version, but has many books available.

Recently a brand new book titled Fun in Sobriety has been published. It’s a book about how A.A. members learn to live sober and enjoy life to the fullest. The list price is $11.50 each, or $10.99 for orders of 5 or more. Go to the Grapevine Bookstore to check out all the book titles. These make great gifts for the newcomer and “long-timer” alike. And of course all these books, with the exception of the Grapevine Journal subscriptions, are available at the SDIAA discounted price.

A.A. PSAs Locally Running

The two brand new Alcoholics Anonymous Public Service Announcements (PSAs) will continue to run through the month of June on WRDE and WBOC. You can view or download the two PSAs (three lengths available: 15, 30 & 60 seconds) here.

We don’t know when they will run, but these well-done spots are such a great way to spread the word!

You can view or download the two PSAs (three lengths available: 15, 30 & 60 seconds) here.

1. Sobriety in A.A.: My Drinking Built a Wall
2. Sobriety in A.A.: When Drinking is no longer a Party

Mark Your Calendar

Upcoming events that may be of interest to you.

• Southern Delaware Intergroup Monthly Meeting — Join us on this Thursday, June 2 at 6PM via Zoom. Meeting ID: 821 1107 1538, Passcode: 186548. Our intergroup is a resource for 12-Step work and Alcoholics Anonymous information in Southern Delaware.

• Founders’ Day 2022 — Back live and in-person, Founders’ Day will be held June 10, 11 & 12 at the Akron University. The annual gathering is always held on the weekend closest to June 10, which marks the day in 1935 when A.A. co-founder, Dr. Bob took his last drink in Akron, Ohio. For more information and to register, see the Founders Day 2022 Flyer and visit Founders’ Day.org.

• 7th Annual Unity & Service Conference — Held from July 8 through July 10, the Unity & Service Conference will be held online and in-person this year at the Concord Hilton, 1970 Diamond Blvd, Concord, CA 94520. They have a full slate of speakers lined up for the conference. Download the 2022 Flyer. Please see the event website for more information and to register.

• North/South Virtual Special Forum — Tagged as Beyond Language, Culture & Geography: Sobriety Within Everybody’s Reach, the forum running on July 16 from 11:00 am – 7:00 pm, will stretch the virtual hand of A.A. from Canada and the United States to the furthest reaches of South America. The main objective is to bring members throughout our home “zone” together for direct sharing of experience, strength and hope. More information can be found on our event page and this flyer. Any questions can be sent to northsouthconnections@aa.org.

• 2022 Annual SDIAA Bash at the Beach — The date has been set for Sunday, September 18 at the Main Pavilion at Cape Henlopen State Park. The day will include guest speakers, food, a lot of fun, fellowship, music, games, the beach and more! Stayed tuned for more information.