2024 Newsletter

It’s October and Autumn has arrived – a season regarded as the end of the growing season, but fortunately that refers to vegetation and not our spiritual and physical paths. As we shed the ways that are holding us back, we experience spiritual changes and nurture the work that strengthens our program. By working the steps, working closely with our sponsors, and doing our own service work, we can enjoy the gifts of our sobriety.

During this Tenth month, let’s take a look at Step 10, Tradition 10 and Concept 10.

Step 10 — Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it. As we work the first nine steps, we prepare ourselves for the adventure of a new life. But when we approach Step Ten, we commence to put our A.A. way of living to practical use, day by day, in fair weather or foul. Then comes the acid test: can we stay sober, keep in emotional balance and live to good purpose under all conditions? A continuous look at our assets and liabilities, and a real desire to learn and grow by this means, are necessities for us. — Reprinted from Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions© (page 88), with permission of A.A. World Services, Inc.

Tradition 10 — Alcoholics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the A.A. name ought never be drawn into public controversy. Never since it began has Alcoholics Anonymous been divided by a major controversial issue. Nor has our Fellowship ever publicly taken side on any question in an embattled world. This, however, has been no earned virtue. It could almost be said that we were born with it, for, as one oldtimer recently declared. “Practically never have I heard a heated religious, political or reform argument among A.A. members. So long as we don’t argue these matters, privately, it’s a cinch we never shall publicly”. — Reprinted from Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions© (page 179), with permission of A.A. World Services, Inc.

Concept 10 — Every service responsibility should be matched by an equal service authority — the scope of such authority to be always well defined whether by tradition, by resolution, by specific job description, or by appropriate charters and bylaws. All of this is fully implied in A.A.’s Tradition Two. Here we see the “group conscience” as the ultimate authority and the “trusted servant” as the delegated authority. One cannot function without the other. We well know that only by means of careful definitions and mutual respect can we constantly maintain a right and harmonious working balance. — Reprinted from The A.A. Service Manual combined with Twelve Concepts, 2021-2023 Edition (page c36) , with permission of A.A. World Services, Inc.

Southern Delaware Intergroup Monthly Meeting — Join us on Thursday October 3rd at 6 P.M. via Zoom. Meeting ID: 987-8810-5001, Passcode: 914711. Our intergroup is a resource for 12-Step work and Alcoholics Anonymous information in Southern Delaware. Please consider volunteering for a service opportunity, which includes most Intergroup committees. For more information about what each Committee does, see our Service Committees page and plan to attend our next intergroup meeting.

14^th Annual Blue Hen Roundup – October 5^th – 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church – 425 North Dupont Highway, Dover.

District 3 Welcome Back Picnic – October 12^th – 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Trap Pond 15491 Loblolly Road, Laurel DE. (See flyer in this newsletter for more info)

International Conference of Secular A.A. with Al-Anon Participation
Date: November 20-22, 2024
Venue: DoubleTree Hilton at Universal Studios, Orlando, Florida
Website: www.aasecular.org
The flyer: https://aasecular.org/icsaa2024

For District Meeting Times and Dates visit: Events – Southern Delaware Intergroup (sussexaa.org)

To access the above links go to: http://www.delawareaa.org/area122024convention.html

When is the convention? How do I get into Canada if I have a past legal incident? Will there be a mobile app for the Convention? Get answers to these and many other Frequently Asked Questions by clicking here:

https://www.aa.org/international-convention-2025-faqs

The 2025 A.A. International Convention is scheduled in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada! An International A.A. Convention is held every five years and this year marks the 90^th anniversary of the beginning of our fellowships founding and is titled “90 Years – Language of the Heart. More information is published regularly at https://www.aa.org/international-convention

Vancouver will welcome A.A. members from around the world for the 2025 International Convention. The International Convention will take place from July 3 – 6, 2025, at the Vancouver Convention Centre and BC Place Stadium. As the Convention approaches, AA will update the website with registration information. Let’s celebrate sobriety together in Vancouver in 2025!

Traveling to Canada:

Question: If travel to Canada is difficult for some members, why are we holding an International Convention in Vancouver?

Answer: The Fellowship of the U.S. and Canada General Service Structure of Alcoholics Anonymous functions as one entity in spirit and service to the Fellowship. As this event rotates through the regions of A.A., there will be times when it takes place in the U.S. and other times when it is held in Canada.

For more information for those who may have entry issues due to past criminal history: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/inadmissibility/overcome-criminal-convictions.html

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.
• Something your sponsor said that impacted you.

Subscribing to this Newsletter via e-mail is very easy. Simply email “subscribe” to support@sussexaa.org or sign up online and you will receive the monthly email on the 1^st of each month.