Summer is winding down as we go into September, but the weather should be gorgeous for the remainder of the month. Let’s make sure we try to enjoy it as much as possible. And don’t forget the annual Bash at the Beach happens this month on September 18. Side-dishes and desserts are most welcomed.

Three Legacies of A.A.

Taken together, the Steps, Traditions and Concepts embody what are known as the Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous: Recovery, Unity and Service.

• The suggestions for recovery are the Twelve Steps.
• The suggestions for achieving unity of the Fellowship are the Twelve Traditions;
• The suggestions for service are described in Twelve Concepts for World Service which provide a group of related principles to help ensure that various elements of A.A’s service structure remain responsive and responsible to those they serve.

As it’s September, the ninth month, let’s take a look at Step 9, Tradition 9 and Concept 9.

Step Nine — Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. As soon as we begin to feel confident in our new way of life and have begun, by our behavior and example, to convince those about us that we are indeed changing for the better, it is usually safe to talk in complete frankness with those who have been seriously affected, even those who may be only a little or not at all aware of what we have done to them. The only exceptions we will make will be cases where our disclosure would cause actual harm. — Reprinted from Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions© (page 85), with permission of A.A. World Services, Inc.

Tradition Nine — A.A. as such ought never be organized; but we may create service boards and committees directly responsible to those they serve. A.A. has to function, but at the same time it must avoid those dangers of great wealth, prestige, and entrenched power which necessarily tempt other societies. Though Tradition Nine at first sight seems to deal with a purely practical matter, in its actual operation it discloses a society without organization, animated only by the spirit of service — a true fellowship. — Reprinted from Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions© (page 177), with permission of A.A. World Services, Inc.

Concept Nine — Good service leaders, together with sound and appropriate methods of choosing them, are at all levels indispensable for our future functioning and safety.. A leader in A.A. service is therefore a man (or woman) who can personally put principles, plans and policies into such dedicated and effective action that the rest of us want to back him up and help him with his job. When a leader power-drives us badly, we rebel; but when he too meekly becomes an order-taker and he exercises no judgment of his own — well, he really isn’t a leader at all. Good leadership originates plans, policies, and ideas for the improvement of our Fellowship and its services. But in new and important matters, it will nevertheless consult widely before taking decisions and actions. Good leadership will also remember that a fine plan or idea can come from anybody, anywhere. Consequently, good leadership will often discard its own cherished plans for others that are better, and it will give credit to the source. — Reprinted from The A.A. Service Manual combined with Twelve Concepts, 2021-2023 Edition (page c29) , with permission of A.A. World Services, Inc.

SDIAA Bylaws

The draft SDIAA Bylaws are available for review to be approved by the Intergroup representatives (IGRs) at the September 1, 2022 meeting. Visit our Bylaws page to compare the draft to the current one (April 12, 2022).

1. Approval of the updated bylaws will be by a 2/3 majority of those IGRs attending the September 1, 2022 meeting.
2. 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.

Please plan to show up at 6PM on Thursday, September 1 at the Southern Delaware Intergroup Monthly Meeting to cast your vote. The meeting will be held online through Zoom. Meeting ID: 821 1107 1538, Passcode: 186548.

Website Upgrade

Over the summer, we rolled out changes to our website. The most significant has been a color-coded system to make it easier to see at a glance whether a meeting is being conducted in person, online and/or over the phone.

• In-person meetings have a green box around their address.
• Online and phone meetings have a blue box around the name of the online provider and/or the word “phone”.
• Hybrid meetings (meeting both online and in-person), have both a green box with the address and a blue box with the online provider.
• Meetings that are currently not meeting have a red box around the word “Inactive”. Currently, all our meetings are active.

Please check sussexaa.org/meetings to see if your meeting information is up-to-date. Please let us know if you need any changes made. We plan for additional upgrades in the fall.

Intergroup Service Committee Opportunities

We have a few opportunities to provide valuable service to Southern Delaware Intergoup and help ensure the hand of Alcoholics Anonymous to always be there. Anyone can join these service committees. You do not need to be an Intergroup Rep to participate!

• Website/Tech Committee – We are looking for a committee chair to convene the monthly meeting regarding website/tech activity and report at the monthly intergroup meeting. You don’t need to be an engineer or know how to code to be of service in this position. However, we are also looking for volunteers with experience in WordPress, HTML, CSS and IT who can help identify, recommend and implement ways to use technology in A.A. locally.
• Intergroup Vice Chair — Acts as Chairperson in the Chair’s absence and assumes other responsibilities as delegated by the Chair.
• 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 this Thursday. Any questions? Please contact us by email.

2025 International Convention Member Engagement Survey

As many of you may know, planning is already underway for the 2025 International Convention that will be held July 3-6, 2025, in Vancouver, B.C., Canada.

Given the impact and uncertainty of the Covid-19 virus, they are requesting feedback via a survey from the Fellowship as it relates to domestic and international travel, attendance at large events, and thoughts regarding an in-person event with a partial, limited virtual component, and incorporate the feedback in their planning.

Your responses are of great value in helping to better plan for the International Convention. All responses are anonymous. Please respond by October 31, 2022.

Call for Stories

A story solicitation for A.A. members who got sober later in life is being put out in response to a committee consideration from the Cooperation with the Professional Community-Treatment/Accessibilities Committee of the 72nd General Service Conference that the pamphlet A.A. for the Older Alcoholic. Deadline for submission: September 23, 2022.

A.A. member experience being requested includes the following:

• Finding recovery at the age of 60 and over
• Mental health and diverse abilities
• Attending online meetings
• Diverse ethnicities, cultures and languages (including immigrant experiences)
• LGBTQ+ communities
• Diverse spiritual pathways

Please include your complete name, address, and email/phone information on the first page of your manuscript. A copy of your manuscript should be retained for your files. The anonymity of all submitters will be observed whether your story is selected for publication or not. Instructions for submitting your story:

Deadline: Please submit on or before September 23, 2022.
Email: access@aa.org
Subject Line: A.A. for the Older Alcoholic.
Postal Mail: Attn: Access Assignment, General Service Office, Box 459, Grand Central Station, New York, NY 10163.

Mark Your Calendar

Upcoming events that may be of interest to you.

• Southern Delaware Intergroup Monthly Meeting — Join us on Thursday, September 1 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.

• 2022 National A.A. Technology Workshop (NAATW) — Running September 9, 2022 3:00 pm to September 11, 2022 6:00 pm, the NAATW is hosting an immersive event under the theme “Moving Forward Together”. Those interested in using technology in service to A.A. are encouraged to attend in order to share their experience, gather ideas and bring learnings back to their groups. This is a hybrid event, so you can consider attending in-person in Tukwila, WA or participating virtually. NAATW is an annual event where those interested in using technology in service to Alcoholics Anonymous gather to share experience. For more information, see the flyer or go to the event website to register.

• 2022 Annual SDIAA Bash at the Beach — Join your local community on Sunday, September 18 at the Main Pavilion at Cape Henlopen State Park for a fun-filled day that includes guest speakers, food, fun, fellowship, music, games, the beach and more! Cost this year will be $7. Please note the parking costs — $5 in state & $10 out-of-state. For more information, see event flyer or contact events@sussexaa.org.

• Blue Hen Roundup — Hosted by Central Delaware Intergroup, the annual Blue Hen Roundup will be held on Saturday, October 1, 2022 from 8AM to 5PM at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church in Dover. Tickets are $20. For more information, see the event website or download their flyer.

• Conscious Contact Workshop — Hosted by District Two, the workshop will be based on the Grapevine book: Prayer & Meditation. It will be held on Saturday, October 15, 2022 from 9:30 am to 11:30 am (Doors open at 9:00), located at St. Georges Chapel Hall, 20271 Beaver Dam Road, Harbeson, DE 19951. For more information, please see the flyer or email dcm2@delawareaa.org.

• 2022 Gratitude Breakfast — It’s back this year live and in person on November 19 at the Indian River Fire Hall located on 32628 Oak Orchard Road in Millsboro. This year the Gratitude Breakfast will coincide with Gratitude Month — a traditional time to express our collective gratitude for our individual sobriety. For more information, contact events@sussexaa.org