SOUTHERN DELAWARE INTERGROUP NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2025

Highlighted Step/Tradition/Concept for September

Step 9: “Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.”

Students everywhere are preparing for the next level of learning and so are we! We’ve made the list, and after careful consideration and discussion with our sponsor, we embark on the journey of amends. It’s a big deal and we must be “fearless and thorough” mustering up “all the earnestness at our command”.  However, we must ALWAYS remember… “except when to do so would injure them or others.” This is not just a “conscious clearing”.  This is the next step in finding our place in the world around us, on level ground with the rest of humanity.  We practice how to approach each encounter and keep our expectations in check.  We don’t know how the person will react and humility is key. For those relationships most important to us the amends should be face to face.  Others may be a phone call or letter. Some of the people we have harmed may no longer be with us and we find other ways to make the amends like making a commitment not to behave in that way with others going forward. This is not an easy task…but the resulting freedom from bondage of self will give us wings! If we want to experience the ninth step promises we must first do the ninth step work. And as we already know: ”it works if we work it!”

Tradition 9: “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 9: “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.

The Ninth Step Promises

If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are half way through. We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace. No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others. That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear. We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows. Self-seeking will slip away. Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change. Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us. We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us. We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves. Are these extravagant promises? We think not. They are being fulfilled among us – sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. They will always materialize if we work for them.

Southern Delaware Intergroup Monthly Meeting — Join us on the first Thursday of every month @  6 pm via Zoom. Meeting ID: 987-8110-5001, 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.

THANKSGIVING ALKATHON

For the alkathon to take place this year a coordinator is needed to organize. Perhaps a home group or district would like to make the commitment? If interested please email us at support@sussexaa.org and we will forward to the previous coordinator.

HISTORY OF THE BASH AT THE BEACH

Does anyone know what year the bash started and who started it?

If so, please contact us at

Support@sussexaa.org

MARK YOUR CALENDARS! SATURDAY NOVEMBER 15

DETAILS IN OCTOBER NEWSLETTER.