April-May 2018

CJI NEWSLETTER

On These Dates in A.A. History:

May 1935: A Moment of Clarity

Bill W. called Walter Tunks from the Mayflower Hotel, and was referred to Henrietta Seiberling

who set up a meeting with Dr. Bob.

June 1944: 1944

The AA Grapevine Debuts An eight-page bulletin intended to bring A.A. news to members (including soldiers overseas) expands to become the Fellowship’s official magazine, with the first issue published in June 1944. It comes to be called A.A.'s “meeting in print.”

April-may 2018

Steering Committee Spotlight: Men’s Prisons (pg 2)

Our Higher Power is Every Where: Share Your Story with CJI (pg. 2)

Get Active in Your Area (pg. 3)

We Aren’t a Glum Lot: Anniversaries and Events (pg.) 5

“The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking.”

April 1951: 1951 A.A.’s first General Service Conference

The first General Service Conference, orchestrated by chairman of the Alcoholic Foundation Bernard Smith, is held in April 1951 at the Commodore Hotel in New York. Bill W. later writes of its significance to A.A.: “The delegates . . . listened to reports from the Board of Trustees and from all of the services. There was warm but cordial debate on many questions of A.A. policy... [It was proved] as never before that A.A.’s Tradition Two was correct: Our group conscience could safely act as the sole authority and sure guide for Alcoholics Anonymous.”

April-May 2018

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Kelly Ramos The importance of having a prison commitment: To me taking a prison commitment is the most important way a person can live a life of service in any recovery program. My sobriety date is July 7, 2002 and since then when referring to the fate we will all meet if we continue on the journey of substance abuse it’s “Jails, institutions and death.” Jail or prison is also an institution so the only other bottom left is death. That’s two out of three fates already met. The last one is death or recidivism, the endless journey in and out of the penal system. Then there is the criminal record which makes almost everything harder for the ex-convict. Especially finding a good paying job. Unless self employment is a real option or the

prisoner knows someone who can provide a wonderful opportunity, their chances are nil. The meetings I take inside prisons are my favorite meetings. The inmates who are serious about changing their lives and getting clean and sober are eager to learn how the program works. Most participants are humble and grateful that we are there and when they share, they speak honestly, from the heart. The serious inmates who have knowingly hit their bottoms have an insatiable desire to be as close to god as possible and want what our recovery programs have to offer. The sincere population knows how bad they messed up and want a different life. The good news is that learning about the 12-Step program while in prison can give an inmate hope for when they are released.

Steering Committee Spotlight: Men’s Prison Commitments

The program can give this population the much-needed tools to handle life better when they are out on the street. It can help them deal with the highs and lows of life that are sure to come to a newly released ex-convict. It has helped us all in that way even without a prison sentence. AA teaches us how to surrender to a God of our understanding, which relieves stress enough for us to move forward. AA teaches us to clean house and look at our faults and character defects so we don’t repeat the same mistakes over and over again. It also teaches us to live a life of service to others. I can’t begin to tell you how this program has helped me deal with life when many times I wanted to give up in many different ways.

The CJI Newsletter would love to share “Higher Power Moments” or as some may call them, “God Moments.” These little glimpses of hope and experience help to connect us all together for a greater purpose, “To find a power greater than ourselves that can restore us to sanity.”

It doesn’t matter how long or short the story, these moments are beyond impactful to all members of Alcoholics Anonymous. To share, please email your story to daniellekocubinski@gmail.com.

Our Higher Powers are Every Where:

Continued on page 4

Sober Anniversaries:

Stacey R. 4/13/15 Matt N. 4/14/15

Jean H. 4/16/1989 Danielle K. 4/27/2015

Paul T. 4/28/2003 Pat P. 5/14/2011 Nat N. 5/21/2012

Janice O. 5/23/1987

April-May 2018

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Getting Active:

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April-May 2018

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The program also indoctrinates an inmate into the workings of a recovery program, going to meetings and fellowshipping with other recovering people. This partly ensures that they will not be so lost when released. They will know where to go and what to do because they have an understanding of how it all works. This is the population that needs our program the most. This population has lived the consequences of their actions when living the life of substance abuse. Those who want to recover will have a higher success rate when AA is a part of their entire sentence. I would even dare to say that the prison population is the future of our recovery program since people are being incarcerated with stiffer sentences for drug and alcohol related offenses. It’s no secret that AA as a whole is shrinking. Less and less is being done by a majority of our members. We are getting older and some of us are passing away. The legacy of unity, recovery and service seems like a thing of the past depending on where you go. A vast majority of us do just enough to be ok. I was one of them for a long time but no more, thank god I have seen the light. Vigilance is a word we seldom here anymore. The prison populations can come into our program and rejuvenate it. Who can share their experiences of what it was like, what happened and what it’s like now, better than an ex-con on the road to recovery. I would dare to say not many and I challenge anyone to try and prove me wrong. It’s my opinion that Alcoholics Anonymous should dedicate a large portion of its resources to carrying the message to an ever-increasing prison population. They are our fellowship in and outside the walls. Most institutions allow only one meeting per week. I also feel that this is ludacris. AA as a whole should lobby politicians and these institutions for more meetings every week, a minimum of three per week. They should also allow volunteers to take inmates through the 12 steps of recovery while incarcerated. Let the change begin on the inside of the inmate on the inside of the facility so a different man or woman comes to us on the outside.

(Prison Commitments Continued)

WAYS TO GET INVOLVED:

Women’s Prison Committee Chair:

The Women’s Correctional Facilities Committee

“concern is the alcoholic behind the walls,” whether

in a long –or short-term institution.”This committee

schedules prison commitments and provides

literature to prisons and other institutions.

Volunteers bring AA meetings to the prisons and

give alcoholics an AA introduction to AA on the

“outside.”

Central Jersey Bookers Chair:

The Bookers Committee is responsible for facilitating the exchange of speaking

commitments. This quarterly event is held on

the first Thursday of March, June, September and

December at 7 pm in the CJI office in Hamilton.

April-May 2018

WR AREN’T A GLUM LOT:

Mixed Nuts 30th Anniversary!

! ! !!

!!

St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church 4620 Nottingham Way, Ham. Sq. NJ 08690

Date: Sunday, April 22, 2018

Time: Food at 6:30pm,

Speaker at 7:30pm

Speaker: Angie P. with 16 years of continuous sobriety from the Casalan Group!!

Thumbs Up Group,

Yardville

Anniversary Lunch

2018

United Presbyterian Church, Yardville, NJ

Monday, May 7, 2018

Please join us for a Lunch at 11:00 a.m. and Speaker @

12:00 p.m.

This year, the Thumbs Up Group, Yardville will have speaker:

Cathy B, 124 Club, with 13 years, who will

share her experience, strength, and hope.

Subs, soda, cake will be served

This is an open meeting, all are welcome!