Oakland County Alano Club…Newsletter September 2011

5661 Clintonville Road, Clarkston, MI 48348 Phone: (248) 391 8995 email: JudyS1229@aol.com Club Hours: 9am to 11pm Sunday through Thursday

9am to 1am Friday and Saturday

Our Purpose: To provide information on the disease of alcoholism and chemical dependency to our community, to maximize the availability of the club facility for as many hours as practical, and to further to support the recovery of any suffering or recovering alcoholic, and to support the families of afflicted alcoholics.

Officers: President:…………………..Chris Cantley Vice President:………...Judy Schornak Treasurer:…………………………..Mike W Sergeant of Arms:………………...Kirk H

Board of Directors Carrie B, Michael C, Rick H, Stephanie K

Board Meeting 2nd Sunday of the month @ 2pm

General Membership Meeting 2nd Sunday of the month @ 3pm

Room for Rent at the Alano House: --Sober Living-- $90 week, $90 Security Deposit Call Chris @ 248-894-7581

Check out our website! www.ocalanoclub.org Sign the Guestbook! AND Become a fan on FACEBOOK!

CLUB NEWS AND EVENTS:

Labor Day Alkathon MONDAY, Sept. 5th Meetings every hour from 8AM TO 8PM. Bring a Dish/Chair a meeting/Donate Generously!

Come early (i.e. 7:00AM) and do some service work and help set up (especially if you don’t want to!). Or come later and help with clean up.

Karaoke is STILL GROWING!!

SATURDAYS @ 9PM (upstairs) "A friend is someone who knows the song In your heart and can sing it back to you whenever you forget the words."

S A T U R D A Y N I G H T O P E N T A L K S P E A K E R S : Sep 3rd K

Sep 10th M

Sep 17th L

Sep 24th N To sign up for an open talk call: Rush B. @ 248-672-4175

Stinkin’ Thinkin’?

THANK YOU POKER RUN SPONSORS!!

BikerPost.com, Bargain Books, Poor Boy Choppers, ABC Harley Davidson, Big Apple, PR, Pizza Hut,

Deb’s Grill & Coney, Paul’s Auto Clinic, Samantha Rose Photography, Hair Connection, Stir Crazy,

Moonbeam Massage, Lisa Barrie Psychic Reading, H.I.M., Recovery Emporium, Hazelton, Boomers,

H.S.M.M., The Veteran Store, Dunham’s, Hog Snot, Discount Books, AutoZone, Heaven's Saints

Motorcycle Ministry, Hogs In Ministry, AA, NA, Speedy Gas, and Radio Shack.

THANK YOU MEMBERS!!

Charlie and Kirk For the laundry services. Mike W and Rick S for fixing septic tank Gail W, Marilyn M, and Judy S for the Gardening Rick H for power washing the deck Roger B for putting up the outdoor lights, and Staining the Deck/Ramp (and helping with piggy) Scott E for getting the Groceries and counter help Mike O for cooking breakfast

Poker Run Committee: Judy & Rick, Kirk H, Roger B, Paul & Diane, George F, Nichole S, Brian & Glen, Mike O, Tracy W, Jerry K, Marylyn M, Michael C, Steve C from the Heaven Saints, and Paul from Hogs & Ministry. Poker Run Service Work: , Judy & Rick, Kirk H, Roger B, Paul & Diane, Nichole S, Brian & Glen, Mike O, Tracy W, Jerry K, Marylyn M, Michael C, Steven from the Heaven Saints, and Hogs & Ministry. Donations (for purchasing the Pig): Jim Mc, Roger b, Chris Ca, Paul R, Jerry K, Kirk H, Charlie B, Mike O, Glen C, Jim K, George F Individual food donations or personally made side dishes: Stephanie K, Paul & Diane, Rick & Judy, George F. Individual Sponsors: PR, JK, SK Prizes Committee: Paul R, Rick & Judy, Stephanie K, Chuck I, Jerry K

CONGRADULATIONS:

Poker Run winner!! (With 3 Aces): Terry R. from Cincinnati 50/50 Winner was Jerry K And everyone won at the RAFFLE!

September 2011 Oakland County Alano Club…Newsletter Page 2

AA HOT LINES: 248- 332-3521 877-337-0611

OCAC AA groups Steering Committee Meeting

in OCAC AA room 6:15pm, 2nd Tuesday of the month

AA District 19 Meeting: In OCAC AA room

1pm, 1st Saturday of the month District 19 Committee Member:

Sharon J. District 19 GSR:

Randy T. District 19 Email address:

district19dcm@aa-semi.org

Intergroup Meeting: @ The Oakland County Central Office

2nd Tuesday of every EVEN month @ 7pm AA of Oakland County 168 University Drive

P.O. Box 430809 Pontiac, MI 48342

Office: 1-248-332-3521 Literature Room: 1-248-332-6116 Local AA Hotline: 248- 332-3521

Monthly Area 33 MeetingLocation:

Colony Hall, 21780 Evergreen Southfield, MI 48075

Area 33-Online Meeting Directory: www.aa-semi.org/directory/meetings.html

Online Big Book Study Guide: www.bbstudyguide.org

Upcoming Recovery Events

AA 24th Tri-County Conference “Nothing Changes if Nothing Changes

Friday Sept 30th

– Sunday Oct 2nd

At: The Met Hotel in Troy, MI

FLYERS AT CLUB

NA 26th Annual Dinner/Dance “Nothing Changes if Nothing Changes

Saturday Sept 10th

6PM-Midnight

At: The American Legion Post 63 8074 Ortonville rd., in Clarkston (There will be a Guest Speaker)

FLYERS AT CLUB

AA 6th Annual Golf Outing Sunday Sept 18

th 9AM

At: The Timberwood Golf Club 23700 31 mile Rd.

(There will be an open talk after) FLYERS AT CLUB

AA Woman’s Conference “Came to Believe”

Oct 14th

– 16th

At the McGuire’s Resort in Cadillac, MI

FLYERS AT CLUB

AA- Al-Anon 7th Annual Girl Talk “Two Pearls – One Oyster”

Jan 27th

– 29th

, 2012 Colombiere Conference Center, Clarkston

WWW.GIRLTALKMICHIGAN.ORG FLYERS AT CLUB

NA HOT LINE: 248-543-7200 877-338-1188

Michigan Service Office 248-544-2010 726 Livernois

Ferndale, MI 48220 Tues-Thur 10AM-6PM

Sat 10AM-4PM

NA Metro Detroit Activities information line: 313-638-4990

DACNA XIX Planning Committee Meets at 11:00 a.m.

on the 3rd Saturday of the month @ Hyatt Regency Hotel 600 Town Center Drive

Dearborn, MI

Local NA Web address: www.michigan-na.org/oakland

"The bad news: there is no key to the universe. The good news: it was never locked." - Swami Beyondananda

IMPORTANT NEWS: Regretfully, Our Club President Chris Cantley has resigned as an officer for the Oakland County Alano Club. We’re so sorry he’s leaving and he will truly be missed. Thank you Chris for all that you’ve done for the club and for all the lives you have touched helping others with their sobriety as well.

Thank you for the Club Improvements you’ve personally made. Thank you for the lawn mowing and the snow removal. Thank you for coaching the softball team. Thanks for fixing things, and taking care of basement floods and clogged toilets and helping to insure the safety of our facility. Thank you for your devoted and endless service to this club. You have been a tremendous president, member, leader, worker and inspiration who is truly is a great example for us all. Keep on smiling.

September 2011 Oakland County Alano Club…Newsletter Page 3

STEP 9 (We) Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

TRADITION 9 A.A., as such, ought never be organized; but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.

Questions for discussion about Tradition 9 (From a series of articles on the Twelve Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous published in the AA Grapevine from November 1969 to September 1971)

1. Do I still try to boss things in AA? 2. Do I resist formal aspects of AA because I fear them

as authoritative? 3. Am I mature enough to understand and use all

elements of the AA program – even if no one makes me do so – with a sense of personal responsibility?

4. Do I exercise patience and humility in any AA job I take?

5. Am I aware of all those to whom I am responsible in any AA job?

6. Have I learned to step out of an AA job gracefully – and profit thereby – when the time comes?

AMENDS

- Something done or paid in expiation of a wrong; "how can I make amends" - the act of atoning for wrongdoing SYN: reparation, atonement, expiation, propitiation

- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 83 After we have made a list of people we have harmed, have reflected carefully upon each instance, and have tried to possess ourselves of the right attitude in which to proceed, we will see that the making of direct amends divides those we should approach into several classes. There will be those who ought to be dealt with just as soon as we become reasonably confident that we can maintain our sobriety. There will be those to whom we can make only partial restitution, lest complete disclosures do them or others more harm than good. There will be other cases where action ought to be deferred, and still others in which by the very nature of the situation we shall never be able to make direct personal contact at all.

- Narcotics Anonymous Basic Text, chapter 4, step 9 ...In some old relationships, an unresolved conflict may still exist. We do our part to resolve old conflicts by making our amends. We want to step away from further antagonisms and ongoing resentments. In many instances we can only go to the person and humbly ask for understanding of past wrongs. Sometimes this will be a joyous occasion when some old friend or relative proves very willing to let go of their bitterness. To go to someone who is hurting from the burn of our misdeeds can be dangerous. Indirect amends may be necessary where direct ones would be unsafe or endanger other people. We can only make our amends to the best of our ability. We try to remember that when we make amends, we are doing it for ourselves. Instead of feeling guilty and remorseful, we feel relieved about our past.

- A Hunger for Healing, by Keith Miller, p. 148 Doing Step Nine correctly also takes courage, prudence, good judgment, and a careful sense of timing. If you are just coming into the Twelve Steps as you read this, remember that you're not ready to do Step Nine yet. You've got eight steps to walk through first. By the time you get to this point you may be amazed at the way you have become ready to trust God and do Step Nine....

Available at the Counter

September 2011 Oakland County Alano Club…Newsletter Page 4

Last month the end of the story below was

mistakenly cut off….so here it is again with

the most important part (the ending)!!

A man in a hot air balloon realized he was lost. He

saw a person on the ground and yelled down to him, “Can you help me? I don’t know where I am.” The man replied, “Sure, I’ll help you. You are in a hot air balloon hovering 30 feet above the ground...between 40 and 41 degrees North latitude and between 59 & 60 degrees West longitude.” “Wow, you must be an AA sponsor”, said the man in the balloon. “I am”, said the man, “but what gave me away?” “Well”, answered the balloonist, “everything you told me is technically right but I am still lost. Frankly you’re not much help at all and you might even have delayed my trip.” “You must be an AA sponsee”, replied the man. The man in the balloon was amazed and said, “I am, but how did you know?” The man on the ground said, “Well, you don’t know where you are or where you’re going. You have risen to where you are due to a lot of hot air. You are expecting other people to solve your problems and the fact is that you are in exactly the same position you were in before we met, but, somehow now IT’S MY FAULT” !

"I prayed for change, so I changed my mind. I prayed for guidance and learned to trust myself. I prayed for happiness and realized I am not my ego. I prayed for peace and learned to accept others unconditionally. I prayed for abundance and realized my doubt kept it out. I prayed for wealth and realized it is my health. I prayed for a miracle and realized I am the miracle. I prayed for a soul mate and realized I am the One. I prayed for love and realized it's always knocking, but I have to allow it in." - Jackson Kiddard, polymath and author.

In the Spotlight This month:

Stephanie K. …

Stephanie has been involved at the O.C.A.C. for several years. She continues to “give back” to the AA community every week by volunteering her time and service with an 8 hour shift on Friday’s at the counter (although she now gets 2 weeks of vacation time a year).

She brings energy and joy to this club with her laughter, smiles, stories, support, and sometimes even a hug!

Stephanie has help from Tony, her boyfriend, who helps keep things running smoothly and also helps others with his kindness and skills.

THANK YOU STEPHANIE

Available at the Counter

September 2011 Oakland County Alano Club…Newsletter Page 5

Word Scramble (Subject: 9th step)

pntetinsh ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ two words

endsma ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

slginwinsel ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

aogzopeil ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

mtakeirhg ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ two words

erdamh ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

lsti ___ ___ ___ ___

drscmeiatdne ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ two words

Deep Thoughts…… By Jack Handey

Better not take a dog on the space shuttle, because if he sticks his head out when you're coming home, his face might burn up.

We’ll love you until you learn to

love yourself

September 2011 Oakland County Alano Club…Newsletter Page 6

Below is a letter of Bill Wilson’s that he wrote to a close friend who also had troubles with depression. The letter appeared in the "Grapevine" January, 1953:

EMOTIONAL SOBRIETY "I think that many oldsters who have put our AA "booze cure" to severe but successful tests still find they often lack emotional sobriety. Perhaps they will be the spearhead for the next major development in AA, the development of much more real maturity and balance (which is to say, humility) in our relations with our selves, with our fellows, and with God. Those adolescent urges that so many of us have for top approval, perfect security, and perfect romance, urges quite appropriate to age seventeen, prove to be an impossible way of life when we are at age forty-seven and fifty-seven.

Since AA began, I´ve taken immense wallops in all these areas because of my failure to grow up emotionally and spiritually. My God, how painful it is to keep demanding the impossible, and how very painful to discover, finally, that all along we have had the cart before the horse. Then comes the final agony of seeing how awfully wrong we have been, but still finding ourselves unable to get off the emotional merry-go-round.

How to translate a right mental conviction into a right emotional result, and so into easy, happy and good living? Well, that´s not only the neurotic´s problem, it´s the problem of life itself for all of us who have got to the point of real willingness to hew to right principles in all of our affairs.

Even then, as we hew away, peace and joy may still elude us. That´s the place so many of us AA oldsters have come to. And it´s a hell of a spot, literally. How shall our unconscious, from which so many of our fears, compulsions and phony aspirations still stream, be brought into line with what we actually believe, know and want! How to convince our dumb, raging and hidden ‘Mr. Hyde' becomes our main task.

I´ve recently come to believe that this can be achieved. I believe so because I begin to see many benighted ones, folks like you and me, commencing to get results. Last autumn, depression, having no really rational cause at all, almost took me to the cleaners. I began to be scared that I was in for another long chronic spell. Considering the grief I´ve had with depressions, it wasn´t a bright prospect. I kept asking myself "Why can´t the twelve steps work to release depression?" By the hour, I stared at the St. Francis Prayer ... "it´s better to comfort than to be comforted." Here was the formula, all right, but why didn´t it work?

Suddenly, I realized what the matter was. My basic flaw had always been dependence, almost absolute dependence, on people or circumstances to supply me with prestige, security, and the like. Failing to get these things according to my perfectionist dreams and specifications, I had fought for them. And when defeat came, so did my depression.

There wasn´t a chance of making the outgoing love of St. Francis a workable and joyous way of life until these fatal and almost absolute dependencies were cut away.

Because I had over the years undergone a little spiritual development, the absolute quality of these frightful dependencies had never before been so starkly revealed. Reinforced by what grace I could secure in prayer, I found I had to exert every ounce of will and action to cut off these faulty emotional dependencies upon people, upon AA, indeed upon any act of circumstance whatsoever.

Then only could I be free to love as Francis did. Emotional and instinctual satisfactions, I saw, were really the extra dividends of having love, offering love, and expressing love appropriate to each relation of life.

Plainly, I could not avail myself to God´s love until I was able to offer it back to Him by loving others as He would have me. And I couldn´t possibly do that so long as I was victimized by false dependencies.

For my dependence meant demand, a demand for the possession and control of the people and the conditions surrounding me. While those words "absolute dependence" may look like a gimmick, they were the ones that helped to trigger my release into my present degree of stability and quietness of mind, qualities which I am now trying to consolidate by offering love to others regardless of the return to me.

This seems to be the primary healing circuit: an outgoing love of God´s creation and His people, by means of which we avail ourselves of His love for us. It is most clear that the real current can´t flow until our paralyzing dependencies are broken, and broken at depth. Only then can we possibly have a glimmer of what adult love really is.

If we examine every disturbance we have, great or small, we will find at the root of it some unhealthy dependence and its consequent demand. Let us, with God´s help, continually surrender these hobbling demands. Then we can be set free to live and love: we may then be able to gain emotional sobriety.

Of course, I haven´t offered you a really new idea --- only a gimmick that has started to unhook several of my own hexes´ at depth. Nowadays, my brain no longer races compulsively in elation, grandiosity or depression. I have been given a quiet place in bright sunshine."

Bill

September 2011 Oakland County Alano Club…Newsletter Page 7

{GROOVEY} THINGS HEARD AT MEETINGS!!!

Meeting makers make it

More will be revealed

When in doubt take the cotton out of your ears and put it in your mouth

Nothing changes if nothing changes

Just for today

You are a member when you say you are so act like it

If you don’t find recovery at a meeting chances are you didn’t bring it with you

If you do what you always did you will get what you always got

First things first

Let go let God

HALTS-Hungry Angry Lonely Tired or Serious

Do you want to be right or do you want to be happy

Happiness comes from the inside not the outside

A day at a time a minute at a time or a second at a time

EGO stands for Easing God out

My spirituality shows in my attitude …always

Principles before personalities

Reality is a power greater than ourselves

Show an attitude of gratitude

Share your experience, strength and hope

What comes around goes around

Procrastination is fear in five syllables

Move your feet first…the feelings will follow

Don’t worry about tomorrow…God is already there

If God brings you to it…he will bring you thru it

I’m a very persuasive person, I can persuade myself of anything

Keep your hands in your pants and give the newcomer a chance.

The fear of feeling the pain is worse than the pain itself.

Depression is anger turned inward

Are you around recovery or in recovery

Fear =frustration, ego anxiety and resentment

N.U.T.S…not using the steps

There’s still a monkey on my back…Lack of step work wakes him up.

I’d rather be a resentment than to have one.

If we don’t change…our clean date will.

To get out of a problem we must spiritually grow thru it

The choices you make today will directly affect tomorrow.

Faith is fear turned inside out.

God is in control…your projector is broken.

When the student is ready the teacher will appear.

Don’t let anyone walk in your head wearing dirty shoes.

Fake it till you make it.

Act as if…

Switching from obsession to compulsion is like changing seats on the Titanic.

You don’t have a problem…you just haven’t found a solution you like…

Are you pole vaulting over mouse turds…

Until the pain becomes extreme…change won’t happen…

Resentments are like pissing your pants…they affect us more than others…

Don’t tease your disease with people places things and situations.

You spot it...You got it…

Anger is fear in a party dress.

September 2011 Oakland County Alano Club…Newsletter Page 8

Oakland County Alano Club

Is now registered with

Kroger Community Rewards

Go to www.krogercommunityrewards.com

AND register your KrogerPlus card

Sign up for a Kroger Rewards Account by entering your zip code, clicking on

favorite store, entering your email address and create a password.

After account verification through email, log in to MYACCOUNT, Click Edit Kroger

Community Rewards and input your Kroger Plus Card number.

Enter the NPO number of Oakland County Alano Club 83286

Purchases will count

AFTER your KrogerPlus card is registered.

Please do so today

As this brings donations to our club!

Become a NEW member!! Or existing members renew your dues, 1 year $70 (or $7 per month)

Or to simply make a donation to the O.C.A.C.!! Name: ___________________________________________ Address: ___________________________________________ City, State, Zip: ___________________________________________ Phone: ___________________________________________ Email Address: ___________________________________________ Amount Enclosed ___________________________________________ Check the box that applies: ______Membership ______Donation

Pay in person or

Mail check to:

Oakland County Alano Club 5661 Clintonville Rd. Clarkston, MI 48348

September 2011 Oakland County Alano Club…Newsletter Page 9

O . C . A . C . M e e t i n g s Monday 6:30 am AA Meeting 8:00 am AA Meeting 9:30 am AA Meeting 11:00 am AA Meeting 5:00 pm AA Meeting 7:00 pm — NA Meeting (Basement) 8:00 pm AA Meeting

Tuesday 8:00 am AA Meeting 9:30 am AA Big Book Study 11:00 am AA Meeting 5:00 pm AA Meeting 8:00 pm AA Meeting

Wednesday 8:00 am AA Meeting 9:30 am AA Meeting 11:00 am AA Meeting 5:00 pm AA Meeting 8:00 pm AA Meeting

Thursday 8:00 am AA Meeting 9:30 am AA Meeting 11:00 am AA Meeting 5:00 pm AA Meeting 7:00 pm — NA Meeting (Basement) 8:00 pm AA Meeting

Friday 8:00 am AA Meeting 9:30 am AA Big Book Study 11:00 am AA Meeting 5:00 pm AA Meeting 7:00 pm — NA Meeting (Basement) 8:00 pm AA Meeting

Saturday 8:00 am AA Meeting 9:30 am AA Big Book Study 11:00 am AA Meeting 7:30 pm AA Open Talk

Sunday 8:00 am AA Meeting 9:30 am AA Big Book Study (NEW) 11:00 am AA Meeting 5:00 pm AA Big Book Study 8:00 pm AA Meeting

AA Open Talk

At the club every Saturday

7:30 pm To sign up for an open talk

call: Rush B. @ 248-672-4175

AA-Online Meeting Directory http://www.aa-semi.org/directory/meetings.html

NA Online Meeting Directory: http://www.michigan-na.org/oakland/index.htm

To carry a grudge is like being stung to death by one bee.

He who cannot forgive breaks the " bridge over which he

himself must pass.

September 2011 Oakland County Alano Club…Newsletter Page

10

5661 Clintonville Road Clarkston, Michigan 48348

Always be the first to forgive;

and forgive yourself first

Always"