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"There are two kinds of people: those who say to God, "Thy will be done," and those to whom God says, "All right, then, have it your way."
- C. S. Lewis
"It is a painful thing to look at your own trouble and know that you yourself and no one else has made it."
- Sophocles
"All we need for another meeting is a resentment and a pot of coffee."
- Dr Bob Smith
"The unexamined life is not worth living."
- Socrates
"Acceptance is not submission; it is acknowledgment of the facts of a situation, then deciding what you're going to do about it."
- Kathleen C. Theisen
"The habit of using excuses comes from a habit of rationalization, and an excuse may be defined as 'an attempt to find a reason, where there is none,' in order to avoid FACING THE WHOLE TRUTH."
– Fr John Doe
(Fr Ralph Pfau)
“There are certain things that are fundamental to human fulfillment. The essence of these needs is captured in the phrase 'to live, to love, to learn, to leave a legacy'. The need to live is our physical need for such things as food, clothing, shelter, economical well-being, health. The need to love is our social need to relate to other people, to belong, to love and to be loved. The need to learn is our mental need to develop and to grow. And the need to leave a legacy is our spiritual need to have a sense of meaning, purpose, personal congruence, and contribution”
–Stephen R. Covey
"But for the grace of God, there go I."
- John Bradford
What you do speaks so loudly, I cannot hear what you say."
- Ralph Waldo
Emerson- Ralph Waldo
Emerson
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The Portland Metro Area has MANY meetings scheduled at all hours. These are the places to hear the message of 12-step recovery for a new way of life; the sharing of experience, strength, and hope. THE 12-Step way of life is a spiritual way of life. (There are secular meetings around town for those who are atheists)
It is expected that the condition of anonymity be respected: "What you see here, what you hear here; let it stay here." If you learned something about recovery, use it and repeat it in general terms! — just don't repeat who said it or at what meeting.
Not all groups sign court or treatment center slips (read about court slips).
Meetings are a place to find guidance on how to use & live the steps. Meetings remind us what our problem is, what the solution is, and that 'it still doesn't work out there.' Often one of the first signs of a sober alcoholic's relapse, is no longer attending meetings on a regular basis. It can also also be a sign that they have stopped using the other tools that are keeping them clean and sober.
Check out a few different meetings, listen and watch, get literature (usually available at meetings), get phone numbers, ask for help with the 12 steps (a sponsor/guide) from someone who "walks their talk," buy a textbook, and find a meeting where you hear about recovery--this can be your 'home group'--attend it regularly. (views on sponsorship)
There are no social, religious, economic, racial, ethnic, age, or gender membership restrictions —YOU decide if you are an alcoholic or addict (membership in a 12-Step Program IS NOT the same as being a member of a Home Group). These meetings are fully self-supporting so there are no dues or fees for membership, although members are encouraged to contribute $1 or $2 to help cover the expenses of meetings (rent, coffee, literature, coins).
In specific 12-step program meetings, we use THAT organization's official text and materials [This is another good reason to read the books]. We do this out of respect of history and the traditions, and to avoid confusion. Please do not offer information taught at rehabs and treatment centers. The 'group conscious' is read at the beginning of a meeting and is the format for conducting that meeting. Please follow it if you are asked to lead a meeting.
Speaker meetings start with the customary readings, then one individual talks of their recovery: "what WE used to be like, what happened, and what WE are like now." pg 85, AA Text
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| SP. MEETING NAME |
Program |
WHEN
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WHERE |
| O.B.'s |
AA |
1st Saturday of month
7:30 pm
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2435 NW Front Ave.
Longshoreman's Hall map |
| Westside |
AA |
2nd Sat. of month
8:00 pm
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2785 SW 209 Ave., Aloha
Reedsville Presp. Church |
| Celebration Saturday |
AA |
Every Saturday
8:00 pm
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East County Alano Center
1015 NE Roberts, Gresham map |
| The Circle |
AA |
4th Saturday of month
7:30 pm
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Orenomah Masonic Lodge map
13680 SW Pacific Hwy (99W), Tigard |
| District 25 |
AA |
2nd Saturday of month
7:00 PM
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3930 Dubarko Dr., Sandy map |
| District 12 |
AA |
4th Saturday of month
8:00 pm
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7035 NE Glisan St
12 x 12 Club, Portland |
| NARA |
AA |
3rd Saturday of month
6:00 pm
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1438 SE Division St, Portland
NARA House |
| AA in The Woods |
AA |
1st Sunday of month
9:00 am
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NE 99th and Pacific
Gateway Park and Ride |
| Old Timers |
AA |
last Sunday of month
2:00 pm
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7035 NE Glisan St
12 x 12 Club, Portland |
| Hole in the Wall |
AA |
Last Friday of month
5:30 pm
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17200 SE Stark St
URS Club |
| Reflections |
Al-Anon |
2nd Friday of month
7:30 pm
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OHSU School of Dentistry
611 SW Campus Drive, SW Ptld.
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| West Portland Group |
AA |
Tuesdays, Thursday
7:00 pm
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2374 SW Vermont, Greater Portland Bible Church |
| Thursday Sunset |
AA |
Thursday, 7:00 pm
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11265 SW Cabot,
St. Bart. Episcopal Church |
| Canby Saturday Morning Breakfast |
AA |
last Sat. of month
9:00 am
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Canby Pub & Grill
211 N Grant St map |
| Wayfarer's |
AA |
2nd Sat. of month
7:30 pm
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St. Luke's, 426 E. Fourth Plain Blvd.
Vancouver, WA map |
| Cabana |
AA |
last Thursday of month
8:00 pm
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145th & SE Powell |
| Sellwood Speaker |
AA |
3rd Saturday of month
7:30 pm
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1430 SE Nehalem Street, Ptld. map |
| Estacada Friendship Group |
AA |
Last Friday of month
8:00 PM
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285 N. Broadway St., Estacada map |
| SP. MEETING NAME |
Program |
WHEN
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WHERE |
| Unity |
NA |
2nd Sat. of month
7:00 pm
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1100 NE 28th Place |
Have another one to add? email admin@rc-rc.info |
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| Links to Meeting Schedules |
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"Court Slips" aka "nudge from the judge"
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- Meetings/Groups are not obligated to sign anything for anyone. They decide by Group Conscious whether to sign court-mandated attendance slips.
- Open meetings often do sign slips as a courtesy because, unfortunately, the courts do not inform people that this goes against 12-step traditions. First name ONLY, as these documents can wind up on various desks of people in the justice and social systems.
- People often have a friend sign, or they sign their own slip.
- In accordance with the full version of the 6th tradition, 12-step groups should not be affiliated with ANY outside agency; therefore, 12-step groups are not affiliated with any court system. Groups do not keep attendance records due to the need for maintaining anonymity and even if asked, would not inform if "so-and-so" attended a particular meeting.
- In accordance with traditions, closed AA meetings often do not accept court slips, due to the understanding that the person is not attending voluntarily and is not convinced that they are an alcoholic. .. and to protect the integrity of the fellowship, which comes before helping any paritcular person.
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Anonymity — by Tom P., Jr.
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Speaker-type meetings serve a vital function in AA. When a sober AA member stands up before a group and recaps his drinking history, he forms a healing bond of identity between himself and his alcoholic listeners.
But there is a temptation for speakers — especially gifted ones — to overemphasize the drinking history solely for its entertainment value and to underemphasize the Four Absolutes and the Twelve Steps, the principles which are the All Addicts Anonymous way of life. By the same token, there is a temptation for members of the “audience” to become so fascinated by the speeches of others that they neglect discussion of their own life difficulties and how the recovery principles might help in overcoming them.
Particularly susceptible to these abuses are AA conventions, those super-speaker meetings which have become so popular in the movement in the past fifty years. The AA conventions doubtless have a valid role as affirmers of AA strength and solidarity. But AA convention speakers whose stock-in-trade is exciting or amusing “war stories” rather than helpful talk about the recovery principles can hardly avoid having their personalities steal the limelight from the principles, to their own detriment and that of all their listeners. When this happens the spirit of anonymity is violated and the whole fellowship suffers.
link to '3 Ways to be Anonymous' article at AAA
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Put A.A. 12 Step Speakers, Sponsors, and Counselors To Work! — by Dick B
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“...There are hundreds and hundreds of women and men in the recovery movement who have never studied A.A.’s basic text or learned how to take people through the Twelve Steps in accordance with the instructions. There are far more who haven’t a clue about A.A.’s history and roots, and haven’t any idea where the recovery program got its ideas. And many of these have never opened an A.A. history book, been to an A.A. history conference, or even cared to learn our history. Why? Generally speaking, it’s because they’ve had no resources to work with or with which they cared to work. Sometimes because they just don’t care. . .”
We’re big in A.A. about “love and service.” We even insist that our “leaders” are but trusted servants. And in fact, all speakers, sponsors, and counselors are “but trusted servants.” And what do trusted servants do? I’d like to think they do what they are told! But nobody tells these speakers what to say, nor the “staff” at World Services, nor the editors of the AA Grapevine—at least not you or me. Why? The servants are beyond the reach of the masters, and their instructors are long dead and gone. They are peopled or persuaded by professionals, by universalists, by revisionists, and by timid unbelievers.
The servants dote on pleasing everyone. Thus if they write a piece of literature like a daily reflection, they’d rather get 365 views, one for each day, than to select from the hundreds of pieces of literature which were part and parcel of early A.A.
Read Dick B's letter on his website
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© Rose City Recovery Connections, 2006-2010
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