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OURPRIMARYPURPOSESTORIES, NEWS AND INFORMATION FROM OUR FELLOWSHIP IN THE NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION

Winter of our discontent?

PAGE 4

Ottawa Area Intergroup of Alcoholics Anonymous December 2017

Ottawa Intergroup hours are 10:00 am - 4:00 pm Monday-Friday (subject to volunteer availability). When purchasing literature, chips or medallions, please remember to bring a cheque payable

to "Ottawa Area Intergroup of AA", cash not accepted.

ALKATHON IS COMINGPAGE 16

SAFETY IN THE ROOMS

PAGE 9

December 2017 | Our Primary Purpose | Ottawa, Canada

OTTAWA GENERAL SERVICE DISTRICTS AND COMMITTEESDistrict 54 - Ottawa East (Bartosz W) M [email protected]

District 58 - Ottawa Centre (Michel D) M [email protected]

District 62 - Ottawa West (Mike B) M [email protected]

Cooperation with Professionals (Karl B) M [email protected]

Public Information / Media Contact (Nigel L) M [email protected]

Corrections Facilities and Treatment (Kevin A) M [email protected]

Archives (Bruce C) M [email protected]

LM CONTACTS OTTAWA AREA INTERGROUP

Chair (Jean F) M [email protected]

Vice-Chair (Sandy K) M [email protected]

Secretary (Anne D) M [email protected]

Treasurer (Steve C) M [email protected]

Website and Email (Carolyn O) M [email protected]

Telephone Answering (Mickey R) M [email protected]

Newsletter (Rick B) M [email protected]

Literature (Chris J) M [email protected]

12 Step Coordinator M [email protected]

Fall Conference (Harry B) M [email protected]

OTTAWA INTERGROUP OFFICE211 Bronson Avenue, Suite 108

Ottawa, Ontario, K1R 6H5Open for Literature Sales

Mon - Fri 10:00 am - 4:00 pm(Subject to volunteer availability—

Call in advance)

GENERAL INFORMATIONTelephone: 613.237.6000

10 am - 10 pm, 7 days a weekEmail: [email protected]

NEWSLETTER [email protected]

Article submission deadline is last day of previous month

for following month

INSIDEMH

SERVICE CALENDAR ....................................................... 3SMOTHERING DISCONTENT ........................................4-5SOME THOUGHTS ON CONTENTMENT ....................... 6SEASONS GREETINGS ......................................................7TOGETHER WE CAN ..........................................................7DISTRICT 62 OPEN HOUSE ............................................. 8SAFETY CARD .................................................................... 9ME, MYSELF, AND I ..........................................................10ARCHIVES CORNER .......................................................... 11COFFEE AND COOKIES ................................................... 12BRING A PROFESSIONAL ............................................... 13ALKATHON ................................................................... 15-16

Ottawa Area Intergroup of Alcoholics Anonymous

"Our Primary Purpose" publishes articles that reflect the full diversity of experience and opinion found within the Fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous. In determining content, the editor relies on the principles of the Twelve Traditions. "Our Primary Purpose" values the shared experience of individual AA members working the AA program and applying the principles of the Twelve Steps. Seeking neither to gloss over difficult issues nor to present such issues in a harmful or contentious manner, "Our Primary Purpose" tries to embody the widest possible view of the AA Fellowship.

The editor of "Our Primary Purpose" reserves the right to accept or reject material for publication, based on the AA traditions. (We note that this policy is consistent with that of the AA Grapevine.)

Articles are not intended to be statements of AA policy, nor does publication of any article constitute endorsement by either Alcoholics Anonymous or Ottawa Area Intergroup. Submissions are always welcome.

EDITOR'S STATEMENT

SERVICECALENDAROTTAWA INTEGROUP MONTHLY MEETING ..............................................................................................Second Wednesday (7:00 pm)(Bronson Centre, 211 Bronson Avenue - Mac Hall)

DISTRICT 54 MEETING ................................................................................................................................................ First Thursday (7:30 pm) (Overbrook Community Centre, 33 Quill Street)

DISTRICT 58 MEETING ........................................................................................................................................... Second Monday (7:00 pm)(Bronson Centre, 211 Bronson Avenue - Room 106)

DISTRICT 62 MEETING ........................................................................................................................................... Second Monday (7:30 pm) (All Saints Church, 347 Richmond Road - rear entrance)

CORRECTIONS FACILITIES AND TREATMENT .................................................................................................. Fourth Tuesday (6:30 pm)(Bronson Centre, 211 Bronson Avenue - Intergroup Office)

PUBLIC INFORMATION ...............................................................................................................................................Third Monday (6:30 pm)(Bronson Centre, 211 Bronson Avenue - Room 108)

COOPERATION WITH PROFESSIONALS .................................................................................................................Third Monday (6:30 pm)(Bronson Centre, 211 Bronson Avenue - Room 108)

OTTAWA ARCHIVES ............................................................................................................................................... Third Wednesday (7:00 pm)(Bronson Centre, 211 Bronson Avenue - Room 108)

ALKATHON COMMITTEE .........................................................................................................................................................Sunday (1:00 pm)(Bronson Centre, 211 Bronson Avenue - Intergroup Office) Dec 17

Is your AA Group's meeting information correct on ottawaaa.org? Please send all updates as well as temporary closures to Ottawa Intergroup at [email protected].

If your group needs insurance, please contact Ottawa Intergroup at [email protected] to discuss.

No matter how much sobriety you have, find out how you can help and be a part of the greater whole. All AA members are welcome to attend any of the following committees:


There are many wonderful new things in my life these last few years and one of them is the slow creep of contentment into my daily life. Prior to my journey in recovery, I cannot remember having a sense of wholeness and satisfaction that consistently seemed to come from within. Any feelings resembling contentment were fleeting and typically dependant on fairly shallow, outside factors. Does that girl like me? Are my grades good? How does my bank account look? Am I meeting my, and others, expectations for success in this crazy world? As my 20’s progressed, that lovely “everything is OK” feeling increasingly came from alcohol and drugs. By my late 20’s that’s the only place it really came from.

Overwhelmingly, my most basic needs have been met throughout life. I have lived largely free of violence, abuse, and oppression. I have always had a community of people who cared about me and the ability to connect with them freely (although I increasingly shunned those connections). And my most basic needs for food, rest, and shelter have been unwavering. It seems to

me that these are the minimum requirements to be satisfied with life. In fact, many people seem to be happy as pigs in shit with just these basic things. Unbelievable. I could never understand those people, you may notice them yourself, who sit serenely on park benches, apparently just glad to be alive. I could endure the passing world on public benches only with many drinks in me, and many more in my coat pocket. For me, life was to be tolerated- not embraced.

It seems obvious now, but the lonely descent into addiction and despair could not have been possible if I knew how to cultivate contentment. Our literature describes the alcoholic mind as a state of “irritability, restlessness, and discontent”. It seems that the word discontent easily sums up the broader meaning of irritability and restlessness. Perhaps a level of discontent is a common denominator for all of us.

The neurochemical cocktail and conditions necessary for that mild and lasting sense of happiness is irrelevant to me. I find it helpful to look at contentment, not as concept to be understood, but as an attitude to be lived. In this way, the practice of acceptance is intimately linked to a contented attitude. I have no hope of enjoying a sober life and its fruits without being able to accept my situation and experience as it changes day to day and moment to moment.

SMOTHERING DISCONTENT WITH...AN ATTITUDE?BY MATTHEW S.

Winter solitude-in a world of one colorthe sound of the wind.

-Basho Matsuo


I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps

it says, "Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again."

-Lewis Carroll

I still remember all the details about the day I first did Step 3 with a sponsor, because everything changed that day. I was blanketed with a sense of acceptance (over most things) that immediately rocketed me into something very new. The obsession for alcohol was lifted clear out of my mind as a profound attitude of acceptance paved the way for a newfound contentment with life. How could I want to drink if I was already satisfied and at ease? I firmly believe that with perfect acceptance comes a perfect serenity. Of course I got confident, stopped living the steps, and the urge to drink returned as my ability to accept my experience wavered. Relapses have shown me that the attitudes and principles we find of value in recovery can be unlearned just as easily as they were brought about in the first place.

The modern western world is not exactly an ideal breeding ground for contentment. The search for more and the accumulation of wealth and admiration appears to give short bursts of happiness with serious lulls in between. Egotistical ambition is the antithesis of true contentment. This can make matters difficult because the area between ambition and personal growth can be a very fine line.

I find it difficult to have goals and yet be pleased with my lot in this world. It helps a lot to focus on positive action and intention instead of expectations and outcomes. For instance, if I really want more close friends in my life it might be easier not to focus on what I don’t have but on making positive meaningful connections with those around me. I find plenty of room for contentment with the second perspective.

This program of recovery, the people, and the steps cultivate contentment and provides direction to do so. I have seen it happen in others and I am starting to see it in myself. That’s a hell of a lot better than just white-knuckling a sober life, which I do not seem to be able to do for very long anyways. With a lot of work, it is becoming easier to find joy in the everyday and settle into an appreciation for simple things. Sometimes it feels strange to catch myself content with my daily routines; while doing the dishes, or a drive to work on a Monday morning. I’m not quite there just yet, but maybe one day you will see me settling in on a park bench with a sober smile, just content to exist and enjoy the unfolding of the day.


Some Thoughts on Contentment

When you are discontent, you always want more, more, more. Your desire can never be satisfied. But when you practice contentment, you can say to yourself, 'Oh yes - I already have everything that I really

need.'

-Dalai Lama

True happiness is to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future, not to amuse ourselves with either hopes or fears but to rest satisfied with what we have, which is sufficient, for he that is so wants nothing. The greatest blessings of mankind are within us and within our reach. A wise

man is content with his lot, whatever it may be, without wishing for what he has not.

-Seneca

The setting sun is reflected from the windows of the almshouse as brightly as from the rich man's abode; the snow melts before its door as early in the spring. I do not see but a quiet mind may live as

contentedly there, and have as cheering thoughts, as in a palace.

-Henry David Thoreau

Everything has its wonders, even darkness and silence, and I learn, whatever state I may be in, therein to be content.

-Helen Keller

Nothing was ever in tune. People just blindly grabbed at whatever there was: communism, health foods, zen, surfing, ballet, hypnotism, group encounters, orgies, biking, herbs, Catholicism, weight-lifting, travel, withdrawal, vegetarianism, India, painting, writing, sculpting, composing, conducting,

backpacking, yoga, copulating, gambling, drinking, hanging around, frozen yogurt, Beethoven, Bach, Buddha, Christ, TM, H, carrot juice, suicide, handmade suits, jet travel, New York City, and then it all

evaporated and fell apart. People had to find things to do while waiting to die. I guess it was nice to have a choice.

-Charles Bukowski

May today there be peace within. May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others. May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content

with yourself just the way you are. Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us.

-Saint Terese of Liseaux

Just tell yourself, Duckie, you're really quite lucky.

-Dr. Seuss


As we wind down our first year of our 2 Year Term at District 62 some amazing things have happened. First off, we moved our District Meeting to Westboro as of January of this year and now meet in the gymnasium of All Saints Church at 347 Richmond Road and attendance at our monthly District meeting is fantastic. We started off our first meeting with a pot luck meet and greet with all our Service Committees in attendance followed by our annual General Service Representative (GSR) workshop. There were well over 130 members in attendance and the pot luck was delicious.

On another note, all our Service positions have been filled and our commitments at Newgate 180 and the Ottawa Withdrawal Management Centre are being covered by our West End Groups. Many of our Groups have been requesting Group Inventories over the past few months and just like a 4th Step and a daily 10th Step they feel that looking in the mirror at themselves is a good way to remain on that Spiritual beam and to continue better serving the alcoholic who still suffers.

On June 10th of this year we held Founders Day (Service day) at our District hall. Our Delegate from Area 83 came down to give us her General Service Conference report which was held in N.Y. We had a light lunch of burgers and hot dogs and it was well attended. We have a good group of GSR’s at the table who are willing to go to any lengths to serve. In fact, we sent 2 liaisons to the Canadathon and are sending 2 more for this years Alkathon along with a contribution from District 62.

Coming into our second year we have some exciting plans. On January 8-2018 District 62 would like to invite the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous of Ottawa to attend our 2nd annual Pot-Luck meet and greet and stay for our GSR workshop. This will be an interactive night of Fellowship, fun and learning. All are welcome.

Then on February 12 at 6 pm. Our Public Information/Cooperation with the Professional Community will be holding ‘Bring a Professional Night’ at our District hall before our regular District meeting. More details will be released shortly by the Committee.

We also have plans to have some workshops scattered throughout the year Ie: Traditions, Concepts etc… Please send us your ideas.

All I can say is, that my first year as District Committee member has been an awesome ride so far and I am honored and privileged to serve. The people around me make my job easy for me. Their hard work and dedication to Alcoholics Anonymous is nothing short of outstanding and I thank all of them for their service.

On a personal note, I hung around AA for over 2 decades. I attended my first meeting in 1983. When I moved to Ottawa I took a 10 year self imposed hiatus from the rooms. I couldn’t stay sober for long during that decade and when I did I was miserable. When I finally ran out of plans and ideas I crawled back to AA because there was no other place to go. One man who could see I was suffering suggested I give myself up to the process contained in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous. This process was about recovery from alcoholism, unity with other alcoholics of my type and service to those still suffering from the same disease that was killing me. I had engaged in Step work and had been to hundreds of meetings but when I started actively engaging in all THREE LEGACIES ( Recovery, Unity and Service) of the triangle my life began to change. I was encouraged to get involved in service from day one… it wasn’t an option it was part of the deal!

I encourage you and those around you to find their place in the service structure. Whether you are making coffee or setting up chairs at your home group or chairing a meeting you are carrying the message of Alcoholics Anonymous and that is the only purpose we have. Having received the gift, it is my duty to pass it on to the next person with the same passion, love and humility with which it was given to me. ENTHUSIASM BREEDS ENTHUSIASM!! So grab the new person and tell them to get in the car! Carry the message and be kind to one another along the journey..

On behalf of Ottawa West District District 62 I’d like to wish everyone a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year and I very much look forward to trudging the road with you in 2018. May God bless you and keep you till then.

SEASONS GREETINGS FROM DISTRICT 62BY MIKE B., DISTRICT COMMITTEE MEMBEROTTAWA WEST-DISTRICT 62

The Recent Alcoholics Anonymous pamphlet titled ‘The “God” Word’ is a refreshing example of people living in harmony. Atheists, Agnostics, and believers in God come together and openly share their experience, strength, and hope for one common purpose, to help other alcoholics achieve sobriety.

With all the disharmony, division, and discord that we witness in society at large recovering alcoholics present the best example of people respecting the beliefs of others. Instead of protesting

those whose beliefs may differ from our own, we come together in honest and open self-reflection.

Thus, the narrative that Alcoholics Anonymous is not a religion is verified in meeting rooms (often church halls) where those with different beliefs and understanding learn to live a new way of life.

This new way of living upholds such ideals as authenticity, honesty, and openness not to mention inclusiveness, tolerance, and compassion. Whether it be God, the group, or universal principle, we all come to believe in a power greater than ourselves. Can it be that a better example of harmony can be found in a world filled with strife?

TOGETHER WE CANBY MIKE L.

District 62Open House

January 8, 20186:30 PM

All Saints Church347 Richmond Road

WestboroParking at the rear of the

church on Madison Avenue

Pot LuckMeet & Greet

Please bring a small dish to sharefollowed by Annual General Service

Representative Interactive WorkshopArea 83 Guest Facilitator

All Members are welcome!


SAFETY CARD FOR A.A. GROUPSThe following language has been approved by The New York Office Of Alcoholics Anonymous. Cards with this

language can be purchased from the Intergroup Office. Several groups are reading part or all of this text at every meeting. We urge all groups to discuss the topic of safety at their next business meeting.

Suggested Statement on SafetyOur group endeavors to provide a safe meeting place for all attendees and encourages each person here to contribute to fostering a secure and welcoming environment in which our meetings can take place. As our Traditions remind us, the formation and operation of an A.A. group resides with the group conscience. Therefore, we ask that group members and others refrain from any behavior which might compromise another person’s safety.Also, please take the precautions you feel are necessary to ensure your own personal safety, for example, walking to your car in a group after a meeting. If a situation should arise where someone feels their safety is in jeopardy, or the situation breaches the law, the individuals involved should take appropriate action. Calling the proper authorities does not go against any A.A. Traditions and is recommended when someone may have broken the law or endangered the safety of another person.

Our Common WelfareEach member of Alcoholics Anonymous is but a small part of a great whole. A.A. must continue to live or most of us will surely die. Hence our common welfare comes first. But individual welfare follows close afterward.—Tradition One (Long Form)

It is hoped that our common suffering as alcoholics and our common solution in A.A. will transcend most issues and curtail negative behaviors that could jeopardize the safety of anyone attending an A.A. meeting. Nevertheless, Alcoholics Anonymous is a microcosm of the larger society we exist in. As such, problems found in the outside world can also make their way into the rooms of A.A. For this reason, groups and members discuss the topic of safety — to raise awareness in the Fellowship and to seek through sponsorship, workshops and meetings, to create as safe an environment as possible to carry A.A.’s message of hope and recovery to the still-suffering alcoholic.

GENERAL ANNOUCEMENT

Welcome Home Group temporary closure:

The Welcome Home Group that meets on Tuesday evenings at Bells Corners, United Church, 3955 Old Richmond Rd. will be temporarily closing as of January 1, 2018 as we seek to acquire a new meeting place. We are still in op-eration until the end of December 2017.

When a new meeting place has been acquired, Intergroup and District 62 will be informed.


I can be nice OrI can be mean.

I can be crude AndI can demean.

I can be self-centered AndIn much need of humility.As well as practice morepatience and toleranceto improve my personality.

I’m in much need of gratitudeas well as respect. AndI need to chill out on all the things I expect.

On the other hand:

I can be caring and forgivingto all those who are in need.As well as share the burdens of all those I’ve demeaned.

I try to take the focus offMe, Myself and I. AndSee others more like myselfIn my looking glass mirror: Eye to eye.

ME, MYSELF, AND IBY DANA B.

Photo by Tyler K.


Sunday Night Big Book Study Group History

Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory. -Dr. Seuss

A few years ago we talked at our business meeting about writing up our group’s history for the Archives Committee but then it just seemed to fade away and never was completed. My love for AA history has grown ever since I started visiting places that are important to our history; Akon, Ohio where Dr. Bob lived and worked with Alcoholics, East Dorcet, Vermont where Bill W. grew up and where he and Lois are buried, Stepping Stones where Bill and Lois lived after he got sober and he wrote the Twelve and Twelve. I then had the opportunity to attend a couple of AA History Symposiums in Sedona, Arizona. Just being around other Alcoholics who are writing books and doing research, who love AA history and work hard to preserve and document it had me thinking and asking myself what I could do as well. So here it is; a summary of my group’s history. I hope I inspire you to do the same in your group.

In the spring of 1990, the Sunday Night Big Book Study group

was founded by Marg M., her husband Wes M., Grant H., Larry T. and Walter H. They had all met at the Orleans Hub meeting and one day Marg said she wanted to study the big book and not just talk about it and suggested they start a group. The first meetings were held at Marg and Wes’ house in the basement. From there, Marg and Grant looked into how to become an official AA meeting. By the spring of 1990 they started their first official meeting at the Queenswood Heights Community Centre on Sunday’s at 8:00pm. They were not very organized and at their first meeting in the community centre, when they showed up, no one had a key to open the door, so they met in Grant’s Mustang under the tree out front. But they worked it out and started to have their meeting inside with only about 5 or 6 people in attendance in the beginning. At one of their early business meetings they decided that each person would put in $2 a week to ensure they had enough to pay the rent for the month as $1 was considered the norm at the time.

Somewhere along the line, Grant started to meet with Joe McQ from “Joe and Charlie” who were based in Little Rock, Arkansas. Grant had traveled there to study with them about recovery. From one of Grant’s visits with them, he brought back the ‘green books’ which were being used by Joe as a step guide. The group used the green book guides for about 4 or 5 years. They eventually went back to reading directly from the book and sharing on what was read instead of the guide. Today, there is typically 30 people or more in attendance. The meeting has grown and changed over the years and now has a ‘newcomers’ meeting in another room in the back where newcomers to AA can learn about the what it means to be alcoholic and the nature of the illness from the chapter titled ‘the Dr’s Opinion’ in the big book. The last meeting of the month is an open speaker meeting. After all this time, the group is still reading and discussing the Big Book the same way as in the early days. However, it is deeper and richer because of people who have joined in over the years.

BY THE ARCHIVES COMMITTEE

ARCHIVES

CORNER


Coffee And Cookies For The Holidays

Sponsorship by Ron M.

Photo And Baking By Mickey R.

COOPERATION WITH THE PROFESSIONAL COMMUNITY COMMITTEE

PRESENTS

Monday, February 12, 2018 at 6 p.m.

All-‐Saints Church, 347 Richmond Rd. Members of AA – Bring your doctor, lawyer, accountant, dentist, your co-‐workers, any professional you know who may come into contact with someone who has a problem with alcohol or has been affected by someone’s drinking – To a special meeting aimed simply to educate professionals to what AA is, and what it is not.

Please RSVP [email protected] “Our Twelfth step – carrying the message – is the basic service that the A.A. Fellowship gives; this is our principal aim and the main reason for our existence. Therefore, A.A. is more than a set of principles; it is a society for alcoholics in action. We must carry the message, else we ourselves can wither and those who have not been given the truth may die.”

The A.A. Service Manual “A.A.’s Legacy of Service” p. 51 CPC is supported by Ottawa Districts 54, District 58 and District 62

Ottawa https://ottawaaa.org/about/cpc.php

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS

Information Night

BRING A PROFESSIONAL

mailto:[email protected]

https://ottawaaa.org/about/cpc.php

Twelve Tips on Keeping Your Holiday Season Sober and Joyous

HolidaypartieswithoutliquidspiritsmaystillseemadrearyprospecttonewA.A.s.Butmanyofushaveenjoyedthehappiestholidaysofourlivessober—anideawewouldneverhavedreamedof,wanted,orbelievedpossiblewhendrinking.Herearesometipsforhavinganall-roundballwithoutadropofalcohol.

Line up extra A.A. activities for the hol-iday season. Arrangetotakenewcomerstomeetings,answerthephonesataclub-houseorcentraloffice,speak,helpwithdishes, or visit the alcoholic ward at ahospital.

Be host to A.A. friends, especially new-comers. Ifyoudon’thaveaplacewhereyoucanthrowaformalparty,takeonepersontoadinerandspringforthecof-fee.

Keep your A.A. telephone list with you all the time. Ifadrinkingurgeorpaniccomes—postpone everything else untilyou’vecalledanA.A.

Find out about the special holiday parties, meetings, or other celebrations

givenbygroupsinyourarea,andgo.Ifyou’retimid,takesomeonenewerthanyouare.

Skip any drinking occasion you are nervous about. Rememberhowcleveryou were at excuses when drinking?Nowputthetalenttogooduse.Noof-ficepartyisasimportantassavingyourlife.

If you have to go to a drinking party andcan’t takeanA.A.withyou,keepsomecandyhandy.

Don’t think you have to stay late. Planinadvancean“importantdate”youhavetokeep.

Worship in your own way.

Don’t sit around brooding. Catchupon thosebooks,museums,walks,andletters.

Don’t start now getting worked up about all those holiday temptations. Re-member—“onedayatatime.”

Enjoy the true beauty of holiday love and joy. Maybeyoucannotgivematerialgifts—butthisyear,youcangivelove.

“Having had a . . .”NoneedtospellouttheTwelfthStephere,sinceyoual-readyknowit.

Box459_Winter_2016.indd 10 11/7/16 9:21 AM

ALKATHON: We Need You to Make this Event a Success

The Alkathon provides a safe & sober environment for the new & still suffering alcoholic over Christmas & New Years.

Location: Bronson Centre

Dates & times: December 24 and 25 noon to noon (24 hours)

December 31 and January 1 noon to noon (24 hours)

Join our Committee – Committee Positions Still Available: Upcoming Alkathon Committee meetings are December 3, 10, and 17 at 1:00 pm in the Bronson Centre.

How Can Your Group Help? Host a Meeting: There is Still Time to Sign Up – New Deadline December 15, 2017! Meetings bind us together and share our message of hope! There will be a total of 40 group sponsored AA meetings at this year’s Alkathon – so far only a few groups have volunteered to host a meeting. We need your group’s participation to make this event a success!

If your group would like to chair a meeting, please contact us with (1) the name of your group, (2) the type of meeting (Speaker / Discussion) and (3) the holiday (Christmas or New Year) you would like to be considered for. The lottery will now be held after our December 16th meeting to finalize the schedule. Please email us at [email protected].

Volunteer

What makes the Alkathon amazing is not the venue or the food but the people! Volunteers are part and parcel of what make our annual event a spiritual experience for many people – be a 12-Step volunteer, coffee-maker, clean-up crew, kitchen or serving help, security, or a greeter! So please round up some volunteers at your home group – gather names, email and phone numbers and note the desired volunteer positions. Please email us at [email protected] with your list of volunteers.

Donate Funds Your financial assistance ensures our expenses are covered. All excess funds are dispersed to Intergroup and Districts after the event. Group and individual donations are accepted. Cheques should be made out to Ottawa Area Alkathon and may be mailed to or dropped off at the Intergroup office (c/o Bronson Centre, 211 Bronson Avenue, Room 108, Ottawa, ON K1R 6H5) or you may contact us to make alternate arrangements.

Donate Food We appreciate food donations. If possible, please let us know in advance if you are bringing any big ticket items such as cooked and carved hams & turkeys (not stuffed, no raw items), mashed potatoes, cooked vegetables, salads & sandwiches. Desserts are always welcome! Food may be delivered from 9 am onwards on Christmas & New Years Eve.

Contact Us Visit Alkathon.ottawa.org to use our online form to volunteer or to register your group for the meeting lottery. Alternatively, or to make a donation, contact Kevin M at [email protected] or (613) 831-1081.




Alkathon 2017December 24-25 & December 31-Jan 1

Bronson CentreOttawa, Ontario

An AA event with Al-Anon participation

F romFor food and financial contributions, to volunteer

or to register your group to host a meeting, please visit alkathon.ottawaaa.org or contact

Kevin M [email protected]

or 613-831-1081

G etI t

T heS teps

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