The Valley View. The Voice of the Valley. Our new address is: 350 Main St. Suite H-3 (2nd floor) Pleasanton / Corner of Main St. & West Angela St.

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1 January 2019 Volume 21, Issue 1 The Valley View The Voice of the Valley Inside This Issue Office Location Grapevine Article Volunteer Positions Intergroup recap 1 2 Calendar 3 Our new address is: 350 Main St. Suite H-3 (2nd floor) Pleasanton / Corner of Main St. & West Angela St. * Closest entrance to office is on Angela St. * Two Parking lots on Angela St. within 1 block * Handicapped access w/elevator Group Contributions Coming Events Fliers Upcoming Events and Save the Date Soul Food I am in a Florida prison, and this morning I woke up with gratitude. I m in the same dorm as my only sponsee, and last night something (which I feel was my Higher Power) told me to cook a big meal for us. So I went through my canteen and grabbed the best food I could. I spent about $8, which isn t much on the streets, but it s half of my weekly budget in here. I had no hesitation about the money. We had a nice meal. Notifications 7 This morning when I woke, I realized the last Promise had materialized for me: Fear of people and economic insecurity will leave us. CNCA & Dist. 70 Corner Monthly Events and VSC Contact Info General Info 8 9 Back Page But here s the best part: Last night, I asked my sponsee to say grace before we ate. As he did, he thanked his Higher Power for AA and for putting me in his life. I held back tears, as I realized he had just thanked his Higher Power that I was a positive influence in his life. God is doing for me what I cannot do for myself, and I owe it all to AA. Justin Gio G. Port St. Lucie, FL Copyright The AA Grapevine, Inc. (Aug. 2018). Reprinted with permission. Valley Service Center Office: hour Hotline: Toll Free 24 hours: info@trivalleyaa.org Website: There are 4 Volunteer positions available at the Valley Service Center: 1st & 2nd Sat. of every month 12:30 2:30 2nd Mon. of every month 5:00 pm 7:30 3rd Wed. of every month 6:00 pm 8:00 Must have 1 year continuous sobriety to volunteer. Please contact the Valley Service Center if interested.

2 PAGE 2 This is the Recap of the Valley Intergroup Service Council meeting held in December. For complete minutes for this month s meeting, please visit the VSC Web Page at INTERGROUP REPRESENTATIVES REPORT (RECAP) MEETING December 3, 2018 WEEKLY ANNOUNCEMENTS 1. Open Intergroup Positions - Please be of service! H&I Liaison, Outreach Chair, Web Master 2. The Valley Service Center office needs one volunteer each 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month from 12-2:30 p.m. and the 4th Saturday of every month from 10:30-12:30 p.m., to hold the office open for current and prospective members. A minimum of one year of sobriety is required. 3. The Valley Service Center is operating at a deficit due to an increase in rent. Please consider increasing your 7th tradition contribution to help. 4. Anniversary Dinner will be held on January 12th at the Shannon Center in Dublin. Tickets and flyers are available at the Valley Service Center. Cost is $20 and drinks are $1 each at the event. MONTHLY and/or One-Time ANNOUNCEMENTS 1. General Service District 70 - Dec. 17th Potluck will be held at the GSR meeting at the church on Redwood Road in Castro Valley. 2. Flyers are now available for Foster City NCCAA conference in March. Important to have 1-2 delegates from each home group to vote on important matters. 3. The Workshop Committee would like to know what kind of workshops you d like to attend. Please provide suggestions to your Intergroup rep or meeting secretary. NOTE: Check our website for fliers, Valley View and other information at Next intergroup meeting is January 7th, 7:30pm at Trinity Lutheran Church, Pleasanton Taking a trip Not taking a trip... A friend of mine says that until he was about a year sober he thought his AA name was Shut up and get in the car! The guys in his area would pick him up and head off to a meeting. There would be the meeting on the way to the meeting, the meeting, and the meeting on the way home from the meeting. He says that he didn t always know where they were headed, but he knew there would be an A.A. meeting and usually a cup of coffee and possibly a piece of pie on the way home. Grab an A.A. newcomer, a friend, a sponsor, or a sponsee (or all of the above) and try a new meeting, a meeting you ve never attended, or one you ve heard about in another area!

3 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 6 7 VISC Intergroup Mtg. Orientation 7:00 pm Meeting 7:30 pm 1 2 H & I Meeting Orientation 7:00 pm 8 Tri-Valley General Membership Mtg. 7:00 pm PI/CPC Mtg. 6:00 pm 3 4 Friday Nite Live B-Day Mtg. 5 Danville Diablo Speaker Mtg. 8:00 pm San Leandro Speaker B-Day Mtg. 8:00 pm Anniversary Dinner Doors open 5:00 pm Dinner at 6:00 pm Saturday Night Live Speaker Mtg. 7:30 pm San Ramon Com. Ctr. B-Day Mtg. Noon VSC Board Mtg. 6:30 pm General Serv. Dist. 70 GSR Sharing 6:45 pm Meeting 7:30 pm 29 Ladies Lifeline B-Day mtg. 6:30 pm Sunol Tuesday B-Day Mtg. 7:30 pm 30 Hilltop B-Day Mtg. 7:30 pm 31 Broken Elevator Group Tradition 1 7:30 pm Sunol Thursday B-Day Mtg. 7:30 pm 26 California Northern Coastal Area 06 Mtg. Petaluma Crossroads Speaker/ B-Day Mtg. 8:00 pm Tri-Valley Speaker/ B-Day Mtg. 8:00 pm PAGE 3

4 PAGE 4 Valley Service Center 6:57 PM Group Contribution Summary 01/02/2019 January through December 2018 Accrual Basis Jan 18 Feb 18 Mar 18 Apr 18 May 18 Jun 18 Jul 18 Aug 18 Sep 18 Oct 18 Nov 18 Dec 18 TOTAL As Bill Sees It Broken Elevator Group By the Book Crossroads Fellowship , Friday Night Live Friendship Group - SR Friday Happy Joyous and Free Hard Knox Group Hilltop Group Jayw alkers Ladies Lifeline , Primary Purpose , Saturday Morning Breakfast , Sunday Morning Coffee - Dublin , The Unscripted Men's Group , , , There is a Solution Women Staying in the Book , Words Of Wisdom TOTAL 2, , , , , , , , Self-supporting through our own contributions The A.A. groups themselves ought to be fully supported by the voluntary contributions of their own members. We think that each group should soon achieve this ideal; that any public solicitation of funds using the name of Alcoholics Anonymous is highly dangerous, whether by groups, clubs, hospitals, or other outside agencies; that acceptance of large gifts from any source, or of contributions carrying any obligation whatever, is unwise. Then too, we view with much concern those A.A. treasuries which continue, beyond prudent reserves, to accumulate funds for no stated A.A. purpose. Experience has often warned us that nothing can so surely destroy our spiritual heritage as futile disputes over property, money, and authority.

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6 PAGE 6 Upcoming Events and Save the Date And we thought life was going to be dull, glum, and boring! Surprise! There are so many events happening in the AA Community in the next few months! 49th Annual Anniversary Dinner & Speaker Meeting Jan. 12, 2019 / Shannon Community Center Dublin CA Doors 5:00 pm / Dinner 6:00 pm This event always sells out / No ticket sales at the door Secretaries Funshop Take Two! Workshop Feb. 2, 2019 / St. Phillip s Church Dublin CA 10:30 am to 12:45 pm Flyers for many of these events can be found in this issue of the Valley View and on the VSC web page at trivalleyaa.org If your group has an upcoming event you would like posted in the Valley View, please send a flier to info@trivalleyaa.org no later than the 15th of the previous month. Flyers can be forwarded to the webmaster for publication on the Valley Service Center web page at anytime. Forward them to webmaster@trivalleyaa.org There s an app for that! New (free) Meeting Guide App Find yourself on the freeway during rush hour and know that you would rather be at a meeting? Traveling and want to find an AA meeting? There s an app for that! In the App Store (ios) or Google Play (Android), type in Meeting Guide Click on the folding chair logo (see image at left), click on Get or Install If information for your group needs to be updated, please contact the Valley Service Ctr.

7 PAGE 7 1st Step Word Search Puzzle D C F S O A B D P K N Q Y S A E E O E S O L O W O S T I S L F L R M T E W L I A I R R E C E R B T P E L T E L G E M N O A D O A R U A I I R F Q S S H T M Y L E I L M C F G I D S O U P E I L G U S U R V Y E E L S S V I N H A S I Z E K T L I Admitted Allergy Compulsion Demoralization Dying Hopelessness Humility Merciless Powerless Suffer Alcoholism Bottom Defeat Dilemma Fatal Humiliation Malady Obsession Progression Unmanageable S X M Y D G R N Z O B M T E S N U D I L E M M A K N O I P M H H H Y D A L A M M Z F M O K N O I S S E S B O J N W D H N X F A T A L M W Q H O U A K K N O I T A Z I L A R O M E D K P R O G R E S S I O N H D J D I am responsible. When anyone, anywhere, reaches out for help, I want the hand of A.A. always to be there. And for that, I am responsible! Available Intergroup Service Positions as of 1/7/19 Outreach Chairperson H & I Liaison Webmaster Contributions have been quite low Valley Service Center relies heavily On groups contributions to keep providing services in our area. Please dig deeper if you can!!

8 PAGE 8 VOLUME 21 ISSUE 1 CNCA & District 70 News Corner ALPHABET SOUP CNCA, PI/CPC, H&I, NCCAA, BTG. does anyone else have a hard time keeping track of all the scrambled letters and acronyms that get thrown around? I mean isn t it enough that we all know what we have in A.A. Of course it does. So what are all these other things? Here s a brief glossary that may help. AA Alcoholics Anonymous: An international organization with the primary purpose of carrying the message of recovery to those who have a desire to stop drinking. Currently there are approximately 2 million members worldwide. (1.4 million members in the U.S. and Canada) General Service Council - Organized initially in 1951, this is the democratic structure of A.A. consisting of Trustees (the Board), Grapevine, and Delegates representing each of the 93 Areas. These folks meet each April in New York to carry the groups consciences and direction on issues affecting Alcoholics Anonymous. C.N.C.A. (06) - California Northern Coastal Area: Area 06 of the 93 Areas in the General Service Conference of A.A. This is your Area and it extends from Monterrey to the Oregon border along the coast of California. There are approximately 60,000 members and 2,000 registered groups in 23 Districts in the Area. District 70 - Southern Alameda County: This is your District. It extends from San Leandro to Fremont and out to Livermore. Just to complicate things, two different Intergroups serve the meetings in District 70, the Tri-Valley Intergroup and the East Bay Intergroup. PI/CPC - Public Information / Cooperation with the Professional Community: Actually these are two entities that operate jointly. Public Information reaches out to the larger community to provide information about what AA does and what it does not do. Examples of served entities would be doctors offices and hospitals, schools, health fairs. Cooperation with the Professional Community reaches out to those who may come in contact with alcoholics in their professional capacity. Examples of these folks are Doctors, Judges, Lawyers and Counsellors. H&I Hospitals and Institutions: A service entity which was originally organized in 1946 when sober AAs in San Quentin, with the blessing of then warden Clinton Duffy, began the work of arranging meetings for people who cannot get out to meetings. NCCAA Northern California Conference of A.A: An organization which began in 1945 after a visit to Northern California by Bill Wilson. NCCAA holds several conferences each year. It is not part of the General Service Structure of Alcoholics Anonymous. TG Bridging the Gap: This committee provides volunteers to assist folks who are incarcerated to get to their first meetings upon release. This is the critical time period for many and having a contact to bridge that gap can make all the difference. Hope this helps to clear up some of the confusing Alphabet Soup! Does your Group or Fellowship have an upcoming event? Send information or flyers to the Valley View Editor at

9 PAGE 9 Monthly Events for the TriValley Area 1st Monday Intergroup Meeting. Orientation for new Intergroup Reps 7:00 pm; Intergroup at 7:30pm, Trinity Lutheran Church, 1225 Hopyard Rd., Pleasanton 1st Wednesday H&I Meeting, Orientation 7:00 pm General Meeting 7:30pm, 111 Fairmont Ave., Oakland 1st Friday Friday Nite Live Birthday Meeting, 7:00 pm, St. Philips Church, 8850 Davona Dr, Dublin 1st Saturday Danville-Diablo Speaker Mtg. 222 W. El Pintado Davnille 8:00 pm 2nd Tuesday Tri Valley General Membership Meeting, 7:00 pm, Tri Valley Fellowship 2nd Saturday San Leandro Speaker/Birthday Meeting, 8:00 pm 3rd Wednesday PI/CPC Meeting 6:00 pm, th Street, Oakland 3rd Saturday Saturday Night Live Speaker Meeting, 7:30 pm Redwood Rd, Castro Valley 4th Saturday California Northern Coastal Area 06 meeting Petaluma 4th Monday General Service District 70 GSR Sharing 6:45 pm, Meeting 7:30 pm Faith Lutheran Church, Castro Valley Last Monday VSC Board Meeting, 6:30 pm Valley Service Center, 6990 Village Parkway, Dublin Last Tuesday Ladies Lifeline Birthday Meeting, 6:30 pm, Trinity Lutheran, 1225 Hopyard, Pleasanton Last Tuesday & Thursday Sunol Birthday Meeting, 7:30 pm, 143 Kilkare Road, Sunol Last Wednesday Hilltop Birthday Meeting, 7:30 pm Lynwood Methodist Church, 4466 Black Ave, Suite C, Pleasanton Last Thursday Broken Elevator Group studies the Tradition of the Month, 7:00 pm, Asbury United Methodist Church, 4743 East Ave., Livermore Last Friday Birthday meeting, San Ramon Community Center, 12 noon, Alcosta Blvd, San Ramon Last Saturday Crossroads Speaker/Birthday Meeting, 8:00 pm Last Saturday Tri Valley Speaker/Birthday Meeting, 8:00 pm Valley Intergroup Contacts Valley Service Center Office Administrator Michele C Info@trivalleyaa.org Intergroup Chairperson Julie B Intergroup Secretary Caroline Y Hotline Chair Felisa C hotline@trivalleyaa.org Outreach Chair Service Position Available PI/CPC Chair Brenda S Special Events Chair Julie C Workshop Chair Sheila Mulligan EBYPAA Liaison Cassie T General Service District 70 Liaison Mark V H&I Liaison Service Position Available NCCAA Liaison Kathy G Bridging the Gap Liaison Dist. 70 Justin V Web Master Service Position Available webmaster@trivalleyaa.org Valley Intergroup Service Council Chair Kevin O Valley Intergroup Service Council Board Darlene B Sue B Michelle K Kathy P Virginia Vickers Julie B Board Secretary Marci M Board Treasurer Don Z Valley View Editor Michele C. / ValleyView@trivalleyaa.org

10 PAGE 10 VOLUME 21 ISSUE 1 Valley Intergroup Service Council meets on the Phone: Hotline: info@valleyservicecenter.org 1st Monday* of the month Orientation for new Intergroup Reps 7:00 pm Monday 5 pm - 7:30PM Wednesday 6 pm - 8 pm Saturday 9 am - 1 pm Intergroup meeting at 7:30 pm Trinity Lutheran Church 1225 Hopyard Road Pleasanton, CA *Check the website for changes in schedule to accommodate holidays, etc. Copies of the Valley View may be downloaded from the Valley Service Center website ( The Valley View is no longer sent out through snail mail. Information or flyers for publication in the Valley View may be ed to the Editor at ValleyView@trivalleyaa.org Participate in the AA-Grapevine s Caption Contest! The AA Grapevine posts a new cartoon each month for members to submit a caption or vote on captions submitted for last month s cartoon. Find this month s contest at Scroll down to the Laugh s on Us Join Us! Need a refresher on the 12 Steps or 12 Traditions? The Broken Elevator Group ( the elevator is broken, please use the steps ) studies the steps of Alcoholics Anonymous one at a time using the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous We re starting at the beginning on the first Thursday of February! (We study the Tradition of the month on the last Thursday of each month) The Broken Elevator Group 4743 East Avenue Livermore 7:00 p.m. (one hour meeting) Bring your Big Book For AA events in nearby communities, visit these web sites: Contra Costa County Service Center East Bay Intergroup San Francisco Central Office Santa Clara County Intergroup Office

11 Valley Service Center 350 Main St. Suite H Pleasanton CA / Place Postage Here The Valley Service Center Hours Are Monday 5:00 pm -7:30 pm Wednesday 6:00 pm -8:00 pm Saturday 10:30 am -2:30 pm Please, Stop By & say Hello Visit ou r web site at : w w w. t r iva lleya a. o r g Would you like to subscribe To a Hard Copy of the Valley View? You can receive your own copy with a suggested yearly donation of just $ To do so, please send request to: VSC, 350 Main St. Suite H, Pleasanton CA Make your check payable to Valley Service Center. Name Address City, State & Zip