Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1

2

3

4

Ponderosa Group Annual Anniversary Dinner 7:00pm College Park Presbyterian Church, 118 E. Par St., Orlando

5

6

Sober Bowl 4:00pm Fashion Square Mall, 3201 E. Colonial Dr., Orlando

7

8

9

District 18 6:30pm St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church, 2140 W SR 434, Longwood

10

11

12

13

PHGG Valen-tines Dance 9:00pm ODAT Club, 4971 W. Coloni-al Dr., Orlando

14

Jaywalkers Sunday Birth-day Meeting 3:00pm Redeemer Lu-theran Church, 3377 Aloma Ave., Winter Park

15

District 11 7:15pm Made A Beginning Group, 1901 E. Robinson St., Room 17, Orlando

16

17

Service Committee 6:30pm Intergroup Office, 283 Live Oaks Blvd., #6, Casselberry

18

19

20

2nd Annual Florida Ar-chives Work-shop 9:00am Redeemer Lu-theran Church, 3377 Aloma Ave., Winter Park

21

22

23

District 9 6:30pm Crossroads Group, 5205 S. Orange Ave., Suite 204, Orlando

24

25

26

27

28

Delegates Meeting 11:30am Central, 310 E. Colonial Dr., Orlando

29

District 10 6:30pm Winter Park Group, 5407 Lake Howell Rd., Winter Park

February 2016 Intergroup Events Calendar

24 Hour Hotline (407) 260-5408

Intergr uper

AA’s Twelve Steps are principles for personal recovery. The Twelve Traditions ensure the unity of the Fellowship. The Twelve Concepts for World Service provide a group of related principles to help ensure that various elements of AA ’s service struc-ture remain responsive and responsible to those they serve.” Step Two: “Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.” p.25 12&12 Tradition Two: “For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority—a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.” p.562 BB Concept Two: “The General Service Conference of A.A. has become, for nearly every practical purpose, the active voice and the effective conscience of our whole Society in its world affairs.” p.574 BB

Central Florida Intergroup Services, Inc.

283 Live Oaks Boulevard, Building 6

Casselberry, FL 32707

email: cfi@embarqmail.com www.cflintergroup.org

February 2016

Office Hours 9-4 M-F

10-2 Saturday Closed Sunday

P (407) 260-5822 F (407) 260-5604

24 Hour Hotline (407) 260-5408

About the Newsletter The Intergrouper’s primary purpose is to connect alcoholics to local AA resources, specifically to give priority to office news and events, group information, committees served by Intergroup, highlights of the Service Committee minutes and financial statements . The trustees and the editor have the editorial authority over all newsletter content. Submissions for publication in the Intergrouper are encouraged and appreciated. Those submissions selected for publication go through the editing process. Careful consideration of the author’s idea of the work is foremost. Proofreading, reviewing, revising, and organizing content is part of the editing process. Examples of editing that may be required include spelling, punctuation, grammar, clarity and length. Reasonable efforts may be made to contact the author in the event substantial, material changes are necessary. Please email submissions to:

cfi@embarqmail.com

The deadline is the 10th of the month before the month of publication (example: submit by February 10 for March newsletter).

The 12-Step design for living is elementary. Why, then, once having accepted powerlessness, once having the com-pulsion lifted, is it such a challenge to maintain? The answer lies in the foundation of an elementary education.

In our beginning math classes, we learned numbers and addition. Among the first lessons was that 2+2=4. This was easy enough. Then came multiplication and, here, one of our first lessons was that 2x2=4. The students lacking inter-est may believe, in seeing the exact same outcome, that they understand everything. They may smile, nod “yes,” and agree to explanations, only to be sorely humiliated on a test. All at once, the wrinkled brows of parents and teachers discourage these students, leaving them feeling like a “math-invalid.” In truth, the only problem was a simple rush of the basics. This can be swiftly corrected with proper guidance and tools, like flash cards.

Newly sober alcoholics may fall into the trap of believing, after a few days, weeks or months of abstinence, that they are sober. Much like the children who answer the question, “What is 2x2?” correctly, believe they understand the multiplication process entirely, these alcoholics believe they have mastered sobriety.

Humility – turning over one’s own will in exchange for God’s – is not an overnight deal. Our ineptitude in the area of humility is revealed and tested through circumstances, seasons, tragedies and joy, so it requires time to develop hu-mility. We can move through to Steps 4 and 5, not having entire perfection of Step 3. But the 12 Steps, like elemen-tary mathematics, are an aggregation – each one builds on the step before it. We cannot skip a step, nor can we stand still. It is a dynamic process where we apply our new-found humility, to the best of our ability, in Step 4.

When we write our 4th Step, we cannot simply jump to the 5th column and concede that we live in self-centered fear; nor can we jump to the 7th Step and beg God to remove it. This can be equated to those students believing they under-stand addition and multiplication when, in fact, they have command of neither.

We must properly work the 4th Step to “root out” the nature of our character defects. We must see how our fears im-pact our behavior, our choices, and our interaction with others. Like the root of a garden weed, our defects rarely lie directly under the surface of our troubles; they crawl and twist their way to the surface, almost as if to confuse the path of its source. In spite of this, they are firmly gripped below, needing only the triggers of life experience to resur-face and infest the garden, once again. Proper investigation in Step 4 reveals that what seem like our troubles are, in fact, mere distractions, while those issues we denied are so often the source of our misery. A person who properly maintains the garden will take the proper tools and patiently extract the root of a weed, repeating the exercise on an ongoing basis. As tools, the 4th and 10th Steps, thoroughly and consistently done, will maintain one’s sobriety.

For this alcoholic, Joe & Charlie – with their gentle and humorous demeanor, their passionate belief in the program, their Big Book study – is the flash card set, the tool, I needed to understand the process and discover sobriety, and it is the way I will continue to carry this message. I’ll do so because I am so grateful for my sobriety, and I truly believe that, if I can get sober, any person can.

Elementary — Addition is not the same as Multiplication; Abstinence is not the same as Sobriety — Anonymous

I am responsible. When anyone, anywhere reaches out for help, I want the hand of AA always to be there. And for that I am responsible!

Hotline Shift Openings — Call (407) 260-5822

2 7

Central Orlando

Bob D. – 17

Rick H. – 14

Ron L. – 4

Leslie M. – 3

Sara J. – 3 Amy – 2

Clean Air Tom C. – 38 Doris V. – 25 Lou W. – 22 Phil T. – 16 Carrie R. – 9 Don B. – 9 Steve B. – 7 Kristen J. – 6 Tim L. – 6 Kevin D. – 5 Steve J. – 5 Tatia O. – 5 Chrissie G. – 2 George M. – 2 Chris C. – 1 Michael C. – 1 Ron H. – 1 Sean W. – 1

Crossroads Richard R. – 26 Richard H. – 24 Keith G. – 7

Decisions Tom C. – 38 Bert B. – 19 Pilar A. – 9 Armando V. – 8 John A. – 7 Graham D. – 2

The Greenhouse Allen S. – 34 Mary K. – 24 Stephen F. – 5 Laurie C. – 4 Nicole B. – 1

Happy Hour Andy – 5 Mark T. – 1

The Herd Instinct Marcela W. – 13 Robert C. – 2

High Noon Karen R. – 36 Patty H. – 17 Erik F. – 8 Dawn B. – 7 Paul B. – 6 Monique G. – 4 Lee M. – 3 Deborah S. – 2 Timothy K. – 2 Harley S. – 1 Owen W. – 1 Ralph C. – 1

The Home Group Basia H. – 55 years Mary G. – 32 years

Jaywalkers Jason D. – 23 Michael S. – 6 Dan F. – 2

Just Do It Kristen C. – 23 Karen B. – 9

Living Sober Charlie W. – 43 Dave J. – 12 Creighton H. – 9 David H. – 1 Karen C. – 1 Sheila P. – 1

Made a Beginning Alan Z. – 6 Erica P. – 6 Clayton – 2

OMAGOD Mikey J. – 14

Oviedo Group Jack G. – 41 Bert B. – 19 Jim H. – 12 Armando V. – 10 Brandon H. – 6 Patrick M. – 5 Jeff G. – 4 Graham D. – 2 Harry C. – 2 Jennifer L. – 2

Pine Hills Grace Group Ron M. – 27 Martha C. – 23 Andrew S. – 22 Joe J. – 10 Les P. – 9 Robert N. – 9 Mar K. – 7 Ron F. – 7 Michelle L. – 6 Kandice M. – 5 Fonna R. – 4 Noel V. – 4 Juanita. – 3 Matt T. – 3 Brett S. – 2 Elizabeth M. – 2 Michelle V. – 2 Polly D. – 2 Rochelle R. – 2 Samantha O. – 2 Samuel S. – 2 Andre V. – 1

Seagulls Bill G. – 33 Charlie S. – 27

Sober Won Sam – 6

South Sanford Anne K. – 28 Chauncey W. – 27 Chris C. – 6 Paul B. – 6

A Vision for You (Apopka) Mike R. – 24

Winter Park Mike P. – 33 Judi B. – 30 Ray S. – 26 Mimi S. – 24 Scoot L. – 21 Dave R. – 13 Chuck H. – 12 John S. – 12 Seth F. – 12 Armando – 10 Bryan C. – 6 Johnnie S. – 6 Janelle H. – 5 Paula M. – 5 Pete K. – 5 Sarah H. – 5 Sylvia B. – 5 Chaise G. – 4 Lynn L. – 4 Robert R. – 4 Curt S. – 3 Julie – 3 Mike P. – 3 Sara J. – 3 Sharon W. – 3 Lori C. – 2 Rob R. – 1

CONTRIBUTIONS DECEMBER 2015

GROUP CONTRIBUTIONS: Apopka Group (Beginners) $50.00 Apopka Big Book $40.00 Azalea Park $50.00 Clean Air $25.00 Decisions $100.00 Good Orderly Direction $100.00 Growing Through the Grapevine $60.00 Happy Hour $25.00 Lake Nona $20.00 Living Sober $1.15 Longwood Big Book $300.00 Lost Bicycle Group $75.00 Oviedo Women’s $105.74 Pass It On $405.00 Pine Hills Grace $20.00 Princeton $48.00 Sober Won $120.00 The Home Group $100.00 The Hope Group $56.48 Three Legacies $450.00 Winter Park $250.00 Winter Park Men’s $120.00

TOTAL GROUP CONTRIBUTIONS: $2,521.37

INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTIONS: Anonymous/Anniversary $24.00 Anonymous $100.00 Anonymous $4.00 Anonymous $1.00 In Memory of Sheelah R. $500.00 OnLine Birthday Club $32.10

TOTAL INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTIONS: $661.10

TOTAL MONTHLY CONTRIBUTIONS $3,182.47

Intergroup Abbreviated Profit & Loss Statement

January—December 2015

Actual Budget Over/Under

Gross Revenue $103,472 $104,040 ($568)

Cost of Goods Sold $40,563 $42,000 ($1,437)

Gross Profit $62,908 $62,040 $868

Total Expense $75,804 $82,055 ($6,251)

Net Ordinary Income ($12,896) ($20,015) $7,199

Net Fundraising/Activities

$12,272 $10,300 $1,972

Net Income ($623) ($9,715) $9,092

Jaywalkers

Group

5th Annual Campout

Enjoy good food, great speakers, fellowship, and a special Sunday morning

“God as You Understand Him” meeting!

Saturday, March 12 —

Sunday, March 13, 2016 at

Lake Mills Park

Registration: $10 per person, not camping $15 per person, camping (Children 12 and under free)

For more information, please call Central Florida Intergroup

407-260-5822

6 3

History’s Corner, February 2016 — The Origin of Sponsorship — Vic L., Decisions Group/PIO, Winter Springs, FL

H ow did the idea and concept of sponsorship start in Alco-holics Anonymous? You will hear repeatedly in meetings the quote, “The word sponsor does not exist in the first 164

pages of the book Alcoholics Anonymous,” and that is a valid point.

When they published the AA book in 1939, the intent was to write down, in black and

white, the purpose and formal steps the early AA’s performed to obtain sobriety. Up until

1939 the program was strictly a word of mouth set of ideas and principles and, believe me,

many of the original MEMBERS WANTED TO KEEP IT THAT WAY AND NOT WRITE

DOWN OR FORMALIZE THE PROGRAM.

Bill W. and Doctor Bob, though, knew they would not live forever, and if the program

was to survive it had to be written down; to spread the message, the book would need to be

distributed to all corners of America, using mail and traveling AAs who visited other cities

in their work. The Big Book did not come with a sponsor; some early members only had the

book, which they purchased for $3.50, so no reference was made of a “sponsor,” it just did-

n’t exist at that time. But an amazing thing was happening in Cleveland, Ohio, which added

to the written message the concept of each new member being “sponsored,” helped or men-

tored by an already sober member of the fellowship.

In early 1940,when there about 800 to 1,000 recovering alcoholics in the program,

roughly half the membership were from Cleveland, Ohio, as noted in the history book AA

Comes of Age, on pages 20 and 21. “It was soon evident that a scheme of personal sponsor-

ship would have to be devised for the new people. Each prospect was assigned an older AA,

who visited him at his home or in the hospital, instructed him on AA principles, and con-

ducted him to his first meeting.” Because the Cleveland groups instituted sponsorship, and

took great pains to spread the message of recovery to churches, employers, family members,

hospitals, and doctors, AA grew fastest in Cleveland, because Cleveland results were the

best at that time in AA. Sponsors not only helped newcomers through the steps, they some-

times “sponsored” sick AA’s at hospitals, so they could be treated; after all, AA’s were not

good at paying their bills, and sponsors did help financially many times.

The teaching and working of the program also grew out of sponsorship, sponsors

would teach newcomers how to work and use the steps to stay sober. That led to many var-

ied workshops, which in the early days were sometimes referred to as “training sessions.”

The workshop idea is still used, with most AA cities having many and varied workshop ses-

sions. In the city of Orlando itself, AA sponsors many varied subjects at local workshops.

Sponsorship and supporting sponsors remains a vital and important function in to-

day’s AA. I doubt if I would have ever been able to get sober without the loving hand and

support of my sponsor, who showed me the way, showed me the ropes and obstacles to re-

maining sober.

Bill W. proclaimed a simple phase when he worked the steps of recovery, “I KNEW I

WAS A FREE MAN.”

2015 CONTRIBUTIONS

GROUP CONTRIBUTIONS:

6’s & 7’s $192.00

11th Step—God’s Love $404.68

12 to Life $200.00

226 Men’s $267.00

101 Young People $250.00

A Vision for You $100.00

Altamonte Springs Group $229.50

Apopka Group (Beginners) $100.00

Apopka Big Book $500.00

Apopka Monday Night $50.00

Avalon Friends for Life $105.00

Azalea Park $125.00

Back to Basics $100.00

Bill and Bob’s Mob (Founder’s Mob) $358.77

Central Orlando $1,666.80

Clean Air $195.00

College Park Group $200.00

College Park Triangle $293.00

Conway $50.00

Crossroads $1,649.00

Decisions $1,540.88

Dr. Phillips $1,400.00

East Orange $150.00

El Despertar $50.00

Fairbanks $194.00

First Things First $250.00

First Through Twelve $25.00

Fortunate Few $750.00

Friendship $35.00

Geneva Trailblazers $100.00

Good Orderly Direction $221.00

Greenhouse $10.00

Growing Through the Grapevine $125.00

Groupo Esperanza $60.00

H.P. Group $70.00

Happy Hour $175.00

High Noon $1,134.00

It’s In the Book $90.00

Jaywalkers Group $475.00

Just Do It $150.00

Lake Mary Grace $125.00

Lake Nona $45.00

Lake Underhill $25.00

Live Oaks $300.00

Living Sober $65.63

GROUP CONTRIBUTIONS (cont.):

Longwood Big Book $300.00

Lost Bicycle Group $175.00

Made A Beginning $100.00

Maitland Beginners $860.00

New Hope $300.00

New Life—Chuluota $300.00

Oviedo Group $670.00

Oviedo Women’s $902.94

Pass It On $1,240.43

Pathway to Peace $250.00

Pine Hills Grace $220.00

Primary Purpose (Oviedo) $723.93

Princeton $169.00

Seagulls $280.00

Serenity Plus $25.00

SOS $10.00

Sober Won $480.00

South Sanford $270.00

Step 11 Seekers $54.00

Stepping Stones $184.50

Sunset $250.00

The Herd Instinct $242.58

The Home Group $300.00

The Hope Group $1,930.55

Three Legacies $1,105.00

Turning Point $31.00

Upper Room $1,450.00

Wekiva Women’s $580.00

Winter Park $2,814.59

Winter Park Men’s $770.00

Women In Recovery $100.00

Young By the Book $80.00

TOTAL GROUP CONTRIBUTIONS: $31,769.78

INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTIONS:

Anonymous/Anniversaries $542.00

Anonymous $2,035.75

In Memory of Sheelah R. $500.00

Faithful Fivers from Oviedo Group $108.00

OnLine Birthday Club $167.80

TOTAL INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTIONS: $3,353.55

2015 TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS $33,882.90

5 4

Pine Hills Grace Group will be hosting a

Valentines Dance Saturday 2/13/16

Dance begins at 9pm following the 8:00 meeting

DJ/Food & Drinks 4971 W. Colonial Dr. - ODAT Club

Orlando 32808 For more information, please call Central Florida Intergroup 407-260-5822

Meeting Change

Jaywalkers Sunday Birthday

Meeting

Has Moved From

February 7th

To

February 14th

At

3:00PM (This Month Only)

3377 Aloma Avenue

Winter Park, FL 32792 (Redeemer Lutheran Church)

For more information, please call Central Florida Intergroup 407-260-5822

It’s Time to Save the Date . . . The next Southeast Regional Forum will be held:

December 2—4, 2016

Lake Mary Marriott

1501 International Pkwy.

Lake Mary, FL 32746

Area 14 will serve as the local host committee. Join us for a weekend of fun, service, & fellowship.

Service workshops and volunteer opportunities. GSO updating AA.org website in March 2016.

Hotel reservations beginning March 2016.

Host Committee Chair Cecilia R.

Email: serfnfac2016@gmail.com

For more information, please call Central Florida Intergroup 407-260-5822

Central Florida Intergroup Service Committee

Immediate Service Positions Available

ACTIVITIES – Chair

“ACTIVITIES (voting member) • Organize up to four (4) annual INTERGROUP non-fundraising activities

such as round-ups and other social affairs and workshops that are not a part of Public Relations or Group Services

programs.”

PUBLIC RELATIONS – Chair & Co-Chair

“PUBLIC RELATIONS (2) (1 voting member) • Organ-ize local committees on Public Information (P.I.), Coop-eration With the Professional Community (C.P.C.) and Accessibilities in cooperation with district and area P.I., C.P.C. and Accessibilities committees; • Organize a cor-

rectional and treatment facility committee to maintain contact with local groups in correctional facilities and treatment facilities, offering literature and prerelease

A.A. contacts, and arranging for A.A. speakers and visi-tors to meetings. When these services are under the aus-pices of a General Service Committee, assist it through

close cooperation with local hospitals and prisons.”

http://cflintergroup.org/pdf/bylaws2006

(pages 21 – 24) For more information, please call Central Florida Intergroup 407-260-5822

Apopka Big Book December Speakers

Thursdays @ 8 pm

St. Paul’s Lutheran Church 261 S. McGee Ave., Apopka

02/04 Russ P., Central Orlando 02/11 Burt L., Back to Basics 02/18 Keith F., Unity Steps 02/25 John H., Central Orlando

THE “PONDEROSA” GROUP OF AA FOUNDED 2/6/1997

ANNUAL BIRTHDAY DINNER / SPEAKER MEETING

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4th 2016 COLLEGE PARK PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

118 E. PAR ST., ORLANDO (Corner of Par and Formosa)

BRING THE WHOLE FAMILY,

HAVE AN EVENING OUT WITH FRIENDS IN THE FELLOWSHIP

FELLOWSHIP at 6:00PM

DINNER at 7:00PM, SPEAKER “BETH D" at 8:00PM

MAIN ENTREE PROVIDED BY THE HOST GROUP

PLEASE BRING SALADS, DESSERTS, BREADS, CASSEROLE OR VEGETABLE DISHES

2nd Annual Florida

A.A. Archives Workshop Saturday, February 20, 2016, 9AM—5PM

3377 Aloma Avenue

Winter Park, FL 32792 (Redeemer Lutheran Church)

Co-Hosted by Area 14 and Area 15 Archives

Guest Presenters: Gail L. (former Akron Archivist)

and

Vic L. (Orlando Archivist)

Registration Fee

$15.00 per person

For questions, please go to

floridaarchivesworkshop@gmail.com

For more information, please call Central Florida Intergroup 407-260-5822