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Tradition Eight • “Alcoholics Anonymous should remain forever nonprofessional, but our service centers may employ special workers.”

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, page 166

ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS “To thine own self be true”

NAME YEARS SOBRIETY DATE CELEBRATING WHERE WHEN

Kurt C 32 07/27/87 08/08/19 As Bill Sees It • Buckingham Pres., Berlin 8 pm

Marilyn W 6 08/25/13 08/26/19 Not a Glum Lot • All Hallows Epis., Snow Hill 7:30 pm

Pat R 6 09/01/13 09/06/19 Happy, Joyous and Free • CCOP 10 am

Please submit all anniversary information to Carla H at ocmdaa.news@gmail.com by the 28th of the preceding month of the anniversary. Include your name, sobriety date, celebration date, where and when. The newsletter is printed on the first Tuesday of every month, so if your sobriety date falls early in the month, we may put your announcement in the prior month’s newsletter. Thanks!

Step Eight • “Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.”

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, page 77

Eighth Step Prayer • "God, Please remove my fears and show me your truth. Show me all the harms I have caused with my behavior and help me be willing to make amends to one and all. Help me to be willing to go to any lengths for victory over alcohol."

Alcoholics Anonymous, page 76

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News and EventsDistrict 32 and the Ocean City Area Fellowship Intergroup meet every first Tuesday of the month at the Atlantic Club, 11827 Ocean Gateway, Ocean City, MD 21843 (Route 50 Westbound).Next meeting is September 3rdDistrict Reps 5:30 pm Intergroup Reps 6:00 pm

Participation in Service Work • There are many ways to participate in service work in your AA community. Answering services, Correctional Facilities visits, and volunteering at Workshops and Events are just a few. Please speak to your Intergroup Rep before or after a meeting to learn more. We are grateful for your participation in helping to carry the message of AA!

Would you consider Hosting a Workshop? • The Area 29 Workshop Committee’s purpose is to assist local groups, districts, and inter groups who wish to present workshops on various topics related to AA. Contact workshop@marylandaa.org with questions.

AA Books • Literature is available for purchase online at www.aa.org and at the Atlantic Club. See someone at the front desk for assistance.

Website • Visit Ocean City Fellowship Intergroup of AA’s website at www.ocaa.org.

Grapevine • Founded in 1944, the AA Grapevine® is the monthly, international journal of Alcoholics Anonymous in print, digital and audio. Often referred to as our “meeting in print,” A.A. Grapevine communicates the experience, strength, and hope of its contributors and reflects a broad geographic spectrum of current A.A. experience with recovery, unity, and service. For more information, visit www.e-aa.org.

Help Wanted

Participation by Intergroup Representatives in monthly meetings. The average attendance at our monthly meetings has been 7-10. There are 24 meeting groups in District 32. If you have volunteered to be an Intergroup Rep, please resolve to attend meetings in 2019 to help keep the traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous strong.

Bridging the Gap Committee Chair • This committee helps people just being released from jail get into recovery. If interested, please attend an Intergroup meeting for more information.

THE JOURNEY AT THE BEACH

OCAA Phone Schedule 410-600-5219Dawn is the chair of the OCAA phone committee.

August - Positive Attitude September - Happy Risers October - Action Group November - Fresh Air

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THE JOURNEY AT THE BEACHSybil C., One of First Women To Find Sobriety in A.A.Sybil C. got sober in A.A. in March 1941, and is thought to be the first female member of the Fellowship west of theMississippi. Her introduction to A.A. came on a day when she was coming off of a drunk and spotted a sign for “Sultan Turkish Baths.” As she remembers it, “I decided I could sweat it out there and get myself in shape, but I thought I’d better have something to read. So I stopped at the newsstand and bought a Saturday Evening Post—five cents. It was dated March 1, 1941, and on the cover it said, ‘Alcoholics Anonymous, by Jack Alexander’.” After reading the article, she says: “even though I was just too sick to think, I knew there was hope.” That key article in the history of A.A. included contact information for the new Fellowship. Sybil then “wrote a rather pitiful letter to New York. I said,‘I am a desperate alcoholic and I’ll take the next plane back there and take your cure.’” Her letter was answered a few days later by Ruth Hock, Bill W.’s secretary, who assured her that a trip to New York wasn’t necessary. Sybil, who was living in Los Angeles at the time, was directed by Ruth to the one A.A. meeting in the city. When she arrived at the meeting place a few minutes before the starting time she found about a dozen men and a couple of women seated around a table. One of the men got up to announce the beginning of the meeting, and noted that it was time for the women to leave. “I later found out they were the wives, who were quite used to leaving the meeting and waiting in the lobby. But I thought this had been cooked up to throw me out” says Sybil. Angry, she went out and got drunk. But Ruth Hock had written, “if you need help, call Cliff W.,” who was a member of the group. When Sybil called him, he explained to her that the group members did not mean to exclude her from the meeting. “You didn’t tell us you were an alcoholic,” he said.She went to that next meeting and at the conclusion of it group members turned their attention to a stack of letters seeking information about A.A. that had been prompted by the Jack Alexander article. After dividing up the letters among various members, the man taking charge of the operation turned to Sybil and said: “I’ve been saving this stack for the last because we now have a woman alcoholic.

Her name is Sybil. Come up here, Sybil. I’m putting you in charge of all the women.” Her job then was to drive around and knock on the doors of the women who had written to A.A. “Some of the letters were from landladies who wanted the guy upstairs not to make so much noise on a Saturday night, and sometimes it turned out the wife had written in for a husband who was an alcoholic. And some of them were from women who wanted help,” said Sybil. A few of those she visited that week became members. “The meeting grew—and I mean it mushroomed.”When Bill and Lois made their first visit to Los Angeles in 1943, Sybil was one of the delegation of local A.A.s who met them. She also later met Marty M., the first woman to achieve lasting sobriety in A.A. Her brother, Tex, joined the week after she did. He started the second A.A. group in the

area, and appointed Sybil coffeemaker and greeter. It was also where she gave her first qualification. When Tex died in 1952, she wrote to Bill W. to tell him of her grief.

A Letter From Bill W.

In his response he wrote: “Thanks for your letter of October 21st - it was just about the most stirring thing I have read in many a day. The real test of our way of life is how it works when the chips are down. Though I’ve sometimes seen A.A.s make rather a mess of living, I’ve never seen a sober one make a

bad job of dying. “But the account you give me of Tex’s last days is something I shall treasure always. I hope I can do half as well when my time comes. ... “As for you, my dear, there is no need to give you advice. ...This is but a long day in school. Some of the lessons are hard and others are easy. I know you will keep on learning and passing what you learned. ...”Sybil became the executive secretary of the Los Angeles Central office of A.A., a position she held for 12 years. She was honored at the International A.A. Convention in Montreal in 1985, when she was then the longest-sober woman in A.A. She told the story of A.A.’s beginning in Los Angeles, and when she finished, the audience gave her a standing ovation which continued so long some thought it would never stop. Sybil died in 1988, having been sober in A.A. for 47 years.https://www.aa.org/newsletters/en_US/f-151_markings_fall08.pdf

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OCEAN CITY AREA FELLOWSHIP INTERGROUPOCEAN CITY AREA FELLOWSHIP INTERGROUPOCEAN CITY AREA FELLOWSHIP INTERGROUPOCEAN CITY AREA FELLOWSHIP INTERGROUPOCEAN CITY AREA FELLOWSHIP INTERGROUPOCEAN CITY AREA FELLOWSHIP INTERGROUPOCEAN CITY AREA FELLOWSHIP INTERGROUPOCEAN CITY AREA FELLOWSHIP INTERGROUPCHAIR – Tom M CHAIR – Tom M ALT CHAIR – Dave HALT CHAIR – Dave H SECRETARY – Allison KSECRETARY – Allison K TREASURER – Bradley STREASURER – Bradley SGROUP INTERGROUP REPINTERGROUP REP LOCATIONLOCATION ADDRESSADDRESS DAY & TIME

Action Group Bradley SBradley SHoly Savior Catholic ChurchHoly Savior Catholic Church

17th & PhiladelphiaOcean City17th & PhiladelphiaOcean City

Friday8 PM

As Bill Sees itBuckingham Presbyterian ChurchBuckingham Presbyterian Church

20 S. Main St.Berlin20 S. Main St.Berlin

Thursday8 PM

Assateague Group - Living Sober Kenny GKenny G

Bethany United Methodist ChurchBethany United Methodist Church

6848 RT 611Berlin6848 RT 611Berlin

Sunday6 PM

Beginner’s Big Book Joe PJoe P Atlantic ClubAtlantic Club11827 RT 50West Ocean City11827 RT 50West Ocean City

Monday6:30 PM

Berlin 101 Women’s (CLOSED) Patricia GPatricia G

St. Paul’s Episcopal ChurchSt. Paul’s Episcopal Church

3 Church StreetBerlin3 Church StreetBerlin

Saturday9 AM

Berlin Friendship VACANTVACANTFriendship United Methodist ChurchFriendship United Methodist Church

Friendship RoadBerlinFriendship RoadBerlin

Monday 8 PM

Come As You Are Jennie R.Jennie R.Ocean Pines Chamber of CommerceOcean Pines Chamber of Commerce

11031 Cathell RdBerlin11031 Cathell RdBerlin

Tuesday6 PM

Entirely Ready Robin DRobin D Atlantic ClubAtlantic Club11827 RT 50West Ocean City11827 RT 50West Ocean City

Friday 6 PM

Free To Be Women’s Janice CJanice C Atlantic ClubAtlantic Club11827 RT 50West Ocean City11827 RT 50West Ocean City

Wednesday8 PM

Fresh Air Allison KAllison K Crossway ChurchCrossway Church11811 RT 50West Ocean City11811 RT 50West Ocean City

Tuesday8 PM

Happy Hour VACANTVACANTCommunity Church at Ocean PinesCommunity Church at Ocean Pines

11227 Race Track RDOcean Pines11227 Race Track RDOcean Pines

Monday 6 PM

Happy, Joyous & Free Women’s Step Study Stacy H/Carla HStacy H/Carla H

Community Church at Ocean PinesCommunity Church at Ocean Pines

11227 Race Track RDOcean Pines11227 Race Track RDOcean Pines

Friday10 AM

Happy Risers Paul BPaul B Atlantic ClubAtlantic Club11827 RT 50West Ocean City11827 RT 50West Ocean City

M thru F 7:30AMS & S 9 AM

Joy of Living Diane HDiane H Atlantic ClubAtlantic Club11827 RT 50West Ocean City11827 RT 50West Ocean City M thru Sat Noon

Men’s 12&12 Step Jeff S Jeff S Atlantic ClubAtlantic Club11827 RT 50West Ocean City11827 RT 50West Ocean City

Wednesday 8 PM

Not A Glum Lot Jerome NJerome NAll Hallows Episcopal ChurchAll Hallows Episcopal Church

109 West Market StreetSnow Hill109 West Market StreetSnow Hill

M/W/F7:30 PM

One Step At A Time Martha JMartha J Atlantic ClubAtlantic Club11827 RT 50West Ocean City11827 RT 50West Ocean City

Saturday6 PM

Positive Attitude Rob ARob AStevenson United Methodist ChurchStevenson United Methodist Church

123 N Main StreetBerlin123 N Main StreetBerlin

Saturday 7 PM

Primary Purpose VACANTVACANTSt Peter’s Lutheran ChurchSt Peter’s Lutheran Church

10301 Coastal HwyOcean City10301 Coastal HwyOcean City

Thursday 7 PM

Proud To Have Served John MJohn M Atlantic ClubAtlantic Club11827 RT 50West Ocean City11827 RT 50West Ocean City

Wednesday 6 PM

Seaside Group Ellen OEllen OSt Peter’s Lutheran ChurchSt Peter’s Lutheran Church

10301 Coastal HwyOcean City10301 Coastal HwyOcean City

Wednesday6 PM

Serenity Group Ellen OEllen OSt Peter’s Lutheran ChurchSt Peter’s Lutheran Church

10301 Coastal HwyOcean City10301 Coastal HwyOcean City

WednesdayNoon

Serenity & Sand Angie PAngie P On the BeachOn the Beach at 2nd St • Weather Permittingat 2nd St • Weather Permitting Friday 10 PM Mem. Day - Sept. 6

District 326342 Knoll Hill DrBerlin, MD 21811

OC IntergroupPO Box 913Ocean City, MD 21842

MD General Service, Inc.PO Box 8043 Elkridge, MD 21075

General Service OfficeBox 459 Grand Central StationNew York, NY 10163