Homework for April 27, 2014

Dear Emotional Sobriety Workshop Members:

Thank you for everyone’s participation and sharing this Sunday.

There will be no meeting for the next 2 weeks, in observance and preparation for the religious holidays. Our next meeting will be April 27, 2014.

This morning, we read and shared on the handouts on steps 4 and 5 and discussed the merits of the 2 different step 4 inventory formats: the assets and liabilities and the 5 column inventory.

Here are the links to the documents:

Steps-4-and-5-Handout2

step4

Here is the format that I have created that is also adaptable to both inventories:

Steps 4-9 ES-OA Compact Sheet

Steps 4-9 ES-OA Compact Sheet

 

It was also suggested that we spend some time during the group to discuss how to sponsor someone and take them through the steps.

We are adding other materials for our group:

Rather than reading just from the AA 12&12, we are also going to be reading and sharing on the Little Red Book and the Tablemate during our group.

Everyone is encouraged to obtain a copy of each, which are easily available. As a note of historical reference, the Little Red Book that is available now has been edited and is slightly different from the original.  It is possible to buy a copy of the original and/or  the current edition. The links are no longer available. Please search.

The author of the Little Red Book also wrote the book Stools and Bottles and the black 24 Hours a Day books. Both books are available at Hazelden and amazon.com as well.

For those who might be interested, here is a link about the author: Ed Webster and The Little Red Book

The Table Mate contains the most successful set of beginners lessons ever devised in early AA, and was used all over the United States. It is still being used today in Detroit and in northern Indiana. The beginners class meets once a week for four weeks to cover the four lessons: Discussion No. 1, “The Admission,” Step 1. Discussion No. 2, “The Spiritual Phase,” Steps 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, and 11. Discussion No. 2, “Inventory and Restitution,” Steps 4, 8, 9, and 10. Discussion No. 4, “Active Work,” Step 12. The original title of the pamphlet was “Alcoholics Anonymous: An Interpretation of the Twelve Steps.” It was also known as “The Table Mate,” the “Detroit Pamphlet,” and the “Washington D.C. Pamphlet.”

There is a copy of the main text of the Detroit version at:

http://hindsfoot.org/archives.html http://hindsfoot.org/detr0.html http://hindsfoot.org/detr1.html http://hindsfoot.org/detr2.html http://hindsfoot.org/detr3.html http://hindsfoot.org/detr4.html

 

I recommend that everyone buy a copy of the booklet, under the title “A guide to the Twelve Steps” which can be ordered from:

Alcoholics Anonymous of Greater Detroit 380 Hilton Road Ferndale, Michigan 48220 (248) 541-6565

I have posted on the blog a pdf of the Table Mate, but, the booklet is actually consists of 8 discussions, not 5.

Here is the pamphlet as a PDF:

An_Interpretation_of_our_12_Steps_Detroit

I recommend that everyone order a pamphlet, using the link above.

In case anyone would like to know more about the early AA pamphlets and how the early AA pioneers went through the steps, there is a link below to many of them.

Alcoholics Anonymous Archival and Historical Materials Part 1

Many of the substantive parts of Wally P.’s book, Back to Basics, are in fact copied verbatim from the pamphlet, which Wally tends to refer to as the Washington D.C. pamphlet in his book.

With respect to sponsorship and taking someone through the steps with the Back to Basics,  I highly recommend buying a copy of  Wally P.’s book:

Back to Basics: The Alcoholics Anonymous Beginners’ Meetings:  “Here are the steps we took….” in Four One-Hour Sessions” by Wally P.  We used it during our recent workshop. It is very accessible and simple to use successfully.

Alternatively, you can order it directly from from Wally P.

During this step, there will be no recording or playback information posted on the blog.

If someone would like to hear the meeting again, please email me at emotionalsobriety2013@gmail.com.

The Conference Dial-in Number: (712) 432-1500

Access Code: 1001209#

 

Looking forward to “seeing” you all April 27th!

With blessings for peace and recovery,

Shira