EDITORIAL

This month, after receiving a number of articles centred around the home group we decided to devote the whole magazine to this theme. After all, that is 'where it all begins' for us in AA.

I have the fondest memories of my first home group. The first time I attended was to assess whether this particular group of alkies were 'hardcore' enough for me! Instead, I was undone by the kindness of one of the women who slipped her phone number into my hand and quietly said she could give me a lift the next week, if I wanted. I took that number, used it and became a group member the very next week.

A couple of years later when severe snow made the roads unusable, it was with her and another group member that I trudged the two miles, laughing and joking, to get our meeting open. I found my first sponsor in my home group. She calmly and quietly guided me for the next nine years as I first railed against the world before learning to live in it. Finally, it was in my home group that I was introduced to service and began doing for others what had been done for me.

Within Roundabout this month you'll find an extract from The Home Group: Heartbeat of AA and two articles, over 30 years apart, writing about understanding Tradition Two by having regular group conscience meetings. Next, a letter from a current AA member asks us to reflect on the dues and fees collected at group level whilst someone else shares about the importance of having an address in AA.

 

Contents

2. Sub-Committee Notice Board

3 Editorial

4 Why Have a Home Group?

5 Gro up In A Group

6 The Benefits Of Being In A Group

7 What's Your Address?

8 Is a Pound Enough?

10 Changed Days

i-iv Diary And Service Pages - March 2020

13 The Roundabout Interview

16 I Joined A Group

17 Welcome Home

19 Doing Service The AA Way

20 For Those With Fankles

21 That Was The Week That Was

23 Subscribe To Roundabout