October 2023

The phrase ‘came to believe’ can mean different things to different people. For me, I remember when I started to believe in AA, believe in myself and believe I could stay sober. Just having that feeling of belief was a new experience, I had never been able to believe in myself or have the confidence in what I could achieve – normally because I didn’t follow through with anything. I remem¬ber leaving my first meeting with a feeling of ‘hope’ and I believed in the three people I had just met, enough that I went back a week later and continued to go. Now that I think about it, I also believed their stories. Ihis felt different to a drunken night at the bar - they were real and serious about their stories as they spoke. I didn’t even question what they were saying and importantly, I found the identification I needed. 

When a newcomer arrives at a meeting, I also want them to get that feeling of ‘hope’ that I experienced and I try hard to make sure that they know I know how they feel at their first meeting and that we were all in that position once. All we can be is honest and authentic in our shares and hope that we pass on that vital message that keeps them coming back for more. Over time I started to believe that AA could help me and I started to think I might actually be able to do this getting sober thing that I heard about. All the belief that I have today stems from that foundation I gained in those first few months in AA. 

If you are new to AA, find something small to believe in and see how it grows. 

Cath Editor, roundabout@aamail.org

Contents
1 Preamble
2 Subcommittee Noticeboard
3 Editorial
4 Give Time Time
5 Came To Believe
6 AA One Liners
7 I Didn’t Give Up
9 2024 Fellowship Diaries And Calendars
10 My Journey With AA
11 The Scottish National Convention
i Conventions And Gatherings
ii-iv Group Information
13 Could You Be A Proofreader
14 The Magnificent Obsession
15 Gratitude
16 Late In Life
17 Out And About
18 Extracts From AA Literature
20 AA History Corner
23 Subscribe
24 The Twelve Concepts Of World Service
25 The Twelve Traditions