sp
Find a Meeting
To find AA meetings and your local helpline number in Great Britain, and English-speaking meetings in continental Europe please click below.
Search 'online' to see all currently registered online meetings (updated daily)
Alcoholics Anonymous
Great Britain
and English Speaking Continental Europe
Call our National Helpline
Call FREE on
Find a Meeting
Search 'online' to see all currently registered online meetings (updated daily)

Intergroup

Intergroup


Audio Version


I went to Integroup today and I said to the Share rep I will put something together for Share. They were going to ask anyhow so thought I would save him asking. Although, I did wonder if it gets into Share how many people will see the word Intergroup and skip to another story. It's a shame Intergroup seems to get such a negative reception. I look forward to going. I can't see what the problem is. I get to see people I don't see very often and I get to learn about what is going on in the wider Fellowship. It's the old story much repeated that people moan about it but never seem to go.

I was lucky my sponsor got me to go in early recovery. I can't remember how he got me to go. Most likely never gave me any room to wiggle out. He was good at never given me any wiggle room. He got me to come back as well. At the time the local Intergroup were running some workshops on different topics. From what I remember they were: Sponsorship, 13th Stepping and Home Groups. Even though I had a sponsor I found it interesting. My sponsor was a good example of introducing me into different aspects of AA. Intergroup is a good example. I hear a lot about sponsorship but unlike my sponsor I have never seen anyone bring a sponsee to Intergroup.

I have never heard anything mentioned about 13th Stepping for years. When I mention it most people seem unaware of what it is. While, I like to think the best of people in AA I can't believe that people behave better than they used to. In fact with modern technology it seems there is more scope to misbehave. Fossils such as myself that got sober before the age of the mobile phone are regarded as a bit of a relic of the past. When you say you had to find a phone box to make a call I get amazed looks.

Lastly Home Groups. Having one of them has been such a great help to me. The old saying of being loved until I could love myself was so true for me and I found that by having a Home Group. They are rarely mentioned at meetings.

With the Intergroup meeting the general lack of interest was mentioned with many groups not having GSRs. On the way back home it did occur to me that unlike other service positions itā??s not very visible. Compared to the tea person. If they donā??t turn up then the meeting is thrown into confusion. If a meeting does not have a GSR then on the face of it then it does not seem on the face of things to be a big problem. Intergroup: this distant thing that people talk about in generally less than complimentary tones means it gets dismissed as irrelevant. I have to say that I feel the attitude of old-time members can be an influence in this as well. I have seen old timers be disregarding of Intergroup and people seem to take this on board. That line from the Spiritual Experience from the Big Book springs to mind: contempt prior to investigation. Forget the negativity go along and see what it's about.

We all have a responsibility for the well-being of the Fellowship. If Intergroup did not exist how would the phone service be organised, meeting lists need to be updated, prison services arranged. The list goes on.

ANON