Just a good reminder to be careful, don't automatically put your full trust in everyone, just because they are in recovery, EVEN if they have a lot of time! Be on the lookout for unhealthy behaviours, see if they walk their talk, and go to lots of different meetings. Any group that tries to prevent other groups “poaching” their members, or otherwise discourages going to other meetings, that is a BIG, red flag! As are a lot of other behaviours mentioned in the Newsweek article, which is about a lot more than just 13th stepping. 

MOST groups are, of course, not like that Midtown Group at all, but there are a few where that kind of thing is tolerated, encouraged, or even runs rampant, and we should always call that shit out. Our primary purpose is to stay sober, and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety!!

Despite the reluctance of many to speak out at the time, according to the Newsweek piece, citing, “anonymity”, AA's General Service Office has some very specific things to say about anonymity and the topics covered in these articles, including the fact that, "Anonymity is not a cloak protecting criminal behavior", “No one should have to tolerate racial, sexual orientation, gender, age or other discrimination when they seek help from A.A.”, and, “A.A. membership does not include having to tolerate sexual harassment, threats of violence, financial coercion, or bullying. Nor is pressuring A.A. members into a particular point of view or belief relating to medications, religion and other outside issues acceptable”, at the following links.

• Safety and A.A. Flyer
• Safety and A.A.: Our Common Welfare
• Safety Card for A.A. Groups (AKA Yellow Card)

Noonaroos' own Safety & Inclusion Policy was formed using these very resources, in fact. 

Share the Virtual Link below with others, and they can play virtual bingo on any device or print out their bingo card. Or just play by yourself for fun.
Virtual Link: https://mfbc.us/m/bnh5daw

Everyone who follows this link will get one of 30 random bingo cards. It's possible that two players will get the same bingo card.

If you want to make sure everyone (30 players or less) gets a different bingo card you can send out  individual links, by sending this link, https://mfbc.us/m/bnh5daw/1 , and replacing the number at the end with any number from 1-30.

​How it works
Pick some police bodycam videos to watch together. Everyone grabs a Body Cam BINGO card, and watch videos 'til someone gets a BINGO!

Join the Rule 62 Discord group to find others for playing this and other fun games online. 

Someone in a meeting "parking lot" today said something about "drinking the AA Kool-Aid", and I was like, "You mean coffee?", and then I said I should create a graphic that was the "Hey Kool-Aid" thing, but AA Kool-Aid, and it's a coffee pot. And then I made it. Because.. of course I did! LOL.

What do you think?

We don't seem to have direct rules against people meeting in AA, like you might at church or a club and deciding to go on a date.

What are people's feelings on this?

(I'm not talking about predatory behavior of course!)

Is this universal or what is going on here? Is the addiction itself making us isolate so we have to treat this part as well, stay connected?

I've come up with a list of some of the ways God/Higher Power can be described…

• God(s)
• Goddess(es)
• Good Orderly Direction
• Group Of Drunks
• Great Spirit
• Grandfather
• Allah
• Spirit of the Universe
• The Cosmos
• Nature
• Mother Nature
• Spirit of Nature
• Marvin the Martian (Yes, I know a guy who has had this as his HP for 30+ years. He has a whole explanation of why! It's fascinating.)
• Czar of the Heavens
• God of Reason
• All Powerful, Guiding, Creative Intelligence
• Supreme Being
• Great Reality
• Maker, Creator
• Universal Mind
• Father of Light
• Director
• Principal
• Father
• Providence
• Presence of Infinite Power and Love
• Universal Artist
• All that Is
• Prime Creator
• Love
• Truth

• Great Mother

 I know there are plenty more, and I hope to see some in this thread, as well as some personal accounts of finding and turning it over to a HP. For that, I have a few discussion questions. I'll answer them in a reply, rather in the post itself (once I can get it written up!). 

1. Where are you on your Third Step Journey?
2. Have you had a “Spiritual Experience” or "Spiritual Awakening"?
3. Do you have a concept of God/Higher Power?
4. What do you call or how do you refer to your HP?
5. How did you come to an understanding your concept of God?
6. How did you come to believe in your concept of God?
7. Is your HP something you already had in your life, actively, or something new, since being in recovery?

A lot of these questions could probably become topics on their own, cause some of the full answers might be pretty long, but for now, lets see if we can get some engagement with this initial foray into God stuff! :D