It has been a busy week at work! Thursday we had our annual "State of the Villages Breakfast" meeting where the mayor from each of the villages in our Chamber of Commerce (3 of 'em) delivers a speech on the state of his village. We also attracts a few state reps and senators, as well as one of our national congressmen. My amazing admin assistant, a few volunteers and I put the thing together and I get to host/emcee the event. Mind you, I had never even put together a birthday party in my life, prior to taking over as the chamber director lol. This was the second and probably most important "eating meeting" I've had to put on in 5 months on the job. It went really well, and we had several positive comments. I've found that I really enjoy the people aspect of this work, especially working to serve the communities and our members businesses/groups. And, come to find out, I like being up in front of everyone and its really a lot of fun. Who knew? I can thank AA for my lack of fear in speaking to large groups of people. If I can get up and give a lead, I can get up and talk about anything.





Well, thank you all for the happy anniversary wishes, very kool :-) Yesterday my sponsor came to the noon meeting and brought me a 14 year token, then took my wife and I to lunch so that was real nice. This new noon meeting I have been going to was spawned from my (formerly) men's closed discussion home group. Last week the attendees of the men's meeting too a poll and to a person, everyone wanted it opened up to be a co-ed meeting. So, they intended to call me (I can't get there on Wed nites during the school year, for teaching CCD) and ask my opinion since i was a home group member and founded the thing after all.





But no one called, and I heard about it all thru the grapvine. Needless to say I was bummed, as this meeting is near and dear to my heart. I got sober in men's meetings in Toledo, and I started this one 5 yrs ago because I missed that dynamic and wanted to share it with the men I knew in AA here. There's just a certain dynamic that occurs in a "same sex" meeting, and I am quite sure it's the same for you gals. But around here, I had become regarded as some "woman hater/discriminator/bad AA" by many people over the past 5 years although no one ever came and talked to me about it to my face. lol nice :-) Anyway, I called a couple guys, especially the newer feloow who had been chairing in my absence. I got the facts about how many folks had said they wanted to change, shared my dissenting opinion respectfully and tactfully and that was that. I told them that if that many people felt that way, they ought to change the thing and open it up. (even though they had just started a 3 day a week open meeting in the same flipping room as the men's meeting) They claimed they wanted everyone to have access to the Joe and Charlie tapes they had been listening to with just the men. lol whatever. There's a few "feminazi's" that come to the noon meeting who felt like they needed to "right a wrong." Interstingly enough, come to find out, the gals who had the most to say about the men's meeting didnt even come to the thing after it was opened up to include gals.



I must remember that I am not the only sick person attending AA. I let the thing go, turned over the cash box, got the original big book that was signed by the attendees on the first nite of the mens meeting and I'm washing my hands of that insanity. I made nicey-nice with the newcomer who'd been duped into changing the meeting without making a fuss or sharing my paritcular opinion on how this really went down. I attend the noon meeting with a smile on my face and at some point I will probably attend the "new and improved" wed nite meeting once CCD is done. It's been a great opportunity for me to practice these principles around something that's really upsetting to me.



The sad part is, that a newcomer was at the wed nite meeting and there was some big ass hullabaloo about how many home groups a person should have, and what the home group is suppsoed to be and what not. He shared yesterday that this nonsense during the meeting had really turned him off to AA, but that he couldn't afford to quit coming to meetings. Suffice it to say many of us in the noon group took the time to express the need to not let anyone or any group drive him away from AA. He will be ok. I just hope that the knuckleheads that have begun to come screw around with the meetings in town don't ruin them for all the newcomers we have. I for one will be around to continue to represent "good AA" and practice the traditions and principles of AA in and out of meetings.