The Bender

CBIA, 3833 S. Staples Suite S-212, Corpus Christi, TX 78411 (361) 992- 8911 or Toll Free 1-866-672-7029

The Coastal BENDER

May 2015 Edition

Coastal Bend Intergroup Association

Mission Statement

The mission of the Coastal Bend Intergroup Association is to provide the vital first contact to the alcoholic seeking help. The CBIA office must be maintained for the benefit of those still suffering. Of primary importance to this goal, the CBIA Office is to

Establish a 24-hour help-line;
Print meeting schedules; and
Maintain a 12-Step list

whereby AA groups and individuals are enabled to conduct 12-Step calls which are essential to the growth of AA in the Coastal Bend area.

Rockport Happy Hour Group

The Happy Hour Group in Rockport was started by Carol M. in August of 2001. Early meetings were held at 5:30 PM Tuesday through Friday at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church. Among the early members were Ann and Ted W., Buddy M. and the late Tommie B. In 2005, the church needed the meeting space, so the group moved to the St. Vincent de Paul Building at the Catholic Church. Finally, the Group moved to Peace Lutheran Church (1302 Market Street in Rockport) where meetings are now held at 5:30 PM on Monday (Closed Step Study), Wednesday (Closed Discussion) and Friday (Open Discussion).

Ted W., (9.12.1987) Happy Hour Group, Rockport

Step 5 - Integrity

Step 5: Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

This was hard for me because I had lived my life like appearances are everything. I was much more concerned with looking good that with doing good. Unfortunately the greater my academic and professional accomplishments, the more impressive stuff I acquired, the louder my disease screamed "You are a phony." So I never really got the satisfaction or happiness I expected.

My greatest fear was that if you really knew what I was like and what I had done you would not like me and you would leave me and poor little Robby would be all alone living in the park at Christmas. So when I did my first fifth step with my sponsor, I half expected him to run screaming into the night. What I got was unconditional love. He told me about similar things he had done. I learned that nothing human is unmentionable and nothing mentionable is unmanageable.

Later I shared some of my deepest darkest secrets at a meeting. In the middle of it, people got up to get coffee and to go to the restroom. And I realized that nobody but me was wrecked over this stuff. I have learned that anything I am hiding from anybody takes a toll on me and anything I am hiding from everybody is eating me alive.

For me, the primary principle behind Step 5 is INTEGRITY: To thine own self be true. It is about holding me accountable for having my behavior be consistent with the sort of person I aspire to be, the sort of person God created me to be. INTEGRAL means the parts fit perfectly into the whole. I have become a full member of the human race, striving to fulfill the role God has in mind for me.

My lack of integrity most often showed up in what I did not say. Perhaps my ex- would not notice that we now have only 11 Waterford tumblers. If my parents or my teachers wanted to think that somebody else did it, who am I to tell them otherwise.

I used to get upset (make that self-righteous anger) thinking that somebody else was getting away with something. I have learned that in the end nobody gets away with anything, so the best course is always to take responsibility for what I did or did not do. Regardless of what other people think, I will know what I did and I will not be OK with myself, with God or with them until I own up to it.

When I was drinking, none of the physicians or mental health professionals I consulted were able to help me very much because I did not tell the truth about my drinking. One of the reasons I have usually chosen to do Step 5 with my sponsor is that I have a rule for myself "Don't ever withhold anything from your sponsor." A withhold is anything I do not want him to know, usually because I think he will think less of me or because I am afraid I won't be able to get away with doing something questionable that I want to do. So before I hang up the phone or before I leave, I ask myself "What are you withholding?" Often I've been thinking about doing something foolish -- perhaps something that will require amends; perhaps something self-destructive. Then I say, "And another thing I need to tell you . . ."

I think it is important for one person to know EVERYTHING about me. In early recovery, I went from person to person and from meeting, dropping a secret here and a secret there. That was better than hiding it from everybody, but it left me thinking "If anybody knew EVERYTHING, they wouldn't accept me."

From Step 5, I learned that I was not as good as I had hoped or as bad as I had feared. I was not the best little boy in the world and I was not the worst little boy in the world. I am, in a word, human. And that makes me part angelic child of God and part selfish and self-centered jerk.

Step 5 gave me a more realistic sense of my strengths and weaknesses which is necessary for me to have humility and be teachable. Taking Step 5 helped me identify patterns of bad behavior. While I never enjoy discovering these things (The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off.), AA has given me the wherewithal to transform my rude awakenings into spiritual awakenings. There is great leverage in identifying my patterns: addressing one pattern can resolve a number of seemingly unrelated problems.

Having taken Step 5 is a deterrent to future bad behavior. Just thinking that I won't want to tell my sponsor about doing something, makes me think twice about doing it. I know that if I do it, sooner or later, I will tell Sponsor Dearest. So would it not be better to just not do it in the first place?

~ Rob M. (2.24.1985) 5th Tradition Group, Corpus Christi, TX

MINUTES

CBIA BOARD OF TRUSTEE MEETING

March 9^th 2015

I. OPENING: (6:00PM)·

Johnie opened the meeting with a moment of silence followed by the Serenity Prayer at 6:02 PM.
Joe read the CBIA Mission Statement
Jimmy read the 12 Traditions

II. ATTENDANCE:

Johnie S. (Chair), Joe R. (Vice Chair), Tom K. (Treasurer), A.J. A. (Trustee), Jimmy M. (Trustee), Ginger S. (Trustee) and Rob M. (Office Manager) were present.
Ed B. (Trustee) and Kelly J. (Asst Office Manager) were not present.

III. MINUTES:

Minutes of the February 9^th Board Meeting were reviewed.
- Tom moved to approve the minutes as read. Joe seconded. Motion carried.

IV. FINANCIAL REPORTS:

Tom presented the February Financial Report.
Balance Sheet: Total CBIA funds as of February 28th were $31,434.64; $50.00 in Petty Cash; $15,853.84 in Checking; $12,599.62 in Prudent Reserve and $2,931.18 in the Jamboree Account.
Profit & Loss for the month of November: Group & Individual Contributions $1,043.31; Jamboree Contribution: $14,739.00 Gross Sales (Books, Chips & Medallions) $1,480.00 (less Cost of Goods Sold $987.97); Gross Gain for the month $16,274.34; Total Expenses were $2,482.96 for a Net Gain of $13,791.38 for the month.
- A.J. moved to approve the report as read. Jimmy seconded. Motion carried.
- Tom presented the proposed 2015 Budget, which provided for total expenses of $32,756.25 (actual total expenses for 2014 were $33,610.98). While less than 2014 expenses, budgeted 2015 expenses include increasing salaries for the Office Manager and the Assistant Office Manager to $9.25 an hour – offset by expense reductions in other areas (e.g. Eliminating the maintenance contract on the old copier saves $144.95 per month.).
  - Joe moved to approve the budget as presented. Jimmy seconded. Motion carried.

V. COMMITTEE REPORTS:

12th Step: A.C. said everything is going well with the Helpline.
Public Information/Cooperate with Professional Community: Johnie said she was working with the host committee for the Area PI/CPC Convention. A luncheon for professionals will be held on 9/25^th at Water Street. The actual convention will probably be held at a church (St. Bart’s, St James or All Saints).
Corrections/Treatment Facilities: Joe said both SATF and Reality Ranch are looking for sponsors when discharged.
Coastal Bender: Ed was not present.
Bilingual: Joe had nothing to report.
Nominations: Jimmy had nothing to report.
Social: Ginger said she was starting to work on Founders Day. She plans to book venues for all three social events next week.
Jamboree: Jimmy M. said the Jamboree was in hiatus until July.
Archives: Johnie S. said we are pursuing copying old wire recordings (prior to 1954), reel-to-reel recordings, and cassettes onto CD’s.

VI. OFFICE REPORT:

Office Update – Rob had nothing to report.

VII. OLD BUSINESS:

None.

VIII. NEW BUSINESS:

None.

IX. NEXT BOARD MEETING:

Next CBIA Board of Trustees meeting Monday April 13^th 2015, at 6:00 PM in the CBIA Office.

X. NEXT QUARTERLY MEETING:

Next CBIA Quarterly Association meeting is scheduled for 6:00 PM on Monday April 27th at All Saints Episcopal Church (3026 S Staples).

XI. CLOSING:

A.J. moved to adjourn. Joe seconded. Motion carried
Johnie closed the meeting with prayer at 7:45 PM.

Respectfully submitted,

Rob Marek

Office Manager

Special Events

2015 CBIA Founder’s Day (Saturday, June 13^th in CC)

In celebration of 80 years of Alcoholics Anonymous, Founder’s Day will again be held at All Saints Episcopal Church (3026 S. Staples in Corpus Christi – next to Ray High School). Tickets are $5.00 (Children under 12 are free.) and can be obtained from CBIA trustees, Founder’s Day Committee members, at the CBIA Office (3833 S Staples Suite S-212 in CC) or at the door. Plans include speakers, lunch, a recovery skit and an AA meeting. (See attached flier.)

2015 International Convention (July 2^nd – 5^th in Atlanta, GA) *

Every five years AA has an international convention. The last one was in San Antonio in 2010. The next one will be in Atlanta, GA July 2^nd thru July 5^th, 2015.

The four-page registration form attached provides a wealth of information about the conference, the city and the registration and hotel reservation process. Forms are available in the intergroup office and at many meetings. The registration form is attached in PDF format.

On-line registration started September 3^rd.You must register (at www.aa.org under “Online Registration”) in order to make a hotel reservation at the conference rate. If you know you will be attending, you should register and make hotel reservations as soon as possible in order to reserve a room convenient to the convention.

2015 Texas State Convention (August 14^th-16th in Midland) *

The 69^thannual Texas State Convention will be held August 14^th – 16^th at the Midland Center in Midland. (See attached flier for details.)

Service Opportunities

Volunteers Needed to Carry the Message in Corrections Facilities

Volunteers are needed to carry the message to alcoholics in corrections facilities. You must be at least 18 years old and not been in trouble with the law (arrested, incarcerated, pending, etc.) for at least 18 months. In these situations, men work with men and women work with women.

SATF – Corpus Christi

Attend Meetings to support separate men’s and women’s meetings at 8:00 PM on alternate Fridays. (NA provides meetings every other Friday.) (New development: prior clearance is not required to attend meetings at SATF.)
Activity Sponsors take people to meetings once a week or so. (Minimum one year sober and prior clearance).
Step Sponsors work the steps with people. (Minimum two years sober and prior clearance.)

Reality Ranch – Corpus Christi

Attend Meetings to support a men’s meeting at 8:00 PM every Sunday. (Prior clearance is required).

Live Oak County Jail – George West

Attend Meetings to support a men’s meeting at 7:00 PM every Wednesdays. (Prior clearance is required).

If you are interested in any of these service opportunities,

Women should call District 8D Corrections Chair Joyce T. at (361) 549-9321.
Men should call CBIA Corrections Trustee Joe R. at (361) 510-9509 for facilities in Corpus Christi.
Men should call Dist 8E Corrections Chair Jesse T. at (361) 815-3239 for Live Oak County Jail.

Where clearance is required, provide Joyce or Joe or Jesse your full name, as it appears on your driver’s license and your driver’s license number and state at least a week prior to service.

Local Stories Wanted for the BENDER

Consider writing your recovery story or an article on an AA discussion topic for publication in this newsletter. Submit your article to cbia@grandecom.net in a Word document or similar format.

Volunteers Needed for PI/CPC Conference (September 25^th , 26^th and 27^th 2015 in CC) *

There are many diverse service opportunities for AA members (including newcomers) for the Area 68 Public Information / Cooperation with the Professional Community Conference which will be held in Corpus Christi in September. We will need:

- Meeting Chairs
- Hospitality
- Bilingual
- Registration
- Special Needs
- Audio / Visual
- General Volunteers

Enclosed is a volunteer sign-up sheet. GSR’s & DCM’s gathering names of volunteers for their group or district, should submit the forms for new (additional) volunteers at least monthly (e.g. August 1^st; September 1^st; and October 1^stetc.) so the volunteers can be contacted. Refer any questions to John W. at (361) 877-1642 or jmwatson52@gmail.com.

Volunteers will be invited to attend the final committee meeting in August 2015 to meet with their respective Sub-Committee Chairs.

The next PI/CPC Convention Host Committee meeing will be at 2:00 PM on May 2nd at the Serenity Club (819 N. Third Street in Kingsville.)

May Helpline Schedule / 12 Step List *

Attached is the Helpline schedule for May. These are the volunteers who are making sure that the hand of AA is available 24 hours a day in the Coastal Bend area by answering the phones overnight (5 PM to 8 AM) and on weekends (8 AM Saturday to 8 AM Sunday; or 8AM Sunday to 8 AM Monday). A minimum of six months sobriety is required to answer the phones. The helpline is pretty well staffed at present.

If someone needs help beyond meeting information, the helpline passes them to someone on the 12-Step List for a longer conversation and maybe a visit to discuss how to get sober and stay sober. A minimum of two years sobriety is required to be on the 12-Step List. We can always use more people on the 12-Step List. We especially need people (particularly women) in the surrounding area (like Beeville and Alice). If you would like to be on the 12-Step List or on the Helpline, call Rob or Kelly at the CBIA Office (361) 992-8911 or (866) 672-7029.

Volunteers Needed for CBIA Founder’s Day Committee (Event: June 13^th in CC) *

The Founder’s Day Committee will meet every Saturday leading up to the event at 1:30 PM at New Phoenix (5433 S Staples Suite F in the Boardwalk in Corpus Christi). To be a part of putting on this popular event, just show up at the committee meetings. A variety of service opportunities are available for this event which will include speakers, lunch, a recovery skit and an AA meeting.

Group / Meeting Changes

RX for Sobriety Has Folded (8:00 PM Wednesday in CC) (1)

Rx for Sobriety which used to hold meetings at 8:00 PM on Wednesdays at Northwest Behavioral Hospital in Corpus Christi has folded.

Keep It Simple Has Folded (7:00 PM Mondays in CC) (1)

Keep It Simple which used to meet at 7:00 PM on Mondays at Metropolitan Community Church in Corpus Christi has folded.

AL-K Group Adds Noon Meeting on Wednesdays (in Kingsville) (2)

The AL-K Group has added on open Big Book study at noon on Wednesdays at the Serenity Club (819 N. Third Street in Kingsville). In addition, AL-K has open discussion meetings at 8:00 PM on Monday and Thursday, an open discussion meeting at noon on Tuesday and an open step study at noon on Saturday – all at the Serenity Club.

Eleventh Step Group Adds 10:00 AM Meeting on Thursday (in CC) (2)

The Eleventh Step Group has added a 10:00 AM open discussion meeting on Thursdays, in addition to their 10:00 AM open discussion meeting on Mondays. They meet at the Anchor Club (320 Anchor Street in Corpus Christi).

Alice Group closes 8:00 PM Meetings on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays (in Alice) (2)

The Alice Group has closed its 8:00 PM Meetings on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. They continue to hold open discussion meetings at 8:00 PM on Mondays and Tuesdays at 3001 Old Kingsville Road in Alice

District Meetings

District 7 (Saturday, May 16^th in Karnes City)

District 7’s next meeting will be on Saturday, May 16^th at 9:30 AM. There will be Service Manual Study at 9:00 AM. The meeting will be held at the Presbyterian Church (405 E. Mayfield in Karnes City).

District 8C Next Meeting (Saturday, May 16^th in Kingsville)

District 8C’s next meeting will be on Saturday, May 16^th at 1:30 PM. The meeting will be held at the Serenity Club (819 N. Third Street in Kingsville).

District 8D Next Meeting (Saturday, May 16^thin CC)

District 8D's next will be at 2:00 PM on Saturday, May 16^th at New Phoenix (5433 S. Staples, Suite F, in Corpus Christi).

District 8E Next Meeting (Saturday, May 16^th in CC)

District 8E's next meeting will be at 2:00 PM on Saturday, May 16^th at St. Paul’s Methodist Church (1202 Sam Rankin in Corpus Christi).

District 15 Next Meeting (Saturday, May 16^th in Portland)

District 15’s next meeting will be at 2:00 PM on Saturday May 16^th at the First Methodist Church (4545 Wildcat in Portland).

Save the Dates

(Future Events - Fliers included for events flagged with an *.)

2015 CBIA Founder’s Day (Saturday, June 13^th in CC)

2015 International Convention (July 2^nd – 5^th in Atlanta) *

2015 Texas State Convention (August 14^th-16th in Midland)

2015 Area 68 SW Texas PI/CPC Conference (September 25^th- 27^th in CC)

Area 68 SW Texas Summer Workshop (July 17^th- 19^th in Austin)

Area 68 SW Texas Fall Voting Conference (October 16^th- 27^th in CC)

2016 Coastal Bend Jamboree (January 22-24, 2016 in CC)

AA Meeting Schedules for Our Area

Current AA meeting schedules for areas serviced by the Coastal Bend Intergroup are attached:

AA Meetings in Corpus Christi *
AA Meetings in CC Surrounding Area *
AA Meetings in Victoria and Surrounding Area *

BENDER Mission Statement

Our primary purpose is to carry the AA message to the still suffering alcoholic. A secondary purpose of The Bender is to keep the CBIA Area of South Texas informed as to the events, meeting changes, Board of Trustee actions / decisions, and other news of interest to AA’s in the area. Finally, as a newsletter we provide a forum for the broad spectrum of views held by our members. Publication of any article submitted will be at the discretion of the Bender Editor as advised by the CBIA Board. A controversial subject, as long as it does not concern an outside issue and involves principles and not personalities, will be considered for publication. As a general guideline, any letter or article that is of interest to members of AA and in good taste is worthy of publication. However, an article or letter that advocates ignoring or violating the Traditions, Concepts, or General Service Conference actions will not be considered for publication. All decisions will be made under the direction of God as expressed through our group conscience.

AA Birthdays in May

Sarah C.

Karen J.

Mike M.

John J.

Mike O.

Fred C.

Carole M

Kathy O.

Franny J.

Tracie S.

Judy M.

Gail D.

Linda K.

Laura G.

Debra F.

Mary H.

Heather N.

Beth M.

Nancy C.

Theresa D.

Hilltoppers

District 15

Hilltoppers

District 15

Calallen Group

Corpus Christi

Rockport

Weber Nooners

Turning Point

Fifth Tradition

Refugio Group

District 15

Kingsville AL-K

Weber Nooners

Hilltoppers

Fifth Tradition

Turning Point

District 15

Sunset 7 Group

District 15

05/01/2006

05/05/1991

05/05/1982

05/11/1987

05/11/1985

05/13/1987

05/13/1996

05/14/1978

05/15/2008

05/17/2010

05/20/1989

05/20/1986

05/20/1979

05/23/2001

05/24/1982

05/24/1995

05/24/2007

05/26/2008

05/28/2004

05/31/1990

    9 Years

24 Years

33 Years

28 Years

30 Years

28 Years

19 Years

37 Years



   7 Years

   5 Years

26 Years

29 Years

36 Years

14 Years

33 Years

20 Years

8 Years

7 Years

11 Years

25 Years

Don't see your group's birthdays? For best results e-mail your group's birthdays to CBIA at cbia@grandecom.net.

Telephone Calls

April 2015

                           OFC Hours / Dist. 7               AFTER HOURS           YTD

12^TH STEP CALLS          6 / 0                                    0/0                        11/0

INFO. CALLS              230 / 20                After Hours only tracks 12th Step calls.

Group Contributions

GROUP NAME

April 2015

YTD 2015

Alanos

Alice Group

Alive & Free

Aransas Pass Group

76.82

Beeville (Hope Group)

Beeville (Serenity Group)

Beeville (Shepherd's Group)

Beeville (Freedom Group)

Bookmarks Group

3.00

Calallen Group

Clean & Serene Group

Crosstown Group

Cullen Mall Group

100.00

Daily Reprieve Group

Day of AA in CC

100.00

100.00

District7

82.19

324.76

District 8D

District 8E

Early Morning Fellowship

Falfurrias (2nd Chance Group)

30.00

30.00

Fellowship Group @ Charlie's Place

Fifth Tradition Group

282.50

Flour Bluff Unity Group

Friday Night Speaker Meeting

Goliad (Open Arms Group)

50.00

Hilltoppers Group

Humility Group

Ingleside (Living Sober Group)

Just for Today Group

Karnes City (Mayfield Group)

108.75

Kingsville (AL-K Group)

Mathis (Crossroads Group)

60.00

Mountain Toppers

Newcomers Meeting

New Life Group

15.00

New Phoenix Group

27.00

127.00

New Women's Group

82.25

271.88

Oso Group

150.00

360.00

Port Aransas (Port A Day Tripper's Group)

Port Aransas Group

200.00

Port Lavaca Group

74.01

Port O’Connor Group

100.00

Portland (Jaywalkers Group)

Portland (Nueces Bay Group)

Primary Purpose Group

Riviera (SASTO Group)

12.00

Robstown Group

Rockport (Anything Goes Group)

Rockport (Happy Hour Group)

40.00

80.00

Rockport (Fellowship Group)

Rodd Field Group

114.00

Rx for Sobriety

Sandia Group

Sinton (Grupo Secunda Chanza)

30.00

Skidmore Group

50.00

Sunset 7 Group (N Padre Island)

159.87

Three Rivers (Choke Canyon Group)

25.00

Turning Point Group

Victoria (Back to Basics Group)

178.00

Victoria (Main Stream Group)

25.00

75.00

Victoria (Men’s Group)

75.00

75.00

Victoria (Women's Group)

15.00

Weber Road Nooners Group

1051.78

1852.18

Wenholz Women’s Group

Anonymous/Individual Contribution

58.83

TOTAL

$1,662.22

$5,008.60

Intergroup Meetings

CBIA Board of Trustees Monthly Meeting will be held Monday May 11^th   at 6:00 PM in the CBIA Office (3833 S. Staples, Suite S-212).

CBIA Quarterly Association Meeting will be held Monday, July 27^th at 6:00 PM at All Saints Episcopal Church (3026 S. Staples in CC). Each group gets a vote at this meeting.

District Meetings

See Bits & Pieces section for information on district meetings in the Coastal Bend area:District 7    (Victoria Area)

District 8C (Kingsville - Alice Area)

District 8D (Corpus Christi Area)

District 8E (Corpus Christi Area)

District 15 (Portland, Port A, AP, Rockport Area)

Group Announcements

New Phoenix Group Conscience is held the last Sunday of the month at 2:00PM.   Birthday Night is first Saturday of the month at 8:00PM. Potluck Supper is second Saturday of the month at 7:00 PM. (5433 S. Staples, Suite F in The Boardwalk.)

Hilltoppers Group Conscience is the 1st Tuesday of the month following the Noon meeting. (First United Methodist Church, 900 S. Shoreline Dr., Room 244)

Weber Road Nooners Group Conscience is held the 1st Saturday of each Quarter (Jan/Apr/Jul/Oct) following the 10:00AM meeting. Birthdays are celebrated the first Monday of each month at noon. (Travis Baptist Church, 5802 Weber Road at Schanen, park in rear, meeting upstairs.)

Calallen Group Conscience is held the 3rd Wednesday of each month following the 6:30PM meeting, Birthday Night is the 1st Saturday of the month. (Potluck at 6:30PM, Meeting at 8:00PM). (Pass it on Club, 11425 Leopard (Hilltop Community Center).

Flour Bluff Unity Group Conscience is held the 2nd Sunday of each month at noon. Birthday Night is the 1st Saturday of the month with Potluck Supper at 7:00 PM and Birthday Meeting at 8:00PM at The Anchor Club (320 Anchor St. in CC).

Turning Point Group Conscience is held the 1^st Wednesday of each month. Birthday Meeting is last Saturday of the month.