District 14 met on 8 February at the 623 Group in Belleville. There were 20 GSR’s and guests in attendance. The 14 March and 18 April meetings will be hosted by the Collinsville Honesty Group at the St Johns Church of Christ on Clay & Seminary. The time for all GSR Meetings remains the same at 1 pm. See you there…..

IN MEMORIAM

DELORES SULLEN
Leaving us with over 10 years of sobriety. She will be missed by many.

NOTES FROM THE MEETING:

Pat P. (397-3924) and Joe K. (476-3017) are the new GSR and Alt GSR’s respectively for St Henry’s Book Club Group. This includes both Tuesday and Thursday Nights.

Grapevine (Gene E. – 277-9730): The entire Grapevine file has been turned over to Gene. The Grapevine is a good thing to give to a sponsee on his/her AA birthday. It always changes and may contain something which has been bothering you --- an alcoholic in recovery.

CPC (Chester P. – 337-1476): Before mailing letters out to area doctors, some assistance was provided by GSO. After this list is exhausted, Chester will move on to area lawyers and there are quite a number in the Metro East.

District 14 Website Address is: http://www.aadistrict14.org Please check out the site. It is very good to say the least. All necessary changes to the contacts have been made. The SIA 21 map has been put on the website.

There is a new meeting at St Stephen Catholic Church in Caseyville. It is called “Here and Now Across the River Group”. It is an Open/No Smoking meeting held on Saturday at 6:30 pm. It is primary a Gay & Lesbian meeting but everyone is welcome and has been very well attended to this date. The street address is 902 South Main St in Caseyville.

God’s Corner has changed their meeting on Monday at 8 pm to a Big Book study meeting and has been going very well according to Don B.

The Men’s Group on Friday at 7 pm at 157 & Foley is now a Closed meeting according to Ed S.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

The 40th Annual International Women’s Conference will be held 19-22 Feb 2004 in Buffalo New York at the Buffalo Convention Center. Reservations can be made at the Hyatt Regency Hotel and Adam’s Mark Hotels in Buffalo New York. For reservation info and general info, call Lucy L. (716) 297-4403 or Joanne Z. (716) 284-5806.

The 23rd Annual Five Corners Convention will be held in Sikeston Missouri on 20-21 February 2004. It will be held at the Raudmont Inn (I-55 and Highway 62 Intersection). Rooms are $55.00 plus tax. Call (573) 471-4700 for reservations.

There is a potluck and speaker meeting at the Sparta 212 Group on 29 Feb 2004. Eating will commence at 1 pm and the speaker will begin at 2 pm. The speaker is yours truly – Gene E.

2004 Corned Beef & Cabbage: Gordon N. & Maggie E. are working this. 13 Mar 2004 is the day. The district will attempt to procure a DJ. The use of a kiddie/child patrol will be used extensively. Flyers have been done & were passed out at the Feb GSR meeting.

March 2004 Area Assembly: District 6 will host. It will be held from 26-28 March 2004 in Peoria Pg 2

Illinois at the Holiday Inn. A banquet and “pre-registration” will be held on 26 March 2004. Call 309-674-2500 for reservations. The reservations must be made by 25 Feb 2004 --- NO EXCEPTIONS. For info, call Mike W. at 309-579-3748.

June 2004 Area Assembly: District 14 will host. The site is the Shrine. Funds have been allotted

to reserve the site. The date is 6 June 2004. Chris C. & Maggie E. are working the flyers. Arrangements are being made to have a meeting at the Shrine on 5 June at 8 pm.

The 31st Illinois State Conference will be held 6-8 August 2004 in Tinley Park Illinois at the Holiday Inn Select. Call 708-444-1100 for reservations. For more info, Call Debbie Y. at 815-538-1920 or Ginny L. at 815-722-3823 or Don K. at 815-254-8741 for details.

BIRTHDAYS:

(Birthdays will only be entered if they occur before or on the date of the GSR Meeting; otherwise, they will be entered in the next Booze News)

623 Group: Phil K. – 22 yrs, Johnnie S. – 20 yrs, Tim P. – 19 yrs, Bob C. – 18 yrs, Kay T., Cheryl – 13 yrs, Paul G. – 12 yrs, Tony M. – 7 yrs, Terri L. – 5 yrs, Steve C., Dale B., Ryan G., Scott S. – 2 yrs, Lisa P. – 2 yrs, Rick H. – 1 yr, Aliscia, Craig B. – 6 mos, Jim Z. – 90 days, Lisa K., John F. – 30 days.

Collinsville Honesty Group: Don F. – 13 yrs.

Columbia Group: Jennifer M. – 1 yr.

Dr. Bobs Group: Shirley S. – 25 yrs.

East St Louis 12x12 Group: Malcom P. – 12 yrs, Wesley – 4 yrs, Nancy – 2 yrs, Calvin T. – 18 mos, Romious K. – 1 yr, Condolla J. – 9 mos.

God’s Corner: Don B. – 28 yrs, Charence K. – 18 yrs, Steve K. – 14 yrs, Jim D. – 2 yrs.

Kings House Group: Ken K. – 17 yrs, Maggie E. – 4 yrs, Nikki V. – 1 yr. The editor had previously incorrectly stated Maggie had 3 yrs. The editor extends profuse and abject apologies.

O’Fallon Trailer Group: Armand W. – 29 yrs, John S., Rob H., John S. Jr. – 18 yrs, Margie S. – 15 yrs, Vern G., Michael B. – 14 yrs, Cindy C. – 13 yrs, Ann C., Todd T., Mark K., Bill W. – 9 yrs, Ken B. – 8 yrs, Tony M. – 7 yrs, Larry K., Matt J., Doug H. – 6 yrs, David M., Jeff S., Tim F. – 5 yrs, Kevin M. – 4 yrs, Jim O., Amy G., Jeff O. – 3 yrs, Nick D., Tony M., Jim C., Kim G., Gary Q., – 2 yrs, Liam T., Jeremy G. – 1 yr.

Sparta 212 Group: Carmon L. – 8 yrs, Ron R. – 6 yrs.

St Henry’s Book Club Group: Joe B. – 20 yrs.

Wades Square Group: Vicki W. – 5 yrs, Mike P. – 1 yr.

Waterloo Group: Bill B. – 14 yrs, Brad B. – 2 yrs.

Rule 62, Part 142: I don’t know what I am doing…. Courtesy of Renee L. and others. Scott AFB IL

Rule 62, Part 143: I had rules for drinking. Courtesy of Renee L. Scott AFB IL

Rule 62, Part 144: If you have one foot in yesterday and one foot in tomorrow; you are pissing on today. Courtesy of Jocelyn B. Shiloh IL

Rule 62, Part 145: How many chances do we have to get and stay sober, is it unlimited, or do we need to make a decision now? Courtesy of the late Ed S. New Athens IL

Rule 62, Part 146: They gave me a message that saved my life, and said pass it on. Then and only then did I begin to have a life. Courtesy of Don M. Olive Branch IL.

Rule 62, Part 147: Lasting recovery isn’t found in acceptance from others, but in the inner growth set in motion by the Twelve Steps. Courtesy of Don M. Olive Branch IL.

Rule 62, Part 148: 12 Steps that even I can understand:

Alcohol will kill me.
There’s a power that wants me to live.
Do I want to live or die? (if you want to die, stop here)
Write about how I got to where I am.
Tell another person all about me (let God listen – a biggee).
Want to change.
Ask a power greater than me to help me change.
Write down who I’ve hurt.
Fix what I can without hurting anyone else.
Accept that I’m human and will screw up. Fix it immediately.
Ask a power greater than me to show me how to live.
Keep doing 1 thru 12 and pass it on.
Courtesy of Don M. Olive Branch IL

Rule 62, Part 149: I clean house every other day. Today is the other day.

Courtesy of Maggie E. Belleville IL

Rule 62, Part 150: New Warning Labels to be mandated by the FDA

WARNING:Due to increasing products liability litigation, American liquor manufacturers have accepted the FDA's suggestion that the following warning labels be placed immediately on all varieties of alcohol containers:

WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may leave you wondering what the hell happened to your bra and panties.

WARNING:: The consumption of alcohol may make you think you are whispering when you are not.

WARNING:The consumption of alcohol is a major factor in dancing like a retard.

WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may cause you to tell your friends over and over again that you love them.

WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may cause you to think you can sing.

WARNING:The consumption of alcohol may lead you to believe that ex-lovers are really dying for you to telephone them at four in the morning.

WARNING:The consumption of alcohol may make you think you can logically converse with other members of the opposite sex without spitting.

WARNING: The consumption of alcohol is the leading cause of inexplicable rug burns on the forehead, knees and lower back.

WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may create the illusion that you are tougher, smarter, faster and better looking than most people.

WARNING:: The consumption of alcohol may lead you to think people are laughing WITH you.

WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may cause pregnancy.

WARNING: the crumsumpten of alcahol may Mack you tink you can tipe real gode.

Rule 62, Part 151: Your bottom is wherever you put your shovel down. Courtesy of Don M. Olive Branch IL

Rule 62, Part 152: God, please teach me to laugh again, but never let me forget how I cried.

Courtesy of Don M. Olive Branch IL

Rule 62, Part 153: As your thinking changes, keeping your perspective means keeping a one-on-one connection of conscious contact with God. Courtesy of Don M. Olive Branch IL

Rule 62, Part 154: Spontaneous Wisdom of Alcoholics Anonymous Members ...

1. It's not old behavior if I'm still doing it.

2. If you're looking to have an image in AA, look around at the meetings you go to and look at whom you're trying to impress.

3. An alcoholic is a person who wants to be held while he's isolating.

4. Sobriety is the leading cause of relapse.

5. A treatment center is where you go and pay $15,000 to find out that AA meetings are free.

6. The idea that alcoholics, drug addicts, sex addicts, overeaters, smokers, etc., etc, should all just go to AA meetings because a disease, is a disease, is a disease was started by a treatment center that only had one van.

7. This is a 'One Day at a Time' program. If you are clean and sober today, you are tied for first place in AA.

8. If drinking is interfering with your work, you're probably a heavy drinker. If work is interfering with your drinking, you're probably an alcoholic.

9. I often obsessively pursue feeling good, no matter how bad it makes me feel.

10. When I was new, I didn't think I had any obsessions until I started thinking about it. Then it was all I could think about.

11. How come if alcohol kills millions of brain cells, it never killed the ones that made me want to drink?

12. From a newcomer reading the 'Promises' for the first time: "We will comprehend the word cemetery and we will know peace."

13. If God were small enough to be understood, He wouldn't be big enough to be God!

14. If you want to quit drinking, you are going to have to quit drinking.

15. Newcomer: "How do I know how many meetings I should attend each week?"

Old-timer: "Gradually cut back until you drink. Then...you'll know."

16. I would rather go through life sober, believing I am an alcoholic, than go through life drunk, trying to convince myself that I am not an alcoholic.

17. Resentments are like stray cats: if you don't feed them, they'll go away.

18. The difference between a problem drinker and an Alcoholic is that:

A) When alcohol is taken away from the problem drinker, the problem goes away.

B) When alcohol is taken away from the Alcoholic, the problem begins.

19. Before I came into AA, I was dead, but I did not know enough to lie down.

20. I drank when I was happy. I drank when I was unhappy. Actually, I am a reason to drink.

21. You don't have to be sick to want to get well. But if you don't want to get well, you ARE sick.

22. I can't do His will my way.

23. The good news is you get your emotions back; the bad news is you get your emotions back.

24. All we ask is that you completely change your attitude as soon as possible.

25. I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God's hands, that I still possess.

26. Without memory, there is no healing. Without forgiveness, there is no future.

Courtesy of Ralph S. Waterloo IL

Editor: Gene E. (277- 9730)