I have altered the parameters for commenting so that anyone can do so. I am hoping this does not lead to comment spam by automatic bots, and if that occurs, I may have to revert to only "registered" users -- i.e., people with gmail or several of the other choices.
Hopefully this change will lead to more commenting and more interactivity. Just click on "Anonymous" if you don't fall into any of the other categories.
Mark O.
Editor.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Sunday, August 9, 2009
GSR Meeting
Hello CMAer’s,
I just want to thank everybody that participated in the GSR meeting on Saturday August 8, 2009. We covered a lot of ground and here are the key points from the meeting.
Elections were held and our new co-chairperson is Mark M. Our new Web-master is Brian L. We also have a new events chair: Sal I. Congratulation’s guys! Mark M. was appointed to continue his secretary through September 12, 2009. At that time the district will have a vote for this position.
At this time I would like to thank Donald L (out-going treasurer), Bob P. (out-going events chair) and Mark M. (out-going secretary) for all their dedication and service to the committee. You guys rock!
The by-laws have been reviewed by the district and no more changes were suggested. Therefore, they were officially voted in. This was our 3rd amendment to the by-laws and the district is officially 501 C.
Ari U., our registration/directory chair, will have the new directory online at our website (CMAINLA.COM) within the week and on Sunday August 9, 2009 he will have the newest version of the directory available to be picked up for your meetings at The AT Center and The West Hollywood Drug & Alcohol Center. That being said, if anyone knows of any meeting changes (I.E., meetings going dark, new meetings, location changes, etc.), please let Ari know by contacting him or leaving an e-mail on the website.
Sal I., our events chair, has some events lined up through January 2010.
The first event will be a celebration of 15 years of CMA set for Oct. 3rd at Plummer Park. This will be a one day conference from 8-4 which will include: 11th Step Yoga; the history, organization, and traditions of CMA; and four workshops (steps; sponsorship; experience, strength, and hope; & spirituality). There will also be a barbecue and a main speaker. From 8pm - 12am we will have a dance (location to be determined; possibly the church at Fountain and Fairfax). On Sunday there will be a planned event to accommodate our out of town guests (no cost to the district).
Other events are: the annual Halloween dance hosted by Glenn H on Friday Oct. 23rd, a roller skating night on Wednesday Nov. 4, a holiday dance in December, and a bowling night in January. All these events are CMA district fundraisers.
There is also a spiritual retreat event that is in the works.
If anyone is interested in being a part of the planning process, please contact Sal I. (an e-mail can be left on the district website) to be a part of this committee.
The H&I fundraiser/pool party on Sunday July 26, 2009 was a huge success. These funds were directly allocated to the H&I reserve. Thanks to everyone who participated and or volunteered in this event.
Victor D. & Donald L., our co-chairs for H & I, are looking for speakers for the panels that are going to the jails. They would like to get clearance for at least 12 people. The requirements are: no felonies, experience speaking on panels, and 5 years of recovery (the five year requirement is negotiable if a person shows willingness and experience in speaking on panels). There is also a need for panel leaders for two new panels that were lined up. If you are interested please attend the next H & I meeting on September 12, 2009 1PM at the West Hollywood D & A center. If you are at a meeting without an H&I liaison; please suggest a business meeting to add the commitment and appoint it to someone.
Kurt T. has chips and literature available at each GSR meeting. If you need these items you can come to the meeting or let your GSR know what you need.
Note: In honoring our 11th tradition, please refrain from posting pictures from CMA events using the CMA name on Internet mediums such as Facebook.
Meetings that need support are:
Monday: Promises 7pm @ NJWC 543 N. Fairfax Avenue.
Tuesday: Relapse Prevention 8:30pm @ Cedars 8730 Alden Dr.
Wednesday: Meditation 7:30pm @ The church (Fountain & Fairfax) 1296 N. Fairfax Avenue.
Wednesday: Full Speed Ahead 8pm @ the West Side Alano Club 11530 W. Pico Blvd.
Saturday: Step into the solution 9:10am @ The Village 1125 N. McCadden Place.
Sunday: Gracious Methers 4pm West L.A. Alano Club 11530 W. Pico Blvd.
Sunday Round Robin West 7:00pm Weho A & D Center 626 N. Robertson Blvd.
The next GSR meeting is on Saturday September 12, 2009 @10am.
Being of service,
Freddie
I just want to thank everybody that participated in the GSR meeting on Saturday August 8, 2009. We covered a lot of ground and here are the key points from the meeting.
Elections were held and our new co-chairperson is Mark M. Our new Web-master is Brian L. We also have a new events chair: Sal I. Congratulation’s guys! Mark M. was appointed to continue his secretary through September 12, 2009. At that time the district will have a vote for this position.
At this time I would like to thank Donald L (out-going treasurer), Bob P. (out-going events chair) and Mark M. (out-going secretary) for all their dedication and service to the committee. You guys rock!
The by-laws have been reviewed by the district and no more changes were suggested. Therefore, they were officially voted in. This was our 3rd amendment to the by-laws and the district is officially 501 C.
Ari U., our registration/directory chair, will have the new directory online at our website (CMAINLA.COM) within the week and on Sunday August 9, 2009 he will have the newest version of the directory available to be picked up for your meetings at The AT Center and The West Hollywood Drug & Alcohol Center. That being said, if anyone knows of any meeting changes (I.E., meetings going dark, new meetings, location changes, etc.), please let Ari know by contacting him or leaving an e-mail on the website.
Sal I., our events chair, has some events lined up through January 2010.
The first event will be a celebration of 15 years of CMA set for Oct. 3rd at Plummer Park. This will be a one day conference from 8-4 which will include: 11th Step Yoga; the history, organization, and traditions of CMA; and four workshops (steps; sponsorship; experience, strength, and hope; & spirituality). There will also be a barbecue and a main speaker. From 8pm - 12am we will have a dance (location to be determined; possibly the church at Fountain and Fairfax). On Sunday there will be a planned event to accommodate our out of town guests (no cost to the district).
Other events are: the annual Halloween dance hosted by Glenn H on Friday Oct. 23rd, a roller skating night on Wednesday Nov. 4, a holiday dance in December, and a bowling night in January. All these events are CMA district fundraisers.
There is also a spiritual retreat event that is in the works.
If anyone is interested in being a part of the planning process, please contact Sal I. (an e-mail can be left on the district website) to be a part of this committee.
The H&I fundraiser/pool party on Sunday July 26, 2009 was a huge success. These funds were directly allocated to the H&I reserve. Thanks to everyone who participated and or volunteered in this event.
Victor D. & Donald L., our co-chairs for H & I, are looking for speakers for the panels that are going to the jails. They would like to get clearance for at least 12 people. The requirements are: no felonies, experience speaking on panels, and 5 years of recovery (the five year requirement is negotiable if a person shows willingness and experience in speaking on panels). There is also a need for panel leaders for two new panels that were lined up. If you are interested please attend the next H & I meeting on September 12, 2009 1PM at the West Hollywood D & A center. If you are at a meeting without an H&I liaison; please suggest a business meeting to add the commitment and appoint it to someone.
Kurt T. has chips and literature available at each GSR meeting. If you need these items you can come to the meeting or let your GSR know what you need.
Note: In honoring our 11th tradition, please refrain from posting pictures from CMA events using the CMA name on Internet mediums such as Facebook.
Meetings that need support are:
Monday: Promises 7pm @ NJWC 543 N. Fairfax Avenue.
Tuesday: Relapse Prevention 8:30pm @ Cedars 8730 Alden Dr.
Wednesday: Meditation 7:30pm @ The church (Fountain & Fairfax) 1296 N. Fairfax Avenue.
Wednesday: Full Speed Ahead 8pm @ the West Side Alano Club 11530 W. Pico Blvd.
Saturday: Step into the solution 9:10am @ The Village 1125 N. McCadden Place.
Sunday: Gracious Methers 4pm West L.A. Alano Club 11530 W. Pico Blvd.
Sunday Round Robin West 7:00pm Weho A & D Center 626 N. Robertson Blvd.
The next GSR meeting is on Saturday September 12, 2009 @10am.
Being of service,
Freddie
Monday, August 3, 2009
The Nature of the Beast
In CMA one often hears “my disease wants me dead.” This may be true, but I think its more immediate goal is to make sure you are so preoccupied with the satisfaction of instinctual drives that you are cut off from any sense of spiritual contact with a God of your understanding. If killing you is required, the disease is more than willing, but keeping you high or numb is fine enough, as long as you’re thinking only of yourself.
I have found it very useful to conceive of the disease of addiction as having intelligence, even the capacity to think and strategize. I believe it occupies the same area in your brain your ego operates from, and has the capacity to parasitically engage all of your brainpower in manifesting its agenda of getting you loaded again.
In my experience, the disease doesn’t even always “object” to short periods of sobriety. (After all, it’s a great way to delude yourself you have things under control.) However, when your disease starts to sense that you really might do this sobriety thing, it starts to panic. Suddenly everything becomes a trigger; cravings mug you around every corner. When you get past that, it tries less obvious approaches, like finance and romance—“I’ll always be poor” and “I’ll never have a boyfriend” are favorite tapes my disease plays. As you stick to your guns, you can expect bouts with free-floating anxiety, boredom, and depression with no evident cause.
As your disease adjusts to the new reality of layers between you and picking up, it tries various back doors, to nudge you over to the chair next to the chair next to the hotseat. This most impatient of syndromes can actually be very patient. It can seem to lie dormant for years, but it’s lurking all the time, waiting for an opening.
It may seem irrational that to say that the disease is smarter than you, but it's not for nothing that we say “my best thinking got me here.” That’s why a power greater than oneself is an indispensable ally. Here’s something you can’t see, can’t touch, can’t weigh or measure---it’s the only thing more irrational than the disease itself. That just might be why it’s the very thing that works.
M.O.
I have found it very useful to conceive of the disease of addiction as having intelligence, even the capacity to think and strategize. I believe it occupies the same area in your brain your ego operates from, and has the capacity to parasitically engage all of your brainpower in manifesting its agenda of getting you loaded again.
In my experience, the disease doesn’t even always “object” to short periods of sobriety. (After all, it’s a great way to delude yourself you have things under control.) However, when your disease starts to sense that you really might do this sobriety thing, it starts to panic. Suddenly everything becomes a trigger; cravings mug you around every corner. When you get past that, it tries less obvious approaches, like finance and romance—“I’ll always be poor” and “I’ll never have a boyfriend” are favorite tapes my disease plays. As you stick to your guns, you can expect bouts with free-floating anxiety, boredom, and depression with no evident cause.
As your disease adjusts to the new reality of layers between you and picking up, it tries various back doors, to nudge you over to the chair next to the chair next to the hotseat. This most impatient of syndromes can actually be very patient. It can seem to lie dormant for years, but it’s lurking all the time, waiting for an opening.
It may seem irrational that to say that the disease is smarter than you, but it's not for nothing that we say “my best thinking got me here.” That’s why a power greater than oneself is an indispensable ally. Here’s something you can’t see, can’t touch, can’t weigh or measure---it’s the only thing more irrational than the disease itself. That just might be why it’s the very thing that works.
M.O.
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