B88 CASTLEGAR NEWS, JUNE 24, M38)
Icoholics Anonymous

introverted

“A language of the hea rt” emir: eee oe

. @ An American tourist in
Iceland sits in the meeting of
the Akureyrarowilo group of
A.A. north of the Arctic
Circle. Though. he under-
stands not a word of the Ico-
tandie language, he feels the
asme warmth, the same
“identification” with his fel-
low recovered alcoholics here
that he feels at honié. They
are communicating in the
“language of the heart.”

e An Alcoholics Anony-
mous member, a professional
musician from Bogota, Col-
ombia, attends a weekend
convention of Canadian A.A.
members in Winnipeg, Man.,
and shares his experiences in
recovery from the disease of
alcoholism with a fellow
member, a business execu,

_ tive from London.

A woman member from
Auckland, New Zealand, on a
round-the-world. trip, stops
off in Nairobi, Kenya, to be
with a young friend there as
aye celebrates her first year
of continuous sobriety in
AA.

‘These are actual, indeed
commonplace, happenings
that keep repeating them-
selves as the fellowship of
A.A. mushrooms out from
the United States and
spreads around the world.
This occurs not through any
organized effort at promo-
tion, but almost randomly —
because the problems of al-

coholism know no boundaries .

and the principles of re-
covery found in the A.A.
program seem to work equal-
ly well in all cultures, all
tongues, all nations, There
are now more than 40,000
A.A. groups. Of these, more
than 14,000 are overseas, in
some 110 countries.

In some cases, magazine
and newspaper articles have
carried the A.A, message
abroad. In New Zealand in

says court

PONTIAC, MICH. (AP) —

Workers’ Compensation ben-
efits have been awarded to
the family of a man who died
‘after making love to a
co-worker near a defective
space heater.
- LaPorte ruled that Signor-
elli's social life was related to
his job, so compensation of up
to $250,000 could be awarded
in the accidental death,

Signorelli collapsed March
28, 1979, after making love
‘with a female employee of
"GKN’'s subsidiary at the
-woman’s flat in Birmingham,
‘England. He died a week
dater of fumes from the
“woman's space heater, a cor-
-oner’s inquest concluded.

1948, a drunken _business-
man, Ian M., read of A.A, ina
Reader's Digest article. Des-
perate, he wrote to the A.A.

-service office in New York

and was sent a copy. of
“Alcoholics Anonymous,”
(dubbed the Big Book by
members),

Tan sobered up and, ever
since, has been helping other
alcoholics to do the same —
the A.A. fellowship in New
Zealand today includes more
than 2,000 members.

In. other cases, foreign-
born A.A.’s living in the
United States have written
letters about getting well in
tho fellowship to suffering
fricnds or relatives back
home in countries such as
England, Italy, Norway, Por-
tugal, and Kenys, where
A.A., as a result, Qourishes
today. And travelers — es-
pecially merchant. seamen
and servicemen recovered in
A.A. — have helped to form’
groups in distant lands.

At first, there would be
only lone members. They, in

turn, would help a few.

drunks to recover. — always
on a one-to-one basis, So
growth was painfully slow; a
small group would form...
and grow ...and split off into
yet another group.

One of the first needs in a
foreign country is usually to
translate basic A.A. litera-
ture into the native tongue.
The A.A. World Services
Office’ in New York City,
which holds the copyright to
all A.A. literature, encour-
ages such reprinting and
stands ready to assist the

struggling publishing ven- -

ture abroad with whatever
help is needed.

The result is frequently a
dramatic growth of A.A. in
the country concerned —
leading usually to the for-
mation of a service structure
with, perhaps, a board of
trustees and/or an annual
service conference based on
the original U.S. model.

‘Today, A.A. has developed
to this stage in 23 far-flung
countries. Two delegates
from each of these gather in
alternate years for a world
service meeting of Alcoholica
Anonymous to share their
group and individual experi-
ences with one another. To
date, these meetings have

convened in England and ‘

Finland, as well as in the
continental United States.
The 1982 meeting will be held
in Mexico.

Another important A.A.
event is the , international
convention for the fellowship
at large which meets every
five years. Among the 22,500
sober alcoholics and family
members registered at the
1980 convention in New Or-
leans, La., were members —
sometimes whole planeloads
of them — from no fewer

Seniors wind up
-$eason with social

By JEAN STONE
Castlegar Senfor Citizens’
ssociation held its final

social meeting for the spring
‘season last Thursday, ac-
‘claiming it as one of its most
successful events.

More than 70 members and
guests filled the room with
‘happy chatter, while the ser-
ving tables fairly groaned
“under the weight of dozens of
‘varied casseroles, a broad
selection of salads, cold cuts
and hot side-dishes; and, of
‘course, a second table was
well laden with desserts of
every kind.

President Donnan opened
the festivities by welcoming
‘all members and visitors, and
‘introduced the guests of

‘honor: Mr, and Mrs. William

Moore, who were accom-
panied by Mr. Moore’s moth-
er, Mrs. Mable Moore, who
has come to be a permanent
resident of Castlegar.

‘Members were disap-
pointed that Mayor Audrey
Moore was only able to give
them a quick hail and fare-
well, a3 she had an important
meeting to attend. Her hus-
band, Bill, filled in very well,
however, as tour conductor,
to take the group, along with
the Moores, on their last two
trips to Europe, via a colorful
slide, presentation showing
the highlights of thelr visits.

While the tables were
being cleared away and the

hall set up to view the slides,
Mrs, Donnan called on Mra.
‘Wynn Scarff to play the
piano for a sing-a-long, and
the hall echoed with the
sound of happy voices — good
old favorites, of course, and
even some harmony.

* Entertainment chairman
Edith Heslop paid a fitting
tribute to Mr. Moore for his
excellent presentation, a trib-
ute which was heartily ap-
plauded by all attending. She
also thanked Mra. Scarff for
her good work at the piano.

Special thanks to the doz-
ens of members who made
the delicious variety of en-
trees, salads and desserts; a
potluck supper gives an ex-
cellent look at the seniors’

culinary talents.

Another thank -you goes to
the many ladies who cleaned
up the kitchen — no small job
after serving 75 or so din-
ners!

There will be no regular
meetings from now until
Sept. 8, though the hall will
be open on Mondays and Fri-
days for cards and carpet
bowling, and on Thursdays
for bingo.

The Recreation Commis-
sion has a number of trips

planned, details of which can
be obtained at the commis-
sion’s office; all reservations
for trips must be made
through the recreation com-
mission office this year.

lated into French, German,
the ° sessions and Spanish. A far cry, in-
deed, from the 1935 meeting marked the birth of AA.

drunk in Akron, Ohio, that
were simultaneously -trans-

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a inset

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SUNDAY, CASES
2.Naon Friday

Print your “Action Ad ona
separate piece of paper and

Castlogor, News raservi

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EALTY WERLE.

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We will accept aity
——reasonabie-offer-on-all—
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On the spot financing
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No money down.
‘No peyments til -

August, 1981.

hie 203:
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