SPECIAL NEEDS, NEEDS YOUR HELP! CATHY S. IS THE NEW CHAIRPERSON FOR THE "SPECIAL NEEDS COMMITTEE" , AND SHE IS LOOKING FOR A FEW VOLUNTEERS... WHAT IS THE SPECIAL NEEDS COMMITTEE? SPECIAL NEEDS IS SIMPLY A FEW GOOD DRUNKS LIKE YOU AND ME, WHO WOULD BE WILLING TO BRING AA TO SOMEONE WHO MIGHT BE ILL OR FOR SOME REASON UNABLE TO GET OUT TO A MEETING.   
IF INTERESTED PLEASE CALL: 654-1150 AND LEAVE A MESSAGE FOR CATHY S.   
READ THE ARTICLE BELOW FOR MORE INSITE ON HOW IMPORTANT SPECIALNEEDS MIGHT BE FOR YOU SOMEDAY... SERVICE COMMITMENTS KEEP YOU SOBER! ARCHIVES BOB SAYS THE ARCHIVES COMMITTEE HAS MANY PROJECTS GOING ON TO HELP PRESERVE AND RECORD THE HISTORY OF AA IN SUFFOLK COUNTY. CAN YOU SPARE AN HOUR OR TWO EVERY WEEK TO HELP? WE SURE COULD USE YOU!
A FIRST EDITION BIG BOOK WAS DONATED TO THE ARCHIVES AS WELL AS A SECOND PRINTING OF THE "AA WAY OF LIFE" (aka AS BILL SEES IT). THANK YOU FOR BOTH DONATIONS GOES OUT TO BRUCE OF MOUNT SINAI. WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR ITEMS TO ADD TO THE COLLECTION. WE ARE MISSING MANY MEETING LISTS AND BULLETINS FROM 2002, AND BEFORE, SO...... "IF IN DOUBT, DON'T THROW IT OUT!"     
YOU CAN CONTACT ARCHIVES BOB AT 654-1150. BULLETIN COMMITTEE? T HATS RIGHT FOLKS! WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE A PART OF THE BULLETIN COMMITTEE? THIS IS A NEW IDEA INTERGROUP HAS THOUGHT UP FOR AA'S LIKE YOURSELF, TO GET INVOLVED... COVER A SPECIAL EVENT, WRITE A STEP OF THE MONTH ARTICLE, TRADITION ARTICLE, SOMETHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH THE REST OF SUFFOLK COUNTY... ANYTHING!
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED PLEASE CONTACT LINDA Z OR HARRY A @ 654- 1150 OR JUST SIMPLY FAX YOUR STORY TO US @ 654-1110
THELMA'S STORY
Thelma was a participant in a clinical trial at a geriatric pharmaceutical company. Our work was done at a residential facility and nursing home. Half of my team of eight were friends of Bill W.
One day, Jenny A., an RN, asked if she could run out to Wal-Mart at lunch to purchase a large bottle of mouthwash, which a patient named Thelma had requested.
No sooner had Jenny left, when it came to me that Thelma was drinking the mouthwash. Part of the study criteria was that if there were a history of alcoholism, the participating patient must have been sober at least five years. No such history was documented in Thelma's chart.
When Jenny returned, I asked her not to give the bottle to Thelma, told her the thought had come to mind, and asked her to check with the nurses on duty to see if it was appropriate to give it to Thelma.
Jenny returned to relate that as she'd approached the nurses' station, she overheard them say, "Well we used to say the Serenity Prayer all the time."
They were talking about Thelma! Then they related to Jenny that mouthwash and other items containing alcohol had been stolen from the other patients. We did not proceed with Thelma's request, and soon there after, Thelma died of cancer of an unknown origin. It was a sad story, and made me wonder, would this have happened if there had been a Specialneeds Committee and volunteers willing to carry the message to fellow AA's confined to there homes, or to Hospitals, residential facilities, or nursing homes? In this case, the hand of AA had not been there for the alcoholic who needed it. If we had made ourselves known to the facilities, maybe the much-needed support of AA could have been there...     Back