Heard At Meetings
Sun, 2013-01-13 03:00
#51
Having a drink
A 4th year chip was given to a member today who said that if he wasn't an alcoholic he would be drinking today!
Wed, 2013-01-16 14:59
#52
Re: Having a drink
Sobriety chips are not A.A. they are made by outside enterprises. I don't think sobriety chips should be handed out in A.A. meetings. I have seen bulk orders available the internet from treatment centers. A.A. is not fellowship for treatment centers to make money, it is a fellowship for alcoholics. If people want sobriety chips they can get them from the outside enterprises that sell them. "Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions." (Tradition Seven) Sobriety chips are outside contributions which profit nobody but the outside enterprises that make them. I don't think sobriety chips keep alcoholics sober. "An A.A. group ought never endorse, finance, or lend the A.A. name to any related facility or outside enterprise lest problems of money, property, and prestige divert us from our primary purpose." (Tradition Six)I think A.A. is being diverted from its primary purpose by outside enterprises and their interference in our affairs.
Fri, 2013-03-29 10:42
#53
AA chips
I disagree with your opinion of giving out chips! My groups do purchase our chips, we have never had any donated.I personally
Keep my chip in my pocket to remind me of where i've been, and how I got where I am today.It is a token from my AA friends whom without thier support & the help from my higher power, I may have already died from this terrble disease. I use this token the same way people used to use a worry stone. To each his own: LIVE AND LET LIVE!
Sincerely Mike J.- Christopher,Il.
Sat, 2013-03-09 06:58
#54
Taking Tradition Six & Seven too literally...
If that was the case, then how about the coffee that each group purchases from companies that produce Folgers, Maxwell House, etc.??? They are 'outside enterprises'. What about your comment/opinion "I don't think sobriety chips keep alcoholics sober". It is simply a tangible 'reminder' of their daily commitment to stay sober. We jokingly say at our homegroup "If you feel like drinking, put the chip in your mouth and when it melts, you can then take a drink". Many DO believe chips help the newcomer, especially. However, the Big Book says there will be a time in every alcoholic's life where the only thing standing between him and a drink is his relationship with his Higher Power". I TOTALLY agree with this! NOTHING keeps us sober but our Higher Power...No CHIP, No Sponsor, No conditional sobriety factors such as spouses, employers, court-mandated attendance at meetings, etc. Sounds like there's a bit of a 'resentment' towards a business making a profit off the chips. The ARE a business...they DO produce a product that many groups feel provide a value to sobriety...so where's the problem???
Sat, 2013-02-23 10:49
#56
Having a chip or not having a chip
Having a chip or not having a chip is not going to be the thing that tears AA apart. Persistent, fear-based snarking and harping on non-issues such as whether we give out chips will be AA's undoing. Let us guard our fellowship with a broom rather a sword.
Tue, 2013-02-19 18:41
#58
Having a drink
An all this time I thought they where for luck..well..Iam still keeping mine just for that reason..M.M.
Sat, 2013-02-16 09:02
#59
chips
There was a similar article posted a few months back and it received a host of negative responses. I believe this one would too if more people found it. There are meetings that do not give out chips. Perhaps you could start one in your area and advertise it as such. Good luck.
Thu, 2013-02-14 14:18
#60
chips
i hope i never forget how proud i felt after 30 years of trying to get my 30, 60, and 90 day chips. how i looked forward to getting 9 nine months and then a year!
Sun, 2013-01-27 22:58
#61
CHIPS
A LOT OF THINGS HAVE CHANGED IN AA GETTING CHIPS IS ONE WAY TOO SHOW THE NEW PERSON IT WORKS ONE DAY AT A TIME IF YOU DONT AGREE DON GET YOUR CHIP
Tue, 2013-04-02 16:15
#63
RE: Chips / Sponsors
When already here a day at a time they are both superstitious in nature according to the 3 pertinent ideas of A.A. and not some voluntary sponsors opinion.
Mon, 2013-01-21 03:24
#65
a AA member walked into a pub
a AA member walked into a pub and orderd a Beer the barman put the beer in front of him he went into his wallet to pay and pulled out his chip paid for the beer and left with out touching it i have one in my wallet all the tiime
Sun, 2013-01-20 10:37
#66
Coffee, cups and toilet paper
Coffee, cups and toilet paper are made by outside resources, but my group has come to regaurd these things as being indespensible!!!
Mon, 2013-02-18 14:12
#67
Chips, Coins
Coffee, cups and toilet paper are necessary items. Coins
and chips are not. In the 1970's groups I attended did not
give out sobriety coins. Annual anniversaries were
celebrated with a birthday cake, usually baked by a member
of the group. I think the chip system started around 1990
in my my area.
In the long haul I think coins and chips do more harm than good. Too many who proudly accept chips for a certain
period of sobriety,stumble and when they relapse they are too ashamed to return. The custom of giving out chips
and coins at every meeting is distracting and time
consuming. The time would be best spent sharing and
LISTENING. The fully informed true group conscience ought
to decide, not just a few "leaders". ANONYMOUS
Tue, 2013-04-16 19:36
#68
CHIPS, COINS ETC
I did not get sober with any type of chip or coin in the country Mid-West town where I"m from. I doubt the first 100 men and women had them either. This is just my opinion. Have you ever been to a NA meeting? " Clean Time " where members pick up trinkets for not " using " is quite a rukus. This whole ritual of coins is NA influence on AA. I suspect people who could not get clean in NA came to AA to get clean and sober and brought their " look at me " rituals with them. My sobriety had everything to do with the 12 steps and absolutely nothing to do with trinkets chips and coins. What a waste of time and money. Those things cost anywhere from 40 cents to 2 dollars or more. Not all members think it's money spent wisely. ANON
Tue, 2013-02-19 15:13
#69
Re: Chips, Coins
"In the 1970's groups I attended did not
give out sobriety coins. Annual anniversaries were
celebrated with a birthday cake, usually baked by a member
of the group. I think the chip system started around 1990
in my my area."
I received my first chip, a white plastic chip with "30 Days" printed on it, at a meeting on the West Coast in 1971. Three months later on the East Coast I received a red plastic chip for ninety days.
"In the long haul I think coins and chips do more harm than good."
What does more harm are those "AA Experts" who constantly find something to complain about, such as chips, tokens, prayers, readings etc.
Sun, 2013-02-24 17:55
#70
received my first coin in
received my first coin in 1970 from the original men's group.
This was before the new house. Oh the old storied they remind me of. Would not trade any of my old coins for the world. These4 coins also represented different positions in our group.
Sun, 2013-01-20 10:34
#71
I'm sure chips don't make or
I'm sure chips don't make or keep a drunk sober, (Unless they're magic!), but for a newbie that feels like they've never fit in anywhere; that nobody has nor ever will want them around; that for some reason God made them not to fit into this world... I believe chips are quite valuable! I know when I got my first couple of chips I felt as though I was finally part of something. People smiled and clapped and hugged me and it felt real. It gave me something to believe in; a reason not to give up on me. A reason to try some new things like "Keep coming back!" and "The Steps!". The origin of this chip tradition starts with Sister Ignatia that worked side by side with Dr. Bob selflessly giving her blood, sweat and tears to assisting the recovery of hopeless alcoholics. Seems like nowadays people always have quick opinions about how things SHOULD be instead of just allowing life to gently move along as it always has. Reading history about ALL of the founders and the traditions each may have started from their hearts may just knock our high and mighty opinoins down to ground level... Right where they need to be anyway. :^)
Fri, 2013-02-08 11:56
#72
Origin of chips?
Did Sister Ignatia give out chips to those alcoholics
she and Dr. Bob saved from death? I don't remember reading
anywhere that she had anything to do with the chip system.
Dr Bob was the one who said "don't applaud me; Don't
applaud any alcoholic. It is too bad that today's A.A. members
have not a glimpse of that degree of humility. We want
praise and applause for stopping our destruction of
the lives of people who love us. That is the epitome
of selfishness. Any documented information of the chip
system being connected to Sister Ignatia will be considered. At this point I consider it nonsense. ANONYMOUS
Mon, 2013-02-25 13:52
#73
Re: Origin of chips?
"Any documented information of the chip
system being connected to Sister Ignatia will be considered."
Although Sister Ignatia did not in fact give out chips, may consider her practice of giving "her newly released patients
a Sacred Heart medallion, which she asked them to return before they took the first drink." (Page 195, "Dr. Bob and the Good Oldtimers")
"At this point I consider it nonsense."
Coincidentally, some might think the complaints posted under the name 'Anonymous' are nonsense, meant only to stir up controversy.
Tue, 2013-03-12 15:40
#74
Jim
The Sacred Heart Medallions were given out for encourgement, not for reward or acknowledgement. I do consider the read, white and blue pieces of plastic to
be nonsense. Manny Q
Tue, 2013-02-26 17:00
#75
ADO10416
Sister Ignatia gave each of her newly released patients a Sacred Heart medallion, which she asked them to return before they took that first drink. She would occasionally give out St. Christopher medals as well, but she would tell the recipient not to drive too fast. "He gets out after 50 miles an hour", she warned. Copied from Dr. Bob and the
Good Oldtimers. I stand corrected. Thanks for the exact location. Great reading, those history books. ANONYMOUS
Sat, 2012-12-29 01:39
#77
Helping the family
An in-law call me said he might have a drinking problem and scared to drink on the holidays, I told him to take a cab, on the way home a sobriety check was in front of him and they flagged the taxi cab through, the next morning my in-law came to and wondered where the taxi cab came from !
Tue, 2012-12-18 16:17
#80
What to say...
At a recent meeting, a speaker was talking about going to holiday parties where the host or hostess doesn't know they are in AA and kept trying to push drinks on them. The speaker simply says, "No thank you. I've had enough to drink."
Genius in its simplicity.
Mon, 2012-12-10 00:28
#86
HOPE
Hope I don't do sober what I did drinking - NOT KNOWING WHERE IAM AT OR WHAT TO DO, NEEDING SOMEONE TO SPONSOR ME !!!!!
Mon, 2013-01-07 12:23
#88
Need help
Move away from the computer and pick up that one
ton telephone. Don't put it down until you contact
someone. If drinking alcohol is causing you grief,
contact Alcoholics Anonymous. We can be found in
almost any phone book. Or call information. We
can't help you if you don't contact us. Don't give
up. Keep trying. ANONYMOUS
Tue, 2012-12-04 18:09
#90
Disease centered in the mind
When I first got sober I heard my grandsponsor share that she still goes to meetings 7 days a week. I go to 6 for my thinking and one for my drinking and I never know which one is for my drinking, so I dare not miss any meeting.
Fri, 2012-12-21 17:18
#91
Re:Disease centered in the mind
That grandsponsor (?) fits the description given to the gent on page 27, line 6 in the Big Book.
Eventually people get tired of hiding from booze in meetings and go find it again.
"If you have decided you want what we have and and are willing to go to any lengths to get it- ....."
Then you are ready to spend the rest of your life in meetings?
Tue, 2012-11-20 12:26
#98
heard at meetings
I never had to have glasses on my but...cause hind sight is 20/20 Ilene M las Cruces NM
Sat, 2012-11-17 05:11
#99
Inventory
A woman accused me of taking her inventory when I asked her a simple question the other day...I'm too lazy to do my own inventory she's a nut case if she thinks I'm going to do hers!
Fri, 2012-11-09 17:02
#100
picking flowers
heard at a meeting recently, I used to live next to a cemetry so I got free flowers when I wanted.
John B. Everett, Wa.