Frequently Asked Questions:

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Submit a question - our Comment-Question form.

Q. What is this "one day at a time" business?

A. "The 24 hour program" is a phrase used to describe a basic A.A. approach to the problem of staying sober. AA's never swear off alcohol for life, never take pledges committing themselves not to take a drink "tomorrow". By the time they turned to A.A. for help, they had discovered that, no matter how sincere they may have been in promising themselves to abstain from alcohol "in the future", somehow they forgot the pledge and got drunk. The compulsion to drink proved more powerful than the best intentions not to drink. The A.A. member recognizes that the biggest problem is to stay sober now! The current 24 hours is the only period the A.A. can do anything about as far as drinking is concerned. Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow never comes. "But today" the A.A. says, "today, I will not take a drink. I may be tempted to take a drink tomorrow - and perhaps I will. but tomorrow is something to worry about when it comes. My big problem is not to take a drink during this 24 hours." From the pamphlet "44 Questions"

Q. How does my group participate in Intergroup?

A. Any group in the Eugene, Springfield, Junction City, Cottage Grove area (or to be precise, districts 6, 19,20,33, and part of 34) can elect an intergroup representative at their home group business meeting and send them to the monthly E.V.I. Business Meeting. It is held on the second Monday of every month at the E.V.I. office located at 1259 Willamette St. Eugene. That's it. Groups do not have to contribute to participate (just like a meeting!).

Q. What do I get for becoming an EVI Faithful Fiver?

A.A warm fuzzy feeling knowing you are supporting the kind of service work that saves lives. If that is not enough, we will send you a copy of the EVI News each month (provided you give us a name and address to send it to). Stop by the office and fill out an application.

Q. Where in the Big Book does it say "No relationships in the first year of sobriety"

A. It doesn't. But it probably should, given the experience of many A.A.'s since its publication. Take away our best friend and it is natural for us to look for a substitute. Best Advice: Ask your sponsor (first).

Q. Ok, I know what the 12 Steps are, and the 12 Traditions, what are the 12 Concepts?

A. The Twelve Concepts for World Service are the principles that underly how A.A. works as an "organization", and the rights and responsibilities of the various parts. They should be read by anyone holding a service position in A.A. and can be found in the A.A. Service Manual, or summarized in a pamphlet available at the EVI office. Here is the long version, which will warm you up for reading the text in the Service Manual. It may look dry, but it applies to your home group business meeting, and to the EVI business meeting.

Telephone:

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We strongly encourage anyone with questions regarding a drinking problem, Alcoholics Anonymous, or how we live without drinking, to pick up the phone and call us. (541) 342-4113 24 hours a day. The phone is answered during the day by A.A. volunteers at the Emerald Valley Intergroup. After office hours it is answered by individual A.A.s who will answer questions, and offer further help.

Face to Face:

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Please stop by the E.V.I Office. The coffee pot is usually on, and there are folks to talk to. We have a good selection of literature and books about Alcoholics Anonymous available, and information on a variety of local events and resources.

The office is located at 1259 Willamette St., Eugene. Hours are 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday though Friday, and Saturday, 9:00 AM - 4 PM.

Email:

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The Emerald Valley Intergroup can be emailed at: email the webmaster

Attend a Meeting:

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Anyone can attend an open A.A. meeting. If you attend a meeting, you will notice that most of us identify ourselves by our first name, and the fact that we are an alcoholic. If you are not an alcoholic, or not sure, feel free to identify yourself as a visitor. We encourgage you to introduce yourself to a few folks before or after the meeting. You will find, we believe, that any A.A. member will be happy to answer any questions, no matter how simple, or how personal or difficult. We stay sober by sharing our experience.

Anyone with a desire to stop drinking can attend a closed A.A. meeting. There are no dues or fees for A.A. meetings, and anonyminity is a practice and a tradition in A.A. If you are looking for help with your drinking we strongly urge you to talk to someone at the meeting.

General meeting information is located here.

Concerned about another drinker?

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If you are concerned about someone else's drinking, you may want to contact Al-anon. They are a 12-step organization for family and friends of Alcoholics. Their local phone number is 741-2841. Al-anon has a website at www.al-anon.org/

What is A.A?

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Alcoholics Anonymous is an international fellowship of men and women who have had a drinking problem. It is nonprofessional, self-supporting, non-denominational, multiracial, apolitical, and available almost everywhere. There are no age or education requirements. Membership is open to anyone who wants to do something about his or her drinking problem. A.A. members in our community range in age from their teens to nineties, in education from little to advanced degrees, and in income from little to considerable. Alcoholism plays no favorites, neither does A.A.

What does A.A. do?

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A.A. members share their experience with anyone seeking help with a drinking problem; they give person-to-person service or "sponsorship" to the alcoholic coming to A.A. from any source. The A.A. program, set forth in our Twelve Steps, offers the alcoholic a way to develop a satisfying life without alcohol. This program is discussed at A.A. group meetings. Open speaker meetings-open to alcoholics and nonalcoholics. (Attendance at an open A.A. meeting is the best way to learn what A.A. is, what it does, and what it does not do.)

At speaker meetings, A.A. members "tell their stories." They describe their experiences with alcohol, how they came to A.A., and how their lives have changed as a result of A.A. Open discussion meetings-one member speaks briefly about his or her drinking experience, and then leads a discussion on A.A. recovery or any drinking-related problem anyone brings up. (Closed meetings are for A.A.s or anyone who may have a drinking problem.) Closed discussion meetings-conducted just as open discussions are, but for alcoholics or prospective A.A.s only. Step meetings (usually closed)-discussion of one of the Twelve Steps. A.A. members may also take meetings into correctional and treatment facilities. A.A. members may be asked to conduct informational meetings about A.A. in schools, hospitals, and other public forums. These meetings about A.A. are not regular A.A. group meetings

Court and Treatment Programs:

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In the last years, A.A. groups have welcomed many new members from court programs and treatment facilities. Some have come to A.A voluntarily; others, under a degree of pressure. In our pamphlet "How A.A. Members Cooperate," the following appears: We cannot discriminate against any prospective A.A. members, even if he or she comes to us under pressure from a court, an employer, or any other agency. Although the strength of our program lies in the voluntary nature of membership in A.A., many of us first attended meetings because we were forced to, either by someone else or by inner discomfort. But continual exposure to A.A. educated us to the true nature of the illness. . . . Who made the referral to A.A. is not what A.A. is interested in. It is the problem drinker who is our concern. . . . We cannot predict who will recover, nor have we the authority to decide how recovery should be sought by any other alcoholic.

Proof of Attendance:

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Sometimes, courts ask for proof of attendance at A.A. meetings. Some groups, with the consent of the prospective members, have the A.A. group secretary sign or initial a slip that has been furnished by the court together with a self-addressed court envelope. The referred person supplies identification and mails the slip back to the court as proof of attendance. Other groups cooperate in different ways. There is no set procedure. The nature and extent of any group's involvement in this process is entirely up to the individual group. This proof of attendance at meetings is not part of A.A.'s procedure. Each group is autonomous and has the right to choose whether or not to sign court slips. In some areas the attendees report on themselves, at the request of the referring agency, and thus alleviate breaking A.A. members' anonymity.

The Nonalcoholic Addict:

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Many treatment centers today combine alcoholism and drug addiction under "substance abuse" or "chemical dependence." Patients (both alcoholic and nonalcoholic) are introduced to A.A. and encouraged to attend A.A. meetings when they leave. As stated earlier, anyone may attend open A.A. meetings. But only those with a drinking problem may attend closed meetings or become A.A. members. People with problems other than alcoholism are eligible for A.A. membership only if they have a drinking problem. A.A. has a tradition of singleness of purpose it must cleave to to maintain its effectiveness.

What A.A. does not do:

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A.A. does not:
Furnish initial motivation for alcoholics to recover
Solicit members
Engage in or sponsor research
Keep attendance records or case histories
Join "councils" of social agencies
Follow up or try to control its members
Make medical or psychological diagnoses or prognoses
Provide drying-out or nursing services, hospitalization, drugs, or any medical or psychiatric treatment
Offer religious services
Engage in education about alcohol
Provide housing, food, clothing, jobs, money, or any other welfare or social services
Provide domestic or vocational counseling
Accept any money for its services, or any contributions from non-A.A. sources
Provide letters of reference to parole boards, lawyers, court officials

Conclusion:

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The primary purpose of A.A. is to carry our message of recovery to the alcoholic seeking help. Almost every alcoholism treatment tries to help the alcoholic maintain sobriety. Regardless of the road we follow, we all head for the same destination, recovery of the alcoholic person. Together, we can do what none of us could accomplish alone. We can serve as a source of personal experience and be an ongoing support system for recovering alcoholics.

The Promises:

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"If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are half way through. We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace. No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others. That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear. We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows. Self-seeking will slip away. Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change. Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us. We will intuitively know how to handle situations that used to baffle us. We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves. Are these extravagant promises? We think not. They are being fulfilled among us - sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. They will always materialize if we work for them." (page 83, Alcoholics Anonymous)