A Little History of Our Group
Hi, I’m Bob and I’m an alcoholic, and another member of The Loyola Group. A little history of our group: In the spring of 1970, actually the day after St. Patrick’s Day, Portland was warm, even rather muggy. I know because that was a day when I had more to sweat than the weather. That was to be my last day of drinking – and my first day of AA. What has happened to me since then is really important to me, but what has happened to my home group, The Loyola Men’s Group, could be really important to you and your home group.
Loyola, as we call it, got its name from our first meeting place: The Loyola Retreat House. A really pretty and peaceful setting in southeast Portland, it was to be our “home” for 45 years. In the summer of 1998 we moved to a high school amphitheater with great seating and acoustics, both welcomed by our tired rears and ears.
Contact Us
Hi, I’m Jack an alcoholic, and a member of The Loyola Group. Perhaps you may want to send one of our men an E-mail or letter. Feel free to do so. Here are our addresses. You can even write to us as you are listening to one of our talks.
If you have a specific member you’d like your message directed to, be sure to include his name.
The Loyola Men’s Group
P.O.Box 13354
Portland, OR 97213-0354
Fellowship
Hi, I’m Dave an alcoholic, and I’m a member of The Loyola Group. We’ve also attempted to show you how we run our meeting, as well as our group. Our intent isn’t to get any groups to change that which you’re doing well, but surely we welcome you to view our successes as a means to more of your own. Perhaps you will be interested in how we attempt to involve our families? We have camp-outs, an annual meeting where we invite spouses, family and friends to attend, and even a golf tournament, which is more about spending some good time together than it is about golfing.
7th Tradition of Alcoholics Anonymous
The A.A. groups themselves ought to be fully supported by the voluntary contributions of their own members.
We think that each group should soon achieve this ideal; that any public solicitation of funds using the name of Alcoholics Anonymous is highly dangerous, whether by groups, clubs, hospitals, or other outside agencies; that acceptance of large gifts from any source, or of contributions carrying any obligation whatever, is unwise.
Then, too, we view with much concern those A.A. treasuries which continue, beyond prudent reserves, to accumulate funds for no stated A.A. purpose. Experience has often warned us that nothing can so surely destroy our spiritual heritage as futile disputes over property, money, and authority.
— Tradition Seven (long form)
Greeters
Hi, I’m John an alcoholic, and a member of The Loyola Group. Greeters: Be one of five or six members who commit on a pre-scheduled evening to arrive by 7:20 PM, stay until at least 9:50PM, and be responsible to welcome new people to our meeting. The Greeters will give the new man a meeting schedule, helpful literature, and most importantly, an opportunity to talk with a sober alcoholic. A specially prepared list of names and phone numbers will also be given to him, with the invitation to call anyone on the list. Greeters are also encouraged to follow-up with a phone call to the newcomer during the week.
Group Management
Hi, I’m DeWayne an alcoholic, and a member of The Loyola Group. Our Group Management Experience: In this section of our web site, we would like to pass along just how we look after each other, and ourselves; neither being an easy task. You’ll learn how The Loyola Group has a “Sponsor Broker”, one of our guys who hooks up sponsors and sponsees with one another. Loyola also has “Trees”, where we, in groups of three, commit to visiting each other by phone or in person, outside the meeting at least once a week. Over three-fourths of our members participate on “Trees.”
Another part you may find helpful is how Loyola welcomes new people. A Loyola Greeter is much more than a hand-shaker! Or perhaps you’d like to hear how we attempt to have better meetings. It’s all here on your left, plus some history of our group, with just a few clicks on your mouse.
Hospitals and Institutions
Hi, I’m Mike an alcoholic, and a member of The Loyola Group. Portland long ago got rid of the drunk tank in our jails. Now people who need detoxification and an introduction to Recovery, go to the Hooper Detox Center, appropriately named for the last person to die in the old drunk tank. Members of our AA group are actively involved in helping to carry the message of Alcoholics Anonymous to those of us who still suffer.
We’d like to share with you just how we do it. The format that we follow in our twice a week meetings at the Hooper Facility is shown to the left if you care to see. Looking at it will show you that our goals are fairly simple and very focused: introduce and welcome them to AA and help them make a plan on what they are going to do when they leave Detox. Our meeting with them is far from traditional, but we are finding that it is working.
If It Works For One
Hi, I’m Mary and I’m an addict/alcoholic, and a member of Step Sisters, a woman’s Cocaine Anonymous group in Portland. By accident, if there really is such a thing, one of our members found some of the Loyola Group’s organizational and planning material mixed in with some of our CA stuff, after it was mistakenly left there by one of the Loyola members. Of course she read every word of it, and immediately came to us women to tell us that we should try doing the same things. To make a long story short, our group of 14 now numbers over 50, all in less than a year. We have “Trees”, real Greeters, and have found a way to take our individual Programs to new heights.
Yes, at first there was some opposition, but now even those women are a part of our new strength. I guess you could say that there’s no good reason why this couldn’t work for any recovery group.
The Sponsor Broker
Hi, I’m Buzz an alcoholic, and a member of The Loyola Group. Sponsor Broker: Another way that we reach out to newcomers is by actively encouraging sponsorship, you know – kind of like a big brother. Like many groups, we ask newcomers to introduce themselves at the beginning of the meeting. In the past, we would suggest that they “get a sponsor”, but we did very little to help them with this suggestion.
As a result, many of the newcomers drifted away without ever making a good connection with a sponsor. The simple truth is that many newcomers find it very difficult to reach out to complete strangers. Compounding this problem, many old-timers are distracted by their own busy lives and their established friendships. One night all that changed for us at Loyola. A long-time member of the group stood up during the announcements and said: “If you want a sponsor, talk to me after the meeting. I’ll hook you up with someone.” That was the night The Sponsor Broker was created.
Things We Do to Have Better Meetings
Hi, I’m Steve an alcoholic, and I’m a member of The Loyola Group. Who’s to say why one group seems to be alive, while others seem to be just trudging through the paces? The Loyola Men’s Group has been strong in substance for many years and some of our group traditions have served us well. A successful meeting goes a long way in presenting the attraction part of this Program. Let us mention a few other things we have been doing which have worked well for us.
Trees
Hi, I’m Sean an alcoholic, and a member of The Loyola Group. “Trees”: Be involved in a “Tree”. A Loyola “Tree” is made up of three men who have committed to talk with each other by phone or in person at least once a week outside the meeting. The phone trees are reshuffled on a random basis every three months. The “Trees” give us a chance to know each other better and to watch out for one another.
Glossary of Terms
7th Tradition of Alcoholics Anonymous
The A.A. groups themselves ought to be fully supported by the voluntary contributions of their own members.
We think that each group should soon achieve this ideal; that any public solicitation of funds using the name of Alcoholics Anonymous is highly dangerous, whether by groups, clubs, hospitals, or other outside agencies; that acceptance of large gifts from any source, or of contributions carrying any obligation whatever, is unwise.
Then, too, we view with much concern those A.A. treasuries which continue, beyond prudent reserves, to accumulate funds for no stated A.A. purpose. Experience has often warned us that nothing can so surely destroy our spiritual heritage as futile disputes over property, money, and authority.
— Tradition Seven (long form)