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Alcoholics Anonymous history in your area
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
http://www.aatoronto.org/btimes.html
[Scarborough Centenary Group]
Service is Key

Way back in the mid to late seventies, members of the Unionville Group were unsuccessfully trying to start AA service meetings at the three Scarborough hospitals. Co-operation on the part of the hospitals was not there. Then along came Tony T., Saturday Night Gratitude Group. He managed to talk his way into both Scarborough Centenary and Scarborough General.

Closed discussion meetings started at both hospitals in October and November 1978. For details about the Scarborough General Meeting, see the October 2002 BETTER TIMES. [see below] (For interest, the Scarborough Grace Hospital finally allowed an AA service meeting in the mid-nineties.)

Also a member of Saturday Night Gratitude Group, Lois F. joined Tony for the first meeting at Scarborough Centenary. She had just celebrated her two-year anniversary and was getting active in service. Local Scarborough groups supported the meeting in those early days.

By the early eighties the meeting was thriving. On January 5, 1983, it became a group, known as the Scarborough Centenary Group. Lois was there as a founding member with four others, and is still a member today.

There are lots of opportunities for service at this group. Patients are always brought down from the appropriate floors. The group has an archives and set guidelines for the running of the meeting. Participation in the wider AA community is encouraged. Len D., and other members of the Scarborough Centenary Group started the annual dance in support of the Regent Park Christmas Day dinner. See page 7.

Over the years, a Thursday open speaker meeting has been added. On Mondays, the open topic discussion meeting is now an open meeting. There is also a Beginner.s Room on Monday nights.

While there is a large turnover of faces due to being in a hospital, there are many long-term familiar faces as well. Notable are Reg P., who has made the coffee since he joined in .87, Julie L., who is very active with the Beginner.s Room . a member since .88, and too many others to mention here.

Many spouses also make regular attendance a must. In particular is the widow of Jack J. They started coming to the group in .83. He died seven years ago, but his wife continues to come, in her wheelchair, and to offer upbeat support.

On January 9, 2003, the Scarborough Centenary Group will be celebrating 20 years as a group and 25 years of service. All are invited to attend, especially people who came to the group in the early days of their sobriety,

The meeting will not be in the usual meeting place. It will be in the Education Theatre, Floor #1, Margaret Birch Wing, Rouge Valley Centenary Hospital. Use the main door. Take the north elevator down to floor 1 and follow the signs.

Following the meeting, there will be a buffet dinner in the usual meeting room on the 6th floor in the Occupational Therapy Room. The meeting starts at 7:00 pm.

Parking vouchers are available at the meeting for attendees. With voucher the parking is only $1.

Ann P.

Copyright © December 2002, Better Times, GTA Intergroup, Toronto, Canada
http://www.aatoronto.org/

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