Notes on San Diego Debtors Anonymous Intergroup, by Anonymous.

We have a long and varied history—a strong functioning Intergroup existed 20 years ago, holding fundraisers, keeping San Diego meetings connected, attending Los Angeles’ Intergroup, working hard to grow DA in San Diego.

Then hard times came along, one person came onboard and began clashing with everyone, until there were two titans left who could not agree on anything, and the Intergroup just faded away. The two people either left DA or left San Diego.

As time passed, people here began to see that we still need a functioning Intergroup if DA is to remain strong, true to DA’s purpose, and to help DA grow in this region. SD Intergroup has always been small, with a tight group of committed individuals with vision. Having enough volunteers is a difficulty in all 12 Step programs. At every Program I go to, someone is begging for people to volunteer for Intergroup service.
I believe service at Intergroup level is really important and worth the effort.

I learned the following from a Southern California (socalda) DA workshop on Intergroup:

• An Intergroup’s first challenge is to carry the message, to help tie meetings to DA as a whole, to serve as a hub, a clearinghouse, a central “mother ship, a network.”
This network is vitally important because it helps keep DA meetings operating within the framework of Tradition One, which is: “Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon DA unity.”

To quote briefly from the 12x12x12: “Unity within each DA group and within DA as a whole is essential to our recovery. When we work together in unified purpose, recovery is available to each of us. When we fail to do so, the recovery of every one of us is threatened.” This doesn’t mean the meetings are exactly the same one to the next, but that we can go to any DA meeting anywhere, and recognize DA.

Everyone I’ve ever heard speak, whether at a workshop or a local meeting, has said how much their individual program has grown with their participation in Intergroup.

So it is important to give back, DA was here when we got here, and we have a responsibility to keep it going. It’s a giving thing, not a have-to thing.

I’ve heard it said “it’s important to feed what feeds us.”

It feels really good to contribute.