The Central and Eastern Canada Intergroup of Debtors Anonymous is hosting an in-person retreat 06 to 08 September 2024 at Mount Mary Retreat Centre in Ancaster, Ontario. The retreat theme is The Steps We Work: An In-Depth Journey Through the 12 Steps. Activities will include readings on the steps (DA 12x12x12 book), sharing on the readings, and free time for meditation and reflection in nature on the retreat centre grounds.
Some accommodations are available on-site, and participants can also join for the day without the use of accommodations. Participation costs vary according to accommodations and meal options requested. There are limited funds available to support scholarships for those who are unable to afford the entire cost of attending the retreat.
For more details on schedules, activities and costs, see the flyer (PDF) or contact the Retreat Registrar (Amalia) at amaliastep12@gmail.com. You can also register at this link.
Comments Off on [IN-PERSON] DA Retreat (6 to 8 September 2024): The Steps we Work
Part of the World Service Conference’s ongoing momentum towards becoming more participatory is to send out Early Motions for your group to discuss, should you wish to.
These motions will come before the WSC in Ottawa for your GSR or ISR to vote on. There are four in all: three from WSC Fellowship Communications and one from WSC Literature.
If your group has a Group Service Representative (GSR) you might wish to hold a group conscience and give them an indication of how the group would like to vote. If you do not have a GSR going to Conference this year, your local or regional Intergroup would be a good place to make your views known so that the Intergroup Service Representative (ISR) can take views into account when they vote.
Each delegate, however, is entitled to vote according to their own conscience, in the spirit of the Right of Decision described in Concept 3 of the Twelve Concepts for D.A. World Service.
The motions are:
from WSC FELLOWSHIP COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE (FCC) — three motions
GSB Note: The exact name of the Day (Founder’s or Unity) will be a matter for discussion at WSC.
1. Founder’s (or Unity) Day
FCC moves to create a Founder’s (or Unity) Day Founder’s (or Unity) Day would be an annual event, taking place in the month of April starting in 2026, (50 years!) where all members are encouraged to recognize and celebrate the Founding of our wonderful Debtors Anonymous organization. Founder’s (or Unity) Day could be a part of the legacy our founder John H. has left for us.
Note: the two motions found below are applicable if Founder’s (or Unity) Day is accepted.
2. Change date of Promise 6 Day to the month of June.
FCC moves to change the celebration of Promise 6 Day from the month of April to the month of June, (June being the 6th month).
“Isolation will give way to fellowship-faith will replace fear”.
This is an annual event that will take place in the month of June. On this day members are encouraged to participate in fellowship and to break out of isolation which can be a big part of the disease of debting.
3. Mission statement
FCC moves to change its mission statement to:
The Fellowship Communications Committee (FCC) facilitates communication and promotes collaboration among the debtor who still suffers, the Debtors Anonymous membership, the World Service Conference Committees and Caucuses, the General Service Office, and the General Service Board. It oversees Founder’s (or Unity) Day, Promise 6 Day, as well as the curation and editing of the Ways and Means magazine.
From WSC Literature Committee (1 motion)
4. Gender Identity and Debt: Voices of Gender-expansive Debtors.
The WSC Literature Committee, together with the Underserved and Underrepresented Outreach Committee, moves that the Conference approve the development of a pamphlet outline on Gender Identity and Debt: Voices of Gender-expansive Debtors.
Background
The pamphlet would specifically address issues that directly affect the gender-expansive community, including, but not limited to, gender-affirming care expenses and debt.
We look forward to seeing your GSR/ISR at the WSC in Ottawa.
The WSC’s Fellowship Day will take placed on Saturday, 10 August 2024 in Ottawa! All D.A. and Debt-Anon members are welcome!(NOTE: This is an in-person event only).
WE WILL VALUE OURSELVES AND OUR CONTRIBUTIONS! LET’S GET TOGETHER FOR A FELLOWSHIP-FILLED DAY UNDER THE THEME OF PROMISE 5.
Suggested donation for Fellowship Day is $20.00 CAD or $15.00 USD. No one turned away from the workshops due to lack of funds.
Optional opportunity to buy a lunch and/or dinner ticket. (Advance booking required).
If you require a hotel room at the Brookstreet Hotel, our Conference Rate is available until July 4th at a rate of CAD 199.00 plus 18.65% taxes (single or twin occupancy).
Links to register for Fellowship Day and for hotel booking information found on the flyers (colour and black & white) or via these links:
If you would like to pay for Fellowship Day in Canadian dollars, please click here:
Fundraising for the John H. Scholarship Fund for 2025
Below are the links for the fundraiser to the online store for branded products. Proceeds will be directed to the John H. Scholarship Fund for the 2025 WSC. International shipping is available.
Dear Central and Eastern Canada DA members: please note that, as was decided at our last Intergroup meeting, we will be resetting the Zoom links for all the meetings using our Intergroup’s Zoom account. We are aiming to have these changes completed by mid-July 2024. Please refer to the meeting liston our website as we will be updating it as the changes occur. Your meetings may also reach out to you directly to let you know of the change.
If your group has not yet reached out to the Meeting schedule coordinator to schedule a switch to a new Zoom link, please contact us at meetings@debtorsanonymous.ca.
In recovery,
Central and Eastern Canada DA Intergroup.
Comments Off on CHANGES TO LINKS FOR ZOOM MEETINGS (Jun-Jul 2024)
The Host Committee for the 38th Debtors Anonymous World Service Conference in Ottawa this summer is raising funds to help get future GSRs and ISRs to the World Service Conference. The Host Committee has made WSC38 t-shirts, notebooks, coffee mugs and more available. See below for an example.
All proceeds will go to the John H Scholarship fund which helps Group Service Representatives (GSRs) and Intergroup Service Representatives (ISRs) get to the Conference each year. This is a great way to support the Fellowship.
As the deadline for this year’s John H scholarship has already passed, these proceeds will go toward the John H scholarship for 2025.
All prices are shown in Canadian dollars, but PayPal will automatically convert to your local currency.
As many of you know, there is a fellowship wide vote in progress, ending in 48 hours – May 10, midnight EST.
If 75% of all registered groups vote for these changes, they will pass. If not, there will be no change. Concept Two (p.121 of D.A’s 12, 12 and 12) outlines this requirement of the Charter.
Would you check with members or groups that you know of, so that the fellowship can complete this vote?
The question which are being voted on are as follows:
With permission from A.A., the Conference proposes to revise the D.A. Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions by replacing the words ‘he’ and ‘him’ with the word ‘God’and to rephrase Tradition Two as follows: ‘For our group purpose, there is but one ultimate authority – a loving God as God may be expressed in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.’
The WSC Literature Committee moves that the Conference update Tradition 11 to strike out the word ‘and’ between ‘radio and films’ and to add at the end ‘television and all other public media’.
The Tradition would therefore read:
‘Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion: we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, films, television and all other public media.’
Thank you for your participation in helping to determine the future of D.A. The results will be available later this year – after the voting closes on May 10th, 2024 at midnight.
Comments Off on Deadline to vote is Friday at midnight
‘Everything About D.A. Treasurers’ Workshop, an online event, arrives in the Greater New York Area and across the world on Monday, April 30, 2024, between 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM Eastern Time. The link below forwards to the ‘Everything About D.A. Treasurers’ Workshop registration page. A Workshop flyer is attached.
Suggested Donation is $12 payable to gsrsnyc@gmail.com [via Zelle / PayPal / Venmo @GSRSNYC] and if you can donate more, we’d be delighted, and no one will be turned away for lack of funds.
The GSB Literature Publications and Literature Services Committees are asking D.A. members to submit their recovery stories for possible inclusion in the “Member Stories” section of the Basic Textof Debtors Anonymous.
Our hope is that the recovery stories will reflect a rich variety and range of experiences in Debtors Anonymous:
Authors will need to identify as “debtors” or “compulsive debtors” in order to be consistent with D.A.’s primary focus, which is to not incur any new unsecured debt
Members are welcome to identify and highlight symptoms of debting in their personal stories (underearning and compulsive spending, for example)
To reach as many still-suffering debtors as possible, we are seeking stories from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. This could include touching on aspects of:
Exhibiting the “Twelve Signs of Compulsive Debting” behaviors
Growing up in extreme wealth or poverty
Recovering in a couple (one or both are in D.A.)
Raising a family as a debtor
Debting outside the U.S. (e.g., countries where mobile phones are credit cards)
Experiencing synchronicity in recovery (e.g., working Step 9 and running into past acquaintances to whom you owe amends)
Experiencing miracles in recovery (e.g., debting behaviors lifted)
Similarly, members from underrepresented populations (e.g., BIPOC, TGI, LGBTQIA+, disability, etc.) are invited to include this part of their identity if they feel comfortable doing so.
Please send submissions in editable text format only (not PDF) with a suggested maximum length of 2,500 words. If you are unable to send your story due to technical, language, disability, or other considerations, please email us and we will work with you to accommodate your needs.
“Isolation will give way to fellowship; faith will replace fear.”
A fun day to celebrate our Fellowship together.
Promise Six Day is an annual event approved by the World Service Conference that takes place on the fourth Saturday of April. Members are encouraged to participate in fellowship to break out of isolation.
Groups are encouraged to plan activities – in person or virtual – for fun and fellowship.
Spiritually Sustainable Earning is earning that meets our emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual needs. As we work the Steps and apply the Tools in everything we do, our earning efforts come into alignment with our Higher Power’s will. As a result, we find ourselves living a prosperous life, wealthy in relationships and rich in experiences.
Please join us to hear from three D.A. members how spiritually sustainable earning has changed their lives.
The qualifications will be followed by Q & A / Open Sharing.
USA & CANADA CALL IN NUMBER: +1.605.472.5540 ACCESS CODE: 617093
For international numbers and online access: www.debtorsanonymous.org/call-in-access
