Expectations could have been “understandably low” considering the event was scheduled for a Friday night and to begin at 9:00 PM. Who would show up in such a case? Practically a room full of people, that’s who! Finding a parking spot was the first clue as the beefed up We’ve Only Just Begun beginners meeting and poetry audience dominated the space.

Once the Valentine’s offering, Love and Other Disasters got underway under the skilled guidance of moderator, David D., it seemed to crescendo until the last poet was heard.

The majority of readings were the original work of “home turf” poets along with visitors and guests from the entire Houston area. The quality seemed exceptional and the audience most responsive.

Before the event started the kitchen counter was lavishly carpeted with a luscious assortment of colorful and tasty sweets. But not for long. By intermission, the gray countertop seemed to dominate as everything sold, not like hot cakes but sweet cakes in this case. Like $65.00 worth. That, plus the $75.00 basket made it not only a stimulating and tasty evening, but a profitable one for the club.

Note for future events: visitors and guests reported that they were there because they saw the flyer on the bulletin board of their home group or club. Others said they heard it announced at a meeting they attended. And, of course those attending meetings at the Bellaire Club saw the flyers and heard the announcement at every meeting. Don’t ever be discouraged. You never know who will hear and respond to your mailings or announcements.

Kudos to Mary F. who organized the sweets along with Angie B., Pam W. and Paula. An, as usual, Adele B. was there to keep her sharp eye on the coffee bar. In addition to moderating, David D. proved to be a welcoming and sympathetic figure to nervous novice poets at their first reading. And special thanks to Mark Z. for the loan of his amplifier.

The Drunk Poet’s Society will be back in May with their next offering, If It’s Not One Thing, It’s Your Mother.

FEBRUARY BIRTHDAYS

It is birthday time once more as the end of the month approaches and the birthday board fills up with celebrants.

• Adele B. will celebrate three years sobriety with the Women’s Emergency Room Group that meets Thursdays at 6:30 PM.
• Todd B. has 4 years sobriety and has not designated a group to celebrate in.
• Also celebrating 4 years will be Linda DeB. who has chosen the Sunday Speakers Meeting at 11:00 AM to share her joy.
• Isaac B. joins in with his  4 years that he will celebrate with the 10:00 Open Door Group.
• Sajiah C. now has 5 years sobriety and will celebrate with the Scottish Jack Big Book Study Group that meets Tuesdays at 8:00 PM as well as the Women’s Emergency Room Group that meets Thursdays at 6:30 PM and the We’ve Only Just Begun Group meeting Fridays at 8:00 PM.
• Deb O. will celebrate 18 years with the Thursday Women’s Emergency Room Group at 6:30.
• Michael “Wheelchair Mike” W. will celebrate his 20 years with the Taco John’s Saturday Noon Group.
• Bellaire Club board president, Ed B. will celebrate 23 years at the Sunday Noon Meeting at 12:15.
• Topping the years with 26 years sobriety is club old-timer, Lucy B who will celebrate with the Thursday Women’s Emergency Room Group as well as Taco John’s Saturday Noon Group.

Our congratulations to all of these celebrants of major milestones in their sobriety.

If you are looking for a nice gift to give any of the celebrants, may we suggest making a donation in their honor of any amount you choose to the Bellaire Club so instrumental in their sobriety? That gift will be most appreciated by the celebrants as well as the club. Ask anyone behind the counter for a card.

SMOKING SECTION

Poke your head around the corner or look out the back door to see the new attractive awning that has been installed for the comfort of our members who smoke. The project is sponsored by a local Boy Scouts Chapter. Word in the halls is that they had a car wash to raise the funds. The plan was to have a comfortable bench as well, but the landlord objected. If he allowed us to do it, he would have to allow all tenants to do it. No matter how old you get or how far from home you travel, the old parent and sibling refrain will always follow you. President Ed B. is in there trying to negotiate.

JUST AROUND THE CORNER

The Bellaire Club will once more be responsible for answering the Intergroup phones, this time March 9 through 12. The sign-up sheets are already out on the kitchen counter by the phone.

The Bellaire Club will be celebrating its 31 anniversary in April. Several ideas to commemorate the event are floating around. These include a Chili Cook-Off, an Open House to include fellow tenants and the neighborhood. And, of course, a stunning speaker. Another proposes a return to one of the club’s golden age famous events, the weekend beach party. These included dancing on the beach to live music, moonlight meetings and plain fun in the sun.

As Picasso once said: There is no hierarchy of ideas. Share yours with Mary F. or any board member.

AND TODAY’S LEADER IS. . .

• The 12 & 12 Group that meets daily except Saturday has announced its new roster of leaders. Thursday will be Ryan, Friday, Ben B., Sunday, Ronald, Monday Johnny M. , Tuesday Lawauna S. and Wednesday Ralph.
• The Thursday Noon Meeting will be chaired and led by  Mark W. this Thursday.
• Chairing The Thursday Women’s Emergency Room Group, this month is Mary F. who has asked Peggy S. to be the leader.
• The Friday Two Dollar Meeting that meets at 12:15 is being chaired this month by Jane E. She has asked Peggy S., fresh from leading the ER Group meeting the night before,  to lead the meeting this Friday. No one would tire of hearing what Peggy has to say.
• At the 11:00 AM. Sunday Speaker’s Meeting being chaired by Doug DeB., this Sunday Joe L  will be telling his story. Joe will have two years sobriety next month and calls the 6:30 AM Discussion Group at The Delta Club home.  Joe can also be seen at The Men’s Center and some evening meetings at The Bellaire Club.
• Jeff T. is chairing The Sunday Noon Meeting in February and he has asked Kate B. to lead the  meeting this Sunday at 12:15.
• The Monday Noon Hope and Healing Women’s Group is being led this month by Ann N.
• And over on the men’s side, at The Monday Men’s Meeting,  Larry A. or Barry K. are manning up and leading the group.
• Rick W. and Lynn L. will continue to chair and lead the Blankety-Blank It’s Tuesday Noon Meeting.
• The brand new 6:30 AM Group, last called The Red-Eye Special Group that meets every Wednesday is well into its second month with Larry A. and Robert P. there to guide it along.
• Next Wednesday, Arch A. will chair the Wednesday Noon Meeting, the Where-U-At Group and Amber M. will be the leader.

For a complete list of all meetings held at the Bellaire Club, please go to our website bellaireclub.org and click on Meeting Schedule.

WORD OF THE WEEK

Word: Extrapolate
Pronunciation: Ik-strap-o-late
Definition: To infer (something not known) by using but not strictly deducing from the known facts; reason by deduction; establish by deduction.
Use in a sentence: Extrapolating from experiences the newcomer shared, the listeners easily concluded that he had a drinking problem.

PARTING THOUGHTS (ON FORGIVENESS)

Always forgive your enemies – nothing annoys them so much. Oscar Wilde
Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names. John F. Kennedy
Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself. Suzanne Somers

I’LL HAVE A SECOND HELPING OF THAT, PLEASE

What a Sunday noon meeting that was! Exciting and uplifting. It was a regular birthday meeting preceding the unveiling of the commemorative plaque honoring Fran B. The place was packed. Extra seating had to be brought in to accommodate the crowd.

The new space seemed to work well with a crowd. (Remember the old club where we would all be fanning about halfway through a crowded event?)

The scheduled unveiling of the plaque went off without a hitch. President Ed B. designed it to be simple and sincere, just the way Fran would have liked it.

Kudos also to Jeff T. who took responsibility for ordering, installing and veiling the stunning plaque.

LOVE AND OTHER DISASTERS

The Bellaire Club’s Drunk Poetry Society’s Spring offering is an evening of open mike poetry reading commemorating the hopes and sometimes unfortunate realities of Valentine’s Day aptly titled, Love and Other Disasters.
An open mike reading means simply that anyone may read. There will be a sign-up sheet either in the hands of our seasoned moderator, David D. or placed in a convenient spot. Just ask around. When the show begins, the moderator will call the names of those who signed in order and each will come to the podium and read. A three poem limit is suggested with a ten minute total of reading. There is usually a brief intermission.

To sweeten things up (forgive the pun) the club will have cakes and other goodies to sell and auction.

As always, we need readers but we also need an audience there to enjoy the readings. You will be surprised by what comes out of some of the people you see at meetings all the time. It has been observed that we are a sensitive lot. Poetry is one way of venting those feelings. Being a good listener is a way of sharing those feelings.  All of this will begin Friday, February 10 at 9:00 PM.

CIRCLE THE WAGONS! BURN THAT WHITE FLAG!

Friends, one of our groups is in dire straits and needs immediate attention. The Wednesday Noon Meeting, the Where-U-At Group has had a troubled history since its inception at our temporary location. It seemed to be holding its own, but there was an unfortunate altercation, then soon after that the original founder of the group suddenly abandoned it without notice. The ad hoc “steering committee” of the noon groups took over and tried to turn things around. That went well, but the major support of the group started attending the new 6:30 AM meeting on the same day and once more the group was abandoned and attendance dropped drastically.

Time to turn all of that around. Please, if you are free and can possibly make it, start attending the meetings and let’s keep it going. We have a lot of newcomers show up for the noon meetings these days and we really need for the club to be there for them.

GROUP CONSCIENCE MEETING

The 12 & 12 Group will be holding its regular monthly Group Conscience Meeting the first Tuesday of the month, February 7, following the 6:30 PM meeting.

I’VE WONDERED ABOUT THAT MYSELF

When dealing with family members that have been in and out of treatment, AA and other 12-Step groups and no matter how good they act, they just can’t get more than one or two days. Do I give up or keep letting it eat at me day by day hoping for change?

Can you really be happy sober?

How can I keep my expectations down without seeming to be depressed or pessimistic? I’ve heard that keeping expectations low is good for your serenity. 

These are typical questions asked each and every Wednesday night at the 8:00 Ask-It-Basket Meeting, moderated by board president, Ed B who is also responsible for the renaissance of the group. What a great opportunity to share your experience, strength and hope by answering the questions from your stand point. Always provocative. You can always learn something. You can always share something.

HOPE AND HEALING GROUP

The women’s Hope and Healing Group that meets Mondays at noon seems to be attracting more and more visitors and regulars. The growing group decided to have a speaker the first Monday of every month as well as celebrate birthdays the last Monday of the month. Great signs of life. Congratulations, ladies.

SUNRISE SPECIAL

The newly formed 6:30 AM Group is now in its second month and it looks like it just might be here for quite a while. They ask that if you are up at that hour to drop in and check it out. If you happen to know someone else who is, tell them about it. Things are really alive and jumping at the club at that hour. Everyone leaves happy. A great way to start your day.

CRYSTAL BALL GAZING

The Bellaire Club will once more be responsible for answering the Intergroup phones, this time March 9 through 12. The sign-up sheets are already out on the kitchen counter by the phone. Sign early to get a prime spot.

AND TODAY’S LEADER IS. . .

It’s a brand new month with some brand new chairs. Some new and some familiar faces in new places. Looks like a good month ahead.

• The 12 & 12 Group that meets daily except Saturday has announced its roster of leaders. Thursday will beRyan, Friday, Ben, Sunday, Ronald, Monday Steve, Tuesday Lawauna and Wednesday Ralph. Come check it out.
• The Thursday Noon Meeting is being chaired this month by Mark W. who has asked Baroque F.  to lead this Thursday and report whether or not the Ground Hog saw its shadow.
• Chairing The Thursday Women’s Emergency Room Group, this month is Mary F.who will ask one of the attendees who shows up Thursday to lead.
• The Friday Two Dollar Meeting that meets at 12:15 is being chaired this month by Jane E. She has asked Alice G.  to lead the meeting this Friday. Worth it just to come see that pair of live wires at work!
• Derek S. with over 28 years sobriety will be telling his story at the 11:00 AM.Sunday Speaker’s Meeting being chaired by Doug DeB. Derek’s home group is The Tuesday Night Men’s Group at Faith American Lutheran Church. You may also have run into him at “Red’s Meeting,” The Cathedral Group on Saturday mornings.
• Jeff T. is chairing The Sunday Noon Meeting in February and he has asked Robert S. to lead the  meeting this Sunday at 12:15.
• The Monday Noon Hope and Healing Women’s Group is being led this month byAnn N.  The newly revised format will have a speaker the first Monday of the month. Leading off the speaker roster will be Camora  K.
• And over on the men’s side, at The Monday Men’s Meeting,  Larry A. or Barry K.are manning up and leading the group.
• Rick W. and Lynn L. will continue to chair and lead the Blankety-Blank It’s Tuesday Noon Meeting if they have recovered from the Super Bowl by then.
• The brand new6:30 AM Group thatmeets every Wednesdaywill begin its second month with Larry A. and Robert P. there to guide it along.
• Davasha S. has agreed to lead the Wednesday Noon Meeting, the Where-U-At Group.

For a complete list of all meetings held at the Bellaire Club, please go to our websitebellaireclub.org and click on Meeting Schedule.

MOUTH OF THE SOUTH

People who look for jobs, find jobs.

People who wait for job, wait for jobs.

Arch A. and Robert P.’s mantra seems to be working for two more of our crowd. Mary Kate B. starts a brand new job this week after much searching. And there is hope on the horizon for Baroque F. who appears to be on the (very) short list for a new position. Still out there looking and responding to promising nibbles is Davasha S. Encouraging news to all out there looking. Don’t give up. Keep looking. Don’t wait.

WORD OF THE WEEK

Word: germane
Pronunciation: jer-main
Definition: Relevant and appropriate; akin
Use in a sentence: The speaker’s example seemed germane to the topic.

PARTING THOUGHT

The truth is the Super Bowl long ago became more than just a football game. It’s part of our culture like turkey at Thanksgiving and lights at Christmas, and like those holidays beyond their meaning, a factor in our economy. Bob Schieffer

If I had to live my life again, I’d make the same mistakes, only sooner. Tallulah Bankhead
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IN MEMORIAM FRAN B.

Fran B. picked up only one desire chip and she picked it up at the Bellaire Club. It lasted her for 21 years. Fran always felt a part of the Bellaire Club as her sobriety and growth were so intimately bound to it.

Her gratitude to the club was always expressed with far more action than mere words.  If the club, or anyone else for that matter, sent up the distress flag, Fran was there to help. Her baking skills were legendary. You could always spot Fran’s contribution to any bake sale, cake auction or any event the club sponsored. As with her sobriety, Fran was no dilettante. She knew what worked and committed to it.

It was a rare club event that did not see Fran’s artistic hand in the decorations. Hours were spent shopping and installing the intricate table decorations for our annual New Year’s Eve meeting. Just as well we got rid of the tables in the new place: they would never be the same without Fran’s hand.

Sadly, she did not get to see the new club completed. She hated the old location with a passion surpassed only by her devotion to the club and was ready to move anytime. She did get to see the new place in the first flashlight tour and liked its potential. She commented on the design appeal of the commercial slat boards remaining on one partial wall and stacked against another. These were developed into a design for the small meeting room.

There was no argument that the funds bequeathed by family and friends to the club in her honor after her death be used for the development of a  kitchen or coffee bar in our new facility. Her son, Asher, designed and installed the cabinetry. A plaque placed there in her honor will be unveiled Sunday following the Noon Meeting.

THE 12 & 12 GROUP.

The 12 & 12 Group is an old group that moved here when the Houston-Western Club closed. It meets at 6:30 PM every day except Saturday, offering a perfect time to end your work day and leave the rest of the evening free. As the name indicates, the group studies our book, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions as well as the Big Book. The group generally works through the book page by page,  except when a newcomer attends. At that time they cover the First Step, where it all begins. Come check it out.

JANUARY BIRTHDAYS

Busy week here at the club as the monthly birthday celebrations begin.

• Wil G. will be celebrating three years sobriety.
• Ray M. will celebrate four years with the new Blankety-Blank-It’s-Tuesday Noon Group.
• Wally G. with seven years this month will celebrate with the Monday Men’s Meeting.
• Sunny S. will celebrate nine years with the Saturday Noon Group.
• Jonathan L. has 22 years this month and will celebrate with the Scottish Jack Big Book Study Group that meets Tuesdays at 8:00 PM.
• Anne Marie K. will celebrate 28 years with the Thursday Women’s Emergency Room Group at 6:30 and again with the Sunday Noon Group meeting at 12:15.
• Robert P. with 29 years and Arch A. with 31 will both celebrate with the Sunday Noon Group

Our congratulations to all of these celebrants of major milestones in their sobriety.

If you are looking for a nice gift to give any of the celebrants, may we suggest making a donation in their honor of any amount you choose to the Bellaire Club so instrumental in their sobriety? That gift will be most appreciated by the celebrants as well as the club. Ask anyone behind the counter for a card.

MONTHLY BOARD MEETING

The regular monthly meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Bellaire Club will be held this Sunday following the unveiling of the dedication plaque in the coffee bar. All members are welcome to attend.

DRUNK POET’S SOCIETY

In honor of Valentine’s Day, the Bellaire Club’s Drunk Poet’s Society will sponsor an open mike event aptly named, Love and Other Disasters. This will begin Friday, February 10 at 9:00 PM. Bring your original poem to read or you may choose to read the work of another poet meaningful to you. The general rule is three poems or anything not to exceed ten minutes. You will find it a very sympathetic and supportive audience. You are most cordially invited to participate as a reader or listener. In addition there will be sweets to eat and auction.

AND TODAY’S LEADER IS. . .

(Editor’s note: Special thanks to all the chairs this month who have been so prompt with the names of meeting leaders, most of the time without any nagging. You will be missed. Thanks to Peggy S., The Thursday Women’s Emergency Room Group has been in the loop. Let’s hope it continues with the February chairs. Once more a call to all groups to send in information that can be used to support your group meetings and activities. )

• The Thursday Noon Meeting is being chaired by Arch A.  who has asked James N.  to lead this Thursday. James is a familiar face from the old Bellaire Club.
• Ann N. will be leading The Thursday Women’s Emergency Room Group, being chaired this month by Peggy S.
• Chairing The Friday Two Dollar Meeting that meets at 12:15 this month is Ann N. She has asked Arch A.  to lead the meeting this Friday. (I know, this looks like two names under walnut shells we keep shuffling around.)
• At the 11:00 AM. Sunday Speakers Meeting Doug DeB. is chairing and has asked Bill O. to tell his story. With over 20 years sobriety, Bill calls Our Common Journey home. Word is that his story is both inspiring and entertaining.
• Baroque F. is chairing The Sunday Noon Meeting and has asked Russell C. to lead the special birthday meeting this Sunday at 12:15.
• The Monday Noon Hope and Healing Women’s Group is being led this month by Alice G.
• And over on the men’s side, The Monday Men’s Meeting,  Larry A. or Barry K. are manning the group.
• Rick W. and Lynn L. will be heading  the Blankety-Blank It’s Tuesday Noon Meeting.
• The brand new, first ever and as yet unnamed (Dark-30, an appealing contender) 6:30 AM Group is going strong with very lively meetings every Wednesday honchoed by Larry A. and Robert P. Walk-ins welcome.

For a complete list of all meetings held at the Bellaire Club, please go to our website bellaireclub.org and click on Meeting Schedule.

WORD OF THE WEEK

Word: inchoate
Pronunciation: in-ko-it
Definition: Early stage, vague, imperfectly formed
Use in a sentence: The leader’s introduction was filled with inchoate concepts.

PARTING THOUGHTS

A friend who dies, it’s something of you who dies. Gustave Flaubert

Life is better than death, I believe, if only because it is less boring, and because it has fresh peaches in it. Alice Walker

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