Karlsruhe, West Germany
June 14 and 15

Now I can fully understand the enthusiasm and hope, which were expressed from SA members in the comments to the Retreats you had in the U.S.A. Let me tell you some personal thoughts about our convention we had last weekend in Karlsruhe and what I experienced there.…

For me we had some true sharing and honesty in our closed meetings; recovery I could feel and see there. And in our business meetings we reached unity, I think. The spirit of God was stronger than my and our ego and resentment. But we reached that unity only because at moments when resentment and disagreement were in the room, we held hands praying the Serenity Prayer and let God come in. And we did that several times. And it worked. It was unbelievable.…

To understand how easily business meetings can blow us apart was important so we didn’t forget “that there is but one ultimate authority—a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience.”…

The convention elected a committee (five members), which is responsible to the convention and has the following tasks: Literature (SA book, SA brochure, translations, tapes, etc.), communication with the groups in Germany, to organize a central address for SA West Germany, to organize the contact between newcomers or inquirers and people of the different groups in the country, and to administrate a central cash-box.…

The convention voted that in the committee which was elected on Saturday only members with more than 30 days sobriety can work and that they have to leave the committee when they have a slip.…

I felt strength, hope, and recovery during that convention. I think SA here in Germany is growing from the inside out. And I am very grateful for all that. God made it possible. We could not have done it alone. God seemed to be in the midst of us.…

…The most important feature was—for me—the real unity about all matters. Through all discussions, which of course came up, with signs of resentment, we managed to go back to harmony, harmony in devotion to God—or a Higher Power—so that no grudge or resentment was left. I learned a lot about what is possible if one is really trying to work the program, rather working it; trying doesn’t get us far. This is the most important fact about the whole convention—to experience how God works in and through a body of people, who are trying to see what He wants to show us. I am very grateful for this experience!…