700 AA groups in B.C., Yukon here to help

Usually when a convention rolls into the Township of Langley for the weekend, it's viewed as good news for those who earn their living by the jigger or by the pint as servers at any of the local watering holes.

However, for Langley's bar keepers and pub owners, business prospects from a convention held at the Langley Civic Centre over last Saturday and Sunday was as dry as they come because all the roughly 400 delegates were part of the Alcoholics Anonymous B.C. Yukon Convention.

And as a lead-up to the weekend's activities, convention organizers from Alcoholics Anonymous Districts 39, 42, and 43 (Abbotsford, Aldergrove, Langley, White Rock, Surrey and Delta) hosted a public- information luncheon on Friday to provide professionals such as doctors, lawyers, police or health-care workers and the media with information on this long-standing, worldwide organization.

And an effective way of educating the community at large about AA's non-profit organization and the devastatingly widespread disease it deals with was to place AA members at each of our luncheon tables, where we could spend some time chatting informally.

Your first lesson is quick and simple: Alcoholics are very ordinary men and women of all ages who come from all walks of life, income groups, cultures and family backgrounds.

And, despite what they've been through in combating their disease -- or in some cases are still going through -- many have a delightful sense of humour and a surprisingly sunny disposition.

"I like coming to these AA conventions because there's a dinner and dance on Saturday night and I'm still learning how to dance sober," quips Trish, who has been in AA for 13 years now.

Or Scott, who gave an enlightening luncheon talk on what the AA is -- and is not -- after introducing himself in the classic AA manner: (Hi, I'm Scott and I'm an alcoholic.) "I'm not anyone important in AA," he added.

"In fact, it's laughable to think about becoming important in an anonymous organization -- who's gonna know?" He went on to explain that AA's adherence to anonymity isn't a cop-out or coverup, it's a key part in how members help others recover by sharing their recovery experiences and challenges.

Just as importantly, Scott gave us an important overview of what the AA is not.

"We have no wish to dry up the world," he said.

"Nor do we recruit new members but we do welcome them." At our table, I ask Trish, Jade and Marty why the AA doesn't play an advocacy role in areas such as drinking and driving the way other organizations such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving do.

"We're not a reform movement," Trish explains.

"We're a solution for people who want to deal with their own alcoholism. If other groups want our help we'll walk over hot coals for them but we will not affiliate.

"We stay focused and that's how we have survived for the past 72 years." Within B.C. and the Yukon alone, (www.bcyukonaa.org) there are more than 700 AA groups.

The Vancouver Province