Bill W. on YPAA’s

"... [I]n recent years I have found nothing for greater inspiration than the knowledge that A.A. of tomorrow will be safe, and certainly magnificent, in the keeping of you who are the younger generation of A.A. today."

June 15, 1969 letter to ICYPAA


NCCYPAA was founded for the intent purpose of furthering the principles of Alcoholics Anonymous among young people in North Carolina. We do not propose to be a universal answer or a governing body for young people. It is through our sharing that we have learned to function within the framework of the A.A. traditions.

NCCYPAA brings the newcomer into the mainstream of A.A. Recovery, Unity, and Service through the 12 Steps, 12 Traditions and 12 Concepts for World Service of Alcoholics Anonymous, carrying A.A.'s message to the suffering Alcoholic. NCCYPAA is in no way separate from A.A. as a whole. Members of NCCYPAA are involved in and committed to all levels of AA. Newcomers are shown by people their own age that using A.A. principles in their daily lives, and getting involved in the A.A. can lead to a lasting and comfortable Sobriety. YPAA Meetings bring a sense of unity and in this atmosphere we find the fellowship, warmth, laughter and understanding we crave.

It is sure to be great fun for all. There has been much experience gained over the last few years. It is our hope as an Advisory Council to continue to spread the message of Alcoholics Anonymous throughout the state of North Carolina. Please come and join us. We look forward to meeting you and share the experience we have all been given.

Upon arriving at Hope Valley, I was full of selfishness, self-centeredness, and lies. They told me right then and there that I had to get the HOW of this program. I was very scared and did not know what they meant. They taught me that it meant Honesty, Open-mindedness, and Willingness. Those three words carried me through the 28-day program and I began to trust those folks because they to had been right where I was sitting in “pitiful, incomprehensible demoralization.” I had to look those words up in the dictionary after I heard them. As soon as I read their meanings, they all rang true to exactly what I was feeling. Treatment was a great start to my sobriety.

After getting out of treatment, it was suggested that I get involved with a home group, find a sponsor, and work the 12 steps of AA. Taking those suggestions with the utmost willingness changed my life. I now feel connected to a group of people who feel just like I do. I now know that I do not have to do this alone. It is a WE program. Just like it says in the first 12 steps, “WE admitted we were powerless….” My involvement in AA is something of choice today! God’s grace is truly amazing!

My name is Drew, and I am an alcoholic. I was in treatment for 21 days. During my time in treatment, I was introduced to Alcoholics Anonymous. It was interesting to see that these people in the meetings were going through some of the same things that I was experiencing. It was suggested to me that I find a sponsor as soon as possible. When I got out of treatment, I did just that. I started working the steps of recovery outlined in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous. Working the steps is a vital part of recovery. I learned that the fellowship alone would not save me. I had to learn the exact nature of my disease, and come to believe in a power greater than myself that could restore me to sanity. From there, I made a decision to turn my will and my life over to the care of God as I understood him. This means my thoughts and actions must be turned over. I was beyond human aid. After taking steps 1-3, I got into action and continued working the steps 4-12. This program takes willingness, open-mindedness, and honesty. Today, my life is much better and I thank God for that.

My name is Deedee and my sobriety date is August 19, 2003. I got sober two weeks after my 17th birthday, and the first 6 months of my sobriety was spent in a treatment center. I’m thankful for the fact that I was able to spend the first months of my sobriety in a treatment center for it gave me the ability to build a strong foundation in a safe and sober environment. When I left treatment, I truly learned the importance of one day at a time. I was no longer surrounded 24 hours a day with recovery like the life I had built inside treatment. I felt like I was re-entering the real world with new goals and guidelines to live by, and I was. I went to two AA meetings a day and spoke in every meeting to let other AA members know I was new to the program. I got phone numbers from women and stayed connected in a network of friends.

Sobriety has given me a life like I never had before, I now have relationships with my friends and family, a career, and most of all I was given the ability to rediscover a relationship with a Higher Power. In sobriety, I’ve experienced life, death, friendships, dating, good events, bad events, and one thing has always remained a constant; no matter what, I have not taken a drink.

I spent 28 days at a treatment facility in the mountains of North Carolina. Upon leaving the treatment, I began attending AA meetings daily. However, I was not working the steps, calling my sponsor, or reading the chapters of the Big Book. Looking back, I set myself up for relapse. In a couple of months I hit a bottom that was lower and more painful than what sent me to treatment before. The program of AA was there for me when I had been through enough heartache and pain. Upon returning to AA I was willing to do whatever it took to stay sober. I clung to my sponsor and did whatever I was told to do. I began working the steps and called my sponsor daily. By the grace of my Higher Power, I have four months of continuous sobriety. I now have a relationship with a Higher Power and I am very thankful that I can live a sober life one day at a time.

What an experience! I was involved in the bid for NCCYPAA in Wilmington, and then later had the opportunity to host NCCYPAA in Wilmington. It was a two-year commitment that kept me involved with meetings, fellowships, fun, stress, bonding, events, etc. I learned more about commitment and what it means to do my part for the better of AA and those around me. It was the first real experience in service work and feeling a sense of purpose in my life. There’s no better feeling than that for me. It later led me to be of service afterwards through people I met, and also opened doors to lifelong friendships with other recovering alcoholics around the state. It truly is an experience you must not miss.

When it was asked of me to produce a concise statement that would convey my experience with Y.P.A.A. events, N.C.C.Y.P.A.A. in particular, I was honored. To do this accurately I should first tell you that I was not a person who was overjoyed about having to go to AA in the first place. The idea of going somewhere that was overflowing with these AA’s was not exactly my idea of something fun to do with my weekend. I was willing to give it a try for a change of scenery more than anything else. Once I arrived and got checked in, I was introduced to a couple of people from another town and that seemed pretty cool. As more and more people talked to me (and I to them) I realized that there were a ton of folks around who had been places I’d been, done things I’d done, felt the way I felt, and been in the same trouble I’d been in. I actually got comfortable enough to relax and have some fun. I found myself completely wrapped up in the thing and even wanting to help host future events. There were people that I met there that I still keep up with and consider close friends today.

NCCYPAA saves lives...it saved mine. Not only did I still have a life to live, but also, I was enriched in ways I never thought possible. Call it a "God thing" that I even got involved. I didn't know what these weekly meetings were at first, but I attended because someone told me going to them would help keep me sober. Starring up from the bleakest, dark hole I had ever been in, I was willing to do anything. The more I became involved, the more fun and rewarding the experience. I began to make friends with young people who shared the same disease I had. We were working towards a common goal...to have the North Carolina Conference of Young People in Alcoholics Anonymous here in our town of Raleigh. This way we could personally give back and reach the youthful alcoholic who thinks they are all alone and that life couldn't possibly be fun now that they weren't drinking. Together we made a bid package displaying our passion and ability to put on a great conference in our area and were made the next years host committee of NCCYPAA!

I felt a strong sense of camaraderie with my team members for having achieved our goal, but the work was just beginning. For the next year we met weekly and kept in touch regularly planning out the details of what we hoped to be the best young people's conference ever! Let's just say, with all of that service work I got a solid year of sobriety under my belt. As the conference drew near, I realized I had achieved so many gifts already that I had not expected. Not only did I have peers who understood me and my problems, but I had become part of a team. I never gave myself this opportunity before. I longed to join numerous sports, clubs, or play musical instruments in a band as a teen and never did because of the fear I wasn't good enough. I assumed you had to be perfect at whatever you were trying out for to make the team, and I knew for certain I was not that. With God and my new friends I overcame fears without realizing it. My passion to help other alcoholics enjoy their life made me blind to the fact I was walking through my fears without taking a drink.

The conference was a great success! I now know alcoholics all over the country and look forward to reuniting with them year after year. I urge anyone to find out more about NCCYPAA in their area and see how they can get involved...to quote the Big Book, " It is an experience you must not miss!"