Aa history Lovers 2009 moderators Nancy Olson and Glenn F. Chesnut page
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(NW 93-94, SI 35, DBGO 212-219, NG 81, GTBT 123, AGAA 8-10, 188, 243)
(continued) From: Arthur S . . . . . . . . . . . . 2/11/2009 10:49:00 PM
League Club. 75 of 400 invited guests attended. Nelson Rockefeller hosted in the absence of his ill father. The dinner produced much favorable publicity for AA. It also raised $2,200 ($32,000 today) from the attendees ($1,000 from Rockefeller). Rockefeller and the dinner guests continued to provide "outside contributions" of about $3,000 a year ($43,500 today) up to 1945 when they were asked to stop contributing. The Alcoholic Foundation received the donations and income from sales of the Big Book for safekeeping. (LR 197, BW-RT 264-267, AACOA viii, 182-187, NG 92-94, BW-FH 109-112, PIO 232-235). 1940 April 16 - Cleveland Indians baseball star "Rollicking" Rollie H had his anonymity broken in the Cleveland Plain Dealer and nationally. Bill W did likewise in later personal appearances in 1942 and 1943. (AACOA 135, BW-RT 268-270, DBGO 249-253, NG 85-87, 96-96, AACOA 24-25, BW-FH 134-135, PIO 236-238, GTBT 156)
arm of the Alcoholic Foundation. The major stockholders, Bill W and Hank P, gave up their stock with a written stipulation that Dr Bob and Anne would receive 10% royalties on the Big Book for life. (AACOA 189-190, LR 199, BW-FH 119, SM 11, PIO 235-236, GTBT 92, GSO-AC)
the owners of the Saturday Evening Post (the largest general circulation magazine in the US with a readership of 3,000,000). Later, in December, Jack Alexander was assigned to do a story on AA. (LR 131, BW-RT 278-279, BW-FH 140-141, PIO 244-245, GB 82)
and became AA's most notable public relations blessing. The publicity caused 1941 membership to jump from around 2,000 to 8,000. Bill W's and two other members' pictures appeared full-face in the article. (AACOA viii, 35-36, 190-191, BW-RT 281, LOH 149-150, BW-FH 146, PIO 245-247) The article, led to over 6,000 appeals for help to be mailed to the NY Office. (SM S7, PIO 249) Consequently, the NY office asked groups to donate $1 ($14 today) per member, per year, for support. This began the practice of financing what is today called the General Service Office from group and member donations. (AACOA 112, 192, LOH 149, SM S7) From all these public relations blessings emerged the proven principle in the long form of Tradition 11 that states, "There is never need to praise ourselves. We feel it better to let our friends recommend us."
Abby G to start AA's first Central Office. Bill W also credits Abby G and the Cleveland Central Office with introducing the principle of rotation to AA.
recalled to active duty in the Army, Bill W requested that he be granted a royalty on book sales to provide financial support for his wife Lois. The board approved a 10% royalty. Prior to this, Dr Bob was voluntarily giving Bill half the 10% royalty that he and Anne were (irregularly) receiving. (1951 GSC-FR 13)
1940 dinner guests for $8,500 ($102,500 today) to buy back the remaining outstanding shares of Works Publishing Inc. stock. Rockefeller lent $4,000, his son Nelson $500 and the other dinner guests $4,000. By acquiring all the outstanding shares it ensured that complete ownership of the Big Book would be held in trust for the entire AA Fellowship. Rockefeller's custom was to forgive $1 of debt ($12 today) for each $1 repaid. The Rockefeller and dinner guest loans were repaid by 1945 out of Big Book income. (AACOA 189, BW-FH 110-111, SM S7, LOH 148, AACOA says $8,000)
discovering that Dr Bob and Bill W were receiving royalties from Big Book sales. (DBGO 267-269, BW-FH 153-154, AACOA 193-194) Bill and Dr Bob re-examined the problem of their financial status and concluded that royalties from the Big Book seemed to be the only answer to the problem. Bill sought counsel from his spiritual sponsor, Father Edward Dowling, who suggested that Bill and Bob could not accept money for 12th Step work, but should accept royalties as compensation for special services. This later formed the basis for Tradition 8 and Concept 11. Due to the amount of time both co-founders dedicated to the Fellowship, it was impossible for either of them to earn a living through their normal professions. (AACOA 194-195, PIO 322-324) 1940s Early - the NY office was variously called the Headquarters or Central Office or General Office. It had the vital job of responding to letters from groups and members. It also provided a central communications link to members attempting to start groups and helping them with growing pains. The letters from groups and members gave firm signals of a need for guidelines to help with problems that occurred repeatedly. Basic ideas for the 12 Traditions came from these letters and the principles defined in the Foreword to the first edition Big Book. (AACOA 187, 192-193, 198, 203-204, PIO 305-306, LOH 154)
The Grapevine later played a critical and central role in the development of the Traditions and General Service Conference. It is also recognized in the long form of Tradition 9 as AA's "principal newspaper" given its newspaper format at the time. (AACOA viii, 201-203, 212, LOH 153-154, SM S79, PIO 305)
dinner guests that AA no longer needed their financial help. Big Book royalties could look after Dr Bob and Bill and group contributions could pay the office expenses. If these were insufficient, the reserve accumulated out of literature sales could meet the deficit. In total, Rockefeller and the dinner guest donated $30,700 ($345,000 today) to AA. The donations were viewed as loans and paid back out of Big Book income. This led to the principle of being fully self-supporting declining all further outside contributions and later formed the basis of Tradition 7. (AACOA 203-204)
by groups and members led to reliable conclusions on what practices worked well and what did not. Groups were also asked to send in their membership rules and it provided quite a jolt. If all the rules were applied everywhere, it would be impossible for any alcoholic to join AA. Earl T, founder of AA in Chicago suggested to Bill W that the experiences sent in from group and member correspondence might be codified into a set of principles to offer tested solutions to avoid future problems. Earl recommended to Bill W that he codify the Traditions and write essays on them in the Grapevine. Earl T had a major role in the development of the Traditions (both long and short forms). He later served as a Class B Trustee from 1951-1954 and helped establish the General Service Conference. He is also the member described in the Big Book chapter "The Family Afterward" (AABB 135) as getting drunk again after his wife nagged him about his smoking and drinking coffee.(SM S8, AACOA 22, 203, GTBT 54-55, 77, SM S8, PIO 306, LOH 20-24) Bill W wrote in AACOA 208 that the period from 1945-1950 was one of immense strain and test. The three main issues were money, anonymity and what was to become of AA when its old timers and founders were gone. This 5-year period saw Bill's most intensive and exhaustive work of establishing a service structure and advocating the Traditions.
"Modesty One Plank for Good Public Relations" setting the groundwork for his 5-year campaign for the Traditions. The preceding July 1945 Grapevine edition had an article by member CHK of Lansing, MI about the Washingtonians. Bill used this article to begin his essay commentaries on the Traditions. The July 1945 article by CHK contained a number of factual errors about the Washingtonians that carried into Bill's Grapevine essays and subsequently into the 12&12 and AACOA. 1946 April - The Grapevine was incorporated in April 1946 as the second publishing arm of the Alcoholic Foundation. The April 1946 Grapevine carried Bill W's essay titled "Twelve Suggested Points for AA Tradition." They later came to be called the "Long Form of the Traditions." Bill W wrote Grapevine essays on the Traditions up to late 1949. The essays are preserved in LOH and were used in writing the 12&12 and AACOA. IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 5520. . . . . . . . . . . . Part 4 - The Evolution of the Traditions from Long to Short Form From: Arthur S . . . . . . . . . . . . 2/11/2009 10:49:00 PM
various geographical Areas coming together as an elected service conference. The board and Dr Bob were not very enthusiastic about the idea. This marked the first suggestion for the General Service Conference. (LOH 338, SM 12 says 1945)
Council for Education on Alcoholism (NCEA) by Marty M. Dr Bob and Bill W's names appeared on the letterhead. An Alcoholic Foundation Board statement on fund raising was printed in the October 1946 Grapevine to disavow AA affiliation. (GTBT 29, NG 119, MMM 185)
W wrote a paper titled "Our AA General Service Center-The Alcoholic Foundation of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow." It outlined a history of the Foundation and recommended a General Service Conference and renaming the Alcoholic Foundation to the General Service Board of Alcoholics Anonymous. The Trustee's reaction was at first defensive and then outright negative. They saw no need for change. Most members would not associate the seeds of the Twelve Traditions and Twelve Concepts with the years 1946 and 1947 respectively. AA was on the verge of its teenage years and a visionary Bill W was laying the groundwork for the membership's coming of age. (AACOA 210-211, www, GSO-AC)
Made AA Self-Supporting" Bill W wrote "Two years ago the trustees set aside, out of AA book funds, a sum which enabled my wife and me to pay off the mortgage on our home and make some needed improvements. The Foundation also granted Dr Bob and me each a royalty of 10% on the book Alcoholics Anonymous, our only income from AA sources. We are both very comfortable and deeply grateful." (LOH 62-66)
pamphlet titled "AA Traditions" was sent to each group and that enough copies were available for each member to have one free of charge. It was AA's first piece of literature dedicated totally to the Traditions. A sad and gloomy cloud emerged in 1947; Dr Bob was stricken with cancer. (AACOA 209, BW-RT 303-304) Dr Bob's cancer was diagnosed as terminal in the summer of 1948. Bill W was spurred into greater urgency by the progression of Dr Bob's illness and pressed harder for a General Service Conference. It resulted in hot debates and a serious rift developed between Bill and the Class B trustees over Bill's use of "sledge-hammer tactics." In AACOA 210 Bill admits to writing a sizzling memo that "nearly blew the Foundation apart." (AACOA 210-211, DBGO 320, 348, GSO-AC) 1949 July 14 - in a letter to the Rev Sam Shoemaker Bill W wrote "So far as I am concerned, and Dr Smith too, the Oxford Group seeded AA. It was our spiritual wellspring at the beginning." In AACOA 39 Bill also wrote, "Early AA got its ideas of self-examination, acknowledgment of character defects, restitution for harm done, and working with others straight from the Oxford Groups and directly from Sam Shoemaker, their former leader in America, and from nowhere else." (AGAA 137)
T suggested to Bill W that the Twelve Suggested Points for AA Tradition would benefit from revision and shortening. (AACOA 213 says it occurred in "1947 or thereabouts"). Bill, with Earl's help, set out to develop the short form of the Twelve Traditions, which was published in the November 1949 Grapevine. (AACOA 213, GTBT 55, 77, PIO 334, www) The entire November 1949 Grapevine was dedicated to the Traditions in preparation for the Cleveland Convention in 1950. In 1953, two wording changes were made to the version published in 1949: the term "primary spiritual aim" was changed to "primary purpose" in Tradition Six, and the term "principles above personalities" was changed to "principles before personalities" in Tradition Twelve. The November Grapevine issue also contained an article by Bill W titled "A Suggestion for Thanksgiving." Bill endorsed a suggestion in a letter and article from member TDY titled "You have a stake in the future of AA." The suggestion was to "adopt Thanksgiving Week as a time for meetings and meditation on the Tradition of Alcoholics Anonymous." (LOH 95-96).
was held at Cleveland, OH (estimated 3,000 attendees). The Traditions meeting was held in the Cleveland Music Hall. Following talks on the Traditions by 6 old-timer members, Bill W was asked to sum up the Traditions for the attendees. Contrary to popular belief, the short form of the Traditions were not approved at the 1950 Convention, Bill W did not recite either the short or the long form of the Traditions to the attendees. Instead, he paraphrased and summarized a variation of the Traditions that is preserved in LOH 121.This is what Bill W read and was approved:
come first; that AA has no human authority - only God as he may speak in our Group Conscience;
one;
surrounding groups are not harmed thereby;
alcoholic who still suffers; that in consequence we cannot finance, endorse or otherwise lend the name 'Alcoholics Anonymous' to any other enterprise, however worthy; that AA, as such, ought to remain poor, lest problems of property, management and money divert us from our sole aim; that we ought to be self-supporting, gladly paying our small expenses ourselves; that AA should remain forever non-professional, ordinary 12th Step work never to be paid for; that, as a Fellowship, we should never be organized but may nevertheless create responsible Service Boards or Committees to insure us better propagation and sponsorship and that these agencies may engage fulltime workers for special tasks; that our public relations ought to proceed upon the principle of attraction rather than promotion, it being better to let our friends recommend us; that personal anonymity at the level of press, radio and pictures ought to be strictly maintained as our best protection, against the temptations of power or personal ambition;
to all our Traditions, ever reminding us we are always to place principles before personalities, that we are actually to practice a genuine humility. This to the end that our great blessings may never spoil us; that we shall forever live in thankful contemplation of Him who presides over us all."
Traditions by standing vote. Notably missing from what Bill recited to the attendees were the principles in Tradition 10 of AA having no opinion on outside issues and not drawing the AA name into public controversy. Nevertheless, the attendees unanimously approved what Bill W presented. (AACOA 43, PIO 338, LOH 117-124) 1950 July 30 - Dr Bob made a brief appearance for his last talk. (GSO, PIO 339-342) Bill W later visited Dr Bob in Akron, OH for their last visit together. Bill advised Bob that the board would likely give its consent to a multi-year trial period for the General Service Conference. Dr Bob gave Bill his endorsement as well. (AACOA 213-215, DBGO 325, 340, 342-343, PIO 342, 344)
City Hospital in Akron, OH.
5-year conflict between Bill W and the Board on having a Conference. Smith, who Bill later called "the architect of the service structure," chaired a trustee's committee that recommended that Conferences be held on a trial basis from 1951-1954 and that in 1955 it would be evaluated and a final decision made. The recommendation was approved at the Board's Fall meeting. (AACOA 209-212, PIO 344)
in the General Service Structure From: Arthur S . . . . . . . . . . . . 2/12/2009 10:17:00 AM
Canadian delegates (half the planned number) convened at the Commodore Hotel in NYC as the first Conference Panel. Bernard B Smith presided. 15 Trustees and various staff members from the NY Office and Grapevine Office joined the Conference as voting members. The Conference unanimously recommended several advisory actions. Among them, that AA literature should have Conference-approval.
attending. Based on a 1951 Conference advisory action recommending that AA literature should have Conference approval, the Board formed a special Trustees committee on literature to recommend literature items that should be retained and future literature items that would be needed. Bill W also reported on the many literature projects he was engaged in. The Conference unanimously approved the Board proposals and Bill's projects (which later resulted in publication of 6 Conference-approved books). While it did not recommend specific advisory actions, by approving existing literature to be retained, the Conference retroactively approved the Big Book and several existing pamphlets, which included the long form of the Traditions.
the corporate name of "Works Publishing" had been changed to "Alcoholics Anonymous Publishing." The first Conference-approved book to be distributed under the new publishing name was the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions (12&12). It contains the final wording of the short form of the Traditions, as we know them today. (AACOA ix, 219, PIO 354-356) The 1953 Conference also recommended that no policy should be declared or action taken on matters liable to gravely affect AA as a whole unless by consent of at least 3/4 of the members present. A mere majority should not authorize action." (Reaffirmed in 1954) 1954 - Lillian R an actress and nightclub singer became the first of many celebrities to break their anonymity and announce their alcoholism and membership in AA. Her book (later movie) I'll Cry Tomorrow was a sensation. Sadly, Lillian went on to drink again and it generated bad publicity for AA. (GB 77, PIO 308-309)
Yale U. (LOH 205, GB 69, BW-FH 201) At the 1954 trial Conference, Board Chairman Bernard B Smith delivered an eloquent talk. Its next to last paragraph is today highlighted in Chapter 1 of the AA Service Manual with the title "Why Do We Need A Conference?" The actual title of his talk was "The Lost Commandment, The Dictionary and AA." He left no doubt at all that he was firmly in favor of continuing the Conference on a permanent basis. Among other items, the Conference unanimously approved the corporate renaming of the "Alcoholic Foundation" to the "General Service Board of Alcoholics Anonymous." The renaming took place in October 1954.
St Louis, MO. 75 Delegates unanimously recommended adoption of a permanent Conference Charter subject to approval of the second International Convention that would convene in St Louis on July 1. Bill W brought up the first Conference discussion to change the Board ratio to a 2/3 majority of alcoholics. The board ratio issue would be debated endlessly over the course of 10 Conferences. The 1955 Conference also recommended that a plan for selecting Class B trustees be approved. This was the first move to establish Regions - the initial geographical groupings were called "Area A" thru "Area E."
Kiel Auditorium from July 1-3, 1955. Estimated attendance was 3,800. Its theme was "Coming of Age." On the final day of the Convention, Bill W made some introductory remarks and presented a resolution to the attendees, the heart of which read: "BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED: That the General Service Conference of Alcoholics Anonymous should become, as of this date July 3, 1955 the guardian of the Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous, the perpetuator of the World Services of our Society, the voice of the group conscience of our entire Fellowship and the sole successors to its co-founders, Dr Bob and Bill." It was unanimously approved by the attendees.
Traditions, Conference Charter (Warranties) and Concepts From: Arthur S . . . . . . . . . . . . 2/12/2009 10:28:00 AM
titled "The Third Legacy Manual of World Service as Proposed by Bill" the forerunner of today's "AA Service Manual" both of which contain the Conference Charter. The Conference Charter has 12 Articles, the 12th of which is also called "The General Warranties of the Conference." The six Warrantees in Article 12 are a condensed version of the Traditions to ensure that the Conference always functions in the spirit of the Traditions. In 1962, the Warranties also formed Concept 12 of the Twelve Concepts for World Service.
Convention at a retail price of $4.50 ($33 today). It contained a new appendix with the short and long form of the Traditions. However, it mistakenly listed the short form version published in the November 1949 Grapevine instead of the version published in the 12&12 in 1953. The error was not fully corrected until the sixth printing in 1963. (AACOA 220-227, PIO 354, 357)
Appeal, Participation and Decision" describing them as "four principles that might someday permeate all of AA's services." They later became key principles of the 12 Concepts for World Service, specifically Concepts 3, 4, 5 and 6. They would also be called "traditional rights" in the Concepts and lead some to later call the Twelve Concepts "AA's Bill of Rights." (SM 68) The 1957 Conference approved a new set of "BYLAWS of the General Service Board" written by Bernard B Smith. They are today contained in the "AA Service Manual" as Appendix E. The 1957 Conference also approved publication of "AA Comes of Age." Guised as a 3-day diary of the 1955 Convention, it is in fact a definitive history of AA up to 1955. The Conference further recommended that no change in Article 12 of the Conference Charter or in AA Tradition or in the 12 Steps may be made with less than the written consent of three fourths (or 75%) of AA groups. The 1958 Conference approved removing the word "honest" from the term "honest desire to stop drinking" in the AA Preamble. AA legend sometimes erroneously states that the word "honest" was removed from Tradition 3. Neither the long nor the short form of Tradition 3 ever contained the word "honest." The term "honest desire to stop drinking" is from the Foreword to the first edition Big Book. It also led to changing the wording of the AA Preamble from "AA has no dues or fees" to "There are no dues or fees for AA membership; we are self-supporting through our own contributions." The changes were approved by the General Service Board in the summer of 1958 (Best of the Grapevine, vol.1, 274-275) The 1959 Conference voted to change the corporate name "Alcoholics Anonymous Publishing" to "Alcoholics Anonymous World Services (AAWS)." The Board approved the name change in October 1960.
magazine. (BW-FH 201) At the1960 Conference Bill W announced that for the prior 3 years, he had worked on codifying principles and developing essays for the structure of the Third Legacy of Service. The principles were announced as the Twelve Concepts for World Service. The Board adopted a policy that: "The Board believes that AA members generally think it unwise to break the anonymity of a member even after his death, but that in each situation the final decision must rest with the family."
Concepts for World Service." The Conference recommended that the manuscript be distributed initially as a supplement to, and eventually as an integral part of, the Third Legacy Manual The 1963 Conference approved a multi-state grouping plan recommended by 1962 Conference that organized the US into six geographical Regions. Regional Trustees would be elected to the Board as Class B (or alcoholic) Trustees (AACOA x). December 1964 - Bill W enthusiastically embraced a campaign to promote vitamin B3 (niacin or nicotinic acid) therapy and created Traditions issues within the Fellowship. (PIO 388-390)
1965, which changed the Board ratio to 14 alcoholic and 7 non-alcoholic Trustees. This ended Bill W's 10-year campaign to have alcoholics make up a 2/3 majority of the Board. The number of Regional Trustees was also increased from six to eight (six from the US and two from Canada).
separation of AA from non-AA matters by establishing a procedure whereby all inquiries pertaining to B-3 and niacin are referred directly to an office in Pleasantville, NY in order that Bill's personal interest in these items not involve the Fellowship." (PIO 391)
member at the level of press, TV, and films be considered a violation of the Anonymity Tradition, even though the name is withheld. (PI)
FL. Bill W appeared on Sunday morning for what proved to be his last public appearance and talk. Bill's health had steadily weakened due to emphysema. He was confined to a wheel chair and required the administration of oxygen. (AACOA xi, NG 145-146)
January 24, 1971. Three months after his death, the 1971 Conference recommended that the short form of the Twelve Concepts be approved.
Grapevine was changed to "Box 1980" to comply with postal regulation requiring the corporate name of an organization be placed on official envelopes and on the magazine itself. (1989 Conference-FR 24) The 1976 Conference approved publication of the third edition Big Book. It also expanded a provision of Article 3 of the Conference Charter that any change to the Steps, Traditions or six Warranties of Article 12 of the Conference Charter, would require written approval of 75% of the registered AA Groups known to General Service Offices around the world. This advisory action makes any proposed change to the Steps, Traditions and Warranties a virtual impossibility (even so much as adding or removing a comma).
of the Heart." It contains the Traditions essays Bill W wrote during the 1940s. It also contains many memorial and historical articles. The 1988 Conference also recommended that the 1971 Conference Action be reaffirmed that: "AA members generally think it unwise to break the anonymity of a member even after his death, but in each situation the final decision must rest with the family." Further, the AA Archives continue to protect the anonymity of deceased AA members as well as other members. IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 5525. . . . . . . . . . . . Who wrote the Big Book story Me an Alcoholic? From: edgarc@aol.com . . . . . . . . . . . . 2/12/2009 12:39:00 PM
"Me an Alcoholic?" Big Book story ??? Nancy Olson's reliable reference simply says author unknown, but the story reads like he's someone we should have heard of . . . .
detailed information about this person: http://www.a-1associates.com/westbalto/HISTORY_PAGE/Authors.htm To give a few excerpts: Me an Alcoholic? 2nd edition p. 419, 3rd edition p. 432, 4th edition p. 382 Author Unknown This author's date of sobriety is believed to be November 1947. He was a father, husband, homeowner, athlete, artist, musician, author, editor, aircraft pilot, and world traveler. He was listed in "Who's Who in America." He had been successful in the publishing business, and his opinions were quoted in "Time" and "Newsweek" with pictures, and he addressed the public by radio and television. In A.A. he found the power he needed. In the seven years since he had come to A.A. he had not had a drink.
tower of worldly success collapsed, his alcoholic associates fired him, took control, and ran the enterprise into bankruptcy. His alcoholic wife took up with someone else and divorced him, taking with her all his remaining property.
sixteen-year-old son was tragically killed. Some wonderful things had happened, too. His new wife and he didn't own any property to speak of and the flashy successes of another day were gone. But they had a baby "who, if you'll pardon a little post-alcoholic sentimentality, is right out of Heaven." GFC IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 5526. . . . . . . . . . . . Paying his bill at the Mayflower Hotel
From: stuboymooreman81 . . . . . . . . . . . . 2/17/2009 6:35:00 AM IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Hello all, Stuart from Barking Big Book study. On p. 154 of the Big Book, Bill is in the lobby of the Mayflower Hotel in Akron, "almost broke" and "wondering how his bill was to be paid."
to pay his hotel bill and so forth.
Stuart
++++Message 5527. . . . . . . . . . . . Is the 3rd Step Prayer based on any earlier prayer? From: terry walton . . . . . . . . . . . . 2/18/2009 8:42:00 AM
commonly referred to as the 3rd step prayer: "God, I offer myself to Thee -- to build with me and to do with me as Thou wilt. Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Thy will. Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help of Thy Power, Thy Love, and Thy Way of life. May I do Thy will always!"
by some other author? Do we know who that earlier author was? Can it be found in print in some pre-AA written source? Or was it based at least in part, on some traditional prayer? If so, does anyone have a history of the development of this prayer?
Group books. Does the wording of this prayer in the Big Book reflect any known Oxford Group prayers?
++++Message 5528. . . . . . . . . . . . Calvary Mission - Calvary House From: Robert Stonebraker . . . . . . . . . . . . 2/19/2009 2:18:00 PM IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII I would like to know the exact address of the Calvary Mission which was on East 23rd Street. Also the same for the Calvary House (across the street from the Calvary Church). Photos would be much appreciated. My email address is rstonebraker212@comcast.net (rstonebraker212 at comcast.net) Thanks in advance, Bob S. IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 5529. . . . . . . . . . . . RE: Paying his bill at the Mayflower Hotel
From: Robert Stonebraker . . . . . . . . . . . . 2/21/2009 1:07:00 AM IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII How Bill Wilson's hotel bill was paid? A possible answer could lie in the fact that Bill received living expenses from the firm of Baer and Company who sent Bill to Akron to attempt a take-over of the Akron National Rubber Company. Pass It On, p. 135, third full paragraph: "He had little money, but they promised to support his efforts." Apparently they did, throughout that entire summer; page 42 of Not God, first full paragraph, states: "Early in September, Bill Wilson's proxy battle met another apparent defeat. His sponsors soured on projects continuing costs, and Bill departed for New York."
Seiberling might have paid it for him before he moved to the Portage Lodge that month.
Subject: Paying his bill at the Mayflower Hotel Hello all, Stuart from Barking Big Book study. On p. 154 of the Big Book, Bill is in the lobby of the Mayflower Hotel in Akron, "almost broke" and "wondering how his bill was to be paid."
to pay his hotel bill and so forth.
Stuart
++++Message 5530. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Calvary Mission - Calvary House From: corafinch . . . . . . . . . . . . 2/21/2009 4:49:00 AM IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII "Robert Stonebraker" wrote:
> Calvary Mission which was on East 23rd Street.
husband (I Stand By the Door: The Life of Sam Shoemaker), the address is given as 246 East 23rd Street (page 253). When Shoemaker arrived it was an unused chapel.
> the street from the Calvary Church). According to the same book, page 89, Calvary House was built on the site of an old rectory at 103 East 21st Street. Have you checked with the parish itself for pictures? Cora IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 5531. . . . . . . . . . . . Bill Wilson''s meditation practices and guilded meditation From: ryantfowler@rocketmail.com . . . . . . . . . . . . 2/16/2009 2:01:00 AM
Does anyone know what Bill Wilson's meditation practices were like, especially toward the end of his life? Also, does anyone know when guided meditation meetings were first held? - - - - From the moderator: http://hindsfoot.org/medit11.doc "Twelve-Step Meditation in the A.A. Big Book and the 12 & 12" will give you an intro to a lot of this. Among other things, this article describes how Bill W. himself talked about the use of guided imagery on page 100 of the 12 + 12.
about:
Jacobson’s method of progressive relaxation (VERY effective, and too little known and used in AA)
(plus Fox's method of reciting a mantra to quiet and calm the soul)
for a while? From: ryantfowler@rocketmail.com . . . . . . . . . . . . 2/16/2009 1:57:00 AM
I have come to understand that Bill Wilson was friends with Ernest Holmes. Also that Bill Wilson lived with Ernest Holmes for a while. Does anyone know when? And for how long he lived there?
the E's or the H's, on the list of names at http://silkworth.net/aahistory_names/names.html
up in the indices to Pass It On, AA Comes of Age, or Not-God.
been made about a connection between Ernest Holmes and Bill W. by people who are involved in New Thought and New Age spirituality: http://improveourconsciouscontact.blogspot.com/2008/03/march-question-by-gai l-de\
"New Thought principles are very similar to AA principles. Some research by ministers and practitioners reveals that Bill W and Ernest Holmes, the founder of Science of Mind knew each other and spent time together when creating the programs I so love today." http://forums.prospero.com/n/mb/message.asp?webtag=sp-bishopspong&msg=3657.4 5 "Bill W and Ernest Holmes, the Founder of the Science of Mind philosophy (Religious Science) were good friends and often traded concepts and socialized together. No wonder that many Science of Mind ideas are in AA and visa versa." - - - - The only Ernest Holmes whom I know about lived from 1887-1960 and was the founder of a movement known as Religious Science. He was an ordained Divine Science minister. In 1914, at the age of 25, Ernest moved to Venice, California. On October 23, 1927, in Los Angeles, he was married to widowed Hazel Durkee Foster. They were to be inseparable companions for thirty years. In 1926 his book "Science of Mind" was published and the Institute of Religious Science was established. By 1930, Dr. Holmes was speaking to overflow audiences on Sunday mornings at the Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles. He had a live radio program on CBS. Soon thereafter the first branch of Religious Science opened in Hollywood under the leadership of Dr. Robert Bitzer. This was the start of a worldwide movement which has made the teaching and practice of Science of Mind universally known. In 1953, the Institute became the Church of Religious Science. In 1967, it acquired its present-day title, United Church of Religious Science, with member churches throughout the world.
and the Ernest Holmes in California who founded Religious Science? Or is this just myth and legend? Glenn C. (South Bend, Indiana) IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 5533. . . . . . . . . . . . Where did Ebby reside during the winter of 1935/36? From: Robert Stonebraker . . . . . . . . . . . . 2/21/2009 6:14:00 PM
Throckmorton Thacher, the brother of the Mayor of Albany, New York" -- really live, eat and sleep in the Calvary Mission -- or was he kept in the much nicer Calvary Parish House? Bob S. P.S. There is a picture of the Calvary Church Parish House and Mission on the site below - thanks Art!
212 SW 18th Street Richmond, IN 47347 (765) 935-0130 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 5534. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Calvary Mission - Calvary House From: Arthur S . . . . . . . . . . . . 2/22/2009 12:04:00 PM IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Google search (or some other search) can provide good info: The current Calvary Episcopal Church address is: 237 Park Avenue South at 21st Street New York, N.Y. 10010 http://www.nycago.org/Organs/NYC/html/CalvaryEpis.html Graphic of church location http://stgeorgesnyc.dioceseny.org/about/directions.php A history note about Bill W and Sam shoemaker http://stgeorgesnyc.dioceseny.org/about/history.php Calvary House is adjacent to Calvary Episcopal Church - not across the street from it - the building faces Gramercy Park.
with Calvary Church to its left. http://www.materialreligion.org/objects/may97obj.html Cheers Arthur
++++Message 5535. . . . . . . . . . . . DR. BOB against the use of vulgar lanquage
From: Peter Tippett . . . . . . . . . . . . 2/22/2009 7:48:00 PM IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII We had a question about Bill W. commenting on the use of foul language at meetings. Dr. Bob had a comment on that issue, see the last paragraph on page 224 of "Dr. Bob and the good Oldtimers":
Dan K. (who had been one of Doc's many patients at St. Thomas Hospital) noted that if a man was a phony, he would tell the man so. "And if he was sitting at a meeting and a man used bad language, Dr. Bob would say, "You have a very good lead young man, but it would be more effective if you cleaned it up a bit."
the gutter." Pete Tippett IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 5536. . . . . . . . . . . . Big Book royalties -- domestic sales only?
From: tigereaz . . . . . . . . . . . . 2/16/2009 5:48:00 PM IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Bob and Bill received a stipend from the sale of the BB ... but the proceeds now go to the New York GSO.
only on domestic sales of the books, is that correct?
Roger P
++++Message 5537. . . . . . . . . . . . RE: Big Book royalties -- domestic sales only? From: Arthur S . . . . . . . . . . . . 2/23/2009 9:58:00 PM
complicated one. Bill and Dr Bob received royalties on the Big Book. After Dr Bob's death Bill's royalty agreement was modified a number of times to grant him royalties on the Big Book, 12&12, AA Comes of Age and The AA Way of Life (later renamed to AS Bill sees It). Royalties are calculated on sales in the US and Canada. I believe there is only one beneficiary left receiving royalties based on an agreement between Lois Wilson and AAWS. Total royalties paid from 1950 to 2007 amount to around $19 million dollars (around $37 million if adjusted for inflation and converted to 2006 dollars). I'm going to post a multi-part series on royalties on AAHL - it's a much misunderstood topic - and as noted earlier a bit of a long story.
Arthur
Subject: Big Book royalties -- domestic sales only? Bob and Bill received a stipend from the sale of the BB ... but the proceeds now go to the New York GSO.
only on domestic sales of the books, is that correct?
Roger P
++++Message 5538. . . . . . . . . . . . Jim Blair will be having surgery From: Glenn Chesnut . . . . . . . . . . . . 2/23/2009 10:06:00 PM IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII "James Blair" (jblair at videotron.ca) is going into the hospital for surgery now, here at the beginning of this week. He has been with us ever since the web group first began. He is one of the handful of key people whose work turned this web group into one of the best and most thorough historical sources around on early AA history.
hurt us .... From: Baileygc23@aol.com . . . . . . . . . . . . 2/22/2009 5:22:00 PM
'Our quarrels have not hurt us one bit.' Can anyone tell me which convention it was, and where I can get a copy of his entire address to that convention?
Washingtonians From: Glenn Chesnut . . . . . . . . . . . . 2/24/2009 12:38:00 PM
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