indexed.
Yours in service,
wrote:
>
>
> -I have written a history of the US Servicemen and AA on the Continent
since
1948. This is a short version.
>
> American Servicemen stationed in West Germany after WW:II brought AA with
them. Those early english-speaking meetings were held on various Army and
Air
Force Bases in cities like Munich, Wiesbaden, Heidelburg, Frankfurt,
Stuttgart
and more. The first and formal recorded invitation to an open meeting in
West
Germany was on November 1, 1953 in Munich at the Hotel Leopold in Schwabing.
Master Sargeant Bob S., who is remembered today for having been very active
in
carrying the AA message, led the meeting and the Germans were heartily
invited
to attend. Max had attended the meeting and got sober and was involved in
the
German AA in carrying the message.
> Traveling and working Americans and Britains were also instrumental in
helping
start groups in such cities as Frankfurt (1948), Paris (1947), Naples
(1976),
Hamburg (1962, witbillh the help of a Mr. Abels from England) and
Düsseldorf
(1962, with the assistance of Robert from Chicago). (Archives German AA).
> A member remembers that the RAmstein Air Base held its first meetings
there in
1962 at the South Side Chapel. In the early days there were about 20 active
english-speaking AA groups in West Germany. Besides Ramstein, the Wiesbaden
group had the strongest sobriety and its members would carry the message to
the
ARmy and Air Force Bases. The 1961 World Directory lists 20 AA groups
(Loners)
and about 170 members.
> In 1962, Wiesbaden held its 10th annual Roundup in the High school
auditorium.
At the 11 th Roundup, An invitation was extended to Bill W. to attend the
meeting andto share his story.. Bill gracefully declined and sent them his
best wishes for a successful Roundup.
> In AA TODAY, published on Grapevines 25th anniversary,Wiesbaden and its
Roundups are mentioned. "Much of AAs spread around the world, of course, has
been accomplishedby US servicemen and seamen who-needing to stay sober in
strange surroundings- started their oun groups. There are several now in
(continental) Europe and 1952 there has been an annual Roundup on Wiesbaden,
Germany for any AA member in Europe who can get there. Hundreds do- by bus,
car, train,plane and even helicopter. During the meetings, all military
members
remove their blouses and caps so the anonymity of AA erases all ranks."
> As the membership in the groups grew, it was found necessary to form an
Intergroup in the Greater Frankfurt Area. (1962). American and German groups
were represented. This led to forming an Intergroup for West Germany. In
1971, A letter was sent out from an AA member to all the english speaking
groups
to attend an Intergroup meeting at the Sembach Air Base. There the
Intergroup
was geographically divided into 6 areas with each area to elect its own
secretary and so the areas represented at the Intergroup meeting.
> By 1973, there were 9 areas in the Intergroup, It was decided that
Intergroup
sponser a Round up each year. first Round up was held in Wiebaden, Rhein
Main
Bill was the first Committee chairman.
> The Intergroup grew fast. It became an International Intergroup Continenal
Europe (1980) and included Finnland, the Netherlands, Greece, Italy, Sweden,
Iceland, Switzerland. The Intergroup felt that is was time that the
extra-territoral service structure in Continental Europe had a say in the
shope
of AA by becoming part of a Conterence structure. Intergroup sent a letter
to
GSO New York about their situation in Europe requesting an opinion. GSO New
York wrote to Intergroup stating, "the purpose of becoming part of the
service
structure is mainly communications and it seems to us that your day to day
dealings are mainly with the European AA community for which the London
office
functions as a communications coordinator."
> At the Intergroup meeting in February 1981, the motion as made to join the
Conference structure in GB, but there was no second. the motion was
withdrawn.
Intergroup continued to send 2 delegates to Conference in GSO Great Britain
in
Manchester.
> The International Intergroup continued to grow. In 1982 there were 13
registered Areas and by 1985 there were 15 areas in the International
Intergroup. including most of the countries on the western part of the
Continent. This too has changed now.
> In 1985, a restructure meeting was held in Nurnberg, inviting Jack from
London
to speak and share about GSO Great BRitain, inviting Intergroup to become a
Region within their structure. (Bill W. had had this idea already when he
visited Europe in 1950). This time the motion was seconded and passed. The
15
areas were divided into 3 Intergroups covering all of Western Continental
Europe. 6 delegates are sent to Conference each year. We are the largest
region within all service structures. There was and is always the problem of
distances and communication.
> This brought on the idea to form more intergroups. There about 11
Intergroups, active and inactive, now on the Continent.
> The military drawdown in 1992, decreased the membership. The military had
always been active in AA. This drawdown closed alot of meetings. This has
not hindered the REgion at all. The goal has always been to carry the
message
to the still suffering alcoholic. This meant that we needed a central
telephone number which was has been fulfilled in Germany. By 1998, we had a
Webmaster and he was advised to use the guidelines from York (GSO Great
Britain).(www.aa-europe.net). We are in contact with the Host Nations.
> REgion 15 is called Continental European REgion (CER). We have been
holding the REgion meetings in various cities on the Continent, giving as
many
members as possible an Idea of what is going on in our Service structure.
(Distances and Communication.)
> We are geographically widespread and encourage all english-speaking
members to
participate and carry the message to the still suffering alcoholic.
>
> This is a very condensed history of CER-Continental European Region 2010
Dolores
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
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++++Message 6737. . . . . . . . . . . . The role of favorable publicity in
early A.A. growth
From: Jenny or Laurie Andrews . . . . . . . . . . . . 7/16/2010 4:49:00 AM
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I attended a fringe event at the 1990 Seattle convention in which media
professionals told how the general service board had commissioned them to
make a
PI video. They filmed an AA meeting but said it caused problems because,
unlike
in projects for other clients, they were unable to show faces. So they made
great play of e.g. filming exotic footwear (inlaid cowboy boots were
mentioned)
and cigarette smoke spiralling to the ceiling!
================================================
A.A. NEEDS MEMBERS WHO ARE EXPERTS IN PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS (newspapers,
magazines, cinema, and book publishing)
================================================
The 12 Concepts were adopted by the 1962 Conference. In the section on the
public information committee in his essay on Concept XI Bill W wrote, in
part:
"Most of its members should be experts in the field of public relations. But
emphasis should also be laid on the fact that sheer commercial expertness
will
not be enough ... it is evident that the professional members of the
committee
should be capable of adapting their business experience to AA's needs. ...
At
the same time let us not overlook the need for high professional skill.
Dealing
with the huge complex of public communications as it exists today is not a
job
wholly for amateurs. Skill in this area implies much technical experience,
diplomacy, a sense of what is dangerous and what is not, the courage to take
calculated risks, and a readiness to make wise but tradition-abiding
compromises." (Emphases added). As George says, that applies even more in
2010.
================================================
BUT WE MUST PROTECT OURSELVES FROM THOSE APPALLING URGES OF OURS -- OUR EGO
DEMANDS FOR PERSONAL PUBLIC ACCLAIM (which we must do by only using our
public
relations talents unselfishly and well)
================================================
In an article headed "Freedom under God: the choice is ours" (Grapevine,
November 1960) Bill wrote, of "that vital Tradition Eleven": "The danger is
the
possibility that we may one day recklessly abandon the principle of personal
anonymity at the top personal level ... Our chief hope for the future is
that
these appalling urges of ours (for public acclaim etc) will be held in
restraint
by self-discipline, by love of AA, and by firm group and public opinion...
Let's
look once more at how immense this temptation really is. A vast
communications
net now covers the earth even to its remotest reaches. (1960 - pre
internet!)
Granting all its huge benefits, this limitless world forum is nevertheless a
hunting ground for all those who would seek, money acclaim and power ...
Here
the forces of good and evil are locked in struggle. All that is shoddy and
destructive contests all that is best. Therefore nothing can matter more to
the
future welfare of AA than the manner in which we use this colossus of
communication. Used unselfishly and well, the results can surpass our
present
imagination. Should we handle this instrument badly, we shall be shattered
by
the ego demands of our own people - often with the best of intention on
their
part. Against all this, the sacrificial spirit of AA's anonymity at the top
public level is literally our shield and our buckler. Here again we must be
confident that love of AA, and of God, will always carry the day."
================================================
THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT A CONTINUED TORRENT OF FAVORABLE PUBLICITY HAS
BROUGHT
TO A.A. ONE HALF OF ITS PRESENT MEMBERSHIP (if A.A. members quit working to
publicize the program, A.A. growth will begin to plateau and then to shrink)
================================================
In "A Message from Bill" (Grapevine, May 1964) he wrote: "Our Fellowship
enjoys
a vast goodwill everywhere. In large measure this is directly due to ... the
service of public information. For many years wonderful accounts of AA have
poured from the press and other media of communication. The astounding
success
has required of your general service people great labor, top skills and
unstinted dedication. There is no question that this continued torrent of