I never led meetings (neither did Dr. Bob) or
talked into a microphone. Nobody led our
meetings in the very early days. We all just
sat around in a circle. After the opening
prayer and a short text from the Bible, we had
quiet time, silently praying for guidance
about what to say. Then each person in turn
said something, asking for any help he wanted,
bringing up anything that was troubling him or
just whatever was on his mind. After everyone
was through, there were announcements and we
held hands and said the Lord's Prayer ....
For the first five years we met in someone's
home every night ....
In that first group, Dr. Bob selected the readings
and made all the appointments and all the major
decisions. (I was the first secretary of the
group and the following year became chairman.)
Everyone had to make a complete surrender to
join in the first place, and so we had no
reservations; we worked the whole program,
100 percent ....
We did not tell our drinking histories at
the meetings back then. We did not need to.
A man's sponsor and Dr. Bob knew the details.
Frankly, we did not think it was anybody
else's business. We were anonymous and so was
our life. Besides, we already knew how to
drink. What we wanted to learn was how to get
sober and stay sober.
Bill Wilson was in favor of having at least
fifty percent of an AA member's talk at a
meeting consist of "qualifying" or telling the
story of how he became an alcoholic. Bill
himself had a warm, friendly disposition, and
this idea of his did attract people and enable
the movement to grow to a size where it had
helped thousands of people all over the world.
For that we must be grateful.
But when the "qualifying" business first
began, it took some getting used to on our
part. I remember one time when we were
meeting at King School; some people came in
from Cleveland, and most of the qualifying
they did was really very bad. They clapped and
made a lot of noise. To us it seemed strange
and offensive. Gradually we opened up under
Bill's persuasive influence. But we still did
not care for it when people would get carried
away by their own voice and make their stories
too sensational and repulsive.
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++++Message 6263. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Early meeting format: were they
all speaker meetings?
From: James Blair . . . . . . . . . . . . 1/20/2010 2:40:00 PM
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From James Blair, Beverly, and Ben Humphreys
- - - -
From: James Blair
(jblair at videotron.ca)
I can only speak for Quebec.
All AA meetings up to the early sixties were
closed meetings but we did have open meetings
which were in fact public meetings.
These meeting were organized with social
services, medicine, courts and AA. They were
held in a large hall on the first Sunday night
of each month and they would draw from 75 to
300 persons. They were well advertised on
radio and in newspapers.
Representatives of different agencies would
speak about the impact of alcoholism on families
and individuals. The AA speaker would go last.
It was at these meeting that the practice of
stating "my name is Joe B. and I'm an alcoholic"
got started in our province. At the closed
meetings people did not do that.
Jim
- - - -
From: bevflk@aol.com (bevflk at aol.com)
I go to a meeting in Tucson, Arizona.
Matt l. has 58 years of sobriety. He was one
of the fortunate to be helped by Dr. Silkworth
for his alcoholism. He told his story at
Founders Day here and stated that all of the
first meetings were speaker meetings. He also
said that men back then wore suits, shirts and
ties. He still dresses up to this day.
Beverly
- - - -
From: "Ben Humphreys"
(blhump272 at sctv.coop)
From 1975 on my experience has been the same as
now. Not all speaker meetings.
I am like you, in talking to old timers from
1940 on they were not all speaker meetings but
open and closed meetings and speaker meetings
were on the agenda.
Ben H.
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++++Message 6264. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Swedenborgianism and the Burnham
family''s religious beliefs
From: Hugh D. Hyatt . . . . . . . . . . . . 1/22/2010 3:50:00 PM
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It said in Message #6199 from LD Pierce
(eztone at hotmail.com)
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/AAHistoryLovers/message/6199
"In reading this post and a couple of others
I decided to do some reading tonite on the
Swedenborgian religion and their movment ....
Their religion even included 12 steps to heaven!!"
- - - -
Swedenborg's theological writings include a single occurrence of the
phrase "twelve steps:"
> They [angels with whom Swedenborg spoke] picture wisdom, they said,
> as a wonderfully elegant palace with twelve steps leading up to it.
> No one gets to the first step except with the Lord's help and by
> union with him, and for all of us, the ascent depends on that union.
> The higher we climb, the more clearly we realize that no one is wise
> on her or his own, but only from the Lord. We also realize that
> relative to what we do not know, what we do know is like a droplet
> compared to a vast lake. The twelve steps to the palace of wisdom
> mean whatever is good united to what is true and whatever is true
> united to what is good.
This is from his book /Divine Providence/, paragraph #36.
As a lifelong Swedenborgian and recovering alcoholic myself, I would say
that the closest thing that Swedenborg has to A.A.'s twelve steps are
the four steps of repentance described in paragraph #530 of his work
/True Christian Religion./ After explaining the necessity of
repentance, Swedenborg says:
> The question therefore is, How ought man to repent? And
> the reply is, Actually; that is to say, he must examine himself,
> recognize and acknowledge his sins, pray to the Lord, and begin a
> new life.
A number of years ago, I corresponded with a Swedenborgian minister who
had interviewed Lois Wilson. He asked specifically about the influence
of Swedenborgianism on A.A. and Al-Anon. As I recall, her response was
completely non-committal, saying that even if some particular religion
/had/ had significant influence, she couldn't very well say so, could she?
--
Hugh H.
Willow Grove, PA
The love of one's country is a splendid thing.
But why should love stop at the border.
-- Pablo Casals
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++++Message 6265. . . . . . . . . . . . RE: Bob E. (AA #11)
From: J. Lobdell . . . . . . . . . . . . 1/22/2010 3:52:00 PM
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He was born in Akron June 19 1904 and died there
in February 1977.
The Silkworth site gives the following material
and references on him:
"Bob E. - wealthy banker, joined A.A. February
1937, made AA address books, member Akron's
wealthiest families [C 132] [D 101, 116-19,
122-23, 142, 146, 152, 156-57, 176, 217, 221-23]
[N 53]"
I haven't checked the references.
The list of sober members provided for Frank
Amos shows him with 16 months sobriety at a
time when Dr. Bob had 33 and Bill D. had 32,
thus in March 1938. This would put Bob E's
sobriety to November 1936, before he "came in"
in February 1937.
His father William H. E. was President of the
Bank.
- - - -
From Glenn C. (South Bend, Indiana):
The list of the First 226 Members of the
Akron, Ohio AA Group
http://hindsfoot.org/akrn226.doc
has Robert E. with an X by his name,
which seems to mean that he was counted
as one of the first 27 members.
His address is given as 657 East Ave., Akron,
Ohio. In those days in Akron, would that have
been a fancy address, the sort of place a
wealthy banker would live? That would be one
way of checking to see whether that claim
was true.
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++++Message 6266. . . . . . . . . . . . The Big Book in the rain barrel
From: James Bliss . . . . . . . . . . . . 1/22/2010 6:30:00 PM
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I was reminded of a story which I have heard
in AA about someone in Alaska who found a
Big Book in the bottom of a rain barrel and
got sober reading it.
Is there any historical fact behind this story?
Thanks,
Jim
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++++Message 6267. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Henry (Hank) P.
From: Jay Pees . . . . . . . . . . . . 1/21/2010 3:55:00 PM
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And his funeral is listed as January 22.
On Wed, Jan 20, 2010 at 2:52 PM, jax760
wrote:
> Hi Chuck,
>
> The information you require can by found in the
> New Jersey Herald, January 27, 1954. Although
> I do not have a copy I believe it lists the date
> as January 18th.
>
> Regards
>
>
> "Chuck Parkhurst" wrote:
> >
> > I am looking for a confirmation with source
> > reference, for the date of death for Henry
> > "Hank" Parkhurst. I have seen his death
> > reported as 1/18 and 1/21, each time in the
> > year 1954.
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++++Message 6268. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: The Big Book in the rain barrel
From: Edward . . . . . . . . . . . . 1/23/2010 6:03:00 AM
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This story is quoted in _As Bill Sees It_ p. 245
- the reference given is to _AA Comes Of Age_
pp. 82-83 ...
Y'all's in service
Ted G.
- - - -
Also from From: Jay Pees
- - - -
In AAHistoryLovers@yahoogroups.com, James Bliss
wrote:
>
> I was reminded of a story which I have heard
> in AA about someone in Alaska who found a
> Big Book in the bottom of a rain barrel and
> got sober reading it.
>
> Is there any historical fact behind this story?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Jim
>
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++++Message 6269. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: How quickly should the twelve
steps be taken?
From: Bill Lash . . . . . . . . . . . . 1/23/2010 1:45:00 PM
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Maybe I'm missing something here but please indulge me a few more thought
about this. I feel this is an important point for all of us so I just want
to make clear what I see being said here so that there is no
misunderstanding. What it says on page 98 & 99 of Ernie's wonderful book
"Not God" is as follows:
"Not since his earliest days in the Oxford Group had Wilson felt himself in
the loving presence of such a receptive listener. Then, Bill had unburdened
himself especially to Ebby. But it was only now, as this evening with
Father Dowling wore on, that the man who had written A.A.'s Fifth Step came
to feel that he himself was finally "taking his Fifth." He told Dowling not
only what he had done and had left undone - he went on to share with his new
sponsor the thoughts and feelings behind those actions and omissions."
And then in "Bill's Story" in the Big Book on page 13 Bill writes:
"At the hospital I was separated from alcohol for the last time. Treatment
seemed wise, for I showed signs of delirium tremens.
"There I humbly offered myself to God, as I then I understood Him, to do
with me as He would. I placed myself unreservedly under His care and
direction. I admitted for the first time that of myself I was nothing; that
without Him I was lost. I ruthlessly faced my sins and became willing to
have my new-found Friend take them away, root and branch. I have not had a
drink since.
"My schoolmate visited me, and I fully acquainted him with my problems and
deficiencies."
Ernie is stating above in his own book that Bill did his FIRST 5th Step when
he first got sober ("Not since his earliest days in the Oxford Group...Bill
had unburdened himself especially to Ebby" & then in the Big Book while Bill
was still in Towns Hospital "I fully acquainted him with my problems and
deficiencies", both of these descriptions are of the Oxford Group's version
of a 5th Step), and then Bill did ANOTHER 5th Step with Fr. Dowling. The
only way you can say that Bill's sharing with Fr. Dowling was Bill's "first"
5th Step was because when Bill shared with Ebby when he got sober in 1938
there were no 12 Steps yet, so in 1938 they wouldn't have called it a 5th
Step. Nevertheless, using today's AA language, Bill DID do his FIRST 5th
Step when he first got sober, NOT only after finally meeting Fr. Dowling.
Also, Ernie mentions below about Bill's sharing his 5th Step with Fr.
Dowling that:
"Bill felt for the first time completely cleansed and freed".
Bill ALSO describes in the Big Book how he felt from his original 5th Step
with Ebby (along with the other Oxford Group work that he did, which later
became the 12 Steps) that:
"...the effect was electric. There was a sense of victory, followed by such
a peace and serenity as I had never known. There was utter confidence. I
felt lifted up, as though the great clean wind of a mountain top blew
through and through. God comes to most men gradually, but His impact on me
was sudden and profound."
Both 5th Steps had a large effect on Bill. After the one he did with Ebby,
Bill never drank again!
Just Love,
Barefoot Bill
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++++Message 6270. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Early meeting format: Paul K. on
King School meetings
From: Edward . . . . . . . . . . . . 1/23/2010 6:06:00 AM
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There is a recording of Paul K., an early member
who attended meetings with Dr. Bob at King School,
sharing about this experience many years later
from the podium -- it is available for free at:
http://xa-speakers.org/pafiledb.php?action=file&id=1850
Y'all's in service,
Ted G.
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++++Message 6271. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Early meeting format AND Bob E.
(AA #11)
From: J. Lobdell . . . . . . . . . . . . 1/23/2010 1:43:00 PM
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The date of death for Bob E., given by All Addicts Anonymous as 1984, does
not
agree with any primary source I can find. The passages quoted in their
article
are clearly from the same recording quoted in DR BOB, a book which was begun
March 1977, very shortly after Bob E. died in Akron (according to the Record
of
Ohio Deaths 1958-2002) on 9 February 1977 -- at which time he would still
have
been the longest-sober member of A.A.
But after 1977 and until his own death in March 1984, Clarence S. (DLD Feb
1938)
was regarded both by himself and by others as the longest-sober member,
which
suggests the accuracy of the putative 1977 deathdate for Bob E.
Perhaps some member of HistoryLovers can fill us in on the 1984 death date
in
the AAA publication.
- - - -
Message 5300 says (as referred to in Message 6262
"Re: Early meeting format"):
"SHORTLY BEFORE HIS DEATH IN 1984,
Bob E. shared ... the following recollection
of what AA was like when he first joined"
IT THEN REFERS US TO THE ALL ADDICTS ANONYMOUS WEB SITE AT:
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