Aa history Lovers 2009 moderators Nancy Olson and Glenn F. Chesnut page
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> 'A.A. Comes of Age:'" > > "'Deep silence fell as Dr. Jim S., the A.A. > speaker, told of his life experience and the > serious drinking that led to the crises which > had brought about his spiritual awakening. > He re-enacted for us his own struggle to start > the very first group among Negroes, his own > people. Aided by a tireless and eager wife, > he had turned his home into a combined hospital > and A.A. meeting place, free to all. He told > how early failure had finally been transformed > under God's grace into amazing success, we who > listened realized that A.A., not only could > cross seas and mountains and boundaries of > language and nation but could surmount obstacles > of race and creed as well.'" > > Bob Pearson, Manuscript of A.A. World History, > page 44, gives a date: > > "The Washington Colored Group was founded in > April '45 by Jimmy S. It later changed its > name to the Cosmopolitan Group to convey the > fact that it was 'a group for all people, all > races; it doesn't matter who you are.'" > >
++++Message 5754. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: First black AA group was in Washington D.C. -- or Chicago? From: arcchi88 . . . . . . . . . . . . 6/3/2009 9:22:00 PM
Group, which is printed every year on the program for their annual banquet, Earl Redmond did get sober in March 1945. He lived on Evans Avenue at the time, which is where the group got its name. They started meeting on a regular basis from that time on.
group in the mid 40's as well. The Evans Avenue group has produced many long timers. One that I know of just passed with 62 years of sobriety.
such as Bill Dotson (AA #3), Earl Treat (Founder in Chicago), Judge Touhy (Why We Were Chosen), etc. Tom C - - - - --- In AAHistoryLovers@yahoogroups.com, Glenn Chesnut > > CHICAGO: > > Chicago however appears to have had a black AA > group started a month earlier, in March 1945: > > http://hindsfoot.org/Nblack3.html > > GLENN: Now what year did you come into A.A. > in Chicago? > > BILL WILLIAMS: I think it 'uz, umn .... > > JIMMY H.: Forty-five .... It was December '45. > Cause [Earl] Redmond came in in March, you told > me .... > > BILL WILLIAMS: But anyway, I know Redmond > came in in March, and I came in that following > December. > > GLENN: So when you came to South Bend [in 1948] > you had about four or five years sobriety behind > you? You had a good program by then. > > BILL WILLIAMS: Oh yeah, I was pretty solid. I > knew by that time that it was going to work . . . . > > GLENN: Now when you came into A.A. in Chicago, > in 1945, did you hit trouble there too? Was > there a color bar .... there in Chicago in > 1945? I don't know anything about Chicago. > > BILL WILLIAMS: Oh yeah! Yeah, it was the same > thing. It's still prejudiced, even now [1999]. > > GLENN: How did you deal with that? In Chicago, > in 1945? > > BILL WILLIAMS: Well, I was born in Texas. > > RAYMOND: He's a cowboy! [Laughter] > ____________________________________ > > So what further information can our AA historians > from Washington D.C. and Chicago give us? I > know that in Chicago, the Evans Avenue group > still meets, although they have moved to a new > location. I have visited their new building, > and there were photographs of Earl Redmond > and so on, and there also appeared to be a > lot of other material there of great archival > significance. > > Glenn C. > IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 5755. . . . . . . . . . . . Origins of AA in San Francisco From: jax760 . . . . . . . . . . . . 6/2/2009 11:13:00 PM IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII They say "more will be revealed..." The San Francisco Group was the first child of the New Jersey Group! Below is part of the research I had done for the Timeline of the First 25 AA Groups. I was recently adding some updates to a new "First One Hundred" list I am working on when I realized that Ray W. from "New York" is actually Ray Wood from Orange, New Jersey - a "First One Hundred" pioneer member of the New Jersey Group with a sobriety date of March 1939. He is listed on the group survey of 1/1/1940 with 9 months of continuous sobriety. It was Ray that started AA in San Francisco while on a business trip November 21, 1939. (From the Timeline of the first 25 AA Groups) A.A Group # 10 San Francisco, California So it happened, that when an AA member from New York, Ray W., came to San Francisco for a sales training course in November of that year he brought with him a list of those who had made inquiries. Among them was Mrs. Oram's boarder, Ted.
list. He finally arranged for some of them to meet with him in his room on Tuesday, November 21, 1939. It was there that the first meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous on the West Coast
was held. Aside from Ray and Ted, there were two others present, Don B. and Dave
L. and the meeting lasted about two hours. As Ray mentioned, it had become clear that they would need to form an AA group
in San Francisco, where they all could meet regularly. Mrs. Oram offered her kitchen as a meeting place. So shortly before Christmas, 1939, the first AA group, the "San Francisco Group" began meeting in Mrs. Oram's kitchen, and later
in various members' homes. In October of 1940 they found a more or less permanent site for their meetings in the Telegraph Hill Community House at 1736 Stockton Street in North Beach. (www.aasf.org) AA's First Meeting on the West Coast (Adapted from C.N.C.A History, prepared by the CNCA Archives Committee, September 1984)
Oram
who wrote the New York office following the Gabriel Heatter broadcast in April
1939. She was seeking help for one of her boarders, Ted C, a sometime traveling salesman and full time alcoholic. In his mid-30s, he had been in and out of jails and state hospitals for years. Mrs. Oram ordered a Big Book which arrived in June, and Ted sobered up in July. The Liberty magazine article in September attracted a number of inquiries from Northern California, who were advised by the New York office Ray W, an eastern salesman, would be in San Francisco to meet with them. On November 21, 1939, Ray met in his room at the Clift Hotel with Ted C, Don B and Dave L Ray told them about the AA program and the Big Book and turned over to them several more names to call. God Bless, John Barton Area 44 H & A Chair The Big Book Study Group of South Orange, New Jersey IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 5756. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Wednesday removed from 4th ed. He Sold Himself Short From: Tom Hickcox . . . . . . . . . . . . 6/4/2009 5:17:00 PM
>the Big Book - I am wondering why they took the >word "Wednesday" out of Earl T's story ("He >Sold Himself Short," page 262/263) in the 4th >Edition, in all the printings? > >Back in the past this was the only day >[afternoon] a doctor in the town I grew up >in - in Nova Scotia - ever took off. > >To me it tells of the sacrifice and dedication >Dr. Bob and his family had made for the >fellowship! With the stroke of a keyboard - >a part of history is gone.
Three. I noticed on p. 190 that three little changes similar to the one Gary mentioned were made in the 4th Edition. Two phrases were removed, one phrase was relocated in the same sentence, and "non-existent was changed to "nonexistent".
the Big Book. Many of these were correcting errors, and some reflected the burgeoning membership, but the wording of a Step was changed and "former alcoholic" and "ex-alcoholic" were changed to "ex-problem drinkers".
Edition to the 4th? Tommy H in Baton Rouge IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 5757. . . . . . . . . . . . History of sponsorship From: Charlie C . . . . . . . . . . . . 6/5/2009 8:44:00 AM IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII I have been revisiting the "Little Red Book," a title discussed here at times, and was struck by the way it recommends doing one's 5th Step with a non-AA, e.g. a clergyman, doctor... In discussing the 8th Step, it mentions that
one may want to refer to "older members" when unsure of how to proceed with amends. In neither place is a sponsor mentioned. My understanding is that the Little Red Book represents AA practice of the 1940s, in particular that developed by Dr. Bob. Is this correct? Most of all though, I am curious: when did sponsorship as we know it today become the norm? When did the tradition, suggested in the Big Book, of discussing one's 5th Step with an outsider become the exception, and using one's
sponsor the rule? Are there any interviews with old timers or other records documenting this shift? Thanks, I learn so much from this group! Charlie C. IM = route20guy IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 5758. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: First black AA group was in Washington D.C. -- or Chicago? From: Al Welch . . . . . . . . . . . . 6/6/2009 4:44:00 PM
has passed on. Since the subject of black groups has come up, I was told that 48 years ago there were very few black AA groups in Baltimore & Washington DC and they decided to get together once a year for "A Gratitude Breakfast."
attended my first Gratitude Breakfast in 1979 being held at the Social Security Headquarters cafeteria and have not missed one since. The most recent one was February 22, 2009 and held at La Fountain Bleu in Glen Burnie. (Yes, it has gone upscale)
deemed not worth passing on.......... ----- Original Message ----- From: "Cindy Miller" To: Sent: Friday, June 05, 2009 11:18 AM Subject: [AAHistoryLovers] Re: First black AA group was in Washington D.C. -- or Chicago? IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 5759. . . . . . . . . . . . First Latin American country with an AA group
From: nuevenueve@ymail.com . . . . . . . . . . . . 6/5/2009 4:28:00 PM IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Hi Group, When and which was the first Latin American country receiving the AA message? Best Regards Hugo IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 5760. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: First black AA group in Washington D.C. From: James Flynn . . . . . . . . . . . . 6/6/2009 5:16:00 PM
have been to a few meetings there. But I have never heard of the Cosmopolitan Club. Does it still exist? Sincerely, Jim F. --- On Fri, 6/5/09, Cindy Miller On Sunday, March 22, 2009, members of my HomeGroup rented a van and we drove to Washington, DC - where the Reeves Club was holding its' "4th Annual AA Old-Timers Speakers Jamm" This event was also a celebration of the Cosmopolitan Club, and every hour, the group read portions of "Jim's Story". The event was absolutely outstanding- -each speaker had over 20 years sobriety--the event lasted from noon- 7pm and also included dinner.
meeting between Charlie G., a white man and sober member of A.A., And Jim S., a black man and an alcoholic who was still drinking. Mrs. Gant had known Charlie when he was drinking and he had told her about how AA had helped him. Upon hearing his story, she arranged for the two to meet. Out of that meeting was born the Washington Colored Group, the first Black AA group. The group survived with the help of Charlie G., Bill A., and Chase H. of the Old Central Group; DC's pioneer group of Alcoholics Anonymous. Stories of our group have been handed down from one generation of recovering drunks to the next. One story is that sometimes there would be no one at the meetings, except Jim and his wife, Vi S. Jim S., in his story, reveals that "They came, many of them (white AA's) and stuck by us and told us how to hold meetings, and how to do 12 Step work. Most of the 12 Step work was done at a new alcoholic clinic located at 7th & P Street, N.W. It was at this clinic that the group met Julius S., whose sobriety dates from 1945 and who is the sole survivor of that small band of recovering people. The groups' first meeting were held in the home of Mrs. Gant. They then met several times in the home of Mrs. Gant's mother. The Group of approximately 15 men & women, with sobriety ranging from a few weeks to one year, grew to nearly 30 members in the second year. Jim S. began to seek space for a meeting. He approached several ministers who praised what he was doing, but they did not offer space. He then approached the Anthony Bowen YMCA at 12th & S Streets, N.W. The "Y" rented a room to the group for $2.00 per night. In this second year, the group's name was changed from the Washington Colored Group to the Cosmopolitan Group of Alcoholics Anonymous--an indicator that all suffering alcoholics were welcome regardless of race. That group tradition remains in effect today. Often, a YMCA employee would come to the meeting room door, and beckon two or more members, then leave the room, on their way to "Carry the Message" These pioneers began to take their message to other cities: Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City and Fredericksburg, VA. Members of the group also included traveling sales men, with all the energy of a crusaders, who took the message up and down the East Coast as well. In 1947, the House District Committee of the 80th Congress held the first Federal hearing dealing with alcoholism and the need for rehabilitation. At the hearing, Julius S., of our group testified that he had not had a drink for 18 months! The Traditions, one of which deals with Anonymity were confirmed by the A.A. Convention in 1950.
In 1950, the DC Police Court allowed AA into the courtroom where meetings were held on Saturday mornings. Bob C., a probation officer, began sending probationers to the Cosmopolitan Group. At a later date, attendance at the weekly AA meeting became one of the conditions of release. It was at the 1955 AA Convention, held in St. Louis, that our founder, Jim S., became the first black person to address a national AA Convention. In 1970 or '71, the group moved to the Petworth Church located on Grant Circle of Northwest Washington, and from there in 1975 to the Peoples' Congregational Church. Currently, we meet at the Emory Methodist Church every Monday and Friday now at 8:oopm. We've been here since April, 1993. Jim S.'s story reveals theat in the first fev month s of his sobriety, he gathered up alcoholics in an attempt to save the world. He wanted to give this new "something" to everyone who had a problem. Well, his story concludes, "We didn't save the world, but we did manage to help some individuals. "
time put forth by Dicker S. in compiling this paper. Best, Cindy Miller Sunday Morning Group at the 4021 Clubhouse Philadelphia, PA -cm `·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·...¸><((((º> IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 5761. . . . . . . . . . . . African-American Participation in AA Meetings
From: David . . . . . . . . . . . . 6/6/2009 8:55:00 PM IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Is anyone aware, in either local, district, area or international archives, or from personal experience, of any information concerning African-American participation in AA groups in America or other countries from approximately 1940 to 1970? Thanks so much for your input! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 5762. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: African-American Participation in AA Meetings From: Meritt Hutton . . . . . . . . . . . . 6/7/2009 9:33:00 AM
has a story concerning the first black group in Cleveland, Ohio.
woman, bringing a Big Book with him. But then the white AA's in Cleveland's Lake Shore Group refused to let her attend their meeting, so Oscar and some of the other white men who were sympathetic to her plight, set up a group in one of Cleveland's black neighborhoods, on Cedar Ave., and this group quickly grew to fifteen members.
book which deals mostly with the 1940's. IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 5763. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: First Latin American country with an AA group From: Shakey1aa@aol.com . . . . . . . . . . . . 6/8/2009 5:32:00 PM
Shakey Mike Gwirtz - - - - So for example, in 1948, Bill Wilson and Father Ralph Pfau met in California, and took a trip to Mexico together to help the growth of AA in that country. Glenn C., Moderator - - - - In a message dated 6/6/2009 nuevenueve@ymail.com writes: Hi Group, When and which was the first Latin American country receiving the AA message? Best Regards Hugo IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 5764. . . . . . . . . . . . RE: History of sponsorship From: Jay Lawyer . . . . . . . . . . . . 6/7/2009 9:37:00 PM IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Charlie and group, We must remember that directions in the Big Book were for those members who received a copy of it in the mail and weren't near any group, or didn't have the luxury of being close to another group or member of AA. The book is just giving somewhat clear messages of who to look for in order to do the work.
there were only 3 groups. NY, Akron, and Cleveland. What were you to do? The Big Book explains it. Jay _____ From: Charlie C Sent: Friday, June 05, 2009 Subject: History of sponsorship
... and was struck by the way it recommends doing one's 5th Step with a non-AA, e.g. a clergyman, doctor .... When did the tradition, suggested in the Big Book, of discussing one's 5th Step with an outsider become the exception, and using one's sponsor the rule? Charlie C. IM = route20guy IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 5765. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: First black AA group in Washington D.C. From: Michael F. Margetis . . . . . . . . . . . . 6/12/2009 8:03:00 AM
Washington DC. on Monday and Friday nights. Here's a link to the DC intergroup (WAIA)
> > I have heard of the Metropolis Club in DC and > have been to a few meetings there. But I have > never heard of the Cosmopolitan Club. Does it > still exist? > > Sincerely, Jim F. > IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 5766. . . . . . . . . . . . Lessons From Rock Bottom From: Bill Lash . . . . . . . . . . . . 6/13/2009 9:25:00 AM IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII AN INTERESTING ARTICLE ON A.A. FROM A NON-A.A. SOURCE "Lessons From Rock Bottom: The church can learn about grace from the recovery movement" By Philip Yancey (posted 7/11/00 on Christianity Today Online) Yüklə 11,49 Mb. Dostları ilə paylaş:
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