Aa history Lovers 2010 moderators Nancy Olson and Glenn F. Chesnut page



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_____
Thank you, Fiona, for posting the Wired article, it is thoroughly enjoyable

as an outside-AA examination of our Fellowship.


Looking it up on the website, at least 30 'comment' responses have arrived

to its publishing date of a few days ago.


As most 'comment' sections seem to show various levels of support, contempt,

sound bites, and counterpoint,


it's an unedited "good, bad, and ugly" forum.From my perspective, the

replies from recovered alcoholics and addiction counselors


brought out one trait to blend with the Internet trilogy (good, bad, ugly):

insight.
The article has its good points, especially all of the links inserted into

the text. Are these foot notes, 21st Century style,
because they are more like "corps notes" for HUGE further study and/or

distraction? J


On its points of AA history the article alludes to too many tangential and

obscure examples that do not explain AA's resilience over the years,


and some of the author's example items are downright distracting to this

historian.


Still, the article sets up the reader's challenge to answer the title's

question, just as the 'comments' section develops a wide range of answers.


How, Why, and When?
In my own 25th year of sobriety, I keep finding that the simple four point

description of early AA recovery is exactly how our 'method' continues to

work:
Admit defeat, trust God, clean house, and work with others.
That's the "how" but the "why it works" is the Unity that comes from the

careful actions of our multi-layered, diverse group of recovered

individuals.
The "we" in our Twelve Steps, Traditions, and Concepts is possible when it's

"me" doing the needed footwork to move up to the "we."


And the "when"? The AA Fellowship has brought me a lifetime of constructive

discovery to every new day since I admitted powerlessness over alcohol.


After that I knew I was no longer helpless, and I get reminded of this fact

(not being helpless anymore) at every meeting I participate in.


There's laughter and joy and challenge and growth from participating in the

AA Fellowship, and I'm responsible to try out any of the 'simple kit of

spiritual tools'
in my personal life. The destination is less important than the journey,

too.
The outside world may never fully understand how AA works, but it can see

the results of lives reclaimed and lives restored to health.
The thoughtful posts to our aahistoryovers e-group are more of those

results, and I'm thankful and better off today because of them.


Best regards to all,
Rick T., Illinois
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++++Message 6672. . . . . . . . . . . . RE: Use of the word sponsor

From: Sherry C. Hartsell . . . . . . . . . . . . 6/26/2010 12:55:00 PM


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The practice of being responsible for PAYMENT was still loosely in practice

when I came into AA in 1967, though it had come to imply that whoever

BROUGHT the person to the hospital for detoxification was agreeing to

follow-up with the patient, visit in the hospital and most likely pick the

patient up upon their being discharged and accompany him/her to AA Meetings

for some extended period of time following discharge from the brief hospital

de-tox ---most often this was a "County or City" hospital that by State

statute had a certain number of beds "set aside" for that particular

purpose, not one which had a regimented or formal Treatment Program.
Sherry C.H.
From: AAHistoryLovers@yahoogroups.com

[mailto:AAHistoryLovers@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of John Moore

Sent: Thursday, June 17, 2010 6:40 PM

To: AAHistoryLovers@yahoogroups.com

Subject: Re: [AAHistoryLovers] Use of the word sponsor
*

I would like to add to this question.


I have heard that the term "sponsor" as it was in general use in the US when

Bill and Bob were getting started, carried with it an implied financial

responsibility.
Generally speaking, if you sponsored someone, it meant that you would be

picking up their tab.


For example, if my brother was to sponsor me at City Hospital, he would be

paying for my treatment


If this is correct, it would be a logical reason why the term "sponsor" does

not appear in the first 164 pages.


In time, the meaning of the word changed.
John M

South Burlington, Vermont


*

On Tue, Jun 15, 2010 at 10:14 AM, royslev

> wrote:
>

>

> I have an early AA history question. Most of us are aware that the actual



> term "sponsor" is not mentioned in the first 164 pages of our basic text

> (the equivalent term "spiritual adviser" is used on page 63).

>

> Yet when listening to AA pioneer Clarence Snyder's recordings in which he



> talks a lot about early program history when they were still going to

Oxford


> Group meetings before 1939 he refers to Dr. Bob as his "sponsor."

>

> So my question is really for Oxford Group history experts: Was the term



> sponsor a common Oxford Group usage? Was it a common term used by members

of

> the "alcoholic squadron" of the Akron or New York Oxford groupers even



> though it was omitted by Bill in our basic text?

>

> When did the actual word sponsor come into common usage among AA members



> (we all know it's on every other page of the 12&120 ?

>

> I've done a search for the discussion thread on the word "sponsor" in the



> AA historylovers group but this is a more precise question.

>

> Thanks for feedback.



>

> Roy L. ( class of `78 )

> royslev@verizon.net

royslev@yahoo.com

>

>



>
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++++Message 6673. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: AAHL -- SAN ANTONIO -- 3-5:00

Sat. July 3

From: royslev . . . . . . . . . . . . 6/26/2010 2:06:00 PM
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Just got this email from Bill C. of Rendondo whose sponsor Jay S. will be

presenting at the International. Jay S. is a real "expert" on Oxford Group

history. Thought I'd pass this on:
Anyone going to San Antonio?

"A.A.'s History of Love and Service"

International A.A. Conference

1:30 p.m., Friday, July 2, 2010


An informative and entertaining panel

Gail L., Akron.Ohio

Art S. , Arlington, TX

Jay S., Redondo Beach, CA

Paul C., Oceanside, CA

Location:

Alamo Ballroom

Marriott Riverwalk

889 East Market Street

(Across the street from Convention Center)


--- In AAHistoryLovers@yahoogroups.com, Glenn Chesnut wrote:

>

> MAIN AA HISTORY LOVERS GET-TOGETHER



> at the San Antonio International, 3:00-5:00 p.m.,

> Saturday, July 3, 2010

> in the AA Online hospitality suite (Crockett

> Suite A/B) at the Grand Hyatt Hotel (the main

> convention hotel).

>

> The AA Online hospitality room will be open continuously from Thursday



through

Saturday. The New York GSO has suggested this to us as an ideal place for

members of the AAHistoryLovers to meet. So if you have some free time, come

in

and sit down and have a cup of coffee and chat. I'll be there when I'm not



otherwise involved, and so will some of our other members, I believe.

>

> Glenn Chesnut, Moderator



> AAHistoryLovers

>

> OTHER EVENTS:



>

> ========================================

> Friday, July 2, 2010

> ========================================

>

> 12 noon - 1:00 p.m.



> GSO Archives, in the Henry B Gonzalez Convention Center -- we will have

some


tables and chairs at our disposal and Michelle Mirza, the GSO Archivist, has

agreed to briefly chat with us. A good chance to learn more about the

historical

resources in the New York AA Archives.

>

> 1:30-3:00 p.m.



> Arthur S. of the AAHistoryLovers will be one of the 3 speakers

participating

in the Archives AA History Workshop at the MRW (Marriott River Walk).

>

> ****3:30-5:00 p.m.



> AN ADDITIONAL GOOD OPPORTUNITY to meet a few AAHL members for anyone who

can't


make the Saturday afternoon meeting: all members of the AAHistoryLovers who

want


to, can meet and discuss Arthur's talk in the AA Online hospitality suite,

Crockett Suite A/B, at the Grand Hyatt Hotel. Or just sit down and have a

cup of

coffee, and have an informal conversation with some of the other AAHL



members

sitting around the table.

>

> ========================================



> Saturday, July 3, 2010

> ========================================

>

> 1:00-2:30 p.m.



> There will be a presentation on the History of AA in New Jersey in the

hospitality suite at the Grand Hyatt in the Bonham Room.

>

> ****3:00-5:00 p.m.



> MAIN A.A. HISTORY LOVERS GET-TOGETHER

> In the AA Online hospitality suite (Crockett Suite A/B) at the Grand Hyatt

Hotel. No program, just come in and sit down and have a chat, and get to

know


some of your fellow AAHL members over a good cup of coffee.

>

> ========================================



>

> ALSO:


>

> 11:00 a.m. Friday and Saturday, July 2 and 3

>

> "In Our Own Words: Pioneers of Alcoholics Anonymous"



> at La Condesa / El Mirador Rooms (22nd Floor)

> Hilton Palacio del Rio, 200 South Alamo Street.

>

> This original play dramatizes the first-hand accounts of the



> founders and pioneers of A.A., including the early members

> of special composition groups in the fellowship. Performed

> by a group of the SF fellowship.

>

> ========================================



> [as revised 6/24/10]

>
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++++Message 6674. . . . . . . . . . . . Fw: [AAFB] OT: Some AA History .....

From: Lynn Sawyer . . . . . . . . . . . . 6/27/2010 2:10:00 AM


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Sent by another member of AAFirmBelievers, an online grp., thot I'd share it

w/all youse guys, too. It's an interesting read.

Lynn S.

alcoholic



Sacramento, CA

Bill Dotson - AA Member #3

"The Man On The Bed"
On a Friday night, September 17, 1954, Bill Dotson died in Akron, Ohio.

"That is, people say he died, but he really didn't," wrote Bill Wilson. "His

spirit and works are today alive in the hearts of uncounted AA's, and who

can


doubt that Bill already dwells in one of those many mansions in the great

beyond."
Bill Dotson, the "Man on the Bed," was AA number 3. At his death, he had not

had

a drink in more than nineteen years. His date of sobriety was the date he



entered Akron's City Hospital for his last detox, June 26, 1935. Two days

later


occurred that fateful day when two sober alcoholics visited him: Dr. Bob

Smith


of Akron, Ohio, and Bill Wilson, a guest of Dr. Bob's from New York.
A few days before, Dr. Bob had said to Bill: "If you and I are going to stay

sober, we had better get busy." Dr. Bob called Akron's City Hospital and

told

the nurse, a "Mrs. Hall," that he and a man from New York had a cure for



alcoholism. Did she have an alcoholic customer on whom they could try it

out?


She replied, "Well, Doctor, I suppose you've already tried it yourself?"
Then she told him of a man who had just come in with DT's, had blacked the

eyes


of two nurses, and was now strapped down tight. "He's a grand chap when he's

sober," she added.


Dr. Bob prescribed some medications, and then asked her to transfer him to a

private room. He also put him on a diet of sauerkraut and tomatoes. That's

all

he was allowed to eat during his hospitalization.


The nurse told Dr. Bob and Bill that Bill Dotson had been a well-known

attorney


in Akron and a city councilman. But he had been hospitalized eight times in

the


last six months. (Bill Wilson sometimes said "six times.") Following each

release, he got drunk even before he got home.


Bill's wife, Henrietta Dotson, had talked to Dr. Bob and Bill earlier. When

she


told her husband she had been "talking to a couple of fellows about

drinking" he

was furious at her "disloyalty." When she told them that they were "a couple

of

drunks" Bill didn't mind so much.


Henrietta apparently had quite a conversation with the two men, and she told

her


husband that their plan for staying sober themselves was to tell their plan

to

another drunk.


Years later, Bill Dotson reflected on the jumbled thoughts in his mind as

his


wife left and he began to lapse back into withdrawal stupor: "All the other

people that talked to me wanted to help ME, and my pride prevented me from

listening to them, and caused only resentment on my part, but I felt as if I

would be a real stinker if I did not listen to a couple of fellows for a

short

time, if that would cure THEM."


So Dr. Bob and Bill talked to what may have been their first "man on the

bed."


They told him of the serious nature of his disease, but also offered hope

for a


recovery. "We told him what we had done," wrote Bill, "how we got honest

with


ourselves as never before, how we had talked our problems out with each

other in


confidence, how we tried to make amends for harm done others, how we had

then


been miraculously released from the desire to drink as soon as we had humbly

asked God, as we understood him, for guidance and protection."


But Bill Dotson was not impressed. He said, "Well, this is wonderful for you

fellows, but can't be for me. My case is so terrible that I'm scared to go

out

of this hospital at all. You don't have to sell me religion, either. I was



at

one time a deacon in the church and I still believe in God. But I guess he

doesn't believe much in me."
(Like so many of us on first coming to AA, Bill Dotson thought he was

"different.") But he did agree to see Dr. Bob and Bill again. They came

again

the next day, and for several days thereafter. When they arrived on July 4,



they

found Bill's wife, Henrietta, with him.


Eagerly pointing at them, he said to his wife: "These are the fellows I told

you


about, they are the ones who understand."
Before they could say anything, he told them about his night, how he hadn't

slept but had been thinking about them all night long. And he had decided

that

if they could do it, maybe he could do it, maybe they could do together what



they couldn't do separately.
It was apparently on that day that he admitted he couldn't control his

drinking


and had to leave it up to God. Then they made him get down on his knees at

the


side of the bed and pray and say that he would turn his life over to God.

Before


the visit was over, he suddenly turned to his wife and said, "Go fetch my

clothes, dear. We're going to get up and get out of here."


He walked out of that hospital on July 4, 1935, a free man, never to drink

again. AA's Number One Group dates from that day.


That Fourth of July they had plenty to celebrate. So they had a picnic. The

Smiths, Bill Wilson, the Dotsons, and Eddie Riley, the first alcoholic they

tried to help were there. (Eddie didn't get sober at first, but later he

did,


and Eddie said in a talk that there were two firsts in A.A. -- the first one

who


accepted the program and the first who refused it.)
Within a week, Bill Dotson was back in court, sober, and arguing a case. But

at

first his wife was doubtful. He had previously gone on the wagon and stayed



sober for long periods. But then he drank again. Would this time be

different?

And he hadn't had that sudden transforming experience that Bill Wilson

talked


about.
When Lois Wilson visited Akron in July of 1935, Henrietta shared these fears

with her, and asked Lois whether she ever worried about her Bill drinking

again.

Lois answered without hesitation, "No. Never."


The message had been successfully shared a second time. Dr. Bob was no

fluke.


And apparently you did not have to be indoctrinated by the Oxford Group

before


the message could take hold.
The three worked with scores of others. "Many were called but mighty few

chosen;


failure was our daily companion. But when I left Akron in September 1935,

two or


three more sufferers had apparently linked themselves to us for good," wrote

Bill.
Dotson's story was not included in the first edition of the Big Book. Ernest

Kurst seems to think it was because Bill Dotson's "credentials," were

apparently

too blatant: highly respectable upper middle-class background, above average

education, intensive youthful religious training which had since been

rejected,

and former social prominence recently nullified by such behavior as his

assault

on two nurses.


In a 1952 discussion with Bill D., he was asked why his story hadn't

appeared in

the first edition of the Big Book. He said that he hadn't been much

interested

in the project or perhaps had even thought it unnecessary. He also said that

Bill Wilson had come out to Akron to record his story, which would be in the

next edition of the book. It appears in the Big Book as "AA Number Three."
Old timers in Akron, according to Dr. Bob and the Good Oldtimers, "recalled

that


Bill Dotson, was indeed a grand chap when sober. They remembered him as one

of

the most engaging people they ever knew."


One said: "I thought I was a real big shot because I took Bill D. to

meetings,"

Another noted that, though Bill Dotson was influential in the area he was

not an


ambitious man in AA. "He wasn't aggressive, just a good A.A. If you went to

him


for help he would give you help. He would counsel with you. He never drove a

car, but he went to meetings every night. He'd stand around with his thumbs

in

his vest like a Kentucky colonel. And he spoke so slowly, you wanted to



reach

out and pull the words from his mouth. I loved to be around him. He put you

in

mind of a real 'Easy Does It' guy -- Mr. Serenity."


His wife, looking back in 1977, described him as "a great alcoholic who,

like


other alcoholics, didn't want to get drunk." She reportedly remembered

telling


her pastor, "You aren't reaching him. I'm going to find someone who can, if

I

have to see everyone in Akron," and she prayed with the pastor of another



church

that someone her husband could understand would visit him in City Hospital,

where he had been admitted with "some kind of virus."
I have found no reference to his age when Bill and Bob found him, but Bill

keeps


referring to him in the literature as "old Bill D." [Bill Dotson was 43 when

Bill and Dr. Bob found him, just 3 years older than Bill and 13 years

younger

than Dr. Bob.]


In a memorial to Bill Dotson, Bill Wilson wrote: "The force of the great

example


that Bill set in our pioneering time will last as long as AA itself. Bill

kept


the faith -- what more could we say?"
SOURCES:

"Alcoholics Anonymous", "Dr. Bob and the Good Oldtimers", "The Language of

the

Heart", Bill W.'s Grapevine Writings, "Bill W." by Robert Thomsen, "Not God"



by

Ernest Kurtz, "Bill W." by Francis Hartigan, "My Search for Bill W." by Mel

B.
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++++Message 6675. . . . . . . . . . . . Short history of US Servicemen in AA

on the European Continent

From: Dolores . . . . . . . . . . . . 6/27/2010 1:48:00 PM
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-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
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++++Message 6676. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Big Book Page 100 to do with

sponsorship

From: royslev . . . . . . . . . . . . 6/26/2010 9:11:00 PM
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I have to amend my posting below. Jay S. my AA history loving associate

asked me


to make clear that the current incarnation of the Oxford Groups is called

"Initiatives of Change" not "Christian Initiatives" as incorrectly stated

below

by me. Totally my error. Jay emphasized to me that I.C. is a spiritual not a



religious program, no official connection with any religion, including any

Christian group. For the purposes of AA history lovers his association with

it

is an "outside issue." But to me he's still an "expert" on the Oxford



Groups. If

anybody wants any clarification on this modern day evolved version of the

O.G.,

Jay directs us to this website: www.iofc.org


--- In AAHistoryLovers@yahoogroups.com, Roy Levin wrote:

>

> I contacted my AA buddy Jay S. on this topic. Jay will be giving one of



the

talks on AA history at the upcoming Interntational on Friday, I believe.

> Â

> Jay is an expert on early Oxford Group history and has collected first



editions of their literature ("What Is The Oxford Groups?") and heard

recordings or interviewed older members.

> Â

> He even went so far as to join the vestigial remnant of that organization



which I believe is now known as "Christian Initiative" or something like

that. I


forget the name, but Jay showed me pictures of his retreat at their

headquarters

in Switzerland where they rendezvous annually.

> Â


> Jay says he's heard or read accounts by early members which indicated that

the


word "sponsor" was indeed in common usage by the O.G. members. Yes, it did

sometimes mean that one person might pay for the hospital stay ( about $50

in

depression era ) for an alkie's detox if we're talking about the "alcoholic



squadron" of the O.G.

> Â


> But for the non alcoholic members of the O.G. which you realize were

numerically superior to the drunks ( we were in a minority ) the term

"sponsor"

was used commonly much in the same way we use it today, i.e. as someone who

introduces you to the the group and undertakes your early training in

spiritual

practice. A sponsor is a "mentor" in definition and practice, and note the

word "protege" is used in our Big Book. The opposite of a protoge is a

patron

or mentor in common usage, i.e. a "sponsor."



> Â

> To sum it up, O.G. expert Jay says the term comes from the Oxford

Groups. If

you're attending the convention catch his talk or Friday and query him in

person. I plan to be there myself.

> Â


> Roy L. ( class of `78 )

>

> --- On Thu, 6/24/10, Roy Levin wrote:



>

>

> From: Roy Levin



> Subject: [AAHistoryLovers] Re: Big Book Page 100 to do with sponsorship

> To: AAHistoryLovers@yahoogroups.com

> Date: Thursday, June 24, 2010, 8:20 AM

>

>



> Â

>

>



>

> Where is this reference to the use by Oxford Group members of the word

"sponsor" in the same sense of a baptismal Godfather term? Is it in any of

their


literature?

>

> - - - -



>

> From: J. Lobdell

> Subject: Re: Big Book Page 100 to do with sponsorship

>

> <<... the OG used the term "sponsor" more or less in the sense used of



Godparents in Sacramental Baptism -- and btw at Calvary, Bill was Ebby's

sponsor.>>

>

>

>



>

>

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>

> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

>
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++++Message 6678. . . . . . . . . . . . New Book on Prohibition

From: schaberg43 . . . . . . . . . . . . 6/28/2010 10:48:00 AM


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I have just finished reading a new book on the history of Prohibition

(1920-1932) and I would like to recommend it to anyone who is interested in

this

important period just preceding the founding of AA.


The book is "Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition" by Daniel Okrent

(2010).
I typically keep a list of books I read and write a short `personal' review

for

my own information, which I will share here:


This book on "the rise and fall of Prohibition" that got an excellent review

in

the New York Time Sunday Book Review. In general, I would agree with that



assessment although I felt the writing – at times – got just a bit too

"cute"


for a book that purports to be a serious history.
Who knew? I thought I had a fairly good grip on this phase of American

history –

and one that is so relevant to the history of AA. But I did not. There were

lots


of interesting and intriguing facts and perspectives in this lovely book.
For instance, I didn't know that the Temperance forces had to first get an

amendment passed allowing an Income Tax – so that they could then ban

liquor,

the primary source of the federal government's income. Nor did I have any



idea

of how radical and intrusive this amendment (and the subsequent Volstead Act

to

implement the amendment) was in relation to every-day Americans and what a



potent revolution this was in relation to our concepts of government. Also,

I

was surprised that Prohibition – something I think of as almost `Fascist'



– was

all but universally supported by what in those days were called

"progressives."

Or how much Wheeler and Sabin had to do with the adoption and repeal of

Prohibition respectively.
And all of that just scratches the surface of the wonderful and interesting

facts and insights contained in this book. All in all, a very good book and

one

that I enjoyed immensely.


Because Prohibition so closely preceded – and influenced – the founding

of our


Fellowship, I think this is an important book for anyone with an interest in

the


early history of AA.
Best,
Old Bill
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++++Message 6679. . . . . . . . . . . . New York Times

From: Fiona Dodd . . . . . . . . . . . . 6/29/2010 1:35:00 PM


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Bill Wilson's Gospel
By DAVID


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