Hello,

In addition to being an archivist I am also
into genealogy.  Here is what I found on my
search of Dr Bob's family tree:

Dr Bob's grandparents on his mothers side
were Parley Holbrook was born about 1820.
He married Louisa M. Severance. She was born
about 1828.

Their daughter, Dr Bob's mother, Susan A.
Holbrook was born 1856, and died after 1880.
She married Walter Perrin Smith, son of
Perrin Smith and Betsy Judd. He was born 1842,
and died 1918.

Their son Robert Holbrook Smith was born
8 Aug 1879, and died 16 Nov 1950.

He married Anne Robinson Ripley, daughter of
Joseph Trescott Ripley and Harriet T. Conantz.
She was born 1881, and died 1 Jun 1949.

I also have the Smith side of the family back
to about 1583.

Also have Bill Wilson's family tree and it
goes back to the Mayflower.

Hope this helps

Charles from California

- - - -

From: Tom Hickcox
Subject: Holbrook (Dr. Bob's middle name)

Dr. Bob's middle name was Holbrook and I would
like to know who he is named for.

My late wife's mother was a Holbrook and was
born in Lyndon, Vt., the next town north of
St. Johnsbury on US-5.  It is a very common
name in the area.

My mother was from the same area and I have
spent a lot of time there, including my first
three months of sobriety.

I would be interested if there might be a
connection.

Tommy in Baton Rouge

I went back to listen to Jim Burwell's talk
on the history of the big book (available
free online) and he refers to Joe Worther (or
Werther), and he does credit him with being
a co-founder of the New Yorker magazine. Joe
was a patient at at State's Hospital, which
Jim called a "nut house."

He only spent about 60 seconds on the topic
(about 38 minutes into his talk).

- - - - -

From Glenn C. (South Bend, Indiana)
<glennccc@...>
(glennccc at sbcglobal.net)

I think we have to continue to put a big
question mark next to all those statements
in early AA documents which claim that the
mysterious Joe W. was a "founder" of the
New Yorker magazine, or that "his family
own the New Yorker Magazine."

At least until someone can do some
research and turn up a reference to his
name in some document which talks about
the early history of the New Yorker
magazine.

In addition, even though "Pass It On"
says on page 202 that Joe W. was "a New
Yorker writer," we have to say that if he
WAS a writer for the magazine, he would
have to have been a fairly minor figure.
Or at least based on my research so far,
he does not seem to have been somebody who
got a regular byline.

HERE IS WHAT I HAVE COME UP WITH SO FAR:

The New Yorker magazine was founded in 1925
by Harold Ross and his wife, Jane Grant,
a New York Times reporter.  Ross, who was
editor of the magazine from 1925 until his
death in 1951, was an extremely well known
figure in American literary circles.

Entrepreneur Raoul H. Fleischman, the founder
of the General Baking Company, gave Harold
Ross the financial backing to publish the
magazine.

Joe W.'s name does not show up anywhere in
that story, which is the normal historical
account which is given of how the New Yorker
magazine was begun.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_Yorker
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/timeline

There is a list of current and past contri-
butors to The New Yorker, along with the
dates they served and their chief areas
of interest, at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_New_Yorker_Contributors

There are only four people named Joe or
Joseph on that list of New Yorker writers:

Joseph Brodsky - poet
Joseph Epstein - writer and essayist
Joseph Moncure March - editor
Joseph Mitchell - nonfiction writer

None of them is a "Joe W."

There are twelve people whose last names
begin with U, V, or W, but there is nobody
there whose last name sounds like Worden,
Ward, Worthum, Worther, or Werther:

John Updike - fiction, essayist
Chris Ware - cartoonist
Rogers E. M. Whitaker - essayist, railroad writer
E. B. White - essayist and editor
Alec Wilkinson - essayist and author
Edmund Wilson - literary critic
Herbert Warren Wind - essayist, golf historian and journalist
James Wolcott - television critic
Tobias Wolff - short story writer
James Wood - literary critic
Alexander Woollcott - theatre critic
Elizabeth Wurtzel- cultural critic and author

It's possible that Joe W. did have something
to do with the New Yorker magazine, but
let us figure out what his connection was
before we treat this as a historical fact.

To say that somebody founded the New Yorker
magazine, one of the most important literary
magazines in twentieth century America, or
that his family owned the magazine, is not
impossible, but it is a pretty grandiose
claim, and it would go against the normal
historical accounts of how that magazine
was started.

The burden of proof, in other words, is
upon the historian who wishes to claim
that it was not really Harold Ross, but
some guy named Joe W., who founded the
New Yorker magazine.

Glenn C.

In 1995 (I think), I was fortunate to attend an
AA "gathering" called "Pockets of Enthusiasm"
in South Jersey.

Earl was the featured speaker -- also speaking
was his daughter.

I remember 2 main points from that talk
of his: A very no-nonsense (no psychobabble
interpretations here!) adherence to the
directions given in the Big Book, and an
admonishment to dress well and carry
yourself with dignity when speaking at an
AA meeting.

-cm

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Message #4482 asked:

"Does anyone have any detailed information on
the late AA historian/archivist Earl Husband
from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma?"

See also Messages #4494 and #4493

Dr. Bob's middle name was Holbrook and I would
like to know who he is named for.

My late wife's mother was a Holbrook and was
born in Lyndon, Vt., the next town north of
St. Johnsbury on US-5.  It is a very common
name in the area.

My mother was from the same area and I have
spent a lot of time there, including my first
three months of sobriety.

I would be interested if there might be a
connection.

Tommy in Baton Rouge.

Dear History Lovers,

According to "Al-Anon Family Groups, Classic
Edition", the statement listed below was first
printed in "Living With an Alcoholic, Expanded
Edition" in May, 1973. I have verified that
it is not in the 1962 printing. This book
began as "Al-Anon Famliy Groups" (1955). The
name of the book "Al-Anon Family Groups" was
changed to "Living with an Alcoholic" in 1960,
returned to "Al-Anon Family Groups" in 1985.
In 2000, the "Al-Anon Family Groups, Classic
Edition", was printed with the original text
of the 1955 edition and added all the changes
in Appendices.

That the closing was listed in 1973, means
that it was in common use by Al-Anon groups
by then.

Sincerely,

Art Boudreault artb@...
(artb at netwiz.net)
California North

> Hello Andy - Ohio expatriate. I have heard
> things like this at some AA groups.
>
> It would seem to have come by individuals
> modifying Al-Anon's closing statement to
> their needs:
>
> "In closing, I would like to say that the
> opinions expressed here were strictly those
> of the person who gave them. Take what you
> liked and leave the rest.
>
> "The things you heard were spoken in confi-
> dence and should be treated as confidential.
> Keep them within the walls of this room and
> the confines of your mind.
>
> "A few special words to those of you who
> haven't been with us long: Whatever your
> problems, there are those among us who have
> had them too. If you try to keep an open
> mind you will find help. You will come to
> realize that there is no situation too
> difficult to be bettered and no unhappiness
> too great to be lessened.
>
> "We aren't perfect. The welcome we give you
> may not show the warmth we have in our hearts
> for you. After a while, you'll discover that
> though you may not like all of us, you'll
> love us in a very special way-the same way
> we already love you.
>
> "Talk to each other, reason things out with
> someone else, but let there be no gossip or
> criticism of one another. Instead, let the
> understanding, love, and peace of the program
> grow in you one day at a time."
>
> I do not know who did this or when it was done.
> This may come from more than one source.
>

In response to the many email requests for the
PDF  copy of "Saints Without Glasses: Mexican
Catholics in Alcoholics Anonymous"  as well as
questions and comments  regarding this research,
perhaps the following comments will be  helpful.

The field research for this article was
conducted  in one particular  geographical
area of Mexico among Mexican Catholics in
Alcoholics Anonymous. ( Perhaps some AA
History Lover would want to replicate this
research among Mexican Catholics in
Alcoholics Anonymous living in the  USA.)

Glenn, our Yahoo Group moderator, posted
the  article, "Saints Without Glasses:..."
in six parts. This was due to limitations of
the Yahoo Group setup in terms of length of
messages allowed and the fact that attachments
are not an option. That is why I offered a PDF
copy on  request.   Please note that I am
not the author of this article but rather the
one  who received permission from the author,
Dr. Peter Cahn, to post it for AA  History
Lovers.  It was Peter who provided me with
the PDF copy (or the  article could be pur-
chased  for $32.11 plus tax electronically
from the academic journal that published it).

I do not personally know Peter, who is
Associate  Professor of Anthropology at the
University of Oklahoma.

I learned of his article in a daily online
"Google Alert" that I receive.

If you have specific questions or comments
about his research, email Peter at
pcahn@...  (pcahn at ou.edu)

or go to his Homepage at
<http://faculty-staff.ou.edu/C/Peter.S.Cahn-1/>

Some folks are not familiar with "Google
Alerts."  This is a good way to obtain
an automatic notice of new materials (on any
set of topics which you specify) when they
appear on the internet, the day that they
first show up on the Google search engine:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_News_Alerts
http://www.google.com/alerts
http://www.googlealert.com/

Hope this helps...   John

Hello Andy - Ohio expatriate. I have heard
things like this at some AA groups.

It would seem to have come by individuals
modifying Al-Anon's closing statement to
their needs:

"In closing, I would like to say that the
opinions expressed here were strictly those
of the person who gave them. Take what you
liked and leave the rest.

"The things you heard were spoken in confi-
dence and should be treated as confidential.
Keep them within the walls of this room and
the confines of your mind.

"A few special words to those of you who
haven't been with us long: Whatever your
problems, there are those among us who have
had them too. If you try to keep an open
mind you will find help. You will come to
realize that there is no situation too
difficult to be bettered and no unhappiness
too great to be lessened.

"We aren't perfect. The welcome we give you
may not show the warmth we have in our hearts
for you. After a while, you'll discover that
though you may not like all of us, you'll
love us in a very special way-the same way
we already love you.

"Talk to each other, reason things out with
someone else, but let there be no gossip or
criticism of one another. Instead, let the
understanding, love, and peace of the program
grow in you one day at a time."

I do not know who did this or when it was done.
This may come from more than one source.

_________________________________

The original question from Andy T. asked:

Would anybody know the origin or development
of the following? It is used commonly in the
Midwest and was a topic discussion at a meeting
on its beginnings.

ANONYMITY STATEMENT

In closing this meeting let me remind you,
you and me, that although no individual has
the right to be wrong in his facts, every
individual has the right to his own opinions.

Please remember that the opinions expressed
here are strictly those of the individual.

Remember also that ANONYMITY is the spiritual
foundation of the A.A. Traditions. The things
that you hear here and share here are spoken
and shared in confidence. Let them be treated
as confidential.

If you listen with an open mind, if you try
to absorb what you see and hear, you are
bound to gain a better understanding of
yourself, your problem and a way to better
handle that problem.

Talk with each other. Reason with each other,
but let there be no gossip or criticism of
another. Instead please let the love,
acceptance, understanding, and companionship
of the program grow inside you one day at a
time.

From: Cindy Miller <cm53@...>
(cm53 at earthlink.net)

Hmmmm.... bears a striking similarity
(although a bit of the wording is changed)
to the Closing Statement commonly read
aloud at Al-Anon meetings.

- - - -

From: "Debi Ubernosky" <dkuber1990@...>
(dkuber1990 at verizon.net)

Anyone who has ever been to an Al-Anon meeting
knows, this is an adaptation of what is read
at the close of Al-Anon meetings - at least,
it is read around here.

- - - -

From: Cece Archer <cecearcher@...>
(cecearcher at juno.com)

The paragraph below is read at Al-anon meetings
in  Maryland.  I have never heard it read at
an AA meeting in California or Maryland.

Cecilia Archer

"Talk with each other. Reason with each other,
but let there be no gossip or criticism of
another. Instead please let the love,
acceptance, understanding, and companionship
of the program grow inside you one day at a
time."

- - - -

From: "johnlawlee" <johnlawlee@...>
(johnlawlee at yahoo.com)

The "midwestern" anonymity statement tracks
the one used in Alanon meetings nationwide,
and the last paragraph is identical. I can't
verify which one is the plagarism.

From:  "Bent Christensen"
<bent_christensen5@...>
(bent_christensen5 at yahoo.com)

A Manual for Alcoholics Anonymous (continued)

Again, we would appreciate it is someone could
tell us what edition of this pamphlet the
words in {curly brackets} are coming from.
We would like to be sure that we are using a
good text of this pamphlet for the Danish
translation that we are preparing.

- - - -

VI

NOW YOU ARE OUT OF THE HOSPITAL

By this time you should know if you want to go along with A.A., or if you want
to slip back into that old headache that you called life. You are physically
sober and well -- a bit shaky, perhaps but that will wear off in a short time.
Reflect that you didn't get into this condition over night, and that you cannot
expect to get out of it in a couple of hours or days.

You feel good enough to go on another bender, or good enough to try a different
scheme of things - sobriety.

You have decided to go along with Alcoholics Anonymous?   Very well, you will
never regret it.

First off, your day will have a new pattern. You will open the day with a quiet
period. This will be explained by your sponsor. You will read the "Upper Room,"
or whatever you think best for yourself. You will say a little prayer asking for
help during the day. You will go about your daily work, and your associates will
be surprised at you clear-eyed, the disappearance of that haunted look and your
willingness to make up for the past. You sponsor may drop in to see you, or call
you on the telephone. There may be a meeting of an A.A. group. Attend it without
question. You have no valid excuse except sickness or being out of town, for not
attending. You may call on a new patient. Don't wait until tomorrow to do this.
You will find the work fascinating. You will find a   kindred soul. And you will
be giving yourself a new boost along the road to sobriety. Finally, at the end
of the day you will say another little prayer of thanks and gratitude for a day
of sobriety. You will have lived a full day - a full, constructive day. And you
will be grateful.

You feel that you have nothing to say to a new patient? No story to tell?
Nonsense! You have been sober for a day, or for a week. Obviously, you must have
done something to stay sober, even for that short length of time. That is your
story. And believe it or not, the patient won't realize that you are nearly as
much of a tyro as he is. Definitely you have something to say. And with each
succeeding visit you will find that your story comes easier, that you have more
confidence in your ability to be of help. The harder you work at   sobriety the
easier it is to remain sober.

Your sponsor will take you to your first meeting. You will find it new, but
inspirational. You will find an atmosphere of peace and contentment that you
didn't know existed.

After you have attended several meetings it will be your duty to get up on your
feet and say something. You will have something to say, even if it is only to
express gratitude to the group for having helped you. Before many months have
passed you will be asked to lead a meeting. Don't try to put it off with
excuses. It is part of the program. Even if you don't think highly of yourself
as a public speaker, remember you are among   friends, and that your friends
also are ex-drunks.

Get in contact with your new friends. Call them up. Drop in at their homes or
offices. The door is always open to a fellow-alcoholic.

Before long you will have a new thrill -- the thrill of helping someone else.
There is no greater satisfaction in the world than watching the progress of a
new Alcoholic Anonymous. When you first see him in his hospital bed he may be
unshaved, bleary-eyed, dirty, incoherent. Perhaps the next day he has shaved and
cleaned up. A day later his eyes are brighter, new color has come into his face.
He talks more intelligently. He leaves the hospital, goes to work,   and buys
some new clothes. And in a month you will hardly recognize him as the derelict
you first met in the hospital. No whisky in the world can give you this thrill.

Above all, remember this: Keep the rules in mind. As long as you follow them you
are on firm ground. But the least deviation - and you are vulnerable.

AS A NEW MEMBER, remember you are one of the most important cogs in the
machinery of A.A. Without the work of the new member, A.A. could not have grown
as it has. You will bring into this work a fresh enthusiasm, the zeal of a
crusader. You will want everyone to share with you the blessings of this new
life. You will be tireless   in your efforts to help others. And it is a
splendid enthusiasm! Cherish it as long as you can.

It is not likely that your fresh enthusiasm will last forever. You will find,
however, that as initial enthusiasm wanes, it is replaced with a greater
understanding, deeper sympathy, and a more complete knowledge. You will
eventually become an "elder statesman" of A.A. and you will be able to use your
knowledge to help not only brand new members, but those who have been members
for a year or more, but who still have perplexing problems. And as a new member,
do not hesitate to bring your problems to these "elder statesmen" They may be
able to solve your headaches and make easier your path.
And now you are ready to go back and read Part III of this booklet. For you are
ready to sponsor some other poor alcoholic who is desperately in need of help,
both human and Divine.

So God bless you and keep you.

YARDSTICK FOR ALCOHOLICS

THE PROSPECTIVE MEMBER of A.A. may have some doubts if he is actually an
alcoholic. A.A. in Akron has found a yardstick prepared by psychiatrists of
Johns Hopkins University to be very valuable in helping the decide for himself.

Have your prospect answer the following questions, being as honest as possible
with himself in deciding the answers. If he answers Yes to one of the questions,
there is a definite warning that he MAY be an alcoholic. If he answers YES to
any two, the chances are that he IS an alcoholic. If he answers YES to any three
or more, he IS DEFINITELY an alcoholic and in need of help.

The questions:

1. Do you lose time from work due to drinking?
2. Is drinking making your home life unhappy?
3. Do you drink because you are shy with other people?
4. Is drinking affecting your reputation?
5. Have you gotten into financial difficulties as a result of drinking?
6. Have you ever stolen, pawned property, or "borrowed" to get money for
alcoholic beverages?
7. Do you turn to lower companions and an inferior environment when drinking?
8. Does your drinking make you careless of your family's welfare?
9. Has your ambition decreased since drinking?
10. Do you crave a drink at a definite time daily?
11. Do you want a drink the next morning?
12. Does drinking cause you to have difficulty in sleeping?
13. Has your efficiency decreased since   drinking?
14. Is drinking jeopardizing your job or business?
15. Do you drink to escape from worries or troubles?
16. Do you drink alone?
17. Have you ever had a complete loss of memory s a result of drinking?
18. Has your physician ever treated you for drinking?
19. Do you drink to build up your self-confidence?
20. Have you ever been to a hospital or institution on account of drinking?

RANDOM THOUGHTS

{NOW THAT YOU ARE SOBER, you naturally feel that   you want to make restitution
in every possible way for the trouble you have caused your family, your friends
- others. You want to get back on the job - if you still have a job - earn
money, pay your immediate debts and obligations of long standing and almost
forgotten. Money - you must have money, you think. And you also want to make
restitution in action in many ways, not financial. If you could wave a magic
wand and do all these things you would do it, wouldn't you?

Well, don't be in a hurry. You can't do all these things overnight. But you can
do them - gradually, step by step. You may safely leave these matters to a
Higher Power as you perhaps ponder them in your morning period of contemplation.
If you are sincerely resolved to do your part, they will all be adjusted.

"Be still and know that I am God."}

SOBRIETY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN YOUR LIFE, without exception. You may
believe your job, or your home life, or one of many other things comes first.
But consider, if you do not get sober and stay sober, chances are you won't have
a job, a family, or even sanity or life. If you are convinced that everything in
life depends on your sobriety, you have just so much more chance of getting
sober and staying sober. If you put other things first you are only hurting your
chances.

YOU AREN'T very important in this world. If you lose your job someone better
will replace you. lf you die your wife will mourn briefly, and then remarry.
Your children will grow up and you will be but a memory. In the last analysis,
you are the only one who benefits by your sobriety. Seek to cultivate humility.
Remember that cockiness leads to a speedy fall.

IF YOU THINK you can cheat - sneak a drink or two without anyone else knowing it
- remember, you are only cheating yourself. You are the one who will be hurt by
conscience. You are the one who will suffer a hangover. And you are the one who
will return to a hospital bed.

Bear constantly in mind that you are only one drink away from trouble. Whether
you have been sober a day, a month, a year or a decade, one single drink is a
certain way to go off on a binge or a series of binges. It is the first drink -
not the second, fifth or twentieth, that causes the trouble.

And remember, the more A.A. work you do, the harder you train, the less likely
it is that you will take that first drink.

It is something like two boxers. If they are of the same weight, the same
strength and the same ability, and only one trains faithfully while the other
spends his time in night dubs and bars, it is pretty sure that the man who
trains   will be the winner. So let attendance at meetings be your road work;
helping newcomers your sparring and shadow boxing your reading, meditation and
clear thinking your gymnasium work and you won't have to fear a knockout at the
hands of John Barleycorn.

Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for
the things itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.- Matthew VI, 34.

Those words are taken from the Sermon on the Mount. Simply, they mean live in
today only. Forget yesterday. Do not anticipate tomorrow. You can only live one
day at a time and if you do a good job of that, you will have little   trouble.
One of the easiest, most practical ways of keeping sober ever devised is the day
by day plan - the 24-hour plan.

You know that it is possible to stay sober for 24 hours. You have done it many
times. All right. Stay sober for one day at a time. When you get up in the
morning make up your mind that you will not cake a drink for the entire day. Ask
the Greater Power for a little help in this. If anyone asks you to have a drink,
take a rain check. Say you will have it tomorrow. Then when you go to bed at
night, finding yourself sober, say a little word of thanks to the Greater Power
for having helped you.

Repeat the performance the next   day. And the next. Before you realize it you
will have been sober a week, a month, a year. And yet you have only been sober a
day at a time.

If you set a time limit on your sobriety you will be looking forward to that
day, and each day will be a burden to you. You will burn with impatience. But
with no goal the whole thing clears itself, almost miraculously.

Try the day by day plan.

{Medical Men will tell you that alcoholics are all alike in at least one
respect: they are emotionally immature.

In other words, alcoholics have not learned to think like adults.
The child, lying in bed at night, becomes frightened by a shadow on the wall,
and hides his head under the covers.

The adult, seeing the same shadow, knows there is a logical reason for it. He
sees the street light, then the bed post, and he knows what causes the shadow.
He has simply done what the child is incapable of doing - THOUGHT. And through
thinking he has avoided fear.

Learn to think things out. Take a thought and follow it through to its
conclusion.

If you are tempted to take a drink, reason out for yourself what will happen.
Because if you will give serious consideration to the consequences you will have
the battle won.}

SO YOU'RE DIFFERENT! So you think you are not an alcoholic!

As many Alcoholics Anonymous have gone off the deep end for that kind of
thinking as almost all the other reasons combined.
If you have all the symptoms your sponsor will tell you about and that you hear
about at meetings, rest assured you are an alcoholic and no different from the
rest of the breed.

But don't make the mistake of finding it out the hard way - by experimenting
with liquor. You will find it a painful experience and will only learn that you
are NOT different.

{AT MEETINGS don't criticize the leader. He has his own problems and is doing
his best to solve them. Help him along by standing up and saying a few word. He
will appreciate your kindness and thoughtfulness.

DON'T criticize the methods of others. Strangely enough, you may change your own
ideas as you become older in sobriety. Remember there are a dozen roads from New
York to Chicago , but they all land in Chicago.}

WHAT'S YOUR HURRY? Perhaps you don't feel you are getting the hang of this
program as   rapidly as you should. Forget it. It probably took you years to get
in this condition. You certainly cannot expect a complete cure over night. You
are not expected to grasp the entire program in one day. No one else has ever
done that, so it certainly is not expected of you. Even the earliest members are
learning something new about sober living nearly every day. There is an old
saying, "Easy does it." It is a motto that any alcoholic could well ponder. A
child learns to add and subtract in the lower grades. He is not expected to do
problems in algebra until he is in high school. Sobriety is a thing that must be
learned step by step. If anything puzzles you, ask your new friends about it, or
forget it for the time being. The time is not so far away when you will have a
good understanding of the entire program. Meantime, EASY DOES IT!

THE A.A. PROGRAM is not a "cure," in the accepted sense of the word. There is no
known "cure" for alcoholism except complete abstinence. It has been definitely
proved that an alcoholic can never again be a normal drinker. The disease,
however, can be arrested. How soon you will be cured of a desire to drink is
another matter. That depends entirely upon how quickly you can succeed in
changing your fundamental outlook on life. For as your outlook changes for the
better, desire will become less pronounced, until it disappears almost entirely.
It may be weeks or it may be months. Your sincerity and your capacity for
working with others on the A.A. program will determine the length of time.

Earlier in this pamphlet it was advised to keep relatives away from the
hospital.   The reason was explained. But after the patient leaves the hospital,
it would be to bring the wife, husband, or other close relative to meeting. It
will give them a clearer understanding of the program and enable them to
cooperate more intelligently and more closely in the period of readjustment.

DIET AND REST play an important part in the rehabilitation of an alcoholic. For
many we bludgeoned ourselves physically, eating improper foods, sleeping with
the aid of alcohol. In our drinking days we ate a bowl of chili or a hamburg
sandwich because they were filling and cheap. We sacrificed good food so we
would have more money for whiskey. We were the living counterparts of the old
joke: "What, buying bread? And not a drop of whiskey in the   house!" Our rest
was the same. We slept when we passed out. We were the ones who turned out the
street lights and rolled up the sidewalks.

We now find that it is wise to eat balanced meals at regular hours, and get the
proper amount of sleep without the unhealthy aid of liquor and sleeping pills.
Vitamin B1 (Thiamin Hydrochloride) or B Complex will help steady our nerves and
build up a vitamin deficiency. Fresh vegetables and fruits will help.

In fact, it is a wise move to consult a physician, possibly have a complete
physical examination. Your doctor then will recommend a course in vitamins, a
balanced diet, and advise you as to rest.
The reason for this advice is simple. lf we are undernourished and lack rest we
become irritable and nervous. In this condition our tempers get out of control,
our feelings are easily wounded, and we get back to the old and dangerous
thought processes - "Oh, to Hell with it. I'll get drunk and show 'em."

MANY MEMBERS of A.A. find it helpful, even after a long period of sobriety, to
add an extra ration of carbohydrates to their diet. Alcohol turns into sugar in
the body, and when we deprive ourselves of alcohol our bodies cry for sugar.
This often manifests itself in a form of nervousness.

Carry candy in your pocket. Keep it in your home. Eat deserts. Try an occasional
ice cream soda or malted milk. You may find that it solves a problem by calming
your nerves.

MEETINGS

IT HAS BEEN found advisable to hold meetings at least once a week at a specified
time and place. Meetings provide a means for an exchange of ideas, the renewing
of friendships, opportunity to review the work being carried on, a sense of
security, and an additional reminder that we are alcoholics and must be
continuously on the   alert against the temptation to slip backward into the old
drunken way of living.

In Larger communities where there are several groups it is recommended that the
new member attend as many meetings as possible. He will find that the more he is
exposed to A.A. the sooner he will absorb its principles, the easier it will
become to remain sober, and the sooner problems will shrink and tend to
disappear.
As a newcomer you will be somewhat bewildered by your first meeting. It is even
possible that it will not make sense to you. Many have this experience. But if
you don't find yourself enjoying your first meeting, pause to remember that you
probably didn't care for the taste of your first drink of whisky - particularly
if it was in bootleg days.

{Again, you may feel like a "country cousin" at your first meeting. Your sponsor
should see to it that this is not the case. But even if he neglects his duty,
don't feel too badly. Don't be afraid to "horn in." If you are being neglected
it is just an oversight, and you are entirely welcome. It is possible that you
may not even be recognized because your appearance has changed for the better.
In a week or two you will find yourself in the middle of things - and very
likely neglecting other newcomers.}

So attend your first meeting with an   open mind. Even if you aren't impressed
try it again. Before long you will genuinely enjoy attending and a little later
you will feel that the week has been incomplete if you have not attended at
least one A.A. meeting.
Remember that attendance at meetings is one of the most important requisites of
remaining sober.

{A.A. OF AKRON gets many inquiries about how to conduct a meeting. Methods
differ in many parts of the country. There are discussion groups, study groups,
meeting where a leader takes up the entire time himself, etc.

Here, briefly, is how meetings are conducted in the dozen or more Akron groups,
a method that has been used since the founding of A.A.:
The speaker can be selected from the local group, someone from another group or
another city, or on occasion, a guest from the ranks of clergymen, doctor, the
judiciary, or anyone who may be of help. In the case of such an outsider, he is
generally introduced by the secretary or some other member.

The leader opens the meeting with a prayer, or asks someone else to pray. The
prayer can be original, or it can be taken from a prayer book, or from some
publication such as "The Upper Room."

The topic is entirely up to the leader. He can tell of his drinking experiences,
or what he has done to keep sober, or he can advance his own theories on A.A.
His talk lasts from 20 to 40 minutes, at which time he asks for comment or
testimony from the floor.

Just before the meeting closes - one hour in Akron - the leader asks for
announcements or reports (such as next week's leader, social affairs, new
members to be called on, etc.). In closing the entire group stands and repeats
the Lord's Prayer. It is courteous to give the speaker enough advance notice so
that he may prepare his talk if he so desires.

The Physical set-up of groups varies in many cities. Those who are about to
start new groups may be interested in the method used by Akron Group No l. It is
merely a suggestion, however.

When there are but very few members it is customary to hold the meetings in
private homes of the members, on the same night of each week. When the group
becomes larger, however, it is desirable to hold the meeting in a regular place.
A school room, a room in a Y. M. C. A. or lodge, or hotel will do.

It has been the experience throughout the country that the more fluid the
structure of the group the more successful the operation.
Akron Group No. 1 has a very simple set-up. There is a permanent secretary, who
makes announcements, keeps a list of the membership, and takes care of
correspondence. There is also a permanent treasurer, who takes care of the money
and pays bills. Then there is a rotating committee of three members to take care
of current affairs. Each member serves for three months, but a new one is added
and one dropped every month. This committee takes care of providing leaders,
supplying refreshments, arranging parties, greeting newcomers, etc.

As the group grows older certain qualifications, in terms of length of sobriety,
can be made. Akron Group No. 1 requires a full year of continuous sobriety as
qualification to hold an office or serve.

There are no dues. There is a free-will offering at each meeting to take care of
expenses.

There is probably an older group in some community within easy traveling
distance of yours. Someone from that group will doubtless be happy to help you
get started.}

THE TWELVE STEPS

Alcoholics Anonymous is based on a set of laws known as the Twelve Steps. Years
of experience have definitely proved that those who live up to these rules
remain sober. Those who gloss over or ignore any one rule are in constant danger
of returning to a life of drunkenness. Thousands of words could be written on
each rule. Lack of space prevents, so they are merely listed here. It is
suggested that they be explained by the sponsor. If he cannot explain them he
should provide someone who can

THE TWELVE STEPS

1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol -- that our lives had become
unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to
sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we
understood Him.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of
our wrongs.
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. Made a list of   all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends
to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so
would injure them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly
admitted it.
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with
God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the
power to carry that   out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to
carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our
affairs.

The Twelve Steps are more fully explained in another pamphlet published in Akron
and available through writing to Post Office Box 932. It is called "A Guide to
the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous" The price is 12 cents per copy, 9
cents in lot of 25 to 499, and 7 1/2 cents in lots of 500 or more. Checks or
money orders can be made out to A.A. of Akron.

SUGGESTED READING

The following literature has helped many members of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Alcoholics Anonymous. (Works Publishing Company.)
The Holy Bible.
The Greatest Thing in the World. Henry Drummond.
The Unchanging Friend. (A Series) (Bruce Publishing Co., Milwaukee .)
As a Man Thinketh. James Allen.
The Sermon on the Mount. Emmet Fox (Harper   Bros.)
The Self You Have to Live With. Winfred Rhoades. (Lippincott.)
Psychology of Christian Personality. Ernest M. Ligon. (Macmillan Co.)
Abundant Living. E. Stanley Jones
The Man Nobody Knows. Bruce Barron

From:  "Bent Christensen"
<bent_christensen5@...>
(bent_christensen5 at yahoo.com)

Our group is in the process of translating
the Akron pamphlets in Danish.  We have a
version of the pamphlet called "A Manual for
Alcoholics Anonymous" from the internet,
which has some sentences and phrases which
are NOT in the version of the pamphlet which
is currently being sold by the Akron inter-
group.  The present Akron intergroup version
is labeled the "sixth revised edition."

In the text below, we have put {curly brackets}
  around all the words which are in the internet
version but NOT in the sixth revised version.

Can anyone tell us what our internet version
is?  Is the internet version the original first
edition wording?  Or is it second or third
edition, or whatever?

The person who posted the internet version
saysthat he got his copy years ago, and is
pretty sure (based on something Bill Lash
told him) that it is a much earlier version
than the one which the Akron intergroup is
now selling, but that he does not remember
exactly where he got his copy.

He points out though that the internet version
clearly dates to a fairly early period in AA
history, based on internal evidence (the
description of the way various things were
done), and that its date could be narrowed
down a little further by its statement that
there were a dozen or so AA groups in Akron
at the time it was being printed.

I do feel that some of the missing text is
rather valuable, and would like to include
the material {in curly brackets below} but
if we shall use it we have to know the
specific source.

- - - -

A Manual for Alcoholics Anonymous

From AA Group No. 1, Akron, Ohio, 1940
Dr. Bob's Home Group

(Editor's Note, 1997: Dr. Bob probably wrote or heavily influenced the writing
and distribution of this pamphlet. Dr. Bob was the Prince of 12 Steppers, from
the day he achieved permanent sobriety, June 10, 1935, the founding date of
Alcoholics Anonymous, until his death, November 16, 1950, carrying the message
of A.A. to well over 5000 men and women alcoholics, and to all these he gave his
medical services without thought of charge.)

FOREWORD
This booklet is intended to be a practical guide for new members and sponsors of
{new members of} Alcoholics Anonymous.

TO THE NEWCOMER: The booklet is designed to give you a practical explanation of
what to do and what not to do in your search for sobriety. The editors, too,
were pretty bewildered by the   program at first. They realize that very likely
you are groping for answers and offer this pamphlet in order that it may make a
little straighter and less confusing the highway you are about to travel.

TO THE SPONSOR: lf you have never before brought anyone into A.A. the booklet
attempts to tell you what your duties are by your "Baby," how you should conduct
yourself while visiting patients, and other odd bits at information, some of
which may be new to you.

{The booklet should be read in conjunction with the large book, Alcoholics
Anonymous, the Bible, the daily lesson, any other pamphlets that are published
by the group, and other   constructive literature. A list of suggestions will be
found in the back pages of this pamphlet. It is desirable that members of A.A.
furnish their prospective "Babies" with this "Manual" as early as possible,
particularly in the case of hospitalization.}

The experience behind the writing and editing of this pamphlet adds up to
hundreds of years of drinking, plus scores of years of recent sobriety. Every
suggestion, every word, is backed up by hard experience.

{The editors do not pretend any explanation of the spiritual or religious
aspects of A.A. It is assumed that this phase of the work will be explained by
sponsors. The booklet therefore   deals solely with the physical aspects of
getting sober and remaining sober.}
A.A. in Akron is fortunate in having facilities for hospitalizing its patients.
In many communities, however, hospitalization is not available. Although the
pamphlet mentions hospitalization throughout, the methods described are
effective if the patient is confined to his home, if he is in prison or a mental
institution, or if he is attempting to learn A.A. principles and carry on his
workaday job at the same time.

{If your community has a hospital, either private or general, that has not
accepted   alcoholic patients in the past, it might be profitable to call on the
officials of the institution and explain Alcoholics Anonymous to them. Explain
that we are not in the business of sobering up drunks merely to have them go on
another bender. Explain that our aim is total and permanent sobriety. Hospital
authorities should know, and if they do not, should be told, that an alcoholic
is a sick man, just as sick as a diabetic or a consumptive. Perhaps his
affliction will not bring death as quickly as diabetes or tuberculosis, but it
will bring death or insanity eventually.

Alcoholism has had a vast amount of nationwide publicity in recent years. It has
been discussed in medical journals, national magazines and newspapers. It is
possible that a little sales talk will convince the hospital authorities in your
community that they should make beds available for patients sponsored by
Alcoholics Anonymous.

If the way is finally opened, it is urged that you guard your hospital
privileges carefully. Be as certain as you possibly can be that your patient
sincerely wants A.A.

Above all, carefully observe all hospital rules.

It has been our experience that a succession of unruly patients or unruly
visitors can bring a speedy termination of hospital privileges. And they will
want no part of  you or your patient in the future.

Once he starts to sober up, the average alcoholic makes a model hospital
patient. He needs little or no nursing or medical care, and he is grateful for
his opportunity.}

Definition of an Alcoholic Anonymous:

An Alcoholic Anonymous is an alcoholic who through application of and adherence
to rules laid down by the organization, has completely forsworn the use of any
and all alcoholic beverages. The moment he wittingly drinks so much as a drop of
beer, wine, spirits, or any other alcoholic drink he automatically loses all
status as a member of Alcoholics Anonymous.

A.A. is not interested in sobering up drunks who are not sincere in their desire
to remain completely sober for all time. A.A. is not interested in alcoholic who
want to sober up merely to go on another bender, sober up because of fear for
their jobs, their wives, their social standing, or to clear up some trouble
either real or imaginary. In other words, if a person is genuinely sincere in
his desire for continued sobriety for his own good, is convinced in his heart
that alcohol holds him in its power, and is willing to admit that he is an
alcoholic, members of Alcoholics Anonymous will do all in their power, spend
days of their time to guide him to a new, a happy, and a contented way of life.

It is utterly essential for the newcomer to say to himself sincerely and without
any reservation, "I am doing this for myself and myself alone." Experience has
proved in hundreds of cases that unless an alcoholic is sobering up for a purely
personal and selfish motive, he will not remain sober for any great length of
time. He may remain sober for a few weeks or a few months, but the moment the
motivating element, usually fear of some sort, disappears, so disappears
sobriety.

TO THE NEWCOMER: It is your life. It is your choice. If you are not completely
convinced to your own satisfaction that you are an alcoholic, that your life has
become unmanageable; if you are not ready to part with alcohol forever, it would
be better for all concerned if you discontinue reading this and give up the idea
of becoming a member of Alcoholics Anonymous.

For if you are not convinced, it is not only wasting your own time, but the time
of scores of men and women who are genuinely interested in helping you.

II

TO THE LADIES: If we seem to slight you in this booklet it is not intentional.
We merely use the masculine pronouns   "he" and "him" for convenience. We fully
realize that alcohol shows no partiality. It does nor respect age, sex, nor
estate. The millionaire drunk on the best Scotch and the poor man drunk on the
cheapest rotgut look like twin brothers when they are in a hospital bed or the
gutter. Tie only difference between a female and a male drunk is that the former
is likely to be treated with a little more consideration and courtesy - although
generally she does not deserve it. Every word in this pamphlet applies to women
as well as men.- THE EDITORS.

III

A WORD TO THE SPONSOR who is putting his first newcomer into a hospital or
otherwise introducing   him to this new way of life: You must assume full
responsibility for this man. He trusts you, otherwise he would not submit to
hospitalization. You must fulfill all pledges you make to him, either tangible
or intangible. If you cannot fulfill a promise, do not make it. It is easy
enough to promise a man that he will get his job back if he sobers up. But
unless you are certain that it can be fulfilled, don't make that promise. Don't
promise financial aid unless you are ready to fulfill your part of the bargain.
If you don't know how he is going to pay his hospital bill, don't put him in the
hospital unless you are willing to assume financial responsibility.

It is definitely your job to see that he has visitors, and you must visit him
frequently yourself. If you hospitalize a man and then neglect him, he will
naturally lose confidence in you, assume a "nobody loves me" attitude, and your
half-hearted labors will be lost.

This is a very critical time in his life. He looks to you for courage, hope,
comfort and guidance. He fears the past. He is uncertain of the future. And he
is in a frame of mind that the least neglect on your part will fill him with
resentment and self-pity. You have in your hands the most valuable property in
the world - the future of a fellow man. Treat his life as carefully as you would
your own. You are literally responsible for his life.

Above all, don't coerce him into a hospital. Don't get him drunk and then throw
him in while he is semi-conscious Chances are he will waken wondering where he
is, how he got there. And he won't last.
You should be able to judge if a man is sincere in his desire to quit drinking.
Use this judgment. Otherwise you will find yourself needlessly bumping your head
into a stone wall and wondering why your "babies" don't stay sober. Remember
your own experience. You can remember many times when you would have done
anything to get over that awful alcoholic sickness, although you had no desire
in the world to give up drinking for good. It doesn't take much good health to
inspire an alcoholic to go back and repeat the acts that made him sick. Men who
have had pneumonia don't often wittingly expose themselves a second time. But an
alcoholic will deliberately get sick over and over again with brief interludes
of good health.
You should make it a point to supply your patient with the proper literature -
the big "Alcoholics Anonymous" book, this pamphlet, other available pamphlets, a
Bible, and anything else that has helped you. Impress upon him the wisdom and
necessity of reading and rereading this literature. The more he learns about
A.A. the easier the road to sobriety.

Study the newcomer and decide who among your A.A. friends, might have the best
story and exert the best influence on him. There are all types in A. A. and
regardless of whom you hospitalize, there are dozens who can help him. An hour
on the telephone will produce   callers. Don't depend on chance. Stray visitors
may drop in, bur twenty or thirty phone calls will clinch matters and remove
uncertainty. It is your responsibility to conjure up callers.

Impress upon your patient that his visitors are not making purely social calls.
Their conversation is similar to medicine. Urge him to listen carefully to all
that is said, and then meditate upon it after his visitor leaves.

When your patient is out of the hospital your work has not ended. It is now your
duty not only to him but to yourself to see that he starts out on the right
foot.

Accompany him to his first meeting. Take him along with you when you call on the
next patient. Telephone him when there are other patients. Drop in at his home
occasionally. Telephone him as often as possible. Urge him to look up the new
friends he has made. Counsel and advise him. There was a certain amount of
glamour connected with being a patient in the hospital. He had many visitors.
His time was occupied. Out now that he has been discharged, the glamour has worn
off. He probably will be lonely. He may be too timid to seek the companionship
of his new friends.
Experience has proved this to be a very critical period. So your labors have not
ended. Give him as much attention as you did when you first called   on him -
until he can find the road by himself.
Remember, you depend on the newcomer to keep you sober as much as he depends on
you. So never lose touch with your responsibility, which never ends.

Remember the old adage, "Two is company and three is a crowd." If you find a
patient has one or more visitors don't go into the room. An alcoholic goes to
the hospital for two reasons only - to get sober and to learn how to keep sober.
The former is easy. Cut off the alcohol and a person is bound to get sober. So
the really important thing is to learn how to keep sober. Experience has taught
that when more than three gather in a room, patient included, the talk turns to
the World Series, politics, funny drunken incidents, and "I could drink more
than you."

Such discussion is a waste of the patient time and money. It is assumed that he
wants to know how you are managing to keep sober, and you won't hold his
attention if there is a crowd in the room.
If you must enter the room when there is another visitor, do it quietly and
unobtrusively. Sit down in a corner and be silent until the other visitor has
concluded. If he wants any comments from you he will ask for them.

One more word. It is desirable that the patient's visitors be confined to
members of Alcoholics Anonymous Have a quiet talk with his wife or his family
before he goes to the hospital. Explain that he will be in good hands and that
it is only through kindness to him that his family and friends are asked to stay
away. New members are likely to be a little shy. If they find a woman in the
patient's room they are not inclined to "let down their hair." The older hands
don't mind it, but a new member might unwittingly be kept from delivering a
valuable message.

IV

TO THE NEWCOMER: Now you are   in the hospital. Or perhaps you are learning to
be an Alcoholic Anonymous the "hard way" by continuing at your job while
undertaking sobriety.

You will have many callers. They will come singly and in pairs. They may arrive
at all hours, from early morning to late night. Some you will like; some you
will resent, some will seem stupid; others will strike you as silly, fanatic or
slightly insane; some will tell you a story that will be "right down your
alley." But remember this - never for one minute forget it:

Every single one of them is a former drunk and every single one is trying to
help you! Your visitor has had the very problems that you   are facing now. In
comparison with some, your problems are trifles. You have one thing in common
with every visitor - an alcoholic problem. Your caller may have been sober for a
week or for half a decade. He still has an alcoholic problem, and if he for one
moment forgets to follow any single rule for sober living, he may be occupying
your hospital bed tomorrow.

Alcoholics Anonymous is one hundred percent effective for those who faithfully
follow the rules. It is those who try to cut corners who find themselves back in
their old drunken state.

Your visitor is going out of his way, taking up his time, perhaps missing a
pleasant evening at   home or at the theater by calling on you. His motives are
two-fold: He is selfish in that by calling on you he is taking out a little more
"sobriety insurance" for himself; and secondly, he is genuinely anxious to pass
along the peace and happiness a new way of life has brought him. He is also
paying off a debt - paying the people who led him to the path of sobriety by
helping someone else. In a very short time you too will find yourself paying off
your debt, by carrying the word to another.
Always bear in mind that your caller not so many days or months ago occupied the
same bed you are in today.

And here we {might, despite our promise earlier in the booklet,} give you a hint
on the spiritual phase of Alcoholics Anonymous. You will be told to have faith
in a Higher Power. First have faith in your visitor. He is sincere. He is not
lying to you. He is not attempting to sell you a bill of goods. A. A is given
away, not sold. Believe him when he tells you what you must do to attain
sobriety.

His very presence and appearance should be proof to you that the A.A. program
really works. He is extending a helping hand and for himself asks nothing in
return. Regardless of who he is or what he has to say, listen to him carefully
and courteously. Your   alcohol-befuddled mind may not absorb all he says in an
hour's conversation, but you will find that when he leaves certain things he has
said will come back to you. Ponder these things carefully They may bring you
salvation. It has been the history of A.A. that one never knows where lightning
will strike. You may pick up the germ of an idea from the most unexpected
source. That single idea may shape the course of your entire life, may be the
start of an entirely new philosophy. So no matter who your caller is, or what he
says, listen attentively.

Your problem has always seemed to be shared by no one else in this world. You
cannot conceive of anyone else in your predicament.

Forget it! Your problem dates back to the very beginning of history. Some
long-forgotten hero discovered that the juice of the grape made a pleasant drink
that brought pleasant results. That same hero probably drank copiously until he
suddenly discovered that he could not control his appetite for the juice of the
grape. And then he found himself in the same predicament you are in now - sick,
worried, crazed with fear, and extremely thirsty.

{Your caller once felt that he alone in the world had a drinking problem, and
was amazed into sobriety when he discovered that countless thousands were
sharing his troubles.}

He also found out that when he brought his troubles out of their dark and secret
hiding place and exposed them to the cleansing light of day, they were half
conquered. And so it will be for you. Bring your problems out in the open and
you will be amazed how they disappear.

{It cannot be repeated too often: Listen carefully and think it over at great
length.}

V

Now You Are Alone.

When you go to the hospital with typhoid fever your one thought is to be cured.
When you go to the hospital as a chronic alcoholic your only thought should be
to conquer a disease that is just as deadly if not so quick to kill. And rest
assured that the disease is deadly. The mental hospitals are filled with chronic
alcoholics. The vital statistics files in every community are filled with deaths
due to acute alcoholism.

This is the most serious moment in your life. You can leave the hospital and
resume an alcoholic road to an untimely grave or padded cell, or you can start
upward to a life that is happy beyond any expectation. It is your choice and
your choice alone. Your newly found friends cannot police you to keep you sober.
They have neither the time nor the inclination. They will go to unbelievable
lengths to help you but there is a limit to all things.

Shortly after you leave the hospital you will be on your own. The Bible tells us
to put "first things first." Alcohol is obviously the first thing in your life.
So concentrate on conquering it.

You could have gone through the mechanics of sobering up at home. Your new
friends could have called on you in your own living room. But at home there
would have been a hundred and one thing to distract your attention - the radio,
the furnace, a broken screen door, a walk to the drug store, your own family
affairs. Every one   of these things would make you forget the most important
thing in your life, the thing upon which depends life or death --  complete and
endless sobriety. That is why you are in the hospital You have time to think;
you have time to read; you will have time to examine your life, past and
present, and to reflect upon what it can be in the future. And don't be in a
hurry to leave. Your sponsor knows best. Stay in the hospital until you have at
least a rudimentary understanding of the program.

There is the Bible that you haven't opened for years. Get acquainted with it.
Read it with an open mind. You will find things that will amaze you. You will be
convinced that certain passages were written with you in mind. Read the Sermon
on the Mount (Matthew V, VI, and VII).   Read St. Paul's inspired essay on love
(I Corinthians XIII). Read the Book of James. Read the Twenty-third and
Ninety-first Psalms. These reading are brief but so important.

Read "Alcoholics Anonymous" and then read it again. You may find that it
contains your own story. It will become your second Bible. Ask your callers to
suggest other readings.

And if you are puzzled, ask questions. One of your callers will know the
answers. Get your sponsor to explain to you the Twelve Steps. lf he is not too
certain about them- he may be new in this work - ask someone else. The Twelve
Steps are listed in the back of this booklet.

There is no standing still in A.A. You either forge ahead or slip backwards.
Even the oldest members, the founders, learn something new almost every day.

You can never learn too much in the search for sobriety.

Part 6 of 6. References

"Saints With Glasses: Mexican Catholics in
Alcoholics Anonymous"

From: John Blair <jblair@...>
(jblair at wmis.net)

- - - -

REFERENCES

Alcoholics Anonymous. Alcoholics Anony-
mous Comes of Age: A Brief History of AA.
New York: Alcoholics Anonymous World
Services, 1983.

Allen, Catherine J. The Hold Life Has:
Coca and Cultural Identity in an Andean
Community. Washington, DC: Smithsonian
Institution P, 2002.

Antze, Paul. "Symbolic Action in Alcoholics
Anonymous." Ed. Mary Douglas. Constructive
Drinking: Perspectives on Drink from Anthro-
pology. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1987.
149–81.

Bateson, Gregory. "The Cybernetics of Self:
A Theory of Alcoholism." Psychiatry 34 (1971):
1–18.

Beckford, James A. "The Sociology of Religion
and Social Problems." Sociological Analysis
51 (1990): 1–14.

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1.4 (1972): 30–8.

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Part 5 of 6: Conclusion and Notes

"Saints With Glasses: Mexican Catholics in
Alcoholics Anonymous"

From: John Blair <jblair@...>
(jblair at wmis.net)

- - - -

Conclusion

Social scientists who analyze changing religious
patterns in the United States and Western
Europe have found that the growing popularity
of quasi-religious groups has caused a funda-
mental shift in the way believers profess their
faith. Searching for a personalized, therapeutic
experience of the divine has replaced loyalty to
a specific denomination. In a 1955 poll, only
one in 25 adults in the United States still
adhered to the faith of his childhood. By 1985,
as many as one in three adults had converted
his religion (Wuthnow, Restructuring 88).
Scholars have attributed the rise of small groups
with a quasi-religious nature like Alcoholics
Anonymous to the spiritual searching of self-
reflexive believers, who prefer cobbling
together a soothing, therapeutic faith over
loyalty to a single doctrine that speaks of sin
and sacrifice. In turn, the success of these
quasi-religious groups has exerted pressure
on traditional churches to modify their message
and form of worship by adopting similarly
empathetic tones.

However, these conclusions have been based
almost entirely on evidence from mainstream
churchgoers in the United States. Research with
quasi-religious groups like Alcoholics
Anonymous from outside the United States
shows how their popularity may be promoting a
return to traditional church membership.

Even as the religious arena in Latin America
becomes increasingly heterogeneous and
'upstart' Protestant churches strive to tailor
their worship services to a media-savvy audience,
identification with the Roman Catholic Church
remains steadfast.

Since the 1980s, TzintzuntzenÞos have been
able to worship in organized churches outside
the centuries old Catholic parish. While several
families have joined congregations of Jehovah's
Witnesses and Pentecostals, the overwhelming
majority continues to identify with the Roman
Catholic Church.

The men of Grupo Tanganxoan have all
suffered crises that they were both physically
and spiritually unprepared to confront.
Catholicism does not condone alcoholism, but
its sacralization of wine undermines any
program of strict abstemiousness. (7) Through
the literature and activities of Alcoholics
Anonymous, members achieved a spiritual
adjustment that helped them to control their
drinking. At the same time, the quasi-religious
setting of A.A. encouraged them to adopt both
a new conception of God and a recognition of
their own fallibility. The more humble relation-
ship with the divine that they fostered in A.A.
enabled men to re-establish their frayed
connections with the Roman Catholic Church.
Adherence to A.A. principles did not automati-
cally prohibit enjoyment of disorderly celebra-
tions. The testimonials in A.A. meetings offered
suggestions for how men could observe fiesta
rituals without consuming alcohol. Rather than
seeing Catholic Mexicans' participation in A.A.
as a form of religious conversion, it should be
viewed as a redoubling of their traditional faith.

Quasi-religious organizations like Alcoholics
Anonymous have gained popularity around the
world, usually by enhancing personal experi-
ences of the sacred and providing a therapeutic
service. However, the proliferation of such
groups does not necessarily betoken a privatized
search for faith, born from dissatisfaction with
existing religious institutions. In some cases,
participation in a quasi-religious organization
serves as a vehicle for strengthening commit-
ment to more traditional churches. Roman
Catholic members of Grupo Tanganxoan took
advantage of Alcoholics Anonymous meetings
to arrive at a revised conception of their faith
and a new understanding of what it meant to be
a Catholic man.

- - - -

Peter S. Cahn is an associate professor of
anthropology at the University of Oklahoma,
Norman, and author of All Religions Are
Good in Tzintzuntzan: Evangelicals in
Catholic Mexico (University of Texas Press, 2003).

CORRESPONDENCE:  University of
Oklahoma, Department of Anthropology,
455 West Lindsey, Room 521, Norman, OK
73019-0535, USA.

NOTES

1. Defining quasi-religious organizations poses
the same challenges as arriving at a definition
of religion. Greil and Rudy ("Margins of the
Sacred") propose a 'subjective' approach.
Rather than demarcating what is religious from
what is not, they prefer to define religion from
the point of view of the people who are engaged
in what they consider to be religion. Taken from
an emic perspective, quasi-religious organiza-
tions are those "entities whose status is anoma-
lous given contemporary folk definitions of
religion" (Greil and Rudy 221). Groups like
Alcoholics Anonymous, Scientology, and
Weight Watchers are 'sort-of' religious accord-
ing to their participants. While these groups
preach disciplined activity to achieve a morally
superior state, they do not advocate veneration
of any non-empirical being.

2. The typical story of joining A.A. resembles
a religious conversion in that a profound crisis
precedes the acceptance of a Higher Power.
The drinker cannot escape from this emotional
and physical nadir without outside help. Faced
with this predicament, an alcoholic will
experience comfort only once he allows God
into his life. In the supportive environment of
A.A., the alcoholic can reinterpret his past
suffering as meaningful in that it led him to be
"born again" (Bateson).

3. While A.A. holds that this image of God is
malleable, the God invoked in meetings invari-
ably reflects the New Testament God, forgiving
and non-judgmental, never a stern enforcer of
laws.

4. The debilitating effects of alcoholism have
provoked similar movements across Latin
America. In the community of San Pedro
Chenhaloì, Chiapas, women have substituted
soft drinks for rum in traditional rituals and
emphasized native language and clothing as
symbols for community solidarity (Eber).
Practitioners of indigenous religion in Peru
recognize that soda has the same animating
essence as alcoholic beverages and allow the
replacement of Coca-Cola for beer in
offerings to the Mountain Lords (Allen 33).
Alarmed by the high rates of liver disease and
deaths linked to alcoholism among Latinos in
the United States, a handful of Cinco de Mayo
festival organizers have taken the drastic step
of banning alcohol at their events (Gogek).

5. Antze (174) notices a direct parallel between
the A.A. conception of drinking and Martin
Luther's model of sin and salvation. According
to A.A. teachings, alcoholism is not a sin, but
like Original Sin, it can be resisted only by
suppressing personal pride and committing to
divine guidance.

6. Increasingly, the abdication of personal
responsibility embodied in A.A.'s religious
rubric has alienated many alcoholics. Three
new groups in the United States, Rational
Recovery, Secular Organization for Sobriety,
and Women for Sobriety, base their philo-
sophies on tracts like Emerson's "Self-Reliance"
that advocate choice and competence as ways
to conquer alcoholism. The founder of Secular
Organization for Sobriety explained the
difference between his group and A.A.: "We
credit ourselves for achieving sobriety . . .
Some people in SOS are quite religious, but
they don't believe in an intervening God who
would come down and stir their coffee for them"
(Gelman).

7. A Roman Catholic A.A. member in Toronto
recalled to Petrunik (34) that when he confessed
his drinking problem, his priest responded,
"You're not alcoholic. Come, let's have a drink
and talk about it."

Greetings,

I hope this is the correct place to post this
question.  Does anyone have the past pamphlets
(conference –approved) that have been published
by G.S.O. on sponsorship?  We are interested
in what has taken place in the revisions.

For example (concerning a totally different
pamphlet) the 1965 informal handbook The A.A.
Group was replaced by the AA group Pamphlet.
Both cover similar topics as what is the
difference between an AA group and a meeting.
The texts are far different in answering that
question.

This is the voice of AA, I believe, AA has a
voice and it speaks through its literature.

I would like to trace the voice of AA on
Sponsorship through its literature see what
changes and revisions have taken place.  So
if anyone has the older pamphlets (on
sponsorship, conference approved) in PDF
and can send them too me I would be grateful.
All comments welcome as well.

Thanks Gary

My e-mail address is:

<feelgoodcp@...>
(feelgoodcp at gmail.com)

Part 4 of 6

"Saints With Glasses: Mexican Catholics in
Alcoholics Anonymous"

From: John Blair <jblair@...>
(jblair at wmis.net)

- - - -

Alcoholics Anonymous and Religious
Conversion

As quasi-religious organizations increase in
popularity, scholars have begun to analyze the
impact that such rapid growth on the margins of
the religious landscape will have for how people
profess their faith. A large survey project
interviewed over 1,000 people in the United
States who belonged to small groups like Bible
studies and twelve-step programs. The
researchers concluded that the limited scale of
small groups belied their outsized impact on the
country's spirituality. "They are dramatically
changing the way God is understood. God is
now less of an external authority and more of an
internal presence" (Wuthnow, Sharing the
Journey 3). Participants in small groups, many
of which qualify as quasi-religious, have
refashioned their faith to make it more relevant
to their daily lives. With the emphasis on the
pragmatic came a decline in the importance of
explicit doctrines and traditional denominations.
Alcoholics Anonymous and other quasi-
religious groups consciously refer to themselves
as broadly 'spiritual' rather than narrowly
'religious.'

This inclusive, anodyne tone has come to
characterize many contemporary religious
experiences, some observers contend. Wolfe (3)
describes how in his visits to the fast-growing
mega churches in suburban North America,
"talk of hell, damnation, and even sin has been
replaced by a non-judgmental language of
understanding and empathy." (5) As personal
satisfaction has replaced denominational
loyalty, believers have become more likely to
switch between churches in pursuit of the most
effective spiritual therapy. The popularity of
quasireligious self-help groups has encouraged
a generation of seekers, 'spiritual tourists' who
roam from destination to destination, collecting
souvenirs, but never putting down roots (Roof).
Greil and Robbins (16) confirm this view by
arguing that "The growing appeal of quasi-
religion suggests that large numbers of people
are not finding satisfaction with the  trans-
cendent worldviews offered by many of their
traditional religious options. . . ." The prolif-
eration of quasi-religious groups, some argue,
exemplifies how religion has become discon-
nected from particular institutions and has come
to resemble secular pursuits of individual
satisfaction (Beckford).

Ethnographic evidence from Tzintzuntzan,
Mexico, suggests that participation in a
quasi-religious organization like Alcoholics
Anonymous does not represent dissatisfaction
with traditional religious institutions. The
image of spiritual seekers may describe the
North American baby boomers who pursue
self-fulfillment without respect for prior church
affiliations, but in Mexico, members of A.A.
remain committed Roman Catholics, even as
they adapt the ideology and practice of their
religion. This is not to deny that restless
searchers exist, but to suggest that people join
quasi-religious groups for a variety of reasons,
not all of which result from dissatisfaction with
existing religious options. For the men of A.A.,
the group offered a pragmatic solution to a
problem that participation in Catholic fiestas
exacerbated. However, their testimonies to their
peers did not fault the Roman Catholic Church
for making alcohol such a central part of the
sacraments and celebrations. Instead, the
Twelve Steps encouraged the men to view their
lack of control over drinking as a personal
defect that only a spiritual reorientation could
correct. (6)

In Latin America, where a significant difference
between Roman Catholics and evangelical
Protestants is that the latter abstain from
alcohol, any teetotaler risks being labeled a
religious convert. An early observer of the
growth of Protestantism in a Guatemalan Maya
community found that "joining a Protestant sect
was analogous to becoming a member of
Alcoholics Anonymous" (Nash 50). Since the
damaging effects of alcoholism prevented many
Maya from achieving economic independence,
conversion offered a supportive environment in
which to stop drinking. Similarly, in Brazil,
Chesnut has argued (58) that pervasive
alcoholism among the Roman Catholic poor
underlies growth in Pentecostal churches
where twelve-step support groups are in short
supply. Anthropologists have also described
conversion as a strike against the abusive
consequences of alcohol in traditional religions
(Belaunde; Swanson). Kearney found that
of 23 Protestant converts in a rural Mexican
community, 20 were middle-aged men with
histories of problem drinking. "The strong
social coercions to drink pose a painful
dilemma to many men" (150).

The assumption has been that without the
option of secular support groups, Catholic
drinkers who wish to quit must seek an
alternative space of worship through religious
conversion. Alcoholics Anonymous becomes
the functional equivalent of joining a Protestant
church. In his study of an Alcoholics
Anonymous chapter in Mexico City, Brandes
acknowledges the pervasive structural and
symbolic similarities between A.A. and
Protestantism. However, he concludes that
rather than coming to change their religious
affiliation, members found parallels between
their participation in A.A. and their long-
standing involvement in the Roman Catholic
Church. "To join A.A. in working class Mexico
City," he writes (52), "does not mean aban-
doning one's religious tradition. It means
adapting it to the circumstances at hand." A
similar process of adaptation occurred among
A.A. members in Tzintzuntzan, where the
decorated walls of the meeting room -- like
stations of the cross -- and collective affirma-
tion of core beliefs further underscored the
similarity to the celebration of Mass in Roman
Catholic Churches (Wilcox 45).

The ambiguous position of Alcoholics
Anonymous between sacred and secular
enables groups to cultivate loyalty among
members, who may choose to emphasize either
the religious or non-religious qualities at
different times. This ambiguity has enabled
many Roman Catholics to claim congruence
between their faith and the principles of
Alcoholics Anonymous. A Catholic nun
(Monahan) credits A.A. for deepening her
spiritual life and a Franciscan priest (Davis)
notes parallels between the Twelve Steps and
the spiritual exercises of Saint Ignatius.

Another Catholic, this one so disaffected from
his natal church that he attended his first A.A.
meeting only because it took place in a
Presbyterian -- not a Catholic -- church,
discovered a new appreciation for the Roman
Catholic Church through his involvement in
A.A. ("New Wine"). Even the National Catholic
Reporter, an independent Catholic news
magazine, declared that Alcoholics Anonymous
is consistent with Catholic doctrine. The article
praised the practical goals of A.A.'s mission,
calling it "spirituality with its sleeves rolled
up" in the tradition of Liberation Theology
(Unsworth).

Part 3 of 6

"Saints With Glasses: Mexican Catholics in
Alcoholics Anonymous"

From: John Blair <jblair@...>
(jblair at wmis.net)

- - - -

Reclaiming the Fiestas

On an ideological level, men in Alcoholics
Anonymous could appreciate the benefits of
their renewed relationship with God, but on a
practical level, sobriety was difficult to sustain.
Success in A.A. required members to end
contact with the amigos de la botella or 'bottle
buddies' who had accompanied and encouraged
their drinking. While they gained new friends
through their participation in A.A., men could
not avoid interacting with drinkers outside the
group meetings. In particular, 13 of the 74
drunkalogues addressed the worry that involve-
ment in the robust cycle of Roman Catholic
celebrations would provide opportunities for
backsliding in the effort to avoid drinking.
Skipping the fiesta revelry was too radical a
step, so men used their time in A.A. to discuss
ways to observe Roman Catholic rituals without
the debilitating effects of excessive alcohol
consumption.

As with other Roman Catholics in Tzintzuntzan,
the members of Grupo Tanganxoan spoke
animatedly about the fiesta cycle, one of the few
outlets for entertainment in a community with-
out a bar, movie theater or full-time restaurant.

Often they expressed with pride how Tzintzun-
tzan had maintained its 'traditions' and included
in their testimonies references to past and future
fiestas. Invariably, these memories of fiesta
participation featured stories of drinking to
excess.

Arsenio explained to me in a conversation after
one meeting, "As you know, we're very tradi-
tional in this town. Fiestas and more fiestas. On
a fiesta day, I wouldn't realize that I was no
longer drinking socially, but in exaggeration.
Even if I didn't have any money, I'd drink."
Another man recounted to the group how he got
drunk on the alcohol-laced punch sold during
the Day of the Dead celebration, then awoke the
next day in the cemetery with his feet in a
bonfire.

Even in less public family life-cycle rituals, the
temptation to drink was too great. "When my
father died, I said I wouldn't drink", recalled one
A.A. member in his testimony. "But after we
buried him and had the funeral, I wanted to
thank all the people who helped me. How did I
repay them? Two big bottles of brandy. I also
drank to accompany them." Similarly, the
cementing of godparenthood ties or the
acceptance of a religious office involved the
exchange of bottles of alcohol. To reject the
proffered rum or brandy was to deny the
responsibility of the position (Bunzel 373).
Nor could the alcoholic count on social stigma
to curb his drinking habits. Drunkards occasion
little scorn in many Mexican communities
and even serve positive roles as social
commentators (Dennis; Maccoby; Selby).
Ritualized drinking may reinforce group
solidarity (Madsen and Madsen; Taylor).

Despite the prominence of alcohol in nearly all
ritual celebrations, few A.A. members ever
considered sitting out the fiestas. Their goal was
not to avoid fiestas, but rather to learn how to
participate in them without risking inebriation.

Strategies for meeting this challenge occupied
much of the conversation in group meetings.
Warnings against accepting 'the first drink'
emphasized how sobriety could be achieved by
the simple refusal of a single drink, preventing
the impaired judgment that led to second and
third drinks. By dividing a larger goal into
smaller, more easily attainable tasks, A.A.
members regained power over a seemingly
uncontrollable addiction. Testimonials in Grupo
Tanganxoan illustrated practical ways to enjoy
the benefits of fiesta conviviality without the
potential dangers. Members disabused  them-
selves of the idea that only by consuming
alcohol could they have a good time at a fiesta
or cement a ritual tie.

The most popular strategy for enjoying a fiesta
without alcohol was to substitute soda for the
traditional cup of rum. (4) This substitution
gave men in A.A. additional confidence that
they could participate in the fiestas without
risking their sobriety.

To members of A.A., the ideal person was not
the teetotaler, but the social drinker, someone
who could drink in communal situations, but
had the ability to stop before the harmful effects
of alcohol became evident. They did not con-
demn those neighbors who sold and purchased
alcohol, focusing their efforts on increased
self-discipline. Since they had already
demonstrated their lack of self-control, men
in A.A. had only abstinence as an option for
recovery. Shortly before a traditionally raucous
fiesta, one man remarked in a speech to the
group, "Corpus Christi is coming up. Last time
I was good and crazy. I've never been sober
during a Corpus. This year we'll see how it is."
Attending a fiesta made it much more difficult
to refuse the first drink, but he hoped that the
support he received in A.A. would enable him to
take part in the religious celebration with only a
soft drink.

For another member, respecting the religious
customs of the community was as important as
restoring his own health. As Corpus Christi
approached, he took the podium: "We should
celebrate Corpus. I never refuse to give
contributions for religious fiestas. I  give with
pleasure. Money didn't matter to me when I
went to bars, why should it matter to me to pay
for music for the Lord?" Many in Tzintzuntzan
felt that the growing presence of Protestant
churches, whose leaders advocated withholding
financial contributions for community fiestas,
threatened the vitality of public celebrations,
which rely on shared expenses. Even as they
came to adopt a new form of spirituality,
participants in A.A. continued to value the
observance of their Roman Catholic heritage,
of which the fiestas are a central part. A veteran
of the group spoke about how he had benefited
from attending the sessions:

"I depend on this as I depend on religion. I
confess all my errors to the priest since it's the
most mortal sin to receive the Lord without
confessing all. Here too I have to confess all my
errors. Here they talk to us of good things.
When I came here and saw the pictures of the
founders, I thought, "I've never seen a saint with
glasses before!"

His comments drew laughter from the audience.
Displaying the portraits of the founders above
the lectern echoed the placement of saints'
images in a Catholic church. For this man, his
A.A. colleagues were confessors and Bill W.
and Dr. Bob his saints.

Part 2 of 6

"Saints With Glasses: Mexican Catholics in
Alcoholics Anonymous"

From: John Blair <jblair@...>
(jblair at wmis.net)

- - - -

Renewing Faith in God

The drunkalogue or historial is the primary
way members of A.A. publicly affirm their
acceptance of group beliefs (Cain; Greil and
Rudy, "Conversion" 20). While unscripted
and often laced with profanities, these speeches
conformed to a basic pattern which is the
result of both repetition and coercion (Brandes
78–9). They usually lasted from five to 15
minutes and were delivered from behind a
podium with some formality, including the
standard exchange of greetings with the
audience and the identifier, "My name is
So-and-so and I am an alcoholic". The most
common subjects of the testimonies were the
retelling of past mishaps under the influence
of alcohol, the damage drinking inflicted on the
member's family, and how he came to A.A. and
found a measure of self-discipline through
group support. However, spiritual themes also
appeared frequently in the autobiographical
speeches and I analyzed 74 drunkalogues given
over 17 meetings of Grupo Tanganxoan. I
supplemented these data with unstructured
interviews with core members of the group.

Nearly as common as mention of alcohol-driven
embarrassments were discussions of a superior
being. The Twelve Steps, while inclusive of
all faiths, underscore the importance of
members acknowledging their own fallible
humanity and submitting themselves to the
benevolence of God. In fact, alcohol merits only
one mention in all the Twelve Steps, while six
of the steps refer to a powerful deity. A.A.'s
innovation was to add, in italics, "as we under-
stood Him" to the call for a surrender to God.
This modifier signaled A.A.'s ecumenicism, but
made explicit that belief in some Higher Power
was imperative for success in the group. (3)
Drunkalogues in Tzintzuntzan incorporated this
emphasis on a Higher Power. 30 of the 74
drunkalogues related how the principles of A.A.
enabled members to discard the image of God
implanted in their childhoods and to forge a
new relationship with the divine appropriate to
their adult lives.

Alcoholics had felt little attachment to the
Roman Catholic Church before joining A.A.
and had assimilated church doctrine only
superficially. Arsenio, one of the leaders of
Grupo Tanganxoan, summed up his lack of
faith before joining A.A. in one narrative before
the group: "My parents are Catholic. They
transmitted to me what's good and bad. I was
lazy. I felt a spiritual emptiness. I used to go to
the temple, ask God for help, but I didn't see
that He gave me the capacity to choose, and I
took the easy path. I had a sickness of the soul
and had to be cured spiritually first." A
companion in the A.A. group offered similar
thoughts about how his religious devotion
before joining A.A. was incomplete: "I thought
I was a Catholic, but it was only superficial. I
thought it was sufficient to make the sign of the
cross. But I was a hypocrite. I would ask God
to give me money." One man used to confess, he
told the group, but would lie to the priest about
his drinking. Another man admitted that before
becoming a member of A.A. he would go to
Mass, but instead of listening to the priest, he
would ogle the women. Alcohol desensitized
them to the rigors of religious belief, leaving
them with a selfish, child-like understanding of
God. The spiritual principles of Alcoholics
Anonymous, with its emphasis on surrender to
a Higher Power, restored humility to the men's
relationship with God so that they could
reconcile their earlier unease with the Roman
Catholic Church.

Before joining A.A. many men had sought
intervention from Roman Catholic saints to
cure their alcoholism, promising them
veneration in exchange for divine help. This
state of being `pledged' to a saint for a
particular period of time is common throughout
Mexico (Gutmann 186), even if it rarely
achieves its desired outcome. Anecdotes in the
Big Book teach that instead of placing demands
on a superior being, alcoholics must follow His
plan for their lives. "We're like the kid who
gives Santa Claus an impossible list", one
member said during his testimony to the group.
"We ask for healthy children, success at work,
but we never ask Him to do His will. Faith is
trust, not a challenge." Alcohol had made the
men feel strong and proud with little need for
God, yet such bravado amounted to hubris in
the eyes of A.A. Pride, the Big Book warns,
exacerbates the sickness of alcoholism by
preventing the drinker fromconfronting his
fallibility. Instead of seeing himself as God, the
A.A. member should open himself to the wishes
of an omnipotent Higher Power.

A Roman Catholic priest who spoke at an
Alcoholics Anonymous assembly near
Tzintzuntzan commented on how his partici-
pation in A.A. had reshaped his relationship
with God. He admitted that before coming to
A.A., he felt he retained control over his
consumption of alcohol. At every baptism,
wedding or funeral he officiated over, the
guests would always offer him alcohol, but
he reasoned that transubstantiated wine would
not harm his health. When he finally recognized
his debility, he found succor in the second step,
belief that a Higher Power could restore him to
sanity. In A.A., he discovered that his earlier
relationship with God had deviated from the
ideal:

"They taught us as kids to ask God for this,
ask for that, but they never told us to listen.
Communication is two ways. We've been only
informing God, but we don't know His answer.
It's like parents who don't know the kids they
live with. I like to talk with God. I chat, He
responds. My career before A.A. was different
from my career after. My conception of God
changed when I knew A.A. I had knowledge
[saber] of God. With A.A. I have His flavor
[sabor]. I feel loved by God now."

For this priest, Alcoholics Anonymous meetings
became a kind of seminary, teaching him to
rework his relationship with God. By acknow-
ledging his own flawed faith, the priest did not
fault the institution of the Roman Catholic
Church; he learned how to become a more
fulfilled Catholic.

To accept a new, more trusting relationship
with God, A.A. members replaced their image
of a castigating God with a more compassionate
one. A man who had been raised a Catholic
gave a testimonial to his colleagues in Grupo
Tanganxoan:

"The God my parents inculcated in me was
punishing. He'd send you to Hell. I didn't
believe in Him. Then I put myself in the hands
of the Superior Power. I now believe in God,
but not the God my parents taught me. He is a
fair God." Men felt defiant and demanding in
the face of a stern God, but lowered their guard
for the Higher Power referred to in A.A. Many
men called this new father-child relationship
with God a `spiritual improvement'. They
reinforced this new-found humility by rotating
responsibility for basic chores in the rented
meeting space.

More than once a man commented in an
interview that he never washed dishes at home,
but in A.A. he did so willingly.

Adopting a more subservient relationship with
God also prepared the men in A.A. for a return
to participation in the local parish. Men who
used to consider going to Mass `a waste of time'
began attending regularly. Arsenio framed his
new sober life in terms of a return to traditional
religion: "Now I'm trying with my same
religion, Catholicism, to go back and retake
those ideas. I go to temple on Sundays. I
confess. The priest helps me. There's no need to
change religion." Of course, his return was
accompanied by a new understanding of God
and a strong conviction to avoid alcohol. The
names of many A.A. chapters in Michoacaìn
reflect the spiritual renewal that members hoped
to experience. Group names like 'New Path,'
'New Living,' 'New Thoughts,' 'A New World,'
'New Dawning,' 'New Life,' and 'Good Path'
convey the optimism that joining a group will
lead to an improved life. Staying sober means
admitting powerlessness and adopting a new
conception of God, changes that allow men to
reshape and strengthen their Catholic faith,
while helping them conquer addiction.

Part 1 of 6

"Saints With Glasses: Mexican Catholics in
Alcoholics Anonymous"

From: John Blair <jblair@...>
(jblair at wmis.net)

- - - -

This article is reprinted with permission of
the author. A PDF copy is available from me,
John, at <jblair@...> (jblair at wmis.net)

- - - -

"Saints With Glasses: Mexican Catholics in
Alcoholics Anonymous"

Journal of Contemporary Religion, Vol. 20,
No. 2, 2005 pp. 217–229

PETER S. CAHN

ABSTRACT:  Observers of religion in the
contemporary United States have interpreted
participation in quasi-religious organiza-
tions as evidence of dissatisfaction with
traditional religious institutions. In Latin
America, the principles of Alcoholics
Anonymous are associated with Protestant
spirituality and membership in the group has
been seen as rejection of the Roman Catholic
Church. However, instead of abandoning their
religious affiliations, Catholic men in one
Mexican Alcoholics Anonymous chapter put
their new beliefs and practices into the
service of the old. They revised both their
conception of God and their manner of parti-
cipating in fiestas to become better func-
tioning Catholics.

Introduction

In Tzintzuntzan and its neighboring communities
in the Mexican state of Michoacaìn, the blue
and white triangle inscribed in a circle, the
logo of Alcoholics Anonymous, is as ubiquitous
as colonial-era Roman Catholic churches.
However, in contrast to the staunch Roman
Catholicism of central-western Mexico, A.A.
emerged from a 1930s Protestant movement based
in the United States and retains at its core
a relationship with God which is unmediated
by saints or clergy.

Participants in A.A. reject the hierarchical,
scripted character of Catholic liturgy in
favor of a more egalitarian, emotional style
of assembly that characterizes Protestant
worship. A.A. meetings further resemble
Protestant churches in their prohibition
on all forms of alcohol. Despite the clear
association with Protestant beliefs and
practices, every member of A.A. in Tzintzun-
tzan considers himself a Roman Catholic in
good standing.

In this article, I examine how members of one
Alcoholics Anonymous chapter reconciled their
participation in an organization which is
closely linked to Protestantism with their
enduring commitment to the Roman Catholic
Church.

This loyalty is all the more significant given
the widespread disdain for Protestants, as
expressed by many Roman Catholics in Mexico
(Cahn 69–72).

Understanding how A.A. shapes the faith of
its members will contribute to a fuller
appreciation of the role quasi-religious
organizations play in deepening connections to
traditional forms of worship. Although often
dismissed as religion 'lite' or cited as
evidence for the obsolescence of religious
denominations, quasireligious organizations
play a significant role in strengthening
affiliations to mainstream churches. The men
of A.A. in Tzintzuntzan find in their new
Protestant-tinged behaviors a means to
rehabilitate their weakened Catholic faith.
   They credit the lessons of A.A. for repairing
their frayed relationship with God and their
community and thus enabling them to become
better Catholics.

Roman Catholics in Alcoholics Anonymous

Quasi-religious organizations have multiplied
in both size and diversity in the past 50
years. (1) Aspects of the health food movement
conform to traditional anthropological defini-
tions of religion in that they create a
symbolic ordering of the universe, although
they lack a unified set of ritual behaviors
(Dubisch; Hamilton). Direct selling companies
like Amway and Mary Kay Cosmetics invoke
religious principles in a business setting
as a way to reintegrate family and work lives
(Biggart; Bromley). Twelve-step programs in
particular have attracted scholarly attention
for their religious characteristics (Chalfant;
Lester; Minnick).

There is general agreement that Alcoholics
Anonymous fits the definition of a quasi-
religious organization (Jones; Rudy and Greil;
Whitley). While none of these groups claims to
be a religion, it is clear that they borrow
consciously from the ideology and practices of
established churches.

For the first two years of its existence,
Alcoholics Anonymous operated in the
United States from within the Oxford Group,
an evangelical Protestant organization that
foregrounded the experience of conversion
(Stafford 16). In 1937, Alcoholics Anonymous
began to meet separately from the Oxford
Group using a modified set of their principles
that retained the focus on self-examination
and the attainment of a 'changed life' through
stages, which eventually became codified as
A.A.'s Twelve Steps. However, A.A. leaders
tempered the aggressive proselytizing and
absolutist traits of the Christian group to
fit the particular needs of alcoholics
(Alcoholics Anonymous 74). Even as they
distanced themselves from the Oxford Group
and gained popularity, A.A. counted no
Catholic members in any of its chapters for
two years (Kurtz 47).

Alcoholics Anonymous first appeared in
Mexico in the mid-1950s, and, despite its early
association with Protestantism, mushroomed to
4,000 chapters in the predominantly Roman
Catholic country by 1981 (Sutro 182).
Although numbers for such a decentralized
organization can be difficult to verify,
estimates say that membership in Alcoholics
Anonymous grew eighteen fold between 1953
and 1990 to reach nearly two million people
worldwide. The bulk of this growth has come
in Latin America, which accounted for just
5.7% of A.A. groups in 1965, but over 26%
of A.A. groups in 1988 (Makela et al. 29).
Every year, the national Alcoholics
Anonymous convention draws more than
30,000 members from all over Mexico
(Hecht). One A.A. leader I spoke with in
1999 estimated that over 1,000 groups
operated in the state of Michoacaìn alone,
including groups devoted to women and
youth.

When I began fieldwork in Tzintzuntzan in
1998, the community of only 3,000
inhabitants supported four chapters of
Alcoholics Anonymous and two more within
easy commuting distance. The oldest group
claimed to be nearly 20 years old. During my
15 months of fieldwork, which ended in 2002,
the four A.A. chapters merged into two that
met regularly. At the invitation of a member,
I attended sessions of Grupo Tanganxoan,
which derived its name from a pre-
Columbian ruler, during at least one of their
three weekly meetings and at many of
their special events with other chapters in the
area. Grupo Tanganxoan met in a rented room,
nearly indistinguishable from the houses on
either side of it, except for the heavy curtain
obscuring the window and the blue and white
A.A. sign hung over the door. Inside, portraits
of the AA founders hung behind the lectern
and posters with upbeat sayings lined the walls.

About 15 men belonged to the group, with a
core of between six and ten attending any given
session. They ranged in age from young
husbands to grandfathers and in profession from
farmers to civil servants. Meetings lasted two
hours and always followed the same pattern:
prayer, readings from the Big Book of A.A.
personal stories, and collection of alms,
followed by informal socializing.

Despite the focus on individual recovery, the
ritualized structure and respectful camaraderie
between members underscored the importance
of group solidarity.

Family members rarely intruded on the men
while they were in a session nor did members
from other groups visit, except during
anniversary events. One member confided to
me in an interview that he would be happy to
meet with the group seven days a week, so
comforting did he find the presence of his
colleagues.

All the men in Grupo Tanganxoan and the other
chapters in Tzintzuntzan were Roman Catholic
and, although they readily praised the
Protestant-inspired underpinnings of A.A.,
they revealed no desire to leave their religious
denomination. On the contrary, they spoke
frequently of how participation in A.A. had
enabled them to become more devoted Roman
Catholics. Their testimonials during meetings
narrated a transformation in their lives, which
used the vocabulary of religious conversion,
although the end state was not a radically
changed outlook, but a more proper perform-
ance of their expected roles. (2)

Through A.A. they learned that their earlier
way of life may have given them a fleeting
sense of satisfaction, but it prevented them
from fulfilling their responsibilities to their
families and community. Correcting their
destructive ways required treating the period
of drunkenness as an aberration and their
sobriety as a return to acceptable behavior.
Two influences in A.A., one ideological and
the other practical, facilitated renewed
commitment to their natal church.

> I know he took people through the steps at
> his kitchen table for years.

He explained the program of recovery as HE
understood it.

> How long did he do this for?

14 years and some 3,000 people showed up at
his house on Wednesday evening.

> Did he sponsor a lot of people?

He believed it was important to be one.

> He seemed rather ahead of his time, no?

No, he was doing what he found in AA in
1954 when he joined. He knew that he only
knew what he knew when he was trying to
explain it to to another person. AA works
best at the kitchen table.

When he and his wife joined they attended a
non-denominational prayer group for 5 years.
They studied the occult and spiritual literature
and developed prayer lives. They also attended
a young peoples group and every Sunday morning
for 12 years, Earl loaded up his Lincoln and
drove 90 miles to the state penitentiary to put
on a meeting.

I used to go to conferences with him and
he would find people in the corners of the
coffee rooms and 12 step them.

Interesting that Earl had spoken at St. Louis
in 1955 and he had not spoken at an AA meeting
till I convinced him to come to our conference
in Montreal in 1990.

Earl set up the Oklahoma state archives and
he used to reproduced out of print collections
of papers and books and provide them to
archives and archivists.

One time he told me that he and his wife
Jean had not had an argument for 27 years
and I thought "bull." It ate at me and I
called his house when I knew he was at
his BB study group and I told Jean what
he had said. She said, "I don't like his
politics, I don't like his religion, I think
a lot of his friends are nuts, but I give
him the right to be wrong."

He was the kindest, gentlest human being I
have ever met and he was like a father to me.

Jim

In late 1998 I began a search for a first
printing first edition Big Book. A lot of
research lead me to Earl Husband in Oklahoma
where others told me Earl would be a reliable
and informative source for my book. I live in
Nashville, TN.

On 1/4/99 I had my first phone conversation
with Earl Husband. His phone at the time was
___ ___ ____. He told me he had reached 44
years of sobriety the day before (January 3)
and that he was 72 years old. We talked for
maybe an hour. He told me about his full Big
Book collection which he had (best I can
recall) given to an archives center in a
state struggling to get an archives started.
He knew all the details of AA books and every
word change in each Big Book printing as
well as extensive details of most of the
AA history.

Earl told me he currently had three first
printing first edition Big Books. The one he
thought I should look at first was one he had
overseen having the pages treated so they
were not brittle and that the entire book had
been restored. It was signed by Bill Wilson
with a message to Pete (Pete Boggs - apparently
a delegate and his wife was Inez). Within a
few days I had the book arrive in a plain box
and a note that it was worth $7,500!!! I
called Earl out of surprise and he said to
take my time to make my decision and if I
wanted he would ship me the other book to
also examine. I told him firmly to not send
the other book as I was too nervous with that
much responsibility.

I had two local book experts look at the book
Earl had sent me and both said it was exactly
as Earl had described it. I bought the book
- naturally being hooked as my name is Pete
too. How could I turn down a red Big Book
with an inscription to My dear Pete?

Earl's mailing address was ________, Oklahoma
City, Oklahoma 73112.

For some months after I bought the book,
Earl sent me items in the mail. First a l
etter dated 1/8/61 from Howard Benhoff (could
be Bennhoff) to a George (probably George
Peters a western Pennsylvania delegate) which
mentioned Pete Boggs in the letter thus
verifyng Earl's opinion that Bill Wilson had
signed my book with the inscription to "My
dear Pete" was indeed to Pete Boggs. So Earl
did not let up till he had everything he could
find about my book in my hands.

Then he sent me a black hard back book with
the only outside marking being a title on
the front of "Daily Reprieve". On the inside
first page the is a printed note saying:

This book is a gift from:

Earl & Jean Husband
3101 N. W. 35th
Okla. City, OK 73112
405/943-0746

Earl wrote over this: "To Pete  Be kind to
yourself and may God Bless  Earl Husband
1-3-55" (could be 59 but It looks more
like 55). On the back of this page the
only printing on it is: "THIS BOOK WAS
MADE AND DESIGNED FOR EARL HUSBAND".

On the back of the next page is some text
saying that :some of the ideas are mine and
some are from other sources long forgotten"
and it says that there are one liners in
the book each with its own message. This
page ends with   Lyle B.

Earl also sent me a tape of an AA talk he
had given. I no longer have the tape but
assume he did a number of tapes.

Earl thus launched me into my love and
passion for AA history even though we
never personally met. He was a strong
program of attraction for me by phone and
mail.

Pete Kopcsak
Nashville

Has any one looked up the bio of Joe? Was he
married? Did he work at the New Yorker
magazine? Any Siblings? Where did he live?
Seems like he had a little to do with the
naming of the book and yet we know little
about him.

Diz Titcher
Tallahassee, Florida

- - - -

From the moderator:

THE MYSTERY OF JOE W.

Diz, I did a check through the back messages
(and the sources to which they pointed)
to try to see what we actually know here, and
it is fairly confusing.  The last name is
spelled differently in different AA sources,
and there are even suggestions that the last
initial might have been V instead of W.

The AA sources have the claim in some places
that Joe "had been given credit for starting
the New Yorker magazine," but in other places
say only that he had been a "New Yorker
magazine writer."

Neither of those last two claims seem to be
true.  Or at least when I checked out the
history of the New Yorker magazine, I couldn't
find any name even remotely like his
associated with the magazine.  Maybe it's
buried deeper in the historical documents,
but I couldn't find it.

Glenn C. (South Bend, Indiana)

- - - -

Message #4299

May 16, 1941 - Ruth Hock finds that Joe W.
(or V.), credited with coming up with the
name Alcoholics Anonymous, has a "wet brain."

- - - -

Message #3711

In "Pass It On" pg 202 it states:

"Bill always said more than 100 titles were
considered for the book. The title that
appeared on the Multilithed copies was
'Alcoholics Anonymous.' There is some dispute
about who first thought up this title; most
thought is was Joe W, a New Yorker writer
who remained sober only 'on and off.'"

- - - -

Message #2778

Bill credited NY member Joe W for getting the
NY membership to favor the name “Alcoholics
Anonymous” for the book.

- - - -

Message #1705

MEMOIRS OF JIMMY
THE EVOLUTION OF ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS
By Jim Burwell

"We ... found our name '100 Men' inadequate
for we had forgotten the ladies and we already
had one girl, Florence Rankin, on the ball.
In one or our discussion meetings at Clinton
Street other names were brought up for con-
sideration.  Most prominent of these were
"This Way Out," "Exit," "The End of the Road"
and several others.  Finally we hit on our
present name.  Nobody is too sure exactly
where it came from but it is my opinion that
it was suggested by one of our newer members,
Joe Worden, who had at one time been considered
quite a magazine promotion genius, and who
had been given credit for starting the New
Yorker magazine. Hank and Bill finally
decided on the name "Alcoholics Anonymous"
in the latter part of November 1938."

- - - -

Message #1661

Across the top in Bill's handwriting it says
"Ruth Hocks recollections" and is dated Nov.
10, 1955.

"During all this time, of course, there was
plenty of discussion about a name for the book
and there were probably hundreds of suggestions.
However, I remember very few --'One Hundred Men'
- 'The Empty Glass' - 'The Dry Way' - 'The
Dry Life' - 'Dry Frontiers' - 'The Way Out'
- This last was by far the most popular.
Alcoholics Anonymous had been suggested and
was used a lot among ourselves as a very
amusing description of the group itself but
I don't believe it was seriously considered
as a name for the book. More later on this."

"By the time the book was mimeographed mostly
for distribution in an effort to raise money
to carry on and get the book published. There
was constant discussion about detail changes
with seemingly little hope for unanimous
agreement so it was finally decided to offer
the book to Tom Uzzell for final editing. It
had been agreed, for one thing, that the book,
as written, was too long but nobody could
agree on where and how to cut it. At that
point it was still nameless because Fitz had
reported that the selected name of 'The Way
Out' was over patented. I remember that
during an appointment with Tom Uzzell, we
discussed the various name possibilities
and he [handwritten insert: Tom Uzzell]
immediately - very firmly and very enthusi-
astically - stated that 'Alcoholics Anonymous'
was a dead wringer both from the sales point
of view because it was 'catchy' and because
it really did describe the group to perfection.
The more this name was studied from this point
of view the more everybody agreed and so it
was decided. Uzzell cut the book by at least
a third as I remember it and in my opinion
did a wonderful job on sharpening up the
context without losing anything at all of
what you were trying to say, Bill, and the
way you said it. I really cannot remember
who originally thought up the name 'Alcoholics
Anonymous ' [Handwritten insert which
appears to read 'Joe Worden' and a reference
to a handwritten footnote which appears to
read 'Joe Worden ...  an AA member who just
couldn't stay sober.' It does not look like
Bill's handwriting.]"

- - - -

Message #1002

On pg 166 in AACOA:

"We considered more than a hundred titles all
told. In New York 'Alcoholics Anonymous' had
slowly gained in favor. This trend had been
helped by the appearance of our first literary
light, Joe W., recently scraped out of the
Bowery. Years before, he had been one of the
founders of a popular and sophisticated magazine.
He was all for 'Alcoholics Anonymous.' He
made a burning issue out of it and a majority
of the New York group rallied around him."

- - - -

Message #589

Joe W. - came from Bowery, New Yorker magazine
writer; supporter of Big Book title Alcoholics
Anonymous; sober on & off, (some credit him
with drafting chapt "To Wives") (A 166) (P 202)
(W 160)

- - - -

Message #567

Diz Titcher of Tallahassee, Florida is no
doubt correct that Joe Worthum, rather than
Joe Ward, was the name of the gentleman who
coined "Alcoholics Anonymous" as the title of
the book. I used "Joe Ward" from a Jim Burwell
recording and either Jim did not pronounce
Joe's last name correctly or I didn't correctly
hear Jim say "Worthum." I will revise my texts
to Joe Worthum.

Thanks Diz!
Ron Long,
El Cajon, California

- - - -

Message #562

I have the name of Joe Worthum as the man
who gave the name to the book. His family
own the New Yorker Magazine.

Diz T.
Tallahassee, FL.

- - - -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_Yorker

"The New Yorker debuted on February 17, 1925,
with the February 21 issue. It was founded
by Harold Ross and his wife, Jane Grant, a
New York Times reporter .... Ross partnered
with entrepreneur Raoul H. Fleischman to
establish the F-R Publishing Company and
established the magazine's first offices at
25 West 45th Street in Manhattan. Ross edited
the magazine until his death in 1951."

- - - -

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/timeline

Harold Ross launches The New Yorker on
February 21st, with financial backing from
Raoul Fleischmann, the founder of the General
Baking Company. Dorothy Parker, Ralph Barton,
Alexander Woollcott, Ring Lardner, and Robert
Benchley are among the early contributors.
Rea Irvin draws the first cover—a mythical,
monocled Regency dandy, later dubbed Eustace
Tilley, who becomes the face of the magazine.
Katharine S. Angell (later Katharine S. White)
joins the staff as the magazine’s first fiction
editor.

- - - -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_New_Yorker_Contributors

List of The New Yorker contributors:  The
following is a list of current and past
contributors to The New Yorker, along with
the dates they served and their chief areas
of interest.

There is no "Joe W" or "Joseph W" or any
other Joe or Joseph who seems to match up
with our AA person.

Parts of this are read at some meetings here.
But, I've never seen it or heard it in this
form.  It must be a regional adaptation.

Jon M. (Raleigh)
9/9/82


On Aug 25, 2007, at 1:56 PM, Amarct - Home wrote:

> Would anybody know the origin or development
> of the following? It is used commonly in the
> Midwest and was a topic discussion at a meeting
> on its beginnings. This my first request for
> information, although a longtime subscriber.
>
> Thank you.
>
> Andy T.
>
> ANONYMITY STATEMENT
>
> In closing this meeting let me remind you,
> you and me, that although no individual has
> the right to be wrong in his facts, every
> individual has the right to his own opinions.
>
> Please remember that the opinions expressed
> here are strictly those of the individual.
>
> Remember also that ANONYMITY is the spiritual
> foundation of the A.A. Traditions. The things
> that you hear here and share here are spoken
> and shared in confidence. Let them be treated
> as confidential.
>
> If you listen with an open mind, if you try
> to absorb what you see and hear, you are
> bound to gain a better understanding of
> yourself, your problem and a way to better
> handle that problem.
>
> Talk with each other. Reason with each other,
> but let there be no gossip or criticism of
> another. Instead please let the love,
> acceptance, understanding, and companionship
> of the program grow inside you one day at a
> time.
>

Would anybody know the origin or development
of the following? It is used commonly in the
Midwest and was a topic discussion at a meeting
on its beginnings. This my first request for
information, although a longtime subscriber.

Thank you.

Andy T.

ANONYMITY STATEMENT

In closing this meeting let me remind you,
you and me, that although no individual has
the right to be wrong in his facts, every
individual has the right to his own opinions.

Please remember that the opinions expressed
here are strictly those of the individual.

Remember also that ANONYMITY is the spiritual
foundation of the A.A. Traditions. The things
that you hear here and share here are spoken
and shared in confidence. Let them be treated
as confidential.

If you listen with an open mind, if you try
to absorb what you see and hear, you are
bound to gain a better understanding of
yourself, your problem and a way to better
handle that problem.

Talk with each other. Reason with each other,
but let there be no gossip or criticism of
another. Instead please let the love,
acceptance, understanding, and companionship
of the program grow inside you one day at a
time.

Was the WHY WE WERE CHOSEN speech delivered
by Judge John T. a sampling of some of the
philosophy of the 3rd Covenant people?

- - - -

From Glenn C. (South Bend, Indiana)
glennccc@... (glennccc at sbcglobal.net)

No, that was something different. To see why,
let's look at the text of "Why We Were Chosen,"
which was an address given by Judge John T.
at the 4th Anniversary of the Chicago Group
October 5, 1943.

Text at http://www.orange-papers.org/orange-Why_We_Were_Chosen.html

"God in His wisdom has selected a group of
men to be the purveyors of His goodness. In
selecting them through whom to bring about
this phenomenon He went not to the proud,
the mighty, the famous or the brilliant. He
went to the humble, to the sick, to the
unfortunate -- he went to the drunkard,
the so-called weakling of the world. Well
might He have said to us:

"Into your weak and feeble hands I have
entrusted a Power beyond estimate. To you
has been given that which has been denied
the most learned of your fellows. Not to
scientists or statesmen, not to wives or
mothers, not even to my priests and
ministers have I given THIS GIFT OF HEALING
OTHER ALCOHOLICS, which I entrust to you ....
Success will not always attend your efforts
IN YOUR WORK WITH OTHER ALCOHOLICS .... You
were selected because you have been the
outcasts of the world and your long experience
as a drunkard has made, or should make you
humbly alert to the cries of distress that
comes from THE LONELY HEARTS OF ALCOHOLICS
EVERYWHERE."

As you can see, the "Why We Were Chosen"
speech was NOT saying that A.A. was supposed
to be a new world religion, replacing Judaism
and Christianity and all the other religions
of the world, and bringing salvation to the
entire human race.

The "Why Were Were Chosen" speech only said
that God had given A.A. a special mission
to reach out TO ALCOHOLICS -- but ONLY TO
ALCOHOLICS -- and teach them how to be
freed from alcoholic destruction.

> Message #4483 from "John Wikelius"
> nov85@... (nov85 at graceba.net)
>
> What is needed to know? I knew him.
> He was a friend."

- - - -

I know he took people through the steps at
his kitchen table for years.

How long did he do this for?

Did he sponsor a lot of people?

He seemed rather ahead of his time, no?

Message #4479 from <djbbabs@...>
(djbbabs at comcast.net) asked:

"When did speakers start traveling long
distances to carry the message? And were they
ever paid? It seems that would be breaking
tradition. But I am new so I am not sure."

- - - -

Let's see, Bill Wilson traveled to Akron and
then to other enclaves of AA. Bill Wilson who
was generally broke for at least his first
decade of sobriety had travel expenses paid
for by the local folks.

Searcy used to tell an quaint story of how
folks in Texas "borrowed" a car for Bill to
drive.

AA started in Baltimore when a member in
Philadelphia was invited to come stay at a
new member's home.

Basically the speakers spoke for free but
the groups paid their travel expenses.

- - - -

From: Wendi Turner <wenditurner@...>
(wenditurner at earthlink.net)

Hotel and meal costs are usually included,
and gifts (token gifts) are usually presented,
especially at larger conferences.

Also, there are travel companies out there
that host AA gatherings as part of the travel
package, say cruises or Club Med vacations.
The featured speaker receives the vacation
in barter.

Having had sponsors that were "of the circuit"
... any cost they requested wouldn't be enough,
in my mind.  They spend the weekends away
from their lives, friends, families ...
in strange cities, sharing a message ... not
getting to do errands or pop out to a local
hang-out for a bite to eat or just enjoy the
comforts of home.  Not to mentions the hassles
of travel today.

- - - -

From: "frank d" <frankaaaa2006@...>
(frankaaaa2006 at yahoo.co.uk)

Speakers like Clancy from California have
their travel expenses reimbursed.

Message #4479 from <djbbabs@...>
(djbbabs at comcast.net) asked:

"When did speakers start traveling long
distances to carry the message? And were
they ever paid? It seems that would be
breaking tradition. But I am new so I am
not sure."

- - - -

Howdy from Texas!

Bill Wilson was the first person who traveled
long distances to carry the message!  :)  Have
you read his story in the Big Book yet?

I don't know about other parts of the country,
I only have experience here in Texas.

Speakers are not PAID to carry the message.
However, a group of alcoholics may get together
to plan an event (this planning committee is
NOT an AA group or meeting), and rent space
somewhere to hold the event, incur costs for
putting on the event, and invite other
alcoholics to participate.  To cover the
costs of the expenses, a modest registration
fee is charged.  There is a standard statement
that we use on flyers, etc. that explains
this:

NOTE:  Most associations like to hold
conferences/conventions. In AA, a conference/
convention is an important opportunity to
share the AA experience in a broad way.
There are many AA conferences held around
the world. One of the most common misconcep-
tions of these gatherings is that they are
AA meetings, and since there are "no dues or
fees for AA membership," there should be no
fee to attend these conferences. Conventions
and conferences are special events, not
regular meetings. They require months of
planning, preparation, and money to present.
Since most events are in hotels/convention
centers, the facility will require that the
group purchase coffee and food. Other expenses
include travel and lodging for conference
speakers, printing of flyers, programs and
schedules, postage and supplies. A large event
requires a substantial amount of money.
Attendance at a convention/conference is
voluntary; furthermore, attending as part of
a group is optional, but as responsible AA
members, we must pay our own way!

AA also has an "AA Guideline" they publish on
these types of events, which you can download
from http://www.aa.org under the "Services for
Members" link.  Here's a link to the conferences/conventions/roundups guideline:

http://www.aa.org/en_pdfs/mg-04_conferenceandconv.pdf

Lastly, I would hardly expect for a person who
is asked to come from anywhere as our guest to
foot the bill for airline and hotel expenses.
Money is not PAID TO individuals who are asked
to speak, but the travel costs of their parti-
cipation are covered out of courtesy.  They
give up their vacation time, their family
time, etc. in order to participate.

A good understanding of the Traditions and
Concepts is the best way to dispel any
myths about these types of events "breaking
tradition."

An important lesson in my own recovery has
been to GO TO THE SOURCE (the literature)
rather than rely on the word of some grumbling
member, whether it's a discussion of the
steps or the traditions.  I try to impress
this upon all newcomers - don't trust ME,
by golly, read the black stuff in the book!

Thanks for my sobriety,

Debi Ubernosky
DOS 11-25-1990
by God's grace and because AA works!

The question on circuit speakers and travel and
if they were compensated is very interesting.

I always turn to the AA Grapevine and the
early issues to see what came up.

A letter to the editor in January 1947 complained
that groups were inviting doctors to speak at
meetings and conventions and not offering to pay
their expenses.

April 1948 had letters concerning expenses
of speakers. Some felt it was like a 12th
step call and no expenses should be offered
while others felt they should. All opposed
paying speakers "fees" which some popular
speakers were demanding.

June 1948 more of the above.

December 1948 on speakers sounding professional.

January 1947 letter complaining about how many
speakers put down the "normal folks." Title
of the letter is "How do they stand us."

One of the discussions that drew the most
letters was the subject of applause for
speakers. Most opposed it.

Jim

Any idea who that speaker was, Glenn?

Edgar C, Sarasota, Florida

- - - -

Glenn C., in Message #4481
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/AAHistoryLovers/message/4481
spoke of how one speaker at the First
International A.A. Convention in Cleveland in
1950 was trying to argue that A.A. was the
"Third Covenant," a new world religion.

- - - -

Edgar,

No, and I'd really love to know.

Tex Brown never mentioned the speaker's name,
and he died before I got a chance to ask him
for more details.  And Bill W. did not mention
the speaker's name in his own rather discreet
account of what happened.

Although Bill W.'s account corroborates that
it really happened, and that Bill W.
appreciated that the fellowship's rejection
of this theory was very important.

Does anybody have access to any records from
that International that might give us more
information?

Glenn

What is needed to know? I knew him. He was a friend.

Does anyone have any detailed information on
the late AA historian/archivist Earl Husband
from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma?

- - - -

From the moderator: the only place his name
shows up in a search of our back messages is
in Message #924

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/AAHistoryLovers/message/924

where Bill Pittman made a reference to "one
of the great AA historians, Earl Husband."

GFC