Four Founding Moments Of AA:

 

Bill W. tells us  "The Spark that was to flare into the first AA Group was struck in Akron, Ohio, in June 1935. . . ," yet, the circumstances which led to this historic occurrence began five years earlier.  Ernest Kurtz, author of “Not God,”   explains how we may view these as "FOUR FOUNDING MOMENTS."*   The awareness of  these  "MOMENTS" not only help me keep the numerous other pertinent events in place and time, but to gauge their importance to proper perspective.

 

The FIRST of these moments was the 1931 (AA lore -more probable, 1926) meeting between Rowland Hazard* and Dr. Carl Jung who was Rowland's choice after finding non-spiritual psycho-analysts, Sigmund Freud and Alfred Adler unavailable.  Neither of these Doctors would have been likely to prescribe a vital spiritual experience as the solution for Rowland's chronic drinking problem; but Dr. Jung did just that! (pp. 26 &  27 of the BB)  This struck a chord that still resonates today as the Alcoholics Anonymous solution to alcoholism.

 

The SECOND founding moment took place on a "bleak November day." in 1934, at Bill Wilson's kitchen table, 182 Clinton Street, Brooklyn Hts., during a visit with his old schoolmate and drinking partner,  Ebby Thacher (That's right! Only one "t") who explained his recent release from alcohol via a "simple religious idea" (vital spiritual experience) caused by following and a "practical  program of action" which was the Tenets and Absolutes of the Oxford Group. (Big Book -pp. 8 & 9)

 

The THIRD founding moment is  illustrated by the happenings surrounding Bill's spiritual experience at Towns Hospital shortly after his December 11th, 1934, admission.    This can be studied on pages 13 and 14 of the Big Book.   

 

The FOURTH founding moment might well include the events of May 11th, 1935, following Bill's desperate phone calls from the Mayflower Hotel resulting in his meeting with Dr. Bob the next day.  This meeting resulted in the first Alcoholics Anonymous fellowship after Dr. Bob finally got sober for good and all on June 10th, 1935. (read Big Book pp. 154 - 156) (Arguably this date may have been June 17, 1935)

 

These four centers-of-gravity help me keep on track as I continue to discover our exciting history.  I hope you will also find these useful.

 

Bob S.,

* correct spelling

 

4D website:  www.4dgroups.org

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