Aa history Lovers 2009 moderators Nancy Olson and Glenn F. Chesnut page
Yüklə 11,49 Mb.
|
(hjfree at fuse.net) asked: >I have seen a letter or comment attributed >to Bill Wilson regarding abusive and vulgar >lanquage not being appropriate at meetings. > >Clues where to look? IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 5459. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Bill Wilson against the use of vulgar lanquage From: John Lee . . . . . . . . . . . . 12/30/2008 10:39:00 AM
standard form letter sent to Groups by GSO since the 1950s or 1960s. I think the letter is still being used. It basically says that "Groups that encourage the practice of the 12 Steps find that their members grow in all areas. That is our experience. Thank you very much."
New York GSO to act as a super-referee for Group disputes. GSO won't be lured into that duty, mindful that the Groups are autonomous.
mention Bill W., but the original might have been signed by Bill. Some of the Intergroups with extensive archives would have the original version of the letter, and its inception date.
pittsburgh IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 5460. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Skeletons in the closet From: James Flynn . . . . . . . . . . . . 12/30/2008 8:44:00 PM IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Interesting wording, could it be that the "few skeletons" phrase was deliberately chosen because in some instances we are advised to make an indirect rather than direct amends? That is what I took from it. Sincerely, Jim F. - - - - Step 9. "Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, EXCEPT WHEN TO DO SO WOULD INJURE THEM OR OTHERS."
in the chapter on "The Family Afterward," it says we keep FEW skeletons as opposed to NO skeletons in the closet. IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 5461. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Signatures on Big Book: Howard M. Wilson and John Carney From: Bob Schultz . . . . . . . . . . . . 1/1/2009 6:18:00 PM
him at an IDAA gathering in Morristown, New Jersey back in the 70's ....Very entertaining fellow.
(for whatever that is worth category also) IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 5462. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Photographs of Richard Peabody or Courtenay Baylor? From: aalogsdon@aol.com . . . . . . . . . . . . 12/31/2008 5:58:00 AM
on page 22, a picture of Richard Peabody that will reproduce into a nice larger picture.
if you need. Email me at: IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 5463. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: A group may request that only home group members vote From: James Flynn . . . . . . . . . . . . 12/30/2008 8:52:00 PM
clude all who suffer from alco- holism. Hence we may refuse none who wish to recover. Nor ought A.A. membership ever depend upon money or confor- mity. Any two or three alcohol- ics gathered together for sobri- ety may call themselves an A.A. group, provided that, as a group, they have no other af- filiation.” The Third Tradition is a sweeping state- ment indeed; it takes in a lot of terri- tory. Some people might think it too idealistic to be practical. It tells every alcoholic in the world that he may be- come, and remain, a member of Alco- holics Anonymous so long as he says so.
no membership rule . . . .
a rebellious nonconformist . . . . If we raise obstacles, he might stay away and perish. He might be denied his price- less opportunity.
ditions?” we joyfully reply, “No, not a one.”
contain, however, one vitally important qualification. That qualification re- lates to the use of our name, Alcohol- ics Anonymous. We believe that any two or three alcoholics gathered to- gether for sobriety may call them- selves an AA group provided that, as a group, they have no other affiliation.
equivocal. For obvious reasons we wish the name Alcoholics Anonymous to be used only in connection with straight AA activities. One can think of no AA member who would like, for example, to be designated by reli- gious denominations. We cannot lend the AA name, even indirectly, to other activities, however worthy. If we do so we shall become hopelessly compromised and divided. Reprinted from The Language of the Heart © 1988 The AA Grapevine, Inc. Bill W. on the Third Tradition February, 1948 - - - - From Glenn C. (South Bend, Indiana): On the other side, see Message 5426, which appeared two weeks ago, and qualifies Tradition Three by distinguishing between (a) calling myself an AA member and (b) being given voting rights in a particular AA group's business meeting. (a) I can choose any AA group I want as my "home group" according to Tradition Three, but (b) I can have only one such home group at a time.
refers to the conference pamphlet on "The A.A. Group," which can be read online at: http://www.aa.org/en_pdfs/p-16_theaagroup.pdf The conference pamphlet on "The A.A. Group" says that each AA member gets one and only one vote, which is ideally done within that member's home group, and that a "group may request that only home group members participate or vote" in their business meetings.
have found it important to belong to one group which they call their "Home Group." This is the group where they accept service responsibilities and try to sustain friendships. And although all A.A. members are usually welcome at all groups and feel at home at any of these meetings, the concept of the "Home Group" has still remained the strongest bond between the A.A. member and the Fellowship.
issues that might affect the group and might also affect A.A. as a whole—a process that forms the very cornerstone of A.A.’s service structure. As with all group-conscience matters, each A.A. member has one vote; and this, ideally, is voiced through the home group.
has remained with our home group, which, for many members, becomes our extended family. Once isolated by our drinking, we find in the home group a solid, continuing support system, friends and, very often, a sponsor. We also learn firsthand, through the group’s workings, how to place "principles before personalities" in the interest of carrying the A.A. message.
"Part of my commitment is to show up at my homegroup meetings, greet newcomers at the door, and be available to them—not only for them but for me. My fellow group members are the people who know me, listen to me, and steer me straight when I am off in left field. They give me their experience, strength and A.A. love, enabling me to ‘pass it on’ to the alcoholic who still suffers."
calls the business meeting, which ordinarily is held on a monthly or quarterly basis.
nonmembers to attend, the group may request that only home group members participate or vote.
From: Russ Stewart . . . . . . . . . . . . 12/29/2008 10:25:00 PM IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Has anyone heard how The Ardmore Archivist is doing? I have been blessed to have spent time with Ray as my own personal tour guide on more than 2 occasions in Akron. He also came with me to Chagrin Falls, Ohio where my father is buried and stood by me and supported me as I made a very tearful graveside amends. May God bless him and my prayers are with him and his wife Ginny. Two of the greatest AA blessings I have ever met...
at Dr. Bob's grave. As he lowered himself to his knees next to the headstone, with tears streaming down his cheeks, Ray said, "I know were not supposed to have heroes in AA, but Dr. Bob was mine. He was a true man of Christ." _____ Mitchell K. Sent: Tuesday, December 16, 2008 10:42 PM To: AA History Lovers; Mel Barger; Glenn Chesnut; Matt Dingle; Ernest Kurtz; Bill Lash; Jared Lobdell; Shakey Mike G.; Al Welch
going in for surgery tomorrow (Wednesday) in Florida. Please keep Ray in your thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery if that be God's will.
of AA?
From: jax760 . . . . . . . . . . . . 12/31/2008 12:21:00 PM IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Douglas D. (1895 – 1969) Douglas joined the growing band of recovering drunks at the beginning of 1937. The survey of the New Jersey Group of A.A. taken on January 1, 1940 lists Douglas as having been a member for three years. The survey also indicates that he has had several slips but is making some progress.
included when Bill and Dr. Bob counted up the first forty sober in the fall of 1937.
early path and find several instances where it might have crossed with Bill Wilson's. Douglas, like Bill attended the officer's training camp in Plattsburg, New York in 1917. Like Bill he was an officer (Captain) in an artillery unit in WWI. Douglas was assigned to the 305th Field Artillery and was wounded in France. During the time that Douglas was in A.A. he was living in Plainfield, New Jersey and is listed as an active member of the New Jersey Group. Douglas would have been a part of the original group that was attending Oxford Group meetings and the weekly gatherings on Clinton Street that included Hank Parkhurst, John (Fitzhugh) Mayo, Myron Williams, William Ruddell, Florence Rankin and Paul Kellogg.
Book ever sold, signed by all the early pioneers, and now housed in the archives at the General Service Office in New York. Not much more is known about Douglas at the present. He apparently had a successful career as a securities analyst (another common point with Bill). Douglas' career was with Merrill Lynch. His success here may or may not be indicitive of long-term sobriety. Douglas died November 14, 1969 and the following obituary appeared in the New York Times on November 15, 1969. ______________________________ Princeton, N.J., Nov. 14 – Douglas D...., a retired securities analyst f or Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, died in Princeton Hospital today of a heart attack. He was 74 years old and lived at 62 Battle Road here.
versity in 1917 and served as a captain of artillery in World War I. He joined Merrill Lynch in 1941 and retired in 1960; He leaves his wife, the former Eleanor M.; a son, Douglas Jr., a stepson, Allan F., and Mrs. Blaikie W., and seven grandchildren. ______________________________ John B. The Big Book Study Group of South Orange, New Jersey
emails by AA World Services From: Gary Becktell . . . . . . . . . . . . 1/2/2009 3:51:00 PM
out on November 30, 2008. It is copied in its entirety below. Their attempts to satisfy the AAWS requirements were not enough so they sent out their final mail (posted on AAHL by Dudley D) on 12/30/08. -- G
Subject: Changes to JFT! email service. The "Just For Today!" daily email service has been available five days each week since September 1995. To date, volunteers have sent out over 31 million emails to subscribers like you located all over the world.
by AA World Services, Inc. that we must stop using AAWS-copyrighted material, effective today. Therefore, we will change the format of the daily emails in the following ways:
from the first 164 pages of the first edition big book now in the public domain.
related history or trivia that we think you will find interesting.
tunity to be of maximum service to any of our current subscribers, if you find that this new format is not useful in your program of recov- ery, you can opt out following the instructions at the bottom of this email or any of the daily messages.
interesting and potentially helpful, you need do nothing but sit back and enjoy the service that has been provided, uninterrupted, for the last 691 weeks.
... and, as always, JFT! remains absolutely 100% free of charge and without advertising.
Carl J, Jenny MM, Scott B, Terry H, and Doug B.
The AAHISTORY.COM webpage is at: http://www.aahistory.com/ http://www.aahistory.com/jft.html c/o Doug B. (Riverside, California) *********************************************** Original Message from: DudleyDobinson@aol.com To: undisclosed-recipients: Sent: Wednesday, December 31, 2008 4:14 PM Subject: Just For Today made to stop emails by AA World Services
AA in Ireland: http://www.aahistory.com/ has a notice that their Just For Today emails have had to be stopped. As they announce it on their webpage:
the end of an unplanned transition. Our last email has been sent, dear readers, until we can find some suitable material to pass on to you that can be emailed around the globe without restrictions. It's been sheer joy being of service to you for these last 4,850 days. (One at a time.) - - - - An explanation is given in an email they have sent around to various people: "AA World Services has asked us to cease and desist sending AA materials outside the US, in violation of international copyright agreements. It?s virtually impossible to police who is in the US and who isn?t, so we?re ceasing publication rather than risk legal action by AAWS."
of the book, Alcoholics Anonymous, printed in 1939 by Works Publishing Company, pages 178-179 (currently page 164 in the 4th edition of the same title)."
realize we know only a little. God will constantly disclose more to you and to us. Ask Him in your morning meditation what you can do each day for the man who is still sick. The answers will come, if your own house is in order. But obviously you cannot transmit something you haven't got. See to it that your relationship with Him is right, and great events will come to pass for you and countless others. This is the Great Fact for us."
God. Admit your faults to Him and to your fellows. Clear away the wreckage of your past. Give freely of what you find and join us. We shall be with you in the Fellowship of the Spirit, and you will surely meet some of us as you trudge the Road of Happy Destiny."
Jenny M., Doug B., Barbara P., Ken P., Roger B., Bill B., Seth P., Luke J., and the late Herb K.
From: stevec012000 . . . . . . . . . . . . 1/3/2009 9:00:00 AM IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Greetings all, Any suggested formats or methods for inter- viewing oldtimers in your area? Just want to see if anyone has expanded upon what is already circulated by AAWS. New Archivist IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 5468. . . . . . . . . . . . Hank P bio From: Glenn Chesnut . . . . . . . . . . . . 1/5/2009 2:47:00 PM IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII From "John Barton" (jax760 at yahoo.com) Henry G. Parkhurst "The Unbeliever" (1895 – 1954)
in Marion, Iowa. He is considered to be A.A. #2 in the New York contingent of Alcoholics Anonymous and was Bill's first "sponsee." Henry (Hank) was from Teaneck, New Jersey and could be considered to be the fifth* member of A.A. New Jersey A.A can trace its roots to Hank. Hank had once been the Assistant General Sales Manager for Standard Oil of New Jersey and had been fired for his drinking. Bill found him in September of 1935 in Towns Hospital and offered him the solution that had worked for him, Doctor Bob and Bill Dotson. Hank, who had been treated numerous times previously at Towns and was an avowed atheist, reluctantly accepted the "spiritual" solution. His story, "The Unbeliever" was published in the 1st edition of the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous.
Opinion" on page xxix of the Big Book. Dr. Silkworth describes his case in detail:
was only living, one might say, to drink. He frankly admitted and believed that for him there was no hope. Following the elimination of alcohol, there was found to be no permanent brain injury. He accepted the plan outlined in this book. One year later he called to see me, and I experienced a very strange sensation. I knew the man by name, and partly recognized his features, but there all resemblance ended. From a trembling, despairing, nervous wreck, had emerged a man brimming over with self- reliance and contentment. I talked with him for some time, but was notable to bring myself to feel that I had known him before. To me he was a stranger, and so he left me. A long time has passed with no return to alcohol."
Vision for You" on page 163 as the ". . . A.A. member living in a large community." This refers to Hank's home on N. Fullerton Street in Upper Montclair where he was living in 1939 when the big book was first published. Hank has been described as a red haired, tall, broad-shouldered former athlete with a salesman's drive and enthusiasm. Hank was a hard-driving promoter who was once described as "having an idea a minute." He and his wife Kathleen had two sons, Henry and Robert (Hank Jr., and Bob.)
meetings on Tuesday nights that Bill and Lois held at their Brooklyn home at 182 Clinton Street. These meetings which began in the fall of 1935 would continue until April of 1939. Hank also attended Oxford Group meetings with Bill and another New York recruit named John Fitzhugh Mayo. One A.A. story has Hank in early recovery one night with Bill and Fitz driving down Park Avenue in Hank's convertible. Hank suddenly stood straight up, grasping the steering wheel in both hands, with the wind beating against him, yelling, "God! God almighty, booze was never this good."
Newark, which later moved to 17 William Street. The office was "the headquarters for a rapidly failing business," according to Bill. The business was Honor Dealers, which Hank had conceived, according to one source, as a way of getting back at Standard Oil; the company that had fired him for his drinking. His business plan was to provide selected gasoline stations with the opportunity to buy gasoline, oil, and automobile parts on a cooperative basis. Bill Wilson was hired to be a salesman for the company and was later joined by Jimmy Burwell; another pioneer of A.A. Ruth Hock was hired as the secretary of Honor Dealers and would later become the A.A. Foundation's first national secretary. Ruth remembered very little gasoline business being conducted there. A lot of people dropped in to discuss their drinking problems, and on more than one occasion she observed Bill and Hank kneeling in prayer by the side of Hank's desk with one of these visitors, an Oxford Group custom when seeking God's guidance. It was here in the offices of Honor Dealers that the book Alcoholics Anonymous was to be written. In 1937, on February 13th the "Alcoholic Squadron" of the New York Oxford Group held a meeting in New Jersey at Hank Parkhurst's Teaneck home on Wyndham Road. It was the first time the group of drunks met in New Jersey to conduct an "alcoholic style" Oxford Group meeting. The purpose of this meeting was to introduce William Ruddell (A Business Man's Recovery) of Hackettstown to the fledgling fellowship. March of 1938 marked the beginning of the writing of the Big Book at Hank's office. The project needed funding so Hank wrote up a prospectus for "The 100 Men Corporation." They offered 600 shares for sale at $25 par value. Hank went down to a stationary store, bought blank stock certificates, typed in his full name, followed by the title "President." The name of the publishing company was "Works Publishing Co.," but the corporation was not registered until several years later. Hank and Bill were each to keep 200 shares for their work on the book, the balance of the 200 shares would be sold for $25 per share. This would raise the $5,000 needed to publish the book.
book, Hank is credited with "writing" Chapter 10, To Employers. Without Hank and his hard driving, raising money, promoting and keeping Bill on task, the book may never have been written.
from their home at 182 Clinton Street in Brooklyn. They moved in with Hank and Kathleen Parkhurst who were now living in Upper Montclair, New Jersey. On May 14, 1939, a Sunday afternoon, the very first meeting of what was to become the New Jersey Group of Alcoholics Anonymous took place in the home of Hank and Kathleen in Montclair. Meetings that had been formerly held in Brooklyn were held in New Jersey for the next 5 or 6 weeks. The meetings began at 4:00 PM and went most of the night. They rotated speakers for the first portion according to Jim Burwell who was also living at Hank and Kathleen's home as well at that time.
out between Bill and Hank. Hank wanted to leave his wife and marry Ruth Hock, the secretary from Honor Dealers. She refused his proposal and Hank felt that Bill had interfered. In late June Hank and Kathleen would split up. Hank moved to East Orange, Bill and Lois left to stay at the Bungalow owned by Horace Chrystal (a New York member) in Green Pond, New Jersey.
to drinking. Bill's first sponsee, the great promoter of the Big Book and the founder of A.A. in New Jersey would never again enjoy long term sobriety. Hank would nurse resentment against Bill for the rest of his life and cause great division within the A.A. ranks in the months to come. In March of 1940 Bill and Ruth moved the office of the Alcoholic Foundation to Vesey Street in Manhattan. Not long after, Hank showed up dirty, drunk and in a bad way. He complained that the furniture in the office was still his and Bill offered him $200 for the furniture provided he signed over his 200 shares of Works Publishing Co. to the Alcoholic Foundation. Hank in desperation complied. Hank had periods of sobriety over the next 14 years despite periodic episodes of drinking. At one point he married the sister of Clarence Snyder's wife Dorothy and had Clarence working for him as a salesman for a company called Henry Giffen, Fine Porcelains. Hank's third marriage was to a Houston oil heiress. She reportedly was the love of his life. She died leaving Hank an inheritance which he later used to remarry Kathleen and purchase a chicken farm in Pennington, New Jersey.
in January 1954. The story was reported in the Pennington Post, which also carried Hank's obituary on the very same day.
in Pennington, New Jersey. Lois Wilson said his death was due to drinking. Others claimed it was pills. Some thought it was both. His obituary says only that he died after a lengthy illness.
Parkhurst its thanks and gratitude. Without Hank, the Big Book and A.A.'s early history might be remarkably different from what we have today. A.A. in New Jersey and its history are the direct result of Hank Parkhurst's involvement in A.A. during its "flying blind" period.
The Big Book Study Group of South Orange, New Jersey
edition story he says: "Told him it sounded like self hypnotism to me and he said what of it . . . didn't care if it was yogi-ism, self-hypnotism, or anything else . . . four of them were well." ["Four of them well" likely refers to Bill, Dr. Bob, Eddie Reilly, and Bill Dotson. Eddie did not remain sober or stay a member for long, but he did achieve sobriety in 1949.]
acknowledged: Biographies separately published by both Mike O and Nancy O A History of The Big Book - Alcoholics Anonymous, Written by Donald B. Postings of AA History Lovers, yahoo.com A Narrative Timeline of AA History 2007 – Arthur S. Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age – AAWS Alcoholics Anonymous 1st ed. Alcoholics Anonymous 3rd ed. Pass it On – AAWS Not God - Kurtz IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 5469. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: prayer request for Ray G. From: Fred . . . . . . . . . . . . 1/3/2009 11:46:00 PM IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Russ and Concerned friends, After notification by Mitchell K. in his post about Ray, my wife spoke to Ginny that day (12/16/08). Ray was to have some growths removed that had returned from his previous medical condition. Ginny thanked us for calling and said Ray was doing great and would be back in OHIO for The Lake Milton Emotional Sobriety weekend held in early February. The prayer chain that was continued for Ray and Ginny helped see them BOTH through, and the Grace of God blesses them and all they touch everyday. Gratefully Yours, Fred from Ohio - - - - From: "Maria Hoffman" (jhoffma6 at tampabay.rr.com) Yes, Ray is doing great. The surgery was successful and the recovery is going well. Now, if we could just get him to take it easy for a while. He was Home from the hospital on Saturday, entertained Christmas guests Thursday and at 2 meetings the Monday following!
calls.
- - - - Original message #5464 from "Russ Stewart" Has anyone heard how The Ardmore Archivist is doing? I have been blessed to have spent time with Ray as my own personal tour guide on more than 2 occasions in Akron. He also came with me to Chagrin Falls, Ohio where my father is buried and stood by me and supported me as I made a very tearful graveside amends. May God bless him and my prayers are with him and his wife Ginny. Two of the greatest AA blessings I have ever met...
at Dr. Bob's grave. As he lowered himself to his knees next to the headstone, with tears streaming down his cheeks, Ray said, "I know were not supposed to have heroes in AA, but Dr. Bob was mine. He was a true man of Christ." _____ Mitchell K. Sent: Tuesday, December 16, 2008 10:42 PM To: AA History Lovers; Mel Barger; Glenn Chesnut; Matt Dingle; Ernest Kurtz; Bill Lash; Jared Lobdell; Shakey Mike G.; Al Welch
going in for surgery tomorrow (Wednesday) in Florida. Please keep Ray in your thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery if that be God's will.
vulgar lanquage From: allan_gengler . . . . . . . . . . . . 1/7/2009 5:45:00 PM
page 3 of "Experience, Strength & Hope," the collection of stories from the first three editions of the Big Book: > "Since the audience for the book [Big Book] > is likely to be newcomers, anything from the > point of view of content or style that might > offend or alienate those who are not familiar > with the program should be carefully elim- > inated . . . Profanity, even when mild, > rarely contributes as much as it detracts. > It should be avoided." - - - - > Message 5450 from Yüklə 11,49 Mb. Dostları ilə paylaş:
|