Aa history Lovers 2004 moderators Nancy Olson and Glenn F. Chesnut page

which could now be updated centrally. A new AA service position as

online group "listkeeper" was born, and became key to the growth of the

Fellowship in the new medium.
Other online technologies, including "chat rooms," "guest book"

technology on WWW sites and newsgroups all have played roles in the

development of AA online, and continue to be used in varying ways by

online groups, but the greatest growth has been in email-based groups,

which number some 240 groups with perhaps 8000 participants as the Online

Service Conference came into being in mid-2002. (No accurate census is

available. Numbers based on estimates).
*
Online AA Comes Together
*The first online AA groups depended upon word of mouth by their own

members to identify and enroll new members. There was no complete online

directory of groups. Each group carried out its efforts

independently, finding its own way to sharing recovery in the new

medium. Some groups grew very large, notably the Lamplighters

Group, perhaps the first online meeting to formally identify itself as an

AA group. It took its name from the General Electric "Aladdin's

lamp" logo which identified the GEnie online service provider on which

the group met. It grew swiftly in the early 1990's to hundreds of members

and a full spectrum of AA committees and elected service

positions emulating the largest face to face groups. Other meetings

and groups felt that it was important to remain small to permit good

online sharing on AA topics, and broke off to form new groups repeatedly

when group size exceeded 30 or 40 members. Some groups related to one

another on the basis of a common internet service provider.
New online groups were founded for specialized membership, such as women,

men, gay or lesbian, etc. Other groups formed around a

preference for certain meeting styles, such as Big Book study,

weekly topic discussions, or other styles. Email groups sometimes "spun

off" chat meetings that appealed to a sector of their members. The

groups were clearly autonomous. There was no central online body, and

little communication among the existing groups.
Rumors surfaced that one of the earliest groups, "Meeting of the Minds"

(MoM) had registered as a group with the General Service Board of the UK.

Some of the group's founders had been Scots. In the UK, a unique

district had been designated "District 11" to contain those

English-speaking AA groups not meeting in the British Isles, particularly

those meeting on the European continent.

standard group registration form to the US/Canada General Service Office

in 1994. Because the form asked for place and time of meetings, the

group identified itself as an online group and was denied registration

for that reason.
The GSO of the US and Canada explained that only groups which met face to

face within the boundaries of the US and Canada could be registered in

their Conference. A group which met on the internet, ("in

cyberspace") could not be included, and could have no voice or vote in

its Conference. *No criticism based on how the AA Traditions were

followed online ever was voiced by the General Service Office nor any AA

trustee.* It was agreed that a list of online groups would be

maintained in the New York offices and provided to anyone seeking online

participation in AA.
The online groups were pleasantly surprised in the same year when their

request to participate was approved, and a "loving invitation" was issued

to provide workshop speakers on the topic of online AA and to host a

hospitality room for the 1995 International Convention in San Diego.

Speakers for the panel were easily located, and a "Living Cyber

Committee" was formed online to host the hospitality room and plan its

activities.
A member of the Living Cyber Committee worked for a San Francisco Bay

company which had just replaced its computing machinery with newer

models, and was able to borrow some idle older machines to be used in the

hospitality room as demonstrations of online AA. Online groups

agreed to share with conventiongoers, and in some cases nonattending

members set up special lists or held "model" meetings online for

convention participants.
The "Cyber Suite," as the hospitality room came to be known, was a major

success by any measure, and a watershed event for online AA. The

"buzz" around the San Diego Convention halls led thousands of visitors to

the online demonstrations. Another important activity of the room

was to provide a meeting place for "friends who had never met face to

face" from the participating online groups. Every day there were

whoops of recognition as members encountered those previously known only

as usernames on their monitors. Delegates and trustees were briefed

on the new medium as they visited, and online groups took turns in four

hour shifts as "hosts" for the room.

Committee and a few new friends from online groups vowed to continue

serving together in some manner after they returned to their home

computers. A handful, perhaps less than a dozen, set about to form

a service structure for the online groups. After a few weeks of

discussion, it was determined that the most flexible AA service

organization, and easiest to found, was an intergroup. In short

order, the Online Intergroup of AA (OIAA) was formed, incorporated in New

Jersey, and brought into initial operation on the internet.
Efforts continued by individual members, online groups and the new online

intergroup to find a place in the general service structure of Alcoholics

Anonymous. Requests to attend the US/Canada General Service

Conference in observer status were denied. Requests to attend the

World Service Meeting in observer status were denied, even after

recommendation was made by a WSM committee that online organizations

participate in their meetings, as a view to the future. Few, if any, area

delegates to the US and Canada General Service Conference were online AA

participants, and many without experience viewed the growing number of

new online groups with suspicion and open derision.

US/Canada General Service Conference determined that online groups

applying for registration would be classified as "international

correspondence meetings."

classification also, rather than among "Central Offices, Intergroups and

Answering Services."
Another "loving invitation" was issued, this time to OIAA, to participate

in the 2000 International Convention in Minneapolis. Rather

than a single workshop, the program included several individual

presentations by online members. A trustee with online experience chaired

a panel on "AA in Cyberspace - Now", followed by "AA in Cyberspace -

Future,." plus other specialized online topics.

with online computers demonstrating how AA had grown on the internet;

however, its location outside the main flows of convention traffic, plus

growing public familiarity with computers and the internet, resulted in

somewhat less conventiongoer curiosity and attendance than five years

earlier in San Diego.

participation was favorably mentioned in the last paragraph of the new

Foreword to the Fourth Edition of Alcoholics Anonymous, the Fellowship's

basic text. They were equally shocked when the first US/Canada

General Service Conference after the Fourth Edition's publication voted

to remove a sentence from the paragraph in future printings. The

proscribed sentence alluded to the equivalence of online meetings and

face to face groups. Even without the sentence, the paragraph

remains a strong endorsement of online AA, ending, "Modem to modem or

face to face, AA's speak the language of the heart in all its power and

simplicity," clearly marking recognition of online AA in the basic text,

if not in the general service structure..

and study the matter of how online AA groups might best fit into the

worldwide Fellowship, with emphasis on how online groups might

participate in a general service structure. The chairman appointed

a study committee, headed by Ewart F. of South Africa, who invited

participation by a mixed group of online members, some of whom had long

experience with the issues.
It became clear early in study committee discussions that there were a

limited number of ways in which online groups might join together in

pursuit of a meaningful group conscience. The possibilities narrowed to

three patterns; (1) Online Group in Existing Area, (2) Online Area for

Online Groups, and (3) Online Conference for Online Groups. The

following is a much-abbreviated summary of the committee's evaluation of

each pattern of participation, with benefits and problems of each

pattern, from the records of the study group:

is the easiest and most obvious pattern of participation. An online

AA group might participate as part of an existing face to face area,

based upon some chosen geographic location, perhaps the home address of

the group's elected GSR. The problems are many, including probable

nonacceptance by some areas, and probable unwillingness of some online

members to support a single distant geographic area. Ultimately,

the problem lies in the question, "What was discussed at the area

meeting?" There are no face to face areas which share the concerns

of online groups and vice versa. Onliners in a group with worldwide

membership will have little interest in the plans for visits to treatment

centers in Wyoming or the convention planned for Puerto Rico. Members of

face to face groups in those areas would likely have little interest in

plans for an online hospitality room at the next International

Convention.
(2) "Online Area for Online Groups." It

might be possible for the US and Canada General Service Conference to

create a new area equivalent to a state or provincial area, perhaps

called the "Online Area." It is easy to conceptualize, but the most

difficult pattern to achieve. First, there are no delegates

in the US/Canada General Service Conference who represent online groups,

so there is no one to advance the proposal against known opposition

-- it is "politically impossible." Second, there are many online

members who are not residents of the US or Canada, and would have

problems analogous to the "distant area" difficulties outlined above. A

decision would have to be made whether to assume that all online members

are American and Canadian for group conscience purposes, or whether each

national or linguistic conference should create a separate "Online Area."

Neither is fully satisfactory, and both are unlikely to be

attainable.
(3) "Online Conference for Online Groups." This

pattern follows the model of most "new nations"(or linguistic

zones) as they come into the AA Fellowship. First, a few groups are

established, then perhaps an intergroup or central office, then a

new general service structure evolves, especially adapted to the

characteristics of the "new nation." An Online Service Conference

would represent no geographic nation, but would include all the AA groups

in "cyberspace," that is, those which operate on the internet, which has

no national boundaries. This pattern would insure a Conference richly

populated with AA viewpoints from many parts of the world. It would

be necessary to replace the missing national General Service Office with

some mechanism to act for the Conference between its meeting times, but

such a Conference could be assembled online with less difficulty than a

face to face Conference.

Service Conference held out the only real hope for meaningful

participation by online AA members in the group conscience process.

The potential for future participation by an Online Service Conference in

the World Service Meeting or conceptual "World Service Conference" is an

attractive, if uncertain, possibility. The question remaining was whether

or not the online groups would understand and support the concept of an

Online Service Conference of their own.

as follows: "We, the members of Alcoholics Anonymous who share our

experience, strength and hope on the internet, now assemble to discuss

our common purpose and establish the Online Service Conference to unify

our voice in the worldwide Fellowship of AA." This was

offered to online groups for their endorsement..

work was finished, and that it should be dissolved to reassemble and

continue its work outside the intergroup. This ended affiliation

between the intergroup and the new general service structure under

development. Former committee members took on the tasks of

identifying online groups and inviting them to meet, and established

procedures to keep the confusion of a new organization to a minimum,

including a new "Steering Committee" to act in the role of a General

Service Office between Conference meetings in "cyberspace." Six committee

members were designated to serve as "Interim Steering Committee" to guide

activities for the first meetings of the new Conference, and an agenda

was prepared for the first meeting, set for July 1, 2002.

1-31, 2002, when the Interim Steering Committee assembled approximately

49 interested members representing around 32 online groups. There was

discussion of many issues of concern to online AA groups, including how a

group conscience could be formed online, issues of internet publication

of AA copyrighted documents, online anonymity, relationships with "face

to face" AA bodies, and other concerns.
The first Online Service Conference representatives together passed only

two actions; the first, ratifying the Conference as beginning a general

service structure for online AA and planning to meet again in January

2003; the second, to elect six members of a Steering Committee to stand

for the Conference and prepare an agenda in the interim between

meetings.

members (including 33 group representatives, plus alternates and steering

committee) continuing discussion of many of the issues considered in the

first Conference. The agenda included (1) definition of an "online

AA group," (2) online literature publication and AAWS copyrights, (3)

using online AA to reach those who cannot be served by "face to face" AA,

(4) anonymity guidelines for the internet, (5) issues affecting world

unity of the AA Fellowship, (6) future OSC participation with other AA

organizations. New committees were organized, including one to search for

more online AA groups who might be invited to OSC, a Literature

Committee, a Translation Committee and a Web Committee. Nominations were

taken for candidates for the Steering Committee, to be voted at the third

Online Service Conference in July 2003. No Online Advisory Actions

were voted during the second conference.

represented, plus alternates and steering committee members, totaling 57

members. Two actions were considered - a definition of online AA

groups, and a recommendation that online groups provide representatives

to OSC for two year periods. Neither passed with substantial

unanimity and both were referred for further study. Committees were

formed to study the issues which had been offered. New members were

elected to fill vacant Steering Committee positions. As in the previous

assembly, no Online Advisory Actions were voted during the third

conference.

groups represented, plus alternates and steering committee members,

totaling 73 members. The most significant action at the assembly

was introduction of a proposed Charter for OSC presented by James C. from

the UK, as chairman of the Voting Methods Committee. The Web Committee

also presented its work on the OSC website for comment by the

assembly. No voting actions were offered with the agenda or acted

upon during the conference assembly.

From: Lash, William (Bill) . . . . . . . . . . . . 2/10/2004 10:48:00 AM

set an example of personal humility for AA today and tomorrow.

decision that ran counter to his own strong, self-admitted desire for

personal achievement and recognition.

The AA co-founder declined, with humble gratitude, an honorary degree of

Doctor of Laws offered by Yale, one of the nation's oldest, most famous, and

most prestigious universities. Acceptance would have brought him - and AA -

enormous amounts of favorable publicity. The university, too, would have

received respectful recognition from press, public, and the academic world

for presenting the degree. Yet he turned it down.

Would a yes from Bill have vastly changed AA as we know it today? Would the

change have been for better, or for worse? Could Bill's acceptance of the

honor have sown seeds that, in time, would have destroyed AA? These are some

of the questions that figured in Bill's perplexity and in his prayers.

The Grapevine is publishing the correspondence between Bill and Reuben A.

Holden, then secretary of the university. The exchange of letters followed a

personal visit to Bill from Mr. Holden and Professor Selden Bacon in January

of 1954. The following week, Bill received this letter:
Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut

January 21, 1954

Dear Mr. W :

I enclose a suggested draft of a citation which might be used in conferring

upon you the proposed honorary degree on June 7th.

If your trustees approve this formula, I should then like to submit it to

the Yale Corporation for their consideration.

The wording can be considerably improved. We shall work on that during the

next few months, but in every instance we shall be sure it has your

unqualified blessing.

Thanks for your hospitality on Tuesday and for your thoughtful consideration

of our invitation.

Very sincerely yours,

Reuben A. Holden
(Naturally, Bill's full name was used in all this private exchange. In

observance of the Eleventh and Twelfth Traditions, the Grapevine is

maintaining his anonymity at the public level.)

This is the first draft of the text of the citation:

W.W.:

Co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous. For twenty years, this Fellowship has

surrender, fame achieved through anonymity, and for many tens of thousands,

the emotional, the physical, and the spiritual self has been rediscovered

and reborn. This nonprofessional movement, rising from the depths of intense

suffering and universal stigma, has not only shown the way to the conquest

of a morbid condition of body, mind, and soul, but has invigorated the

individual, social, and religious life of our times.

Yale takes pride in honoring this great anonymous assembly of men and women

by conferring upon you, a worthy representative of its high purpose, this

degree of Doctor of Laws, admitting you to all its rights and privileges.

Office), Bill sent this reply:

February 2, 1954

Mr. Reuben Holden, secretary

Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut

Dear Mr. Holden,

This is to express my deepest thanks to the members of the Yale Corporation

for considering me as one suitable for the degree of Doctor of Laws.

It is only after most careful consultation with friends, and with my

conscience, that I now feel obligated to decline such a mark of distinction.

Were I to accept, the near term benefit to Alcoholics Anonymous and to

legions who still suffer our malady would, no doubt, be worldwide and

considerable. I am sure that such a potent endorsement would greatly hasten

public approval of AA everywhere. Therefore, none but the most compelling of

reasons could prompt my decision to deny Alcoholics Anonymous an opportunity

of this dimension.

Now this is the reason: The tradition of Alcoholics Anonymous - our only

means of self-government - entreats each member to avoid all that particular

kind of personal publicity or distinction which might link his name with our

Society in the general public mind. AA's Tradition Twelve reads as follows:

"Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our Traditions, ever reminding

us to place principles before personalities."

Because we have already had much practical experience with this vital

principle, it is today the view of every thoughtful AA member that if, over

the years ahead, we practice this anonymity absolutely, it will guarantee

our effectiveness and unity by heavily restraining those to whom public

honors and distinctions are but the natural stepping-stones to dominance and

personal power.

Like other men and women, we AAs look with deep apprehension upon the vast

power struggle about us, a struggle in myriad forms that invades every

level, tearing society apart. I think we AAs are fortunate to be acutely