Aa history Lovers 2004 moderators Nancy Olson and Glenn F. Chesnut page
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was published in 1946. Dr. Bob approved of "The Little Red Book". So Dr. Bob not only authorized the publication of the Akron pamphlets, he also endorsed "The Little Red Book", both of which were products of the "Beginners' Classes". Even our first AA group handbook, originally entitled "A Handbook for the Secretary", published by the Alcoholic Foundation in 1950, had a section on the "Beginners' Classes". At the time there were only three types of meetings: Open Speaker Meetings, Closed Discussion Meetings, and Beginners' Meetings. There was no such thing as an Open Discussion Meeting in the early days of Alcoholics Anonymous. In the Beginners' Meetings, which are described in the Meeting section, the handbook states: "In larger metropolitan areas a special type of meeting for newcomers to AA is proved extremely successful. Usually staged for a half-hour prior to an open meeting, this meeting features an interpretation of AA usually by an older member presented in terms designed to make the program clear to the new member. (Note: The Chicago Group held their "Beginners' Classes" a half-hour prior to their Open Meeting. When publishing the group handbook, the New York office only described Chicago's format.) After the speaker's presentation the meeting is thrown open to questions." In each of the
four one-hour classes there was always a session for questions afterwards. "Occasionally, the AA story is presented by more than one speaker. The emphasis remains exclusively on the newcomer and his problem." The four one-hour classes were taught all over the country. Some other cities
include Oklahoma City, Miami Florida, and Phoenix Arizona. If these classes were so important, then what happened to them? Most of the people who have joined AA in the last twenty-five years or so have never even
heard of them. Ruth R., an old-timer in Miami Florida, who came into AA in 1953,
gave some insight into the demise of the "Beginners' Classes". "At that time the
classes were being conducted at the Alana Club in Miami - two books were used:
"Alcoholics Anonymous" (Big Book) and the "Little Red Book". Jim and Dora H.,
Florida AA pioneers, were enthusiastic supporters and they helped organize several of the classes and served as instructors." (Note: Dora was a Panel 7 Delegate to the General Service Office.) Ruth recalled that the classes were discontinued in the mid-1950s as the result of the publication of the book "Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions" by Alcoholics Anonymous Publishing Inc. In the Miami area the "Twelve and Twelve" replaced both the "Big Book" and the "Little Red Book" and "Step Studies" replaced the "Beginners' Classes". In the
process, the period for taking the Steps was expanded and modified from 4 weeks
to somewhere in between 12 and 16 weeks. The Fourth Step inventory was modified
and became a much more laborious and detailed procedure. What was originally conceived as a very simple program, which took a few hours to complete, evolved into a complicated and confusing undertaking requiring several months. Studying the Steps is not the same as taking the Steps. In the "Beginners' Classes" you take the steps. The Big Book says, "Here are the steps we took" not "here are the steps we read and talked about." The AA pioneers proved that action, not knowledge, produced the spiritual awakening that resulted in recovery from alcoholism. On page 88, the authors of the Big Book wrote, "It works-it really does. We alcoholics are undisciplined. So we let God discipline us in the simple way we have just outlined. But this is not all. There is action
and more action. Faith without works is dead." (This concludes the description of the "Beginners' Classes" during Wally P.'s
talk in Masa, Arizona on November 23, 1996. Wally P. is an AA Archivist from Tucson, Arizona. For two years he researched and studied areas of the country that held "Beginners' Classes" back in the 40's and '50's. He then started teaching the classes under the guidance of his sponsor who took the classes in 1953 and never drank again. In March of 1996 Wally mentioned the "Beginners' Classes" as part of his historical presentation at the Wilson House in East Dorset, Vermont. Wally then wrote and published a book entitled "Back to Basics: The Alcoholics Anonymous Beginners' Classes - Take all 12 Steps in Four One-Hour Sessions." Since then, there have been over 1000 "Back to Basics" meetings and groups started all over the world. Now, almost 60 years since the classes were first originated, newcomers are once again being taken through the Twelve Steps in four one-hour "Beginners' Classes". On Saturday 4/11/98, members of the "Into Action Big Book Group" of Berkeley Heights, N.J. went to see Wally give a presentation of the "Beginners' Classes" in Philadelphia. Members went through the Steps in the four one-hour classes, all in one day. This group then began facilitating the classes in June 1998 in various locations throughout New Jersey and has taken thousands of AA members through the Steps since. They have expanded the classes to be five, one-and-one-half hour sessions, to include more of the material for each Step in
the Big Book. The Cherry Hill Group of Southern New Jersey has taught Beginners' Classes every Sunday evening since May 1997. The Woodlands Group in Texas have been conducting the "Beginners' Classes" since
April 1998. Within one year, about ten "Back to Basics" meetings resulted from
the Woodland group and approximately 1,650 alcoholics were taken through the Steps that year! The Woodlands and subsequent groups in Texas are enjoying a 75-93% success rate like the Cleveland groups had in the 1940's. Wally P. has a website containing much information on the AA "Beginners' Classes" at www.aabacktobasics.com on the World Wide Web.)
From: friendofbillw89 [mailto:friendofbillw89@yahoo.com] Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2004 5:16 PM Subject: Back to Basics I have attended a few *cycles* of the Back to Basics meetings in my area. It is where we do all 12 steps in 4 one-hour sessions. What is the history of working the steps in this method? I was told this was the way it was done in the early days in Akron. Nisa IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 1628. . . . . . . . . . . . Periodical literature, Christian Science Monitor, Jan. 21, 2004 From: NMOlson@aol.com . . . . . . . . . . . . 1/30/2004 2:30:00 AM IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII This was sent to me by John B., but without a proper subject line, so I have copied it and am sending it for him. Nancy From the Christian Science Monitor, January 21, 2004, edition How far can 12 steps go? Thousands attest to the power of 12-step programs in breaking the hold of addiction. But might the popular programs be wrong for some? By Jane Lampman | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor Americans have a penchant for 12-step programs. The original beacon for a path out of addiction - Alcoholics Anonymous - has grown past 50,000 groups in the US (and twice that worldwide). And its message is being reincarnated in self-help fellowships to fight drugs, gambling, overeating, sexual addictions, smoking, and even indebtedness.
individual acknowledges his or her powerlessness before the addiction, turns to a higher power, and takes specific steps to change -- is the most effective route out of addiction. Its popularity seems to support that. Some 90 percent of residential and outpatient treatment programs draw directly on its principles. Yet there are many who question not that it helps thousands, but whether its predominance may get in the way of some people finding their freedom. There are issues, some critics say, related to its quasi-religious nature, its definition of addiction as an incurable disease, the creation of long-term dependence on the program, and the way courts and other agencies mandate addicts' participation. Are some with alcohol or drug problems being coerced to follow a path that may not be suited to their needs and beliefs?
Lance Dodes, assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. "That's true only for a subset of the population, and many people are harmed by it." An AA representative declined to respond, saying it is the group's tradition to refrain from controversy and not comment on what others say about alcoholism or about AA.
new lease on life. "If you look at the number of groups and 2,000,000 members worldwide, it's clearly got longevity and appeal," says Barbara McCrady, clinical director of Rutgers University's Center of Alcohol Studies. Yet AA's own surveys show that of the people who attend a meeting, 9 out of 10 drop out within the first year. Research hasn't yet been done on its siblings, Narcotics Anonymous (NA) and others, she says.
drinker who turned to drugs after a family tragedy, "Alan" was in denial about his situation. Near the end of college, though, he was weary and tried unsuccessfully to quit. It was only when he tagged along with a friend to an NA meeting that his turnaround began.
I could relate to," he says. "Going to meetings, I'd stay clean for a while and then use. It took six months 'til I got clean for the last time." He's been free for six years but attends meetings several times a week. "Once you stay clean for a while you realize drugs were only the tip of the iceberg," adds Alan who asked that his real name not be used. "You also need to change your compulsive behaviors and how you react to situations. There's a wealth of knowledge in that room." Keith Humphreys at Stanford University's School of Medicine sees this kind of "instillation of hope" as a crucial factor in changing addicts' lives. "Most people feel defeated and have a frightening sense they can't control their own behavior," he says. "They go to a group and see others who've had the same problem now doing well, and that instills a lot of hope."
Humphreys. Not only are they widely available, but one cost study showed that people going to the groups require $5,000 less per person from the healthcare system annually. "Multiply that by more than a million people getting treatment each year, and they are taking an extraordinary burden off the system," he adds. At the same time, the very limited research done so far doesn't back up the conventional wisdom. Comparisons of professional treatment based on 12-step with other professional treatment modes show no superior outcomes. Longitudinal studies of self-help groups in treatment showed them comparable on most dimensions with any other kind of treatment except in the area of abstinence, where they had better results. Given the limited evidence and quasi-religious nature of 12-step plans, some object to the way courts and other agencies mandate addicts' participation. "Several aspects of AA don't work for everyone -- such as its spiritual or religious nature, or the emphasis on powerlessness, or its group approach," says Stanton Peele, a psychologist and lawyer who has written several books on addiction, including "Resisting 12-Step Coercion." Some courts have ruled it unconstitutional to require participation because they deem the program religious, while others have ruled it is not. AA literature emphasizes that its message is spiritual but not religious -- that people decide on their own what the higher power is, and for some it is simply the group itself. The only membership requirement is the desire to stop drinking. Other issues some find troubling relate to theories of addiction. The 12-step message is that addiction is an incurable disease, that while alcoholics can become sober, they remain alcoholics, and should stay in the program to maintain that sobriety. In each meeting, people introduce themselves: "I'm [name], and I'm an alcoholic," no matter how long they've been clean. The disease model isn't helpful, Dr. Peele says. "If you had an 18-year-old drinking way too much on weekends, would the best approach be to take him to AA and convince him he has a lifelong disease?" he asks.
takes the moralizing out of it, which is good, but discourages people from understanding the problem. "They think it's a physical problem, which it's not, or a genetic problem, which it's not, or a biological or chemical problem, which it's not," he says. In his book "The Heart of Addiction," he describes it as psychological. "All addictions are an attempt to treat a sense of overwhelming helplessness," which is accompanied by rage over that helplessness, he says. He helps people identify the kind of helplessness that's troubling them and address it, "not by white-knuckling it but because they understand what is happening."
to those you have hurt, Dodes adds, that sometimes leaves people feeling something is very wrong with them while not getting to the root of their emotional trouble. While many talk of a genetic element to alcoholism, Dodes reviewed the genetic research and says there is no such gene, that there is at most the idea of a susceptibility gene, but it's not been discovered either. McCrady suggests addiction has psychological, genetic, and/or social components. Others object to what they see as the creation of a dependency on the program itself. An alternative program, Woman in Sobriety, for example, aims to help people take responsibility for themselves and then move on with their lives on their own. Yet the ongoing group support offers valuable benefits, some argue. People who leave addictions behind usually require new friends who don't drink or take drugs. "I have friends that have over 20 years of abstinence," says Alan. "They've been through all kinds of crises ... but didn't return to use. That gives you strength."
greatly and it's a fallacy that one must be in lifelong recovery. "There are people with less severe problems who can benefit from a limited period of counseling and then they are just done with it," says McCrady. In fact, a 1996 study showed that three-quarters of those who'd recovered from alcohol problems had done so on their own. For her book, "Sober for Good," Ann Fletcher interviewed some 200 people who had recovered through various means, from AA to secular self-help groups, psychological counseling, and religion.
estimated 14 million Americans have drinking problems; only 1 in 10 receives treatment. Experts say more treatment options for addictions need to be supported. Meanwhile, those in AA and NA point to results. "I was at a regional NA conference in Richmond last weekend with about a thousand people," Alan says. "All these people who used to be addicts, what was their drain on society? Now they're clean and working and productive. It's amazing." 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.
we understood Him.
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.
to carry this message to alcoholics and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
From: Mel Barger . . . . . . . . . . . . 1/30/2004 11:12:00 AM IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Hi Nancy, I appreciate your going to the effort of copying the Jane Lampman article from the Christian Science Monitor. It is a good article, although some AA members may feel it's too critical. I have followed criticisms of AA ever since the first major one appeared in Harper's magazine in 1963. This was really the first time AA had received serious criticism in an important publication, and many of us were enraged by it. While AA World Services made no direct reply to the article, Bill W. did offer an excellent response in the April, 1963, issue of The AA Grapevine. This can be found today in "The Language of the Heart," a collection of Bill's articles published over the years in The Grapevine. See "Our Critics Can Be Our Benefactors," p. 345. I consider it a masterpiece of conciliatory writing. Since then, we've had much more criticism of various kinds, and there are even several books which take AA to task. While some of the critics are malicious, others are honest and sincere in pointing to problems with the way our program is presented. Bill often acknowledged that we don't have all the answers and should never present our program as the only solution to problem drinking. Criticism is almost always difficult to accept, but Bill explained that we can benefit from it. I feel very secure about our program. As for any statistics about its success percentages, my answer is 100%. I haven't had a drink since I fully accepted the program on April 15, 1950. All the best, Mel Barger
Mel Barger melb@accesstoledo.com
From: t . . . . . . . . . . . . 1/31/2004 5:34:00 PM IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII MEMBERS SHARE STORIES, SUPPORT AT AA ANNIVERSARY By: MEGAN MIDDLETON, Staff Writer January 10, 2004 Gayle S. still wells up with tears when she thinks about the day more than 20 years ago that a pastor told her about Alcoholics Anonymous.
her,
letting it make a loud thud, and told her, "'These are the only people who can
help you. There's more love in Alcoholics Anonymous than there is in my big old ... church.'" And that night she went to her first AA meeting. "Those women just grabbed me and welcomed me," Gayle, a former Tyler resident, said. "They overwhelm you with love because they know how you feel." And for more than 20 years Gayle has remained sober. "This is a deadly disease, treated, in my case, only by abstinence from alcohol," she said.
attended
Saturday's celebration of the group's 57th anniversary in Tyler, which began Friday
and continues Sunday at Harvey Convention Center. AA members identify themselves with only their first names and initials to preserve
the anonymity on which the group is based. On Saturday participants listened to several speakers from across the state and
nation tell their stories of dealing with alcohol and its effect on their lives.
More speakers are scheduled for Sunday, beginning at 9 a.m. The cost for the weekend
is $10. Gayle, who came from Kerrville to attend the conference, said the AA anniversary celebrations are important because "it tells us there's continuity in Alcoholics Anonymous."
found
sobriety," she said. A Saturday afternoon speaker, Maryann W. of Corpus Christi, kept the crowd laughing
while also bringing a message of the importance of AA. Maryann was married and became a mother at 15 years old, she said, and to deal
with her feelings she eventually turned to drinking. "My solution was alcohol," she said. "It was my best friend." She described the kind of drinker she was, comparing how different people would
react to having a fly in their drink. She said the non-drinker would ask for a Diet Coke, a
heavy drinker would ask for a different glass, and "I would have the fly by the
nape of the neck saying, 'Spit it out, spit it out!'" "It was never enough," she said to the laughing crowd. She explained that her husband, who also drank, was her "cover" and the Download 4.17 Mb. Share with your friends:
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