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families of these compulsive drinkers and realizing the suffering

brought into the homes of these afflicted people because of drink, we

became deeply interested in the plan which Dr. Bob unfolded to use.

This was in 1939, just about the time we were trying to pull out of

the depression. Hospital beds were at a premium, without any

prospect of adding to our bed capacity. There was very little

enthusiasm around the hospital about admitting who were imbibing too

freely in those days.

However, prompted by the grace of God, we very cautiously admitted

one patient, with the diagnosis of acute gastritis, under the care of

Dr. Bob. The patient was placed in a two-bed room. The next morning

Dr Bob came to the admitting office and very timidly requested that

the patient be moved to a spot where the men who came to visit him

might talk with him privately. The only available space we could

think of was a small room across the hall called the "flower room",

where patients' flowers were changed and arranged. We pushed the

alcoholic's bed into this room. It was there that he received his

first A.A. visitors. The men who came to visit him were such

respectable, dignified-appearing men that we could hardly believe

they had ever been addicted to alcohol.

We then set aside a two-bed room, then a four and later a six-bed

room ward. Today our A.A. ward has eight beds, adjourning a corridor

which serves as a lounge. The corridor opens the gallery of our

chapel.

Our alcoholic ward is not a great problem. It is simply a large room

with accommodations in one end for eight beds. The other end of the

room is a small lounge with comfortable chairs, a davenport, a "bar",

a coffee urn, and an ice-box. To the rear of this ward-lounge is a

room with a lavatory and shower into which the new man is brought for

admission to the ward.

An important point is that he is helped out of his street clothes and

into hospital attire BY OTHER PATIENTS IN THE WARD. The advantage

for the new patient is that, from the first, he is in the care of

understanding friends. The advantage for the older patients who

perform this duty is that they are thus able to see themselves again

as they were upon admission. Administratively, an economy is

effected by thus eliminating the need for hard-to-get employees.

Directly across the hall from our ward-lounge is the choir-loft of

our chapel, which permits A.A. patients to hear Mass every day if

they wish and to make visits in hospital attire when they so desire -

all in complete seclusion. Bearing in mind always that the alcoholic

is a person who is sick spiritually as well as physically. The ready

access he is thus given to the source of spiritual healing is a

powerful factor in his recovery.

To return to the mechanical operation of the ward, it can be stated

that it is almost wholly self-operating. A nurses' aide comes in to

make beds and an A.A. employee does the heavier cleaning. The

cleaning of ashtrays, the making of coffee - the coffee urn is in

operation 24 hours each day - the washing of coffee cups, all of this

is done by the patients themselves. Usually they welcome these small

opportunities to busy themselves and thus keep their minds off their

problems. Activity eliminates brooding, and the volume of such work

is never great at any time.

The function of the lounge is to provide a place where the patient

can chat with A.A. visitors and listen to informal talks. A

secondary value, but a most important one to the former patient is

that by visiting current A.A. patients the former patient helps to

perpetuate his own sobriety. It is axiomatic that the alcoholic is

never "cured"; his ailment is simply arrested but it is positively

arrested if he perseveres in the program. The visitors' lounge

(which is supplemented by chairs in the hallway that divides the ward

from the choir-loft) helps not only to aid the current patient to

sobriety but also to preserve and perpetuate the sobriety of former

patients.

The ice-box is kept stocked with food and particularly with milk and

citrus juice, for the alcoholic is frequently an undernourished

person. The patients are encouraged to eat at will. The coffee urn

and bar are the A.A. equivalent for the brass rail and bottles of the

drinking days.

The A.A. visitors perform a multitude of chores for the current

patients. Sometimes they secure a job or effect a family

reconciliation or pacify a creditor pressing for payment of a bill.

These and other services are done by A.A.'s for the dual purpose of

showing true Christian brotherhood and as a means of perpetuating and

insuring their own sobriety.

HOSPITAL PROCEDURE

We begin where reality begins for the alcoholic. Reality for the

alcoholic is drinking. It is most important that the approach be

made through another alcoholic - a sponsor. The sponsor speaks the

language of the alcoholic. He knows "all the tricks of the trade",

because of personal experience.

Those of us who have anything to do with admitting these patients

would do well to have the humility to rely upon the judgment of the

sponsor. Let him decide when the patient is ready for the program.

We do not accept repeaters! Sponsors know this, hence they are very

careful to qualify the person before bringing him into the hospital.

Above all, he must have a sincere desire to stop drinking. Wives,

relatives, friends, and well-meaning employers may try to high-

pressure the alcoholic into accepting the program. Someone may even

persuade the family doctor to use his influence with the hospital, so

that the prospect may be admitted into the alcoholic ward.

The role of the sponsor is not an easy one. He leaves nothing undone

to clear away all the ill felling , indignation, and resentment that

have accumulated in the path of his patient. The sponsor acts as a

catalytic agent in combating all adverse forces. He tries to appease

an exasperated wife, talks with the employer, landlord, creditors,

and others. He explains the program, tells them that this is not

simply another "sobering up process". This time he is being treated

not only physically but morally and mentally as well. The sponsor

assures them that with God's grace, their cooperation and the help of

his fellow A.A.'s, his charge will be given a real opportunity to

make a complete recovery.

THE PATIENT ADMITTED TO THE HOSPITAL

After registration the sponsor escorts his patient to the A.A. ward.

The ward is virtually self-governing. Two or three of the senior

patients in the ward take over and welcome the new patient. They

check his clothes and prepare him for bed. (Many of these patients

are in such good condition that they sit in the lounge and join in

the conversation). Nothing is left undone to make the new man feel

at home. This reception inspires hope in his heart. It also gives

the A.A. patients a splendid opportunity of doing twelfth-step work,

namely, helping others.

The alcoholic is ill, in body, mind, and soul; hence we begin with

the physical care.

SECOND DAY - THE DAY OF RECOGNITION

The physical condition of the patient is usually much improved on the

second day. His mind is beginning to clear. He feels encouraged

because everyone seems interested in him. Visitors call on him,

telling him "This is how I made it". Some of the visitors may be men

with whom he used to drink. The power of example is a great

incentive to the patient. He begins to say to himself, "If he can do

it - so can I. But how am I going to make it?" At this point he

generally has a "heart to heart talk" with his sponsor. He

acknowledges his utter powerlessness over alcohol. He honestly

admits that he has tried innumerable times to drink normally and has

always failed. He is finally ready, honestly and humbly, to admit

defeat. His sponsor is delighted to know that his patient is really

honest about his drinking. The sponsor says, "Good! We can help you

since you are humble and honest".

This is the grace of God at work in the soul of the patient - to

admit helplessness and to seek help outside of self. This may be the

first time the patient has admitted the fact that he is powerless to

help himself.

The next step is humbly to turn to God: "Ask and you shall receive."

Patients have often said that is the first time they sincerely

prayed. The "Our Father" takes on a new meaning at this point. They

feel that they really belong.

THE DAY OF MORAL INVENTORY

The patient makes a searching and fearless moral inventory. He faces

the past and honestly admits to God, to himself, and to another human

being the exact nature of his wrongs. He is finished with alibis and

reservations. "I am an alcoholic, what a joy to be honest! The

truth will make me free." Now he is sincerely asking God's help and

the help of his fellow man.

FOURTH DAY - THE DAY OF RESOLUTION

"Give us this day our daily bread." This is interpreted by the

alcoholics to mean, "I surely can stay sober today." This is usually

followed by an act of complete surrender to God. The past is

finished. "I am heartily sorry." "I'll try to make amends." This

means confession, repentance and firm purpose of amendment. Many

Catholics return to the Sacraments after years of negligence.

Scripture says, "There is more joy in heaven over one sinner doing

penance than 99 just who need not penance." He used to drink because

he felt like it. He permitted his emotions to run away with him.

Now, with God's help and the help of his fellow A.A.'s, with his

clear thinking, he can control his feelings and emotions. Reason now

governs his life. Strong convictions are given him as to why he

cannot take that first drink. He has learned from his fellow

alcoholics that it is more blessed to give than to receive, and that

it is a privilege to help others. What a joy, too! He is kept so

busy helping others that he does not have time to even think about a

drink. What a transformation takes place in the lives of these men

and women!

FIFTH DAY - PLANS FOR THE FUTURE

As he leaves the hospital he must now face him problems. The way has

been paved by the sponsor. The future is in God's hands. He has

learned to say, "O God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I

cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know

the difference." He is urged to guard against pride, self-pity,

resentment, intolerance, and criticism; to attend meetings, to do

twelfth-step work, and to visit the hospital. Before leaving the

hospital the patient is given a FOLLOWING OF CHRIST by Thomas A.

Kempis. During his stay in the hospital he learns the significance

of the Little Sacred Heart Badge. He requests one, with a thorough

understanding of conditions implied: that it must be returned before

he takes the first drink.

PATIENTS FROM ALL OVER THE NATION

We have hospitalized well over 4,000 A.A. patients at St. Thomas

Hospital. They have come to Akron from Alabama, South Carolina,

Michigan, Maryland, Texas, and many other distant parts. They would

not have had to travel so far if their local hospitals made it

possible for them to receive the program nearer home.

Time and finances prohibit many from making such a long trip. Many

may be forced to accept treatment under less favorable

circumstances. Our Policy is not to accept alcoholics for re-

hospitalization. We've learned from experience that in institutions

where the majority of the inmates are repeaters the program is

defeated for the new man, because it creates an atmosphere of

pessimism and discouragement. The patient often gives up in

despair. It might have been quite different had he been given the

proper exposure to the program in a spiritual atmosphere as provided

in a local Catholic hospital.

Alcoholics Anonymous is a tremendous movement. According to figures

from the New York office, new members are registered at the rate of

about 1,500 per month. At present there are about 112,000 active

members and some 4,000 chapters scattered throughout the United

States, Canada, Latin America, and 36 other countries.

A priest once told me that the AA program is the most fruitful source

of conversions. It is perhaps the best means by which the work of

the hospital can be interpreted to the community. It gives the

hospital a good name not only with the reformed drunkard, his family,

friends and neighbors; but the whole community can point to something

constructive which the hospital has done. These people are seeking

truth, in other words, they are thirsting for God.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON ALCOHOLICS CARE IN ST. THOMAS HOSPITAL

QUESTION: Does admission of inebriated patients cause interference

with hospital routine?

ANSWER: While patients are admitted under the influence of alcohol,

they must be clear enough to acknowledge the fact that alcohol has

become a problem in their lives which they cannot solve without

help. Patients may be noisy for a short time but they usually

respond to treatment and therapy; A.A. patients are frequently less

disturbing than the average patient admitted to the hospital.

QUESTION: How is medical and nursing service provided for the patient?

ANSWER: Patients are taken care of by one of the staff men who

formerly worked with Doctor Bob and took over during the doctor's

illness. He continued the work after Doctor Bob died. The ward is

so located that the general duty nurse on the floor takes care of

patients and carries out the doctor's orders. The nurses' aide stays

about an hour each morning making beds. A member of A.A. is employed

in the ward eight hours a day, where his services are invaluable.

QUESTION: How is psychiatric care provided for these patients?

ANSWER: If a patient requires the services of a psychiatrist the

family and sponsor are notified and are asked to call a psychiatrist

of their own choice or one on the hospital staff. The patient is

moved from the A.A. ward and placed according to the advice of the

psychiatrist.

QUESTION: What are the charges to the patient for hospitalization?

ANSWER: The approximate charge for a period of five days is $75. All

hospital plans accept A.A.'s since we admit them but once for

treatment.

QUESTION: What does the medical treatment consist of?

ANSWER: There is no absolute routine treatment. Each patient is

evaluated according to his needs. An attempt is made to obtain from

the family or sponsor a medical and personal history concerning the

patient. Ideally, it is best for a patient to be admitted after

abstinence from alcohol for several days so that he may be given five

days of the A.A. program. Most of the time it is necessary to give

some medical treatment so that the patient may regain all his

faculties and be responsive to the A.A. treatment.

The following methods, here briefly summarized, have been used and

have been found successful, almost routinely:

1. Spirits of frumenti two ounces; Chloral Hydrate two drams -

every four hours for 24 hours if necessary. A definite attempt is

made to withdraw alcohol completely within 48 hours.

2. Fluids - intravenously.

3. Vitamin B complex - 2 cc daily.

4. Sedation: Sodium Luminol grains two may be given every six

hours the first day and sometimes on the second day. It is given hypo-

dermically so that the patient does not know that he is receiving a

barbiturate. N.B. Barbiturates Are Dangerous to the Alcoholic.

A. HMC No. 1 - We have used HMC several times when the patient

becomes quite unruly and craves alcohol constantly. Usually one

administration is sufficient.

5. Tolserol: Tolserol is used mostly when there are severe

nervous symptoms and the patient complains of inward tension

following adequate fluid intake, abstinence from alcohol and adequate

diet.

6. Adrenal Cordex: We have had some degree of success with

adrenal cortex. We have used the lipotropic cortex - 1 cc every

eight hours - first and second day; once daily thereafter during the

hospital stay, Cortalex in tablet form may be used after leaving the

hospital - two tablets three times daily. The patients state that

they have a sense of well-being, following administration of the

above, but the cost prohibits routine use when the patient responds

to other forms of treatment.

--- In AAHistoryLovers@yahoogroups.com, "Robert Stonebraker"

wrote:

> Dear History Lovers,

> There is an example of the "Six Step Process" being completed

in "three or

> four hours" in Earl Treat's Story "He sold Himself Short."

> (p.292 - 3rd edition of the Big Book). I believe this event took

place in

> the summer of 1937. My question is this: Is there documentation

of the

> Step process being done that quickly in later years after we had 12

Steps?

> I am referring mostly to the years of the early 1940s.

> Thank you for documented response.

> Bob S., from Indiana

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++++Message 2017. . . . . . . . . . . . Traditions match with Steps?

From: unclebearboy@yahoo.com . . . . . . . . . . . . 9/20/2004 3:08:00 AM

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Is it true that Bill put each of the Traditions in specific sequence

in order to match-up with its corresponding step?

For example, consider Step Two & Tradition Two: "God," "Ultimate

Authority ... or Step 12 & Trad. 12: "spiritual, principles,

practice."

If so, did Bill speak/write about his intention?

Thanks in advance!

~ bill

ps: I just took over moderation of the href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AA12n12/">

Yahoo! AA12n12 Group. <== Click here if interested

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AA12n12/

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++++Message 2018. . . . . . . . . . . . 2nd Edition Forward

From: Joanna Whitney . . . . . . . . . . . . 9/20/2004 7:49:00 PM

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Hello:

I have been talking with archivists at GSO re: the changes made to the 2nd

Edition

Forward, first the typographical changes regarding the switching around of

paragraphs and later the actual changes made to the wording describing the

growth

rate of AA and then the change back to the original printing in 1955. Can

anyone

shed some light on who would have made such decisions to change an historical

document in this manner and why?

GSO was helpful in letting me know when the changes were made and what the

changes were but were very unhelpful in helping me to understand why the

changes

were made and by whom.

Thanks,

Joanna W.

Saugerties, NY

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++++Message 2019. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Traditions match with Steps?

From: Diz Titcher . . . . . . . . . . . . 9/20/2004 9:44:00 AM

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Bill had a unique way of writing and others have expressed it. The first

Step, Tradition and Concept spells out the problem and the 2nd one of each

gives us the solution, 3-11 we work for a spiritual event as stated in each

twelfth one.

Diz

----- Original Message -----

From:

To:

Sent: Monday, September 20, 2004 4:08 AM

Subject: [AAHistoryLovers] Traditions match with Steps?

> Is it true that Bill put each of the Traditions in specific sequence

> in order to match-up with its corresponding step?

> For example, consider Step Two & Tradition Two: "God," "Ultimate

> Authority ... or Step 12 & Trad. 12: "spiritual, principles,

> practice."

> If so, did Bill speak/write about his intention?

> Thanks in advance!

> ~ bill

> ps: I just took over moderation of the

> href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AA12n12/">

> Yahoo! AA12n12 Group. <== Click here if interested

> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AA12n12/

> Yahoo! Groups Links

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++++Message 2020. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Traditions match with Steps?

From: Arthur Sheehan . . . . . . . . . . . . 9/21/2004 12:53:00 PM

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Hi Bill

You'll find many of the basic principles that were carried into the Twelve

Traditions in the foreword to the first edition Big Book.

Bill later wrote a series of articles in the AA Grapevine regarding the

Traditions starting with an August 1945 article titled "Modesty One Plank for

Good Public Relations." In an April 1946 Grapevine article titled "Twelve

Suggested Points for AA Tradition" Bill defined what would later come to be

called the "long form" of the Traditions.

In 1947, a pamphlet titled "AA Tradition" was distributed throughout the

Fellowship and members were advised that they each could get one copy free

from the NY office. Much of the material, I believe, can be found in the

contemporary pamphlet titled "AA Tradition How it Developed by Bill W."

Bill continued to write Grapevine articles on the Traditions (or subject

matter related to the Traditions) up to November 1949 when the entire edition

of the Grapevine was devoted to the Traditions for the coming 1st

International Convention held in 1950 in Cleveland, OH. The November 1949

Grapevine contained the first publication of the short form of the Twelve

Traditions (2 wording changes were subsequently made to version published).

The Traditions were approved unanimously by attendees at the 1950

International Convention.

Much of the of the Grapevine material that Bill wrote on the Traditions from

1945 to 1949 was used in the books "Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions" and

"AA Comes of Age." The Grapevine Traditions essays are preserved in the book

"Language of the Heart." "AA Comes of Age" gives a very nice history (straight

from the original author) of how the Steps and Traditions came to be.

I can find no suggestion in AA literature that Bill had any kind of strategic

intention for the ordinal construction of the Steps and Traditions to somehow

correspond based on content. So I believe your basic premise does not stand

under scrutiny. Simple examination of the Steps and Traditions, on their face,

challenges one to come up with either a formula for correspondence or some

matching criteria without making a real reach into the esoteric. You may find

the same words here and there but I believe context should take precedence.

Your example dissolves in substance when trying to find contextual equivalency

in Steps 3 through 11 and their correspondingly numbered Tradition.

There is a great deal of imaginative thinking in our beloved AA Fellowship.

Unfortunately it can stimulate a revisionist historical perspective on matters

that really should be fairly straightforward and shaped by common sense. For

example I've attended Step meetings where members would go into long,

elaborate dissertations on why the term "defects of character" was used in

Step 6 and the word "shortcomings" was used in Step 7 and what the presumed

significant differences were in their meaning. It was very entertaining

discussion but hardly factual. When Bill W was questioned on the matter of the

choice of words in the two Steps he stated that he simply did not want to use

the same words in succession.

All too often "information" is ignored and "imagination" dominates. From my

studies, the primary matching quality I can discern between the Steps and

Traditions is that they both were shaped by trial and error experience as

opposed to some mystical design. One set of principles was designed for

recovery, the other was designed for unity.

As an aside, I am NOT from the school that asserts that "the Traditions are to

the group what the Steps are to the individual" if that is what is driving

your search. Groups are made up of members and if the members wish to be

unifiers instead of dividers they should learn and practice the Traditions. If

members want to get sober and stay sober, they should learn and practice the

Steps.

Cheers

Arthur

----- Original Message -----

From: unclebearboy@yahoo.com

To: AAHistoryLovers@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Monday, September 20, 2004 3:08 AM

Subject: [AAHistoryLovers] Traditions match with Steps?

Is it true that Bill put each of the Traditions in specific sequence

in order to match-up with its corresponding step?

For example, consider Step Two & Tradition Two: "God," "Ultimate

Authority ... or Step 12 & Trad. 12: "spiritual, principles,

practice."

If so, did Bill speak/write about his intention?

Thanks in advance!

~ bill

ps: I just took over moderation of the href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AA12n12/">

Yahoo! AA12n12 Group. <== Click here if interested

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AA12n12/

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++++Message 2021. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Sister Ignatia and St. Thomas

Hospital, Akron

From: caseyosh . . . . . . . . . . . . 9/22/2004 10:00:00 AM

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AAHistoryLovers,

Re my previous post regarding Sr. Ignatia, to which James

responded as below... I have rediscovered the text wherein I saw a

picture of the Sacred Heart medallion that the good Sister gave to

alcoholic patients at St. Thomas Hospital, Akron, when they left the

facility.

It is in the book "Slaying the Dragon" by William L. White, in the

picture section following page 224.

Happy 24's, friends...

Casey O

--- In AAHistoryLovers@yahoogroups.com, James Bliss

wrote:

> I am not certain this is what you are looking for, but there is a

picture of Sister Ignatia on page 186 of _DR. Bob and the Good

Oldtimers_ and on page 195 it states:

> 'Sister Ignatia gave each of her newly released patients a Sacred

Heart medallion, which she asked them to return before they took the

first drink. She would occasionally give out St. Christopher medals

as well, but she would tell the recipient not to drive too

fast. "He gets out after 50 miles an hour," she warned'

Hope that helps.

Jim

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++++Message 2022. . . . . . . . . . . . Big Book Printed

From: Tom Hickcox . . . . . . . . . . . . 9/21/2004 9:46:00 AM

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I am interested in the number of Big Books in each of the printings of the

First, Second, Third, and Fourth Editions.

Could someone point me towards the data?

Tommy in Baton Rouge

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++++Message 2023. . . . . . . . . . . . James Houck Article

From: Lash, William $Bill$ . . . . . . . . . . . . 9/24/2004 6:00:00 AM

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So close yet so far. This James Houck article made the online issue of Time

magazine, but not the circulation copy in magazine stores. It can be found at

www.time.com:

TIME BONUS SECTION OCTOBER 2004: GENERATIONS

Living Recovery

A man who knew the founder of A.A. has had a 70year quest to help other

problem drinkers

By Melissa August/Towson

-From the Sep. 27, 2004 issue of TIME magazine

It was on a cold day in 1934 that James Houck hit bottom. Newly wedded and

living in Frederick, Md., he was getting drunk every weekend -- and sometimes

even during the week -- on home brew. He had recently been in a

drunken-driving accident in his employer's car, and his drinking had estranged

him from his wife Betty. "We were not married a month," Houck says, "before I

told her I was sorry I ever saw her." Houck had begun drinking early, at age

5, when he would sneak sips from his mother's bottle of dandelion wine, then

make up the difference with water. Although he grew up in the middle of

Prohibition, his drinking problem only got worse as the years passed.

On Dec. 11, a friend who thought Houck needed to make some changes took him to

a meeting at the local YMCA of the Oxford Group, an evangelical society

founded in Britain by Frank Buchman that was prominent in the 1920s. Houck was

immediately drawn to the group's teachings, which were based on four

principles: honesty, purity, unselfishness and love. He was especially moved

by the concept of "two-way" prayer: the group taught that if you spent quiet

time every day listening to God, he would provide guidance. You were also

encouraged to make restitution, to "put right what's wrong in your life," says

Houck.

It was at those Oxford Group meetings that Houck befriended Bill Wilson,

a.k.a. Bill W., a chronic drinker who would go on to co-found Alcoholics

Anonymous (A.A.) in 1939. Houck joined the Oxford Group and became sober on

Dec. 12, one day after Wilson did. Today, at 98, Houck is the only living

person to have attended Oxford Group meetings with Wilson, who died in 1971.

Houck remembers Wilson well, and after a 40-year career as an electrical

engineer and salesman, he has made it his mission to bring the Oxford Group's

teachings to a new generation of recovering alcoholics. In the early 1970s, he

started working with longshoremen on the Baltimore docks, and until recently,

he traveled every six weeks or so, giving talks to members of 12-step

programs, including A.A., around the country. Houck continues to provide

counsel to recovering addicts who telephone from around the world. He still

appears at meetings held within driving distance of his home in Towson, Md.,

and shares the inspirational story of his recovery and the early days of the

Oxford Group with out-of-town gatherings via teleconferencing.

Houck wants to restore the old methods the Oxford Group used, in particular

its spiritual aspects, which he believes are stronger and more effective than

the ones currently practiced in A.A. The principles of the group live on in

the Back to Basics organization, which follows a 12-step program similar to

that originally used by A.A. Houck has been trying to apply Back to Basics

techniques in federal and state prisons and is working directly with 300

prisoners in the Henrico County Jail East, in Richmond, Va.

Houck knows how much a group like this can mean to someone. After he decided

on Dec. 12, 1934, that he would never drink alcohol again, he made restitution

with his wife and others he had harmed. "I started telling my wife what kind

of a fellow I was," he says. "I did this for three nights to get all of the

garbage out. I wanted to be honest about everything in my life." He says his

wife was grateful for the talk and then understood his behavior. "Now we could

start our family and raise the children with the same guidelines. We had

family quiet time every day. That's the way we raised the whole family." Houck

lost his wife to cancer in 1988, but believes the lessons learned from the

Oxford Group gave him a life he had not been sure was possible. "A marriage

that wasn't supposed to last one year lasted 57 years."

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

++++Message 2024. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Big Book Printed

From: Arthur Sheehan . . . . . . . . . . . . 9/24/2004 9:42:00 AM

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Hi Tommy

I gleaned the following from the final report of the 2002 General Service

Conference (pg 15).

Big Book distribution

1st edition - 300,000 copies were distributed from 1939 to 1955

2nd edition - 1,150,000 copies were distributed from 1955 to 1976

3rd edition - 19,550,000 copies were distributed from 1976 to 2002

In 2002, the Conference approved publication of the 4th edition Big Book.

More than 2,000,000 copies of the 4th edition have been distributed so far.

The price of the 4th edition was initially set at $5.00 as a special

introductory price.

It returned to its regular price this year.

Cheers

Arthur

----- Original Message -----

From: Tom Hickcox

To: AAHistoryLovers@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2004 9:46 AM

Subject: [AAHistoryLovers] Big Book Printed

I am interested in the number of Big Books in each of the printings of the

First, Second, Third, and Fourth Editions.

Could someone point me towards the data?

Tommy in Baton Rouge

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

++++Message 2025. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: James Houck Article

From: johnpine@comcast.net . . . . . . . . . . . . 9/24/2004 10:09:00 AM

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Has Houck ever been a member of A.A. or identified himself as a recovering

alcoholic in his talks? Thanks. John Pine, Richmond, VA

-------------- Original message --------------

So close yet so far. This James Houck article made the online issue of Time

magazine, but not the circulation copy in magazine stores. It can be found

at www.time.com:

TIME BONUS SECTION OCTOBER 2004: GENERATIONS

Living Recovery

A man who knew the founder of A.A. has had a 70year quest to help other

problem drinkers

By Melissa August/Towson

-From the Sep. 27, 2004 issue of TIME magazine

It was on a cold day in 1934 that James Houck hit bottom. Newly wedded and

living in Frederick, Md., he was getting drunk every weekend -- and

sometimes even during the week -- on home brew. He had recently been in a

drunken-driving accident in his employer's car, and his drinking had

estranged him from his wife Betty. "We were not married a month," Houck

says, "before I told her I was sorry I ever saw her." Houck had begun

drinking early, at age 5, when he would sneak sips from his mother's bottle

of dandelion wine, then make up the difference with water. Although he grew

up in the middle of Prohibition, his drinking problem only got worse as the

years passed.

On Dec. 11, a friend who thought Houck needed to make some changes took him

to a meeting at the local YMCA of the Oxford Group, an evangelical society

founded in Britain by Frank Buchman that was prominent in the 1920s. Houck

was immediately drawn to the group's teachings, which were based on four

principles: honesty, purity, unselfishness and love. He was especially moved

by the concept of "two-way" prayer: the group taught that if you spent quiet

time every day listening to God, he would provide guidance. You were also

encouraged to make restitution, to "put right what's wrong in your life,"

says Houck.

It was at those Oxford Group meetings that Houck befriended Bill Wilson,

a.k.a. Bill W., a chronic drinker who would go on to co-found Alcoholics

Anonymous (A.A.) in 1939. Houck joined the Oxford Group and became sober on

Dec. 12, one day after Wilson did. Today, at 98, Houck is the only living

person to have attended Oxford Group meetings with Wilson, who died in 1971.

Houck remembers Wilson well, and after a 40-year career as an electrical

engineer and salesman, he has made it his mission to bring the Oxford

Group's teachings to a new generation of recovering alcoholics. In the early

1970s, he started working with longshoremen on the Baltimore docks, and

until recently, he traveled every six weeks or so, giving talks to members

of 12-step programs, including A.A., around the country. Houck continues to

provide counsel to recovering addicts who telephone from around the world.

He still appears at meetings held within driving distance of his home in

Towson, Md., and shares the inspirational story of his recovery and the

early days of the Oxford Group with out-of-town gatherings via

teleconferencing.

Houck wants to restore the old methods the Oxford Group used, in particular

its spiritual aspects, which he believes are stronger and more effective

than the ones currently practiced in A.A. The principles of the group live

on in the Back to Basics organization, which follows a 12-step program

similar to that originally used by A.A. Houck has been trying to apply Back

to Basics techniques in federal and state prisons and is working directly

with 300 prisoners in the Henrico County Jail East, in Richmond, Va.

Houck knows how much a group like this can mean to someone. After he decided

on Dec. 12, 1934, that he would never drink alcohol again, he made

restitution with his wife and others he had harmed. "I started telling my

wife what kind of a fellow I was," he says. "I did this for three nights to

get all of the garbage out. I wanted to be honest about everything in my

life." He says his wife was grateful for the talk and then understood his

behavior. "Now we could start our family and raise the children with the

same guidelines. We had family quiet time every day. That's the way we

raised the whole family." Houck lost his wife to cancer in 1988, but

believes the lessons learned from the Oxford Group gave him a life he had

not been sure was possible. "A marriage that wasn't supposed to last one

year lasted 57 years."

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

++++Message 2026. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Big Book Printed

From: wilfried antheunis . . . . . . . . . . . . 9/25/2004 3:30:00 PM

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Hi Tommy, I should have sent this earlier, was looking for more information

and someplace on my computer (or maybe on another one that crashed!) it is

there - printings and number of copies printed. But this relates to the first

and second edition. If I find more, I will post it.

ciao

wil

Printing History of the First Edition

*************************************

First Printing, April, 1939

Second Printing, March, 1941

Third Printing, June, 1942

Fourth Printing, March, 1943

Fifth Printing, January, 1944

Sixth Printing, June, 1944

Seventh Printing, January, 1945

Eighth Printing, February, 1945

Ninth Printing, January, 1946

Tenth Printing, August, 1946

Eleventh Printing, June 1947

Twelfth Printing, October, 1948

Thirteenth Printing, February, 1950

Fourteenth Printing, July, 1951

Alcoholics Anonymous Second Editions

Alcoholics Anonymous Second Edition, First Printing 1955, (28,000 Printed)

Alcoholics Anonymous Second Edition, Second Printing 1956, (23,000 Printed)

Alcoholics Anonymous Second Edition, Third Printing 1957, (21,000 Printed)

Alcoholics Anonymous Second Edition, Fourth Printing 1960, (20,000 Printed)

Alcoholics Anonymous Second Edition, Fifth Printing 1962, (Quantity printed

is unknown)

Alcoholics Anonymous Second Edition, Sixth Printing 1963, (Quantity printed

is unknown)

Alcoholics Anonymous Second Edition, Seventh Printing 1965, (Quantity

printed is unknown)

Alcoholics Anonymous Second Edition, Eighth Printing 1966, (Quantity printed

is unknown)

Alcoholics Anonymous Second Edition, Ninth Printing 1967, (Quantity printed

is unknown)

Alcoholics Anonymous Second Edition, Tenth Printing 1969, (Quantity printed

is unknown)

Alcoholics Anonymous Second Edition, Eleventh Printing 1970, (Quantity

printed is unknown)

Alcoholics Anonymous Second Edition, Thirteenth Printing 1972, (Quantity

printed is unknown)

Alcoholics Anonymous Second Edition, Fourteenth Printing 1973, (Total 1973

Printings 1,000,000)

Alcoholics Anonymous Second Edition, Fifteenth Printing 1973, (Total 1973

Printings 1,000,000)

Alcoholics Anonymous Second Edition, Sixteenth Printing 1974

----- Original Message -----

From: Arthur Sheehan

To: AAHistoryLovers@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Friday, September 24, 2004 10:42 AM

Subject: Re: [AAHistoryLovers] Big Book Printed

Hi Tommy

I gleaned the following from the final report of the 2002 General Service

Conference (pg 15).

Big Book distribution

1st edition - 300,000 copies were distributed from 1939 to 1955

2nd edition - 1,150,000 copies were distributed from 1955 to 1976

3rd edition - 19,550,000 copies were distributed from 1976 to 2002

In 2002, the Conference approved publication of the 4th edition Big Book.

More than 2,000,000 copies of the 4th edition have been distributed so far.

The price of the 4th edition was initially set at $5.00 as a special

introductory price.

It returned to its regular price this year.

Cheers

Arthur

----- Original Message -----

From: Tom Hickcox

To: AAHistoryLovers@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2004 9:46 AM

Subject: [AAHistoryLovers] Big Book Printed

I am interested in the number of Big Books in each of the printings of the

First, Second, Third, and Fourth Editions.

Could someone point me towards the data?

Tommy in Baton Rouge

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

++++Message 2027. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: James Houck Article

From: billherold1017@aol.com . . . . . . . . . . . . 9/25/2004 12:05:00 PM

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

This is Bill H from Baltimore. I have been in the program 21 years and am

currently chairperson for Archives for Maryland General Service Archives.

I interviewed Mr. Houck about 2 months ago and he is quite a gentleman. He is

indeed sober however, it was not through AA nor has hever considered himself a

member of AA.

The purpose of the interview was to gain a better perspective on the

atmosphere that was present when AA was started. He met Bill and Fitz Mayo

(our southern friend) when they used to attend Oxford group meetings in

Frederick Md. Bill used to come down occasionally and visit Fits May and his

wife on the weekend at Fits's house just sout of annapolis.

Bill used to come into the meeting and ask if there were any drunks there.

Bill took the concepts from the oxford group and with the help of the original

members molded them into the 12 steps and the foundation of this program.

Fits Mayo was the son of a minister and along with his best friend Jim Burwell

helped start AA in Baltimore Philadelphia , Washington DC and Northern

Virginia. Fits and Jim were also in the middle of the big debate over God in

AA with Fitz leaning to chritisnity influence and jim leaning to no God

(Aetheist).

From my interview with Mr. Houck, he was never in AA nor a firm believer so

much as an admirer of the program. Hisa thouhgts and belief lie strictly in

the christian foundation of the Oxford movement.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

++++Message 2028. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: James Houck Article

From: Bernadette MacLeod . . . . . . . . . . . . 9/25/2004 5:47:00 PM

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

I met James Houck at the Wilson House in East Dorset, Vermont at a seminar he

participated in and he told me he was never a member of AA.

Bernadette

----- Original Message -----

From: johnpine@comcast.net

To: AAHistoryLovers@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Friday, September 24, 2004 11:09 AM

Subject: Re: [AAHistoryLovers] James Houck Article

Has Houck ever been a member of A.A. or identified himself as a recovering

alcoholic in his talks? Thanks. John Pine, Richmond, VA

-------------- Original message --------------

So close yet so far. This James Houck article made the online issue of

Time magazine, but not the circulation copy in magazine stores. It can be

found at www.time.com:

TIME BONUS SECTION OCTOBER 2004: GENERATIONS

Living Recovery

A man who knew the founder of A.A. has had a 70year quest to help other

problem drinkers

By Melissa August/Towson

-From the Sep. 27, 2004 issue of TIME magazine

It was on a cold day in 1934 that James Houck hit bottom. Newly wedded and

living in Frederick, Md., he was getting drunk every weekend -- and

sometimes even during the week -- on home brew. He had recently been in a

drunken-driving accident in his employer's car, and his drinking had

estranged him from his wife Betty. "We were not married a month," Houck

says, "before I told her I was sorry I ever saw her." Houck had begun

drinking early, at age 5, when he would sneak sips from his mother's

bottle of dandelion wine, then make up the difference with water. Although

he grew up in the middle of Prohibition, his drinking problem only got

worse as the years passed.

On Dec. 11, a friend who thought Houck needed to make some changes took

him to a meeting at the local YMCA of the Oxford Group, an evangelical

society founded in Britain by Frank Buchman that was prominent in the

1920s. Houck was immediately drawn to the group's teachings, which were

based on four principles: honesty, purity, unselfishness and love. He was

especially moved by the concept of "two-way" prayer: the group taught that

if you spent quiet time every day listening to God, he would provide

guidance. You were also encouraged to make restitution, to "put right

what's wrong in your life," says Houck.

It was at those Oxford Group meetings that Houck befriended Bill Wilson,

a.k.a. Bill W., a chronic drinker who would go on to co-found Alcoholics

Anonymous (A.A.) in 1939. Houck joined the Oxford Group and became sober

on Dec. 12, one day after Wilson did. Today, at 98, Houck is the only

living person to have attended Oxford Group meetings with Wilson, who died

in 1971.

Houck remembers Wilson well, and after a 40-year career as an electrical

engineer and salesman, he has made it his mission to bring the Oxford

Group's teachings to a new generation of recovering alcoholics. In the

early 1970s, he started working with longshoremen on the Baltimore docks,

and until recently, he traveled every six weeks or so, giving talks to

members of 12-step programs, including A.A., around the country. Houck

continues to provide counsel to recovering addicts who telephone from

around the world. He still appears at meetings held within driving

distance of his home in Towson, Md., and shares the inspirational story of

his recovery and the early days of the Oxford Group with out-of-town

gatherings via teleconferencing.

Houck wants to restore the old methods the Oxford Group used, in

particular its spiritual aspects, which he believes are stronger and more

effective than the ones currently practiced in A.A. The principles of the

group live on in the Back to Basics organization, which follows a 12-step

program similar to that originally used by A.A. Houck has been trying to

apply Back to Basics techniques in federal and state prisons and is

working directly with 300 prisoners in the Henrico County Jail East, in

Richmond, Va.

Houck knows how much a group like this can mean to someone. After he

decided on Dec. 12, 1934, that he would never drink alcohol again, he made

restitution with his wife and others he had harmed. "I started telling my

wife what kind of a fellow I was," he says. "I did this for three nights

to get all of the garbage out. I wanted to be honest about everything in

my life." He says his wife was grateful for the talk and then understood

his behavior. "Now we could start our family and raise the children with

the same guidelines. We had family quiet time every day. That's the way we

raised the whole family." Houck lost his wife to cancer in 1988, but

believes the lessons learned from the Oxford Group gave him a life he had

not been sure was possible. "A marriage that wasn't supposed to last one

year lasted 57 years."

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

++++Message 2029. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Big Book Printed

From: jacqueline belgium . . . . . . . . . . . . 9/26/2004 1:50:00 AM

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Hi !

Thanks for the info re BB printings.

I would like to know how much copies of the BB have been printed in French !

Thanks.

Jacqueline - Brussels-Belgium

>From: "Arthur Sheehan"

>Reply-To: AAHistoryLovers@yahoogroups.com

>To:

>Subject: Re: [AAHistoryLovers] Big Book Printed

>Date: Fri, 24 Sep 2004 09:42:38 -0500

>Hi Tommy

>I gleaned the following from the final report of the 2002 General Service

>Conference (pg 15).

>Big Book distribution

>1st edition - 300,000 copies were distributed from 1939 to 1955

>2nd edition - 1,150,000 copies were distributed from 1955 to 1976

>3rd edition - 19,550,000 copies were distributed from 1976 to 2002

>

>

>In 2002, the Conference approved publication of the 4th edition Big Book.

>More than 2,000,000 copies of the 4th edition have been distributed so far.

>The price of the 4th edition was initially set at $5.00 as a special

>introductory price.

>It returned to its regular price this year.

>Cheers

>Arthur

> ----- Original Message -----

> From: Tom Hickcox

> To:

>AAHistoryLovers@yahoogroups.com

> Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2004 9:46 AM

> Subject: [AAHistoryLovers] Big Book Printed

> I am interested in the number of Big Books in each of the printings of

>the

> First, Second, Third, and Fourth Editions.

> Could someone point me towards the data?

> Tommy in Baton Rouge

> Yahoo! Groups Sponsor

> ADVERTISEMENT

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