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easy to obtain copies of this book.
books which Mel B. published in 2004 (see http://hindsfoot.org/kML3rc1.html).
themes which appear in Emmet Fox. This early twentieth century approach to spirituality was called New Thought. Many early AA members were strongly influenced by New Thought in their interpretation of the AA program. The Unity Church of Peace is one group which still teaches a New Thought approach to spirituality. (This is NOT the same as "New Age," which means magic crystals and channeling and all that sort of thiing.)
Table Leader's Guide, a widely used set of early A.A. beginners lessons) had a long passage from Emmet Fox at the end, called "Staying on the Beam." *** ________________________________ Can any members of the group give us other references to Emmet Fox's Sermon on the Mount in early AA literature?
Bend, Indiana, where I live, which read Emmet Fox's book during their meetings, and insisted that everybody in the AA group be thoroughly familiar with that book. ________________________________ *** STAYING ON THE BEAM, by Emmet Fox (http://hindsfoot.org/Detr4.html) Today most commercial flying is done on a radio beam. A directional beam is produced to guide the pilot to his destination, and as long as he keeps on this beam he knows that he is safe, even if he cannot see around him for fog, or get his bearings in any other way. As soon as he gets off the beam in any direction he is in danger, and he immediately tries to get back on to the beam once more. Those who believe in the All-ness of God, have a spiritual beam upon which to navigate on the voyage of life. As long as you have peace of mind and some sense of the Presence of God you are on the beam, and you are safe, even if outer things seem to be confused or even very dark; but as soon as you get off the beam you are in danger. You are off the beam the moment you are angry or resentful or jealous or frightened or depressed; and when such a condition arises you should immediately get back on the beam by turning quietly to God in thought, claiming His Presence, claiming that His Love and Intelligence are with you, and that the promises in the Bible are true today.
If you do this you are back on the beam, even if outer conditions and your own feelings do not change immediately. You are back on the beam and you will reach port in safety. Keep on the beam and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Yahoo! Groups Links IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 3338. . . . . . . . . . . . The "heavy sedative" in Bill''s story (BB p. 7) From: trixiebellaa . . . . . . . . . . . . 4/16/2006 11:18:00 AM
the "heavy sedative" that was prescribed to Bill on page 7 in the Big Book where he said:
This combination soon landed me on the rocks." Thanks for you help in this matter. IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 3339. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Bill W.''s talk at Rockland State Hospital From: Ernest Kurtz . . . . . . . . . . . . 4/16/2006 8:36:00 AM
there was a copy of that presentation in the AA archives. Someone at GSO may be able to speak to that. ernie kurtz __________________________ bludahlia2003 wrote: > Anyone know where I might find information about > the presentation that Bill W gave to the Board > Meeting at Rockland State Hospital (now known as > Rockland Psychiatric Center) in 1939? IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 3340. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Emmet Fox From: Mel Barger . . . . . . . . . . . . 4/16/2006 5:44:00 PM IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Hi Matt, I asked Bill Wilson about Emmet Fox and he said they even attended his lectures in New York in the 1930s. He also said they read The Sermon on the Mount.
February, 1951, and have read it ever since. Mike E., the second member of AA in Detroit, even told of reading it while he was still getting well from his last drunk; he had to rest it on pillow to hold it steady! I regret that the unfortunate prejudice against literature that isn't conference-approved has eliminated this any several other good books from most meetings. I recommend it whenever I can and sometimes mention it in talks.
http://hindsfoot.org/Fox1.html IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 3341. . . . . . . . . . . . Emmet Fox mentioned by name in the Big Book
From: Robert Stonebraker . . . . . . . . . . . . 4/16/2006 7:11:00 PM IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Dr. Earl Marsh, in his Big Book story "Physician Heal Thyself," mentions Emmet Fox's then, and still, popular book "SERMON ON THE MOUNT."
From: Ricky Holcomb . . . . . . . . . . . . 4/13/2006 8:30:00 AM IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII I agree, I know Joe personally and have never viewed him as a person who is trying to get anybody to believe that the success rate in AA was any different than now--what I have learned from him is that he feels strongly about trying to get alcoholics to really try the steps and have a life changing experience rather than just attending meetings and trying to not drink. Ricky H. ________________________________ Doug B." Billy-Bob and Jim, The Joe and Charlie Big Book studies that I have attended in the past were nothing like you suggested in your response. They were keeping it very simple and didn't seem to be on any crusade except that of actually having you read the book for yourself.
message has changed? Doug B. Riverside, CA Ricky Holcomb
Hartigan''s Book In Regard To Early AA''s Success From: ArtSheehan . . . . . . . . . . . . 4/13/2006 1:20:00 PM
correction. I exchanged the info below with Billy Bob in a separate email and would like to offer it for consideration:
matter of context I tried to address. Hartigan actually supports the claim that 50% initially made it yet seems to try to portray a doom and gloom scenario for early 1939. Hartigan should also have cited Bill W's comments on the matter in 1955 in the 2nd edition Big Book.
Book. 22 of them were dropped in the 2nd edition. There is a myth in AA that the 22 stories were removed because the members had returned to drinking. It's not true. In the introduction to the personal stories in the 2nd edition Big Book Bill W wrote:
alcoholics. To secure maximum identification with the greatest number of readers, the new 2nd Edition (1955) carries a considerably enlarged story section, as above described. Concerning the original 29 case histories, it is a deep satisfaction to record, as of 1955, that 22 have apparently made full recovery from their alcoholism. Of these, 15 have remained completely sober for an average of 17 years each, according to our best knowledge and belief." In the introduction to the "Pioneers of AA Section" in the 2nd edition
Bill W went on to write: "Dr Bob and the 12 men and women who here tell their stories were among the early members of AA's first groups. Though 3 have passed away of natural causes, all have maintained complete sobriety for periods ranging from 15 to 19 years as of this date 1955. Today, hundreds of additional AA members can be found who have had no relapse for at least 15 years. All of these then are the pioneers of AA. They bear witness that release from alcoholism can really be permanent."
early members who had their stories in the 1st edition Big Book were sober as of AA's 20th anniversary (1955). Even if half didn't make it,
as asserted by Hartigan, the percentage that did is still consistent with early claims of a 50% success rate. The 1st edition story authors is the only fully qualified population that demonstrates the claims that 50% made it and another 25% sobered up again after returning to drinking.
Arthur
From: AAHistoryLovers@yahoogroups.com [mailto:AAHistoryLovers@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of backtobasicsbillybob Sent: Wednesday, April 12, 2006 12:51 PM To: AAHistoryLovers@yahoogroups.com Subject: [AAHistoryLovers] The Exact Quote from Francis Hartigan's Book In Regard To Early AA's Success
consistent sobriety. The first edition of AA's Big Book, published in 1939, contains the personal recovery stories of many of AA's earliest members. Some years later, Bill made notations in the first copy of the book to come off the press, indicating which of the individuals portrayed therein had stayed sober. A good 50 percent had not." Francis Hartigan, Bill W., Pages 91-92 Yahoo! Groups Links IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 3344. . . . . . . . . . . . RE: The Exact Quote From Dr. Bob''s Memorial Service, Nov. 15th, 1952 From: ArtSheehan . . . . . . . . . . . . 4/13/2006 1:17:00 PM
would like to offer it for consideration: Hi Billy Bob I have Hartigan's book. The portion you emphasize illustrates the matter of context I tried to address. Hartigan actually supports the claim that 50% initially made it yet seems to try to portray a doom and gloom scenario for early 1939. Hartigan should also have cited Bill W's comments on the matter in 1955 in the 2nd edition Big Book.
Book. 22 of them were dropped in the 2nd edition. There is a myth in AA that the 22 stories were removed because the members had returned to drinking. It's not true. In the introduction to the personal stories in the 2nd edition Big Book Bill W wrote:
alcoholics. To secure maximum identification with the greatest number of readers, the new 2nd Edition (1955) carries a considerably enlarged story section, as above described. Concerning the original 29 case histories, it is a deep satisfaction to record, as of 1955, that 22 have apparently made full recovery from their alcoholism. Of these, 15 have remained completely sober for an average of 17 years each, according to our best knowledge and belief." In the introduction to the "Pioneers of AA Section" in the 2nd edition
Bill W went on to write: "Dr Bob and the 12 men and women who here tell their stories were among the early members of AA's first groups. Though 3 have passed away of natural causes, all have maintained complete sobriety for periods ranging from 15 to 19 years as of this date 1955. Today, hundreds of additional AA members can be found who have had no relapse for at least 15 years. All of these then are the pioneers of AA. They bear witness that release from alcoholism can really be permanent."
early members who had their stories in the 1st edition Big Book were sober as of AA's 20th anniversary (1955). Even if half didn't make it,
as asserted by Hartigan, the percentage that did is still consistent with early claims of a 50% success rate. The 1st edition story authors is the only fully qualified population that demonstrates the claims that 50% made it and another 25% sobered up again after returning to drinking.
Arthur
From: AAHistoryLovers@yahoogroups.com [mailto:AAHistoryLovers@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of backtobasicsbillybob Sent: Wednesday, April 12, 2006 1:18 PM To: AAHistoryLovers@yahoogroups.com Subject: [AAHistoryLovers] The Exact Quote From Dr. Bob's Memorial Service, Nov. 15th, 1952
sober and some very tough ones at that." Bill Wilson, Dr. Bob's Memorial Speech, Nov. 1952, At The 24th Street Club in New York City, New York. To Thine Own Self Be True, Billy-Bob Yahoo! Groups Links IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 3345. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Use of Dash in First Step From: michael oates . . . . . . . . . . . . 4/13/2006 6:42:00 PM IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Messages from Michael Oates, George Brown, Tom E., and Rick Tompkins ______________________________
(moates57 at yahoo.com) A dash is an extra long comma used to hold the pause before adding the new phrase or thought. That being said maybe Bill really wanted us to think about the preceding phrase before tackling the prase that follows the dash. It seems that too many of us are dealing with unmanageability rather than alcoholism a dash is not an arrow. ______________________________ From: george brown (gbaa487 at yahoo.com) i might as well add to this discussion. the use of a dash is to "emphasize and/or explain the main clause." so. in this case it is explaining and emphasizing the fact that we are "powerless over alcohol." to my understanding it is explaining that when we are powerless our lives become unmanageable; it is also emphasizing that fact. ______________________________ From: Tom E. (ny-aa at att.net) Personally, I consider the dash--typists sometimes called it a double-dash--to be significant in Step 1.
alcohol--that our lives had become unmanageable." NOT, "1) We admitted we were powerless over alcohol and that our lives had become unmanageable." NOT, "1) We admitted we were powerless over alcohol because our lives had become unmanageable." NOT, "1) We admitted we were powerless over alcohol, therefore our lives had become unmanageable." On the other hand, we are discussing the punctuation "Bill chose" without asking who actually chose the punctuation. As historians, we need to look further. What was on his yellow pad when he dictated it to Ruth Hock? Is that available to researchers? Was Bill in the habit of dictating every comma, period, dash, and paragraph break or did he just talk and leave it to Ruth to get something meaningful out of whatever he said? I believe it was the latter. So, to what extent did Bill adjust what Ruth typed to make punctuation and other details exactly the way he wanted? Even the draft that was distributed was the result of much debate and compromise. We can't say that every jot and tittle is the Revealed Word of Bill. Actually, part of the strength of the A.A. Big Book is that it is a consensus document. Every member at the time and some outside friends had a say in what was in the book.
Wappingers Falls, NY ______________________________
(ricktompkins at comcast.net) Hi Art, we are in esoteric and mystical hot water, obviously... The colon use is correct in your posting; the colon also could work in the dash-ing of Step One, as could i.e. or e.g. The 1930s readers probably could have handled any of them and future generations (i.e. us) would have analyzed it as has gone on in the past few posts here. The dash separating the two phrases in Step One is an esoteric emphasis, dontcha think? Perhaps the original linotype operators enjoyed its use, too.
the dash sounds like a simple comma--thankfully no one comes out and says "dash." Reading the text, I always felt that the dash added real impact from the first time I viewed it, and that impact remains powerful to me today. Two distinct concepts in Step One, placed in the same sentence to drive home the idea that the latter results from the former. Imagine that!
sequence, too. I tell new prospects to consider the dash as an equal sign, and the distributive math principle kicks in as reinforcement. No balance beam or seesaw analysis, please, it might bring on a mysticism angle that's absent from this Step. Cheers to all, hope a 2006 Springtime brings great new discoveries to us! Rick, Illinois IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 3346. . . . . . . . . . . . Monroe, Michigan From: timderan . . . . . . . . . . . . 4/17/2006 3:56:00 AM IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Over the last few years there has been an off again and on again effort to find out the history of AA in Monroe, Michigan. From what we can tell no one has ever actually written down anything on it. We have some names and an idea of when and where the first meetings were held. But, most of that is sketchy.
to forward it to me or post it on this message board. Your help is greatly appreciated. tmd [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 3347. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Emmet Fox From: Tom Hickcox . . . . . . . . . . . . 4/17/2006 10:14:00 PM IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII At 09:02 4/16/2006 , you wrote: >When/where I got sober (as they say still being >suggested as essential reading (as well as the standard AA literature) Big
>Book and the 12x12, etc, the little Black Book, Red Book and Green Book, and
>Living Sober. By sponsors and my home group. Would these books be Richmond Walker's 24 Hours a Day, Webster's Little Red Book and Stools and Bottles? Big Book, 12x12, and Living Sober are self-explanatory.
to new people. I think that is a great idea. I could pick it up when I was new and read a few pages and was unable to do the same with the Big Book.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed] IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 3348. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Emmet Fox From: Lee Nickerson . . . . . . . . . . . . 4/17/2006 11:28:00 PM IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII I surely agree. I was fortunate to be Maine's Archivist for eight years and by what seemed necessity, I began to do the unthinkable - read non-conference approved literature. It enhanced my sobriety and allowed me to do my service job in a much more informative and interesting way. I picked up the habit and have been at it ever since. I just finished a book called Drinking: A Love Story by Caroline Knapp - one of the best personal stories I have read in a long time. As far as AA history goes; Not God, Sister Ignatia:The Angel Of AA, Grateful to Have Been There and so many others have made my journey much more enlightened and joyful. Many of the books I have read were recommended by Frank M. the late alcoholic archivist of GSO. He was a truly sweet gentleman and I miss him to this day. lee
wrote:
> > Hi Matt, > I asked Bill Wilson about Emmet Fox and he said > they even attended his lectures in New York in the > 1930s. He also said they read The Sermon on the > Mount.
> > I found my own copy of it in Pontiac, Michigan, in > February, 1951, and have read it ever since. > > Mike E., the second member of AA in Detroit, even > told of reading it while he was still getting well > from his last drunk; he had to rest it on pillow > to hold it steady! Download 13.83 Mb. Share with your friends:
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