Aa history Lovers 2006 moderators Nancy Olson and Glenn F. Chesnut page



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example that resolve a crisis. When sorely

perplexed, the group inevitably turns to them

for advice. They become the voice of the

group conscience; in fact, these are the true

voice of Alcoholics Anonymous. They do not

drive by mandate; they lead by example. This

is the experience which has led us to the

conclusion that our group conscience, well-

advised by its elders, will be in the long run

wiser than any single leader.


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++++Message 3950. . . . . . . . . . . . Was it Finland referred to in

Concept 12?

From: Teemu . . . . . . . . . . . . 12/12/2006 3:52:00 AM
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Hello,
Bill W. wrote (Concept XII): "In another

instance in an overseas area there was some

rather bad publicity when a considerable section

of the groups there became convinced they ought

to accept money subsidies from their country's

government to promote A.A. work, the A.A.

Tradition notwithstanding. This internal

difficulty should not have surfaced before the

public because there was certainly nothing about

it that mutual understanding and good temper

could not have readily handled."
Where can I find some document that shows this

"overseas area" was Finland?


At the beginning of the sixties there was a

litigation in Finland (between those who

accepted money subsidies and those who did not).
Have a great day.
Teemu

Jyvaskyla, Finland


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++++Message 3951. . . . . . . . . . . . Leslie D. Weatherhead

From: Robyn Mitchell . . . . . . . . . . . . 12/12/2006 6:51:00 AM


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Hey Guys,
Has anyone ever read Leslie D Weatherhead? I have

three of his books -- 'Discipleship', 'Prescription

for Anxiety' and 'A Private House of Prayer.'
In 'Discipleship' he mentions the Oxford Group

in the introduction, where the 'chapter headings

are words which are being very much emphasized

at present (1934) by the Oxford Group Movement to

which I, personally owe a great debt..'
Later in the book he relates how a change in his

attitudes came about as the result of having been

'challenged by the Oxford Groups ...'
Each chapter is a transcript of addresses he

made at a Methodist Summer School, the prose is

very accessible and open and there are several

phrases which echo the future text that Bill

wrote.
Does anyone know if Bill read Weatherhead?
Regards,

Robyn
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++++Message 3952. . . . . . . . . . . . Just for Today

From: Glenn Chesnut . . . . . . . . . . . . 12/13/2006 10:00:00 PM


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From: Robyn Mitchell

(dollyleggs1 at bigpond.com)


Hey Guys,
A while ago someone asked about where 'Just for

Today' came from.


In 'How to Stop Worrying and Start Living',

Dale Carnegie says that Sybil F. Partridge wrote

it in 1912.
Regards,

Robyn
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]


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++++Message 3953. . . . . . . . . . . . 11th National Archives Workshop in

Phoenix, Arizona

From: Shakey1aa . . . . . . . . . . . . 12/14/2006 11:16:00 PM
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Just thinking ahead... the National Archives

Workshop is less than 9 months away.


All AAHL's, if you can, Mark your calendars for

Sept. 6-9 2007 in Bright Sunny WARM Phoenix,

Arizona.
Shakey Mike and Anne Marie will be there and are

looking forward to re- acquainting with Vicki

there and everyone who was in Baton Rouge as

well as the other cities who previously hosted

this fine event.
They'll have to go to some length to beat the

hospitality shown to us by Bobby and his

Louisiana chefs.
I've got some idea of the history of this event

and know that Akron Intergroup archives was

probably responsible. Does anyone have a more

detailed history of this workshop?


Freezing in the Philadelphia fog,

Shakey Mike Gwirtz


- - -
From the moderator:
I have tried to get Gail LaC. in Akron to write

up an account of how she and some of her fellow

AA people started the workshops in Akron, because

that (and Nancy Olson's forming of the

AAHistoryLovers in March 2000) were two signs

of a major grassroots awareness beginning to

arise all over the AA world, that maintaining

contact with our historical roots was vitally

important to the continued health of AA.
My understanding is that the first National

Archives Workshop in Akron in 1996 was fairly

sparsely attended, but that it went so well,

that everyone there insisted that it be

continued, and started spreading the word.
The Northern Indiana Area 22 Archives Committee

tossed me in a van and brought me to the second

one, also in Akron, in 1997, and it was

absolutely awesome. I got to have dinner with

Ernie Kurtz (that is when he and I first met)

and meet Mary Darrah, and hear Henrietta

Seiberling's son speak.
But Gail LaC. is the one who could write this

story down with all the details.


Glenn C. (South Bend, Indiana)
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++++Message 3954. . . . . . . . . . . . Who was B. L. from Manhattan, NY?

From: rmcmillan5630 . . . . . . . . . . . . 12/15/2006 2:56:00 PM


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Hello all and best wishes! I am doing some

research on the Traditions and found a series of

articles in the Grapevine Archives written by a

B. L., Manhattan, NY. Each article seems to be

a "checklist" for each one the traditions.
I visited our archives and searched on B.L. to

no avail. Can someone help me out, please?


Gratefully yours,
rm
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++++Message 3955. . . . . . . . . . . . 1st AA Southern Regional Meeting

1945


From: TBaerMojo@aol.com . . . . . . . . . . . . 12/17/2006 4:13:00 AM
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I am looking for original research or reports

about the first AA Southern Regional meeting

and the first meeting of the Commission on

Education with Respect to Alcoholism as created

by Act 115 of the Alabama Legislature June 16,

1945.
They were held one day apart in September or

October of that year.
Tim B
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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++++Message 3956. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Just for today card

From: chief_roger . . . . . . . . . . . . 12/17/2006 6:47:00 AM


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-- In AAHistoryLovers@yahoogroups.com, "dobbo101"

wrote:

>

> Can anyone tell me where the just for today cards



> we use in the UK originate from. Also are they used

> in the rest of the world, USA, etc.?

>

Your question about the Just For Today card used



in Great Britain AA is interesting. I had never

seen it in 18 years of sobriety in the USA.


I only encountered it after moving to Europe in

2002 and becoming involved in AA through Continental

European Region.
I have a copy of the Conference Digest from its

beginnings 1965-2006. I searched it for references

hoping to learn when and if this pamphlet was

approved by the autonomous GSC of Great Britain.

They do publish much of their own literature now

and in addition to creating some helpful products,

have sought permission and "anglicized" much AA

literature ordinarily published and Conference

Approved by the USA/Canada conference.
The card as a piece of literature has an interesting

history. It seems to have been in use in Great

Britain since at least 1971. The Digest is broken

down into subject areas. I earliest reference in

the section titled AA Members. It appears to be

a report from a workshop on how to treat newcomers.


1971 Conference Report

AA Members (among other suggestions, this one

appears):
"Before he leaves the meeting, "Who Me?" - "Just

For Today" - "Introduction to AA" and so on,

along with a list of the groups available in the

area, and possibly at the foot of this an emergency

telephone number to ring in case of urgent need.

A copy of the "Newsletter" and "The Roundabout"

may well help."
Under the subject called "Groups" what seems to

be a collective response to a question posed to

conference, this quote appears.
1974 Conference Report

Groups


"The response to the question contained in this

Committee's title, "What Message?" was immediate

and positive: "The message of the programme of

recovery as presented in the Twelve Steps, The

Twelve Traditions, the Big Book, and the Preamble."

Mention was made of the Just For Today Card as

being one means of preparing the soil in which

the seed of the message will be planted to help

the still suffering alcoholic."
From 1978 to 1981 reference to this literature

appears in the Trustees Literature Committee

report. Interestingly they appear to have

questioned and determined the copyright had

either expired or did not exist and moved to

accept the piece as Conference-approved

literature.
1978 Conference Report

CONFERENCE APPROVED LITERATURE


"The committee does not feel able to recommend

that the seven leaflets:

15 Points to Consider

Introduction to AA

Who Me?

Just For Today



What is AA?

Should become Conference Approved literature,

although it is accepted that they will continue

to be used widely in the Fellowship as aids,

particularly to new members, in achieving and

maintaining sobriety."


1979 Conference Report

LITERATURE

"iv) Copyright. It was reported to the committee

that the leaflet "Just For Today" was no longer

covered by the copyright laws and that it could

be freely printed by A.A."


1981 Conference Report

"Item 5


The Committee considered the Twelfth Step Wallet,

and agreed its usefulness as holder for Literature.

Four items were considered for inclusion in

the Wallet as a Twelfth Step Pack. These were

"A Newcomer Asks", "Preamble Card", "Is AA For

You?", and the Just For Today Card.


It was felt however, that only Conference-approved

literature be provided and the question of

copyright for the Just For Today Card was raised.

This had been fully investigated and reported on

by the Fourteenth General Service Conference in

1979 and found to be free of restriction. This

being no known impediment, the Committee therefore

recommends that the Just For Today Card be given

Conference-approval and included in the Twelfth

Step Pack."


The card was later referred to in a 1984 Prison

Committee report:


1984 Conference Report

Prisons (AA Aftercare)

"There was general agreement on helping released

prisoners. The important factors were the meeting

of prisoners on release and ensuring at their

destination. One area arranged for a "Just For

Today" card to be given to the prisoner on release

with a contact telephone number written on it -

an idea that was warmly received by the Committee."
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++++Message 3957. . . . . . . . . . . . Townes Hospital Candlelight Ceremony

Wrap-up


From: Robt Woodson . . . . . . . . . . . . 12/17/2006 1:58:00 PM
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To the AAhistorylover's group,
I send my personal thanks, and another apology,

in case anyone was inconvenienced by the problems

that I had this year presenting accurate times

for the Ceremony itself.


With many thanks to you, the ceremony itself

was a success, and very moving for those of us

who were present...I like to think that we each

brought a little of that light home with us.

With your support the size of the affair has

more than doubled from the first year's

attendance, and we are hoping that with

additional recognition the size will continue

to grow in the next few years until we reach

that magic "more than one hundred men and

women" number that is mentioned in the Forward

to the First Edition of the Big book in 1939.


This year following dinner at a local restaurant

eight of us walked the two and one half blocks

to Townes Hospital to discover that several of

you were there and waiting for us with more to

arrive shortly including a wonderful couple from

London in the U.K. With their presence, there

were three countries, the US, Mexico, and the UK,

and people from various cities and places

including New York, Ohio and Akron, Stepping

Stones from upstate New York, and New Jersey

represented at the Candlelight gathering.
Some arrived earlier in the day, and some later

still at night, with the result that at least

twenty were able to visit and pay their respects...

the following evening we removed the Candle from

the window in a similar ceremony to the first.
We hope to see more of you next year, and we

wish to thank those who were able to attend this

year, (and those of you here, in Denmark, and

certain Groups in Mexico who were with us in

spirit).
I came away with a spiritual charge and a sense

of recommitment and dedication to our AA

Fellowship.
Many thanks too, to the friend's of AA that

made this event possible by opening their hearts

and homes to our spiritual quest, and allowing

the candle to remain, lit, in what is now a

private residence.
Along the way I made a lot of new friends

with members of this group who met us in different

places including Stepping Stones, on the streets

of New York, and at our New York GSO Archives.

It was a special journey for me, it helps to

open my eyes to the amazing journey which we

have taken, and are still undertaking, as a

fellowhip in a very large and still expanding

global village.
If you feel the need for, or might enjoy a

modern pilgrimage, we'll be there again next

year.
Thanks again to this group,

Woody in Akron


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++++Message 3958. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: The Little Red Book 25th

printing


From: DudleyDobinson . . . . . . . . . . . . 12/14/2006 3:47:00 AM
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Hi John,
I have a 25th printing and it is the larger style.

The title page gives Hazelden Center City as being

the publishers. The same as the 23rd and 24th

printings of 1969 and 1970. In 1996 Hazelden issued

a 50th anniversary edition in the same format.
In fellowship - Dudley
In a message dated 12/14/06 02:02:38 GMT Standard Time, nov85_gr@graceba.net

writes:
Was the 25th printing the larger format?


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++++Message 3959. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Who was B. L. from Manhattan,

NY?


From: Mitchell K. . . . . . . . . . . . . 12/18/2006 5:44:00 AM
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From Mitchell K., Tom White, and Ernie Kurtz:

it was Barry Leach.


- - -
From: "Mitchell K."

(mitchell_k_archivist at yahoo.com)


Could be Barry Leach (author of Living Sober).
- - -
From: Tom White

(tomwhite at cableone.net)


A good guess for BL of Manhattan is the late

Barry Leach, a very considerable scribe, a good

friend (secty?) to Lois, and author of the

popular AAWS title Living Sober.


- - -
From: "Ernest Kurtz"

(kurtzern at umich.edu)


The "B.L." inquired about in a recent post was

Barry Leach, who was also the main author of the

AA book on spirituality called "Living Sober"

and the pamphlet/series "Twelve Steps for the

Older Member" -- not to mention a scathing

attack on the political conservatism of the AA

Board of Trustees.
- - -
Message 3954 from

(rmcmillan5630 at yahoo.com) asked:


> Hello all and best wishes! I am doing some

> research on the Traditions and found a series of

> articles in the Grapevine Archives written by a

> B. L., Manhattan, NY. Each article seems to be

> a "checklist" for each one the traditions.

>

> I visited our archives and searched on B.L. to



> no avail. Can someone help me out, please?

>

> Gratefully yours,



>

> rm


>

>
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++++Message 3960. . . . . . . . . . . . Photos of the first 100?

From: broncoinsobriety . . . . . . . . . . . . 12/18/2006 10:05:00 AM


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Are there any pictures of the First 100?
- - -
From the moderator:
Closer to forty than a hundred. But some

versions of Nancy Olson's biographies of the

authors of the stories in the Big Book have

photos (when they could be found). See

http://www.a-1associates.com/aa/Authors.htm

for one version that has the photos.


There used to be nice large photos of some of

the early people hanging on the wall in one of

the archives in Akron, I believe the one next

door to Dr. Bob's house.


Use Google, which has a button to click where

you can look for images instead of text.


Other members of the group can probably give

us some valuable online sources of early AA

photos, which I hope they will do.
Glenn C. (South Bend, Indiana)
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++++Message 3961. . . . . . . . . . . . The "Who Me" brochure

From: TBaerMojo@aol.com . . . . . . . . . . . . 12/17/2006 10:35:00 PM


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I would like more information on the decision

about the "Who Me" brochure since I believe it

was developed and printed in Birmingham, Alabama,

by Street Printing Company. Our own local archive

does not have an original copy but we are

seeking some locally.


Tim B

District 6/7 Archive Chairman


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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++++Message 3962. . . . . . . . . . . . BL on the Traditions

From: jlobdell54 . . . . . . . . . . . . 12/18/2006 1:59:00 PM


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All twelve of the articles are (I believe) in

Volume I of The Best of the Grapevine -- though

not in order. Perhaps they could be reprinted

in order by the Grapevine -- or, failing that,

by the Archives in NYC?
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++++Message 3963. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Who was B. L. from Manhattan,

NY?


From: Mel Barger . . . . . . . . . . . . 12/18/2006 4:04:00 PM
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Hi Friends,
I concur that B.L. from Manhattan was Barry

Leach. I took a photo of him with Lois at AA's

45th anniversary in Akron; the speaker was Jack

Bailey of "Queen for a Day" fame.


But I don't think Barry wrote "Twelve Steps

and the Older Member," or at least the series I

remember by that name. The author of that

series was Jerome Ellison, who had once held

good positions with The Readers Digest and

Colliers Magazine. He followed up his GV series

with another called "Twelve Steps and the Older

Member Revisited," or something like that.


Jerry was editor of the Grapevine very briefly

in the early 1960s. He was a very good writer

and had done several books. The book I liked,

and still have, is "Report to the Creator,"

which covers his drinking, collapse, and recovery.
I met Jerry once at the Grapevine offices and

later on at his home in Guilford, CT. He died

some years ago at age 73.
Mel Barger
melb@accesstoledo.com

(melb at accesstoledo.com)


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++++Message 3964. . . . . . . . . . . . Barry L. (Manhattan): is his

statement available?

From: pgbunnyca . . . . . . . . . . . . 12/19/2006 7:50:00 PM
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From: "Ernest Kurtz"

(kurtzern at umich.edu)


-- not to mention a scathing

attack on the political conservatism of the AA

Board of Trustees.
Is this article available online?
Yours in Sobriety,
Peter G.
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++++Message 3965. . . . . . . . . . . . RE: Just for today card

From: timderan . . . . . . . . . . . . 12/18/2006 2:18:00 PM


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"Can anyone tell me where the just for today cards

we use in the UK originate from. Also are they used

in the rest of the world, USA, etc.?"
The Just For Today card comes from Al-Anon. One

can purchase them from Al-Anon as well as Hazelden

and other resources devoted to recovery services.
tmd
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++++Message 3966. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Just for today card

From: Shakey1aa@aol.com . . . . . . . . . . . . 12/19/2006 12:45:00 PM


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I was hoping that someone else would respond to

this question so that I could get additional

history on this subject. In Philadelphia we have

what is referred to as a Green Card. (Don't


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