>Subject: RE: [AAHistoryLovers] Circle and Triangle
>lawsuit
>
>This dropping out resulted in NY stopping the use
>of the Circle and Triangle as symbol of "official
>literature."
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++++Message 3911. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Fulton Oursler Article
From: ricktompkins . . . . . . . . . . . . 12/3/2006 8:28:00 AM
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Thanks for the posting, Bill---Fulton Oursler
beautifully recognized our "language of the heart."
When was the article written and where was it
published?
About Morris Markey, I've heard he was an AA
member. The Sept. '39 Liberty article drew a
paltry 800 inquiries because the Alcoholic
Foundation address didn't accompany it (and it
took a search effort by its readers!).
A correction came with the March '41 Saturday
Evening Post and its watershed 8,000 inquiries
--the Post staff most likely took notice of
Markey's 1939 piece...
Oursler was a great friend to AA and may have
initially become more interested in our fledgling
Society of ex-drunks after the 1938 Rockefeller
dinner, following the 'buzz' around NYC boardrooms
leading up to the launch of the Big Book. The nudge
to Markey and Liberty from Dr. Towns shows me
that Towns utilized his influence for the benefit
of AA beyond his large purchase of Works Publishing,
Inc. stock.
And Dr. Silkworth, AA's pioneer friend of modest
means, saved a gift from Oursler, a beautiful
Japanese print and silk scarf that was contributed
to the AA Archives from Chicago AA in 1996 (through
a grand-nephew of Racine, Wisconsin). Silkworth's
letter desk may be all that remains on GSO Archives
display from that transfer, but the gifts speak
volumes of the Oursler-Silkworth friendship.
Along a different line of AA history, who were
the Reader's Digest editors that nixed an article
about AA (a non-starter for its readers) around
the same time as the Liberty feature?
That's a story of a publication that eventually
recognized its error of omission...
Best to all,
Rick T., Illinois
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++++Message 3912. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: The reading of "How it Works" at
the beginning of meeti...
From: Shakey1aa@aol.com . . . . . . . . . . . . 12/3/2006 10:39:00 AM
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A better question might be.. Was there AA in
Denver in March 1940 or did Mort find AA from
the book and then go to meet Kay Miller and
the LA Mother Group when he arrived in LA?
See Pg 266 of "Pass it On" for the answer.
Yis
Shakey Mike Gwirtz
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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++++Message 3913. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: "Qualification"
From: sbanker914@aol.com . . . . . . . . . . . . 12/3/2006 1:23:00 PM
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Comments from Susan B., Chris Mahl, Woody (Robert
Woodson) in Akron, Mitchell K., Li Lightfoot,
Jim Blair, Rick Clowater, Sherry C. Hartsell,
Tom White, Carole Seddon, and Glenn Chesnut:
- - -
johnpublico
(keller of ociofcharlotte.com) wrote:
Lawrence Block, in his Matthew Scudder detective
series set in NY City, uses "qualification" and
"qualifying" in apparent reference to an AA
speaker's story.
- - -
NEW YORK CITY (BUT NOT WYOMING)
From: sbanker914@aol.com (sbanker914 at aol.com)
It has been my experience that "qualifications"
are the most common form of AA meetings in NYC.
And, yes, a qualification is the telling of the
speaker's "experience, strength and hope" for
about 20 minutes. Most commonly, the
qualification is followed by a "show of hands,"
where members of the meeting share in response
to the speaker's "story."
I live in Wyoming in the summertime, and this
format is mostly unknown in meetings there.
Even in New Jersey where I currently live, a
"speaker meeting" is that meeting more commonly
known as a "3-speaker meeting" where there is
no response time from the members.
Since I have been attending NYC meetings for almost
19 years, I am most content and comfortable with
this format.
Susan B.
- - -
NEW YORK CITY (BUT NOT MASSACHUSETTS
OR NEW JERSEY)
From: "chris mahl"
(chrismahl at gmail.com)
Here in New York City, the terms 'qualification'
and 'qualifying' are used everyday. I started in
Massachusetts and New Jersey and didn't recall
ever hearing it before I moved to New York City
in 1988.
Chris
- - -
AKRON
From: Robt Woodson
(wdywdsn at sbcglobal.net)
John,
Those terms are definitely still is use here in
Akron, Ohio...the portion of a speaker's lead prior
to his or her getting sober is referred to as
"qualifying"...sometimes you hear it said that
a lead is all "qualifying" meaning that there is
very little said about the program or life in
sobriety.
In some instances there is a concern that a
speaker has not "qualified," or shown to the
audience that he too is an alcoholic and given
grounds for the audience to relate to his or
her story. I'm a firm believer that each of
us has, in their own way, "qualified" for our
seats at the meeting. I hope this helps you to
understand the use and perhaps to help gauge
the spread of the term used in the active sense
"to qualify".
Keep your powder dry,
Woody in Akron
- - -
CLEVELAND
From: "Mitchell K."
(mitchell_k_archivist at yahoo.com)
When Clarence Snyder, originally of Cleveland
took people through their steps they "qualified"
(told their story) to him as a prelude to the
First Step.
I've heard the term qualification or qualified
in reference to someone telling their story at
a meeting, with their sponsor or on a 12 Step
call in quite a few places over the years.
- - -
SAN FRANCISCO
From: Li Lightfoot
(li_lightfoot at yahoo.com)
These terms used in this way are common in the
San Francisco Bay Area at present but we also
use "sharing" at a meeting to mean the same
thing.
LL
- - -
ONTARIO
From: James Blair
(jblair at videotron.ca)
In the province of Ontario, Canada, the chairman
at each meeting will "qualify" himself as a
alcoholic by telling a bit of his story. I think
this is the only province in Canada where this
is done.
Jim
- - -
ONTARIO
From: "Rick Clowater"
(clowaters at rogers.com)
I am unsure how the use of "qualifying" is used in
other areas but I do know that here in Ottawa,
Ontario, Canada that the chairperson "qualifies"
as an alcoholic at the beginning of meetings.
I suspect also that this is the same throughout
the Ottawa Valley area.
Not sure if this helps, but the first opportunity
I have had to reply to anything on this GREAT site.
Thank you all for my sobriety
Rick Clowater
Uptown Group (Monday Night)
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- - -
TEXAS
From: "Sherry C. Hartsell"
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