In behalf of the various committees of the Northeast Texas General Service Conference, it’s my pleasure to extend our gratitude to all of you who have made it possible for this third conference to be the happy one that I can certainly readily see on the faces of those out there in front of me. I’m very grateful to have been selected as co-chairman of this third Northeast Texas Conference with Mr. Ewing B. I’m very grateful for the cooperation of all the committees that worked as closely as they did in view of the locations being so scattered. We’re very grateful for the many speakers and chairmen that came from all over this state at their own expense, which more than proves that the perpetuation of GSR is in the hearts of all of us. We’re mighty fortunate, of course, to have with us this evening the majority of delegates that were elected to go to New York from the very first inception of general service in nineteen fifty.

My name is Jim, and I am an alcoholic, and by the grace of God, and certainly the wonderful fellowship of this program, I’ve not found it necessary to take a drink since January the fourth of nineteen sixty-one, of which I am certainly grateful. One of the most complicated things in collecting people together to make all the preparations for a conference like this naturally entails meeting many times. And I would say that if there is anyone that has been slighted because of an oversight on my part or any one of the committeemen, certainly there was nothing intentionally in this oversight. I don’t know when I have ever had an experience that’s been so pleasing. I do know that this conference has helped me to grow a little because I shall always take some of the remarks that were made that identify me with the speakers.

Before inter, before introducing the speaker of the evening, I would like to recognize some of the members of the committees that were a part of this third Northeast Texas Conference. And as much as there really are too many to individually mention these people, I would like to extend my gratitude to the members of the program committee who screened and selected the speakers that we have had at this conference. I’m very grateful to the mailing committee that worked many long hours, John and Jean and Horace, Margaret, Jane, and Lee. And this was pretty difficult in view of the fact that our list changed so many times. I’m very grateful to Ewing and Jane, the finance committee, that looked after that part of this conference. I’m very grateful to Lloyd C., Lee H., and Gloria S. that handled our reservations in the lobby.