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News and Notes from the General Service Office of A.A.® www.aa.org Vol. 53, No. 4 / August-September 2007

■ Intergroup/Central Offices: A.A.’s Front Line Back in 1946 when only a handful of intergroup/central offices were fully operative—including those in California, Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, New York and Ohio—A.A. cofounder Bill W. observed in the June issue of the Grapevine, “Heaven has surely reserved a special place for every one of them.” Even as he was writing, service centers were opening in Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Wisconsin and—Canada’s first—Alberta. Both Bill and his fellow A.A. cofounder Dr. Bob early saw that “to save whole areas from turmoil, small offices had to be set up, telephones installed, and a few full-time secretaries hired…. If they weren’t, the man coming in the door couldn’t get a break.” (Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 161) The early service centers were plagued by a lack of money, space, help and an abundance of conflicting opinions, but still they persevered. So when representatives from many of the 500 intergroup/central offices across the U.S. and Canada—together with trustees of A.A.’s General Service Board and directors and staff of A.A. World Services and the Grapevine— gather from October 4-9, 2007 at the 21st Annual Central Office/Intergroup/A.A. World Services Seminar at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Oklahoma City to share the spirit and substance of service, they will be mindful that the effectiveness of their own operations owes much to the trials, tribulations and collective sharing of their predecessors. As Jan D., formerly manager of the Edmonton, Alberta, Central Service Office, has pointed out, “Nothing in A.A. today is original. Everything we know and do to help the suffering alcoholic find sobriety came from our predecessors, whether the Oxford Group or intergroup/central office workers who came before and shared freely of their spiritual experiences and common sense gained the hard way.” Many, if not most, service offices in A.A.’s early days, such as those in Chicago and Los Angeles, grew out of a phone number, listed as belonging to A.A., that plugged into a member’s home. Some—in New York City, Newark, New Jersey, and Toronto, Ontario, to name a few—were outgrowths of clubhouses that had been hubs for A.A. activities. Sometimes the clubs served as distribution points for A.A. literature, then began providing other services as well. Over time the service operations became entities separate from the clubhouses. Today clubhouses are not affiliated with A.A. In a surprising number of other localities, notably in the Upper Midwest and Canada, intergroups or

central service committees were in existence (several still are) long before there were actual offices. In the beginning there was the Central Committee in Cleveland, Ohio, where by October 1939—little more than four years after Bill and Dr. Bob had their historical first meeting—a group of seven was meeting once a month, among other things to coordinate efforts regarding hospitalizations and sponsorship. Dr. Bob was not only a supporter but an active participant, according to fellow Akron member Dan K. “Doc used to play an important part in the Central Committee,” Dan reported, and the going could get rough: “During the meeting, sometimes, the words would fly like you were in a barroom.” One time, he related, “Dr. Bob stood up, hushed the crowd and said, ‘Gentlemen, please. We’re still members of Alcoholics Anonymous. Let’s carry the principles of A.A. into these business meetings. You are servants of your group, here to take the ideas formulated by the committee. Let one man talk at a time, and let us conduct this business meeting as a service to the Lord and a service to our fellow members…. ’ After that there were no more brawls when Dr. Bob was around.” (Dr. Bob and the Good Oldtimers, p. 288-89) Columbus, Ohio, followed almost immediately with a service center, today called the Fellowship Intergroup, which started up in 1943. In nearby Akron, the birthplace of A.A., an Intergroup office was opened in April 1954. Its first newsletter, published that same year, commemorated November 18 as Gratitude Day. The cover, block-lettered by hand, signaled the dedication of the struggling little office that, with minimal financial support, was willing to go to any lengths to carry A.A.’s message of sobriety. Bill W. acknowledged in Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age (p. 23) that “A.A.’s first organized service center” sprang up in Chicago, where an A.A. named Sylvia utilized her $700 monthly alimony checks (a very large sum at a time when Bill and Lois were living on $55 a week) to rent an apartment in the suburb of Evanston, also the locale of the area’s first A.A. meeting in 1939. So busy was the phone that Sylvia’s nonalcoholic personal secretary Grace Cultice rapidly evolved into an A.A. girl Friday. By 1941, following publication of the Jack Alexander article about A.A. in the Saturday Evening Post, Sylvia’s place “became something of a Chicago Grand Central,” Bill W. later affirmed (ibid.), “and something had to be done.” So the A.A.s rented a one-room office in the Loop; there, Bill wrote, “Grace was installed to direct the stream

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Box 4-5-9 is published bimonthly by the General Service Office of Alcoholics Anonymous, 475 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10115, © Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., 2007 Mail address: P.O. Box 459, Grand Central Station New York, NY 10163 G.S.O.’s A.A. Web Site: www.aa.org Subscriptions: Individual, $3.50 per year; group, $6.00 for each unit of 10 per year. Check—made payable to A.A.W.S., Inc.—should accompany order.

of applicants for Twelfth Step attention, hospitalization, or other help.” New York’s first local service center operated informally for years out of a clubhouse on Manhattan’s West 24th Street. The first local Central Committee was established in 1942, but the Intergroup wasn’t officially established until June 1946, when there were 22 groups in the metropolitan area. “Because of ongoing conflicts at the club, Intergroup moved into a storeroom on West 75th Street in November,” reported archivist Wally P., now of Tucson, Arizona, “and that’s when order started to grow out of chaos.” In the beginning, only 50 percent of the groups subscribed to intergroup and helped defray its expenses. But by 1951 every group in the district was fulfilling a group pledge to help maintain the office. Minutes of a meeting of delegates to the Intergroup Association of New York in January 1950 recorded an anecdote told by Bill W. He said that “a woman came into the program stating, ‘My name is Toodles and I’m down to my last $3 million.’ Toodles found sobriety but then died suddenly of diabetes and left $10,000 to A.A.” The Alcoholic Foundation (renamed the General Service Board of A.A. in 1954) had earlier passed a resolution that no money could be received from individuals or outside services (unlike today, when an annual contribution up to $3,000 may be made by an A.A. member, who also may leave a onetime bequest in the same amount). However, since the money had been left to Intergroup, Bill felt that “it’s your money to do with as you see fit.” The Los Angeles Central Office started in 1944. “In those days A.A. wasn’t easy to find—and we kept it that way,” an oldtimer, sober since 1940, remembered later. “A carefully selected group of priests, judges and policemen knew about A.A.; our phone number wasn’t listed and could be gotten only from information. That way we 2

knew that any newcomer who found us had generally made enough of an effort to guarantee the sincerity of his desire for sobriety.” And in Newark, where the Big Book had been put together in the offices of Hank P., for a time Bill W.’s business partner and sponsee, Hank served as the first full-time paid secretary of the New Jersey Intergroup office from 1944-49. In Charleston, West Virginia, the term “intergroup” was first used in 1953. The association evolved directly from the state’s first treatment center, founded in 1944. Named the Alcan Center, Inc., it was fondly referred to by locals as “the jitter joint.” By the time the first General Service Conference was held in April 1951, at least 16 intergroup/central offices were serving local groups. Since they predated the formation of the General Service structure and performed a different function, they were not a part of the A.A. structure (except in Chicago, where the Area Service Office and Area Committee are essentially one). Sometimes over the years there was overlapping of services, especially when both entities were performing similar services; but eventually, thanks to shared experience and improved communication, in many places intergroups and General Service have come to work hand-in-glove. Since intergroup/central offices are established and supported by local groups; they have no authority of their own. Each intergroup/central offices is unique, reflecting the needs and wishes of its own community, and is responsible to the groups it serves. Typically each participating group has an intergroup representative. These reps meet periodically to elect a steering committee, or board of directors, responsible for administering the office. They also keep their groups informed. A continuing flow of communication is vital, because the groups are completely responsible for the financial support of the office that services them, and local group members provide the volunteers to do the necessary Twelfth Step work. Unity is the glue that holds the intergroup/central offices and general services together, but it is communication that jumpstarts mutual cooperation and harmony—vital both in reaching suffering alcoholics and in being attuned to the needs of those who are recovering in A.A. Many local intergroups produce their own flyers or information pieces. Also, the General Service Office publishes Guidelines and other service material that share the accumulated experience of intergroups and central offices in the United States-Canada and worldwide. These define an intergroup as “an A.A. service office that involves partnership among groups in a community—just as A.A. groups themselves are partnerships of individuals. It is established to carry out functions which are best handled by a centralized office. … It exists to aid the groups in their common purpose of carrying the Alcoholics Anonymous message to the alcoholic who still suffers.” Box 4-5-9, August/September 2007

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■ It’s Rotation Time at G.S.O.— When Service That Goes Around Comes Around As it does every two years like clockwork, there is a changing of the guard at the General Service Office as the 11 A.A. staff members relinquish assignments that most of them have grown to love. They’re not saying goodbye, just au revoir, because in a few more two-year time frames, chances are they’ll rotate round again to the same posts, seeing firsthand that everything old is a challenge again. Is rotation easy? No, say those who have done it. Is it essential to the A.A. way of life? Yes, says the collective voice of A.A. experience. Rotation is frequently referred to as “anonymity in action” because it is one vital way we have of avoiding power, prestige and personal recognition from distorting our best intentions. Also, since the process of rotation in almost all service positions—from the group level to the board of trustees—limits the length of individual service, it does away with popularity contests, “ever reminding us to place principles above personalities,” in the spirit of Tradition Twelve. The first reported use of rotation as “an A.A. tool” came from Dorothy, the wife of Clarence S., who had founded the first A.A. group in Cleveland, Ohio. In an October 1939 letter to the Fellowship’s first (nonalcoholic) secretary, Ruth Hock, Dorothy reported, “Our committee of 7 is really functioning—5 men, 2 women, and they appoint leaders, discuss tendencies, fellowship and stuff…. One man and one woman drop off each month and are replaced by seniority.” Rotation came to the G.S.O. staff a dozen years later, in September 1951. Before it was implemented, the staff members, then numbering six, were asked for their input. Eve M. suggested that rotation would do away with a competitiveness that she felt was out of keeping with the A.A. spirit. Ann MacF. noted that, among other things, it would provide an equal chance for each staff member to contribute and utilize as fully as possible the experience of each person. Some years later another staff member, Beth K., a familiar presence at G.S.O. from 1959-83, said that A.A. co-founder Bill W. leaned toward rotation “so that if anything happened to one person, the office could continue to function efficiently. It wouldn’t fold up if somebody got drunk! The more each of us knew about the different assignments, the better.” Bill himself describes the events leading to rotation at G.S.O. in article No. 3 of Concept XI (The A.A. Service Manual/Twelve Concepts for World Service, Box 4-5-9, August/September 2007

page 58; 59): “We once had the conventional system of one highly paid staff member with assistants at much lower pay. Hers had been the principal voice in hiring them. Quite unconsciously, I’m certain, she engaged people who she felt would not be competitive with her. Meanwhile she kept a tight rein on all the important business of the place. A prodigy of wonderful work was done. But suddenly she collapsed, and shortly afterwards one of her assistants did the same. We were left with only one partly trained assistant who knew anything whatever about the total operation…. Thereafter we installed the principle of rotation in a considerably larger staff.” Bill often shared anecdotes about the perils to A.A. posed by “bleeding deacons” who want always to be in charge—and seldom missed the opportunity to poke fun at himself. “Surely I can make these assertions [about the importance of rotation] with the greatest of confidence,” he wrote in a January 1947 Grapevine article. “For in my own turn I, too, have tried a hand at governing A.A. Each time I have strenuously tried it I have been shouted down;—so loudly, in fact, that on several occasions it looked as though I was due for swift and certain excommunication!” (The Language of the Heart, page 41) At G.S.O. every staff assignment has necessarily expanded in scope with the rapid growth of the Fellowship. Since 1968 membership in the U.S. and Canada has tripled, with the greatest numerical increase occurring since 1980. Yet comparatively few staff and clerical positions have been added to handle the extra workload (not counting the inexhaustible, nonrotating computer system). Since 1951 the rotating staff members have come to number eleven. Approximately 80 employees work at the office, which coordinates the overall work for the Fellowship, shares its collective experience in recovery from alcoholism and serves as the main center for the distribution of A.A. literature worldwide.

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As they gather their papers, plants and pictures and head for their new offices, new assignments and even new direct-dial phone lines, the rotating staff members are aware they personify the importance of the A.A. message over the individual messenger; many find it a moving Third Step adventure in “letting go.” Some staff members have reported that they’re so busy responding to the challenges of their new assignments, they barely have time to miss the old ones. Before they go, though, all are quick to share their experience in office with those who are replacing them. Please note: A listing of G.S.O.’s staff assignments for the next two years is enclosed with this issue.

■ A.A.’s New Class A Trustee Is a Good and Longtime Friend “For several years now, courts throughout the country have relied on a unique collaboration with A.A. to help individuals free themselves from the chains of the fatal disease of alcoholism. Some estimate that more than 80% of the two million prisoners in the United States are either alcoholics or were raised by alcoholic families. Like what came first, the chicken or the egg, what made them the way they are is often uncertain. But what is clear is that A.A. shines a light on the path to sobriety—and helps them to find freedom from fear and hopelessness in a whole new way of living.” Adds new Class A (nonalcoholic) trustee Rogelio Flores, L.L.D., J.D., a Superior Court Judge in Santa Barbara, California: “I am honored to be a trustee of the Fellowship. Thanks to the vision of [A.A. co-founders] Bill W., Dr. Bob and others, the Steps, Traditions and Concepts all ensure that A.A. will continue to grow strong. I hope to be able to share ideas and experience with my fellow trustees, both alcoholic and nonalcoholic, and am committed to serving A.A. in any way I can.” Rogelio, who has lived in California since age 8, received his law degree from the UCLA School of Law. He began his legal career at the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, then spent several years in private practice in his hometown of Santa Maria. He joined the Public Defender’s Office in 1986 and within a year was appointed as the first court commissioner for the North Santa Barbara County Municipal Court. In 1998 he was elevated to the superior court, where, he says, “it is not uncommon to see an alcoholic crying for help in front of the judge.” Looking back on his work in the field of alcoholism and substance abuse, Rogelio recalls, “I hit the ground running. My interest was partly personal—shake any family tree, including mine, and I think you’ll find an alcoholic or two. But the more involved I was with alcoholics and other substance abusers in my work, the more interested 4

and concerned I became.” Today Rogelio is assigned to various specialty courts, including the Substance Abuse Treatment Court, and is a facilitator for the National Drug Court Institute. He is a faculty member of the National Judicial College in Reno, Nevada, where he has taught a course The Honorable Rogelio Flores on domestic violence for the past seven years. He served as a panelist at the national conferences of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals in 2004, ’05 and ’06. He was also a panelist at the A.A. International Convention in Toronto, Canada, in 2005, presenting a workshop on how A.A. and the therapeutic courts cooperate. Rogelio is a member of the National and California Association of Drug Court Professionals and a past president of the Latino Judges of California. He and his wife, Arleen, a kindergarten teacher, have two children, Rogelio Jr., 26, and Christina, 19. The Class A board members today are a vital group with varying expertise that they share generously for the good of A.A. Over the years, as Bill W. gratefully acknowledged, “our nonalcoholic trustees have given an incredible amount of time and effort; theirs has been a true labor of love.” (The A.A. Service Manual, page S17)

■ Five New Class B Trustees See Need for A.A. as Greater than Ever The General Service Board of A.A. welcomes five new Class B (alcoholic) trustees: Conley B., Southwest regional; John K., Northeast regional; Jo-Anne L., trustee-atlarge/Canada; and two general service trustees—Dorothy H. and John S. All share a common bond in their commitment to sobriety and the wide world of A.A. All believe the Fellowship is needed more than ever; and they concur with co-founder Bill W. that “our first duty to A.A.’s future is to maintain in full strength what we now have.” (The Language of the Heart, p. 308) Conley B., of Redfield, Arkansas, succeeds Colorado’s Gary K. as Southwest regional trustee. “With so much of the world living on edge, economically and otherwise, A.A. is especially vital,” he says. “It still works for everybody who works it. The principles are as strong as they ever were.” Sober in A.A. since 1980, Conley says that as a Box 4-5-9, August/September 2007

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trustee, “I am willing to do whatever I’m asked.” A doctor of veterinary medicine, he has had his own mixed animal and consulting practice since 1993. “I have treated everything from gerbils to giraffes and in between,” he says with a grin. A 1993-94 (Panel 43) delegate, Conley is strong on service and sponsorship. “My sponsor walked me through the Steps and into service,” he recalls, “and made me understand the importance of A.A. meetings—that’s where people still get sober. I think that for oldtimers, one of the best ways to carry the A.A. message is just to show up at meetings and interact with the newcomers.” Jo-Anne L., of Winnipeg, MB, follows Ontario’s Murray McI. as trustee-at-large/Canada. “I am totally honored,” she says. “I still tear up when I remember the phone call telling me I had been nominated as a trustee. I am very grateful to have been elected and am ready to be useful in A.A. every way I can.” Jo-Anne sobered up in July 1984 and quickly dove into A.A. life. She has served on several service committees, from Regional/Area Conferences to Public Information, Treatment and Corrections, and was a delegate from 2002-03 (Panel 52). “I love reading and learning about our A.A. pioneers,” she says, “so of course I have a special interest in the Archives.” Since 1979, Jo-Anne has worked for an international food chain; she also serves on the Manitoba Mental Health Council as a consumer, an appointed position. She and her husband, Bob, have two daughters, Shauna and Amanda. “I love my family and friends,” says Jo-Anne. “I love people, ‘theme’ decorating and gardening. And I love the Fellowship of A.A. that gave me my life back.” John K., of Collingswood, New Jersey, rotates into the post of Northeast regional trustee recently held by Vermont’s Mike P. A delegate from 1996-97 (Panel 46), John sobered up in A.A. in March 1985 and “has served as chairperson, secretary, treasurer, coffeemaker and greeter for my home group.” He is “excited about being a trustee and looks forward to being able to serve.” Contemplating A.A.’s future, he says, “This is a wonderful Fellowship, but if we are to grow by attraction, I think we need to make it more attractive to women and minorities. Many are coming to A.A., but not enough are staying.” In the past, among other things, John was an engineer for a company working on the Apollo-Gemini space program. At present he is a community development director for his hometown of Collingswood. He is fluent with German and able to get by in Mandarin and Arabic. He recently completed his term as president of the Board of Directors of Maryville, a rehabilitation center for indigent adults. John and his wife, Millice, have 10 children and 17 grandchildren. Dorothy H., of Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania, feels that being a general service trustee “is a privilege and an awesome responsibility.” A seasoned A.A. hand, she embraced service shortly after sobering up in September 1983. She has been active in general service in three deleBox 4-5-9, August/September 2007

gate areas—Eastern Pennsylvania, Area 59; Northern New Jersey, Area 44; and Southeast New York, Area 49— and has served as public information director for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Intergroup. She was a nontrustee director on the A.A. Grapevine Board from 2004-07 and for two years chaired the Grapevine La Viña committee. A professor of graduate education at a Pennsylvania university, she has more than 30 years’ experience in administration, management, leadership development and education. Dorothy believes the Fellowship “is strong as ever in our commitment to the alcoholic who still suffers and the one not born yet. But while our message stays the same, the media through which we carry it, thanks to exploding technology, are expanding all the time. This gives us many more and exciting ways in which to extend the hand of A.A.” Dorothy’s husband, Tony, is also an A.A. member. John S., of Ft. Washington, Maryland, says he is grateful for the opportunity to serve as a general service trustee. He approaches his new post with a wealth of experience. During the past four years he was a nontrustee director of the A.A. Grapevine and a member of the A.A. World Services and A.A. Grapevine Retirement Committee. In September, John marks 20 years of sobriety in Alcoholics Anonymous. A District of Columbia delegate from 199798 (Panel 47), he is active in group, district and area service and sponsors several men. John, who holds a Ph.D. in experimental psychology and human learning, is retired from his position as senior analyst at a local university. He has been a consultant to the National Hispanic Council on Aging and numerous federal agencies and departments. From 1991-95 he served on the Prince Georges County DWI Facility Advisory Board. In a presentation before the General Service Conference in April, John echoed a view shared by his new fellow trustee John K. when he said, “From our current [Grapevine] subscribers, we have learned that they are hungry for more information about A.A. around the world…. We have also learned from them that we need to do more to reach minorities and the younger members of our Fellowship.” A.A.’s five new Class B trustees, plus the other nine on the board, each serve one four-year term; the seven Class A (nonalcoholic) trustees serve for six years.

■ Invoices via E-mail from A.A.W.S. Anyone placing an order with A.A. World Services now has the option of receiving their invoices or statements via email. Previously, this paperwork went out by regular mail only, a process which can take up to two weeks to reach customers. So next time you place an order for literature or any other material from A.A.W.S., please supply us with your e-mail address and receive your invoice right away. 5

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■ A.A.’s First Secretary Recalls the Highs and Lows of the Early Times A.A. co-founders Bill W. and Dr. Bob met in Akron, Ohio, on June 10, 1935. By 1937 Bill and the New York alcoholics had left the Oxford Group (forerunner of A.A.), largely out of a growing conviction that alcoholics needed to work with other alcoholics. That same year Bill joined in a business venture with Henry “Hank” P., an energetic redhead and former oil company executive who, with Bill’s help, was staying sober. The plan: to organize Northern New Jersey gasoline dealers into a cooperative buying organization. Located at 17 William Street, Newark, New Jersey, it had a name, Honor Dealers, and a secretary, Ruth Hock, at a salary of $25 a week. Ruth, 24, a native of Newark, was divorced, with a young son to support. A nonalcoholic, she never dreamed that she would be instrumental in helping the fragile fellowship of A.A.—in which 40 “drunks,” more or less, were staying sober—to grow and flourish. Years later, in November 1955, as Bill was beginning to write the history of the Fellowship’s first 20 years—which would be published two years later as Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age—he asked Ruth to share her recollections of those early times. Ruth Hock Dear Bill: As I remember, you had been sober just a little over a year when I first met you at Honor Dealers. The job I applied for was as secretary to sort of a distributorship for a group of service stations. Naturally, I had no idea what a surprise fate had in store for me and what a change it would make in my personal life, in my relations to and my opinions of my fellow man. I was interviewed by Hank—my immediate impression of him was that he had a warm, vibrant personality—and started to work immediately that morning…. You arrived shortly thereafter, Bill, bringing with you an aura of quiet, warm friendliness, of slow, deliberate decisions—and, I thought at the time, not much interest really in the service station business. By the end of that first day, I was a very confused female, for, if I remember correctly, that afternoon you had a visitor in your office, and I think it was Paul K. [a prospect]. The connecting door was left wide open and instead of business phrases, what I heard was fragments of a discussion about drunken misery, a miser6

able wife, and what I thought was a very queer conclusion indeed—that being a drunk was a disease. I remember distinctly feeling that you were all rather hardhearted because at some points there was roaring laughter about various drunken incidents. (You will remember with me, I know, that in those days and for several years to come, we talked about “drunks,” not “alcoholics,” and therefore I use those terms here.) Fortunately I liked both you and Hank—I am not too easily frightened—and you were paying $3 more per week than I had been getting, so I was willing to give it a try. Soon Honor Dealers was getting short shrift from both Bill and Hank, who were more interested in helping drunks and publishing a book about the fledgling society. R.H. The activity of Honor Dealers, as I remember, was never of paramount importance…only a means to an end: to help a bunch of nameless drunks. Having come from a thrifty German family, I know what I thought—that if you two would spend as much energy and thought and enthusiasm on Honor Dealers as you did on drunks, you might get somewhere. Anyway, I soon stopped caring whether Honor Dealers was successful or not, and became more and more interested in each new face that came along with the alcoholic problem and cared very much whether they made the grade or not. All of you made me feel as though I were a very worthwhile person in my own right and very important to you, Ruth Hock, 1945 which in turn made me want to always give my best to all of you. To me that is part of the secret of the success of A.A.—the generous giving of oneself to the needs of the other. Before long Bill and Hank were hard put to pay the rent and Ruth’s salary. Honor Dealers moved to a smaller, cheaper location; but, observed Ruth in her recollections, payday continued to be “an indefinite affair indeed.” In spring 1938 Bill began to work intensively on the basic text of the fellowship, Alcoholics Anonymous. R.H. Bill, you began to dictate letters to Doc S. [Dr. Bob]. You never liked to dictate to a shorthand notebook—you always dictated directly as I typed…. Somewhere during those first months I met Doc, who Box 4-5-9, August/September 2007

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gave everyone a feeling of great serenity—peace with himself and God—and an abounding wish to share what he had found with others. During that first year, I don’t think I ever attended a meeting. But through your dictation, Bill, through all I heard at the office and through the letters I was answering myself in your behalf, I began to absorb an understanding of what it was all about and what you were trying to do, and I became aware that the possibilities of writing a book were being discussed. Many of you thought it was an absolute necessity because, even then, the original idea [of A.A.] was often distorted in the hundreds of word-of-mouth discussions. Its original basic simplicity was often completely confused beyond comprehension and, besides, it was becoming more and more impossible to fully expound the idea satisfactorily in letter after letter to various inquirers. As I look at it today, the basic idea of each chapter of the book and the Twelve Steps is still essentially today what you scribbled on the original yellow sheets….The first had to do with how much God was going to be included in the book itself and the Twelve Steps. The result [of often intense discussion] was the phrase “God as you understand Him,” which I don’t think ever had much of a negative reaction anywhere…. You got a green light everywhere you showed that typewritten copy, including from Dr. Bob and the Akron contingent, where a copy of everything was sent for O.K. or criticism. The only other major change I remember during the actual writing of the book was that originally it was directly written to the prospective alcoholic, that is: “You were wrong”—“You must”—“You should”; and after a big hassle this was changed to read, “We were wrong”— “We must”—“We should,” etc. The Akron and Ohio groups were constantly discussing what to name the new book. The Way Out was the favorite, until it was learned that a dozen other books bore the same title. Finally, Ruth recalled, it was settled: The book would be called Alcoholics Anonymous. R.H. The financing of the book is quite difficult for me to remember…. Originally the work was done on Honor Dealers’ time. What salaries were paid came from Honor Dealers’ transactions, and the paper, the pencils, the office, the typewriter, the phone, etc. belonged to Honor Dealers. Let me make it clear that the members of Honor Dealers were never cheated in any way—they were always promptly served. It’s only that what might have been a worthwhile idea for a group of service stations just didn’t pan out. Unfortunately, I am not very good at getting across the spirit of fun, the real enjoyment of life, the cheerful acceptance of temporary defeat, the will to keep trying, the eternal effort to keep everybody satisfied that made these years so very worthwhile and so soul-satisfying…. Even the altercations and disagreements, of which there were many, were carried out with a basic will to reach a compromise, at least. Therefore a compromise was always Box 4-5-9, August/September 2007

possible and always reached amicably. The ability to laugh at yourselves and to accept the puncturing of your own self-importance is one of the basic steps in A.A., I believe—it makes every individual more likable and lovable whether alcoholic or not. What little I have been able to absorb has made life much simpler for me. Just before Alcoholics Anonymous was published in April 1939 by the Cornwall Press, its president, Edward Blackwell, asked how many copies should be printed. The A.A.s, expecting an article about the society to appear simultaneously in the Reader’s Digest (which never panned out), were “still thinking of carloads,” Bill later reported. But though “doubtless impressed,” Mr. Blackwell suggested 5,000 copies for the first printing and agreed to accept a down payment of $500—all the A.A.s could afford. It was decided to make $3.50 the list price, which was high for 1939. In an effort to compensate, however, the thickest paper available was chosen for the original volume, which became so hefty it was dubbed the Big Book. Bill later recalled that “the idea was to convince the alcoholic he was getting his money’s worth,” but Ruth remembered differently: “The idea, as I understood it, was that everybody who read this book, to start, was going to be shaky and nervous, and they didn’t want fine print or fine pages.” (“Pass It On,” p. 205) R.H. When the book was finally rolling off the press, the feeling was that our troubles were over, which turned out to be far from the case. It was agreed that the book needed to be advertised, and a date was finagled for [member] Morgan R. to appear anonymously on the popular radio program We the People. He did a good job with his three minutes while we all listened breathlessly. As I remember, his talk was slanted at doctors, and to back him up we had mailed out thousands of postal cards to a selected list of doctors…to get them to listen and tell them how to get a copy of the book. We had an assembly line all ready to pack and mail the books when the orders came rolling in. Then we waited. I don’t think more than four cards were returned at all, and the only one that made an impression on me was the first one, an order for six books, C.O.D. [that turned out to be bogus]. We simmered down and were as close to gloom as I ever remember we got. Some six months later, in September 1939, an article in Liberty magazine titled “Alcoholics and God” elicited approximately 800 “urgent pleas for help,” Bill reported in A.A. Comes of Age (p. 178). “[Ruth] wrote fine personal letters to every one of them, enclosing a leaflet which described the A.A. book.” R.H. Although the book was mentioned [in each letter], we tried to get across the fact that it was not necessary to purchase it. In each case, the individual was referred to the closest group or individual. Since at that time, I imagine, there were no more than 500 A.A. members, it was often difficult to get any closer to the individual than several hundred miles. However, we did the best 7

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we could and soon began to be able to count on several traveling salesmen among our A.A. members. Outstanding among these was [one] who often made side trips of several hundred miles to try to contact people who had written to our office for help. Some of the things that stand out most were letters from individuals who were too far distant to contact any A.A. group or member but who kept writing back to us and, with the help of the book, were able to reach sobriety by themselves, and even to start their own groups. To keep us humble and laughing were developments like the Southern group. [A member] wrote us glowing reports about his group and its amazing recoveries…. One of our traveling members stopped in for a visit, and his letter to us was an eye-opener. It seems that this particular group was based on the theory that all alcoholic beverages were very bad for the alcoholic—except beer. The idea was carried out so thoroughly that beer was served at their A.A. meetings, along with copious readings of the A.A. book. Oh, well, the beer itself soon cured that misconception.

■ National Archives Workshop Exceeds Early Expectations The 11th Annual A.A. National Archives Workshop will take place the second weekend of September in Phoenix, Arizona. The meeting, which is an opportunity for A.A. archivists from around the country and Canada to share information and learn from experienced colleagues, usually attracts about 140 participants, though attendance has reached as high as 236. Such attendance numbers, not to mention the fact that the Workshop has become an annual event, would have been a big surprise to those who organized the first gettogether back in 1996. “It was supposed to be a one-shot deal,” says Gail L., the Akron A.A. Archivist and one of the organizers of the first Workshop. “We hoped for about 20 attendees, which would have covered our costs.” But soon after the small group of organizers sent out a flyer announcing the event, responses had come in from 25 states and Canada. In the end, 93 registered for that first meeting. “It was a pretty amazing turnout, and it showed that people in A.A. were waiting for something like this,” says Gail. “The workshop got started from the simple idea that archivists need support and training. We figured we would offer tips on conservation and preservation, along with something on the Traditions.” The first Workshop was held in the former Mayflower Hotel in Akron, where Bill W. made the phone call that led to his meeting with Dr. Bob and the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous. 8

One of the biggest things you ever did for the solid growth of A.A., Bill, was to set up a policy of noninterference in the development of individual groups. You set up a policy of suggestion, not direction, with which I agreed all the way and which I always followed. Always the best to you, Bill. Devotedly, Ruth In early 1942, Bill wrote in Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age (p. 195), “Ruth Hock left us to be married, carrying the affectionate wishes of thousands of members. The work of that sturdy little pioneer of the book Alcoholics Anonymous and A.A.’s first Headquarters set us an example that will never be forgotten.” In 1985, at the International Convention in Montreal celebrating 50 years of the Fellowship, which now numbered more than 1.5 million members worldwide, Ruth was presented with the 5 millionth copy of the Big Book. She died the following year at age 75.

Unveiled in the lobby during the Workshop was a 1930s era pay telephone next to a replica of the hotel’s 1935 church directory, where Bill found the name of Reverend Tunks. The Akron Intergroup Archives provided the photographs used as guides in recreating the church directory. “We figured that holding the Workshop in Akron made sense because we could attract people interested in seeing the A.A. historical sites in the area,” says Gail. “We decided to hold it on the last weekend in September so people could see the leaves changing color.” Gail invited Nell Wing, A.A.’s first archivist (who died this past February), to the event, but she was unable to attend. “At the last minute to fill in a space on the agenda, I organized an oldtimers panel and we invited them to talk about what A.A. was like when they first got sober. On that panel was a number of A.A.s who knew Bill W. Now the oldtimers panel has become a tradition at the Workshop.” At the end of that first weekend, people were asking if there would be another workshop the following year, says Gail. “We had no intention of doing another one. I was worn out by that first one.” In fact, the meetings have been held every year since, with the exception of 2005, when the Workshop scheduled for New Orleans was cancelled in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. David C., who chaired the 2000 Workshop in Seattle and has attended almost all the others, says the meeting is an opportunity to offer training to area archivists who have just rotated into the position. “When preserving items from A.A.’s past, you have to do it right or the material will be lost. The right kind of care and preservation of collections will ensure their survival,” says Dave. Box 4-5-9, August/September 2007

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“Typical Archives Workshops might include sessions on copyright law, putting together an area history book, or preserving electronic media. “We also talk about retrieval methods, about the importance of classifying material so that it is accessible and not simply being piled in boxes.” According to Dave, the Workshop addresses “the basic things that archivists need to know, such as what to keep and what to throw away. But I am the wrong guy to answer that question, because my feeling is ‘don’t throw anything away.’ But I’m a pack rat, just ask my wife.” Visit aanationalarchivesworkshop.com for more information about this year’s upcoming Archives Workshop. The 2008 Workshop will be hosted by Area 50 and will be held in Niagara, New York.

■ Where Money and Spirituality Mix— Now (2007) and Then (1950) Support of A.A. services, whether in the group, at local intergroup or central offices, areas, and even nationally through contributions to The General Service Board, has always been part of the spiritual foundation of Alcoholics Anonymous. As A.A. co-founder Bill W. wrote in 1957 “…when we are generous with the hat we give a token that we are grateful for our blessings and evidence that we are eager to share what we have found with all those who still suffer.” (The Language of the Heart, p. 221) Today the quarterly contribution letters that go out to each group listed with the General Service Office try to outline the wide variety of services that the office is able to provide as a result of A.A. members being generous with the “hat.” For example, a letter that went out last year (2006) outlined to groups some of the services that their contributions made possible. A.A. literature was able to be translated into Arabic, Bengali, Bosnian, Croatian, Hebrew, Hindi, Kazakh, and Turkish, among other languages, enabling the hand of A.A. to reach across language barriers. Inmates in jails, prisons and other correctional facilities were able to be linked to outside A.A. members for correspondence that will help them stay in touch with a sober member in that one-on-one experience that is so vital to the recovery of every A.A. member. A television public service announcement (P.S.A.) in which the still-suffering alcoholic may recognize himself or herself, followed by information on how to contact A.A. was made available for Public Information Committee service around the U.S. and Canada. Sometimes a bleary-eyed drinker gets a message of hope through these PSAs. A.A. members who may be: working on a seagoing Box 4-5-9, August/September 2007

vessel for long periods; living in remote areas with no A.A. meetings; or confined to their homes by serious illness or physical incapacity are able to stay sober through correspondence and a bimonthly bulletin sent from the General Service Office. G.S.O.’s Records Department continues to keep track of all those group trusted servants you tell us about, and to send them literature and material that may be useful in their Twelfth Step service. This includes G.S.R. kits, D.C.M. kits, Box 4-5-9 and other material that show up in group mailboxes. The A.A. dollar makes possible exhibit space at national professional conferences in the U.S. and Canada, so that information about A.A. as a resource is made available to those professionals who may be the first to come into contact with the still-suffering alcoholic. A.A. archivists in areas, districts, and intergroup/central offices around the U.S. and Canada receive Markings, the G.S.O. Archives newsletter that is an interchange for information and ideas. In addition, a new traveling exhibit that areas can order for their events and assemblies has been produced. Recently a copy of the 1950 “Semi-Annual Request for Voluntary Contributions to the Alcoholic Foundation,” sent by Bill W., was circulated in the office. It began “To all A.A. Groups: Your A.A. Headquarters is still behind the eight-ball financially!” It went on to say: “Will you give us a hand? Your Foundation and the General Service Office need help—right now. Despite some improvement in Group contributions this year over last, we are headed for a year end deficit of $25,000.” Like in today’s quarterly contribution letters, Bill also explained some of the services that were supported by group contributions, but he was very direct about his expectations for those contributions. After giving some figures on contributions and expenses, he wrote: “To break even for 1950, it is therefore evident that your General Service Office will need $40,000 more than it now has before the year end. Therefore, I suggest that all Groups immediately raise their semi-annual contribution to the Alcoholic Foundation by at least 50%. Many groups could readily do better.” (underlining is original with the letter) Bill also figured in that letter that “one fiftieth of one percent” of each A.A. member’s personal annual income—“nearly all of which is traceable to the fact we have found recovery in this beloved Society of ours— would be all it would take to give the next drunk his chance at life.” At the beginning of that 1950 letter, Bill wrote: “Alcoholics Anonymous has three principal supports: The 12 Steps keep us alive and happy, the 12 Traditions hold us in unity, and our “Services” make it possible for A.A. to operate and grow. Eliminate the Recovery Steps and we die, eliminate the Traditions and we disintegrate, eliminate our Services and we shall fall into confusion and fail to function. It’s just like that.” 9

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■ From the Grapevine Personal accounts of drinking in the lives of young ?alcoholics, and the challenges and rewards of learning to live one day at a time. If you know a young A.A. this makes a wonderful sobriety gift. GV-19; paper $7.95, five or more copies $7.50 each.

■ The A.A. Pamphlet: A Modern ‘Cinderella’ Story Early every Monday morning this past spring, when most Manhattanites were waking to a new workweek, Joan E. could be found at her home group, the 79th Street Workshop, setting up for the closed discussion meeting that would start promptly at 7:15. On each chair she placed an A.A. pamphlet—this week “The A.A. Member—Medications and Other Drugs.” After opening the meeting, Joan or another member of the group read excerpts from the pamphlet, then gave each person in the room a chance to share about the subject and how it related to their own experience in recovery from alcoholism. “Each Workshop member who chairs the meeting, usually for a six-month period, selects the topic for discussion,” Joan explains. “Often it will center on the Steps, Traditions or an emotion—from anger to gratitude—or on A.A. books and booklets, ranging from the Big Book and Twelve and Twelve to Daily Reflections and Living Sober. But whoever heard of an A.A. pamphlet study group? To me our pamphlets, despite being all they can be, are the Cinderellas of A.A. They deserve a chance to shine at the ‘ball’—in other words, at our discussion meetings.” Joan knows about Cinderellas. “When I was a kid,” she recalls, “I got into stamp collecting. What intrigued me most were not the mainstream stamps up front but the “Cinderellas,” as they were called, at the back of the book—beautiful, colorful stamps issued seasonally or commemoratively, but definitely not the leaders.” Years later in A.A., she says, “it all came back to me: Go to almost any meeting, and there they are in all their glory— the A.A. books and booklets, nicely bound, pleasing in 10

appearance and laid out with care on the literature table. Backing them up, and often stuffed into a rack or shoebag like so many Cinderellas, are the hardworking pamphlets that most groups offer free of charge.” The pamphlets, she points out—and there are more than 60 in the English language alone—“offer a wealth of information about all aspects of the Fellowship. What impresses me is their universality. There’s something for everybody, from teenagers to older alcoholics and those with special needs and interests. The Fellowship spends a lot of time, effort and expense on these pamphlets, but so many members either don’t seem to know they exist or else have no idea of how incredibly much A.A. information, history and sharing they cover. For any question we have about A.A., or if there’s a problem that affects the individual or the group, there’s usually an answer, or new light on the subject, to be found in one or more of them.” Back at the 79th Street Workshop, the pamphlets had their months in the spotlight (and may well again). Those who were there came away with a new appreciation of the Cinderellas in their midst that had been there for the asking all along.

C.P.C.

Local committees on Cooperation With the Professional Community each year staff exhibits at 40 to 50 national meetings of professionals. The six-foot wide tabletop display shown here, features new artwork. The display unit is designed for easy assembly and comes in a wheeled carrier. The table drape with the words “Alcoholics Anonymous” comes with the display.

Box 4-5-9, August/September 2007

Cut along dotted line, and post this page on your group’s bulletin board

– – – – -✁ ———————————————————————————–

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BULLETIN BOARD Items and Ideas on Area Gatherings for A.A.s — Via G.S.O.

Calendar of Events Events listed here are presented solely as a service to readers, not as an endorsement by the General Service Office. For any additional information, please use the addresses provided.

August 2-5—Riga, Latvjas. Family Summer Camp. Info: aa@aa.org.lv 3-5—Lincolnshire, Illinois. 2007 Illinois State Conf. Write: Ch., Box 542, Wadsworth, IL 60083-0542; www.district10nia.org 3-5—Jackson, Mississippi. 21st MS Old Timers Round-up. Write: Ch., Box 20664, Jackson, MS 39289 3-5—Altoona, Pennsylvania. 14 th PA State Conv. Write: Ch., 211 Phillips Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15241-1319 3-5—College Station, Texas. 21st AAggieland Conv. Write: Ch., 107 Mile Drive, College Station, TX 77845; www.aaggieland.com 3-5—Hua Hin, Thailand. 1st Hua Hin Roundup. Write: Ch., 1444/4 Petchkasem Rd., Cha-am, Petchaburi, 76120 Thailand; huahinroundup@yahoo.com 3-6—Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. Darwin Round-up. Write: Ch., Darwin Central Svc. Ofc., Nightcliff Community Ctr., Bauhinia St., NT, Nightcliff, Australia 0810 8-12—Orlando, Florida. 51 st Florida State Conv. Write: Ch., Box 411081, Melbourne, FL 32941-1081; www.flstateconvention.com 10-12—Scottsdale, Arizona. 18th Salt River Intergroup Round-up. Write: Ch., 4602 N. 7th St., Phoenix, AZ 85014; www.aaphoenix.org 10-12—Alburquerque, New Mexico. NMCYPAA. Write: Ch., Box 8237, Alburquerque, NM 87198; www.nmcypaa.org 10-12—Hillsboro, Ohio. 8th Friends of Bill W. Campout. Write: Ch., 7510 Tri-County Hwy, Sardinia, OH 45171 10-12—Guelph, Ontario, Canada. 37 th Central West Ontario Conv. Write: Ch., 33 Marlborough Rd., #212, Guelph, ON N1E 3X5; cwocinfo@bmts.com 10-12—Rimouski, Quebec, Canada. Special Forum. Write: Forum Coordinator, Box 459, Grand Central Station, New York, NY 10163; Regionalforums@aa.org 10-12—Katherine, Northern Territory, Australia. Katherine Round-up. Write: Ch., Box 237, Katherine, NT, Australia, 0851 10-12—Leusden, The Netherlands. 21 st International Conv of Netherlands. Info: www.aa-netherlands.org 11-12—Columbus, Montana. Fireman’s Point Campout. Write: Ch., Box 787, Absarokee, MT 59001; www.aa-montana.org 11-13—Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, Africa. National Conv of Zimbabwe. Write: Ch., Methodist Church, Main St and 11th Ave, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. 16-19—Biloxi, Mississippi. 63rd Southeastern Conf. Write: Ch., 1021, Gulfport, MS 39502; www.aa-mississippi.org

31-2—Monterey, California. Monterey Bay Area Round-up. Write: Ch., Box 51486, Pacific Grove, CA 93950; www.aamonterey.org 31-2—Orlando, Florida. Big Book Workshop Weekend. Write: Ch., 3822 Oyster Ct., Orlando, FL 32812 31-2—Portland, Oregon. XXXV Conv. Hispana de EE.UU. y Canadá. Inf: Com. Org., 18645 SW Farmington Rd, PMB #302, Aloha, OR 97007; www.xxxvnacconvaa.org

17-19—Joplin, Missouri. 20 th Summer Hummer. Write: Ch., Box 2364, Joplin, MO 64801 17-19—East Liverpool, Ohio. 17 th Beaver Creek Weekend. Write: Ch., Box 5174, East Liverpool, OH 43920 17-19—York, Pennsylvania. Sunlight of the Spirit Conf. Write: Ch., Box 3538, York, PA 17402; www.sosyorkpa.org 17-19—Green Lake, Wisconsin. Green Lake Round-up. Write: Ch., Box 684, Menomonee Falls, WI 53051 17-19—Green Lake, British Columbia, Canada. 34th Green Lake Campout. Write: Ch., Box 988, 100 Mile House, BC V0K 2E0 17-19—Smithers, British Columbia, Canada. Smithers Round-up. Write: Ch., Box 2366, Smithers, BC V0J 2N0; smithersroundup07@hotmail.com 17-19—Mt. Laurier, Québec, Canada. 17 e Congrès 90-20 de Mt. Laurier. Ecrire: Pres., 370 Blvd, Paquette, app2, Mt-Laurier, J9L 1J9, Canada 23-27—Moscow, Russia. 20th August Conv. Info: www.augustmeeting.ru 24-26—Fortuna, California. Redwood Coast Round-up. Write: Ch., Box 6943, Eureka, CA 95502; www.redwoodcoastroundup.org 24-26—Beaumont, Texas. 26 th District 90 Conf. Write: Ch., 1519 Gary Ave., Nederland, TX 77627; www.aadistrict90.org 24-26—Kerrville, Texas. 32 nd Hill Country Round-up. Write: Ch., Box 293993, Kerrville, TX 78029-3993; hcruchairman@hctc.net 24-26—Red Deer, Alberta, Canada. Red Deer Round-up. Write: Ch., 27 Ellis St., Red Deer, AB T4R 2C8 Canada 24-26—Writing on Stone Provincial Park, Alberta, Canada. Corn Roast. Write: Ch., 719 Birch Avenue, Shelby, MT 59474 25-26—San Diego, California. 3 ra Conv. Regional Hispana del Sur de San Diego. Inf: Com. Org., 1177 3rd Ave., Ste 3, Chula Vista, CA 91910 25-26—Salem, Virginia. Star City Serenity Weekend. Write: Ch., Box 1658, Salem, VA 24153

September 7-9—Anchorage, Alaska. 60 Yrs in Alaska Conf. Write: Ch., Box 140295, Anchorage, AK 99514; www.60yearsinak.org 7-9—Cromwell, Connecticut. Area 11 Conv. Write: Ch., Box 312, Bethel, CT 06801; area11convention@ct-aa.org 7-9—Park Rapids, Minnesota. 17th Heartland Round-up. Write: Ch., 22623 Bass Lake Rd, Osage, MN 56570 7-9—Omaha, Nebraska . West Central Regional Forum. Write: Forum Coordinator, Box 459, Grand Central Station, New York, NY 10163; Regionalforums@aa.org 7-9—Jackson, Tennessee. Area 64 State Conv. Write: Ch., Box 745, Adamsville, TN 38310; area64assembly.org 7-9—Houston, Texas. Southeast 2007 CFC Conf. Write: Ch., Box 92524, Houston, TX 77292 7-9—Dunnville, Ontario, Canada. 41st Dunnville Conv & Campout. Write: Ch., 7611 #3 Hwy, Dunnville, ON, N1A 2W4; dunnconvention@hotmail.com 14-16—Anaheim, California. 13 Ava Conv. Hispana Del Condado de Orange. Inf: Com. Org., 1802 E. Briarvale Ave., Anaheim, CA 92805 14-16—Cocoa Beach, Florida. Serenity Weekend Women’s Fall Conf. Write: Ch., 8025 Gillette Ct., Orlando, FL 32836

Planning a Future Event? To be included in the Box 4-5-9 Calendar, information must be received at G.S.O. three months prior to the event. We list events of two or more days. For your convenience and ours — please type or print the information to be listed on the Bulletin Board page, and mail to Editor: Box 459, Grand Central Station, New York, NY 10163 or literature@aa.org Date of event: from ___________________________________ to _____________________________ , 20_______________ Name of event: ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Location: _________________________________________________________________________________________________ CITY

STATE OR PROVINCE

Address to list: ___________________________________________________________________________________________ P.O. BOX (OR NUMBER AND STREET)

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ CITY

STATE OR PROVINCE

ZIP CODE

Web site or E-mail: _______________________________________________________________________________________ (NO PERSONAL E-MAIL ADDRESSES)

Contact person: ___________________________________________________________________________________________ NAME

Box 4-5-9, August/September 2007

August-September 2007

PHONE # AND E-MAIL

11

October

November

5-7—Troy, Michigan. 20th Tri-County Conf. Write: Ch., 380 Hilton Rd., Ferndale, MI 48220 5-7—Stateline, Nevada. Lake Tahoe Fall Fest. Write: Ch., Box 19307, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96151-0307; www.laketahoefallfestival.com 5-7—Columbus, Ohio. 10th Area 53 CF Conf. Write: Ch., Box 1201, Columbus, OH 432161201; www.area53aa.org 5-7—Spearfish, South Dakota. Area 63 Fall Conf. Write: Ch., 810 N. Main St., #297, Spearfish, SD 57783 5-7—Lynnwood, Washington. 2007 Western WA Area 72 Assembly. Write: Ch., 10924 Mukilteo Speedway, PMB#169, Mukilteo, WA 98275; www.area72aa.org 5-7—Sault Ste Marie, Ontario, Canada. Northeastern Area 84 Conv. Write: Ch., Box 20096-150 Churchill Blvd., Sault Ste Marie, ON P6A 6W3 5-7—Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada. AA Te Tend La Main. Écrire: Prés., 1205 Cousineau, Sherbrooke, QC J1J 3T2 12-14—Denver, Colorado. Southwest Regional Forum. Write: Forum Coordinator, Box 459, Grand Central Station, New York, NY 10163; Regionalforums@aa.org 12-14—Manitowoc, Wisconsin. 27 th East Central Reg. Conf. and Area 56th Fall Conf. Write: Ch., Box 302, Manitowoc, WI 54220 19-21—Austin, Minnesota. Hiawathaland Get-Together. Write: Ch., Box 5792, Rochester, MN 55903 19-21—Salt Lake City, Utah. 2da Conv. Hispana Del Estado Utah. Inf: Com. Org., 36-46 Redwood Rd, Salt Lake City, UT 84119 20-21—Kalispell, Montana. Fall Refresher. Write: Ch., 1132 4th Ave West, Columbia Falls, MT 59912; www.aa-montana.org 20-21—Jutiapa, Guatemala. 38a Conv Nacional de Guatemala. Inf: Com. Org., 11 Avenida “A” 7-62 Zona 2, Ciudad Nueva, Guatemala; osgaa@intelnet.net.gt 25-28—Ocean City, Maryland. 23rd Area 29 Fall Conf. Write: Ch., Box 252, Jessup, MD 20794; www.marylandaa.org 26-28—St. Thomas, United States Virgin Islands. 21st Caribbean Conv. Write: Ch., Box 307556, St. Thomas, VI 00803-7556; www.promisesinparadise.com

1-4—Honolulu, Hawaii. Hawaii Conv. Write: Ch. Box 23434, Honolulu, HI 96823-3434; hconv-secretary@hawaii.rr.com 2-4—Ormond Beach, Florida. 10 th Jekyll Island Gratitude Weekend. Write: Ch., 34 Glen Falls Drive, Ormond Beach, FL 32174; www.jekyllislandaa.com 2-4—Branson, Missouri. Colors of Fall Conv. Write: Ch., 2138 Xenia St., Joplin, MO 64801 2-4—Carson City, Nevada. Northern Nevada Native American Conf. Write: Ch., Box 314, Elk, NV 89803; www.nnnaaa.org 2-4—Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Keystone Conf. Write: Ch., 208-323 Portage Ave., Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 3C1 2-4—Salina Bay, Malta. 2 nd International Conv. Write: Ch., 26, Triq Windsor, Sliema SLM1853, Malta. 9-11—Lake Havasu City, Arizona. Lake Havasu City Round-up. Write: Ch., Box 1692, Lake Havasu City, AZ 86405-7692; www.havasuaa.com 9-11—Oak Brook Hills, Illinois. East Central Regional Forum. Write: Forum Coordinator, Box 459, Grand Central Station, New York, NY 10163; Regionalforums@aa.org 9-11—Newton, Massachusetts. 44 th Massachusetts State Conv. Write: Ch., Box 1820, Westfield, MA 01086; mastateconv@aol.com th 9-11—Greensburg, Pennsylvania. 67 Laurel Highlands Conf. Write: Ch., Box 339 Price St., Bovard, PA 15619-0006 9-11—Nice, France. The Road To Freedom. Write: Ch., 11 Rue De La Buffa, 06000 Nice, France; www.aariviera.org 16-18—Ardmore, Oklahoma. Red River Valley Rally. Write: Ch., 2715 Chattanooga, #201, Ardmore, OK 73401 16-18—Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada. 24th Moose Jaw & District Family Roundup. Write: Ch., 85 Daisy Crescent. Moose Jaw, SK S6J 1C2 16-18—Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. BCYPAA Conf. Write: CH., Box 53613, 984 W. Broadway, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1K0; www.bcypaa.ca 22-23—Orlando, Florida. 12va Conv. Estatal de Florida. Inf: Com. Org. Box 592096, Orlando, FL 32809 23-24—Iselin, New Jersey. Conv. Hispana de NJ. Write: Ch., 256 Mulberry St., Newark, NJ 07105 23-25—Winston-Salem, North Carolina. 2da Conv. Hispana de NC. Inf: Com. Org., 3927 Fountain Village Ln, High Point, NC 27265

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14-16—Lenox, Massachusetts. Back to Basics. Write: Ch., 12 Channel St., Boston, MA 02210 14-16—Newbury, Ohio. 80th Punderson Pk Conf. Write: Ch., Box 570, Newbury, OH 44065 14-16—Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. 39 th Autumn Leaf Round-up. Write: Ch., 627 Main St. East, Ste 205, Hamilton, ON L8M 1J5; www.aahamilton.com 14-16—Lévis, Québec, Canada. 17e Congrès de la Rive-sud de Québec. Écrire: Prés., 2403 du Viaduc, Charny, QC G6X 2V1; www.aa-quebec.org 21-23—Sarasota, Florida. Big Book Weekend. Write: Ch., 17712, Saratoga, FL 34276 21-23—Duluth, Minnesota. 62 nd Duluth Round-up. Write: Ch., Box 16771, Duluth, MN 55816-0771 21-23—Huntington, West Virginia. Area 73 Fall Assembly. Write: Ch., Box 2862, Huntington, WV 25728 28-30—Crescent City, California. Sobriety by the Sea. Write: Ch., Box 871, Crescent City, CA 95531; sbs.rally@gmail.com 28-30—Plymouth, California. Gold Country Round-up. Write: Ch., Box 195, Pine Grove, CA 95665-0195; gcr@goldcountryroundup.com 28-30—Lafayette, Louisiana. Cajun Country Conf. Write: Ch., Box 3160; Lafayette, LA 70502; www.cajunaa.org 28-30—Great Falls, Montana. 2007 Fall Round-up. Write: Ch., Box 2984, Great Falls, MT 59403 28-30—Somerset, New Jersey. 51 st NNJGS Area 44 Conv. Write: Ch., Box 5784, Somerset, NJ 08873; www.nnjaa.org

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