Audio
Transcript
Source: 1955 St. Louis International Convention – DON BOWMAN and JACK HENRY – International Convention Recording – RS 05761.mp3 File: 1955-st-louis-international-convention-don-bowman-and-jack-henry-international-convention-recording-rs-05761.mp3 Duration: 00:58:35
============================================================
In general, we have found our friends to be, like so far, very happily for a small group of the size that we have. We've had other groups in Mississippi who are trying it, and so far, they seem to have worked it out fairly well. Now then, this afternoon, we are going to have a short session, as much as we can, in the time that we have. Now, Bill Stockland is there today, all across the nation, and the person that we will hear from is Don Bowman of Denver, Colorado.
My name is Don Bowman, and I am an alcoholic. I didn't feel so bad being on this panel when I found another lawyer sitting right beside me. You know, my subject of interest on this was, as a sub-house situation, was forming and maintaining in a sub-house. And I said, well, there's a lot of things to be done in that, particularly, as I have particularly found out, very in Denver. Now, one thing you've got to have, I would say, surely, is persistence in trying to find out the answer, the short answer.
Like Bill told me one time, he said, Don, he said, I believe that trial and error is the greatest thing that anybody has had. And trial and error, in my experience, at least to me, the right has eventually worked out. I don't think there's any question about it, and I base that upon what was accomplished. It kind of, that persistence kind of reminds me of a story. This gentleman went into this bar, and he sat up on a stool in the bar, and there were three fellas down there drinking, and the bar standing, and he was very drunk, and he said, give me my drink now.
Oh, I've never drunk. And he says, I've never drunk. And he said, all right. Well, he said, great. He says, very good. Well, he said, great. He watched up for a little while, and he says, give me mine. Give me mine. And he takes another. Very good. And he goes a little while, and he started to say, give me mine. And the bartender says, now, we've gone quite a ways. He says, I think you'd better settle up.
Well, the gentleman says, well, I haven't any money. And about that time, the bartender went over to that bar, and he grabbed it, took it out of the street, and threw it in the gutter, and walked back in. He jumped right up, and burst into alcohol, walked right back in, sat down on the same stool, and he said, give those three fellas a double shot down there. But you can't have it. You get to leave when you get drunk.
A.A. is the business class. You know, in Denver originally, there was a business class. It was known as 1608 Broadway. That was down in the heart of Denver. That's where I had been associated with A.A. several years back. And it grew to such a capacity, the membership, after some years there, that we had no, we couldn't take care of the membership. It was coming in, and people were interested in it.
So it became necessary to buy a place with the kids, and largely not. We were fortunate enough to have a very fine county judge, and there was a lot of estate there, and he was interested in helping us out with that. Long story short, we picked up a place down there, the 1511 York Street. Now, that was a big spot. It's a three-story affair. On the main floor is an office, and there's a little game, and there's a bar, as they call it, which is where they eat, coffee, and social.
The second floor is made entirely into a meeting hall, which is two, and approximately 350 people. The third floor is where the boys play cards in one end of it, one end of the third floor. The other end of the third floor is taken over by the family group. The basement is finished. There are two bedrooms down there, and then I'll tell you more about the total situation that the family group organized.
Now, when we first got there, we did a lot like the chairman. We set that up under a trusteeship, trustees, rather than under AA, because it's not what it ought to be, separate and distinct from AA. It went a long time for some time, and then, as you know, the steering committee of 1311 York Street, at that time, felt that they weren't having enough to say about the property, the house, and the operation of it, the maintenance.
So I happened to be on one of those board of trustees at that time. It was over six years ago. So we said, all right, make it over. See what you can do. You can go to bed.
[00:05:00]
They did. And it ran along fairly well, up to about a year ago, and then it became evident, that what? I say it entirely, that you could not have a steering committee, which in my opinion, now it's really my opinion, a steering committee which has the purpose of what? Operating and maintaining the area, not a building or a truck. In other words, I felt, and many others did, that it should be separated, I guess.
They finally agreed, and so voted, about three or four months ago, and now have a committee, consisting of five members, which is three, plus two to this day, who do nothing. They're elected for three years, and they're a little different on this. I say that on this committee, they must have three years to write, before they can be elected to, the board of trustees, the five members. And their whole duties, their duties will be entirely subject to the mayor, in that they should handle the management of it, the financing of it, we pay on the property, we buy it from the special bank, the board of trustees told me last morning, they'll give you $18,000 a year.
When we originally started six years ago, we now owe a little less than $6,500, and never have missed a thing, so I guess we're working right along. Now, the steering committee, I think the reason for it is, a steering committee cannot be bothered with the maintenance, and the operation, and the financing, financial end of the club building, and the property, to the AA, because, I believe, under that system, the steering committee is operating all sorts of building, the financing, the management, I believe the steering committee is deprived of a great lot of needed AA guidance, that the organization, or that particular club, needed.
And they do feel that way themselves. So, it is back now into the best situation. I'm sure, if they're going to be happier, the operation of the AA, and the board of trustees, take care of the property, and it's their sole responsibility. In operating this whole new landings, we have a lot of trouble, in what we call the coffee bar, because that's where the meals, they have everything there. Now, it isn't exorbitant, and it isn't big, and high-completion, but it is nice.
We've tried for many years now, to try to put alcohol in charge of that. And I'd like to say, we haven't had any success. In more ways than one. So, now we have tried, in the last six months, and pretty soon, to be honest, it's non-alcoholic. We tried to get the primary group, and they should take that over, but they didn't want the job, and I don't blame them. But we did get an outside, and it's been doing fine.
It isn't down to the purpose of making money, of course, we always like to have a little, as I said, they aren't always expensive, but that isn't the purpose of it. It's very reasonable, and anybody who hasn't any money, or anybody who hasn't got a giant of a couple of coffees, they can have all they want, and there's no charge for it. But the kind of vendor I have, and I think the public would appreciate it, that they're not in, if they're in there seriously, before long, before they've got their dime, it is too good to be 50 cents to pay on a penny, really.
And there is no, there's been no charges in that regard. But I tried that for the last few years, and it didn't work. Now it is working when we have non-alcoholic. That might be just a suggestion to you. Now, then we have what is known as the downtown group. The downtown group. I'm talking just the club. And that's right in the heart of Denver. And it's a small place. I love it. It reminds me of the old 1608 Broadway.
The original. Very good. And that is right in the middle of the hotel group. It's good. It's fine. For instance, the night I was told about meeting there for them, I was busy in the election that we had. We got beat. I said, why don't you bring along a speaker for me, for this president at night. And I walked in,
[00:10:01]
and he should be there, but one person from Canada, one from Oregon, one from North Hollywood. He was in a hotel downtown and walked over there, and the club should be down there. Now, from that club, we got down to another one. Now, I think Brian saw these when he was out there last year. What we really would call a skid row group, but I'm going to put it just a little above because we don't want to go lower.
It's down on Wyoming Street, but to the other end of town. And that was originally built the upstairs was remodeled and so forth by a veterans organization. And when they pitched their clock machines without a business in Colorado, they couldn't offer it. So they turned it over without any cost other than rent that they were bound by as QAA4, what is known as an injector. Now, that's the boys which was coming off of that tough row.
And it really is a fine thing. And I'm going to drop down to what we have here at the bottom, if you want to call it that way, a repair group. But the way it works is you'll see them drag work, as I call it. And all of these clubs work together. I mean, we try to not have any animosity between them. For instance, the way it is after they can get themselves, they try to get them up to the inventory group.
The inventory group goes down and they work on them and get them jobs maybe as organizations or something. But anyway, when they can buy a clean shirt and a pair of pants that isn't worn out and then they engage up, as you'll notice, to the downtown group. And then eventually, well, when eventually you see them up at 1311, not because that's any better out there, or really because I've done it or others, but any of them if you take a fellow down he just doesn't have the gut the feeling that he wouldn't be wanted in dirty clothes and so forth then I can understand that.
But you see them with a white shirt and maybe a bit of work in a while and you get them a suit and you see a hunk of shit in a pocket and eventually we see them up at 1311 York which is really good stuff. Now let me show you how we try to operate those clubs. We don't like to have 1311 York known as only for members of people who have been into AA since 1608 Broadway or 1311 York. 1311 York is an AA home for every AA no matter where they live.
And that is the philosophy that they try to carry out. And that's the philosophy the downtown group has. I talked to them the other day. And they have the same thing. You'll find that the big old group which is the industrial group, not the lower ones are tending them up to 1311 when they get them in clean shirts and so forth because it gives them some self-confidence to feel that they're getting a little bit fresh feet back there.
Now what do we do for money? Now you know that most of the ones with, I think, good jobs we might say or money in their pocket belong up to 1311 York. But here's the downtown group for instance. That one has had, at times, been pretty hard pressed to pay them their rent. So what happens? They let 1311 York go or they call them and they say, oh, in my office it's just a few blocks away from their place so if they're gone you can let them have their meeting for it.
They feel that that would probably allow value of that because they're probably bringing in more. And where is the money? It's the same with the industrial group. He sends money down there to help them lock it down when they need it for rent. God knows the money's a cost and they're getting it by everybody trying to help the other guys. They're constantly trying to have what you might think, the top people as far as professional or business-wise and vendor that are in their area to handle a meeting once, at least once a month in each one of those places.
And it doesn't help. It doesn't work. And the, like I did the other night, I am, they want every month, maybe twice a month. Now another thing about this place that we have found that works is this. We have some twenty-nine or thirty. Now I'm not sure. I've seen some of our ones here, they probably never have exact quantities. But I know there's at least twenty-nine or thirty, but they call home use.
Now that's where we meet ten or twelve, or eight. And they try to hold it down to just three, I think, within a home use. This Week, I Think, Within a Whole Week, A Group of Half, Home to Home, Once a Week,
[00:15:02]
Uh, This Week at My House, The Next Week at His House, And They Have an A.A. Meeting, Which They Call Home Week, Now, Where Do These Come From? Ninety-Five Percent of Them Come, From Where? Either The Downtown Group, Or The 1311 Work Group, The Others Have Come Up From The Skid Row, Industrial Group, Now, Therefore, You Think That With The, Left On The Big Group, Like 1311, Taking, And Having Meetings, Uh, Cut Up Into 10, 12, Around The City, Every Week, And That They Wouldn't Come Up There, But That Isn't True, If, I See That, Please, If They, And Susan, If They Have a Responsibility, To That 1311 Work Group, And The Responsibility, To The Others, To At Least Go And Send Them Help, In Any Way That They Can, Now, Most Of Them, I Should Know, The Home Group, Ablong Group, Uh, Will Send An Average Of $30, $40 A Month, Uh, Every, Every So Often, Uh, Other Groups In The City, Do The Same, The Home Group, They Don't Have The Money For Any Other Purpose, Other Than To Buy A Little Literature, Or Something, Uh, So, That Goes There, Or To New York, Uh, I Think You'll Find Most Of The Home Groups Do That, And They Cooperate, If They're Kind Enough, If, If It's A Gift, Of What I've Always Said To Do, And What All The People There That I Know, At Least, That Are Really Trying To Help Others, Is To Try To Show That You Should Listen To Me, But You Don't Have To Be Mad At Everybody, Or Madder Than You Are, But That's Damn Hard To Get Some Of Them To Do, You Know, Uh, Get Up And Walk Out, They're Not Going To Hurt Anybody But Themselves, Uh, They Will Go On, I'm Glad It Wasn't Very Bad, Uh, Now, Getting To This, Uh, On The, On Which Sides Of Jeep That Person Is Allowing, The Gambling, You Know, And It's Tough, Uh, Uh, One Other Thing Before I Get To That, Every Home Group In The City Of Edmonton, Every Home Group, Has The Right To Use Fifteen Or Eleven Yards For Meetings, At Any Time They Want, And They Need It, Uh, Now Then You Gotta Watch, We Found At Least, You Gotta Watch This Course, It's All The Gambling, And We Have Cut It Down To Where It's Very Minimal, Now, I've Seen A Lot Of People Face Over, And Playing A Little Ten Cent Poker, I've Seen, Uh, A Lot Of, Uh, Um, Jim Rumley, Uh, So Forth, If The Person Get Out Of Line, And Of Course, Now, So, You Call Them In, And You Say To Them, You Are The CAA, Not The Police Department, Because They're Setting Up A CAA About Me, And They Think Anyone Is Doing That, And You'd Be Surprised How They Cooperate So Good, Same, Now, We Have What I Think Another, Very Important Part Of Any Clubhouse, Is Your Argument, Your Women's Argument, We Have, And With You, Bobby, I Was The First In The United States, To Take You Out Of Your Office, And I'm Telling You, It's A Tremendous Organization, They Have One Of The Kindest Clothing Departments, In That Basement, You Ever Saw, And I Bought A Merry Shirt, For Ten Cent, Child Money, And I Mean It, If Your Clothes Are Good, Yes, And Everybody Gives In, Uh, Clothes That They Feel, If They're Not Going To Wear, Or Haven't Worn, Or Not Using It, Right, And They Have A Wonderful Setup Down There, And They Sell It Very Easily, And If They Have Any Money Again, They Give It To You, But, They've Been Able, To Help The 1311 West Street, Come I Think, On That Basis, They Hold A Bingo Party, I Think It's Once A Month, And Prizes, And They Put On A Couple Shows, Every Now And Then, At All The Clubhouses, And You'd Be Surprised, At The Money, That That Would Really, Or Wouldn't Be, The Non-Alcoholic, Member Of The Council, Uh, Before That Club, There Isn't, Much More I Can Say, About That, You Can See How It's Taken Time, To, To Do It, But I Think It's In One Of The Situations, I Think They're Working Properly, I Think They're All Trying To Cooperate, I Think They All Have A Best Interest, In The Sick Alcoholics, At Heart, And I Really Do, Because Everyone, Will Go From One Of Those Clubs, Which They Call Clubs, Uh, Although They Have, An AAV, And That's Another Thing, This Downtown Group, First Tried, To Run Clubs, Such As, Uh, The Terms You're, Mentioned, But It Didn't Work, It Didn't Work, Uh, People Didn't Come, And I Think It Was A Wrong Location, In The First Place, Or Something Like That, Because It Was Based In Charlotte, That Year Down There, Upon, A Scientific Experience, State Of Things, Uh,
[00:20:00]
So They Took That, And Now Have, Uh, A Regular AAV, And Call It The Downtown Group, And They Have A Nice, Little Subway, Now, It Seems, That It's Working, A Lot Better, Which Is, Just A Lot Better, But I Believe, That Any Club, No Matter How Big It Is, Or How Small It Is, I Think It Should Be, Constantly Available, And That, You Can't Just Have A Club, I Don't Believe, Anyway, We Can't Just, And, They Said, Before Long, It Doesn't Become, An AAV Connection, At All, I Mean, Even In Printing, And, As Soon As They Got, The News Back, Who Offers, Uh, A Meeting, A Charge, A Membership, Uh, They Come Right Up To The Top, Yes, But Those Things, Like They Say, Calamaro, And Calamaro, Is The Kind Of Thing, I Don't Think Any Of It, Knows What Is Right, And What Will Work, Of What Is Wrong, And That's What I Agree With You, Is That You Have Got To, In My Opinion, Calamaro Will Solve All Things, In AAV, If You Don't Know What To Do, And It's, I'm Just Happy, To Be Able To Be Here, And Say What Little Bit, I've, I've Found, In Regards To That, This Clubhouse Situation, And, Uh, Thank God, I'm Able To Be Here, Thanks.
Applause Thank You Very Much, John, I Am Not Announcing This, Sudden, So, For These, Because Each One, Uh, Said To, Uh, Take The Phase, That He Was Talking About, Before The Radio Latitude, And He Went To These Speakers, They Just Had Suggested Topics, And We Would Now, Like To Hear From, Wes Sedna, Of St. Louis, To Go. Applause I Am Wes Sedna, And I Am An Alcoholic. About, Eleven Years Ago, We Rented A Hall, In St. Louis, And We Didn't Go To Any Other Places, But We Got Together, A Few Groups, A Few Socials, In St. Louis, To Arrange A Cold War, With Each Other.
They Got Together, On The Subject Of This Hall, And The Very Meeting, There, Of A Group, I Know From That, And It Kept On, For About Six Years. At That Time, The Owner Of The Building, Wanted To Sell, And Refused To Remove The Lease, So It Was Necessary, To Find Another Quarter. Being Unable, To Get Together On That, They, Established A Downtown, Or Central Office, For The First Exchange, Answering Service, So They Were Calling In For Help, And The, General Meeting Place, Or Clubhouse, Rocked Along For A While, Until Several, Of The Reviews, In St. Louis, Decided They Wanted To Come, And Put On Advice, To Obtain The Necessary, Funds, And Budget, To Build It.
So They Were Successful In Getting, And They Organized This Club, Which Is Now The 4522 Club, It Was Originally Organized As The Al-Anon Club, And Following The, Recommendations Of Bill, They Incorporated This, As A Non-Profit Organization, And Removed It Entirely, From Any Group, Affiliation, Or Domination. They, Have Five Directors, Who Are Responsible For The Operation Of This Club, Those Directors, Are Elected, Three, Three In One, So They Will Have Some, Exchanges On There At All Times, The, Operation Of It, Is Left Entirely, In The, Board Of President's Hands, But, On The Other Hand, They Can Be Deposed By, A Meeting Of The, Members, And The President, Without A Fact, The Voting Numbers, In This Club, Are Known As The, Charter Numbers, Charter Numbers, We Have, Two Types Of Memberships, The Voting Of Charter, And The Associates, Members, We Have An Initiation Fee, The Charter Members Get, Across A Hundred Dollars, The Associates Members, Get For Twenty Five Dollars, For The Benefit Of Those, Who Do Not Feel Like Putting Out, Either The Twenty Five, Or The One Hundred, And One Run Sum, We Make Arrangements, For Them To Fill Out, An Installment, The Dues Are The Same, They Need A Fee, Three Dollars A Month, In Addition To Our Fees, We Have As, A Sort Of Revenue, Seven Rooms, Which We Rent Out, To Groups Needing Their Weekend, Out Of About Forty Groups, In St. Louis, We Have Sixteen Meetings, Weekly, In The Club,
[00:25:00]
In Addition We Have, A Thursday Night, Family Group Meeting, There, We Give To, The Alamo Society, The Use Of, The Kitchen Rooms There, Twice A Week, To Hold Lectures, For The Newcomers, In Their Area, We Do Spend A Little Bit, On Our Income, And We Have Some, We Have Some Ping-Ball Machines There, Which, Provide Us With A Little Revenue, Unfortunately We Are Not Allowed, To Hold Ping-Ball Games, In The State Of Missouri, So We Are Not Able To, Take Advantage Of That, We Do Not, Cut Our, Card Games, At Any State, We Allow The Members To Play Among Themselves, If We Have A Limit On The Card Games, No One Will Be Seriously Hurt There, We Can't Keep Them From Playing, So, We Ask Them To Please, Moderate That State, So That, No One Will Go Home, So, Added Life To It, And Being In Air Air, Does Not As Bad As Being Drunk, Coming Home Without Any Money, We Have, Our Annual Election, In April, At Which Time The, Governors Are Elected, The Governors Themselves, Elect Their President, Vice President, Secretary, And Secretary, For A One Year Period, And The Next, One Of Those, Board Of Governors Gets Drunk, Or, Likes To Retire For Some Reason, And, That Will Help, How Do You Say It On, You Fill This Period Up, In Case Of, Any Of Them Having To Resign, Or, Anything Happening Why, The Remaining Governors Appoint, If Successful To Fill That Unexpired Time, Unless It Happens Around Election Time, And Then We Leave It Up To The, Members To Elect A New Governor, For The Unexpired Time, We, Want This Club As, A Social Club, Or Is A, Do This Over, And You Want To Stay That Way, And Be Associated With Others So Far, Therefore We Have In Our Borrow, A Rule That, No One Is Allowed In The Club, While Drinking, If One Of The Members, Went And Jumped To The Club, At The Cost Of Attention Of Everyone, And He Is Drinking, He Is Warned By The Governor, And Upon, His Second Attempt, He Is Disbanded, That's Formally As Mandatory, 30 Days To The First Attempt, 60 Days To The Second, And Six Months To The Third, That Has Been Changed, And That Is Left To The Discussion Of The Board, We Haven't Had Many, Cases Of That As Long As, Had To Be Enforced, We Can, In The Case Of Some, Grievous Misconduct On The Part Of A Member, Expelling From The Club, Fortunately We Never Had That To Do, And I Think, The Rest Is One Exception, I Think That, The Effect Of, A Few Suspensions, And One Expulsion, Will Be Such That We Won't Have Any Trouble In The Future, We Started Out With, As I Say, A Budget, Two Thousand Dollars, Given In Various Lots, We Purchased It Properly, Out Of Forty Five, Twenty Two Members, We Spent A Good Bit On Improvement, Being A Non-Profit Organization, We Fouled Back Any So-Called Profits We Might Have, Into Improvement, We Now Have Total Assets, Of Approximately Eighty Thousand Dollars, We Owe Less Than Fifteen Thousand Dollars On The Building, All Of The Furniture And Other Things Are Paid For That, It Is A Business Organization In The Way, They Are Not Discriminated By Any Group, Any Group That Wants To Meet There, We Are Pleased To Have Them, And When Any Group Meets In Our Club, Any Of The Members, Whether They Be Sub-Members Or Not, Have The Full Privileges Of The Club At That Time, They Also Have Full Privileges On Thursday Night, Or The Nights That They Are Attending Their Elections, For The Beginners There, If Anyone, Such As The Desire To Join The Club, When They Come In To A Room, We Are Pleased To Extend Them A Better Day, At This Time, At The End Of That Better Day, If They Become Eligible To Join, If They Don't Want To, There Is No Pressure Put On Them, If They Do, They Are Glad To Have Them, Some, Few Months Ago, I Don't Recall Exactly When It Occurred, But, There Was An Article In New York,
[00:30:23]
and you had to do something to clean it up, and we did, and we've been very successful at it, there was, in the early years, I don't even know if it's true or not, it's probably been a couple now, possibly that was the cause, but they put some old men on there like myself, and it didn't count in the same way that I saw it. About 18, 19 months ago, we decided to air-condition our clubhouse to the comfort of the members, and saw the benefit of a group meeting there, a group of people at the air-conditioned cabin, and what we decided to have among the members, we raised about $7,500 for that purpose, we borrowed another $3,000, which we repaid in a year's time, and we now have three floors, the basement and the two upper floors, which is the only two that we use, we don't use the top floor, hasn't felt any need for it yet, that's all air-conditioned now.
I don't want you to think that, from my conversation, that we have a great many members, we will come in with the necessary $500 or $1,000 any time we ask, and that isn't true. Our membership is just as much a cross-section of American life as any group in the Navy. We have members there that $3 a month is a little burden on them. On that, we have a rule that you must pay up your duties, but there are ways to get around that, and as long as they're with somebody else, usually there's a point. So we're not all rich men by a long shot in this organization.
We are on a good financial basis now. There's no reason we shouldn't stay that way. We have money in the bank, and as long as they will continue to rent their rooms from us and pay their duties and let us have a couple of pinball machines, well, I think we'll get along all right. We'll probably have to scratch if we have any machines taken away from us, but we have put back into the building in the way of furniture and various things that are needed. A great deal of money that we wouldn't have had to do if we hadn't been able to make a penny of money each month.
We do try to look ahead. We have enough to operate on several months. If anything in the nature of a crash ever happened, then we would be able to expense, of course, if that did. We operate our own bar. We do not try to make a profit on that. That's for the benefit of the members. We have more help than anyone would use if they had that as a private consortium, but we don't regret the money we're putting out for that if it keeps the members happy. I mean, it's an approximate liberty, even on the bar. We're glad to hear so.
Of course, we always get gifts from some of the members. They know of, say, the White Castle or Freddie's Yard or something of that kind where sandwiches can be bought cheaply and we sell them, but that doesn't mean anything because if they didn't write about that, we figured they'd write about something else. And we on the board know that as soon as we get off the board, we will join the private, as we were beforehand, and we'll get back to it again.
Wives of our A.E. members, all husbands of the case may be, are just as welcome as anyone else in our club. We don't have many of them coming over by themselves. They're usually accompanied by their wife or husband, but they are very happy and welcome. God of America, if you're not having a meeting there, bring ten nine-hour social night, and we're going to park one of them all the time, and bread, gin rum, and polka, whatever you want, hard to die sometimes if you don't go up and organize a single thing, but that's why they're not legal in Missouri, and that's strictly for the benefit of them.
And the house doesn't fit very many of their sets. It couldn't very well cut apart that small.
[00:35:04]
I, judging by our experience, in first sight, this original hall that we rented, actually for the last six months we've got this open, it went downhill badly. Being in a larger city, we, of course, have a greater number of bonds, federal bonds, that we will use, and they will be cut out just as carefully as they use any other place that's open to them. We had a good number of those fellows. We were constantly putting out one door to find them coming back in another one, and as soon as the meeting started, they were very careful, and we cut off their television, they were very careful to leave and get out of there to the saloon just to come back out there and use them when the meeting would be over.
It was nice and warm in there. We had coffee and tea, and they, of course, neglected to think anything about the city that we also had. So, basing it on that, and basing it on our presence, which we tried to operate as good AA's, but still behove it from being really tied in to AA's, or under the rule of any AA group, our experience has been just as gratifying for us, I say, in St. Louis, and I'll go that way.
I think that's all. Thank you. Thank you very much, Wes. And now we'll hear from Jack Henry of Fort Worth, Texas. I'm Jack Henry, an alcoholic, just like many more of you out there this afternoon. AA met at Fort Worth in August 1943. First meeting was held in a hotel room, later a reconditioned stable. We went from there to the Warrington series, and in 1945, we acquired our first building, which, oh, that's just so good showing you, we had our first Memphis estate.
It was there that we climbed into a plethora of expansion, and many eager believers, of course, started out in each direction. Unfortunately, the number of us, West Texas groups, West Texas series, was number one in Fort Worth. Along the last set of times, good men and women began to feel like they had a home of their own. That's when, of course, Mr. Henry Kennedy had a meeting, and Billings Farm was inaugurated.
By late spring of 1948, this farm had grown to somewhere around $13,000, and I appreciate this in contribution. Of course, since then, the membership has become 100% morally restored. That's a little similarity with Bill's then, such as one-armed bandits and so forth. He might have been useful to us through the fact that he kept the most votes. Few arguments took place from time to time among the nonpartisan members, and, of course, they got dumped.
So, in this time, with few subtle hints from Bill, we formed a separate corporation, a much taller, bloodier organization than our bank account. As one of our good members down there, Charlie Chan, often says, we ask the question, why are not any of you the members of our society? The answer is, for a simple reason, we found it financially unstable and economically unsound. So, for that reason, our Harbor Club started out in a different direction. We really developed an organization that did stand the test.
That's the first meeting of a membership, of a chairman and secretary, a non-profit organization of farms, concentrated on the state farm sector. Then we started out to look for a location, and we found that Bill said it was on 1008 French Street, which was jailed, around $45,000. Close to this $15,000, that was a long ways to go. So, we started out with the idea of getting the pledges, but this directorship at that time, Charlie didn't match anything that the membership might raise. So, the membership raised $7,500, and so the directors had to meet that fine.
[00:40:04]
So, maybe it left us with about 28,000 pieces of this corn of the realm. We worked along, and we decided then to take in this bang bomb. I don't recall whose idea that was, but the membership went for the whole bite, to make up this $45,000. Of course, for a while, it seemed very necessary that we just continue along on our wicked scheme, until these bombs were liquidated, by installing a few of these noisy fixtures in our New York waters.
In a markedly short time, however, these bombs were retired, and that's realized, not only through the bombs, but through our fines, and then the Mt. Jocelyn Square. We remained at 1008 10th Street from 1948 until 1953, and at that time, architecture was going a fair way. It was the beginning and the end of our society's first decade in Fort Worth, and the Harvard Club moved into this $140,000 new home of 3,000 sq. feet.
This edifice was bought and built in the soil of our old 10th Street for $70,000, and incidentally, that is where our vain fortunes smiled on us again, the first day of Springfield Spring, along with more of our location, and we're glad to give it a mount. Through donations and contributions, good management, we now own only a fraction of $25,000 in this short period of time. AA paid the normal rent of $125 a month, but that quarter kept it from the club quarters over on one side, and the secretary's office over there, and it was not mixed in any way with club affairs.
I have read several financial statements of our club operations, which I'm sure have proved to the most skeptical that our operation is moving along nicely, and we're able to pay our bills and put some money aside. We found a way to help and help us, and continue to do so as long as we are able, since that day when the start was made back on 4th Street. The objective of the club office plan is to promote the individual and family story of AA, that's the last three things in the season.
There is much cooperation in AA, as well as part of our activities. It's great to make some new contacts and new and old friendships. I know we all don't have a schedule in AA unless we do have that regular contact with such a wonderful bunch of people. We know this is a long, hard way, but through the cooperation of many, we have accepted our shared responsibility, and now we feel that we have not failed those who needed us most.
As we all know, coming together is the beginning. Keeping together is progress, and working together is success. And I can't dream it through this night without leaving some sort of footprint, or at least feel it follows. There's very little time for many of us, and lots to do. We are working through stages of life that seem unimportant, and there's great opportunity in those friendships, a catalog of precious memories.
Those of whom we share our time, our influence, and our effort. As we get older and the longer this is, and yet, sometimes it ever takes me in, I slowly realize that the results have changed, and how the clubs have worked, that AA is growing up, becoming of age. We have nine directors on our board. Those of you who have held each year, three of you are now sergeants. So, it means that we have a new bunch coming on.
And, we're in a very cosmopolitan sort of moment. With the operation of the club under the management of one man. We pay this man just $900 a month. We take care of the club facilities, and of course, handle all of the collection of dues, and so forth. On Saturday nights, we have a Saturday night dinner. Which is good savings by some 75 or 100 people. By Some Seventy-Five or Hundred People, After That We Have Lingo, That Brings In Additional Revenue, Those Sufferers Are Carried By the Wives of Their Exiles, Auxiliaries of Their Aides,
[00:45:08]
Our Membership is composed of people across the board. Chairmen, Merchants, Banks, Businessmen, Bankers, Oilmen, Doctors, Lawyers, Engineers, and various staff members such as pharmacists, educators, and the house owners. We have approximately a membership of a hundred employees. It's an indication of our goals that looks like we should reach two hundred. And our building is built for future expansion.
There is a clubhouse, a dressing room, a large auditorium, which is converted into this dining room on a Saturday evening. A kitchen, snack bar, coffee, lunch room, and a stage and lounge, TV room, and game room. It's nice and safe, there's a festive environment for those people who want some family to eat. It's peaceful surroundings and a theme. I would like to address yesterday's chair and quote some of the notations made on our desk books by people as they've come through.
A moving establishment where we meet people of the same illness. The only place outside the foundation of our new YMCA and YWCA where drunkenness is not tolerated. A second home. The only home for most of us when we turn their age and are on time for treatment. The only work we must take for the love of our fellow man as well. Having served time, place to meditate, membership, the only qualification is the bondage.
And one person that is subdued in this chair, the price is always money. Keep your head to the side. It doesn't cost a price of even one cent. I quote some letters that I received from active clubs in our area. And I want to complete what they mean. What it means is that I came to the organization in May 1946 and I'd had a great time. I was not accepted inside in general and had no friends. I had times when I survived at home on the balance by a chair.
In my early days it was a relatively cold and unfriendly at certain times. I could always go to the club and feel I was in sanctuary and or haven. I am sure it had much to do with maintaining my survival in the early days. I've also seen the real problems you have to cope with at times. I can do an S.S. at the Community and also an S.S. at A.A. We're drunk, and are we, too, because we have an A.S. level.
I have a permanent phone number and, of course, contacts can be made at any time where help is needed. It's not necessary to know how to become a member of any club, neither does it have to be necessary at all. And most of all, when an A.A. has gone to sober up at the Harbor Club, he or she is complimented at times for 30 days. At the end of that 30 days, a text says the Harbor Club Corporation writes him a very nice letter inviting him and setting out a course to qualifications as well as the advantages of our Harbor Club.
We try to follow through on this in order to encourage him to become a member. And until then, he feels like that he is becoming a part of the whole Harbor Club. And during our course of instruction, we release it at that first moment. The leader of our beginners class will always devote one or two evenings during that month to setting up what the club means and what the A.A. means. So he is in legend and is not wondering what definitely is the difference.
I have an old school letter here from my very good friend, Lance Packett, which Mr. O'Call has kept out several reasons. I personally was very pleased when I came to A.A. by the fact that a clubhouse was available where I could drop in between meetings and then dine out too. To me, the clubhouse is a safe haven and the kind of atmosphere of understanding that is so important when you first decide to do something about an alcoholic problem.
Here we find those who share what is good and can hope for better. The clubroom serves as a beacon light for strangers and our group. We find that many people have called and visited our club while traveling instead of in terms against the temptation of a drink due to loneliness away from home.
[00:50:02]
But it is a definite link connecting A.A. and the community. We consider A.A. as no clubhouse open meeting. It is just like a friend's house when it is next door. In many cases, I am the only member around the clubhouse in the middle of the church to drop step calls. I always turn around when I wish to call a clubhouse to talk to both alcoholics and non-alcoholics who may seek our help. I wish to call a clubhouse as soon as I get an email with staff's needs and the general public know that they are on the job day and night and know where to come for information.
That is the real address that we need in between our A.A. and the community. Any questions? Next and last speaker on the panel, Hugh Towie of New York New Jersey. My name is Hugh Towie. I am an alcoholic. I came to A.A. back in November of 1941. I got drunk three times after coming in and I finally got sober on December the 8th of 1942. I came out here to this convention and yesterday morning I registered and I have been frustrated and aggravated ever since I registered.
I've got a tenure and half of the time my introduction is garbled and I'm saying hello to Pete and the guy says no John. I can't seem to get the name. I've got to wear eyeglasses to see anything so everybody can say hello to me it seems but I can't see them. I had to go fishing for the eyeglasses and half the time I can't find them. So I'm in a heck of a shape here. But I'll get through and I'm sure I'm going to enjoy myself.
The paid manager of the Illinois Club of New York New Jersey. I've been working at that job full time for about four years. About a dozen years ago the first New Jersey group of A.A.'s and I'll show you from Bill Wilson's original New York group. One of the meetings in Illinois was located in a famous old time gentleman's club. It was built about 50 years ago. Advancing years and changing neighborhood has cut the membership of the club down.
There's only about 10% of the original members of that club left. The place was beautiful and I don't have to tell you that every meeting night every A.A. present looked upon it with great longing for an A.A. clubhouse. The opportunity came after two years when we were offered the building and grounds for $22,500. We snapped it up thick as lightning, the committee accumulated $1,000 and we laid it on the line for a down payment.
It represented every dime we owed. For about, at this time, 91 A.A.'s in the New York area and a half a dozen groups who were interested in clubhouses. I would say about 50% of them weren't working. Every last one of us was still up for hearing bets. But nobody cared about that. We were crazy happy over the opportunity of getting this club. The L.A. is a place of love for sincere A.A.'s and good families.
The job is to provide A.A.'s with a place to visit and enjoy one another's friendship and companionship under the most congenial conditions. It endeavors to furnish a music and dance version for the members and their families. And to serve all members of Alcoholics Anonymous in need of the help and comfort which comes with good fellowship and practice in the movement. In this manner, L.A. functions actively in rehabilitating the men and women of A.A.
The L.A. itself directly engages in no A.A. therapeutic work whatsoever. It adheres rigidly to A.A. tradition as propounded by Bill, but it is neither a group nor a central body in any sense. All A.A. matters being handled by the individual A.A. groups or the New Jersey Intergroup. Pure and simple, it's the recreation center for the individual members of A.A. New Jersey who own it. It is a legally chartered non-profit corporation of New Jersey entirely controlled and operated by its own membership.
They annually elect a board of five trustees, each of whom must have been dry for two years to manage it. In the event of it ever being liquidated, our bylaws say that the proceeds would go to the foundation. The Uniform Clubhouse measures 80 foot long by 52 wide. It's fully equipped with club facilities. In the basement are four bowling alleys in first class condition.
[00:55:01]
There's a card room, men's washroom, oil-burning heating plant, and an exhaust system. On the first floor is the hub of all the club life, the coffee bar. This bar is, of course, one end of a huge recreation room which also contains a kitchen, tables for those partaking of food and drinks, pinball machines, telephone poles, a piano, a good pool table, which is seldom idle. In this room we have our Saturday night crowd gathered to fork, eat, dance, to orchestral music, see four shows, and by the participation and civil pleasures demonstrate that AA life is good.
The coffee bar is open together with all other club facilities from 9 until midnight, Fridays and Saturdays, and Saturdays and Sundays. The coffee bar is open together with all other club facilities from 9 until midnight, Fridays and Saturdays are open from 1 in the morning. In a separate room on the first floor is an excellent television set, plenty of comfortable chairs for viewers. There's also a room equipped with writing facilities and seats for those who wish privacy or place to meditate.
A large auditorium seating 400 occupies most of the second floor with ample stage and dressing rooms for shows and so forth. There's a very comfortably furnished ladies' powder room that uses the balance of the space on the second floor. The auditorium is frequently used for large entertainment, special parties, meetings, etc. We couldn't replace the building in or now for $100,000. In fact, six months after we got it, we were due $50,000 for it.
All this was just 10 years ago. But the events of the intervening years have long since completely justified our judgment in refusing that fabulous profit and developing the club instead as a facility dedicated to the rehabilitation of sober AA. For instance, North is a hub of the North Jersey area where there are 75 or more thriving groups. And you can believe me when I tell you that it was a rare meeting indeed in that area when at least one, at least one of the speakers does not relate the help he received from Al-Anon in his early days of recovery in AA.
Or when he had dry jitters or was nervous and worried or when the chips were down for any cause whatsoever. In their sufferings of despair and remorse, these AA found at Al-Anon something they could get nowhere else. This is a word, to me, it's a beautiful word, and, and, uh, sanctuary. If there's any place an AA can get sanctuary, I believe it's in an AA clubhouse. They still claim to be a haven of security, whether neither molested or interrupted as they go through that search and self-examination.
Perhaps the first agonizing moral inemployment an AA has ever taken of himself. Feeling they struggle in seclusion with the job of grasping the importance of humility and self-honesty is fortunate. They're along with their groups, but at the same time surrounded by sincere friends whose sympathetic understanding of the problem is available at an instant's notice, if needed. It is my sincere judgment that this factor of sanctuary is the most outstanding beneficial feature that the Newark Al-Anon Club contributes towards the recovery of our members.
So I believe I have full appreciation of the work of the clubhouse and many other organizations.