AA Book Club

Throwback Thursday AA history post - The six articles published in the Cleveland Plain Dealer in late 1939 led to tremendous growth in Cleveland's AA Group #3, but also got Clarence kicked out: That fall Clarence smuggled freelance reporter Elrick Davis into meetings of that first Greater Cleveland group and Mr. Davis wrote a series of articles on A.A. which were published in the Cleveland Plain Dealer. This resulted in over 500 calls for help to be tended by the only 13 active members... Many members were upset by this workload and by the surreptitious manner in which it was done. So they voted Clarence out of A.A. (which was something that could be done at the time).   (aa.cle.org) Reprinted from the October 23, 1939, Cleveland Plain Dealer with permission. Alcoholics Anonymous Makes Its Stand Here       [Second of Six Articles] By ELRICK B. DAVIS In a previous installment, Mr. Davis outlined the plan of Alcoholics Anonymous, an  organization of former drinkers who have found a s

  Tuesday AA history/literature post - Bill Wilson speaking in the Traditions (Part 4):

Saturday AA speaker post - "Top 10 AA Speaker of All Time" - Don C, Gopher State 2006:

Throwback Thursday AA history post - Jackie B presents "The 12 Schleppers: Jewish Contributions to 12- Step Recovery": Jackie B on The 12 Schleppers: Jewish Contributions to 12-Step Recovery

  A Big Book topic from our online study guide at AABookClub.org: Who is Responsible for Being the Good Samaritan? Our real purpose is to fit ourselves to be of maximum service to God and the people about us. (Page 77) The spiritual life is not a theory. We have to live it. (Page 83) Love and tolerance of others is our code. (Page 84)   Helping others is the foundation stone of your recovery. A kindly act once in a while isn’t enough. You have to act the Good Samaritan every day, if need be. (Page 97)

Throwback Thursday AA history post - Writing the Big Book "Impact on AA Beliefs": Bill Schaberg & Jim Wehrle: WTBB Impact on AA Beliefs

Tuesday AA literature/history post - Bill Wilson's 1958 Grapevine article on Emotional Sobriety: The Next Frontier : Emotional Sobriety by Bill Wilson Copyright © AA Grapevine, Inc, January 1958   I think that many oldsters who have put our AA “booze cure” to severe but successful tests still find they often lack emotional sobriety. Perhaps they will be the spearhead for the next major development in AA—the development of much more real maturity and balance (which is to say, humility) in our relations with ourselves, with our fellows, and with God.       Those adolescent urges that so many of us have for top approval, perfect security, and perfect romance—urges quite appropriate to age seventeen—prove to be an impossible way of life when we are at age forty-seven or fifty-seven.       Since AA began, I’ve taken immense wallops in all these areas because of my failure to grow up, emotionally and spiritually. My God, how painful it is to keep demanding the impossible, and how very pa

                                               Founders Day June 10, 1935! In honor of Founders Day, here area few photos taken on a pilgrimage to Akron some years ago: Photos: Dr Bob's home; The Williams home, Akron's first meeting place; The Gate Lodge on the Seiberling estate - Bill and Bob first met here; The Mayflower Hotel and 2 interior shots; King School, Akron meeting place after breaking with the Oxford Group (Original building was torn down and rebuilt).

Saturday AA speaker post - "The #1 AA Talk of All Time" - Ed M, Founders Day 2003: 

  Timelines in AA History – 1935 To 1936 Arthur S., Northeast Texas Area Archives has built upon Archie M’s original Timeline file: 1935  -Dr. Bob confessed drinking problem Oxford Group before meeting Bill  ( S  18) •   early 35′  -Bill preached Oxford Group message, no 1 sobered up  ( B  233) ( P  131-132) •   Spring  -T. Henry Williams lost chief engineer job National Rubber Machine Company  ( L  104) •   Fall  -Bill & Lois began weekly meetings Tuesday nights 182 Clinton Street; 2nd A.A. group formed New York  ( A  10) ( P  162) •   Autumn  -Dr. Bob’s daughter met Ernie W. Galbraith  ( C  11) •   near end 35′  -Alcoholics living Calvary Mission instructed not attend meetings Clinton Street  ( P  169) •   end 35′  -A.A. had 5 members  ( A  310) •   April  -Dr. Silkworth told Bill quit preaching at drunks religion usually fills them guilt or rebellion & said tell them obsession & allergy; Bill returned Wall Street April 1935, got involved proxy fight control small machine

Tuesday AA history/literature post - A 1945 Grapevine article on Step Six: A.A. Oldtimers…On the Sixth Step A.A. Grapevine, April 1945, Vol. 1 No. 11 Editorial: On the 6th Step “Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.” This step is most important because here we are ready for God (as we understand Him) to walk along with us and guide us as we seek to improve our character and eliminate the defects which contributed to our alcoholic problem. With God’s help we’ll now apologize quickly when we are curt to others. We’ll overcome our resentments. We’ll become humble and remember it’s our own character we want to improve, not the character of others. We’ll remember that as we aren’t perfect we haven’t any particular right to be critical toward others. We’ll ask quickly for help each time we are aware of wrong thinking and whenever we begin to feel sorry for ourselves. When we wish to judge others, we’ll remember that not so long ago we were in no position to j