Alcoholics Anonymous History: March 2012

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

3 Important New Alcoholics Anonymous History Projects

Three Christian Recovery Projects

We Would Like to Undertake Right Now, with Your Help

By Dick B.

Christian Recovery Project #1

Conducting, recording, and posting free of charge on www.ChristianRecoveryRadio.com interviews with Christian leaders and workers in the recovery arena.

For many years, my son Ken and I have spoken of interviewing key people we have met in our travels, such as members of Rev. Samuel Shoemaker’s family, Dr. Bob’s children, Seiberling family members, Oxford Group activists and Sam Shoemaker associates and friends, archivists, historians, and devoted AAs and Christian leaders. During our September 2011 International Christian Recovery Coalition North American Summit Conference at The Crossing Church in Costa Mesa, California, I mentioned this idea publicly from the platform. And we received a very positive response. As a result, we secured the www.ChristianRecoveryRadio.com domain name, began building a Web site, and posted some early audios and new videos on the site.

Today, we know personally hundreds of Christians who are long-sober alcoholics and addicts, historians, authors, archivists, professional recovery people, treatment and sober living leaders, counselors and interventionists, clergy, pastoral counselors, recovery pastors, or otherwise informed and truthful people who can tell their stories, share how they serve, and present their ideas for advancing the International Christian Recovery Coalition’s mission. Because we know them, we can easily arrange interviews, record them, and post them on the Web free of charge.

Christian Recovery Project #2

Sharing with people in person, by phone, and via Skype how and where to study A.A. history, develop Christian recovery outreach, and conduct programs and group studies of various types that carry three important messages: (a) Conference-approved literature supports Christians’ sharing in their stories at 12-Step meetings and in their work with newcomers “how they established their relationship with God”—including mention of Jesus Christ and the Bible. (b) The seven principles and major practices of the early, highly-successful Akron A.A. “Christian fellowship” are known from current, Conference-approved literature, and are therefore well within the Traditions. (c) The application in early A.A.—especially in Akron and Cleveland—of practices of First Century Christianity as found in the Book of Acts produced much-desired healing, love, forgiveness, power, and status as children of God.

Christian Recovery Project #3

Publishing my existing and future research on the history of A.A. and its Christian heritage in the form of print-on-demand books, and in Internet-friendly forms such as electronic books, audios, and videos, in order to reduce selling prices substantially (and to make possible free distribution frequently). Help us make known the unknown, little-known, and/or previously-distorted facts!

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Passing on an empty message in A.A.

Alcoholics Anonymous History
Passing On an Empty Message
Have you left out an accurate statement of our history?

by Dick B.

Do you really want to study, explain, or pass on your program and yet leave out most of its history, roots, sources, and early successes?

Did You Know……………

Neither A.A.’s Big Book, nor any A.A. literature we’ve found contains any of the details about Anne Smith’s Journal, 1933-1939, which Dr. Bob’s wife shared with AAs and their families every single morning at the Smith Home in Akron. www.dickb.com/annesm.shtml

Neither A.A.’s Big Book, nor any A.A. literature, nor any historian’s reading list that we’ve seen contains an accurate statement or description of the spiritual books Dr. Bob read and circulated, Anne Smith read and recommended, or early AAs read. www.dickb.com/drbob.shtml; www.dickb.com/Oxford.shtml; www.dickb.com/newlight.shtml; www.dickb.com/goodmorn.shtml.

We have found no A.A. literature or any other literature read in early A.A. that accurately tells what Quiet Time consisted of, the devotionals that were actually used, and the vital necessity for surrender to Christ as part of the process. www.dickb.com/goodmorn.shtml; www.dickb.cm/annesm.shtml.

Neither the Big Book text nor the personal stories—including the stories A.A. has removed from each edition--describe the details about the early A.A. Akron’s Christian Fellowship, Bible studies, prayer meetings, or surrenders to Christ. The Dick B. Christian Recovery Guide, 3^rd ed, 2010 (www.dickb.com); www.dickb.com/realhistory.shtml; When Early AAs Were Cured and Why (www.dickb.com/titles.shtml); www.dickb.com/Akron.shtml.

Neither the Big Book text nor any other A.A. literature tells you the details of what Bill Wilson borrowed from the Oxford Group, incorporated in the Big Book, and used in the language of the Twelve Steps. (www.dickb.com/12StepsforYou.shtml); www.dickb.com/Oxford.shtml.)

Neither the Big Book text nor any other A.A. literature contains the slightest reference to the details Rev. Sam Shoemaker discussed with Bill W. about the Bible, the OG life-changing program, or the Steps which Bill asked Sam to write. www.dickb.com/newlight.shtml.

Neither the Big Book text nor any personal story in it contains the details of the early Akron program as reported to Rockefeller by A.A. trustee-to-be Frank Amos. (DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers, p. 131; The Dick B. Christian Recovery Guide, 3^rd ed., 2010 www.dickb.com.

Neither the Big Book text nor any personal story contains the real Akron A.A. Christian Fellowship program (www.dickb.com/JamesClub.shtml); www.dickb.com/Akron.shtml); as commissioned for writing by Dr. Bob, contained in the four AA of Akron pamphlets, (Wally P. But for the Grace of God. . .), and still on sale in Akron and Cleveland Intergroup offices.

Neither the Big Book text, the personal stories, nor any other literature we’ve seen contains any details about, references to, explanation of, or attribution of the Book of James, the Sermon on the Mount, and 1 Corinthians 13, considered absolutely essential by Dr. Bob and the old-timers. (www.dickb.com/goodbook.shtml); The Co-Founders of Alcoholics Anonymous, Pamphlet P-53; Why Early A.A. Succeeded www.dickb.com/aabiblestudy.shtml).

Neither the Big Book text, the personal stories, nor any other literature we’ve seen tells you details about the Four Absolutes, their source in the book The Principles of Jesus by Dr, Robert E. Speer, and the Bible verses on which he based them. (www.dickb.com/Oxford.shtml; www.dickb.com/newlight.shtml).

Dick B., PO Box 837, Kihei, HI 96753-0837; 808 874 4876; dickb@dickb.com

Note: Buy the books that fill in the gaps and provide accurate facts: http://www.dickb.com/titles.shtml; www.dickb.com; Amazon.com (Dick B. books)

Friday, March 2, 2012

One Man Awake!

One Man Awake

Dick B.

What Do You Say When you hear . . .

“They won’t let us study the Bible in our A.A. group. They say the Bible is religious. They say that A.A. is spiritual, but not religious. And they say the Bible is not conference-approved literature!”

“Every time I mention God in my A.A. meetings, some oldtimer says: “If they had used the word God when I came into A.A., I’d have left the meeting and gotten drunk.”

“When I bring a Bible devotional into my A.A. meeting, place it on the table in front of me, and begin to read—reading from something like the Upper Room, I hear: ‘You can’t do that. It’s against the Traditions.”

Do you. . .

Leave the meeting. Leave the group. Leave A.A. Or start an argument?

Comment that you are not going to any more meetings because you are a Christian, because the others are wrong, and because A.A. is drifting more and more to unbelief and away from God?

Open Alcoholics Anonymous, 4^th edition and try to find a quote that shows everyone how wrong the statements are and therefore why you have a right to go right ahead with the supposedly “forbidden” act?

Or, are you ready to LEARN and then act like the “One Man Awake?”

But: Maybe you could just settle for a compromise

And concede to yourself and others that the members, the meetings, and the objectors are just trouble?

And then open your Big Book, read from it, and straighten them all out?

And then open your Bible and start quoting verses you think will show others what the “Master” would do?

And then clinch the deal by telling everybody that those troublesome remarks are not even what your sponsor told you was right?

We hope not! For there is a better way: Learn the truth and BECOME the “One man awake!”

The truth is available if you look for it, curb your tongue, learn the correct facts, and then BE the ”One Man Awake”

Maybe you’ll think one man just can’t do what’s needed

But here’s a poem that may help you stiffen your spine, patiently search, ask God’s help, find the facts, and then go and tell to the next one—the one who wants to know

AWAKE

One man awake, awakens another.

The second awakens

His next door brother.

The three awake can rouse a town,

By turning the whole place

Upside down.

The many awake

Can make such a fuss,

It finally awakens the rest of us.

One man up with dawn in his eyes,

Surely then

Multiplies!

Gloria Deo

Bill W. -The Younger Years in Vermont

Alcoholics Anonymous HistoryA.A. Cofounder Bill W.:
His Younger Years at a Glance

Dick B.
© 2010 Anonymous. All rights reserved.

The A.A. Backdrop

Bill Wilson was born in East Dorset, Vermont, November 26, 1895. His parents were married in the East Dorset Congregational Church. That church lay on the green between The Wilson House and the Griffith House. Bill was born, and his parents lived briefly, in The Wilson House. His paternal grandparents had been among the founders and attenders at the church. Bill was raised in the Griffith House by his maternal grandparents who considered the church their family church. Bill got sober in November 1934 and never drank again. He died on January 24, 1971. A.A. literature records: “All his life, Bill retained, as did Dr. Bob, a deep affection for and identification with the people of Vermont. . . . [H]e enjoyed sharing with friends many delightful anecdotes about his early years” [The Co-Founders of Alcoholics Anonymous: Biographical Sketches Their Last Major Talks (New York, NY: Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., 1972, 1975), pp. 25-27]

Bill W.’s Unusual Christian Experiences as a Youngster in Vermont

From Bill W.: My First 40 Years: An Autobiography by the Cofounder of Alcoholics Anonymous (Center City, MN: Hazelden, 2000); and Dick B., The Conversion of Bill W.: More on the Creator’s Role in Early A.A. (Kihei, HI: Paradise Research Publications, Inc, 2006)

Bill’s Grandpa, Willie Wilson: Willie had been a founder, officer, and regular attender at East Dorset Congregational Church, owning Pew 15. He was also a chronic alcoholic. Before Bill Wilson was born, Grandpa Willie ascended nearby Mt. Aeolus, cried out to God for help, had a spiritual experience, rushed down to the little church, seized the pulpit, and said he had been saved. Grandpa Willie never drank again for the remaining eight years of his life. Bill Wilson’s mother told Bill this story over and over again [The Conversion of Bill W., 24-27, 115, 123]

Bill’s Witnessing of Conversion, Revival, and Temperance Meetings. Bill mentioned that, as a youngster, he had witnessed conversion meetings, attended revivals, and attended Temperance meetings. [The Conversion of Bill W., 8, 10, 26-27, 30, 32, 72, 74, 118]

Bill’s Maternal Grandparents Fayette and Ella Griffith. The Griffiths attended the East Dorset Congregational Church, and—with Emma Griffith, Bill W.’s mother—regarded the little church as the family church. Bill attended this church and its Sunday school during the period he was being raised by the Griffiths. His parents had separated. His mother had sent him to live with her parents. And Bill’s Grandpa Fayette enrolled Bill in the Sunday school next door where he attended church with the Griffiths [The Conversion of Bill W., 6-10, 24-32]

The Confession, Creed, and Teachings of the East Dorset Congregational Church: Our personal visit to this church with its long-time Treasurer and our inspection of the records showed that the church taught about salvation and the importance of studying the Word of God.

Bill’s Bible Study with Grandpa Fayette and with his friend Mark Whalon. There is now documentation that Bill Wilson studied the Bible with his grandfather and also with his friend Mark Whalon [The Conversion of Bill W., 6-19, 29-32, 71-75]

Bill’s Four Years at the Burr and Burton Seminary in Manchester, Vermont. Bill attended this Congregational-influenced Academy for four years, up to the time of his anticipated graduation. He went to the required daily chapel, just as Dr. Bob had at his Academy. Also, as required, Bill attended the Manchester Congregational Church each week. (And there is strong evidence that Dr. Bob had regularly attended North Congregational Church, St. Johnsbury, while attending his Academy.) Bill took a four-year required Bible study course at Burr and Burton. And Bill became president of the school YMCA; his girl friend Bertha Bamford became president of the school YWCA; and the two attended school YMCA activities, and daily chapel, together. [My son Ken and I gleaned most of this information from an extended interview of archivist Frederica Templeton of Burr and Burton, from the recent book she had written about the Academy, and from a review of the school’s extant archives and records. [See Frederica Templeton, The Castle in the Pasture: Portrait of Burr and Burton Academy (Manchester, VT: Burr and Burton Academy, 2005)]

The Unexpected Death of Bill’s Girl Friend, Bertha Bamford, and Bill’s Turning His Back on God for many subsequent years. Shortly before Bill’s impending graduation, Bill’s lady love Bertha died unexpectedly. Bill was devastated. He went into one of his many deep depressions. He never graduated from Burr and Burton. And he figuratively turned his back on God. [See Susan Cheever, My Name is Bill: Bill Wilson—His Life and the Creation of Alcoholics Anonymous (NY: Washington Square Press, 2004), 54-55.] For a number of years, he characterized himself thereafter as a “conservative atheist” or as an “agnostic.” [See Dick B., Turning Point: A History of Early A.A.’s Spiritual Roots and Successes (San Rafael, CA: Paradise Research Publications, 1997), 96; Alcoholics Anonymous (New York City: Works Publishing Company, 1939), 56-58; and Bill W.: My First 40 Years, 50.] This ended at or before his spiritual experience during his fourth hospitalization at Towns where he had his “white light” experience and never drank again [Bill W.: My First 40 Years, 29-31; and Dick B., The Conversion of Bill W., 90-103].

www.DickB.com; DickB@DickB.com

Thursday, March 1, 2012

A.A. Old School Workshops in Hawaii and California

The Blooming, Booming Responses and

Expanded Plans of the Christian Recovery Movement

By Dick B., Executive Director

International Christian Recovery Coalition

Just since our visits in Southern California in January of this year, we have had an increasing volume of messages from those wanting to participate in our planned meetings this spring. So the following is the way things are going and being planned as of February 29^th.

The Basic Approach Is Announced in This New Guide

How to Conduct “Old-School” 12-Step Recovery Meetings Using Conference-Approved Literature: A Dick B. Guide for Christian Leaders and Workers in the Recovery Arena

By Dick B. and Ken B. (2012)

There Is No “One Size Fits All” Plan

An A.A. or N.A. meeting listed with a local office may conduct and adopt a “Group Conscience” stand and also then establish a regular meeting founded on “Conference-approved” literature. A Christian recovery fellowship may choose to reach out to alcoholics, addicts, prescription drug abusers, and others with life-controlling problems. A Christian, Christian-Track, or other type of treatment program—limited by expense and time constraints—may decide to prepare “graduates” for the long haul beyond the discharge date. Groups like Teen Challenge and Celebrate Recovery may recognize and plan for the “daily” or “24/7” or Christian fellowship after-care needs of its Christian graduates or weekly meeting attenders in order to keep all of them in full bore recovery or recovered mode; continuing service to others; and sustained spiritual growth loop—all being often-accepted components of real, life-long, Christian healing, abundance, and ultimate salvation. Detox programs, interventionists, counselors, after-care facilitators, alumni gatherings, and sober living operators and managers may emphasize a variety of ways in which recovered “clients” or “students” can build on the strength of First Century Christian and early Akron A.A. “Christian fellowship” principles and practices.

Program Content Which Each Servant Can Adopt, Adapt, and Then Apply as Desired

The emphasis here is on fostering long-range deliverance, sustained fellowship and service, and effective and continued reliance on the power, love, forgiveness, guidance, healing, and will of God “in all our affairs.” Early Christian outreach extended first to the Jews. Then to the Gentiles. Then to both as members of the “body of Christ.” Included among these groups were the lost, the poor, the sick, the deaf, the blind, and even dead who were still being raised—just as Jesus had raised the dead.

The Present Plans for Implementing This “Old-School,” First Century Christianity Success Story in Forthcoming Hawaii and California Gatherings This Spring and Summer

And Here Is Where We Will Be Listening, Assembling, Teaching and Facilitating with You

[Details Still Need Further Attention and Firming, But This Will Show You the Plans]

For Maui, Hawaii:

County of Maui Salvation Army Partnership with our Coalition: to learn the existing 24/7 program at the Lahaina Outpost, The Salvation Army, 131 Shaw Street, Lahaina, Hawaii, 96761. (Initial two-hour meeting at our Kihei Office, Friday, March 2, Noon-2:00 PM)

Speaking on the Second Step and A.A. roots at a regular A.A. meeting in Kihei: followed by a meeting to discuss plans for a new “old-school” recovery meeting to be formed in the near future. (Saturday, March 3, 7:00 AM—with a private after-meeting)

For Oahu, Hawaii:

An evening meeting in Honolulu, Thursday, March 22 (6:00 PM) evaluating and initiating Christian Recovery Movement hands-on outreach to alcoholics and addicts in three different Christian recovery efforts: (1) The long-standing men’s outreach to alcoholics and addicts led by an NA-oriented Christian skilled men’s group leader. (2) The plans of this leader’s pastor who is extending outreach in Oahu as well in China, Japan, and the Pacific Rim. (3) The current work of an Oregon-based faith-centered Christian fellowship pastor in Germany and Europe. All three are looking for ways to utilize First Century Christian practices, to adapt early A.A. “old-school” fellowship techniques, and to present 12-Step approaches with individuals needing direct help and structured practices with long-term recovered Christian living as the aim.

For Cornerstone Fellowship—Livermore Campus, Livermore, California

Workshop/Participation/Study Meeting for all (Thursday, March 29, evening).

For Golden Hills Community Church, Brentwood, California

Workshop/Participation/ Study Meetings with Leaders and public (Friday, March 30,

afternoon and evening).

For San Francisco Bay Area, California –

Dialogue with leaders of recently renamed CityTeam International and its ministry to the

“lost” in Nicaragua and West Africa (Either morning, March 29, or on March 31).

In Kihei, Maui, Hawaii –

A meeting of several days with Rob W. from Utah (April 2-6) – Planning and funding

In Southern California:

We will be in Orange County, California (arrive on Sunday, May 13 and depart on Monday, May 21). Quartered at the beginning and end at The Costa Mesa Marriott Hotel, and during the week at a private home in Orange County. The agenda for any and all includes the following planned:

Individual meetings with:

Rev. Michael Liimatta, City Vision College, Kansas City, Missouri

Wally Lowe, Christian businessman, Vero Beach, Florida

Russell Spatz, Christian attorney and speaker, Miami, Florida

Robert Turner, M.D., Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina

Gary Martin, Mariners Church, Planning regular “Old School” training meetings, Irvine, California

Pastor Joe Furey and Roger McDiarmid, His Place Church, Westminster, California (the location of our May 18-19 major conferences)

Rev. James Moody, Manna House Ministry, Jamestown, Tennessee

Bob Noonan, Marriage and Family Counselor, Orange, California

Danny Simmons, Sons of Thunder and Book Distribution, Costa Mesa, California

Rev. Bill Wigmore, Chairman of Episcopal Diocese of Texas Recovery Committee, Austin, Texas

Gary Moates, attorney, Houston, Texas

Richard Skolnik, Recovery Historian and believer, Nesconset, New York

Other local and out of area visitors and speakers

Conference on Friday evening, May 18 and all day Saturday, May 19, at His Place Church, Westminster, California: focused on participation, panels, workshop, classes, programs, questions and answers, and full leadership sharing

[Orientation, Leader presentations, Panel, and Q and A – Friday evening;

Main Conference – Saturday all day – Music, prayer, Orientation by Dick B. and Ken B., lead speaker, orientation, leader speakers, and panel with Q and A.]

Working with individual and group Christian Recovery leaders on formats and content for regular meetings, guides, videos, Conference-approved literature, and other resources on how best to employ all these to help directly those suffering alcoholics and addicts rely on God for help today; to learn the First Century Christianity practices in Acts of the Apostles; to learn how early “old school” A.A. practiced these principles with such great success; and to suggest how these foundations can be or are being used today hands-on.

The Actual Programs We Will Be Outlining, Discussing, Formatting, and Planning

· A program of your own fashioning on How to Train, Teach, Cooperate, and Disseminate Christian Recovery programs, conference information, and media—programs that will emphasize God’s power and Christian recovery efforts.

· Sample suggested programs suitable for and tailored to each particular Christian, treatment, sponsorship, and supportive approach and area.

· Training the Trainers so that others may pick up the torch and move it forward.

· Distributing free literature through benefactors.

· Continuing dissemination by blogs, forums, newsletters, videos, radio, audio, conferences.

Coming Shortly: Dates, Places, Times, Contacts, Programs, Subjects, and Resources

To produce effective results, in the most compact way, we will welcome your phone calls and emails in advance; welcome any literature or suggestions you have; welcome your donations to help defray expenses; and welcome any particular approach you wish to take with your own program, practice, fellowship, and church.

DickB@DickB.com