Early AA Meetings

This article is for those who want to learn, study, and know what the early Akron AA meetings were like and the actual summary of the program and of the principles and practices of the early Akron A.A. Christian Fellowship pioneers.

Opinions and conjecture do not suffice.

The best starting place is with  A.A. General Service Conference-approved literature. And many in 12 Step Fellowships today are so inundated with nonsense gods (light bulbs, Gertrude, the Big Dipper, door knobs, and "Something") that they settle for small change instead of the real early A.A. meeting evidence.

There are five indisputable evidentiary sources which can mark the beginning of your quest and provide you with the "rest of the story." -- the full details about early A.A. meetings.

The first is, of course, DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers. This wonderful book is filled with information about precisely what early Akron AA pioneers did in their meetings, their fellowship, and their program. Start with page 131 for the summary, and keep reading.

The second is The Co-Founders of Alcoholics Anonymous: Biographical Sketches Their Last Major Talks. In this exact transcription of their last major talks, Bill W. and Dr. Bob lay out the basic ideas that came from the teachings, studies, and efforts in the Bible. They also lay out Bill's comment that most of the pioneers were "practicing Christians." And they point to the three absolutely essential Bible segments--Jesus's Sermon on the Mount, 1 Corinthians 13, and the Book of James. Read these segments and see how many parallels there are with the Big Book and the Steps. See www.dickb.com/JamesClub.shtml.

The third is Alcoholics Anonymous: The Original 1939 Edition--which contains an introduction by Dick B., the full program of action introduced in Bill's new version, and the real stories of the pioneers (before they were later removed) that we testimonials to the early A.A. Christian techniques and Akron ideas. See http://mcaf.ee/j4hq5.

The fourth is our new book Stick with the Winners! - which documents for you just how much of the old school program is literally incorporated into today's Conference-approved literature. See http://mcaf.ee/s50mq.

Finally, there is our unique, current, and timely study of the actual personal stories and testimonies of the pioneers in the First Edition. It is called Pioneer Stories in Alcoholics Anonymous. See http://mcaf.ee/gj7iw.

Please don't settle for some of the time-worn partial accounts that are floating around today. Go directly to the sources of accurate information on early A.A. Meetings. And "the rest of the story."

Gloria Deo