Alcoholics Anonymous 14 Original Practices - 1935
Posted: Friday, February 05, 2010
by Richard Burns, J.D.
Dick B.
The Specific, Original, Christian Program Bill W. and Dr. Bob Developed
Here are the actual principles and practices of the Akron Christian Fellowship during the period from June 10, 1935, to the publishing of the First Edition of Alcoholics Anonymous (the "Big Book") in the spring of 1939:
1. Qualifying the newcomer . Newcomers were interviewed by Dr. Bob to determine if they had conceded that they had an alcoholism problem; if they had shown a desire to quit permanently; and if they had committed themselves to go to any length to stay sober.
3. "Surrender" by the newcomer during his five-to-seven-day stay at the hospital . Before the newcomer was discharged from the hospital, Dr. Bob would conduct his final visit and require that the newcomer profess a belief in God-not "a" God, but God. [1] Then the newcomer would get out of his bed, get down on his knees, and pray with Dr. Bob, accepting Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior in the process. [2]
4. Upon leaving the hospital , in the case of Clarence Snyder at least, Clarence was taken to his first Oxford Group meeting at T. Henry's house, given a Bible by Dr. Bob, and told by Dr. Bob to "go out and fix drunks as an avocation." [3]
5. Most went to live in the Smith residence or in the residences of other Akron people like Wally Gillam and Tom Lucas. They stayed as long as needed in order to get steady in their path.
6. There were Christian fellowship meetings every day , with Dr. Bob, Anne Smith, and Henrietta Seiberling, which included group Bible study, prayer, and Quiet Time observances. [4]
7. In addition, each morning, alcoholics and their family members gathered at the Smith home for a Quiet Time conducted by Anne Smith , with prayer, Bible reading, seeking guidance, and discussion of portions of Anne Smith's personal journal. [5]
8. There was one "Oxford Group" meeting each Wednesday at the home of T. Henry Williams . These meetings, however, scarcely resembled conventional Oxford Group meetings. They were called a "sort of a clandestine lodge of the Oxford Group," and actually took on the form of "a regular old fashioned prayer meeting." [6] Some called the group, "the alcoholic squad." [7] Frank Amos referred to the group as the "self-styled Alcoholic Group of Akron, Ohio." [8] Dr. Bob called the group a "Christian Fellowship." [9] Frank Amos declared, "Members did not want the movement connected directly or indirectly with any religious movement or cult; they stressed the point that they had no connection whatever with any so-called orthodox religious denomination, or with the Oxford Movement. (Obviously, Amos meant the Oxford Group)." [10] Bob E. stated:
Dr. Bob and T. Henry "teamed" the meeting; T. Henry took care of the prayers with which the meeting was opened and closed. "There were only a half dozen in the Oxford Group. We [the alcoholics] had more than that. Sometimes, we'd go downstairs and have our meeting, and the Oxford Group would have theirs in the sitting room." [11]
And at these weekly meetings, there was a time in which newcomers were required to make a "real surrender" with Dr. Bob and one or two others upstairs. There the newcomer, on his knees, accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, asked that alcohol be taken out of his life, and asked strength and guidance to live according to cardinal Christian teachings. The elders prayed with him after the manner of James 5:16. [12]
9. There was extensive reading of Christian devotionals and literature provided by Dr. Bob and distributed at meetings.
10. There was particular stress on study of the Book of James, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, and 1 Corinthians 13 .
11. Meetings concluded with invitations to reach out to newcomers in the hospital and elsewhere, and then closed with the Lord's Prayer .
12. There was frequent socializing in the homes , particularly on Saturday evenings. [13]
13. Members knew each other well . They phoned and visited each other. And they kept little address books with the names, phone numbers, and street addresses of the pioneers. Also, this data was listed on some of the rosters which they kept and which are discussed next. [14]
14. In addition, rosters of the names and addresses, sobriety dates, and relapses, if any, were kept and still exist today . Richard K. of Massachusetts-author of four major works on early A.A. history, including studies of the "First 40" cures, early articles about A.A., and statistics relating to A.A.-has discussed these rosters. [15] Richard spent several months with me in Maui reviewing the rosters and materials I had, as well as materials he obtained from A.A. General Services in New York. He carefully examined photocopies of original documents, newspaper accounts, and extant lists of the early A.A. members and their sobriety records. His work is the most important study of early A.A. successes, cures, and announcements written to date. There are also my own copies of the pioneer member rosters which were acquired by me from several A.A. historians such as Earl Husband, George Trotter, Sue Smith Windows, and Ray Grumney. Their value became particularly significant when other evidence was reviewed and clearly disclosed that early AAs commonly kept address books-many of which contained names, addresses, phone numbers, sobriety information, and relapse and death notations. As a group, these rosters enable an accurate evaluation of the successes of the original 40 pioneers surveyed by Bill and Bob in November 1937. And they provide important evidence relating to the 75% and 93% successes rates (overall, and in Cleveland, respectively) early A.A. claimed.
[1] See Mitchell K., How It Worked: The Story of Clarence H. Snyder and the Early Days of Alcoholics Anonymous in Cleveland, Ohio (Washingtonville, NY: AA Big Book Study Group, 1999), 57. Clarence Snyder specifically related that Dr. Bob "pointed a long bony finger at him, and asked, Young feller, do you believe in God? Not a God, but God!'"
[2] See Mitchell K., How It Worked, 58.
[3] Dick B., That Amazing Grace: The Role of Clarence and Grace S. in Alcoholics Anonymous (San Rafael, CA: Paradise Research Publications, 1996), 26.
[4] The Co-Founders , 13.
[5] See Bob Smith and Sue Smith Windows, Children of the Healer: The Story of Dr. Bob's Kids (Center City, MN: Hazelden, 1992), 41, 29, 42-44; and Dick B., The Akron Genesis of Alcoholic Anonymous , 62-63, 109-10, 202-08
[6] DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers , 121, 101.
[7] DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers , 100, 137.
[8] DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers , 128.
[9] DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers , 118.
[10] DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers , 135.
[11] DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers , 142.
[12] See Mitchell K., How It Worked , 70; DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers , 139, 88-89; and Dick B., The Golden Text of A.A.: God, the Pioneers, and Real Spirituality (Kihei, HI: Paradise Research Publications, Inc., 1999), 31-32.
[13] These first 12 points are discussed in many books by Dick B. and others. One of the most recent and complete discussions is in Dick B., Real Twelve Step Fellowship History, 6-13. See also Dick B., Introduction to the Sources and Founding of Alcoholics Anonymous (Kihei, HI: Paradise Research Publications, Inc., 2007) , 15-23; Dick B., When Early AAs Were Cured and Why, 3 rd ed. (Kihei, HI: Paradise Research Publications Inc., 2006) ; Dick B., The Golden Text of A.A.: God, the Pioneers, and Real Spirituality (Kihei, HI: Paradise Research Publications, Inc., 2000); Dick B., The James Club and the Original A.A. Program's Absolute Essentials. 4 th ed. (Kihei, HI: Paradise Research Publications, Inc., 2005); and Dick B., The Akron Genesis of Alcoholics Anonymous, Newton ed. (Kihei, HI: Paradise Research Publications, Inc., 1998); Mary C. Darrah, Sister Ignatia: Angel of Alcoholics Anonymous (Chicago: Loyola University Press, 1992); Mitchell K., How It Worked: The Story of Clarence H. Snyder and the Early Days of Alcoholics Anonymous in Cleveland, Ohio (Washingtonville, NY: AA Big Book Study Group, 1999); DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers; The Co-Founders of Alcoholics Anonymous: Biographical Sketches Their Last Major Talks (NY: Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., 1972, 1975).
[14] There are specific discussions of these early address books. For example, Henrietta Dotson, wife of A.A. Number Three, said, "They handed out little address books with everybody's name in it. . . . the ones who had phone numbers, there they were. And when they said, Drop in on us-anytime,' they meant it." A.A.'s biography of Dr. Bob states, "the telephone played an important role in A.A. from the beginning. Alex M., who came into A.A. in 1939, recalled, 'Bob E. made up little address books [as did Elgie R. and others afterward,] and every one of us got one.'" DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers, 145-46. The author, Dick B., has and displays copies of the pages from Anne Smith's address book, containing the addresses of early AAs.
[15] Richard K.'s four major works are: (1) Richard K., A New Light: "The First Forty": A Chronological Survey of the Early AA Pioneers (1934-1938) (Haverhill, MA: Golden Text Productions, 2003)--now included in New Freedom cited below); (2) Richard K., So You Think Drunks Can't Be Cured? Press Releases by Witnesses to the Cure (Haverhill, MA: Golden Text Publishing Company, 2003); (3) Richard K., Early AA: Separating Fact from Fiction: How Revisionists Have Led Our History Astray (Haverhill, MA: Golden Text Publishing Company, 2003); and (4) Richard K., New Freedom: Reclaiming Alcoholics Anonymous (n.p.: n.p., 2005marked "Manuscript Submitted for Inspection: Loan Copy")
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