Aa history Lovers 2006 moderators Nancy Olson and Glenn F. Chesnut page
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Alcoholics Anonymous in Cleveland, Ohio") is a modern representative and defender of the movement and its ideas. Glenn C., Moderator AAHistoryLovers [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 3691. . . . . . . . . . . . A good children''s book on Bill W. From: Glenn Chesnut . . . . . . . . . . . . 9/10/2006 3:30:00 PM IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Tom White, "Bill W., a Different Kind of Hero: The Story of Alcoholics Anonymous" (Honesdale, Pennsylvania: Boyds Mills Press, 2003), 64 pp., ISBN 1-59078-1, $16.95. Recommended for ages 10 to 14, but it would surely be appropriate for high school students too, and adults would be impressed at the level of psychological analysis, even if it is put in simple language. There are some interesting photos reproduced in this book, and some very interesting new insights into Bill W.'s early life. A very positive and sympathetic account of his life and development. The publisher's description is a good summary of the book: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - There are heroes of politics, religion, war, and history. There are heroes of sport, science, and legend. Bill Wilson was an entirely different kind of hero. After years of unhappiness and hospitalizations for alcoholism, Bill Wilson hit bottom. Although not a religious man, he lay in a bed in Towns Hospital and in desperation called out to God. In response he experienced a tremendous inner vision. Instantly, he was a changed man. Although many difficulties lay ahead, Bill drew strength from his vision and his own experiences an alcoholic. He became the co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous in 1935. He created the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions that would serve as the foundation of AA's program for recovery from this widespread addiction. He wrote and compiled AA's "Big Book," which became a kind of Bible for AA members. In the almost 70 years since Alcoholics Anonymous was founded, Bill's words, ideas, and personal dedication have brought hope to millions of "hopeless drunks" throughout the world. Few heroes in any field have contributed so much to human well-being. This book offers Bill Wilson's story. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Very positive reviews in the "School Library Journal," "Publishers Weekly," "Booklist," and a number of other places.
information at: tomwhite@cableone.net (tomwhite at cableone.net). More information online at: http://www.boydsmillspress.com/authors.tpl?command=showpageandauthorid=078 3
http://www.boydsmillspress.com/detail.tpl?command=showpageandisbn=1_59078_ 067_1andbo\
.%20%20A%20Diffe\ rent%20Kind%20of%20Hero%3A%20The%20Story%20of%20Alcoholics%20Anonymous [11] ______________________________ Note by the moderator: Not just a very good book to buy and contribute to Alateen groups, I learned some interesting things myself about Bill W.'s life and the psychological pressures on him in his childhood and youth from reading this book. Beautifully printed and illustrated, a really first class little book. I'm breaking the normal rule we follow in the AAHistoryLovers by not just listing this book as available, but also including a note of recommendation, because I am afraid that it being a children's book might cause it to be overlooked or discounted by the members of the group. Glenn C. (South Bend, Indiana) [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 3692. . . . . . . . . . . . New book on the Oxford Group and AA From: Glenn Chesnut . . . . . . . . . . . . 9/10/2006 3:00:00 PM IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Glenn F. Chesnut, "Changed by Grace: V. C. Kitchen, the Oxford Group, and A.A.," September 2006, ISBN 0-595-40680-7, xv + 184 pp., $17.95.
of contents, see http://hindsfoot.org/kchange1.html To read Chapter 7,"The Names of God: How to Find a God of Our Understanding," go to http://hindsfoot.org/namegod.html
friend in New York City, Victor C. Kitchen, and Kitchen's book describing the Oxford Group and its teachings, "I Was a Pagan," which came out in 1934, the same year that Bill W. discovered the Oxford Group. The full text of Victor C. Kitchen's "I Was a Pagan" can be found at http://www.stepstudy.org/downloads/pagan.pdf
can also be found at the same source: http://www.stepstudy.org/downloads/soulsurgery.pdf
"confession"), which was an important part of Oxford Group doctrine. The 5 C's are referred to explicitly in Richmond Walker's "Twenty-four Hours a Day," the second most widely read book by an AA author. See Chesnut's book, Chapter 2, section three, page 36, for a discussion of the 5 C's and the way they affected the early AA understanding of the twelve steps, particularly their understanding of how good twelfth step work should be carried out.
From: Kimball . . . . . . . . . . . . 9/8/2006 6:30:00 PM IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII The story "The Vicious Cycle" appears in the book "Experience, Strength and Hope" with the following comment on page 220:
the stories you are about to read." So, if "The Vicious Cycle" was eliminated and published in ESandH, then why is it still in my copy of the 4th Edition of the Big Book? Does everyone else have "The Vicious Cycle" in their Big Books? Which is in error, ESandH or the Big Book? They can't both be right, can they?
Documentation? From: Mel Barger . . . . . . . . . . . . 9/8/2006 9:39:00 PM
by Kathy McCarthy, who is the daughter of the late Ray McCarthy, a pioneer in alcoholism treatment. I knew Kathy about 20 years ago but haven't been in touch with her recently.
remember that she said something like "it is commonly believed that Peabody died drunk," or something like that.
verification. Nell Wing also thought Peabody drank again, but had no proof of it. I'm suspecting that all this may have been rumor from an early AA such as Jim Burwell, who may or may not have had proof to support the claim.
track this down to determine what was the real cause of Peabody's death, as reported on his death certificate. Unless alcoholism was specifically stated there, we cannot assume he actually went back to drinking.
(melb at accesstoledo.com) IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 3695. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Re: Richard Peabody died drunk? Documentation? From: michael oates . . . . . . . . . . . . 9/9/2006 10:29:00 PM
in the first edition of the Big Book in 1939 were sober as of AA's twentieth anniversay in 1955. The false statement (heard passed around in some AA circles) that "the majority of the early members died drunk" is totally erroneous, and built on the incorrect assumption that those whose stories were replaced in the second edition had their stories removed from the Big Book because they had gone back to drinking. As Arthur Sheehan says, what they were trying to do in 1955 was get what they thought was a better and more carefully written set of stories to replace some of those which had been hastily tossed together for the first edition when they were in a big hurry to get the book done and to the printer. --Summary by the moderator] We need to look back at Arthur Sheehan's message No. 2464, which appeared here in the AAHistoryLovers on June 11, 2005, which is a carefully researched statement of the actual facts. Let us give Arthur's entire original message here: __________________________________ This posting is an appeal to exercise care that AAHistoryLovers not be a vehicle for the propagation of myth .... A very durable myth within AA today is the assertion that many early members, whose stories appeared in the 1st Ed Big Book, died drunk.
is putting it mildly. Even more meager is the presentation of solid evidence to substantiate the assertion. The myth is principally based on anecdotal hearsay and its presumption of validity is based solely on droning repetition.
practices fuel their propagation. The first is the construal of the figurative as the literal; the second is the presumption that a member's duration of dry time somehow equates to their degree of knowledge and accuracy. It's one thing for a member to give testimony about what they have personally observed and quite another if the testimony is about what they sincerely believe. The strong verbal tradition in AA provides an easy means for the propagation of myth. Repetition then gives the myth the semblance of validity. Let's look at the myth in question. In the introduction to the story section in the 2nd Ed Big Book it states: "When first published in 1939, this book carried twenty-nine stories about alcoholics. To secure maximum identification with the greatest number of readers, the new Second Edition (1955) carries a considerably enlarged story section, as above described. Concerning the original twenty-nine case histories, it is a deep satisfaction to record, as of 1955, that twenty-two have apparently made full recovery from their alcoholism. Of these, fifteen have remained completely sober for an average of seventeen years each, according to our best knowledge and belief." In the introduction to the "Pioneers of AA Section" stories of the 2nd Ed it goes on to state: "Dr Bob and the twelve men and women who here tell their stories were among the early members of AA's first groups. Though three have passed away of natural causes, all have maintained complete sobriety for periods ranging from fifteen to nineteen years as of this date 1955. Today, hundreds of additional AA members can be found who have had no relapse for at least fifteen years. All of these then are the pioneers of AA. They bear witness that release from alcoholism can really be permanent." 22 of the stories that appeared in the 1st Ed Big Book were dropped for the 2nd Ed. These stories were not removed because the members went back to drinking (although some did). According to Bill W's introduction to the stories in the 2nd Ed Big Book, 75+% (22 out of 29) of these early members were sober as of AA's 20th anniversary (1955).
sobered up again. Another 7 of the 29 returned to drinking and did not sober up. The stories of 22 members were removed to establish a more representative sampling of the cross-section of the AA membership - not because they were drinking again or had died drunk. If anyone is overly concerned that any of these early members returned to drinking, please keep in mind that every one of them had at one time been considered hopeless. Also keep in mind that the chief characteristic that makes an alcoholic an alcoholic is the inclination to drink again despite all kinds of evidence that says they have no business picking up that first drink (i.e. the jaywalker story). If anyone has credible evidence to the contrary regarding the above, please submit it for scrutiny. There are similar myths circulating in AA about the success rates and growth rates achieved in AA today compared to the 1940s and 50s. Those too are premised on the most slender of threads and appear far more agenda-driven than fact-based.
not?
From: timderan . . . . . . . . . . . . 9/10/2006 6:25:00 PM IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII "So, if "The Vicious Cycle" was eliminated and published in ESandH, then why is it still in my copy of the 4th Edition of the Big Book? Does everyone else have "The Vicious Cycle" in their Big Books? Which is in error, ESandH or the Big Book? They can't both be right, can they?:
all
stories from all 4 editions of the Big Book. That at least was the information conveyed through the delegates to the Assemblies when the book was coming out. Why it was labeled as you describe it, I do not know. You could try contacting AAWS/GSO on this. They are usually helpful. This can be done personally or through your area delegate.
not?
From: Shakey1aa@aol.com . . . . . . . . . . . . 9/10/2006 3:25:00 PM IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Jimmy B's story "The Vicious Cycle" is on pg.219 of the 4th Ed. of the Big
Book. On Pg 220 of Experience Strength and Hope, I do not see any mention of the story nor does it appear in that publication. I do know that the stories of Clarence S, "Home Brewmeister, and Sackville M. "The Career Officer" were removed from the Big Book and that may members were concerned about that and some expressed their feelings. The book ESandH is a very valuable addition to any member of AAHL. The stories included here are our history and I personally do not think that there is enough use of this book amongst the AA fellowship. Yours in Service, and getting closer to Baton Rouge, Shakey Mike Gwirtz
W. From: Mel Barger . . . . . . . . . . . . 9/10/2006 10:40:00 PM IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Hi Glenn, I was delighted to see your report on Tom White's book about Bill W. I recommend this book highly. I met Tom 43 years ago in New York City, when he was editor of The Grapevine and also edited a trade magazine. He and I both knew Bill W., although I think Tom saw Bill more often than I did. Tom is currently working on a similar book about Dr. Bob, and I think this will be another fine contribution to our literature. I'm sure he would appreciate having any information about Dr. Bob that might not be known to the general fellowship. Mel Barger melb@accesstoledo.com (melb at accesstoledo.com) ______________________________________
From: "Glenn Chesnut" Sent: Sunday, September 10, 2006 3:30 PM Subject: [AAHistoryLovers] A good children's book on Bill W. > Tom White, "Bill W., a Different Kind of Hero: > The Story of Alcoholics Anonymous" (Honesdale, > Pennsylvania: Boyds Mills Press, 2003), 64 pp., > ISBN 1-59078-1, $16.95. > > Recommended for ages 10 to 14, but it would surely > be appropriate for high school students too, and > adults would be impressed at the level of psychological > analysis, even if it is put in simple language. > There are some interesting photos reproduced in this > book, and some very interesting new insights into > Bill W.'s early life. A very positive and sympathetic > account of his life and development. > > The publisher's description is a good summary of > the book: > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > There are heroes of politics, religion, war, and > history. There are heroes of sport, science, and > legend. Bill Wilson was an entirely different kind > of hero. After years of unhappiness and hospitalizations > for alcoholism, Bill Wilson hit bottom. Although > not a religious man, he lay in a bed in Towns Hospital > and in desperation called out to God. In response > he experienced a tremendous inner vision. Instantly, > he was a changed man. Although many difficulties > lay ahead, Bill drew strength from his vision and > his own experiences an alcoholic. He became the > co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous in 1935. He > created the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions that > would serve as the foundation of AA's program for > recovery from this widespread addiction. He wrote > and compiled AA's "Big Book," which became a kind > of Bible for AA members. In the almost 70 years since > Alcoholics Anonymous was founded, Bill's words, ideas, > and personal dedication have brought hope to millions > of "hopeless drunks" throughout the world. Few heroes > in any field have contributed so much to human > well-being. This book offers Bill Wilson's story. > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > > Very positive reviews in the "School Library Journal," > "Publishers Weekly," "Booklist," and a number of other
> places. > > The author, Tom White, may be contacted for more > information at: > > tomwhite@cableone.net (tomwhite at cableone.net). > > More information online at: > http://www.boydsmillspress.com/authors.tpl?command=showpageandauthorid=078 3 > > This webpage then links to: > http://www.boydsmillspress.com/detail.tpl?command=showpageandisbn=1_59078_ 067_1andbo\
.%20%20A%20Diffe\ rent%20Kind%20of%20Hero%3A%20The%20Story%20of%20Alcoholics%20Anonymous [11] > > ______________________________ > > Note by the moderator: > > Not just a very good book to buy and contribute > to Alateen groups, I learned some interesting things > myself about Bill W.'s life and the psychological > pressures on him in his childhood and youth from > reading this book. Beautifully printed and illustrated, > a really first class little book. > > I'm breaking the normal rule we follow in the > AAHistoryLovers by not just listing this book as > available, but also including a note of recommendation, > because I am afraid that it being a children's book > might cause it to be overlooked or discounted by the > members of the group. > > Glenn C. (South Bend, Indiana) IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 3699. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: 1st International Conference From: Mel Barger . . . . . . . . . . . . 9/10/2006 11:23:00 PM IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Hi Art, The best proof that Alcoholics Anonymous was used prior to the May startup in Cleveland is in the Big Book. I have an original copy of the first printing of the first edition, often identified by its red cover. The Foreword, on page vii, reads this way: "We, of Alcoholics Anonymous, are
more than one hundred men and women who have recovered from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body." This book was published in April, 1939, a month before the Cleveland beginning. But the actual writing and typesetting would have been completed earlier, perhaps in January or February. So the name was already in use and had been generally accepted. Nell Wing told me that the AA name was being used in mid-1938, though probably not in Akron, where the break with the Oxford Group occurred in November, 1939. Bill W. told me that the Akron Group stayed with the O.G. this long only because of their devotion to T. Henry and Clarace Williams, the gracious couple who turned their home over for weekly meetings. When the break finally came, Dr. Bob described it as getting out from under the yoke of the O.G., which certainly suggests that the alcoholics were becoming restive in that situation, despite their gratitude to the Williamses. Clarence Snyder deserves lots of credit for his marvelous work in Cleveland and the way he sponsored and helped many people over the years. But the heavy lifting in starting AA had already been done before he got sober in 1938, and he had the Big Book and other advantages when he launched that first group in Cleveland. In fact, he had a number of Cleveland members who had been traveling to Akron with him and learning from Dr. Bob and others. Even if Clarence had not started that Cleveland group in May, other groups around the country would have come into being at the same time using Yüklə 13,83 Mb. Dostları ilə paylaş:
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