April 21 in A.A. History

1939: Hank P. sent a letter to Janet Blair, the non-alcoholic editor of Alcoholics Anonymous in Peekskill, New York, to apologize for a long-overdue invoice for her services. The letter began:

    I know that excuses, etc [sic] do not pay bills. However, I do want you to know that we are all so ashamed of the way your bill is lagging behind.

    He also sent a separate package containing a copy of the book, its front flyleaf inscribed in his handwriting [right: product of author’s artistic license].

1946: In “The Sick Person We Call an Alcoholic,” an article [left] published in The New York Times Magazine, Mrs.^* Marty M., a member of Alcoholics Anonymous, “tells what we can do to help those who would quit but can’t.”

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^*The title “Mrs.” protected Marty, a lesbian, from the prevalent prejudice against homosexuality in the 1940s. Revealing her sexual orientation would have damaged both her and the National Committee for Education on Alcoholism, which she helped establish.

Today in A.A. History—April 21–25

1954: The 4th Annual General Service Conference was held at the Hotel Commodore [right, c. 1940] in New York City City. Advisory Actions included:

• That the Trustees be instructed to execute an appropriate instrument transferring the interest acquired by A.A. under this will [a bequest to The Foundation of Texas property with an estimated value of approximately $17,000 (~$209,000 in 2026)] proportionately to the other beneficiaries named by the deceased person.
• That the name The Alcoholic Foundation be changed to The General Service Board of Alcoholics Anonymous, Inc.
• That discounts on literature sales be discontinued, and equivalent amounts be added to the Prudent Reserve until it reaches $300,000 [~$3.7 million in 2026].
• That past delegates not participate in an enlarged Conference to decide the future of our Third Legacy in 1955.
• Approved a 20th anniversary meeting for all members (similar to the 1950 Cleveland meeting) to begin the day following the close of the ’55 Conference.
• That the offer of publication rights to Twenty-Four Hours a Day not be accepted.
• That A.A. Publishing not produce a pamphlet on the subject of “Religion and A.A.”
• Adopted two parts of a three-part proposal, “General Service Representative” plan:
  A. That the group representative described in the Third Legacy Pamphlet be designated “General Service Representative.”
  B. That in addition to electing an Area Committe (including Delegate), the GSR should
  (1) represent the group in General Service activities and
  (2) represent A.A’s General Services in the group.
• Consideration of the third part of the “General Service Representative” plan—consolidating items of G.S.C. material into a “General Service Handbook”—was tabled until 1955.
• That Delegates come to the Conference being only tentatively instructed because:
  (1) each Delegate brings to the Conference the thinking of his area, and
  (2) the wisdom of the Conference is best achieved and voted on through the exchange of these ideas.
• Suggested minimum group contributions to the G.S.B. be $2 [~$25.50 in 2026] per member per year, ideally sent quarterly.
• That during the five year period, all ex-Delegates remain on General Conference mailing list.
• No policy should be declared or action taken on matters liable to gravely affect A.A. as a whole unless by consent of at least three-quarters of the members present. 

Today in A.A. History—April 21–26

1964: The 14th Annual General Service Conference was held at the Roosevelt Hotel [left, 2008] in New York City. Advsory Actions included:

• Approved an agreement between Bill W. and A.A. World Services, Inc., covering royalties from Bill’s writings.
• Granted the request from the Assembly of the Atlantic Provinces that a second Delegate be admitted to the Conference.^*
• That Agenda committee members receive copies of all correspondence on agenda matters in which G.S.O. Staff Members and committee members are involved.
• That Agenda committee members be informed of the action taken on their recommendations to the Policy Committee.
• That Agenda committee members review background material on previous Conferences’ actions, as a guide in preparing recommendations for the 1965 Conference agenda.
• [That] the Board of Directors of the Grapevine and the General Service Board explore the possibilities of using Grapevine material in a French edition of the magazine.
• That Grapevine committee members be kept informed of all Grapevine matters of Conference importance.
• From the experience of the past International Conventions a realistic figure had to be developed in the Guarantee Fund—this was $13,000: The Board of Trustees guaranteed half of this—[a] $6,500 advance was needed. G.S.O. would accept 50% of any deficit that might occur. A letter was sent to the groups in Canada asking if they would contribute $100 to the Guarantee Fund; the Canadian share exceeded $8,000. The Convention, if financially successful, will return money from Guarantee Fund to donators [sic].

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^*The Atlantic Provinces were split into (1) New Brunswick/Prince Edward Island, and (2) Nova Scotia/Newfoundland.

1969: The 19th Annual General Service Conference was held at the Roosevelt Hotel [above left] in New York City. Advisory actions included:

• That the story of a young A.A. be added to the next reprint of the book Alcoholics Anonymous, and that the present stories be edited, when necessary, in order that current readers will be able to identify.
• That the General Service Conference approve the following resolution of the… General Service Board of Trustees:
  “We will endeavor to avoid participation on radio and TV programs, unless
  ◦     We are given adequate time for preparation.
  ◦     Our presence will serve an A.A. objective.
  ◦     The primary discussion is appropriate for A.A.—not concerned with crime, sex, controversy or any other sensationalism.
  ◦     We are satisfied our anonymity is guaranteed.”
• Approved the final draft of The A.A. Service Manual (a new revision of the Third Legacy Manual).
• [Added] to the Conference Charter:… Article 1… “…The Twelve Steps,” the sentence now to read: “…The [GSC] is the guardian of the world services, and of the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous.” 
• Disapproved the proposal for a suggested change in electoral procedures for regional trustees which would increase the voting body to all delegates and eliminate the trustees from voting.

1975: The 25th Annual General Service Conference was held at the Hotel Roosevelt [above left] in New York City. Advisory actions included:

• A two-year moratorium (until 1977) be placed on discussion of special-purpose groups.
• A paragraph dealing with the problems of the use of mood-changing pills by A.A. members who hold group office should not be added to an appropriate A.A. pamphlet, because it was felt that this decision is up to local autonomy.
• Each delegate receive only the agenda pertinent to his or her committee, but may receive any others on request.

Today in A.A. History—April 21–27

1966: The 46th General Service Conference was held at the Crowne Plaza [right] in New York City. Advisory actions included:

• Approved “Washington State East Area 92” and “Western Washington State Area 72” as the new names for these areas.
• The [parts of the] title of the chart[s] on page[s] S23 [and S46] of The A.A. Service Manual be changed from “Struture of the Fellowship” to “The General Service Conference Structure (U.S. and Canada)” to more accurately describe what is depicted.

2002: The 52nd General Service Conference was held at the Crowne Plaza [above right] Manhattan in New York City. Advisory Actions included:

4. Approved the video Markings on the Journey.
7. Approved publication of an anthology titled Experience, Strength and Hope of the last-published versions of the 56 stories dropped from prior editions of the Big Book.
18. The sentence “Fundamentally, though, the difference between an electronic meeting and the home group around the corner is only one of format” be deleted in the last paragraph of the Foreword to the Fourth Edition of the Big Book.

2013: The 63rd General Service Conference was held at the Crowne Plaza [above right] Times Square in New York City. Advisory Actions included:

4. A commemorative 75th Anniversary Edition of the first edition, first printing of Alcoholics Anonymous be published.
17. Affirmed that the Internet, social media and all forms of public communications are implicit in the last phrase of the Short Form of Tradition Eleven, which reads: “… at the level of press, radio, and films.”
19. The error in “Leadership in A.A.: Ever a Vital Need” within the essay on Concept IX on p. 37, 5th paragraph, 3rd line reading “… badly disturbed or uniformed…” be corrected to “… badly disturbed or uninformed…” (Typo indicated by italics; this typo has existed since the first printing of Twelve Concepts for World Service).
22. The following text be added to Article 4 in the Current Conference Charter:

    “The Conference recognizes the principles contained within the Twelve Concepts, particularly the Right of Participation, and the Rights of Petition and Appeal reflected in Concepts IV and V. In keeping with these principles, the Conference may agree to hear Concept V Appeals brought by members of the Conference structure below the Conference level on the inverted triangle.”