July 28 in A.A. History

1914: In Sarajevo, the capital of the recently annexed provinces of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Gavrilo Princip, a Serbian nationalist and anarchist, assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife, Sophie [right: Achille Beltrame’s portrayal of the assassination]. This act provided Austria-Hungary with justification to initiate hostilities against Serbia, marking the onset of what would become the Great War, later known as World War I.

Today in A.A. History—July 28–30

1950: Alcoholics Anonymous held its first International Convention at the Cleveland Public Auditiorium [left, c. 1950] in Cleveland, Ohio, to celebrate A.A.'s 15th anniversary [right]. The event aimed to honor co-founder Dr. Bob S., who was seriously ill and would die that November, and to adopt the Twelve Traditions by acclamation. Although organizers expected up to 10,000 attendees from an estimated total membership of 96,400, only about 3,000 people registered, with a few hundred more attending without registering.

During the convention, Bill Wilson gave a talk titled “The Group Conscience and the Trusted Servant”^* in which he discussed several key points, among them

I think that we have developed almost a fetish that this is some terrific infallibility in the group conscience, and I would like to modify it to this extent: that when the group conscience is thoroughly informed, and when experience backs a decision or conclusion it has reached, and when it isn’t too mad or too fearful, it can (and almost always is) supremely wise as to the best interests of Alcoholics Anonymous.

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^*This talk is reprinted in full in Our Great Responsibility: A Selection of Bill W.'s General Service Conference Talks 1951–1970. 

 

A.A. History—month & day unknown

1947: [Early, perhaps spring] Father William J. “Bill” M., a priest from St. Paul, Minnesota, and a member of Alcoholics Anonymous, established the Calix Society. (The term calix is Latin for chalice, referencing the cup used for consecrated wine in the Eucharist.) Their first meeting took place in a private room at the Rainbow Cafe [left , 1949] located at Hennepin Avenue and Lake Street in Minneapolis, and included four other alcoholics from his parish. Eventually, the group began to meet regularly after Saturday morning Mass to discuss the upcoming Sunday readings and the connection between their faith and the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Inspired by Matt Talbott, they adopted the motto: “substituting the cup that stupefies for the cup that sanctifies.” Bill W. later wrote to Father Bill,

As you know I always have been personally partial to all persons or organizations whose good will and helpfulness to A.A. is beyond question. You need not have said that you strive to keep your efforts within the framework of the traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous. I know you have tried and have succeeded.

1947: [Before July 25] The House District Committee of the 80th Congress held the first federal hearing on alcoholism and the need for rehabilitation. The hearing specifically addressed H.R. 2659, an “act to establish a program for the rehabilitation of alcoholics, promote temperance, and provide for the medical and scientific treatment of persons found to be alcoholics by courts of the District of Columbia, and for other purposes.” During this hearing, Julius S. of the Cosmopolitan Group of Alcoholics Anonymous testified that he had not had a drink in 18 months [right: screen capture from first televised Congressional hearing, 1951].