April 29 in A.A. History

In 1998 [April 30?], Sybil C. [right], a former bootlegger, dance-hall girl, Long Beach (California) A.A. archivist, and the first executive secretary for California A.A., died in Los Angeles, California, just 21 days before her 90th birthday. She had been sober since 23 Mar 1941 and was the first woman to join A.A. west of the Mississippi River. In later talks, she introduced herself by saying, “My name is Sybil Doris Adams Stratton Hart Maxwell Willis C., and I’m an alcoholic.”

April 28 in A.A. History

In 1983, Raymond M., an A.A. member from Grandville, Michigan, wrote to Mr. Carlton Turner [right], the director of the Drug Abuse Policy Office during President Ronald Reagan’s administration, enclosing his personal story:

RAYMOND E. M▓▓▓▓▓▓▓
2714 Donna, S.W.
Grandville, MI 49418

            April 28, 1983

Mr. Carlton Turner
THE WHITE HOUSE
Washington, D.C. 20001

Dear Mr. Turner:

    Alcoholics Anonymous, as you know, is a bi-partisan organization numbering in the millions. Members include men and women, young and old, from all walks of life. The work they do, which is almost entirely on a voluntary basis, is an inspiration and a powerful statement of what can be accomplished through simple human kindness and concern.
    I am enclosing and forwarding to you a story I have written which displays the spirit of A.A. I hope you will find it interesting and inspirational. Without the splendid help these people and others in the field of substance abuse perform, this world, certainly this country, would not be as well off as it is. As an A.A. member myself, I am proud to be able to make this statement.
    Thank you for your kind attention and continued support of A.A.

Sincerely,

 <signature>

         Raymond E. M▓▓▓▓▓▓▓

REM:m
enc.

April 27 in A.A. History

In 1942, three of Dr. Kirby Collier’s alcoholic patients begin holding A.A. meetings in the lower right apartment at 192 N. Goodman St. [right] in Rochester, New York. This was the first A.A. meeting in Rochester.

April 27–May 3

In 2003, at the 53rd General Service Conference, held at the Crowne Plaza Manhattan in New York City, the following were among the advisory actions: that…

• the trial period [started at this Conference] for use of laptops at the General Service Conference be extended through the 54th General Service Conference;
• a draft Introduction to… Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions be developed;
• the trustees’ Literature Committee initiate a comprehensive review of “The A.A. Group;” and
• development of a Third Edition of Alcohólicos Anónimos be approved.

In 2008, at the 58th General Service Conference, held at the Crowne Plaza Times Square in New York City, the following was among the advisory actions: that…

• the Online Intergroup of A.A. (OIAA) be listed in a new section titled “Online Intergroups” under the section “International Correspondence Meetings” in the A.A. “Online Directories” above where “Meetings” appear.

In 2014, at the 64th General Service Conference, held at the Hilton Westchester in Rye Brook, New York, the following were among the advisory actions: that…

• a plan be created by the General Service Office to translate Conference material (background material, Conference Manual, etc.) into French and Spanish for use during the Conference;
• the pamphlet on spirituality with the title “Many Paths to Spirituality” be approved;
• during a two-year trial period[, in 2015 and 2016,] the General Service Conference include one day of electronic voting on all nonelection [sic] votes;
• [add] to the Glossary of General Service Terms [in] The AA. Service Manual:
  
  “Advisory Action—Represents the informed group conscience of the Fellowship, as the result of a recommendation made by a Conference committee or a floor action, which has been approved by the Conference body as a whole;” and
  “Additional Committee Consideration—An item that was discussed by a Conference committee, but with no action taken or made by the Conference as a whole.”

April 26 in A.A. History

In 1939, Bill and Lois W. were forced to leave their home at 182 Clinton St. [right, c. 1940] in Brooklyn, where they had lived since Lois’s father remarried and moved out in May 1933, shortly after Lois’s mother’s death. The bank held a mortgage but, preferring to have the property occupied rather than empty, allowed the W.s to stay on a month-to-month basis for less than the monthly mortgage—specifically, a “nominal” payment of $20 [~$460 in 2025]. With the Great Depression loosening its grip, foreclosure restrictions had eased, allowing the bank to foreclose and sell the building. This was a difficult blow for Lois, as it was her childhood home.
    They had no place to keep their belongings, so most went into storage. As Bill later remarked, “There wasn’t enough money to even get our goods into storage. We had to go on the cuff [on credit] with the drayman [wagon driver].”
    With nowhere to live, Bill and Lois moved in with Hank and Kathleen P. in Montclair, New Jersey. Lois’s terse diary entry reads, “Left 182 for good. Went to P—–s [sic].” This would be just the first of over 50 temporary homes they would inhabit over the next two years.
    In her memoir, Lois Remembers, Lois noted that “soon after we left Clinton Street, Hank and Kathleen started holding Sunday meetings at their new home”—a sign that the A.A. movement was still alive and growing, even though Bill remarked of their ouster, “So climaxed four years of Alcoholics Anonymous.”
    A few days later, Bill and Lois moved again, this time to a remote bungalow in rural Green Pond, New Jersey. Lois's diary entries—many included in her memoir—suggest that this stay was one of her happiest times during Bill's first five years of sobriety.

In 1958, the first International Convention of Young People in Alcoholics Anonymous (ICYPAA) opened at the Hotel Niagara  [left] in Niagara Falls, New York. The A.A. Exchange Bulletin (precursor to Box 4-5-9) explained that the purpose of ICYPAA was…

    to provide delegates with a thorough rundown of the application of our A.A. program to the individual difficulties encountered by young people in dealing not only with alcoholism but also with the other problems peculiar to their generation.

In 1959, This Week published “Don’t Tell Me I’m Not an Alcoholic” [right: first 2 pages] by John Boit Morse, as told to Arthur Gor­don.

In 1986, Bob P. [left] delivered a farewell address at the closing brunch of the 36th General Service Conference (GSC) at the Hotel Roosevelt in New York City. The occasion was significant, as he was nearing retirement and this would be his final GSC. The Final Report described it as “a powerful and inspiring closing talk titled ‘Our greatest danger: rigidity.’” He said, in part,

    If you were to ask me what is the greatest danger facing A.A. today, I would have to answer: the growing rigidity… And in this trend toward rigidity, we are drifting farther and farther away from our co-founders. Bill, in particular, must be spinning in his grave, for he was perhaps the most permissive person I ever met. One of his favorite sayings was, “Every group has the right to be wrong.” He was maddeningly tolerant of his critics…

April 26–May 2

In 1981, at the 31st General Service Conference, held at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City, the following were among the advisory actions:

• All future events such as the International Convention not be planned to operate on a deficit basis, and it was also recommended that all future events of this type be self-supporting.
• The suggestion to publish a pamphlet for the homosexual alcoholic be tabled [to] 1982.
• A footnote be added to Tradition Eight in the book “Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,” page 169, to update the job description of present-day G.S.O. staff members. The suggested footnote to read: [Their work has no counterpart in commercial organizations.]
• [That] “The AA. Service Manual” and “Twelve Concepts for World Service” be combined.

In 1987, at the 37th General Service Conference, held at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City, there were two significant sets of presentations by Area Delegates addressing internal concerns that had arisen out of the 36th GSC, with discussion following. The first included two talks by Area delegates:

1. “The Right of Decision Makes Effective Leadership Possible (Concept III),” which said, in part:

       At last year’s Conference there seemed to be some doubt or feeling of unrest about… the trustee's report on the… Conference Committee. The scope of the Conference… Committee is to review and approve the agenda… make recommendations to the Conference for approval, disapproval, or amendment…

2. “The Principle of Mutual Trust (Tradition Two),” which said, in part:

        [Let us] reflect upon why we… have presentations at Conference after Conference questioning the trust or lack of trust between the different levels of A.A. service… It may… suggest that we are all to quick to become guarded or to doubt. Both… contribute to mistrust. Perhaps it is time for us… to be open with one another…

    The second set presentations, “The Use of Surveys in Making Conference Decisions,” included three talks, two by Area delegates and the third by a Class B trustee: 

1. "PRO—Don't Surveys Help Take the Pulse of the FeIlowship?,"
2. "CON—Surveys Don't Help in Making Conference Decisions," and
3. "How Can Survey's be Utilized?" 

    These grew out of criticism that the Conference may be avoiding its responsibility by recommending surveys of the membership to determine whether or not we should, for example, publish a soft-cover format of the Big Book or a daily reflections book.

April 26–May 3

In 2009, at the 59th General Service Conference, held at the Crowne Plaza Times Square in New York City, the following were among the advisory actions: that…

>
• the revised draft pamphlet, “For the Native North American,” be pproved;
• the trustees' Literature Committee undertake a through review of the pamphlet, “Questions and Answers on Sponsorship,” and eliminate or revise outmoded ethnic. cultural and vocational references;
• the title of the pamphlet, “44 Questions,” be changed to “Frequently Asked Questions About A.A.;”
• the General Service Board develop a procedure for the submission of Concept V minority appeals to the General Service Conference;
• all changes to The A.A. Service Manual combined with Twelve Concepts for World Service be listed in the edition in which the changes appear for the first time, and organized by source of change (General Service Board, Conference Advisory Action, Conference Committee on Report & Charter,Publications Department), [and] Conference Advisory Actions will be noted by vertical margin change bars in the edition in which the change appears for the first time; and
• we develop Conference-approved literature that focuses on spirituality and includes stories from atheists and agnostics who are successfully sober in Alcoholics Anonymous. 

April 25 in A.A. History

In 1913, Burr and Burton Seminary presented A Midsummer-Night’s [sic] Dream at the Union Opera House, located on the second floor of what is now Factory Point Place on Main Street in Manchester Center, Vermont [right: playbill]. The names of some of the cast members will be familiar to students of A.A. history:

Theseus, the Duke of Athens	William W—– [still deeply depressed over Bertha Bamford’s death]
Demetrius (In love with Hermia)	John Jackson [Constable who, in 1934, brought Ebby before Judge Graves when he drunkenly shot at pigeons]
Bottom, a Weaver	Edwin T—– [Ebby]
Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons	Esther Graves [Judge Graves’ daughter, Cebra’s sister]
Helena, (In love with Demetrius)	Dorothy W—– [Bill’s sister, would marry Dr. Leonard Strong]

In 1939, Morgan R. [left], a former advertising executive, asylum patient, and friend of the host, shared his story and pitched the book Alcoholics Anonymous during a 3-minute appearance on Gabriel Heatter’s nationwide radio show, “We the People.” Heatter remarked that if just one person was helped by hearing this story, it would be a real service.

    In the days leading up to the broadcast, Morgan had been confined to a room to prevent him from arriving drunk. Bill W. and Hank P. had raised $500 [~$11,500 in 2025] to send 20,000 postcards to doctors east of the Mississippi River about the upcoming broadcast. The effort yielded 12 responses, only 2 of which were book orders [near right: postcard; far right: enclosed order form].

In 2010, Hallmark Hall of Fame premiered When Love Is Not Enough: The Lois W—– Story on CBS, starring Winona Ryder as Lois and Barry Pepper as Bill. The film is based on William G. Borchert’s book of the same name.

April 25–29

In 1962, at the 12th General Service Conference, held at the Roosevelt Hotel [left: marquee and entranceway] in New York City, the following were among the advisory actions, all unanimous:

• Recommends that the report on Long Range translation needs be adopted as follows: [9 specific points of criteria].
• Accepts the recommended budget as presented by the Finance and Budgetary Committee of the General Service Board.
• An Internationalist be selected by their group to attend the Annual meeting of the General Service Conference as an Observer without vote, starting in 1963.

April 24 in A.A. History

In 1989, Dr. Leonard V. Strong, Jr [right], 90, died of pneumonia at McKerley Health Care Center in Rutland, Vermont. He was the brother-in-law of Bill W., married to his sister Dorothy, and served as a Class A [non-alcoholic] Trustee of the General Service Board of Alcoholics Anonymous.

April 24–28

In 1963, at the 13th General Service Conference, held at the Hotel Roosevelt in New York City, the following were among the advisory actions:

• That in an Area where Delegates have been chosen by two A.A. service entities, the Area's representation in the Conference… be deferred until the Area… is able to select a single Delegate^*.
• Approved the admission to the Conference… of a second Delegate from the Province of Quebec… [to serve] French-speaking group in the Province.
• Viewed “with favor” possible increased participation by overseas A.A. units in General Service Conferences and recommended that a study of factors be made by G.S.O.
• [Denied] the request that a representative of the Young People in A.A. be permitted to attend the General Service Conference as an Observer.
• “Partners,” when revised be retitled [sic] “The Group Handbook” with subtitle, “How the A.A. Group Starts and Grows.”
• Recommends a joint meeting of the G[eneral] S[ervice] B[oard] and Conference Finance Committee be held in October or November. Also that this be extended to other Committees as deemed necessary.
• [Established a number of committees to plan the 1965 International Convention.]
• An amount in excess of $6,500 has been collected in Canada for the Guarantee Fund;… the General Service Board [put aside] $6,500 from the General Fund… representing… [their] share…  of the 1965 Convention Guarantee Fund [to cover any losses resulting from that Convention.

    Bill Wilson spoke about group conscience in his talk titled “A.A. Takes Its Inventory”:

    I think that we have developed almost a fetish that there 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 be (and almost always is) supremely wise as to the best interest of Alcoholics Anonymous.

---

^* The Chicago Area (19) had two such Delegates. Both were invited to meet with the Conference Admissions Committee at their own expense.

April 24–29

In 1973, at the 23rd General Service Conference, held at the Hotel Commodore in New York City, the following were among the advisory actions, all unanimous:

• That Conference Committee Secretaries… serve in an advisory capacity only, and… not… vote.
• In declining to approve the [Agenda/Admissions] committee recommendation, the Conference voted that Quebec be allowed a fourth delegate.
• [Denied a recommendation] that the Agenda/Admissions Committee participate, as a committee, in the final approval of suggested agenda items and their distribution to the various committees, etc., and no longer be restricted to ust “making recommendations.”
• The Unity declaration be added to all A.A. literature when feasible and economical…
• Any A.A. member's evaluating another A.A. member is totally in opposition to our Traditions.
• That the money in the Bill Wilson Memorial Fund be transferred to the General Fund as expeditiously as possible.

April 24–30

In 2022, at the 72nd General Service Conference, held at the Omni Park Central Hotel in New York City, COVID wreaked its havoc, although this was the first face-to-face Conference in since 2019. Two sitting Area delegates were replaced by alternates at almost the last minute. Some G.S.O. employees who had been working on Conference preparations had to go into quarantine after contracting the virus. After the Conference started, Conference members, more G.S.O. employees, and Conference guests began to get sick. As the Final Report put it:

    At least 25 people [were] infected by the end of the week and closer to 50 in the days following the Conference. With no no established protocols or plans in place to address the expanding infection rate, a series of ad hoc procedures were adopted to keep Conference members in the loop of the Conference itself. Recognizing Concept IV and the need to develop a means of communication for those Conference members quarantined in the hotel or who had chosen to leave the Conference over Covid concerns, an audio link was established to provide access to the deliberations of theConference, though the full participation of these Conference members fordiscussion, voting and minority opinion was not possible.
     Further complicating matters… the hotel had no room service capabilities.…
     Another issue…, especially as brought to the fore by the pandemic, [was] the growth, importance and representation of online groups and meetings.

The following were among the advisory actions:

• [That] the… Board develop a… report on the progress and outcomes from the 2013–2015 Conference inventory and include a draft plan for another Conference inventory… to be brought back to he 2023 Conference Committee on Agenda.
• [A]ll Conference… background be made available simultaneously in English, French and Spanish.
• Chapters [8–12] of The A.A. Service Manual be revised to correct inaccuracies and to provide clarity and consistency.

April 23 in A.A. History

In 1940, Dr. Bob S. wrote to the trustees of the Alcoholic Foundation to decline royalties from sales of Alcoholics Anonymous. However, Bill W. insisted that both Bob and Anne receive royalties in recognition of their leadership. Hank P., the only other significant author of the non-story portions besides Bill, had been “squeezed out” after he began drinking, which no doubt contributed to his growing resentment toward Bill.

In 1947,The New York Times published a letter [right] from Leonard V. Harrison, as Director of New York City’s Bureau of Public Affairs; at the time, he was also serving as Chairman of the Alcoholic Foundation Board of Trustees.

In 1963, Bill W. wrote to Sam Shoemaker [left]:

You must remember, Sam, that you were the personification here in New York of all the best that went on in Calvary and in the O.G. [Oxford Group] of A.A.’s early days. Your impact on me, and upon some of our other people, was simply immense.… It is also entirely true that the substance of A.A.’s Twelve Steps was derived from the O.G.’s [Oxford Group’s] emphasis on the essentials and your unforgettable presentation of this material time after time.…
    The Twelve Steps of A.A. simply represented an attempt to state in more detail, breadth, and depth, what we had been taught—primarily by you. Without this, there could have been nothing—nothing at all.
    Certainly there were other indispensable contributions without which we should have probably gotten no place. But none of these were so large or so critical as your own. Though I wish the ‘cofounder [sic]’ tag had never been hitched to any of us. I have no hesitancy in adding your name to the list!

In 2018, The A.A. Grapevine, Inc. launched a YouTube channel [right] with three videos: “Doors,” “At the Printer,” and “Printer Cutter.”

April 23–26

In 1953, at the 3rd Annual General Service Conference, held at the Hotel Roosevelt in New York City, the Board of Trustees reported that “the name of Works Publishing, Inc. has been changed to ‘Alcoholics Anonymous Publishing, Inc.’”
    The following were some of the advisory actions:

• That Alcoholics Anonymous… not [seek to] incorporate [by Act of Congress].
• [Develop] a new pamphlet for young alcoholics, including a few personal… stories.
• 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.
• That the Board of Trustees… choose the area from which a Trustee [comes] and… the qualifications the prospective Trustee should possess. This Conference… expresses its complete confidence in, and appreciation of, the ability of the Board to act in this matter.
• That the Board of Trustees be authorized to provide part-time compensation for the President of… Alcoholics Anonymous Publishing, Inc. or in any other situations, as needed.
• Changing the name of The Alcoholic Foundation to a new designation using “Alcoholics Anonymous” coupled with a suitable word, that word not to be “international.”

April 23–27

In 1952, at the 2nd General Service Conference, held at the Hotel Commodore in New York City, the following were among the advisory actions, all unanimous:

• That Conference Committee Secretaries… serve in an advisory capacity only, and… not… vote.
• Reaffirm the stand taken by the 1951 Conference as follows: “This conference has no desire to review, edit, or censor non-Foundation material. Our object is to provide, in the future, a means of distinguishing Foundation literature from that issued locally or by non-A.A. interests.”
• The pamphlet “Sedatives” be given first priority in issuance of revisions of existing pamphlets.

In 1958, the 8th General Service Conference of Alcoholics Anonymous was held at the Prince George Hotel in New York City. Area Delegates included one from Alaska and one from Puerto Rico.
     Two advisory actions of interest were:

• That Area 9 (Mid-Southern California) be recognized.
• That A.A.…

    recognize the original use of the word ‘honest’ before ‘desire to stop drinking’ and its deletion from the Traditions as part of the evolution of the A.A. movement. Any change to be left to the discretion of A.A. Publishing, Inc.

    This was with regard to a proposal to…

    change the wording of the so-called “Grapevine description” of the movement [i.e., the Preamble] so that this conforms with the third Tradition in omitting the word “honest.”

    That summer, the Board voted to remove “honest” from the Preamble.

In 1990, at the 40th General Service Conference, held at the Omni Park Central Hotel in New York City, the following were among the advisory actions:

• The A.A. History book project continue… the time frame covered be expanded to include 1955 [on].
• The manuscript of the daily reflections book be approved with the following specific changes… pamphlet for young alcoholics, including a few personal… stories.
• The proposal for a pamphlet on the spiritual aspects of A.A. not be approved.
• [That] a standing committee for central and intergroup offices not be formed…
• [Revise] the Twelve Concepts section in The A.A. Service Manual,… the short form of Concepts as the “Table of Contents,” followed by the long form and introduction.
• [That] items discussed, but no action taken or recommendation made,… committee recommendations which are not adopted, be included in a separate section in the Conference Final Report.
• [Denied] a request from ICYPAA that a member of their advisory council be allowed to attend the General Service Conference as an observer.
• [Denied a Delegate request] that the resumes of nominees for… trustee[s] be sent to all delegates.

April 23–29

In 1989, at the 39th Annual General Service Conference, held at the Omni Park Central Hotel in New York City, the following were among the advisory actions:

• [To not] send complete audited financial statements to each delegate as soon as they are available has not been demonstrated, but that they will be made available upon request (available about April 1st, each year).
• That] the Grapevine develop an ongoing A.A. history section,… including area and regional histories.
• [That] work continue on a … book on A.A. History from 1955, [that] focuses on major events and developments [since then] rather than focusing on the beginning of A.A. and the history of the 91 areas…
• … “The A.A. Group” be thoroughly revised to address the many issues and concerns related to A.A. groups which come before the committee year after year such as: the difference between a group and a meeting; meeting formats; how to obtain a group conscience; the duties of trusted servants and their alternates; and others as described in an outline of contents submitted by the trustees’ Literature Committee.
• A pamphlet for gay and lesbian alcoholics be approved… the title be “A.A. and the Gay/Lesbian Alcoholic.”
• [That] General Service Conference committee items discussed, but no action taken or recommendation made, not be included in the Final Report.
• Rectify contradictions and inconsistencies between The AA. Service Manual and legal charters and by-laws.