April 27 in A.A. History

1942: Dr. G. Kirby Collier [right] laid the groundwork for Rochester, New York’s first Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.
    He gathered three or four of his alcoholic patients into his office at The Hiram Sibley Building [left] on East Ave. at Alexander St. There, he explained the A.A. program’s basics and provided literature he had acquired during a December visit to the Alcoholic Foundation in New York City. Then, as he put it, he “threw them overboard.”
    Following Collier’s guidance, this small group began meeting in one of the members’ homes—the lower right apartment at 192 N. Goodman St. [right]—establishing Rochester’s inaugural A.A. meeting. Within weeks, the group would expand to six people.

Today in A.A. History—April 27–May 3

2003: The 53rd General Service Conference was held at the Crowne Plaza [left] Manhattan in New York City. Advisory Actions included:

• the trial period [started at this Conference] for use of laptops at the General Service Conference be extended through the 54th G.S.C.;
• 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.

2008: The 58th General Service Conference was held at the Crowne Plaza [above left] Times Square in New York City. Advisory Actions included:

• 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.

2014: The 64th General Service Conference was held at the Hilton Westchester [right] in Rye Brook, New York. Advisory Actions included:

• 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; and
• [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.”