May 7 in A.A. History

1946: An article titled “AA Fights Alcoholism As Disease” [right] was published in The Seafarers Log, the official publication of the Atlantic and Gulf Region of the Seafarers International Union of North America. The article references the Alcoholics Anonymous Seamen’s Club (334½ W. 24th St., New York City), its pamphlet “For Seamen Who Drink,” and its newsletter, The Ropeyarn. 

1973: In an episode titled “Alcoholic Women,” David Susskind interviewed five women who were members of Alcoholics Anonymous on his television program, The David Susskind Show [left: Susskind interviewing a Mafia hit man, 1973].

1994:  The AA Flanders National Congress [near right: program cover; far right: flyer] took place in Ypres, Belgium [left: view of the Cloth Hall (a.k.a.Expo Hall) at the Grote Markt (Market Square) of Ypres, where this event occurred].
    A rough translation of the program cover reads:  

MAY 7, 1994 / Start at 10:00 a.m. / DIET^* [of] ANONYMOUS ALCOHOLISTS / WESTHOEK - EXPO HALLS / YPRES / AA: “E”VERYTHING “E”LSE

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^* The term ‘Diet’ is a translation of Landdag, which literally means “country day” or “country assembly.” In this context, ‘Diet’ refers to a formal deliberative assembly.

May in A.A. History—day unknown

1939: Henry “Hank” P.’s company, Honor Dealers, was forced to relocate for the second time in a year when the sheriff arrived with an eviction notice due to non-payment of rent. Despite this setback, the resourceful Hank managed to negotiate a deal that allowed him and secretary Ruth Hock to move to a much smaller office (from #601 to #604) on the same floor of the building at 17 Williams Street [left] in Newark, New Jersey. Bill W. later remarked that it was “a tiny room barely big enough to contain Henry’s large desk, his overstuffed chair, a couple of file cabinets, and Ruth and her typewriter. For callers there was standing room only.”

1939: At the first Alcoholics Anonymous meeting held at the Upper Montclair, New Jersey home [right] of Hank and Kathleen P. (counted by some as A.A. Group #4), attendees voted to establish a Home Replacement Fund for Bill and Lois W. This decision was made while Lois and Bill were out, running an errand. Upon their return, Lois recorded in her diary that they were thrilled by the initiative and the pledges made. In Lois Remembers, her memoir, she wrote,

    The local group, meeting at the home of Hank and Kathleen, voted to provide a “Bill and Lois Improvement Fund” (they didn’t state just what was to be improved—perhaps our dispositions!) and passed the hat at meetings to raise money to help meet our living expenses for a year. I believe we were richer by twenty dollars [~$375 in 2026] a month because of their generosity.