August 15 in A.A. History

In 1890, Elvin Morton “Bunky” Jellinek [right, 1920s] was born in New York City to a Hungarian father, Markus Erwin Marcel Jellinek, a merchant and descendant of the notable Jellinek family of Budapest, and an American mother, Rose Jacobson, best known as the opera singer Marcella Lindh.
    When he was five, his family relocated to Hungary, where he attended elementary and high school in Budapest, graduating with honors in 1908. He attended—it is unclear whether he enrolled—universities in various cities, including Leipzig, Berlin, and Grenoble, focusing on philosophy, ethnography, psychoanalysis, and cultural anthropology. However, it appears he never received a degree or doctorate, only honorary appointments.

    His time in Hungary ended under dramatic circumstances, marked by an arrest warrant issued in four languages. Although the details are unclear, reports suggested he embezzled half a billion koronas (crowns) [left: 1,000 kr note, 1920], which today would be about $1.3 million US. He was forced to leave the country in 1920, and sensational newspaper articles were published about him, with the arrest warrant remaining active for ten years.

    The next decade of his life is practically undocumented. He may have worked for a shipping company in Sierra Leone under the alias Nikita Hartmann, and records from his daughter imply that he engaged in barter and cooking during his time in Africa. After 1926, Jellinek moved to Honduras, where he worked as an agricultural engineer for United Fruit Company and later became its director of research there. By 1929, he had arrived in the U.S., working in the banana company’s Boston office, where he completed a book on banana diseases published under a name like “A. N. Hartman” or “Nikita Hartmann” [right: cover of Banana Growth and Fruiting: A Popular Summary, by A. N. Hartman, which researchers say “is a somewhat abridged and less technical version of earlier publications”].

    Jellinek spent the first nine years of his American life at Worcester Hospital [left, 2007], primarily working with schizophrenic patients. He contributed to a vast collection of over 500 million data points, which formed the basis for a five-point schizophrenia rating scale.

    In 1939, he shifted his focus to alcoholism at New York University’s medical schools, where he was tasked with collecting and organizing previously published works on alcohol. This scientific review laid the groundwork for the professional literature collection now at Rutgers University (moved there from the Yale Institute of Alcohol Studies in 1962). Jellinek emerged as a prominent figure in alcoholology, culminating in an award named in his honor—one of the most prestigious recognitions in the field. He also became a practicing biostatistician, physiologist, and alcoholism researcher, fluent in nine languages and proficient in four others.

He wrote The Disease Concept of Alcoholism [left: cover, 1st ed., 1st pr.] and created a table [right, Aug 1952], illustrating the progression of alcoholism from “occasional relief drinking” to “obsessive drinking continues in vicious circles.” It would be converted to a curve named after Jellinek, even though he disavowed it. Dr. Max Glatt [left, 1990] modified it [right] in 1958 to include a recovery element, it remains popularly known as the “Jellinek Curve.” Over the years, it has been adapted for various forms of addiction and continues to be widely referenced today.

In 1938 [16th?], Archibald “Archie” T. [right], who would have his last drink on September 3rd, later spoke about his activities in the days leading up to that day:

No money. No place to live. No help. No morale left. No will to live left. That was my condition in the Summer of 1938. It caused me to park myself on an unsuspecting friend whose family were out of town and who didn’t know much about my career for the past, or previous, several years and he unwittingly invited me to stay in his home because I was homeless. He had me on his hands for 19 days. Every one of those days I was drunk, continuously. I would come home and sleep off the effects of several hours of drinking, crawl out of bed and go back to the saloon and get drunk again. I managed in that cagey way that alcoholics have, of avoiding him pretty well. Or at least I thought I did. In fact, I was quite sure in my alcoholic way that he didn’t even know I drank. 

In 1940, Clinton “Duke” P. of Toledo, Ohio, was admitted to Akron City Hospital with a diagnosis of “acute gastritis.” Akron’s A.A. members visited him there and he sobered up, never to drink again. 

In 1941, the Cuyahoga Central Committee of Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) held its second meeting, with the notice written by Chairman Clarence S. [left]:

    Being mindful of the need and usefulness of a central committee, our two meetings have been marked by an outstanding atmosphere of fine fellowship and co-operation between the groups. We have had excellent attendance and much interest is being shown by all committee members in the furtherance of our fellowship.

    At the first meeting held five months earlier, attendees had voted to establish a Central Committee. During this meeting, Clarence was ousted as chairperson due to lingering mistrust stemming from a series on A.A. published by the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Clarence referred to this upheaval as a “revolution,” and, as a result, little else was accomplished.

    During the second meeting, three committees were formed: Entertainment, chaired by Albert “Abby” G. [right]; Finance, chaired by Wm. “Bill” H.; and Hospital, chaired by H. L. M. Each committee comprised six members from various groups in the Cleveland area. Committee members were to serve a term of three months, or until the chairman’s term expires, or until the chairman replaced them.
    One of Clarence’s ideas, borrowed from Abby, was the “rotation” of officers, intended to ensure an equal and representative voice within the fellowship. Additionally, the meeting introduced the “new A.A. Pamphlets.” Mitchell K., Clarence’s biographer, believed these pamphlets were likely similar in content to earlier articles from the Houston Press, written by Larry J., whom Clarence sponsored before he moved to Texas and helped start A.A. there.

August in A.A. History—day unknown

In 1907, Bill Wilson’s grandfather, Fayette Griffith [left], who, along with his wife Ella, had been raising Bill and his sister Dorothy for about a year, offhandedly remarked to 11-year-old Bill [right], “It’s an odd thing, I’ve been reading a good deal about Australia lately and no one seems to know why Australians are the only people in the world who are able to make a boomerang.”

    Bill was taken aback. “The only people?”
    The following day, Bill borrowed two books about Australia from the library. That night, he went to bed with the second volume of the Encyclopedia Britannica, which featured several columns on the history, uses, and design of a boomerang.
    On Saturday, he visited a local French woodcutter and spent the entire afternoon talking to him. This led to more books and conversations with other Frenchmen about the types of wood best suited for shaping a weapon three feet long and weighing no more than eight ounces [~227 g].
    As summer turned to fall, every scrap of paper in the house was covered with diagrams and calculations. Bill spent increasing amounts of time in the shed next to the house, where the sounds of sawing, carving, and whittling became constant. What had begun as a mere interest evolved into an obsession. Chores were neglected, the cow was never milked on time, eggs were seldom collected, and in November, a note arrived from Miss Milot, his teacher. She expressed her concern: Bill was failing all his classes.
    Now his grandmother was worried. She believed it was plain silly and unnatural. After reading some of his books, she concluded that a returning boomerang was no toy; it was a deadly weapon that could harm both the thrower and the target. She spoke sternly to Willie, as they affectionately called him, as did his grandfather.
    Fayette nodded, agreeing to talk to the boy, but believed the time to worry would be when Bill decided to give up and admit failure.

 

In 1918, while his artillery regiment was delayed outside Winchester, Hampshire, England, by a minor epidemic among the troops, Bill Wilson [left: in France] walked alone to Winchester Cathedral. In his so-called “Original Story”—which is actually his second draft of “Bill’s Story”—he would describe what happened:

    I stood in Winchester Cathedral the day before crossing [into France] with head bowed, for something had touched me then I had never felt before. I had been wondering, in a rare moment of sober reflection, what sense there could be to killing and carnage of which I was soon to become an enthusiastic part. Where could the Deity be—could there be such a thing—Where now was the God of the preachers, the thought of which used to make me so uncomfortable when they talked about him. Here I stood on the edge of the abyss into which thousands were falling that very day. A feeling of despair settled down on me—where was He—why did he not come—and suddenly in that moment of darkness, He was there. I felt an all enveloping, comforting, powerful presence. Tears stood in my eyes, and as I looked about, I saw on the faces of others nearby, that they too had glimpsed the great reality. Much moved, I walked out into the Cathedral yard, where I read the following inscription on a tombstone [right]. “Here lies a Hampshire Grenadier, Who caught his death drinking small good beer—A good soldier is ne’er forgot, whether he dieth by musket or by pot.” A squadron of bombers swept overhead in the bright sunlight, and I cried to myself “Here’s to adventure” and the feeling of being in the great presence disappeared, never to return for many years. 

August 13 in A.A. History

In 1944, the Press-Telegram of Long Beach, California, published an article [right] titled “Famous Organization of Rehabilitated Alcoholics Has 100 Members Here,” highlighting the success of Alcoholics Anonymous in Southern California. 

August 12 in A.A. History

In 1918, Bill W. arrived in Nexon, France, with his unit, Company C of the 66th Coastal Artillery Corps, U.S. Army. They were scheduled to remain there for training until September 27 [right: Company C soldiers at Chalus, France, 1918].

In 1958, Bill W. replied to a letter from Howard:

Dear Howard,
    Thanks deeply for your highly interesting letter of July 29th. I was thrilled by your account of the Old Timers meeting with the vast sobriety record that it portended. And also your observations on our 50%-25%-25% claim.^*
    I think you have something when you say that perhaps we give false hope to the newcomer by those figures. Actually, those figures have never been intended to apply to all drunks who come within range of A.A. and attend a meeting or so. They apply to those who really come in and take the treatment over a considerable period of time. On that narrow classification, I think the figures will stand up. In Philadelphia, for example, they kept records for a very long time, accurate ones. Not too long ago they case up figures on old timers which seemed to prove our claimed percentages. When the new edition of the A.A. book came out, the same thing happened. The story-tellers had better than the claimed percentage. So I think it ought to be emphasized with each newcomer that his chances are just as the figures say, provided he will jump into A.A. and is willing and capable of working at it.
    There is another angle, too. As you say, an awful lot of these people get hospitalized, attend a few meetings and then disappear. What becomes of them?
    Probably you've heard me tell the story about a group of 75 of these people that Lois and I once picked out of old address books from the very early days. Over the years, we located more than 60 of them. The 60 had returned to A.A. and most of them had made the grade. Some had been drunk 3, 5, 7, and 10 years. Finally, they were driven back on the do-or-die basis and really got the pitch. So our over-all claims are not excessive in my judgment.
    At the office, they continue to get wonderful reports of the change in feeling in your area about the Third Legacy, General Headquarters, and even about me! It is one of the most comforting and gratifying happenings that I can remember in my long A.A. live [sic]. Again, Howard, many thanks to you and to all those who have made this possible.
    Devotedly,
    Bill

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^*See “Foreword to Second Edition,” Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th edition, p. xx.

August 11 in A.A. History

In 1937, Paul [right] and Hildreth S. from Akron, Ohio, arrived in Brooklyn for a visit with Bill and Lois W. They would leave on 15 August.

In 1938, the Trustees of the Alcoholic Foundation—Frank Amos [far left], Willard Richardson [center left], and Bill R. [near left]—held their first meeting. John Wood was unable to attend; Dr. Bob S.^* had sent a handwritten proxy letter authorizing Richardson to vote on his behalf, adding, “I instruct him, however, to vote for Mr. Frank B. Amos for Treasurer of said Foundation.”
    The six-day delay in officially establishing the Foundation was due to the time it took to mail the “Trust Indenture” document to Dr. Bob for his signature and notarization, which occurred on the 10th. The signed package from Dr. Bob arrived in New York City on the meeting date.
    

The Trustees met at the Honors Dealers office on the 6th floor of 17 Williams St. in Newark, New Jersey, where Ruth Hock [right], a secretary at Honor Dealers at the time, provided administrative assistance. At this first meeting, Frank Amos asked Hank P. to provide an update on their progress. Hank reported the following statistics on the “Eastern Section”:

    41    alcoholics recovered (“Definite on the ball” per Hank)
      6    alcoholics in the questionable class
    12    hopeless alcoholics (“so difficult practically denied” per Hank)
    10    alcoholics recovered but out of touch
    25    prospects 

     The Foundation and its office would eventually be known as the General Service Board and General Service Office, respectively. Ruth Hock would later become A.A.’s first National Secretary.

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^*Dr. Bob did not attend any of the official Board of Trustees meetings during the critical period of 1938.

August 10 in A.A. History

In 1940, with the outbreak of World War II, Cmdr. Junious C. [left] was recalled to the Navy to serve as the First Executive Officer in charge of the Aviation Trades Schools at the soon-to-be-commissioned Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Florida [right, 1943].

    An Annapolis graduate from the Class of 1918 and a native of McComb, Mississippi, he had retired to Pasadena, California. One reason for his early retirement had been his excessive drinking. In Pasadena, his wife, Marie, had learned about a new organization called Alcoholics Anonymous and reached out to the Alcoholic Foundation in New York City for assistance. Ruth Hock provided her with the address of the Los Angeles Group, where Marie bought a copy of the Big Book. Junious found sobriety in the Los Angeles group and maintained it for several months, eventually becoming a key figure in the establishment of A.A. in Florida.

In 2015, to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the birth of E. M. “Bunky” Jellinek [left], Judit Hajnal Ward posted an editorial in the Jellinek Special Anniversary issue of the Center of Alcohol Studies (CAS) Information Services Newsletter. Co-authored by Judit H. Ward and William Bejarano, the piece was posted to the “Secrets from the Past” blog within the Rutgers University Alcohol Studies Archive. It included the following reflection:

    In remembrance of Jellinek, the first questions should be, as suggested by Thelma Pierce Anderson, Jellinek’s ex-wife, 

    Which Jellinek are we talking about? Bunky, the man? Bunky, the scientist? Bunky, the humanitarian? Bunky, the screwball? Bunky, the kind? the ruthless? the genius? (Anderson to Keller, August 22, 1984)

    This special issue of the Center of Alcohol Studies Information Services Newsletter aims to present Jellinek’s colorful personality through his own words, deeds, and scholarship, coupled with thoughts and opinions from some leaders of the field. Our goal is to show that Jellinek was everything but the average researcher. Letters, memories, and articles (by him and about him) outline a controversial scholar. He might have been scorned by many and idolized by others, but no one could just ignore him and what he did, whether as a charming gambler in Hungary or an alcohol scientist in the United States.
E. M. Jellinek more than others, saw “the big picture” regarding what was necessary to establish a beachhead for mainstream science’s cultural “ownership” of the nation’s alcohol-related concerns in the post-Repeal period. (Roizen, 2014, p. 78)

[Below: two illustrations from the article—left: timeline of Jellinek's life; right: highlights Jellinek’s work from the 2014th [sic] SALIS conference]

August 9 in A.A. History

In 1943 [This event is frequently cited as having taken place in 1890!], The Los Angeles Times reported [left] that 400 members of Alcoholics Anonymous attended an annual picnic at Sycamore Grove Park [right, 1937] the day before. These attendees represented 11 groups, totaling around 1,000 members. During the picnic, it was announced that Bill W. would be visiting for two months, beginning in early October.

August 8 in A.A. History

In 1897, Robert Holbrook S. (Dr. Bob) [right, very young] was born in the front bedroom of a large 19th-century clapboard house at 297 Summer St. in St. Johnsbury, Vermont. His parents were Susan A. Holbrook and Judge Walter Perrin S. [left]. He had a much older foster sister, Amanda, who later became a history professor at Hunter College in New York City.

In 1942, Clarence S.’s application to enroll in the U.S. Army’s Volunteer Officers Candidate Program was approved. Earlier that summer, Clarence [right, in uniform] had decided it was time to join the Army and had contacted the Selective Service Board to apply.

In 1944, Ed B.^*, who had previously been in Alcoholics Anonymous but returned to drinking, woke up in the basement of a small community hospital. Once he sobered up, Dr. Bob S. came to see him and asked, “What happened, Ed?” Ed later remembered responding that he had found himself in a bar and didn’t know how he had gotten there. At that moment, Dr. Bob stood up from his chair, pointed a finger at him, and lectured him about the importance of honesty, saying in part:

    You’re taking up my time, and I have better ways to spend it than to talk to you. If I were you, I’d go out and get drunk and stay drunk until I made up my mind what I wanted to do. As far as I’m concerned, you stink!

    Ed was furious, but later that night, he called Dr. Bob’s wife, Anne. After that call, he never drank again. Eventually he became the editor of the Akron Intergroup News.

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^*A.A. #59, original sobriety date: January 1938, in Akron, Ohio?

In 1974, Al S. [left] wrote to Nell Wing [right] about an article on Anne S., Dr. Bob’s wife, that he had inadvertently taken home 24 years ago [below: letter].

August 7 in A.A. History

In 1938, Bill W. replied to Dr. Bob S.’s request for clarification of what Bill wanted in the personal stories from Akron members:

    About the stories, I should say that everyone should write at whatever length they want to; the more, the better. Then the thousand word manuscripts can be edited down to the right size. The idea is that a chance word or phrase or experience may be the most telling point of the story, which would be missed entirely if people were trying to restrict themselves to a given number of words.

August 6 in A.A. History

1945, the Central Group [below left, date unknown] in Little Rock, Arkansas, adopted bylaws [below right] that established nine fundamental principles:

That the problems of men and women alcoholics are so entirely different that, while we will gladly and freely give such help as we can when requested by women, this shall always be kept a group of male alcoholics.

That the problems of men and women alcoholics are so entirely different that, while we will gladly and freely give such help as we can when requested by women, this shall always be kept a group of male alcoholics.

The officers of this group shall be composed of a chairman and four committeemen, all elected by secret ballot, the Chairman for a term of 4 months, the committeemen for 1, 2, 3, & 4 months, and one committeeman elected each month thereafter for a 4 month term to succeed the retiring member.

That one slip is understandable, two slips, while not desirable, are acceptable, but three slips indicate a lack of sincerity and regardless of our personal feelings in the matter, that man cannot attend any meetings or be in any way affiliated with this group for a period of 1 year.

That the original approach program be adopted and used in its entirety.

That no housing facilities for prospects be provided by this group.

That no financial aid be extended any prospect by this group.

That regular weekly dues be paid, whether in attendance or not, and any deficits be met by assessments according to each members [sic] ability to pay.

That two sponsors be assigned each prospect.

That all controversial questions be settled by secret ballot, majority ruling, and any member has the right to [a] secure written ballot simply by request.

August 5 in A.A. History

In 1917, Congress called up the National Guard into federal service, enabling the U.S. Army to gather manpower to fight alongside the Allies against the Central Powers^* in Europe during the Great War (World War I). The National Guard contributed significantly to the forces that secured victory in the war.

    At Norwich University, where Bill W. was studying, students were required to be members of the Vermont National Guard. Thus, he was among those called up. 
^*The Central Powers included the German Empire, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria, collectively known as the Quadruple Alliance.

In 1938, the Alcoholic Foundation was legally established as a charitable, tax-exempt organization to provide a formally incorporated, New York-based center for what would become Alcoholics Anonymous. Frank Amos [far left] recruited John E.F. Wood [near left], a non-alcoholic attorney from Dewey, Ballentine, Bushby, Palmer & Wood, to handle the legal work.

    The Foundation was officially formed with the signing and delivery of a 13-page “Trust Indenture,” prepared by Wood. The initial trustees were Wood, Frank Amos (nonalcoholic), Williard Richardson (nonalcoholic) [near right], Bill R. [far right] (who had accompanied Bill W. to Akron in October 1937), and Dr. Bob S. 

An Advisory Board was elected by the new Trustees, comprising Bill W., Hank P., Albert Scott [left] (nonalcoholic), and A. LeRoy Chipman [right] (nonalcoholic).

    The deed of trust required that non-alcoholic trustees constitute a majority. One challenge Wood encountered while drafting this document was the inability to legally define the difference between an alcoholic and a non-alcoholic. To address this, the terms Class A and Class B were created to distinguish between non-alcoholic and alcoholic board members, respectively.
    Richardson served on the board until April 1949, when he became the first Trustee Emeritus, a position he held until his death in 1952. Wood’s term on the board was short; he resigned in December 1939 after focusing on the original Trust Agreement document. 

    Bill R., whose story “A Business Man’s Recovery” appears in the first edition of Alcoholics Anonymous, was the first President (later called Chairman of the Board). He submitted his resignation^* in December, due to the stress of work and a newborn at home.  His resignation was not accepted until February. Harry B.^† [left], whose story “A Different Slant” is also in the first edition of Alcoholics Anonymous, was then elected to succeed Bill R., who subsequently joined the Advisory Board.

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^*An often-repeated myth is that Ruddell resigned because he drank. He did not.
^†In the chapter “More About Alcoholism,” “Fred” is a pseudonym for Harry Brick.

August 4 in A.A. History

In 1947, the 80th U.S. Congress passed H.R. 2659, (“an act to establish program [sic] for rehabilitation of alcoholics, promote temperance, and provide for medical and scientific treatment of persons found to be alcoholics by courts of District of Columbia, and for other purposes”) into law. Julius S., a member of Washington, D.C.'s Alcoholics Anonymous Cosmopolitan Group, had testified at the hearings for this bill.

Today in A.A. History—August 4–5

In 2001, an ad hoc Roundtable met in Manhattan to discuss issues and plan future directions for Area access to group records maintained by the General Service Office (GSO). The Roundtable members were a mix of computer-savvy and less experienced A.A. members, including an Area Delegate, a regional Class B Trustee, at least four area registrars, and three representatives from GSO.
    There was general agreement to use the Microsoft Access database platform favored by the areas in a survey conducted by GSO. Participants also discussed the original purpose and future direction of the ‘DelArea’ program: a joint development between GSO and the Areas concerning group data management, update timing, and record-editing rights.
    One attendee noted, “We were fortunate in having a cross-section of service experience and computer capabilities,” adding that the new DelArea program “will encourage the frequent exchange of information and, consequently, the timely receipt of GSR (general service representatives) Kits for incoming GSRs.”

August 3 in A.A. History

In 1911, Earle M. [left] was born in Omaha, Nebraska. At the age of ten, he and his family—his father, mother, and brother—relocated to San Francisco, California, which he would come to regard as home. He later became a distinguished gynecological surgeon. In June 1953, he would get sober, and remain so for 49 years, until his death in 2003. His story, “Physician Heal Thyself” would appear in the 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th editions of the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous.

In 1918 [likely date], having crossed the North Atlantic Ocean, the H.M.T. Lancashire^* [right] arrived in Liverpool, England, carrying Bill W. and the Coastal Artillery Corps unit to which he belonged.

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^*Hired Military Transport, i.e., non-commissioned

In 1985, in her column [left, with an edited title], Ann Landers recommended Alcoholics Anonymous, Al-Anon, and Alateen in the Steubenville, Ohio, Herald-Star:

Dear Ann Landers: My friend was always a heavy drinker, but since his wife died he misses work repeatedly and get dead drunk on weekends.
    I have tried reasoning with him, but he gets angry and orders me out of his house. How can I help him? – No Name In New York
Dear No Name: Trying to reason with a drunk is like trying to blow out a lightbulb.
    When he is sober let the drinker know, in a nonjudgmental way, that you are concerned. Set aside your hostility and remember you are angry at the illness, not him.
    Contact the National Headquarters of the National Council on Alcoholism, 12 West 21st St., New York, N.Y., 10010. They will put you in touch with program and services in your area.
    Alcoholics Anonymous is the most effective organization for drunks who want to stop killing themselves. Al-Anon is a terrific support group for relatives of alcoholics who choose to hang in there. Alateen is a group for teenagers whose parent (or parents) are boozers. The majority of heartwarming thank-you letters I have received over the years have come from people I’ve sent to A.A. and Al-Anon.

In 1989, the Liberty Bell’s Group—“Half cracked but liberated from booze a day at a time”—was started at the First Lutheran Church [right], located at 217 N. Lindsay St., Lake Elsinore, California. An early meeting schedule [left, 2007] showed:

Mon.	Mixed	[Closed] As Bill Sees It
Thurs.	Mixed	[Closed] Big Book study
Fri.	Men Only	[Closed] 12×12
Sat.	Mixed	[Closed] Discussion
Last Sat. of Month	Mixed	Open Birthday Meeting and Pot Luck	6:30

    At some point, the group’s name would be changed to the more grammatically correct “Liberty Bell Group” (losing the possessive).

 

 

August 2 in A.A. History

In 1892, (Lawrence) Richmond W. [right] was born to Caroline and Joseph Richmond W. in Brookline, Massachusetts. He was the second of six siblings, with two brothers and three sisters. 

    Rich would get sober and join Alcoholics Anonymous in May 1942. In 1948, he would self-publish his book, Twenty-Four Hours a Day (also known as “The Little Black Book”) [far left: 1st edition, 1st printing, cover; near left: pages 2–3]. He would later write For Drunks Only (1987) and The 7 Points of Alcoholics Anonymous (1989).

August 1 in A.A. History

In 1993, the General Service Office (GSO) in New York City made group information and contribution details accessible on 3½" floppy disks [left]—to General Service Areas that maintained their records digitally. This initiative resulted from a task force formed by GSO management to review and improve records-keeping procedures.

    In April, during the breaks on Tuesday and Thursday at the 43rd General Service Conference, delegates had the opportunity to attend a presentation of a computer software package demonstrated by two non-alcoholic GSO staff members. This software allowed areas equipped with the necessary technology to access group records retrieved from the GSO mainframe (an IBM AS/400 Model 40) [right, in the upper right corner of the image].