Speaking of Henrietta Sieberling

First Things First – there’s seems to be some confusion about the spelling of her last name. Additionally, there was a time when Henrietta thought Bill W. might have lost his marbles. Take note however, that this letter is posted on a site not associated with AA or AA G.S.O.

More importantly, for me, is an audio tape from Henrietta which I first posted last year. It is titled “Never Be Afraid To Acknowledge God.”

Quoting Henrietta Sieberling, through her son John, who made an audio tape of his mother for the Founders Day meeting in Akron in 1971. Bill W. had passed away in the spring of that year and the members in Akron wanted Henrietta to speak but she wasn’t well enough to travel from New York.

She’d said quite a bit prior to this passage and I’d seriously suggest you click through above to read it. But this part is very interesting;

“Father Dowling, a Jesuit Priest, had first met our group in the early days in Chicago, and he came to Akron to see us. And then he went on to New York to see the others. And he said to one of our men, ‘This is one of the most beautiful things that has come into the world. But I want to warn you that the devil will try to destroy it.’ Of course, it’s true, and one of the first things that the devil could have used was having money, and having sanitariums as the men were planning. Much to Bob’s and Bill’s and Ann’s surprise, I said, ‘No, we’ll never take any money.’

Another way where I saw that the devil could try to destroy us was having prominent names. The other night I heard on TV special about alcoholics, a man explaining why they are anonymous. And he showed that he didn’t really know why. He just said that it wouldn’t do to let people know that you were an alcoholic. That’s not the reason. In fact, the surest way to stay sober is to let people know that you are an alcoholic because then you have lost something of yourself.

I would say that the second way that I saw that the devil would be trying to destroy us was to have any names. Those who think that they are prominent or that they have become leaders, all fail people because no one is on top spiritually all the time. So I said, ‘We’ll never have any names.’

I feel that the whole wonderful experience of Alcoholics Anonymous came in answer to a growing great need in the world, and this was met by the combination of Bill, who was a catalyst and promoter, and Bob, with his great humility (if you spoke to him about his contribution, he’d say, ‘Oh, I just work here.’) and Ann, who supplied a homeyness for our men in the beginning.

And I tried to give to the people something of my experience and faith. What I was most concerned with is that we always go back to faith. This brings me to the third thing that would be destructive to the early days, Bob and Bill said to me. ‘Henrietta, I don’t think we should talk too much about religion or God.’ I said to them, ‘Well, we’re not out to please the alcoholics. They have been pleasing themselves all these years. We are out to please God. And if you don’t talk about what God does, and your faith, and your guidance, then you might as well be the Rotary Club or something like that. Because God is your only source of power.’ And finally they agreed. And they weren’t afraid any more. It is my great hope that they will never be afraid to acknowledge God and what he has done for them.”

I would so much like to see this “old-time” honesty and reality return. This is the truth!