“I believe that people are good if you give them half a chance and that good is more powerful than evil. The world seems to me excruciatingly, almost painfully beautiful at times, and the goodness and kindness of people often exceed that which even I expect.”
- Lois Burnham Wilson
Born – March 4, 1891 in Brooklyn Heights, New York. (Of course – I see you JJ)
Died – October 5, 1988 at 97 years old.
Lois’ father was a gynecologist and surgeon. Her Mom’s name was Matilda and is described as “a woman of refinement.” Lois had two brothers and two sisters (a …read more

I’d never before seen this!
Native American Indian General Service Office
From the site’s introduction;
“The Native American Indian General Service Office of Alcoholics Anonymous functions to provide a vision of recovery, unity and service to the more than 500 sovereign Indian Nations in North America, which are recognized by the Federal Government.

Provides contact point for information on AA activities happening in Indian Country.

Establishes and maintains a Native American AA Directory of Groups and individuals (loners).

Provides traditional/cultural means of representation from the AA group and individual level to the world services level and return.

Supports Native American sovereignty and self-determination.

Structures and encourages the Native …read more

I’m not looking to be thought of as a purist because that would feel too much like perfectionism, to me. Yet I feel I want to be representative of the principle, not idealistically but realistically, of singleness of purpose in recovery. The fact that AA (and its “sister” 12 Step programs) has staunchly stuck to a singleness of purpose no doubt has continued to save innumerable lives and be largely responsible for bringing back many from a hopeless state of body and mind.
There are those who may be ignorant of, not too mindful of, or belligerently opposed to, the Twelve …read more

From The AA Service Manual;
Concept III

“As a traditional means of creating and maintaining a clearly defined working relation between the groups, the Conference, the A.A. General Service Board and its several service corporations, staffs, committees and executives, and of thus insuring their effective leadership, it is here suggested that we endow each of these elements of world service with a traditional “Right of Decision.”
With the disclaimer that I may personally be mis-perceiving this, here are a couple of thoughts from the “talk” that follows in the service manual.

Whenever someone reaches out for help…

And, for that I am responsible.
[ Print image found at Fine Art Prints On Demand ]

One man’s opinion?
Believe it or not, it may be that the oldtimers, perhaps even the founders, were the first to sugarcoat recovery because of FEAR!
Once again, from Gresham’s Law;
“This audacious blueprint for life change was drawn up in 1939 by a former dead-end drunk serving as spokesman for an unknown, unproven society of 100 reformed problem drinkers, many of whom were still in the relatively early stages of recovery from alcohol addiction.
Yet for all their boldness of scope, the Steps are so plainly worded, and so well-explained in chapters five and following of ‘Alcoholics Anonymous’ the AA ‘Big Book,’ that …read more

Burger King© recovery doesn’t work…
Sorry, in this case, you can’t have it your way. There is only one program of recovery according to the principles of Alcoholics Anonymous. Though it has it’s detractors and violent opposition, it has been working for millions for over 65 years.
And your name wasn’t, isn’t, and won’t be, named as the author.
Someone was talking with me along these lines this past week. They spoke of baking a cake according to the instructions, the recipe. He also mentioned that, even though it doesn’t say it, when you see that it says “add 2 eggs,” most alcoholics …read more

The Preamble says;

“Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism.”
Listen up newcomer… [rant]
The folks who taught me, and folks like me, paid for their experience with their blood, sweat and tears. They taught us how to get through those times when we’d shed our blood, sweat and tears – SOBER!!!
Those of us who were truly desperate enough to want to not drink again, did what it took, anything they suggested, to learn through the Twelve …read more

From Dick B. on Dr. Silkworth;
“In the course of writing my two latest A.A. History titles – The Conversion of Bill W. and Introduction to The Sources and Founding of Alcoholics Anonymous, I had occasion to look much more deeply into the Silkworth/Wilson/A.A. links.
First, as to resources, there are none better for me than Dale Mitchel’s Silkworth: The Little Doctor Who Loved Drunks and the Silkworth website.
Second, because Mitchel dug into Silkworth family papers, we can see much more about the good doctor’s belief in healing by religious means.