Pass It On, Bill Wilson and the AA message

[Dallas]

Over the last couple of days I've re-read the book "Pass It On, Bill Wilson and the AA message"

I love that book. And, our other history books, like AA Comes of Age, and Dr. Bob and the Good Old-timers.

Bill Wilson sure got put through the wringer. When I read of the difficulties that he faced and went through -- mine don't seem nearly as bad.

When I lived out in California, I got some old-timers interested in a AA History book study. It became one of my favorite meetings. We would read and study books like the above. One advantage that I had, was some of these old-timers had actually met Bill and got to know him while he was still alive.

The more I learn about AA History, the more I see, that AA is just as good and as healthy today -- as it has always been. The problems are no different than during the founding days. Alcoholics do things their way -- in different areas. And, it still works.

I believe we are actually blessed with the varieties and differences. It removes any excuse from someone that says that AA has changed or that it doesn't work as well as it used to work. I think it has even gotten better. The Fellowship has many more Big Book Studies and Step Studies workshops, and they are more focused into the studying of and the reading of the Big Book today -- than the meetings that I attended in early sobriety.

[Toast]

Couldn't agree more Dallas.

Most meetings round my area were like pubs with no beer but being sick as a parrot when i came in i really enjoyed the laughs. There was over 40 meetings a week locally but you had to travel 26 miles to find one that spoke the programme and that was only on once a week. But boy was it worth the journey, I heard the message of AA being spoken there like i''d never heard it before.

Fortunatley many people like me were sponsored at that meeting and we all returned to our local areas and started Step or Big Book groups. From there the real message of AA spawned throughout my part of the country.

Now many newcomers have a wider choice than we ever had when we came into AA. They can cherry pick from a wealth of recovery meetings, which are still growning, or go listen to a floor show. The choice is always theirs but at least they do have a choice and that's one thing you can never take away from an alcoholic.

God Bless