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Alcoholics Anonymous history in your area
New Hampshire A.A. Chronology
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Alcoholic Anonymous • New Hampshire • Area 43

1946 - 2003

JUNE 1946
In the 1962 Delegate report Glen E. S. said that in Portsmouth (1946) there were some closed private AA meetings in Lawyer Arthur M.'s office. Then a man by by the name of Arthur D. came from Boston. Arthur came from a family of musicians that like to hassle the Italians whenever they could and there was old J.B., a well-known businessman in Portsmouth. They had AA meetings in Banker Bill W.'s House on Middle Street. Later the meetings moved to the Portsmouth Community Center.

AUGUST 1946
Our first organized A.A. Group was in Manchester in August of 1946. A woman by the name of Mary W. who got sober in New Rochelle N.Y. went to the City Hall in Manchester and spoke with Judge Chretien and Monsignor James McGreal about starting an AA meeting, they liked the idea and gave her a meeting place in the City Hall building. This meeting eventually disbanded and in August of 1947 The Brookside Original AA Group was founded.

JANUARY 1947
Later in 1946, Concord followed, with an organized open AA meeting. However, this group first actually met in January of 1947 as evidenced by the printed menu program of its 1st Anniversary Dinner, dated January 10th, 1948.

Glen E. S. attended his first AA meeting on December 29, 1947, a Monday, in Portsmouth. The first person he met was Dottie O, who had 6 months of sobriety; Bob A. and Dick H. were early members. Arthur M. never joined.

Dottie O. and Mabel were roommates in the State Hospital in 1947. Dottie joined AA when she got out and was the first woman in New Hampshire to join AA. Her spouse was Paul K. who had 8 months sobriety. Paul took Dottie to an AA meeting in Rochester to meet another woman in AA who turned out to be Mabel who joined AA about May 1947.

JUNE 22, 1949
The Boston Central Service Office published an AA meeting list showing 12 New Hampshire AA Groups, two meetings in Concord, East Jaffrey, Keene, Laconia, two in Manchester, Milford, Nashua, North Conway, Portsmouth and Rochester.

1952 - 1953
New Hampshire's First Delegate in Panel 2 was Chet B. Succeeding Delegates in Panel 4 through 10 were as follows:

1955 - 1958
The 1955 AA Group Handbook lists 20 New Hampshire AA Groups.
It also lists the "Malano Club" in Manchester which hosted many AA meetings. This Malano Club helped protect people's anonymity by lighting the room with one 5-watt bulb.

1959 - 1960
The N.H. AA Groups apparently first got together at a Statewide Picnic put on by the Laconia and Tilton AA Groups at the Belknap (now Gunstock) recreational area. Hazel R. came from New York to speak.

Most frequent Statewide get togethers were clearly desirable and the State Assembly was organized with monthly meetings. When it was decided to have these meetings in Concord, the most central location to AA's population, ill feelings resulted in The North Country.

1960 - 1962
The first 12 Step Group in New Hampshire was in Wolfeboro, (Lakes Region) at Carolins Farm. When a newcomer came in they would go back to Step 1.

1963 - 1964
The First Area Assembly meeting was held at Chase's Restaurant in Concord. These meetings were held monthly at Chase's or in Manchester churches until the Districts were formed and thereafter quarterly, with the area committee meeting in the months between.

1963 First New Hampshire meeting list published.
1963 First New Hampshire Pipeline (N.H's AA newsletter) published.

1964 - 1965
NH's first female Delegate, Doris G. Jack K. served the second year of panel 14.

1965
First Area Convention was at the Eastern Slopes Inn, North Conway, (one day only); Hazel P. chaired and spoke for the whole meeting.

1966
The First N.H. Convention was held at the East Slopes Inn, North Conway, where it was repeated in 1967 and 1968. It was then at the Wentworth Hotel in New Castle, then at the Farragut in Rye, the Brickyard at Weirs Beach, then back to North Conway.

July 1966
Apparently there were suggestions from G.S.O. New York. That the service manual be followed in respect to area organization. NH was small, however, having only 30 or so
AA groups, equivalent to a single District. George J., the Delegate of N.H. re-worked the manual into a document called Structures and Procedures, which was designed to adapt it to serve as a single District. This was adopted in July, revised 5 years later and served until we went to districting.

1966 - 1967
The Pipeline, New Hampshire's statewide monthly publication, began. It was named by Herbie M., assembled by Dottie D. and George J. in George's basement. The earliest copy we have is May 1968.

1968
The earliest meeting list booklet we have is dated September of 1968. Earlier issues, single mimeographed sheets were issued but do not seem to have survived.

1968 - 1971
Delegates were Neil G. and Helen S. In 1968 a dinner hosting past Delegates was attended by 100 persons, it is now called the Mid Winter Banquet. It is still held every January.

1970 - 1971
New Hampshire bid for and won the Northeast Regional Conference in both 1974 and 1978.

1972 - 1973
The N.H. Assembly voted to follow the G.S.O. service manual and to set Up Districting. Previously a person served first as Delegate and then, if elected, as Chairman; also, the secretary and treasurer position was split up. Gordon B. and Pete C. were the Delegates involved in this transition.

1974
Districting began with $436.00 in the treasury.

1976 - 1977
Maryjane L. was Delegate and we were now Area 43. About this time Jack K. from California introduced the practice of holding hands while repeating the Lord's Prayer, and of responding to (My name is ----) with cries of "Hi - - - "

1981 July
The N.H. Area assembly rented the first Service Office
2 rooms at 39 Middle St. in Manchester. This office was Operated by the area assembly which now had accumulated $10,000 in the treasury, opened by volunteers at first only on Wednesday nights.

1981 September
An ad-hoe committee was formed by the area assembly to create by-laws for governing the service office. The area office started selling conference approved literature and books in the spring of 1982.

The first paid employee started at 10 hours a week, in August of 1986. She was an AA member - her name was Marge C. The pay was $5.00 an hour with no benefits.

On October 30, 1985 the N.H.A.A. Service Office moved to a five room suite at 521 Lincoln St. in Manchester and the work hours were increased to 18 hours a week. Marge C. retired and a new girl was hired. She also was a member of A.A. her name was Pauline L. K.

In November of 1988 the hours were increased to 30 hours a week and the pay went up to $9.00 an hour with some benefits. This paid employee was called the office administrator.

The new accommodations allowed for the area service committee as well as other service committees to meet in the service office.

1986 - 1988
The first service office open house was held in November of 1986 and again in 1987.

In 1987 a finance committee was formed to assist the treasurer.

In 1987 a computer was purchased to help automate the office with easy access to group records, committees, inventories, archives, etc.

1988
In 1988 an accounting firm was employed to maintain the Area records, and an assistant Treasurer was appointed to aid in daily accounting.

1986 - 1990
Outline of N.H. Area growth has grown at near geometric progression as described by Dave F., State Archivist. The figures that are somewhat representative of the flourishing development that we are all part of in AA are available in the NHAA Archives Att. Dave F.

1988 - 1994
Growth of AA in New Hampshire...

1988 - 15 Districts serving 389 AA Groups (433 meetings)
22 Institution meetings
9 District Answering services.

1994 - 15 Districts serving 547 AA groups
635 AA meetings.

1995 - 1996
The N.H.A.A. Service Office moves to a new suite located in the same building. (This suite had a private bathroom and windows). The suite number was 214 Lincoln St., Manchester, NH.

1995 - 1997
A report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Technology.
The new equipment purchased will allow the N.H.A.A.'S records and inventories to be maintained with state of the art, user-friendly software and hardware. Communications capabilities were dramatically improved which included, e-mail, faxes, and the internet.

It also allowed the layout and prepress preparation of the NHAA Pipeline and other publications such as the Area Service Handbook, Conventions, etc.
"Dan H. was very helpful in the set Up and know how of the new Office equipment."

1998 - 1999
The NHAA Service considering moving to a new office. Due to new owners of the building, the NHAA was being asked to pay bills that were not ours. The NHAA searched for a new meeting place and found one with ample room. We squared up with our bills, and by the new millennium we were at our new Service Office - 1330 Hooksett Rd., Hooksett N.H. 03106.

2000 - 2001
In the year 2000 people of the N.H. AA groups were squawking that the Service Office did not sell Chips, Medallions and Bumper Stickers. The sale of such non-AA items was put to a vote and after much controversy the majority won.
The NHAA Service began selling chips, medallions and bumper stickers in January 2001.

2002 - 2003
"THE MATERIALS IN THE A.A. ARCHIVES ARE AVAILABLE TO A.A. MEMBERS AND NON A.A.s WHO HAVE A LEGITIMATE INTEREST, SUCH AS HISTORIANS, SOCIAL SCIENTIST, ETC. HOWEVER, AS BEFITS AN ANONYMOUS ORGANIZATION, ACCESS IS CONTROLLED. THE TRUSTEES ARCHIVES COMMITTEE OF THE N.H.A.A. HAS ESTABLISHED THE POLICIES AND RULES UPON EACH APPLICATION FOR ACCESS TO THE ARCHIVAL HOLDINGS. THIS COMMITTEE HAS COMPLETE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ARCHIVAL MATERIALS AND HAS THE SOLE JURISDICTION OVER THEIR USE."

*{Please forward correspondence or request to Attn: Dave F. NHAA/Archivist, 1330 Hooksett Rd, Hooksett, NH 03106}

Copyright ©, Area 43, New Hampshire Area Assembly of Alcoholics Anonymous, Inc.
http://www.nhaa.net/

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