A
Typical Set of Restrictions on A.A. History
Availability
The
Case for Open Archives
What
This Article is NOT
This
article is not about opening up A.A. Intergroup,
Area, or General Services Archives for
easy access, public inspection, and general
information. That’s not going to happen.
And the following extract is typical of
the restrictive policies adopted and in
force around the U.S. There are rules
and policies. There are requirements that
a visit be “legitimate.” There are requirements
that applications be submitted. There
are requirements that access be “controlled.”
There are requirements that a committee—often
a “trustees” committee vote on each application
on an ad hoc basis. And the procedure
is not unusual for archives, nor is it
confined to A.A. archives and collections.
Thus, when I wanted to obtain materials
from General Services in New York, I often
obtained letters of request from one or
the other of Dr. Bob’s kids. I then specified
to my friend Frank Mauser (now deceased)
just what I wanted to see. Frank was the
GSO archivist who succeeded Bill’s secretary
Nell Wing. Frank then submitted my request
to the trustees archives committee, and
then when I came to New York for research,
the materials were usually ready for my
examination. But I couldn’t tape them,
have copies made of them, or do much but
look at them at make notes. I encountered
the same procedure when I went to the
Episcopal Church Archives in Texas, except
that the archivist was the arbiter. I
encountered the same procedure when I
went to the Princeton University Alumni
archives in New Jersey, except that a
curator was the arbiter. I encountered
the same procedure at Brown University,
except that I was obliged to produce and
did produce at letter of invitation from
the President of Brown University. I encountered
the same procedure at NYU when I tried
to run down the records of the man who
edited Bill’s Big Book manuscript before
the first edition was published in 1939,
except that I was denied admission unless
I paid a fee of $75.00 for entering; and
that’s as far s I got. I was always treated
courteously, but I sure got a taste of
what I would have encountered if I hadn’t
relied primarily on first hand interviews,
private collections, personal libraries,
friendly libraries and librarians, and
knowledgeable correspondents who informed
me by phone, by mail, by email, and by
personal discussions.
But
What About The Still-Suffering Alcoholic
or Addict
Let’s
take a look at a classic set of rules,
regulations, policies, prohibitions, and
barriers promulgated by a local A.A.archives
in California. Here it is as I found it
on the internet:
__________________________________________
Collection
Access
Policy Concerning Access to Materials in
the A.A. Archives
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 scientists, etc. However, as befits
an anonymous organization, access is controlled.
The Intergroup Committee of Alcoholics
Anonymous in Santa Clara County has established
the policies and rules. Each application
for access to the archival holdings must
be approved. This Committee has complete
responsibility for the archival material
and has the sole jurisdiction over its
use.
The
overall goal of the Archives is to remain
as open as possible so that A.A. members
may have ready access to the historical
legacy of their organization and program.
In addition, serious researchers should
be allowed access to the holdings. Controls
are necessary, however, to ensure the
anonymity of all persons mentioned in
archival material, in line with their
own wishes and with the A.A. Tradition,
in order to protect the materials themselves
from loss, from physical damage and from
deterioration due to handling, aging or
environmental conditions. All A.A. members
are welcome as visitors to the Archives
Center. There they can see selected materials
and speak with the archivist about our
holdings, about archival activities in
their areas and about how they might use
the central resources both the material
in the Archives and technical archival
assistance.
However, if A.A. members or non- A.A.
scholars wish to make use of specific
material in the Archives, a written request
for access should be made to the trustees'
Archives Committee specifying what materials
are desired, and the use to which they
will be put. Each request will be considered
and ruled on an ad hoc basis. Trustees,
directors and staff members have access
to archival material (with the exception
of restricted files) without having to
make such requests. However, they may
not remove material from the physical
Archives area.
Last
Updated ( Tuesday, 25 January 2005 )
Essential
Readings About A.A. History
__________________________________________
Have
you met a wet drunk, a brain damaged A.A.
member, or an inquiring newcomer recently
who could fight his or her way through
the foregoing maze to get a look at where
his fellowship came from and who did what
– dead or alive?
I
was a lawyer. I know how to research.
I know how to gain legitimate access to
resources. I know my way around libraries.
I’m a pretty good persuader. I’d like
to think my motives are not self-serving.
I’m good at getting letters of introduction.
And a number of people gave me great assistance
in my earlier research years—Nell Wing,
Bill’s secretary; Frank Mauser, A.A.’s
archivist; Nickie Shoemaker Haggart, Dr.
Sam Shoemaker’s daughter; Sue Smith Windows,
Dr. Bob’s daughter; Robert Smith, Dr.
Bob’s son; the secretary to Dr. Norman
Vincent Peale; the Executive Director
of Moral Re-Armament; the corporate treasurer
of Moral Re-Armament; Frank Buchman’s
biographer. And a good many others.
But
what about the penniless researcher who
can’t even afford a phone call or a bus
ticket to meet these people, let alone
get their endorsements and letters of
introduction?
And
What about the Phoney Barriers?
“You
can’t do that. It’s a violation of the
Twelve Traditions!” Says who! “This isn’t
‘Conference Approved.” So what! “I don’t
like people who make a profit off of drunks”
Never met one, though I know that Bill
Wilson sure did. “That might confuse the
newcomer.” As if the babble of ill-informed
bleeding deacons will enlighten him. “Where
does it say that in the Big Book?” Which
Big Book – God’s Big Book, or Bill Wilson’s?
“This promotes religion?” Which one! “This
is an attempt to shove Christianity into
A.A.” What about the original Christian
Fellowship? And good luck! “This will
bring A.A. into public controversy.” As
if A.A.litigation in Mexico and Germany
are not proof enough that public controversy
is in the eye of the beholder. “This God
business will scare away the newcomer?”
And a bottle of booze will scare him back
if he lives long enough! “This violates
the principle of anonymity.” Which principle?
“We
want to protect the dead AAs and their
families.” Hmm! “Let’s keep it simple.”
Simple what! “We are going to moderate
and censor what goes on this website so
that it will be ‘safe.’” Safe from what!
Porn? Terrorism? Communism? Republicans?
Aliens? Christians? Researchers? Scholars?
Historians? Or just someone with whom
the moderator disagrees? There’s a poor
soul – now dead who enticed A.A. “history
lovers” to her website on the assurance
that it was “safe” for them. And by the
way, is a wet drunk “safe.” Or is he or
she someone to be helped? You sometimes
wonder if the barrier builders have ever
seen a newcomer or sponsored someone or
cleaned up the puke of a wet drunk. But
maybe that’s not “safe.” On and on and
on.
Now
You Know Why the Non-Profit Collections
Are So Important
Today,
with minor variations in approach, you
can see A.A. history without charge, without
prohibitions, with easy access, and with
a promise it will all soon be on the internet
for anyone to see and study. Here are
some examples:
The
Griffith Library, East Dorset, Vermont,
managed by Wilson House – free
St.
Paul’s Episcopal Church Library (in
Dr. Bob’s own Church in Akron) – free
Calvary
Episcopal Church in Pittsburgh (Sam
Shoemaker’s church) – free
Ray
G.’s Traveling A.A. History Archives
(Ray is archvist at Dr. Bob’s Home)
– free
Akron
Intergroup Archives – free but under
lock and key
Dr.
Bob’s Home Annex, Ardmore Street, Akron
– free but under lock and key
Seiberling
Gate Lodge on grounds of Stan Hywet
Museum and Gardens – free, limited times.
Stepping
Stones, Bedford Hills, New York – free
when I researched there, limited times
Hartford
Seminary, Connecticut – free with permission
from librarian as arbiter
More?
I sure hope so. Even more important, there
are A.A. history sites proliferating as
we speak. Just click, and you are there.
Books, Articles, Documents, Tapes, Photos,
pictures, manuscripts, pamphlets, commentaries,
directories, links, forums, FAQs, and
more.
What
this Article IS
Open
your eyes! Truth is often hard to get
at. And a lie is often half way round
the world before truth has a chance to
get its shirt on. Neither Traditions,
nor anonymity, nor committees, nor policies,
nor professional workers, nor ego-centric
leaders are or should be barriers to the
truth about A.A. With our founders dead
and fifty years of suppression and distortion,
it’s time to open your eyes. Learn what
A.A. is. And make sure you support the
places, the collections, the contributions,
and the people who want to let you in
on the rich history of our fellowship
and its founders.
END
Copyright
© Dick B.
Dick
B., PO Box 837, Kihei, HI 96753-0837; 808
874 4876; dickb@dickb.com
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