Alcoholics Anonymous

Above is my version of the title “Alcoholics Anonymous” which you re-
quested for publication. So far as using my name, I am very proud of
the fact that I am a member of A.A. so you may use my name as the author
of the enclosed if you wish. Wishing you all a lot of luck and a large cir-
culation for “The Grapevine”. “Yours for Victory”, Stewart A.S.

It was then proposed that we elect a new
president. This caused a few minutes ofcon-
fusion and discussion which finally resolved
itself into a motion, which was carried, that
we do not accept the present president’s resig-
nation, but carry on as we are until the Inter
Group proposal is decided upon, at which
time, another meeting will be held and the
fate of the corporation will then be discussed.
It was moved and seconded that a vote of
thanks be sent to the president for the “mag-
nificent job” he has done.
The acting president suggested that, as we
had been renting 24th Street on a month to
month basis, which on May 1st, would be-
come a day to day basis, it might be carry-
ing out the twelfth step if we released the
Club House to the newly-formed Merchant
Marine A.A.’s who are anxious to take a
five-year lease. A motion was made that we
give up the Club House as of June 1st and
lookup new quarters, unless, of course, we
decide to release the club ourselves.

A. A. GOES TO SEA

Or rather the merchant seamen have discov-
ered A.A.! Just over a year ago, Dr. Florence
Powdermaker, a well-known psycho-analyst,
sent us a patient—who promptly dried up,
pleasing the good doctor no end. Then Dr.
Powdermaker put on a Naval uniform and
took up the problems of tired or shell-shocked
seamen. Oddly enough she found that many
of them had just the same problem we land-
lubbers are cursed with . . . they were alco-
holics and they wanted the worst way to get
over it. She tried the A.A. literature on them
— the book and the pamphlets — and it
worked!
When there got to be about 40 of them, those
who were still ashore put their heads together.
Like the rest of us, they wanted to help others
recover—but they felt they had a special field
in other seamen. They know seamen, and
they know that most regular seamen look on
landlubbers as almost a race apart. Their
name for us is “shore people”, and they don’t
easily feel at home with us. Add that to the
alcoholic apartness–and you have something.
So they figured they’d catch more seamen if
they had their own group–for seamen only.
But we’re sure that will be only at the begin-
ning—they’ll find, as we did, that alcoholics
are buddies under the skin, no matter what
their profession or background, and as a mat-
ter of fact the original delegation who came
to tell us of their plans and ask our coopera-
tion, were instantly absorbed, to their own,
and our, intense pleasure.
But if and when they form their own group
and get their own clubhouse, we wish them
all the luck in the world—as one drunk to
another, fellows in A.A.

CORPORATION MEETS

The semi-annual corporation meeting was
held at the 24th Street Club House on April
18th, 1944 at 8:00 P.M. Fifty-two members
attended (A.A.’s who have been dry a year or
more).
The secretary read the minutes of the last
meeting (September 29, 1943) and these were
voted to be accepted, as read.
Due to illness of the president, the vice-
president took the chair and suggested that
we dispense with the current business, for the
moment, in order to hear the new proposal
of the Inter Group Committee. This was read
and was followed by a discussion which
brought to the light the following facts: (1)—
Only a minority of those present had fore-
knowledge of the proposed organizational
change, (2)—the proposal was too lengthy
and involved to be digested and voted on at
the meeting, (3)—it was felt that it should be
put up to the membership, at large, though
the individual groups. It was, therefore,
moved and voted that the following resolu-
tion be put into effect: “Resolved—that,
though the corporation approves the basic
ideas expressed in the plan submitted by the
Inter Group Committee, it, the plan, or a
condensation thereof, be submitted to the
various groups for their approval. If and
when this approval is forthcoming, it is sug-
gested that each group select its two repre-
sentatives to the new Central Committee and
send their decision to the corporation secre-
tary.”
A motion was made to dissolve the corpora-
tion, but was withdrawn when it was pointed
out that this could not be done without many
legal complications taking several months

CENTRAL COMMITTEE

At the continuation of the semi-annual cor-
poration meeting Wednesday night, May 10,
the Acting President pro tem called the roll
of groups represented and asked for a report
of their decision in regard to the Inter Group
proposal. It was established that 10 groups
had approved the new Central Committee
and had appointed representatives. As this
seemed an adequate nucleus for proceeding,
it was moved, seconded, and voted that a cen-
tral Committee be formed. The officers of
the present Corporation then tendered their
resignations and it was moved that an ad-
journment be called while the members of
the Central Committee retired upstairs to
select new Corporation officers and a tem-
porary Central Committee Chairman. The
Corporation meeting reconvened at 10:00 and
the selections of the Central Committee were
submitted to the Corporation members for
their approval, which was promptly forth-
coming. The new Corporation President took
the chair and after a brief discussion a mo-
tion was made to adjourn; the motion was
seconded and carried.

BUCOLIC NOTES . . . .
“Sister Francis’ ” friends will be glad to know
that High Watch Farm, Cornwall Bridge,
Conn., near Kent, which many A.A.’s have vis-
ited and where some found their first contact
with us, is open again. Two of our Manhat-
tan group members are going up the first of
June to run it during the summer months.

Copyright © The A.A. Grapevine, Inc., June 1944
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