Alcoholics Anonymous History In Your Area
Fort Worth Texas
http://www.legacyaa.com/history_page_3.htm
From the archives of the Fort Worth A.A. Central Office
The history, as well as the source material, is digitally archived into the Northeast Texas Area Archives for permanent retention.
History (written December 6, 1986)
In the late summer of 1977, representatives from some of the Groups in District 6 began to meet together with the hope of providing our District with a Central Office. Some were not too enthusiastic as two previous attempts to have a Central Office here had failed. However, a committee was formed in September 1977 to start looking for a location and to start setting up for the basic needs and functions of the Central Office. Some of the Groups and individual members had begun making contributions to this end. Some of the A.A. members involved in this beginning effort were Bill G George L., Roy D., Buddy R.,
Al T., and Bob H.
It was decided by the majority of Groups that we simply name the office, the Fort Worth A.A. Central Office. The original plan was to work with volunteers only, with the Central Office to be open 9 AM to 5 PM weekdays, with the office phone number transferred to a member of the Fellowship each evening and weekends so that we would have a recovered alcoholic answer our phone around the clock The volunteers taking home-phone coverage were to be supplied with a confidential l2th Step list, meeting schedules and general reference information. We are pleased to state that this part of our service is still intact and hundreds of volunteers through the years have helped. From the start of the office the Groups decided that the Fort Worth A.A. Central Office would sell only A.A. World Services and Grapevine Inc. literature. No change has been made in this concept as we feel we are here to carry the message of Alcoholics Anonymous.
In the late fall of 1977, small office space was located, phones installed, etc., and we opened our Central Office in November 1977. The first few weeks George L. stayed in the office daily with a great deal of help from Bobbie H. and other volunteers in setting up files, volunteer lists and helping the new volunteers understand their duties. The Central Office was to be guided by a six-person (rotating) Steering Committee. The goal of the Central Office was to furnish our District with all (or most) of the services outlined in the GSO Guidelines for Central or Intergroup Offices. Betty G., a very active supporter of the Central Office, helped with getting the first literature into the office (a small amount) for the convenience of our Groups. The Central Office was instrumental in helping to form committees, such as Public Information. Institutions and Treatment Centers. The Central Office still cooperates fully with the four action committees that serve District 6.
ID: 0112810 Page 1 Transcribed: 10/26/01 History of the Fort Worth, Texas A.A. Central Office
After six months of straight volunteer coverage some problems began to arise as it took at least 16 volunteers per week to keep the Central Office open and phones covered. Only one volunteer “Doyle” has covered half of every weekend on the phone since the Central Office opened. In March 1978 the Steering Committee approached Jean S., one of the original volunteers, about taking on the responsibility of setting up the Volunteer Schedules and other office needs by spending at least one day a week in the Central Office. She accepted the proposal and over nine years later is the full-time Office Coordinator/Secretary. As some indication as to the growth of the services provided by the Central Office, the first few months we were open we received from 250 to 300 calls a month for help and information and sold a few hundred dollars worth of literature. We now’ receive about 1,200 calls for help and information monthly and sell approximately $3,000 of literature.
In March 1976 we realized it was impossible to carry on in our very tiny office space and we moved to larger quarters (across the street) into our present location at 316 Bailey Avenue: Suite 108-A, Fort worth, TX 76107. We now have almost enough space to accommodate our literature and the many people who come by the Central Office. We still operate the Central Office with a six person rotating Steering Committee, with the Office Secretary as a permanent member. Each group is asked to have a Central Office Representative to serve as a liaison between their Group and the Central Office. The Steering Committee meets monthly and then meets with all the group Central Office Representatives on a quarterly basis. They figure greatly in any changes or decision-making pertaining to the Central Office. All interested members are invited to attend this quarterly meeting. Our only financial support comes from Group and individual member contributions, with a small profit made on the sale of literature. Our office mails a monthly, very brief Newsletter, The Coffee Break. The Newsletter is prepared by Bill C. and the Central Office mails it along with all Group flyers” brought into the Central Office We keep the operation of our Central Office as simple as possible and still furnish all the needed services to District 6 Groups (about 60) always remembering our primary purpose of having the hand of A. A. ready to help the still suffering alcoholic.
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