Alcoholics Anonymous History In Your Area
The Unity Group (TUG) -A Brief History
Lynnwood, Washington
The Unity Group (TUG) was started on April 6, 1993, as a result of the fellowship hall, called Wanda’s Club 4, imposing a minimum rent for each meeting. The daily 7:00 am meeting could not afford the minimum, so we were evicted from the fellowship hall.
Jim W. and Bob N. found a location for the meeting down the road at a local restaurant. The deal we had made with the restaurant was that we would buy breakfasts and leave a tip for the waitress for the use of the room. Steve G. was our first G.S.R. After a time, the restaurant stated that we were not generating enough money, even though the older members had been buying breakfasts every day and several were putting on extra weight as a result. The basket had to be passed several times to get enough money to properly tip the waitress. Many were unable to attend daily, because of the expense, not to mention the group’s weight gain.
Once again, we were faced with moving. At this time, Gail S. arranged with a treatment center to have meetings at their location daily for one half of the daily basket, whatever that was. At this time, TUG took over the Monday night meeting that had been started by the treatment center. This gave rise to the statement that you hear to this day, “TUG meets 8 days a week.” This arrangement allowed for TUG to exist for years. When the treatment center moved a few miles we moved with them. Eventually the treatment center moved to a facility that did not accommodate a large meeting. TUG, at this time, moved to its current location, another treatment center arranged by Gail S. We have the same agreement that we had with the previous treatment center (50 percent of the basket each day).
The TUG meeting has always been a popular meeting, primarily with people interested in A.A. Literature. Our group conscience decided in the very early years to read something from A.A. Literature every day. TUG reads pamphlets, the Big Book — first 164 pages, the stories in the back of the Big Book, the Traditions from the Twelve and Twelve and other literature; there is a Twelve Steps/TwelveTraditions and Twelve Concepts study. Sunday is the Eleventh Step and meditation meeting. TUG over the years has read A.A. Comes of Age, Dr. Bob and the Good Oldtimers, Came to Believe, Daily Reflections, The HomeGroup — Heartbeat of A.A. and most approved A.A.Literature. The TUG group has always been a large contributor of funds and people to the A.A. structure to help carry the message. Three of the original members regularly attend the meeting and many other old friends from the past drop in occasionally.
Bob N.