AA Grapevine Digital Archive

Department:

History

First published in 1944, the Grapevine not only reported on the growth of AA as it was happening, but also introduced many of the basic ideas at its foundation, such as the Twelve Traditions and the General Service Conference. A department devoted to local and area AA history called “What We Were Like” ran occasionally from October 1989 to October 1997.

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1.	Bucolic Notes. . . . "Sister Francis'" friends will be glad to know that High Watch Farm, Cornwall Bridge, Connecticut, near Kent, which many A.A.'s have visited and where some found their first contact with us, is open again. Two of our Manhattan group members are going up the first of June to run it during the summer months.	June 1944

2.	Central Committee At the continuation of the semi-annual corporation 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 Central Committee be formed. The officers of the present Corporation then tendered their resignations and it was moved that an adjournment be called while the members of the Central Committee retired upstairs to select new Corporation officers and a temporary Central Committee Chairman. The Corporation meeting reconvened at 10:00 ...	June 1944

3.	Central Office Notes Oct. 8, 1943 Naval Cantonment, Honolulu, Hawaii Alcoholics Anonymous Dear Sirs:	June 1944

4.	Central Office Notes (by Bill W.) May 1st was moving day for the Central office into larger quarters on Lexington Avenue near Grand Central Terminal, a much more accessible spot to out-of-town visitors. (New address--P.O. Box 459, Grand Central Annex, New York 17, N. Y.) We are already national in scope and certain to become world-wide. Hence this seems a most appropriate time to explain what the Central Office has been doing, and how well the Trustees and its staff have managed. Being somewhat responsible for the creation of the Central Office, I feel I have never made enough effort to let everyone know just how much it does.	June 1944

5.	Conference on Alcoholism On April 19th, a one-day conference on "Alcoholism, Prevention & Cure" was held in Lansing, Michigan, at Michigan State College. It was sponsored by the Michigan Temperance Foundation (!) and Yale University School of Alcoholic Studies, and the last speech of the day was on Alcoholics Anonymous. The speaker was a doctor from Detroit, a member of the Detroit group. We are told he did a swell job, and that the conference was followed by an A.A. banquet, at which some 75 A.A.s and their wives, from 8 different Michigan towns, AND Chicago, were present. That, of course turned into a regular A.A. meeting. These state-wide get-togethers seem to be gathering in frequency. The Public Health Commissioner of the ...	June 1944

6.	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).	June 1944

7.	Do You Know. . . . . .? Answer:--The Alcoholic Foundation is comprised of seven trustees, four of whom (a majority) are non-alcoholics but keenly interested in the problem of alcoholism, and three of whom are members of A.A. These trustees maintain the Central Office, our National Headquarters, where inquiries concerning A.A. from all parts of the world are answered and from which office our literature is mailed. Besides maintaining this Central Office, the trustees of the Foundation have charge of all national publicity, and consult with the A.A. group on matters of national policy. None of the trustees receives any compensation for his or her services.	June 1944

8.	Editorial: (by Bill W.) In the book Alcoholics Anonymous there is a chapter called "A Vision for You". Wandering through it recently, my eye was caught by this startling paragraph written a short five years ago. "Someday we hope that every alcoholic who journeys will find a Fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous at his destination. To some extent this is already true. Some of us are salesmen and go about. Little clusters of twos and threes and fives of us have sprung up in other communities through contact with our two large centers-----" Rubbing my eyes I looked again. A lump came into my throat. "Only five years," I thought. "Then but two large centers--little clusters of twos and threes--travelers who hoped one day ...	June 1944

9.	Grapevine" in Bow In a big smoke-filled room six ink-stained wretches sipped at their Cokes as I shot question after question at them.	June 1944

10.	Time on Your Hands? This column will deal specifically with one or two "time fillers" in each issue, but we want to cover the kind of thing you are most interested in. We hope, therefore, that you will send in requests for information and that you will also send facts about your own interesting hobbies and occupations, be they intellectual, practical or just plain fun.	June 1944

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