A.A.'s Country-wide News Circuit

At the sixth anniversary of A.A. in Kansas City, Mo., it was recalled to the attendance of 550 that the group was started when two local men, unknown to each other, were brought together by a traveling A.A. Today the membership of 350 includes 54 women. Ten have been dry five years; nine, four years; 10, three years; 33, two years; 77, one year. There are 10 husband and wife teams, six who have brothers or sisters in some group; two father-son combinations; one man sponsored his son-in-law, one non-alcoholic woman has a husband and brother-in-law in the Kansas City Group and a brother and sister in other groups. None of the original three are now in Kansas City's Group, but all are still in A.A. and two have been dry since the beginning. More than 20 groups have been started by Kansas City A.A.s, including two at the Federal Penitentiary at Leavenworth, Kans. Recently 40 of the 68 members and 11 visitors from Kansas City groups helped observe the second anniversary at Leavenworth. This group has grown from five members under the Kansas City sponsorship which has provided books, literature and subscriptions to The A.A. Grapevine. At the request of members who had been transferred to the honor farm a group was started there last August. Two members of the Kansas City Group attend each of the weekly meetings. Less than 10 percent of the 80 members who have been released since the group started have been returned to the penitentiary or are known to have encountered legal or alcoholic difficulties. This figure is substantially lower than the percentage of the entire number of men released from the penitentiary. Eighteen members of the Jefferson City, Mo., Group took a local bus to attend the Kansas City anniversary sessions. First anniversary for Wooster, O., A.A.s was held last month with a dinner at Weitzell Hall and speakers from Columbus and Toledo, 0. About 175 attended the Daytona Beach, Fla., fifth anniversary at the Hotel Osceola, coming from as far away as Sarasota, Fla., and Savannah, Ga. Judges, doctors and clergymen were among those attending. Five speakers, including A.A.s from Orlando, and Washington, D. C., as well as Father Brunton of the Episcopal Church, spoke and there was an open house at the clubrooms, 105 Ivy Lane, where the pool table had been transformed to serve as a buffet supper table.