Eastbay Intergroup
About Alcoholics
Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous
is a fellowship of men and women
who share their experience,
strength and hope with each
other that they may solve their
common problem and help
others to recover from alcoholism.
The only requirement for
membership is a desire to stop
drinking. There are no dues or
fees for AA membership; we are
self-supporting through our
own contributions. AA is not
allied with any sect,
denomination, politics,
organization or institution;
does not wish to engage in any
controversy, neither endorses
nor opposes any causes.
Our primary purpose is to stay
sober and help other alcoholics
to
achieve sobriety.*
*Reprinted with permission
from the AA Grapevine, Inc.
The AA Group
The AA group is the basic unit
of the Fellowship of Alcoholics
Anonymous. Any two or three
gathered for this primary purpose
(see below) may call themselves an
AA group. Groups consist of a few
to hundreds of members who may
meet daily, weekly or monthly.
Some groups have several meetings
each day; these groups are often
called fellowships. The primary
purpose of every group is for
it's members to achieve sobriety
and to help other alcoholics to
obtain sobriety.
Organization of
Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous shall never
be organized traditionally. However,
groups in contiguous geographical
or metropolitan areas often form
cooperative Intergroups or Central
Offices to handle service
responsibilities that are better
done collectively than by
individual groups, such as
publishing meeting directories
and maintaining area telephone
hotlines. The General Service
Office of AA is in New York, but
this is a service body, not a
governing body. Individual groups
may register with the New York
General Service Office or not.
It is each group's choice.
Membership in AA
An individual becomes a member
of AA when he or she says so.
There are no dues or fees, no
initiation rites, and no special
requirements. Membership implies
a desire to stop drinking, but
this is a matter between the
individual and his or her conscience.
Most AA members attend meetings
of several different groups. Many
AA members choose a home group
and attend its meetings regularly,
but others do not.
Getting Started in AA
An Individual gets started by
attending an AA meeting. If you
think you may be an alcoholic or
are concerned about your drinking
or merely curious about it, you will
be welcome at AA meetings, both
those designated as Closed and
those designated as Open. All are
welcome at Open AA meetings.
Closed meetings are limited to
alcoholics and those concerned
or curious about their drinking.
Attending AA
Meetings
Meetings are conducted informally.
One need only show up to be
admitted & welcomed. In the East
Bay, newcomers may call our
Telephone Hotline 24 hours/7 days
weekly at (510) 839-8900 for
advice and assistance or use our
Email Hotline:
For a directory of meetings
in the East Bay, use our
The AA Program
of
Recovery
The AA program of recovery is
based upon spiritual principles
and values such as honesty,
selflessness, humility; and love,
service and helpfulness to others.
A strong component is the desire
and willingness to carry the
message of recovery to others.
The Twelve Steps of AA are
recommended as the means
for obtaining these spiritual
principles.
A Brief History of AA
In 1931 a fellow named Rowland H.
placed himself in the care of the
noted psychiatrist, Carl Jung, for
treatment of his alcoholism. Dr.
Jung concluded that Rowland's
alcoholism was beyond the help
of psychiatry and without some
deep seated personality or psychic
change Rowland was doomed. Dr.
Jung admitted that he was unable
to bring about such a change in
Rowland but that Rowland might
find it through spiritual guidance.
Rowland sought that guidance
in the Oxford Groups, a movement
that stressed first century Christian
practices including emphasis on
carrying the message to others.
Rowland was relieved of his drinking
problem and subsequently carried
the message to Ebby T.
Ebby stopped drinking and took
the message to Bill W., one of his
close drinking buddies. Soon, Bill
experienced a spiritual episode,
attended meetings of the Oxford
Groups in New York, and set out
to carry the message to other
alcoholics.
For about six months Bill W.
was unsuccessful, but then on a
business trip to Akron he was put
in touch with Dr Bob S., a desperate
alcoholic who incidentally also
attended meetings of the Oxford
Groups. After another bender,
Dr Bob achieved sobriety in May
of 1935. Dr Bob and Bill W. were
successful in bringing the message
to other alcoholics. Soon these
alcoholics separated from the
Oxford Groups.
The new fellowship grew to about
one hundred members by 1939
when the book, named Alcoholics
Anonymous, was first published.
The members then adopted
the book title for the name of
their fellowship. From that first
one hundred, Alcoholics
Anonymous, also known "A.A." has
grown to include members
throughout the world with new
groups still forming everyday.
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