The Early Akron A.A. Christian Fellowship Meetings

 

Friends of Bill’s Friend Meetings

(www.FOBF.net)

Why Early A.A. Succeeded

 

The path they thoroughly followed

and rarely failed

(75%-93% success rate)

 

Of alcoholics who came to A.A. and really tried, 50% got sober at once and remained that way; 25% sobered up after some relapses; and among the remainder, those who stayed on with A.A. showed improvement. [Alcoholics Anonymous, 4^th ed., xx]

Records in Cleveland show that 93 percent of those who came to us never had a drink again. [DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers, 261]

A.A. Cofounder Bill W.'s Quotes: “I'll do anything, anything at all. If there be a Great Physician, I'll call on him.” [Bill W., My First 40 Years: An Autobiography by the Cofounder of Alcoholics Anonymous (Center City, Minn.: Hazelden, 2000), 145.]

"For sure I'd been born again." [Bill W., My First 40 Years, 147]

“Henrietta, the Lord has been so wonderful to me [Bill W.], curing me of this terrible disease, that I just want to keep talking about it and telling people.”

[Alcoholics Anonymous, 4^th ed., 191]

 

Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path. [Alcoholics Anonymous, 4^th ed., 58]

 

Without help it is too much for us. But there is One who has all power-that One is God. May you find Him now! [Big Book, 4^th ed., 59]

 

 

 

 

 

Summary of the Original A.A.

“Christian Fellowship” Program

 

 

1.    An alcoholic must realize that he is an alcoholic, incurable from a medical viewpoint, and that he must never drink anything with alcohol in it.

 

2.    He must surrender himself absolutely to God, realizing that in himself there is no hope.

 

3.    Not only must he want to stop drinking permanently, he must remove from his life other sins such as hatred, adultery, and others which frequently accompany alcoholism. Unless he will do this absolutely, Smith and his associates refuse to work with him.

 

4.    . He must have devotions every morning—a “quiet time” of prayer and some reading from the Bible and other religious literature. Unless this is faithfully followed, there is grave danger of backsliding

 

5.    He must be willing to help other alcoholics get straightened out. This throws up a protective barrier and strengthens his own willpower and convictions.

 

6.    . It is important, but not vital, that he meet frequently with other reformed alcoholics and form both a social and a religious comradeship.

 

7.    . Important, but not vital, that he attend some religious service at least once weekly.**

 

(** Source: DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers, 131.)