June is Founder ’s month for our fellowship and is celebrated on June 10th, which in 1935 was Dr. Bob ’s sobriety date. But how was it chosen, why was it chosen and are there other important events which could have just as easily been considered our birthday? Lois Wilson said in her autobiography that as far as she was concerned, Bill ’s famous white light experience in Towns Hospital in December, 1934, was the birthdate of A.A. Certainly founding moments have within the moment a founding idea, and that idea carries on because it was true in 1934 and is still true today. Bill ’s spiritual awakening in the winter of 1934 has been repeated millions of times in the life of the fellowship over our 79 year history, but our early members picked Dr. Bob ’s sobriety date, the date when two men found an answer, and NEVER drank again in their lifetime. Within the Book Alcoholics Anonymous are 4 key ideas, which are founding ideas, true at the writing of the book and yes, still true today. They are Rowland’s meetings with Dr. Jung, Bill W’s encounter with Dr. Silkworth at Towns Hospital on the alcoholic illness, Bill ’s famous 1934 kitchen meeting with Ebby T. in New York, and Bill’s meeting with Dr. Bob, on Mothers’ Day, 1935. Our Big Book history brings all these ideas together, and reminds us that these principles were true at the beginning and are still true today, and tomorrow. Alcoholics Anonymous – Four Founding Moments 1. Rowland H. meets with Dr. Carl Jung, 1927 -28 (Alcoholics Anonymous book, pages 26 -27) – Dr. Jung to Rowland: “You have the mind of a chronic alcoholic. I have never seen one single case recover where that state of mind existed to the extent that it does in you” . . . Rowland felt, “. . . the gates of hell had closed on him with a clang. ” 2. Bill W. meets with Dr. Silkworth, Towns Hospital, (pages 6 and 7) – Silkworth shares the details of the chronic alcoholic ’s illness in detail. Bill describes his bottom on page 6, “the remorse, horror and hopelessness . . .” Bill hits bottom. Bill has deflation at depth. 3. Bill meets with Ebby T., November,1934 (pages 8 -10) – “He was sober, I was amazed . . .” First record in BB of one alcoholic sharing with another alcoholic who hit bottom. Bill recovers in December,1934, and never drinks again. 3a. Bill expands on Ebby ’s spiritual experience in meetings with Dr. Sam Shoemaker, who assists Bill in formation of the 12 Steps of AA 4. Bill 12 steps Dr. Bob, Akron Ohio, May, 1935 (pages 154 and 155) – Both stay sober for life. Bill said of Dr. Bob, “the man did not fully realize what it meant to be alcoholic . . .” One Alcoholic sharing a spiritual experience with another Alcoholic who has bottomed out, or has deflation at depth. Read forward to the Third edition, page XXII. Our program is simple in nature; however, many unrelated events and ideas were formed in the early years to unite the ideas of a sober society
—Contributed by Vic L., Decisions Group/PIO, Winter Springs, FL