download 4ed.pdf 657kB Published by AA BigBookStudyGroup (AABBSG) 1999 PrologueEfforts are being made by AA members in the U.S. to distribute books to those alcoholics who cannot afford to buy a big book — for example those in the correctional facilities. Here is a paperback book containing a 1st edi- tion reprint including the story section. This book is distributed entirely for free and dedicated to newcomers who seek relief from alcoholism. The whole text is in the public domain. AA can claim no proprietary right to the recovery program, for our principles, as all spiritual truths, are re- garded as available to all mankind 1 . The 1st edition was published from 1939 to 1955. During this time, the recovery rates were highest. Should a 4th edition better reflect the fellowship of today, or should the fellowship of today better reflect our good old book? Of alcoholics who really tried the program as outlined in the 1st edi- tion, 50% got sober immediately and remained that way; more than 25% sobered up after some relapses 2 . We'd love to repeat those marvelous re- sults. The stories of the 1st edition tell us how the founders of our Fellow- ship applied spiritual principles to their lives and escaped alcoholic hell; all the early Akron veterans—a dozen and a half of them—whose stories are the backbone of the 1st edition and who, together with Dr. Bob, had created the first AA group in the world 3 . The Cleveland pioneers had proved three essential things: the value of personal sponsorship; the worth of the A.A. book in indoctrinating newcomers, and finally the tremendous fact that A.A., when the word really got around, could now soundly grow to great size 4 . To show other alcoholics precisely how we have recovered is the main purpose of this book. It is given to you by members of AA groups. We are not allied with any particular faith or organization, nor do we oppose any-one. We simply wish to be helpful to those who are afflicted 5 . This book was unselfishly written and edited by a team of about 40 people 60 years ago. It should carry the message to new areas and keep it undiluted and unchanged. We will briefly outline the chain of events and historical facts that made us come to believe that we would pass on this low-cost book at no charge. We do so, because we are not an organization in the conven- tional sense of the word. There are no fees or dues whatsoever 6 . In a speech delivered in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1954, Bill Wilson reported: nothing could so surely destroy our spirituality as futile disputes over prop- erty, money, and authority. We should remain forever non-professional. To carry the message face to face or in print is never to be paid for 7 . In a letter of April 27th, 1944, Clarence S., founder of the first AA meeting in Cleveland (The Home Brewmeister) wrote: on official letterhead July 7th, 1944, and on page 4 wrote in response to Clarence: the service expense. The remainder was covered by publishing income, which was in excess of that required for publishing expense. So, in 1986, the Gen- eral Service Board asked for a special effort to inform the Fellowship of the dangers inherent in this situation; particularly that a substantial fraction of the publishing income now comes from outside sources—in violation of our 7th tradition. The effort was begun to inform the groups about this growing problem. The challenge was to make G.S.O.'s service work self-supporting through contributions of the membership and to sell literature at cost to eve- ryone8 . To make our service work independent from literature profits is manda- Tory for ConceptVII 9 and ConceptX 10 . If our service work would rely on income from literature sales rather than solely on our group's voluntary con- tributions, any manger of an AA corporation could say "I don't care what AA groups want. Forget about their two cents, we can do as we please since we get enough money from our literature sales." Our traditional "power of the A.A. purse"9 would become a bad joke 10 . Some of us said to ourselves: "Let it begin with us!" We can start and do that just for today. For we are now on a different basis — the basis of trust- ing and relying upon God. We trust infinite God rather than our finite selves. We are in the world to play a role He assigns 11 . So several years ago a few recovered alcoholics were sitting together and felt deeply touched by these circumstances. They committed themselves to spread the word and take action. And many alcoholics from America and Europe combined their efforts, offered voluntary work and threw their "two cents" into the hat—to express their gratitude for the recovery and freedom from bondage they found for themselves. Let's hear their report: In 1997 this process prepaid 75,000 mini editions of the 11 chapters plus the Foreword and The Doctors Opinion plus a two-page U.S.-wide Intergroup phone directory. These booklets were badly needed in the Cali- Fornia correctional system and mostly distributed to inmates by local AA members and by chaplains inside the walls. Considerable numbers also went to correctional facility committees in the Midwest and to the East Coast. One member reported, that inmates were now surprisingly allowed by authorities to keep these little books all the time and take them to their cells, providing the possibility to read them now and then. Strange but true, the usual regular editions were prohibited and could only be read during meetings or at the library. The corrections officers were afraid that some prisoners could misuse the hard-backed books as weapons. Also 5000 Spanish translations of the 1st edition (without the story sec- tion) went into the California facilities and another 20,000 went to Mexico. Russian alcoholics, having practically no financial resources of their own in those currently rough times, gratefully received 50,000 mini editions in a new and modern language translation, which is—by the way—more accurate and thus closer to our original than the previous one, which omitted whole paragraphs of the English text. Many of our fellows in Swe- den, especially newcomers, could not afford to buy a book for US$44.00, nor could alcoholics in Finland, where books sold for US$49.30 per copy at that time. With the help of a German group both countries got a car- load of 5000 mini editions each—for free. Meanwhile the textbooks be- came a powerful tool for 12th step work throughout the countryside and in prisons and treatment centers as well. 5000 Hebrew mini editions were put out. The German Fellowship was presented with close to 30,000 free Ger- man mini editions. This became necessary, because three different "offi- cial" translations had been published in that country since 1962—all rather more than less stray from our English text. The deviation of the latest edition (1983-1996) was so serious, that A.A.W.S. General Manager George D. said, when he was made aware of that situation by a delega- tion of German members, that came to N.Y. in 1996: "Neither you nor anyone else may change anything in the wording of the Steps and Tradi- tions. Never! Neither may any word be dropped. It has to be translated as closely as possible to the original." And he added: "You have to work this out within your German service structure! Don't tell me anything but get in contact with them." German G.S.O. has meanwhile improved the qual- ity of their German translation and has offered both hardcover and pocket editions at a 20% discount since then. Most of us feel we need look no further for Utopia. As you see, improve- ments have become possible. We follow the path suggested by our 1986 General Service Conference and carry the message, prepaid by 7th tradition contributions, in a strictly non-professional way. Each day some member's simple talk at our kitchen table multiplies itself in a widening circle of peace on earth and good will to men 12 . Parallel to these astonishing events, ordinary group members, along with past and present trusted servants from throughout the U.S. and some other countries including GSRs, DCMs, conference delegates, AA archivists, com- mittee chairmen and even one past A.A. General Service Board trustee, at-tempted to coordinate those wide-spread activities somewhat, puting them on more shoulders, on a solid service structure base and went ahead. We have now accumulated some 7th tradition money, that makes it possi- ble to provide a full 1st edition reprint—including all of the stories. Pretty good stuff! We hope it will serve many newcomers and help them acquire lasting sobriety. Inquiries from individuals, groups, big book study meetings, Intergroups, C.S.O.s or committees are welcome. We will be happy to help as much as possible. All books (as of 2001 out of print) were availabe for free from AA BBSG, Washingtonville To contact us write to AA Big Book Study Group: BBSG, P.O. Box 31, Washingtonville, NY 10992-0031 or e-mail mail@aabbsg.de This reprint was endorsed and approved by : 1. Past Northeast Region Class B Trustee, Maine; 2. AA archivist, New York; 3. Past Delegate Panel 43, Massachusetts; 4. Past Delegate Panel 41, Area 65, 5. GSR, Past AA magazine editor, Germany; 6. Past Class B Trustee and Past AA magazine controller, Mexico; 7. Past Alternate Delegate, Panel 43, Massachusetts, 8. group secretary, South Germany; 9. AA member, Los Angeles, sober in AA since July 24, 1962; 10.Alt. Sec'y, Area 30, Massachusetts; 11.Past Delegate Panel 44 Area 56 Southwest Ohio; 12.AA member, Florida; 13.AA member, date of sobriety 4/11/87, Maine; 14.Past DCMC, District 02, California Northern Coastal Area, USA; 15.Past Area Registration Chair, Area 05, Thousand Oaks, California; 16.GSR, Simi Valley, California; 17.GSR, Berwick, Maine, continuially sober in AA since 1983; who else ... Would you join us? Names omitted here for anonymity on public level. Footnotes 1 See also: AA Service Manual pg.S100, Bylaws of the General Service Board, Inc. 2 See also: FOREWORD TO 2nd EDITION, pg. XX 3 See also: AA Comes of Age, pg.7 4 See also: AA Comes of Age, pg.22 5 See also: FOREWORD TO FIRST EDITION 6 See also: FOREWORD TO FIRST EDITION. 7See also: Traditions 7 and 8, original long form. 8See also: AA Service Manual, pg. S130, How G.S.O. Is Supported 9 See also: AA Service Manual, pg. S102 and Concept VII pg 29 "The Charter and Bylaws of the General Service Board are legal instruments, empower-ing the trustees to manage and conduct world service affairs. The Confer-ence Charter is not a legal document; it relies upon tradition and the A.A. purse for final effectiveness. 10 See also: AA Service Manual, Concept X, pg. 44 "For example, if the groups are dissatisfied with the Conference, they can elect better Delegates or withhold funds. If the Delegates must, they can censure or reorganize the Trustees. The Trustees can do the same with the service corporations. If a corporation does not approve of the operations of its executives or staff, any or all of them can be fired." 11 See also: Chapter Five of this book, pg.80 in this edition, pg.68 in the 2nd and 3rd edition. 12 See also: End of Chapter One, pg. 26 in this edition, pg. 16 in the 2nd and 3rd edition. |