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A recorded and near complete history for live audiences Nov 16, 2006
By John Albert Hill Jr.
"Bible student in recovery"
Dick has become an old hand at the A.A. subject he loves and reports best--the complete and almost lost history of the early A.A. fellowship and all its many contributing elements. Way back in early sobriety, in Marin County, California, where Dick got sober, his little Steps to the Solution Group put on two never-before A.A. history conferences with books, exhibits, and knowledgeable speakers. They were (in the first year) Bill Wilson and Bob theselves (on video), A.A. Archivist from New York Frank Mauser, and Dick on the Oxford Group. 800 attended. Nest year, about 800 attended again. And this time the speakers were Mel B., Oxford Group activist Willard Hunter, Dr. Bob's son Smitty, and Dick on the Bible. Quite a few years went by until Dick organized the first nationwide A.A. history conference which is the subject of this book. Ray G. was there in Phoenix with all the Dr. Bob's Home archives. Smitty was there--shortly before his death--to tell the wonderful story of his father's founding days. Dick spoke for several hours on the entire history picture. And there was a panel of Ray, Smitty, and Dick. This conference has continued with other fine speakers. Then Dick organized the second nationwide A.A. history conference in Delaware--this time with a new time of historians: Veronica R. of Woodland, Karen P. of Pittsburgh, Ray G. from Dr. Bob's Home, Richard K. from Mass., and Dick. And out of this venture came the history cruises now beginning their third year under the organization and sponsorship of Veronica and Val R. with Ray, Mel B., Dick, and the R. couple as speakers. The point of reading this First Nationwide account is that it deals with the history of healing, the real history of early A.A., and the nonsense gods that have peopled the A.A. scene in recent years--higher powers that are light bulbs, spirituality that is "not-god-ness," half-baked prayers that have no biblical foundation or soundness. If you want to see what AAs can still do to serve thousands and thousands of present-day newcomers and to bring before them the real history of A.A. and its Biblical roots, then this is the book to start with. I'm all for it.
The Importance of Nationwide A.A. History Conferences & Their Speakers Apr 17, 2008
By Daxton Lyon
In the last few years, I have become well acquainted with Dick B. and Dick's son Ken. Ken was the minister who conducted the marriage services for me and my bride. And I was a member of the Marine Corps and stationed on Oahu for almost my entire tour of duty. Consequently, I went to the Bible fellowships conducted by Ken and attended by Dick. I helped Dick in his work with alcoholics. I helped him assemble and ship his history collections that were donated to the Wilson House and elsewhere, and I have seen his immense library, know of his extensive research, and read his books. I also knew that Dick began a series of nationwide history conferences where, with Dr. Bob's son, Ray G. (archivist at Dr. Bob's Home in Akron), Veronica R. from California, Dr. Karen Plavan from Pittsburgh, and Richard K. of Mass., he really laid out the history picture. The talks were well attended in Phoenix and in Delaware--and continued on two history cruises. The talks in Phoenix and Delaware were taped. And Dick wanted a readable account of the material presented. This so that others could benefit (and some of it has been posted free on the internet), so that others could read it and teach, and so that there would be widespread availability around the world. This is a first rate account of what was presented at the First Nationwide A.A. History Conference in Phoenix and presents a great deal of material on God and Alcoholism and early A.A. It's a good read--in fact a great read.
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