June 2021 The Tippler Volume 57, No. 6

Wikipedia Article 1 AA was founded in 1935 in Akron, Ohio, when one alcoholic, Bill Wilson, talked to another alcoholic, , about the nature of and a possible Office Activities 2 solution. With the help of other early members, the book : The Story of How More Than One Hundred Men Have Recovered From Alcoholism was Akron Founder’s Day 3 written in 1939. Its title became the name of the organization and is today commonly referred to as "The Big Book". AA's initial Twelve Traditions were introduced in 1946 to help the fellowship be stable and unified while disengaged from "outside issues" Group Contributions 4 and influences. The Traditions recommend that members remain anonymous in public media, Contributions, Cont’d 5 altruistically help other alcoholics, and that AA groups avoid official affiliations with other organizations. They also advise against dogma and coercive hierarchies. Sub-

Birthdays 6 sequent fellowships such as Narcotics Anonymous have adapted the Twelve Steps and the Twelve Traditions to their respective primary purposes. AA membership has since spread internationally "across diverse cul- Calendar 7 tures holding different beliefs and values", including geopolitical areas resistant to grassroots movements. As of 2016, close to two million people worldwide are esti- Daily Reflections 8 mated to be members of AA. AA sprang from The , a non-denominational, altruistic move- ment modeled after first-century Christianity. Some members founded the Group to help in maintaining sobri- ety. "Grouper" was Wilson's former drinking buddy who approached Wilson saying that he had "got religion", was sober, and that Wilson could do the same if he set aside objections to religion and instead formed a personal idea of God, "another power" or "". Feeling a "kinship of common suffering" and, though drunk, Wilson attended his first Group gathering. Within days, Wilson admitted himself to the Charles B. Towns Hospital after drinking four beers on the way— the last alcohol he ever drank. Under the care of William Duncan Silkworth (an early benefactor of AA), Wil- son's detox included the deliriant belladonna. At the hospital, a de- spairing Wilson experienced a bright flash of light, which he felt to be God revealing himself. Following his hospital discharge, Wilson joined the Oxford Group and recruited other alcoholics to the Group. Wilson's early efforts to help others become sober were in- effective, prompting Silkworth to suggest that Wilson place less stress on religion and more on "the science" of treating alcoholism. Wilson's first success came during a business trip to Akron, Ohio, where he was introduced to Robert Smith, a surgeon and Oxford Group member who was unable to stay sober. After thirty days of working with Wilson, Smith drank his last drink on 10 June 1935, the date marked by AA for its anniversaries. The first female member Florence Rankin joined AA in March 1937, and the first non-Protestant member, a Roman Catho- lic, joined in 1939. The first Black AA group was established in 1945 in Washington, D.C. by Jim S., an African-American physician from Virginia. Reprinted from Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia Page 2

The Intergroup Office is asking for volunteers! Available shifts are: IG Rep Meeting will be on June 13 @ 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm Monday 9am—1pm Zoom ID# 604 292 8975 Also at: Tuesday 3pm—6pm Leawood Baptist Church 3638 Macon Rd, Memphis 38122 Friday 9am—1pm

Also, if you (or your sponsee) would like to help with the Tippler newsletter, we would appre- ciate that! Call the office at: 901-454- 1414 “Hope is not a strategy” Doug K., 5/26/2021

Is your homegroup online at this point? Brick-and-mortar? Hybrid? Please check the information on our website: memphis-aa.org, and call the office if an update is necessary.

Office Activities:

12 Step Calls…………...…………………………...14 AA Meeting Requests……………………………...111 General Information…………………………..…...79 Walk-Ins…………………………………………….81 Tipplers Mailed………………………………….….45 Tipplers Emailed……………………………………674 Page 3

The 86th annual Akron Founder’s Day celebration will be held on June 12th & 13th as a virtual event. For registration and details, please refer to Foundersday.org

The History of Founders' Day Founders’ Day has been an important part of the history of Alcoholics Anonymous. Our current celebration has its roots from our humble beginnings. Here are a few events which have helped shape our annual Founders’ Day celebra- tion. 1941 Bill W. and Dr. Bob were the featured speakers. 1942 Dr. Bob traced the early history of our movement, introduced early members, followed by a buffet supper served by wives of Akron Group #1. 1945 Dr. Bob and Bill W. spoke at a dinner at the Mayflower Ballroom. 1945 A modest celebration was held at the M. O’Neil Auditorium with the co-founders present. 1947 Dr. Bob and A.A. #3 Bill D. were the speakers. 1948 The Akron Armory was used and talks were given by Dr. Walter Tunks, Bill W. and Dr. Bob. 1951 Dr. Bob had died. An open house was held at 855 Ardmore. (Dr. Bob’s Home) Bill spoke at the Good- year Theater. 1953 Bill W. attended an open house at St. Thomas Hospital. 1957 The first “Play” was introduced and a Sunday morning breakfast was held at The University of Akron’s Memorial Hall. 1958 Bill W. his wife Lois W. and Ethel M. were speakers at The University of Akron’s Memorial Hall. 1961 This was the start of the memorial for Dr. Bob at 9:00 am. 1965 The “Modern” Era of Founders’ Day begins with the first Friday-Sunday Weekend. Founders’ Day is an integral piece the legacy our co-founders have left for us. Founders’ Day has grown to where 10,000 visitors from around the world come each year. Please come to Akron to see, to feel, and to be part of The Fellow- ship of the Spirit.

Page 4 GROUP CONTRIBUTIONS for May 2021

May 21 May 20 Jan - May 21 Any Length Group 0.00 0.00 124.28 Bluff City Fellowship 0.00 0.00 500.00 Bullfrog Corner Group 0.00 0.00 488.70 Came to Believe Group 100.00 50.00 500.00 Central Gardens Group 50.00 50.00 250.00 Central Group 0.00 0.00 225.00 Collierville Group 0.00 0.00 612.09 Collierville Hopefuls 0.00 0.00 305.27 Cordova Hope Group 0.00 80.00 93.87 Design For Living 0.00 0.00 567.37 Downtown Nooners N/S 50.00 0.00 100.00 Earlybird 0.00 0.00 1,400.00 Freedom Road Recovery 0.00 0.00 20.00 Friends of Bill W 0.00 0.00 250.00 Germantown Noon 553.37 397.05 1,064.42 Grace in the Grove 0.00 0.00 198.60 Great Reality 0.00 0.00 5.81 Happy Destiny 50.00 0.00 150.00 Heavy Hitters 0.00 0.00 40.00 Hickory Hill 20.00 0.00 20.00 Horn Lake 10.00 10.00 45.00 Jaywalkers 0.00 0.00 0.48 Lakeland 0.00 0.00 540.56 Love and Tolerance 0.00 0.00 100.00 Midtown Group 0.00 97.50 217.24 Millington 200.00 0.00 200.00 Neshoba Awakening 10.00 10.00 50.00 Out-of-Towners Fellowship 0.00 0.00 135.00 Pleasant Hill 0.00 81.90 96.12 S.O.S. 0.00 0.00 97.50 Second Chance 0.00 75.00 0.00 Serenity Group 0.00 0.00 225.00 Seriously Sober 99.47 125.00 690.29 Shady Ladies 100.00 200.00 700.00 Sober Journey 0.00 0.00 200.00 Solutions Group 0.00 140.00 420.00 Stateline 0.00 96.80 0.00

Straight out of Bondage 0.00 0.00 454.00

The Nooner 91.00 0.00 316.00 Three Legged Stool 100.00 0.00 201.83 Traditions 0.00 0.00 0.17 Two Doors Down 200.00 600.00 1,000.05 Unity Group 0.00 421.57 327.20 WAAGL 0.00 25.00 395.00 Whitehaven Morning Sunris- ers- 0.00 0.00 75.00 Winchester 0.00 49.52 0.00 Worldly Indeed 0.00 0.00 182.00

TOTAL 1,633.84 2,509.34 13,583.85

Page 5

Straight out of Bondage 0.00 0.00 454.00 The Nooner 91.00 0.00 316.00 Three Legged Stool 100.00 0.00 201.83 Traditions 0.00 0.00 0.17 Two Doors Down 200.00 600.00 1,000.05 Unity Group 0.00 421.57 327.20 WAAGL 0.00 25.00 395.00 Whitehaven Morning Sunrisers 0.00 0.00 75.00 Winchester 0.00 49.52 0.00 Worldly Indeed 0.00 0.00 182.00 TOTAL 1,633.84 2,509.34 13,583.85

TWELVE STEPS: Step 6 Were entirely ready to have God remove all these de- fects of character.

TWELVE TRADITIONS: Tradition 6 An A.A. group ought never endorse, finance, or lend the A.A. name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest money property or pres- tige divert us from our primary purpose.

TWELVE CONCEPTS FOR WORLD SERVICE: CONCEPT: Concept 6 On behalf of A.A. as a whole, our General Service Conference has the principal responsibility for the maintenance of our world services, and it traditionally has the final decision respecting large matters of general policy and finance. But the Conference also recognizes that the chief initiative and the active responsibility in most of these matters should be exercised primarily by the Trus- tee members of the Conference when they act among themselves as the General Service Board of Alcoholics Anonymous. PagePage 6

JUNE BIRTHDAYS WINCHESTER GROUP:

LAKELAND: DOWNTOWN Julie V……………….27 yrs Mike B…………...2 yrs THURSDAY NIGHT Melanie F……………….7 yrs Darron R…………..3 yrs GROUP: Thomas M………...3 yrs Brad D……………..4 yrs Allen W………….6 yrs Ronald R……………..28 yrs Steven M…………….36 yrs Tim G……………...4 yrs CENTRAL GARDENS Tom C……………...4 yrs GROUP Betty P…………..5 yrs Gary R……………...12 yrs Jana P…………….27 yrs Brenda W…………...36 yrs

MAIA is always looking for members to share their experiences for publication in upcoming issues. If you would like to write a short article about your experience with a Step, Tradition, meeting, or A.A. event, please contact the office at 901-454-1414 or email at: memphis-aa.org for more details.

THINGS WE CANNOT CHANGE: James Earl “Jim” Jones, 72, passed on May 11, 2021, with nineteen years of sobriety. Page 7 pAGEpA7

Schedule of Events

FOUNDER’S DAY June 5 @ 5pm via Zoom ID #6042928975 MAIA IG REPS MTG June 13 @1:00 pm - 2:30 pm Zoom ID# 604 292 8975 Also at Leawood Baptist Church 3638 Macon Rd, Memphis 38122 District 20 Monthly Business Meeting June 5 @ 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm Last Chance Group, 3002 Airways Blvd June 2021 Memphis, TN District 21 Monthly Business Meeting June 14 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm Zoom ID 938 0624 2934 PW 2121 District 22 Monthly Business Meeting June 5 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Area 51 Group, 3563 Thomas St Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Memphis, TN 38127 1 2 3 4 5 District 23 Monthly Business Meeting Founder’s Day; Eat & Pass June 13 @ 11:00 a.m. Out; Districts 24, 22, 20 Zoom ID #851 8878 9376 PW 847990 Corrections Committee District 24 Monthly Business Meeting June 5 @ 10:00 am - 11:30 am Zoom ID #132801735 PW 020409 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 District 25 Monthly Business Meeting Treatment Grapevine Committee District 25 June 9 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm Committee Fun and Fellowship in the Germantown Municipal Park w/Zoom option Park with Area 64 Memphis Area Treatment Facility Committee Delegate June 7 @ 6:45 pm - 8:00 pm Zoom ID 3400679076, PW 0 Memphis Area Correctional Committee 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 June 1 @ 6:45 pm - 7:45 pm Came to Believe, 2865 Walnut Grove District 23 District 21 Memphis, TN 38111 Cooperation w/ Professionals Committee June 21 @ 6:45 pm - 7:45 pm Zoom ID# 854 4657 0800 PW 135177 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 Memphis Area Grapevine Committee June 8 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm CPC/PI Committee White Station Church of Christ 1106 Colonial Rd, Memphis Memphis Area Archives Committee June 27 @ 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm 27 28 29 30 31 Two Doors Down 1578 Yorkshire Archives Committee Grapevine’s “Eat and Pass Out” June 5, 8:00 am Stone Soup Café 883 Cooper Ave; Memphis, 38104 Fun & Fellowship in the Park with District 25 Germantown Municipal Park 1900 S. Germantown Rd

Become a High Fiver! Memphis Area Intergroup has been the link between the A.A. recovery community and the newcomer and, even as importantly, with one another since 1960. Many of us are grateful to the office for its helping hand, but have either not known that Intergroup needs our sup- port, or our contributions have been put off due to our new busy and happy lives. “High Fivers” is a way we have found to allow mem- bers to show their gratitude by making sure the services provided by the office continues.

High Fivers is a program of commitment; we commit to a $5.00 contribution per month, either monthly, quarterly, or annually. Contact our office with details on the ways with which you can submit your monetary contributions.

Intergroup, in return , will send an acknowledgement for your contributions at the end of each calendar year. These contributions are tax deductible.

As an expression of gratitude, you will receive a hard copy of this newsletter in the mail each month.

We hope that you will join us in supporting Intergroup, so they may continue serving the suffering alcoholic, the A.A. group and the com- munity. June 2

Memphis Area Intergroup Association THE UPWARD PATH 3540 Summer Ave., Suite 104 Memphis, TN 38122 Here are the steps we took… 901 454-1414 office —ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 59 901 454-0420 fax [email protected] These are the words that lead into the Twelve Steps. In their direct simplicity they sweep aside all psycho- logical and philosophical considerations about the rightness of the Steps. They describe what I did: I took the Steps and sobriety was the result. These words do not imply that I should walk the well-trodden path of those who went before, but rather that there is a way memphis-aa.org for me to become sober and that it is a way I shall have to find. It is a new path, one that leads to infinite light at the top of the mountain. The Steps advise me about the footholds that are safe and about chasms to avoid. They provide me with the tools I need during the many parts of the solitary journey of my soul. When I speak of this journey, I share my experience, strength and hope with others.

M.A.I.A. 3540 Summer Avenue, Suite 104 Memphis, TN 38122

“The Tippler” is a free monthly publication, and will be emailed to anyone interested. However, if you’d like to receive a copy via USPS, a contribution of $5 monthly, or $60 annually, helps defray the costs involved. Fill out the form below and , along with your contribution, mail to the above address. We thank you!

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