Your Worthwhile Support of
the A.A. History Workshops This September in Vermont
By Dick B.
© 2012 Anonymous. All
rights reserved
Ken and I will be in Vermont during early September this
year: (1) to dedicate formally the “Dr. Bob Core Library” at North
Congregational Church, St. Johnsbury; (2) to present workshops in St. Johnsbury
and Manchester about the Christian upbringings and biblical training of Bill W.
and Dr. Bob in Vermont; and (3) to do additional research on the Christian
upbringings of A.A.’s Vermont-born cofounders. [We may even go down to
Northfield, Massachusetts, to spend some time at the birthplace and home (in
his later years) of Dwight L. Moody, who (along with Ira Sankey and Henry
Moorhouse) directly impacted on Vermont’s Christian revival during the 1870’s.]
The trip will enable you to join us in workshops, hear the real history of the
Christian upbringing of Alcoholics Anonymous’ cofounders Bill W. and Dr. Bob, and
pass along a history that most AAs and recovery workers just don’t know. And
whether you can join us for some or all of our Vermont adventure—and we hope
you can!—your support in helping to offset the $6,000.00 or so in expenses
involved in this trip will be much appreciated.
Dates:
Sept. 3 –
6: St. Johnsbury, Vermont, Comfort Inn Suites
Sept. 6 –
8: Manchester (and East Dorset), Vermont, Avalanche Motel
Subjects:
St.
Johnsbury: A thorough history of Dr. Bob’s Christian upbringing and biblical training
Manchester: The
many threads of Christian people and places that make up the Christian upbringing
of Bill W.—Bill’s friend Ebby Thacher and Burr and Burton Seminary with its
daily chapel, four-year Bible study, morning prayers, and regular church attendance;
Ebby’s boarding there with the Congregational pastor Rev. Perkins; the
summering there of Ebby’s Oxford Group mentor Shep Cornell; the proximity and
interrelationship of his other mentors—Rowland Hazard and Cebra Graves; the
friendship of Lois Wilson’s family and the Thacher family; the transition to
chapel, Bible study, and church services at the military academy Bill and Ebby
attended together in Northfield, Vermont (Norwich University); and the family
of Bill’s love Bertha Bamford;
East Dorset and
nearby Emerald Lake where Bill was so much involved with Lois, Ebby, Mark
Whalon, and the East Dorset Congregational Church’s creed, confession, sermons,
services, Sunday school, tent meetings, revival and conversion meetings, and Temperance
meetings. Also Bill’s Bible studies with his maternal grandfather Fayette Griffith
and with his friend Mark Whalon. And the unusual story of Bill’s paternal grandfather
Willie Wilson’s conversion experience and cure of alcoholism at the top of
nearby Mount Aeolus.
We will give a broad picture of the Christian upbringing and
biblical training of Bill W. and Dr. Bob:
After years
of research, travel, interviews, visits to libraries and archives, and
collection of documents, we can now
provide a very detailed picture for those willing to learn about Vermont, its
leaders, organizations, churches, and people who impacted A.A. founders:
Christian ministers, leaders, and members
of the Smith and Wilson families in Vermont; Vermont Congregational church
contributions; Bible studies; conversions; prayer meetings, Young Men’s
Christian Association influences; United Society of Christian Endeavor
influences (on Dr. Bob); and the daily chapel, sermons, church attendance, and
prayers at every turn—St. Johnsbury, East Dorset, possibly Rutland, Manchester,
and Norwich University at Northfield; and the specific Christian suggestions given
to Ebby Thacher by the three Oxford Group men (Rowland Hazard, Shep Cornell,
and Cebra Graves) that were then passed on to Bill W.
The “Dr. Bob Core Library” in St. Johnsbury which we will formally
dedicate in September, and the library at The Griffith House in East Dorset
(which was built specifically to house many of the historical materials Dick B.
accumulated over the years), already have thousands of these materials; and our
new findings on this trip will be added as well.
If you are a Christian leader or worker in the recovery
arena, or are otherwise a fan of A.A. history and the Christian Recovery
Movement, please consider joining us for one or more days during our adventure
in learning more about the two Green Mountain boys of Vermont who cofounded
A.A.
Whether or not you can join us this time, please consider
supporting our work by making a donation to help offset the expenses involved
in this trip. If you would like to make a donation, please make your check or
money order payable to “Dick B.” and mail it to: Dick B., PO Box 837, Kihei, HI
96753-0837. Or please contact me at (808) 874-4876 if you would like to make a
donation by credit card or debit card.
If you would like to have your donation be tax deductible,
please give me a call at (808) 874-4876 for details on how to do that.
God Bless,
Dick B.
August 2, 2012
Gloria
Deo
