Monday, May 6, 2013

Revised, Expanded Program for Maine September International A.A. History Conference



 

September 6-7, 2013

Portland, Maine

(Christian Endeavor—of which Dr. Bob was a member—was founded here on February 2, 1881)

 

Featuring A.A. Historian Dick B. of Maui, Hawaii, and Special Guests

 

Conference Theme:

 

“The History of Alcoholics Anonymous:

Another View Which Includes Its Christian Beginnings in New England”

 

Meetings, Roundtables, Speakers, Research, and Workshops in Portland, Maine

(and possible A.A. history research tour of Dr. Bob’s birthplace, St. Johnsbury, VT, Sept. 8-10)

 

Main Conference Location:

 

The First Baptist Church of Portland, Maine

360 Canco Rd., Portland, ME 04103; http://www.firstbaptistportland.org/

 

Conference Schedule

 

Friday, September 6

 

            10:00 AM to 3:00 PM:            Pre-conf. pers. mtgs. available with Dick B. and Ken B.

              4:30 PM to 5:30 PM:            Pre-conf. roundtable mtgs. w/leaders and visitors

              5:30 PM to 7:00 PM:            Dinner

              7:00 PM to 9:00 PM:            Mtgs. with Dick B. & Ken B., or Celebrate Recovery mtg.

 

Saturday, September 7

 

              9:00 AM to   9:45 AM:         Conference registration, coffee and tea, hospitality

              9:45 AM to   9:55 AM:         Conference begins with introduction and prayer by Ken B.

              9:55 AM to 10:00 AM:         Welcome by Wally C.

            10:00 AM to 10:50 AM:         Session One: The 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous

            11:00 AM to 11:50 AM:         Session Two: A. A. Origins, History, Founders & Facts

            12:00 PM to    1:15 PM:         Lunch

              1:15 PM to    2:05 PM:         Session Three: Sponsorship Today

              2:15 PM to    3:05 PM:         Session Four: Orienting and Informing Newcomers

              3:35 PM to    4:15 PM:         Session Five: A.A. History: Past, Present & Future

              4:15 PM                                Ken B. closes conf. w/prayer, networking, dinner (optional)

 


 

The First International Alcoholics Anonymous History Conference

 

 

Other Meetings and Events with Dick B. and Ken B., September 8-11, 2013:

 

Sun., Sept. 8, to Tues., Sept. 10:         Portland: Personal meetings with Dick B. & Ken B.; and/or

                                                            Possible trip to Dr. Bob’s birthplace, St. Johnsbury, VT

 

Wednesday, Sept. 11:                         Portland: Morn./afternoon: pers. mtgs. w/Dick & Ken B.;

                                                            Evening: Dick B. speaking at regular A.A. meeting

           

Conference Mission

 

The mission of this conference is to present an accurate and comprehensive picture of Alcoholics Anonymous history which includes the roles played by God, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Bible in early A.A.’s astonishing successes (75% claimed overall; 93% with no relapses in Cleveland).

 

Conference Audience

 

This conference is for members of 12 Step Fellowships (including old-timers, speakers, sponsors, newcomers, and garden variety drunks and addicts); other International Christian Recovery Coalition “participants”; physicians, clergy, recovery pastors, and other Christian leaders and workers in the recovery arena; and professionals working in the fields of intervention, detox, treatment, sober living, counseling, psychology, and psychiatry.

 

** Dick B. and Ken B. will be hosting personal and small group meetings during the morning and afternoon of Friday, September 6, and from Sunday afternoon, September 8, through Wednesday afternoon, September 11. These meetings will cover: (a) Dr. Bob’s wife, Anne Smith, and Quiet Time-Eleventh Step practices and resources, and other topics; and (b) working with impaired physicians, nurses, pharmacists, dentists, attorneys, and other licensed workers. **

 

Conference Registration

 

Admission for the First International Alcoholics Anonymous History Conference is FREE! Registration is required. To register for the conference, please contact Ken B. by email at kcb00799@gmail.com or by phone at 1-808-276-4945. If you would like to make a donation to help offset the costs involved in putting on this conference, please contact Dick B. by email at DickB@DickB.com.

 

 

 

Please join us in Portland September 6-7, 2013!

 

Ongoing Conference Developments – Expansion!

 

Dick B., Author, A.A. Historian, Bible Student, 27 Years continuous sobriety -

 

 

Substantial, valuable, expansive changes are here announced as to The First International Alcoholics Anonymous Conference in Portland Maine over the seven day period in September . We are seeing many registrations for this admission free conference pouring in. And they enable us to meet with many leaders and speakers before and after the Friday and Saturday conference events. They also enable us to allot 10 minute presentations by the distinguished speakers--no audience participation--where the speakers will tell us what they are currently doing in the recovery arena; how well it is going; needs to be met, and future visions under way.

 

The conference will endeavor to have representatives from many states and from other countries. The subjects will be diverse--Quiet Time and 11th Step, Sponsorship, Focus on Newcomer, The real historical Christian roots of A.A., and how old school A.A. ideas can and should be applied in today's recovery fellowships and programs as a powerful opportunity for those who want God's help in overcoming alcoholism and addiction and are willing to go to any lengths to get it.

 

 

If you are one of those who sees the need for learning more about old school A.A., about how much it has changed through revisions since 1935, how it is still appropriate to apply the principles and practices of of God's help in a fellowship that certainly today includes Christians, Jews, Moslems, Hindus, atheists, agnostics, unbelievers, and those with no belief at all.

 

 

There is room for all. There is no room for those who try to blockade free exercise of rights and privileges by any particular approach so long the free exercise maintains the primary purpose of helping the alcoholic and addict who still suffers. There is plenty of room for those who want to share their experience with a newcomer and make known the major role that God, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Bible played and can play in recovery today. Room for those who want truth, not opinion. Room for those who help, instead of criticize and hinder. Room for those who want healing, instead of in-and-out bondage, temptation, and relapse. Room for those that recognize the heart of A.A. was and is The Solution set forth on page 25 of the 4th edition of the Big Book--a solution grounded on bringing the Creator into the hearts and minds of those who believe Divine Aid was the solution sought in the beginning and sought now by those who recognize that they can't help themselves, that  probably no human can, that God can and will, and that they can choose to exit from the "medically incurable" fellowship to the reliance on God segment.

 

 

Tens and tens of thousands of Christians and others are still in and coming in to 12 Step fellowships. They are puzzled by talk of nonsense gods, higher powers, spirituality, atheism, and restrictive remarks in meetings. They need not be, and ours is the only international gathering devoted to disseminating the truth and the options. You will meet leaders in the fields of garden variety drinking, garden variety addictive behaviors, religion, medicine, psychiatry, old school A.A., the origins of A.A., the founding of A.A., the original Christian Fellowship of A.A., and the opportunity to observe what both Bob and Bill stressed: (1) Love and tolerance as our code. (2) Love and service as the essence of the program--old and new--and the form it took and is taking.

 

 

And here is a letter we started sending out today to those already registering, inquiring, and attending;

 

 

 

Aloha to you, Sandy, from Maui, Hawaii!

 

My dad (Dick B.--www.DickB.com) and I are very glad to know that you will be joining us at the First International Alcoholics Anonymous History Conference in Portland, Maine, September 6-7, 2013. The conference will be held Friday evening and throughout the day on Saturday at the following location:

 

 

 

The First Baptist Church of Portland, Maine

360 Canco Rd.

Portland, ME 04103

http://www.firstbaptistportland.org/

 

 

My dad and I will be staying at:

 

 

Hilton Garden Inn Portland Airport

145 Jetport Blvd.

Portland, ME, 04102

1-866-767-0278

 

 

We will be checking in on Thursday evening, September 5, and will be checking out on Thursday morning, September 12. We will have plenty of time for personal and small group meetings before, during, and after the conference proper; and we look forward to spending time with you and other Christian leaders and workers in the recovery arena.

 

In GOD's love,

 

Dick B.'s son, Ken

Cell: 1-808-276-4945

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