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74-407: Alcoholics Anonymous ( AA ) is a global, peer-led mutual-aid fellowship dedicated to abstinence-based recovery from alcoholism through its spiritually inclined twelve-step program . AA's Twelve Traditions stress anonymity and the lack of a governing hierarchy, and establish AA as free to all, non-promotional, non-professional, unaffiliated, non-denominational, and apolitical. In 2021, AA reported

148-538: A Roman Catholic , joined in 1939. The first black AA group commenced in 1945 in Washington D.C., and was founded by Jim S., an African-American physician from Virginia. In 1938, Dr. Bob and Bill created The Alcoholic Foundation in New York, bringing in friends of John D. Rockefeller, Jr. as board members. Although they sought to raise significant funds, Rockefeller advised that large contributions might jeopardize

222-493: A "higher power". It offers guidance and strength through prayer and meditation from God or a higher power of their own understanding; take a moral inventory with care to include resentments; list and become ready to remove character defects; list and make amends to those harmed; continue to take a moral inventory, pray, meditate, and try to help other alcoholics recover. The second half of the book, "Personal Stories" (subject to additions, removal, and retitling in subsequent editions),

296-477: A "kinship of common suffering", Wilson attended his first group gathering, although he was drunk. 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 Dr. William Duncan Silkworth (an early benefactor of AA), Wilson's detox included the deliriant belladonna . At the hospital, a despairing Wilson experienced

370-440: A "searching and fearless moral inventory," and to thereby identify "character defects;" to share this moral inventory with one's AA sponsor or another trusted person; to make amends to people harmed; and to engage in regular prayer and meditation, seeking "conscious contact with God ... for knowledge of His will." The steps culminate in the 12th Step, which indicates that having had a "spiritual awakening" members continue to practice

444-488: A bright flash of light, which he felt to be God revealing himself. Following his hospital discharge, Wilson joined the Oxford Group and tried to recruit other alcoholics to the group. These early efforts to help others kept him sober, but were ineffective in getting anyone else to join the group and get sober. Dr. Silkworth suggested that Wilson place less stress on religion (as required by The Oxford Group) and more on

518-659: A conversion was needed between patients. Hazard lodged him in the Calvary Rescue Mission, operated by the Calvary Episcopal Church in New York City . In November 1934, Thacher had arranged a visit to Wilson's apartment. Expecting to spend a day drinking and re-living old times, Wilson was instead shocked by Thacher's refusal to drink. "I've got religion," he reportedly said, to Wilson's surprise. Thacher told Wilson of his conversion at

592-418: A declaration that cannot be questioned by other members. Speaker meetings feature one or more members who share their personal stories of recovery, fostering connection and understanding among participants. Big Book meetings focus on reading and discussing passages from AA's foundational text, while sharing meetings provide an open platform for members to speak freely and share their experiences, with or without

666-550: A predetermined topic. AA meetings are gatherings where recovery from alcoholism is discussed. One perspective sees them as "quasi-ritualized therapeutic sessions run by and for, alcoholics". In recent years, online meetings have become popular, allowing members to connect virtually through platforms like Zoom. Offline or in-person meetings, often referred to as “brick and mortar” meetings, take place in physical locations, and some groups even host hybrid meetings, enabling participants to attend either in person or virtually. Inclusivity

740-746: A presence in approximately 180 countries with nearly two million members—73% in the United States and Canada. AA dates its beginning to Bill Wilson's (Bill W.) and Bob Smith's (Dr. Bob) first commiseration alcoholic-to-alcoholic in 1935. Meeting through the Christian revivalist Oxford Group , they and other alcoholics helped each other until forming what became AA. In 1939, the new fellowship published Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How More than One Hundred Men Have Recovered from Alcoholism . The amended sub-title in later editions referred to “ Thousands of Men and Women”. Debuting AA's 12 steps, it

814-479: A religious conversion; he was then admitted to the Charles B. Towns Hospital for Drug and Alcohol Addiction in New York City on December 11, 1934. Thacher visited him there on December 14 and essentially helped Wilson take what would become Steps Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, and Eight. Wilson stayed sober and eventually formed Alcoholics Anonymous with Bob Smith while Thacher soon returned to drinking. Thacher

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888-773: A resource for alcoholics worldwide, the Grapevine evolved into a unifying publication for the AA community, chronicling the Fellowship's growth, including the creation of the General Service Structure and publication of later editions of the Big Book. The Twelve Traditions were introduced to AA by Bill W. in April 1946 through an article titled "Twelve Suggested Points for A.A. Tradition." The AA Preamble, inspired by

962-504: A spiritual conversion" with the help of the Group and began to experience the liberation from drink he was seeking. He became converted to a lifetime of sobriety while on a train ride from New York to Detroit after reading For Sinners Only by Oxford Group member AJ Russell. Members of the group introduced Hazard to Ebby Thacher . Hazard brought Thacher to the Calvary Rescue Mission, led by Oxford Group leader Sam Shoemaker . In keeping with

1036-609: A surge in inquires, and AA membership tripled over the next year. Interviews on American radio and favorable articles in US magazines led to increased big book sales and membership. As the growing Fellowship faced disputes over structure, purpose, authority, and publicity, Wilson began promoting the Twelve Traditions. Bill W. first introduced his ideas on the Twelve Traditions in an April 1946 article for The Grapevine , titled “Twelve Suggested Points for A.A. Tradition.” Recognizing

1110-543: A time of isolation. Multiple online outlets ran stories on how to create a mutual aid group. Ebby Thacher Edwin Throckmorton Thacher (29 April 1896 – 21 March 1966) (commonly known as Ebby Thacher or Ebby T. ) was an old drinking friend and later the sponsor of Alcoholics Anonymous co-founder Bill Wilson . He is credited with introducing Wilson to the initial principles that AA would soon develop, such as "one alcoholic talking to another," and

1184-531: A unique approach—no logos, phone numbers, or links—focusing on subtle messaging like "You Are not Alone" and "Alcohol isn't the Answer." The campaign, created by The Raised Eyebrow Society, aims to attract people struggling with alcohol without violating AA's principles of anonymity and non-promotion. AA will celebrate its 100th anniversary meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana in 2035. The international convention

1258-412: A whole. Despite cultural differences influencing certain rituals, many elements of AA meetings remain consistent worldwide. AA meetings encompass a variety of formats, each designed to serve different needs. Open meetings are accessible to anyone, including non-alcoholics who can attend as observers. In contrast, closed meetings are reserved for individuals who identify as having a desire to stop drinking,

1332-657: A year, and came back to the US, he soon resumed drinking, and returned to Jung in Zurich for further treatment. Jung told Hazard that his case was nearly hopeless (as with other alcoholics) and that his only hope might be a "spiritual conversion" with a "religious group". Back in America, Hazard went to the Oxford Group, whose teachings were eventually the source of such AA concepts as "meetings" and "sharing" (public confession), making "restitution", "rigorous honesty" and "surrendering one's will and life to God's care". Hazard underwent

1406-451: A “disease’’), and out of control—for which on going divining and following the will an unspecified 'higher power' (“God, as we understood Him”) could restore them to “sanity”. In the steps members acknowledge and make amends and seek to correct personal character defects aided by their higher power for guidance. Those “having achieved a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps” are suggested to carry AA's message to other alcoholics. This

1480-618: Is a biennial international forum where AA delegates from around the world exchange ideas and experiences on carrying the message of recovery. Held in various global cities, the WSM focuses on sharing strategies to help alcoholics in different countries and languages. Today, A.A. is present in approximately 180 nations worldwide. By 2018, AA had 2,087,840 members and 120,300 AA groups worldwide. There are AA meetings in Beijing , China. In July 2024, AA launched its first UK-wide advertising campaign with

1554-468: Is a book published in 1953 that serves as a key text for AA. Written by AA co-founder Bill W., it provides detailed explanations of the Twelve Steps and the Twelve Traditions. The book is commonly used in AA meetings and individual study, offering a framework for understanding the organization's approach to recovery and community. The story of Eddie Rickenbacker "and his courageous company" appears in

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1628-481: Is a core principle of AA meetings, which welcome all alcoholics, though some are tailored to specific demographics such as gender, age, profession, or cultural background. Since the mid-1970s, several 'agnostic' or 'no-prayer' AA groups have begun across the US, Canada, and other parts of the world, which hold meetings that adhere to a tradition allowing alcoholics to freely express their doubts or disbelief that spirituality will help their recovery, and these meetings forgo

1702-507: Is also fully self-supporting through the sale of literature and member contributions. The Eighth Tradition permits AA to employ "special workers" for roles that require specific expertise or full-time responsibilities, such as administrative tasks. However, these paid roles do not involve working directly with alcoholics in need of help, a function known as the "12th Step." Calls from alcoholics seeking assistance are always passed on to sober AA members who have volunteered to handle them, ensuring

1776-588: Is anticipated to attract tens of thousands of attendees to the Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium . Alcoholics Anonymous publishes several books, reports, pamphlets, and other media, including a periodical known as the AA Grapevine . Two books are used primarily: Alcoholics Anonymous (the "Big Book") and, expounding on the big book in regard to its subject, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions . As with all AA literature,

1850-477: Is believed to have originated in 1942 in Indianapolis, gaining popularity as various AA groups adopted the practice. Typically, different colored chips represent milestones of sobriety within the first year, with tokens awarded for 24 hours, 30 days, 60 days, 90 days, and beyond, culminating in a bronze chip for one year of sobriety. AA members celebrate Founders Day on the weekend closest to June 10, marking

1924-422: Is commonly used in AA meetings as a tool for reflection and guidance. It was called the AA prayer in the 1940s. Often recited at meetings, it emphasizes the concepts of acceptance, courage, and wisdom, which align with the principles of the AA program. The prayer encourages individuals to accept things they cannot change, to find the courage to make changes where possible, and to seek the wisdom to distinguish between

1998-407: Is emphasized, particularly in media, with no prescribed consequences for breaches. AA meetings serve as a space where individuals discuss recovery from alcoholism, with flexibility in how meetings are conducted. While AA offers pamphlets suggesting formats, groups have the autonomy to organize their meetings according to their preferences, as long as their decisions do not impact other groups or AA as

2072-578: Is entirely self-supporting, relying on voluntary contributions from its members to cover expenses. Contributions to the General Service Office (GSO) are limited to $ 5,000 per member per year. In addition to these contributions, more than 50% of AA's income comes from the sale of AA literature, such as books and pamphlets. This practice aligns with AA's Seventh Tradition, which emphasizes financial independence by not accepting donations from outside individuals or organizations. The Central Office

2146-497: Is informally known as the “Big Book”. It is also the origin of AA's name. AA offers a suggested, but not required, program of ongoing self-improvement and recovery in its Twelve Steps , a central element of which involves divining and following the will of a self-defined “God as we understood Him.” The Twelve Steps begin with admitting to powerlessness over alcohol and recognizing the unmanageability of one's life due to alcoholism. Subsequent steps require "rigorous honesty" to undertake

2220-456: Is made of AA members' redemptive autobiographical sketches. AA's Big Book calls alcoholism "an illness which only a spiritual experience will conquer." Ernest Kurtz says this is "The closest the book Alcoholics Anonymous comes to a definition of alcoholism." Somewhat divergently in his introduction to The Big Book, non-member and early benefactor William Silkworth said those unable to moderate their drinking suffer from an allergy . In presenting

2294-472: Is meant to be achieved by taking the Twelve Steps , and sobriety is furthered by volunteering for AA and regular AA meeting attendance or contact with AA members. Taking AA's 12 steps are a “suggested”, but not required, “program of recovery”—also called a “spiritual solution”. They start with members admitting to being “powerless over alcohol” (which the Big Book calls an “Illness” or “malady”, but never

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2368-408: Is often done through meetings of AA groups as well as with members taking on sponsees, although the Big Book makes no mention of the latter term. While taking care to avoid becoming affiliated, some AA members perform outreach to hospitals, treatment centers and correctional facilities. Members are encouraged to find an experienced fellow alcoholic, called a sponsor, to help them understand and follow

2442-475: Is self-supporting, with donations from members covering expenses, and it operates through an "inverted pyramid" structure, where individual groups function autonomously. The organization does not accept outside contributions and relies heavily on literature sales. A 2020 Cochrane review found that, compared to other treatments like cognitive-behavioral therapy, manualized AA and Twelve-Step Facilitation (TSF) therapy showed superior continuous abstinence rates in

2516-517: The Jungian thesis which was passed along to Rowland Hazard and, in turn, to Thacher that alcoholics could recover by a "genuine conversion". Edwin Throckmorton Thacher was born April 29, 1896, in Albany, New York , the last of seven children born to Emma Louise (Bennett) and George Hornell Thacher II. His grandfather, George Hornell Thacher, was founder/owner of Thacher Car Works, vice-president of

2590-533: The 2005 Hurricane Katrina . During the COVID-19 pandemic , mutual aid and grassroots solidarity groups around the world organized networks distribution for food and personal protective equipment . The term "mutual aid", previously associated with anarchism, drifted into public parlance during the pandemic. Local mutual aid groups, sometimes as local as the street level, organized to help shop, deliver medicine, create games for kids, offering civic connection during

2664-548: The AA program. The sponsor should preferably have experienced all twelve of the steps, be the same sex as the sponsored person, and refrain from imposing personal views on the sponsored person. Following the helper therapy principle , sponsors in AA may benefit from their relationship with their charges, as "helping behaviors" correlate with increased abstinence and lower probabilities of binge drinking. The Twelve Traditions provide essential guidelines—not rules—that help A.A. groups navigate their relationships both internally and with

2738-560: The Albany City National Bank, and Albany mayor 1860-2/1870-4. Edwin's uncle, John Boyd Thacher , also served in the New York State Senate and as mayor of Albany 1886-8/1896-7, as did his brother, John Boyd Thacher II 1927–40. The family fortune derived from the company founded by Edwin's grandfather (in 1852), later owned by his uncle, John Boyd Thacher. Thacher Car Works manufactured wheels and

2812-586: The English working men's clubs of the 1930s that also provided health insurance. In the United States, mutual aid has been practiced extensively in marginalized communities, notably in Black communities, working-class neighborhoods, migrant groups, LGBT communities , and others. The Black Panther Party 's urban food programs in the 1960s were another prominent example of mutual aid. A Common Ground Relief mutual aid group organized to provide disaster relief for

2886-514: The Fellowship. The foundation opened a small office in New York, primarily funded by A.A. members, to handle inquiries and distribute the Alcoholics Anonymous book. In 1940, Rockefeller organized a dinner to promote A.A., which further increased the number of inquiries. The office became effective. Each request received a personal reply and a pamphlet, enhancing interest in the book. Consequently, many new groups were established, and by

2960-673: The Foreword of the book Alcoholics Anonymous , was written by one of the Grapevine's early editors Tom. Y. and first appeared in the June 1947 issue. In 1986, it was reaffirmed as AA's international journal by the General Service Conference. AA's program extends beyond abstaining from alcohol. Its goal is to effect enough change in the alcoholic's thinking "to bring about recovery from alcoholism" through "an entire psychic change," or spiritual awakening. A spiritual awakening

3034-533: The Oxford Group stressed the possibility of complete victory over sin. In 1935, AA began in Akron, Ohio, as the outcome of a meeting between Bill W., and Dr. Bob , an Akron surgeon. Wilson's first success came during a business trip to Akron, Ohio, where he was introduced to Dr. Robert Smith , a surgeon, who was unable to stay sober. Dr. Bob's participation in the Oxford Group had not been enough to enable him to stop drinking. Bill W. explained that alcoholism affects

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3108-416: The Oxford Group teaching that a new convert must win other converts to preserve his own conversion experience, Thacher contacted his old friend Bill Wilson , whom he knew had a drinking problem. Thacher approached Wilson saying that he had "got religion", was sober, and that Wilson could do the same if he set aside objections and instead formed a personal idea of God, "another power" or "higher power". Feeling

3182-476: The Rescue Mission and acquainted Wilson with the teachings of Rowland Hazard about the Oxford Group life-changing program, as well as the prescription of Carl Jung for a conversion. Wilson at first declined Thacher's invitation to sobriety , and continued to drink in a more restrained way for a short while. After talking with William D. Silkworth , however, he went to Calvary Rescue Mission and underwent

3256-624: The Twelve Concepts for World Service outline how the organization operates on a global scale. Each AA group is self-governing, with AA World Services acting only in an advisory capacity. This "inverted pyramid" style of governance has been key to the organization's resilience and adaptability. In Ireland, Shane Butler noted that AA's lack of top-level leadership might make it seem unsustainable, but its structure has proven extremely robust since its establishment there in 1946. AA's 21-member Board of Trustees includes seven "nonalcoholic friends of

3330-474: The Twelve Steps. This book also included case histories of thirty individuals who had achieved recovery, marking a significant milestone in A.A.'s development. The Twelve Steps were influenced by the Oxford Group's 6 steps and various readings, including William James 's The Varieties of Religious Experience . The first female member, Florence Rankin, joined AA in March 1937, and the first non-Protestant member,

3404-440: The anniversary of the organization with thousands of attendees engaging in tours of historical sites, sharing recovery stories, and participating in related activities in Akron, Ohio. AA describes itself as "not organized in the formal or political sense" and has been referred to as a "benign anarchy," borrowing a phrase from anarchy theorist Peter Kropotkin. The Twelve Traditions guide the functioning of individual AA groups, while

3478-582: The book. It pertains to when his plane crashed in the Pacific and is used in the closing remarks of Tradition One: "Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon A.A. unity." The Grapevine , established in June 1944 by six AA members in New York, became AA's national journal by 1945 and later its international journal. Supported by Bill W., the magazine featured first-person stories, AA news, and discussions on key topics like women in AA and veterans returning from war. Initially intended as

3552-608: The charity model, and may use the motto "solidarity, not charity" to differentiate themselves from charities. In the 1800s and early 1900s, mutual aid organizations included unions, the friendly societies that were common throughout Europe in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, medieval craft guilds , the American " fraternity societies " that existed during the Great Depression providing their members with health and life insurance and funeral benefits , and

3626-450: The doctor's postulate, AA said "The doctor's theory that we have an allergy to alcohol interests us. As laymen, our opinion as to its soundness may, of course, mean little. But as ex-problem drinkers, we can say that his explanation makes good sense. It explains many things for which we cannot otherwise account." AA later acknowledged that "alcoholism is not a true allergy, the experts now inform us." The " Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions "

3700-618: The end of 1940, A.A. membership had grown to 2,000. In 1939, media coverage, particularly from The Cleveland Plain Dealer , generated a surge of interest and requests for help. The Cleveland group, although small, successfully assisted many alcoholics, quickly growing from twenty to around 500 members. A subsequent article in Liberty magazine resulted in a flood of requests for assistance, further expanding A.A.'s reach. In 1941 The Saturday Evening Post published an article about AA, sparking

3774-441: The fellowship," though the organization is primarily served and run by alcoholics. Members who accept service positions, termed "trusted servants," hold these roles for limited terms, typically ranging from three months to two years, depending on the position and group vote. This approach ensures regular rotation and participation from a broad spectrum of members, maintaining AA's commitment to shared responsibility and leadership. AA

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3848-402: The field of alcoholism. The headquarters also published standard A.A. literature and oversaw translations, while the AA Grapevine gained substantial circulation. Despite these essential services, they were managed by a disconnected board of trustees, primarily linked to Bill and Dr. Bob. Recognizing the need for accountability, delegates from across the U.S. and Canada were convened, leading to

3922-495: The first meeting of the A.A. General Service Conference in 1951. This successful gathering established direct oversight of A.A.'s trusteeship by the Fellowship itself, ensuring the organization's future governance. At the 1955 conference in St. Louis, Missouri, Wilson relinquished stewardship of AA to the General Service Conference, as AA had grown to millions of members internationally. The World Service Meeting (WSM), established in 1969,

3996-811: The fittest , and against the ideas of liberals such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau , who thought that cooperation was motivated by universal love. Mutual aid participants work together to figure out strategies and resources to meet each other's needs, such as food, housing, medical care, and disaster relief while organizing themselves against the system that created the shortage in the first place. Typically, mutual-aid groups are member-led, member-organized, and open to all to participate in. They often have non-hierarchical , non-bureaucratic structures, with members controlling all resources. They are egalitarian in nature and designed to support participatory democracy , equality of member status, power-shared leadership , and consensus-based decision-making . Some challenges to

4070-484: The hierarchy, searching for collective consensus decision-making across participating people rather than placing leadership within a closed executive team. With this joint decision-making, all participating members are empowered to enact change and take responsibility for the group. The term "mutual aid" was popularized by the anarchist philosopher Peter Kropotkin in his essay collection Mutual Aid: A Factor of Evolution , which argued that cooperation, not competition,

4144-420: The mind, emotions, and body, a concept he learned from Dr. Silkworth at Towns Hospital in New York, where he had been a patient multiple times. Convinced by Bill's insights, Dr. Bob soon achieved sobriety and never drank again, marking the inception of A.A., on 10 June 1935. Bill W. and Dr. Bob started working with alcoholics at Akron's City Hospital . One patient, who soon achieved sobriety, joined them. Together,

4218-424: The months and years after treatment, and with greater healthcare cost savings. AA has faced criticism for various reasons. Critics have questioned its overall success rate, and others have criticized the religious or what they see as cult-like aspects of its program. There have also been concerns about "thirteenth-stepping," where older members pursue new members romantically, as well as lawsuits regarding safety and

4292-804: The need for guidance as A.A. expanded, he aimed to preserve the organization's unity and purpose. Bill described the input he received as a "welter of exciting and fearsome experience," which greatly influenced the development of the Traditions. From December 1947 to November 1948, The Grapevine published the Traditions individually, and in 1950, the First International Convention in Cleveland officially adopted them. In 1951, A.A.'s New York office expanded its activities, including public relations, support for new groups, services to hospitals and prisons, and cooperation with agencies in

4366-567: The outside world. These traditions ensure that membership is open to anyone seeking to stop drinking, with no dues or fees required. These Traditions foster an altruistic, unaffiliated, non-coercive, and non-hierarchical organization, limiting A.A.'s mission to helping alcoholics at a non-professional level while avoiding publicity. To prioritize recovery, the traditions discourage hierarchies, dogma, public controversies, property acquisition, and outside contributions. Members are advised against using A.A. for personal gain or public prestige, and anonymity

4440-517: The principles articulated in the previous 11 steps, and to carry AA's message of recovery to other alcoholics. Such "12th Step work" includes peer-to-peer sponsorship of alcoholics, forming AA groups, holding meetings, and through outreach to hospitals, prisons and other institutions. AA meetings vary in format, with some focusing on personal stories, readings from the Big Book, or open discussion. Meetings may cater to specific demographics, but they generally welcome anyone who desires to stop drinking. AA

4514-536: The program remains grounded in its peer-to-peer support model. Mutual aid Resources are shared unconditionally, contrasting this model from charity where conditions for gaining access to help are often set, such as means testing or grant stipulations. These groups often go beyond material or service exchange and are set up as a form of political participation in which people take responsibility for caring for one another and changing political conditions. Mutual aid groups are distinct in their drive to flatten

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4588-489: The program, has remained largely intact since the 1939 edition, with minor statistical updates and edits. The second part contains personal stories that are updated with every edition to reflect current AA membership, resulting in earlier stories being removed – these were published separately in 2003 in the book Experience, Strength, and Hope . The Big Book suggests a twelve-step program in which members admit that they are powerless over alcohol and need help from

4662-451: The religious nature of AA in court-mandated treatment. Rowland Hazard ’s journey from Carl Jung ’s psychiatric treatment to spiritual conversion through the Oxford Group played a pivotal role in shaping the foundations of Alcoholics Anonymous, influencing its principles of recovery. In 1926, Hazard went to Zurich , Switzerland , to seek treatment for alcoholism with psychiatrist Carl Jung . When Hazard ended treatment with Jung after about

4736-489: The science of treating alcoholism. Bill W. would later write: "The early AA got its ideas of self-examination, acknowledgment of character defects, restitution for harm done, and working with others straight from the Oxford Group and directly from Sam Shoemaker , their former leader in America, and from nowhere else." According to Mercadante, however, the AA concept of powerlessness over alcohol departs significantly from Oxford Group belief. In AA, alcoholism cannot be cured, and

4810-624: The success of mutual aid groups include lack of technical experts, lack of funding, lack of public legitimacy, and institutionalization of social hierarchies. As defined by radical activist and writer Dean Spade and explored in his University of Chicago course "Queer and Trans Mutual Aid for Survival and Mobilization", mutual aid is distinct from charity. Radical activist, social welfare scholar, and social worker Benjamin Shepard defines mutual aid as "people giv[ing] what they can and get[ting] what they need." Mutual aid projects are often critical of

4884-416: The texts are freely available on AA.org. In 1939, Wilson and other members wrote the book initially titled Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How More than One Hundred Men Have Recovered from Alcoholism , from which AA drew its name. Informally known as "The Big Book." The second edition of the Big Book was released in 1955, the third in 1976, and the fourth in 2001. The first part of the book, which details

4958-499: The three men formed the foundation of what would later become Alcoholics Anonymous, although the name "Alcoholics Anonymous" had not yet been adopted. In late 1935, a new group of alcoholics began forming in New York, followed by another in Cleveland in 1939. Over the course of four years, these three initial groups helped around 100 people achieve sobriety. In early 1939, the Fellowship published its foundational text, Alcoholics Anonymous , which outlined A.A.’s philosophy and introduced

5032-400: The two became friends. Thacher was a school friend of Wilson, and battled his whole life with alcoholism , frequently landing in mental hospitals or jail. After one bender, three members of The Oxford Group , Rowland Hazard, F. Shepard Cornell, and Cebra Graves , convinced the court to parole Thacher into their custody. Hazard taught Thacher the Oxford Group principles and the idea that

5106-403: The two. Sobriety coins , also known as sobriety chips, are tokens given to members of AA to signify the duration of their sobriety. While the chip system is common, it is not universally adopted across all AA groups. The tradition began with Sister Ignatia in Akron, Ohio who distributed medallions to newly released patients as reminders to avoid drinking. The actual sobriety chip as known today

5180-738: The underpinnings for railroad cars — the wheels supplied mainly to the New York Central Railroad . In 1914, Edwin's aunt, Emma Treadwell Thacher, donated 350 acres to what became the John Boyd Thacher State park in Voorheesville, New York . Edwin attended The Albany Academy , as his brothers had before him. Due to disappointing academic performance, in 1912 his parents placed him in residence at Burr and Burton Seminary , in nearby Manchester, Vermont . This had been Bill Wilson ’s school since 1909, and

5254-413: The use of opening or closing prayers. Meetings in the United States are held in a variety of languages including Armenian , English, Farsi , Finnish , French, Japanese, Korean , Russian, and Spanish. At some point during the meeting a basket is passed around for voluntary donations. AA's 7th tradition requires that groups be self-supporting, "declining outside contributions". The Serenity Prayer

5328-535: The years, and ultimately died sober in Ballston Spa, New York from emphysema in 1966. He is buried in his family plot at Albany Rural Cemetery in Albany, New York . Thacher was portrayed by Gary Sinise in the TV movie My Name Is Bill W. (1989), which dramatized the founding of AA. Thacher was portrayed by Adam Reid in the TV movie When Love Is Not Enough: The Lois Wilson Story (2010), which dramatized

5402-461: Was the assistant director of High Watch Recovery Center in Kent, Connecticut in the summers of 1946 and 1947, during which time he remained sober. He returned to drinking after his tenure as Director. Wilson always called Thacher his "sponsor," and even though he had returned to drinking, Wilson looked after his friend's welfare for the rest of his life. Thacher struggled on and off with sobriety over

5476-483: Was the driving mechanism behind evolution , through biological mutualism . Kropotkin argued that mutual aid has pragmatic advantages for the survival of humans and animals and has been promoted through natural selection , and that mutual aid is arguably as ancient as human culture. This recognition of the widespread character and individual benefit of mutual aid stood in contrast to the theories of social Darwinism that emphasized individual competition and survival of

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