READING EAGLE | Tuesday, September 30, 1952 | Reading, PA | Page: 4

Calling ‘Em Straight
Larry McDermott

A bunch of the boys were whooping it up at the bar (coffee and soft drinks) in the headquarters of the Reading Group of Alcoholics Anonymous, when one of them suggested that they ought to hold an “open house.”

The idea was approved, and another member (no names, please) was designated to see about getting a piece in the paper. I don’t know whether the announcement appears here because I was the first newsman to be encountered by the publicity chairman after his appointment, or because I was the first person he met who made him feel that he might need a drink again.

Naturally, you don’t hear much about these men and women with a passion for anonymity, as they battle the craving for booze which formerly threatened or may still threaten to put them on the skids. I believe it has been a long time since anything appeared in the papers about the activities of the Reading group, so now I can report on how they’re getting along.

Let me first slip in here, however, that the”open house” is to be held at 2:30 o’clock next

Sunday afternoon, October 5, in the group’s quarters at 26 North Sixth St. There will be three speakers, including at least one from the general headquarters of Alcoholics Anonymous, which is located in the Grand Central Station Building in New York.

The local AA group now has a roster of 65 men and women. The activities of the movement were introduced to Reading in 1943, after a local businessman became interested. The nearest group at that time was in Philadelphia, and the founder of the local chapter made trips to to Philly to attend sessions. In 1944 a small group began to assemble in Reading, holding meetings members. Then a local manufacturer offered to take care of the expense of providing meeting rooms, which were opened at 619 Penn St. In May of 1949, these quarters were no longer adequate, and the group occupied the second and third floors at 24 South Seventh St. Not long ago the transfer was made to the present Sixth Street location, after the group became self-supporting through voluntary contributions.

Each AA group is autonomous, with its members largely seeking guidance in their fight against the drink habit in their own way. A typical meeting designates a chairman-frequently the presiding officer is not appointed until after all the members have assembled–and this individual selects the subject for discussion. He may open by speaking on the topic himself and then calls upon others to express their views. Such a session, of course, is sprinkled with recitals of personal experiences by the various members.

A group secretary is the extent of the officership in any local Ad organization. Some members of the national staff are paid and others are volunteers. Some are former alcoholics, and some are not. The national organization, like local groups, is supported by voluntary donations.

Alcoholics Anonymous is in the forefront of the movement which seeks to have alcoholism recognized as a disease, and is one of the organizations which is endeavoring to have some beds in hospitals set aside for the treatment of alcoholics.

This is the way one of AA’s own publications describes the movement:

Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other so that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism.

“The only requirement for membership an honest desire to stop drinking. AA has no dues or fees. It is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization or institution, does not wish to engage in any controversy, neither endorses nor opposes any causes. Our primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety.”

Members believe that much of the success of AA is due to their ability, as ex-drinkers, to win the confidence of the new man. No member or prospective member is “preached to, although recognition of the need to rely upon God’s help is implicit in the “creed” of the organization.

“We understand,” a handbook points out, “how a new man’s reasoning power has been broken down, when his subconscious desire to drink be comes a controlling factor in his life. No new trick or alibi can escape our understanding because we have indulged in, or experienced, all of these things ourselves.”

Oddly, no one in AA attempts to tell seeking help that he is, or is not, an alcoholic. This is left for the individual to decide for himself. It’s interesting to note, however, that Alcoholic Anonymous submits for consideration a few questions which are among 35 test questions used by Johns Hopkins Hospital to help determine whether a person is an alcoholic. Some of these are:

“Do you need a drink the morning after?

“Do you lose time from work due to drinking?

“Is drinking harming your family in any way?

“Do you crave a drink at a definite time daily?

“Do you get the inner shakes from continuous drinking?

“Have you less self-control since drinking?

“Do you drink to obtain social ease? (This is

asked of shy, timid and self-conscious persons.)

“Do you drink for self-encouragement? (This one applies to persons with a feeling of inferiority.)

“Is drinking affecting your peace of mind?”

“Is drinking making your home life unhappy?

“Is drinking jeopardizing your business-your

“Is drinking clouding your reputation?”

Newspaper articles are copyrighted by Reading Eagle and are used with their permission.