What is the History of alcoholics anonymous in rome Georgia?

Answer 1

Army officer Steve M., who had recently attained sobriety in AA in Washington, D.C., came to Atlanta in June 1941. Realizing that he had to talk to other alcoholics to stay sober, he rented a Post Office box (AA in Atlanta still has the same PO box today!) and put an ad in the local newspaper. A defrocked minister, Sam D., answered the ad and then sat in the post office the next day to see who picked up the mail from that box. Thus the two men met. They discovered that each knew another alcoholic who might want to quit drinking. A few days later, they held the first meeting of AA in Georgia at Steve's apartment on the Army base, sitting on the still-unopened packing cartons containing his household goods. Present were Steve, the Army officer; Sam, the former minister; a real estate agent; and a dentist.

Sam D. and Allen L. founded the Rome Group of Alcoholics Anonymous in the spring of 1944. Dr. Sam was discharged as minister of the Christian Church of Brooklyn, N. Y., for behavior and bad performance of duties related to his drinking. In 1941, he was working as a traveling salesman when his wife found some A.A. literature in Bowling Green, KY. They went to a meeting, and Sam D. joined A.A.

Later on, while working in Atlanta, a friend suggested that he return to the ministry where he would be happier. Sam didn't think that anyone would have him, but he checked into it. He began ministering to a small church outside of Atlanta. People of the First Christian Church of Rome heard about him, interviewed him, and offered him the post of minister. He accepted with the provision that he be allowed to establish A.A. in Rome and be active in it. And so it was that A.A. became established in Rome by the first Protestant minister in Alcoholics Anonymous, in 1944.

The group flourished, attaining members and meeting in a number of rented buildings. They became unhappy with this arrangement and began meeting in individual homes. The group started seeking a permanent home in the spring of 1946 and decided to form a corporation for this purpose. The corporation was called Alco-Non, and its board, established on June 21, 1946.

At a business meeting on July 23, 1946, the group decided to pay $2000 down on a $6000 building, $50 a month @ 4% interest. The average attendance during this period was 6 to 21 people. October 8th came, and they were still not in their new home. They decided to hold Tuesday night meetings in homes and Friday night meetings in the First Christian Church. The first open meeting in the new clubhouse was January 24, 1947. Attendance was averaging 21 with 41 active members.

The Rome Group continued to grow and prosper, still meeting in the building purchased in 1946. Membership is steady around 50 attendees, and the meetings are held every evening at 6:00 PM.