The full attendance of thousands of A.A.'s at St. Louis, representing an accurate cross-section of A.A. opinion, now sat in convention before us. On the auditorium stage was the Service Conference of Alcoholics Anonymous, about a hundred men and women who were the named and chosen representatives of the whole fellowship. The Conference, having completed the fifth year of its experimental period with a record of high success, was no longer an experiment. It was the instrument destined to become the heart of A.A.'s Third Legacy of Service and the whole of A.A.'s conscience, world-wide.
In the simple ceremony that followed, I offered a resolution to the effect that our society should now take its affairs into its own hands and that its Conference ought to become the permanent successor to the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous.
Amid
a roar of acclamation from the floor, the Convention carried that resolution.
There was silence, and then we heard Chairman Smith offer the resolution to the
Conference for its confirmation. A simple show of hands expressed the consent of
the Conference and marked the exact moment when A.A. came of age. It was four
o'clock. [July 3, 1955]
1985, AAWS Inc.
Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, page
47
"We
have three little mottoes which are apropos.
Here they are:
First
Things First
Live and Let Live
Easy Does It."
Alcoholics Anonymous 4th Edition
The Family Afterward, pg.
135
*^Twenty
Four
Hours A
Day^*
A.A. Thought for the Day
A.A. is like a dike,
holding back the ocean of liquor. If we take one glass of liquor, it is like
making a small hole in the dike and once such a hole has been made, the
whole ocean of alcohol may rush in upon us. By practicing the A.A.
principles we keep the dike strong and in repair. We spot any weakness
or crack in that dike and make the necessary repairs before any damage is
done. Outside the dike is the whole ocean of alcohol, waiting to engulf us
again in despair. Am I keeping the dike strong?
Meditation for the
Day
Keep as close as you can to the Higher Power. Try to think,
act, live as though you were always in God's presence. Keeping close to
a Power greater than yourself is the solution to most of the earth's
problems. Try to practice the presence of God in the things you think and
do. That is the secret of personal power. It is the thing that influences
the lives of others for good. Abide in the Lord and rejoice in His love.
Keep close to the Divine Spirit in the universe. Keep God close behind
your thoughts.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may keep close to the Mind of
God. I pray that I may live with Him in my heart and
mind.
Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012