Area 64 Archives Workshop Crossville Tennessee Hosted By District 9 11/04/2006

B: It is very important to begin to protect your AA history today. As we speak AA history is being made. Right here right now, each of us are playing a part in AA history in District 9 here in Crossville, Tennessee. The folder that we passed out here today has lots of information concerning this workshop. Someday one of these folders might help another AA sort out the true facts as they tend to get distorted very easily over time. We have lost much important information in our Area 64 Archives thru the years as a result of not having documentation such as a Deed of Gift form that tells us where this or that came from.

3: Personalities vs. Principles as it relates to AA Archives.

C: One major purpose of Archives is to keep the AArecord straight. To keep facts as they really happened. Many times if you will listen to someone reading a couple of paragraphs from a book you will notice that they do not read it exactly as it reads from the book. They add a word here or delete a word there, or mis- pronounce a very important word. This at times distorts the truth or intended meaning very innocently, thus the facts are distorted. Archives helps with keeping the record straight by conserving and preserving original material and or copies. So the Principles before Personalities are very important here. We as AA Archivist should try to always keep the focus on Principles and not Personalities. There were great differences in Bill & Bob. They both played a vital part in the birth of Alcoholics Anonymous. They were vital Personalities that helped to focus the AA program and the AA Traditions. So with this in mind as we make attempts to preserve the past as it actually happened. Lets look at the Principle of Anonymity and understand that it is the MESSAGE not the messenger that we are charged with keeping straight. If we as AA members could try to look at AA history today as it was way back when and honor and guard our 12 Traditions. I believe that a flyer from District 9 dated in the year 2006 is equally as important as a document that is 64 years old and signed by our co-founders. What seems like a piece of scratch paper to me may be the formation of the largest AA group in your District.

4: What exactly should I be saving for my Area AA Archives?

D: Any thing that is related to your Area, District, Group, or individual AA. Now lets not get carried away here. We do have in Area 64 Archives a rocking chair as well as another chair that someone donated. Seems this lady was the oldest AA member of the group and many people loved her. This is a genuine Human Loving thing to do. But at the same time there is limited space for storage of items such as this. Now we try our best not to turn any thing away at Area 64 Archives. So we do require a Deed of Gift form to be filled out for any items coming into us today. We at this point can make decisions that will better serve the whole. We do try to limit our repository to AA related items. However we have several things that have come to us before we began to have guidelines in place. So we have continued to see how important your donations are to you as an individual AA. This is important to us. So save whatever you so desire as it relates to your AA. Brochures, flyers, meeting schedules, program's, AA books, business meeting minutes, aa pins, hats, pens, any thing related to events that your group or district has.

5: Self Supporting and Archives how does it mix?

E: Area 64 Archives is your repository. We are centrally located in Murfreesboro the geographical center of Tennessee. Our building including the electricity, water, phone, are paid for by Area 64. These expenses are paid from contributions to Area 64 which ultimately come from Area AA's. Not all groups can afford to contribute to the District or Area. I as a individual AA feel that it is my responsibility to financially support my group, district, area, Central Offices, G.S.O. with gratitude. This does not mean that I do that. It is important to realize that as Area 64 does cover the costs as described above, there are many other expenses that are required to provide materials for this workshop, conservation materials, office supplies, paper, toner cartridges, scissors, glues, expensive equipment to help control the environment. etc. Please consider at your Area, District, Group, and individual level the importance of continued financial support of Area 64 Archives. We try to keep you informed of what we are doing as well as how we are spending your money via the Precious Memories Newsletter at each quarterly AA Assembly.

6: Anonymity and Archives.

F: One of the first things I learned in Archives work was the anonymity does not stop at the Grave. Some people believe that it is alright to dismiss this Spiritual value after death. I have come to see glimpses of the whole and not the individual in this great Program. It is more important that I hear the message of Alcoholics Anonymous than for me to recognize the messenger. The Principles of the Program. The Life saving Life giving Principles. Anonymity should be respected at all levels as our Traditions suggest. It is important that we not display photos or full names on documents of individual AAs that could be accessed from non AA's, outside the fellowship. We might consider a grandchild that happens into our repository that sees a photo of her Grandmother. She is in awe when she states that I never knew Granny was an Alcoholic. Or lets look at the Ego side of the coin. Oh I'm sorry did I mis- type that? OTHER Side of the coin.........Enough said.

7: I have some AA papers from my old group, what should I do with them?

G: First check to find out if your group has an Archives, then District, and of course to the Area Archives. It is important that you as an individual AA at a minimum place the old aa papers in a box in your closet or some place cool and dry and mark the box Area AA Archives or something so your family will know what to do with this old AA stuff. It would be very nice to place the Area 64 Archives address and phone # on the box. You are an AA Archivist in a real sense.

8: How are we carrying the message to the suffering Alcoholic via the Archives?

H: One of the ways we are carrying the message is via http://daggerrose.com this website is a way to archive certain information and easily make accessible to other AA's around the country and world. It is for the most part geared towards archives however there is a lot of information concerning recovery from alcoholism. So when someone does a search for any of several keywords they are apt to come across the Area Archives website.

Another way is via the pamphlet that you received from this workshop. For instance the Principles behind the Steps. The Grapevine flyers. A map to the Akron Archives. etc.

One of the very best and most fulfilling is the avenue to work hand in hand with another alcoholic in the Archives Repository. Handing a tape or cd to a willing servant to transcribe to paper. Watching a couple aa's cut and place banners in a more appropriate place. Seeing the mailbox put up and the necessary switching to be installed for the show cases. This is where the rubber meets the road in Area 64 Archives.

9: How can I start my personal and or group or district Archives?

9: Well if you have not done this already we have helped you with that by providing you with the pamphlet you were given. This can be the very meager beginnings of a great AA Archives Repository. It's up to you. Get a cardboard box preferably acid free and start placing flyers, papers, any AA related materials from pens, to mugs in a very neat nicely stacked position with the information as described above. Mark the box so family knows what to do with it in case of mis- fortune. Your AA Archives has begun. As time goes on you will personally begin to see that certain things are simple not suitable to place in your boxes. It adds up fast the many home group flyers, events, district meetings. etc. Tell your AA friends that you have started collecting anything AA related and invite them to bring their old AA stuff to you. Things like old read AA Grapevines can be a wonderful gift to an inmate somewhere. As we begin to fill our inventory of Grapevines we will take a look at where the extras should go to. Maybe another AA Repository is missing a copy or a halfway house or recovery house would gladly accept the copies. You never know how your interest in Archives might place you in a position to benefit others in the future.

Remember Let's Keep The Record Straight.

Retreat to Area 64 Archives

mailto:daggerrose@daggerrose.com

revised 11/02/2006