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I attended the 6th Annual Archives
Workshop as a guest of an AA member, who just happened to be a speaker that weekend, as
well. A very exceptional speaker I might add. But, I'm getting ahead of
myself.
When we first arrived on Friday afternoon, we were made welcome and given packets that
contained: schedules, meal tickets, name tags, etc. Now even though I am a
"non-AA" guest, my nametag did not reflect this and I don't mind saying I felt a
little like I was "crashing a party". But, my fears were unwarranted,
because immediately after I sat in on the first session, I discovered that these were a
great bunch of people, getting together, and sharing their knowledge on how to capture and
restore and preserve history, Not just any history. Alcoholics Anonymous
history. The beginning. And all of the beginnings of all men and women -
present and future - who are, and will be, AA's history. Everyone was so together on
this. Working towards the same goal. The Preservation of Archives. I was
so captured by it all, I found myself checking the schedule in anticipation of what was
coming up next.
I learned so much about Archives. Preservation. Restoration. What to save, how to
save it, where to store it, how to store it, collecting, where to look, when to buy, when
not to. But, what interests me the most was AA's history itself. I learned so
much in 3 short days on a subject I knew very little about. (This was only my second
gathering associated with AA that I have attended.) I witnessed a true sense of
kinship-a real bond that only AA's know. Thank you for sharing that with me.
An Anonymous Guest
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