The Lower Lights – In the Early Days

When AA was young and the members few, there was little known of the movement by outsiders. And the handful of men and women who started in each community had all they could do catching up with their own old time drinking friends and bar room companions who needed help.

But when the first stories were published about the movement there was a tremendous need for a means of making AA help available to the hundreds of people who wanted it. Once they read of the work, the telephones began to ring in newspaper offices, churches and hospitals.

“How can I reach AA?”

“My brother drinks, what can we do about it?”

“Do AA’s take women? I need help.”

The newspapers and other agencies were baffled. They didn’t know where to send the people who so sincerely wanted a contact with the new life saving fellowship. Finally one of the members volunteered to accept a telephone listing. With the aid of the people at his office and an all night telephone answering service, he endeavored to clear all the calls for information and help that came to him.

As you can imagine, this was quite a job. Not only did he have to take the calls, he had to follow them up. He had to find members who would make contacts, mail out literature and answer questions. It was a full time job, far more than we should ask or expect of any member trying to head a normal life.

New York and Chicago had central offices with full time staffs. It was time for Cleveland, cradle of the movement which was born in Akron, to have a central office, too.

A lot of things had to be considered. First, the office, a physical property had to have a legal standing. Dealing with keyed up and often sick people, it had to be protected by insurance against accidents. There were other legal aspects to consider. Someone responsible had to sign a lease, make application for social security for the paid employees. It was decided that the best thing to do would be to form a corporation, a non-profit corporation, to manage the office.

Then there was the matter of income. There are no dues in AA, no membership fees. The initiation fee has already been paid when you join, paid in many installments to a bartender. How was this office to be supported? Only one way, through the contributions of the members. No outsider can share with us the privilege of supporting this agency! No outsider has a thing to say about its work or its policy!

A great many members have been voluntary supporters of the office since the beginning. They have helped carry on a wonderful work… keeping the lower lights a-burning.

By Bob M.