1940 AA Preamble

[Gigi]

We are gathered here because we are faced with the fact that we are

powerless over alcohol and unable to do anything about it without the

help of a Power greater than ourselves.We feel that each person's religious

views, if any, are his own affair. The simple purpose of the program of

Alcoholics Anonymous is to show what may be done to enlist the aid of a

Power greater than ourselves regardless of what our individual

conception ofthat Power may be. In order to form a habit of depending upon and

referring all we do to that Power, we must at first apply ourselves with some

diligence. By often repeating these acts, they become habitual and the

help rendered becomes natural to us. We have all come to know that as

alcoholics we are suffering from a serious illness for which medicine has no cure.

Our condition may be the result of an allergy which makes us different from

other people. It has never been by any treatment with which we are

familiar,permanently cured. The only relief we have to offer is absolute

abstinence,the second meaning of A.A. There are no dues or fees. The only

requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. Each member squares his

debts by helping others to recover. An Alcoholics Anonymous is an alcoholic who

through application and adherence to the A.A. program has forsworne the

use of any and all alcoholic beverage in any form. The moment he takes so

much as one drop of beer, wine, spirits. or any other alcoholic beverage he

automatically loses all status as a member of Alcoholics Anonymous.

A.A. isnot interested in sobering up drunks who are not sincere in their

desire to remain sober for all time. Not being reformers, we offer our experience

only to those who want it. We have a way out on which we can absolutely

agree on and which we can join in harmonious action. Rarely have we seen a person

fail who has thoroughly followed our program. Those who do not recover are

people who will not or simply cannot give themselves to this simple program.

Now you may like this program or you may not, but the fact remains, it

works. It is our only chance to recover. There is a vast amount of fun in the

A.A.fellowship. Some people might be shocked at our seeming worldliness and

levity but just underneath there lies a deadly earnestness and a full

realization that we must put first things first and with each of us the

first thing is our alcoholic problem. To drink is to die. Faith must

work twenty-four hours a day in and through us or we perish. In order to set

our tone for this meeting I ask that we bow our heads in a few moments of

silent prayer and meditation. I wish to remind you that whatever is said at

this meeting expresses our own individual opinion as of today and as of up

to this moment. We do not speak for A.A. as a whole and you are free to

agree or disagree as you see fit, in fact, it is suggested that you pay no

attention to anything which might not be reconciled with what is in the

A.A.Big Book. If you don't have a Big Book, it's time you bought one. Read

it,study it, live with it, loan it, scatter it, and then learn from it

what it means to be an A.A.er

[Chy]

I've never seen this Gigi, thanks, I like it better then the current version I think.

..edited to say withe exception to this part...

The moment he takes so

much as one drop of beer, wine, spirits. or any other alcoholic beverage he

automatically loses all status as a member of Alcoholics Anonymous.

It's a good thing we no longer turn people away because of their "relapse".

I like the beginning better because it offers a better explanation of the Higher Power concept not necessarily having to be "God".

[laurie6781]

Right along with that, here's the original manuscript of 1938:

http://www.barefootsworld.net/aaorigmanuscript.html

When you read it you will see that it was 'softened' a bit before going into print,lol

Love and hugs,

[Chy]

Thanks Laurie! I look forward to reading that.

[TamTam]

Thanks for these, Ladies!

[Matt Noddim]

This one is slightly better. I think it contains terms that most people can't understand today, it would need a bit of paraphrasing.