August 31, 2026 In Legacy of Service By Rick W.
A Beginner’s Guide to AA’s Third Legacy There they are. Hanging on the wall. You’ve probably looked at them a hundred times. The Twelve Steps are over there. We know those. We talk about those all the time. The Twelve Traditions are hanging nearby. We may not completely understand those yet, but at least we’ve heard people talk …
August 11, 2026 In General Information, Legacy of Recovery, Legacy of Service, Legacy of Unity By Rick W.
Bill’s famous milestone message published in the March 1960 issue of the AA Grapevine is striking because it is not really an anniversary piece. It is a warning against complacency disguised as a celebration. What caught me most is how many of the dangers he names, money, power, personality, publicity, governance, fear, and distraction from …
August 5, 2026 In Legacy of Service By Rick W.
Every Fall (or every other Fall), a familiar ritual unfolds throughout Alcoholics Anonymous. Groups elect GSRs. Districts elect DCMs. Areas elect officers, committee chairs, delegates, and other trusted servants. Most elections are conducted respectfully and prayerfully. Yet if we’re honest, we’ve all heard reasons for electing someone that have very little to do with leadership. …
August 1, 2026 In General Information, Legacy of Recovery, Legacy of Service, Legacy of Unity By Rick W.
Dr. Jung told Rowland. Rowland told Ebby. Ebby told Bill. Bill told Dr. Bob. Thank God someone told me. That simple progression is more than a clever slogan on a T-shirt I recently saw. It’s the story of Alcoholics Anonymous. It’s the story of my recovery. And if you’re sober today in A.A., it’s your …
June 22, 2026 In General Information, Legacy of Recovery, Legacy of Service, Legacy of Unity By Rick W.
Sobriety Didn’t Just Change What I Said, It Changed How I Communicate. How Recovery Rewired the Way I Speak, Listen, and Think One of the most overlooked miracles of recovery has very little to do with alcohol. Most of us came to Alcoholics Anonymous because drinking had become unmanageable. We stayed because we discovered something …
June 6, 2026 In Legacy of Service By Rick W.
I still remember walking into AA meetings and seeing that framed set of the Twelve Concepts for World Service hanging on the wall, and honestly, they looked like legal documents to me. I didn’t understand them or what they had to do with getting sober. The Steps made sense. They were about me and my …
May 23, 2026 In Legacy of Service, Legacy of Unity By Rick W.
There comes a point in recovery when the question is no longer, “Am I sober?” but instead, “What kind of witness (example) is my life becoming?” Not a witness in the courtroom sense. Not someone standing on a stage preaching to others. But a living, breathing example that change is possible. A person whose life …
July 29, 2024 In Legacy of Recovery, Legacy of Service, Legacy of Unity By Rick W.
Good morning family, For about half of our A.A. geographic areas in the U.S. and Canada, we are fast approaching election season to elect our trusted servants at the group, district, and area levels. As many of you know, I have been privileged to serve as the Panel 73 Delegate for Area 65 Northeast Texas …
June 10, 2024 In General Information, Legacy of Recovery, Legacy of Service, Legacy of Unity By Rick W.
On this day, June 10, 1935, 89 years ago, A.A. was founded and changed my life forever. Here’s an excerpt from that story found on the “A.A. Timeline” (https://www.aa.org/aa-timeline). 1935 A BUSINESS TRIP TO AKRON A short-term job opportunity takes Bill to Akron, Ohio. In the lobby of his hotel, he finds himself fighting the …
October 7, 2023 In Legacy of Service By Rick W.
As I have found myself traveling down the inverted service triangle in Alcoholics Anonymous, I have long believed (and our service manual supports this) that A.A. is really a business – primarily a “printing business,” but a business, nonetheless. That said, it’s really hard to wrap our heads around this idea because when we first …
