Rowland Hazard III (October 29, 1881- December 20, 1945 )was an American businessman and member of a prominent Rhode Island family involved in the foundation and executive leadership of a number of well-known companies. He is also known as the “Rowland H.” who figured in the events leading to the formation of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Some of Rowland Hazard III’s family and friends from his early years may have been influential in his famous encounter with the pioneering psychiatrist Carl Jung, in order to deal with his on going battle with alcoholism.

Though Rowland is not named, his experience with Jung is described in the book Alcoholics Anonymous ( p-26). According to this account, Jung pronounced Rowland a chronic alcoholic and therefore hopeless and beyond the reach of medicine as it was at the time (a credible opinion, considering Jung’s unique role in the development of psychoanalysis). The only hope Jung could offer was for a life-changing “vital spiritual experience” — an experience which Jung regarded as a phenomenon. Jung further advised that Rowland’s affiliation with a church did not spell the necessary “vital” experience.
This prognosis so shook Rowland that he sought out the Oxford Group, an evangelical Christian movement prominent in the first half of the twentieth century. (More to come on The Oxford group at a later time).
Rowland was aware of the Oxford Group emphasis on personal evangelism through the example of personal change when he came in contact with an alcoholic named Ebby Thacher.
Upon learning that Ebby was on the verge of commitment to an asylum on account of his drinking, Rowland and fellow Oxford Group members sought out Ebby and shared with him their Oxford Group recovery experiences.
The Oxford Groupers were able to arrange for Ebby’s release into their care.

This led to Ebby’s acceptance of the principles of the Oxford Group and his own sobriety. Encouraged in the example of personal evangelism, Ebby later sought out an acquaintance of his own. A childhood friend known as Bill W.

JUNE 19th

“A.A. REGENERATION”

Such is the paradox of A.A. regeneration: strength arising out of complete defeat and weakness, the loss of one’s old life as a condition for finding a new one.

A.A. COMES OF AGE, p. 46

A thousand beatings by John Barleycorn did not encourage me to admit defeat. I believed it was my moral obligation to conquer my “enemy-friend.” At my first A.A. meeting I was blessed with a feeling that it was all right to admit defeat to a disease which had nothing to do with my “moral fiber.” I knew instinctively that I was in the presence of a great love when I entered the doors of A.A. With no effort on my part, I became aware that to love myself was good and right, as God had intended. My feelings set me free, where my thoughts had held me in bondage. I am grateful.

From the book Daily Reflections
© Copyright 1990 by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.

Today we have a question about differences between the editions of the Big Book.

We are also asking for your help with some information the whole society may be interested in.  Please check out the quiz by clicking >> HERE << and see if you can give us the additional information we would like to know.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

The A.A. way of living is not an easy one. But it’s an adventure in living that is really worthwhile. And it’s so much better than our old drunken way of living that there’s no comparison. Our lives without A.A. would be worth nothing. With A.A., we have a chance to live reasonably good lives. It’s worth the battle, no matter how tough the going is from day to day. Isn’t it worth the battle?

Meditation for the Day

The spiritual life has two parts. One is the life apart, the life of prayer and quiet communion with God. You spend this part of your life apart with God. Every day your mind can be set in the right direction so that your thoughts will be of the right kind. The other is the life impart – imparting to others what you have learned from your own meditative experience. The victories you have won over yourself through the help of God can be shared with others. You can help them by imparting to them some of the victory and security that you have gained in your life apart.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may grow strong from my times apart with God. I pray that I may pass on some of this strength to others.
From Twenty-Four Hours a Day © 1975 by Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without the written permission of the publisher.

The March of Time is an American radio news series broadcast from 1931 to 1945, and a companion newsreel series shown in movie theaters from 1935 to 1951. Created by broadcasting pioneer Fred Smith and Time magazine executive Roy E. Larsen, the program combined actual news events with reenactments.

On June 14, 1946 March of Time released a newsreel about Problem Drinkers which is a historic piece about alcoholism, alcoholics and AA also know as Alcoholics Anonymous.  The March of Time worked closely with the New York office of AA in the production of this episode.

The March of Time had its origins in a 1928 radio series developed at WLW in Cincinnati, Ohio, by radio pioneer Fred Smith, who obtained permission to use material from Time magazine in his broadcasts. Later, Smith and Roy E. Larsen, the first circulation manager for Time, developed Time magazine’s own radio program, which they called Newscasting. That program evolved into The March of Time, the first network presentation of a dramatized “news” format. At Smith’s suggestion, the program included the “10 best radio actors”, an “announcer extraordinary”, a “splendid orchestra” and a “clever director.”

Prior to the release of the film the Central Office was notified so that in turn it would have been able to inform all A.A. groups in time to catch the picture as soon as it was out.

The Group in Ann Arbor, Mich., was one of many cooperating with theaters and newspapers during the showing of the March of Time feature, “Problem Drinkers,” the first public film record of A.A. work. Stories in Ann Arbor newspapers about the movie refer interested readers to the local Group for further information and help.

It is one of the very first video’s to ever depict AA.  We hope you can enjoy it as much as we did.

Trembling, I stepped from the hospital a broken man. Fear sobered me for a bit. Then came the insidious insanity of that first drink, and on Armistice Day 1934, I was off again. Everyone became resigned to the certainty that I would have to be shut up somewhere, or would stumble along to a miserable end. How dark it is before the dawn! In reality that was the beginning of my last debauch. I was soon to be catapulted into what I like to call the fourth dimension of existence. I was to know happiness, peace, and usefulness, in a way of life that is incredibly more wonderful as time passes.

Long-term use of alcohol affects virtually every organ system of the body:

Nervous system. An estimated 30-40% of all men in their teens and twenties have experienced alcoholic blackout from drinking a large quantity of alcohol. This results in the loss of memory of the time surrounding the episode of drinking. Alcohol also causes sleep disturbances, so sleep quality is diminished. Numbness and tingling (parethesia) may occur in the arms and legs. Wernicke’s syndrome and Korsakoff’s syndrome, which can occur together or separately, are due to the low thiamine (a B vitamin) levels found in many alcohol-dependent people. Wernicke’s syndrome results in disordered eye movements, very poor balance, and difficulty walking. Korsakoff’s syndrome affects memory and prevents new learning from taking place.

Gastrointestinal system. Alcohol causes loosening of the muscular ring that prevents the stomach’s contents from re-entering the esophagus. Acid from the stomach flows backward into the esophagus(acid reflux), burning those tissues, and causing pain and bleeding. Inflammation of the stomach also can result in ulcers, bleeding, pain, and a decreased desire to eat. A major cause of severe, uncontrollable bleeding (hemorrhage) in an people with alcoholism is the development of enlarged (dilated) blood vessels within the esophagus, which are called esophageal varices. These varices develop in response to liver disease, and are extremely prone to bursting and hemorrhaging. Hemorrhaging varices are often fatal. Diarrhea is a common symptom, due to alcohol’s effect on the pancreas. In addition, inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis) is a serious and painful problem in many people who abuse alcohol. Throughout the intestinal tract, alcohol interferes with the absorption of nutrients, which can result in a malnourished state. Alcohol is broken down (metabolized) in the liver and interferes with a number of important chemical reactions that occur in that organ. The liver begins to enlarge and fill with fat (fatty liver). Fibrous scar tissue interferes with the liver’s normal structure and function (cirrhosis), and the liver may become inflamed (hepatitis).

Blood. Alcohol may cause changes to all the types of blood cells. Red blood cells become abnormally large. White blood cells (important for fighting infections) decrease in number, resulting in a weakened immune system. This places alcohol-dependent individuals at increased risk for infections and may account in part for the increased risk of cancer faced by people with alcoholism. Platelets and blood clotting factors are affected, causing an increased risk of bleeding.

Heart. Small amounts of alcohol cause a drop in blood pressure, but with increased consumption, alcohol raises blood pressure into a dangerous range (hypertension). High levels of fats circulating in the bloodstream increase the risk of heart disease. Heavy drinking results in an increase in heart size, weakening of the heart muscle, abnormal heart rhythms, a risk of blood clots forming within the chambers of the heart, and a greatly increased risk of stroke due to a blood clot entering the circulatory system and blocking a brain blood vessel.

Reproductive system. Heavy drinking has a negative effect on fertility in both men and women. It decreases testicle and ovary size and interferes with both sperm and egg production.