April 1
1939 – “Alcoholics Anonymous”, AA’s Big Book was published.
1940 – Larry J. of Houston, wrote The Texas Preamble used to open AA meetings in Texas.
1966 – Sister Ignatia died at the age of 77. She worked with Dr. Bob in treating many early AA members at St. Thomas Hospital in Akron.
1984 – 12 Coconuts Group, Kapiolani Park, Waikiki, Hawaii, was founded.
April 3
1941 – First Florida AA meeting was held.
April 4
1960 – The Chicago Daily News reported that Fr. Ed D., a Jesuit priest who helped start the first AA group in St. Louis, had died at age 62.
April 7
1941 – Ruth Hock, Bill W.’s secretary, reported there were 1,500 letters asking for help, as a result of the Saturday Evening Post Article by Jack Alexander.
April 10
1939 – The first ten copies of the Big Book arrived at the office Bill shared with Hank P. in Newark, New Jersey.
April 11
1938 – Alcoholic Foundation held its first meeting.
1939 – Marty M. attended her first meeting a the home of Bill and Lois W. in Brooklyn.
1941 – Bill and Lois W. moved into their new home, Stepping Stones.
April 12
1942 – The Windsor Daily Star in Ontario, Canada, reported that over 400 AA’s attended a testimonial dinner for Dr. Bob.
April 16
1940 – A sober Rollie H. caught the only opening day no-hitter in baseball history since 1909.
1973 – Dr. Jack Norris, non-alcoholic Chairman of the AA General Service Board, presented President Richard Nixon with the one-millionth copy of the Big Book at the White House.
April 17
1941 – 2nd group in Los Angeles, the “Hole in the Ground Group” was formed.
April 19
1940 – First AA group in Little Rock, Arkansas, was formed.
April 22
1940 Bill W. transferred his Works Publishing Stock to the Alcoholic Foundation. The date on which Hank P. transferred his stock is uncertain.
April 23
1940 – Dr. Bob wrote the Trustees to refuse Big Book royalties, but Bill W. insisted on them for Dr. Bob and Anne.
April 24
1989 – Dr. Leonard Strong died. He was Bill’s brother-in-law and a non-alcoholic AA Trustee.
April 25
1951 – AA’s first General Service Conference was held.
April 26
1939 – Bill & Lois W. moved in with Hank P. after the bank foreclosed on 182 Clinton St. This was the first of over 50 moves before they acquired Stepping Stones.
April 30
1989 – The film “My Name is Bill W.,” a Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation, was broadcast at 9 p.m. on ABC TV.

Other April events for which we have no specific dates:
1940 – The “Texas Preamble” used to open meetings in Texas, was written by Larry J. of Houston.
1940 – The first AA pamphlet was published, entitled simply “AA.”
1958 – The word “honest” was dropped from “an honest desire to top drinking,” in the AA Preamble.
1960 – Bill W. refused to be on the cover of Time Magazine.
1988 – Cybil C., the first woman member in Los Angeles and archivist, died.

Step 4: Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

Original Manuscript From: Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

Tradition 4 (Long Form): With respect to its own affairs, each A.A. group should be responsible to no other authority than its own conscience. But when its plans concern the welfare of neighboring groups also, those groups ought to be consulted. And no group, regional committee, or individual should ever take any action that might greatly affect A.A. as a whole without conferring with the trustees of the General Service Board. On such issues our common welfare is paramount.

* Does my group always consider the welfare of the rest of AA? Of nearby groups? Of loners in Alaska? Of internationalists miles from port? Of a group in Rome or El Salvador?

* Do I put down other members’ behavior when it is different from mine, or do I learn from it?

* Do I always bear in mind that, to those outsiders who know I am in AA, I may to some extent represent our entire beloved Fellowship?

* Am I willing to help a newcomer go to any lengths – his lengths, not mine – to stay sober?

* Do I share my knowledge of AA tools with other members who may not have heard of them?

Concept IV: At all responsible levels, we ought to maintain a traditional “Right of Participation,” allowing a voting representation in reasonable proportion to the responsibility that each must discharge.

* Do we understand the spiritual principles underlying the “Right of Participation”?

* What does “in reasonable proportion” mean? Do we understand when it is appropriate for A.A. paid staff to have a vote at the General Service Conference or in our local service structure?

* Do we expect that, because we are A.A. members, we should be allowed to vote at any group, even if we are not active members of that group?