CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF AA IN MITCHELSTOWN
The Mitchelstown branch of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is celebrating 30 years in existence this year.
AA Mitchelstown are to be commended for the great work they do, because in those three decades, they have helped change the lives of many people through helping them to beat addiction to alcohol.
Looking forward thirty years seems a very long time but in retrospect can be a very short span. The members of the Mitchelstown branch of AA are very happy and proud to celebrate the 30th year of the branch since its foundation in 1980.
Meetings are held twice weekly in Marian Hall, Mitchelstown – on Sunday mornings at 11.30am and each Tuesday night at 8.45pm.
“The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. In AA, we don’t plan for years as our motto is ‘Just for Today’,” a member told The Avondhu this week.
“The ‘todays’ quickly mount up to years and here we are, thirty years on and still ‘just for today’. We are very grateful to the members who started AA in Mitchelstown back in February 1980,” he said.
The history of Alcoholics Anonymous goes back to Akron, Ohio in 1935 where it was co-founded by two alcoholics - accountant Bill Wilson and Dr Bob Smith.
Wilson, who had been introduced to a spiritual solution for alcoholism, subsequently stopped drinking for good, but while on a trip to Ohio, his craving for alcohol returned and to stay sober, he met with Smith and related how he stayed sober with a power greater than himself. Wilson and Smith continued to meet and became convinced that working with another alcoholic helped them maintain their sobriety.
For the benefit of other alcoholics, they co-founded AA and the last day Smith drank alcohol is the anniversary date of AA. That was June 10, 1935. By 1937, Wilson and Smith counted 40 alcoholics they helped to get sober, and two years later, they counted 100 members.
They could never have imagined that within fifty years, AA would have spread to 114 countries. Its expansion is ongoing and was introduced to Ireland in 1946 when a branch opened in Dublin.
From humble beginnings, AA started to expand internationally and in 2006, reported 1,867,212 members and 106,202 AA groups worldwide. AA groups are self-supporting, are not charities but instead, are funded by local members.
There are no dues or membership fees and any contribution is voluntary and not required of anyone. Furthermore, confidentiality is a high priority.
If you feel you may have a drink problem, take comfort from the success of Alcoholics Anonymous - a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and in subsequence, help others to recover from alcoholism. You are welcome to come along to any of our twice a week meetings in the Marian Hall on Convent Hill.
Published:
Friday 19th February 9:56am
