Grapevine_July

July Grapevine Articles, 1946 - 49

July 1946
The Indianapolis Group now numbers about 275 members. There are
five sectional groups: Broad Ripple (bi-partitioned this spring because of
luxuriant growth), East Side, West Side, Women's Group and the
Meyerson Group. The present arrangement provides a meeting by one
of the sub-groups every night in the week.

July 1947
Do You Like "Alky? Volume 4 Issue 2

At a recent meeting of our group we welcomed a visitor who joined in our
discussion with some fine ideas and news of other groups. However, one
expression which he constantly used bothered me a little bit. That was his
much used reference to alcoholics or A.A.s as "alkys" (or is it spelled
"alkies"?). I am wondering what A.A.s think of this designation.

When I came into A.A. two things happened. I learned that I was sick,
suffering from an incurable but arrestable disease--and I began to regain
my self respect. I hadn't liked myself very much before. And now after
about a year I don't think I like to be referred to by the word "alky." We do
not refer to a sufferer from diabetes as a "diabety," we do not label a
tubercular person as a "tuby"--why should we latch on to an unpleasant
appellation for ourselves?

Yes--I am an alcoholic, but I think of myself another way, and, I think, a
more hopeful way--as an "ex-drunk." I know that I can revert to being just
plain "drunk" again any time I reach for that first drink.

But, with the help of God, all other A.A.s and the A.A. program I'm going
to stay just plain "ex-drunk"!

J. B.
Muncie, Indiana

Indianapolis A.A.s Open Club July 1948

A three story brick building, used during the war as the USO Center, is
now the new Alano Club of Indianapolis. The clubhouse is complete with
a large room for dancing, lounges and coffee and sandwich bar,
equipped with a brass rail so that the members will feel at home. The
opening was attended by approximately 500 members and friends. The
clubrooms are open at all times and groups from all parts of the city hold
meetings there.

July 47, New Groups column:
                          INDIANA -- Indianapolis (12th Step Group);
                          Kendallville (Noble County Group) ; Ft. Wayne
                          (Wayne Group).

July 47, in Country-Wide News Circuit column:
                          ... Members of the Alconon Group of Ft. Wayne,
                          Ind., who number about 30 and who have been
                          meeting at the Y.M.C.A, on Wednesday evenings and
                          Sunday afternoons, have announced the organization
                          of a group of five of their former members at Van
                          Wert, Ohio, 35 miles away.

July 1949

THE man with measles gets a break. That break is marked by a million
little red irritations. The irritations of the alcoholic are just as obvious. We
medicate the measles and they disappear and seldom if ever do they
return. We medicate the alcoholic also but we do not completely banish
his breaking out. We may break up our binges but so many times the
symptoms do not cease. After the arrestment of our inebriety over a long
period, we begin to feel that everybody in and out of A.A. owes us a
continued catering to. Instead of striving for contentment, we are apt to
develop and nourish contention. This makes us break out and our
irritations are more hectic and annoying than all the measles in the
medical books.

We use that hellish hammer so much that, like the measles, our knocking
becomes contagious. One kid can catch the measles and spread red
welts over a whole class room. So one alcoholic can catch contention
and spread mental inflammation over a whole group.

A slipper slips. Some model dry child clutches his claw hammer. The
slipper is a "chisler," he's "hopeless," he's a "handicap." Soon the whole
group catches the hammer disease and hell's a poppin'.

If we could only hide that hatchet! Sure, Dave's drunk. He's holed up in a
hotel. His wife has pulled out. The dough we gave Don was spent on fire
water and he made the prison farm. Our efforts are unappreciated.
But does all this griping in the group help Henry! It not only doesn't help
Henry, but it hurts and jeopardizes every Jake in the joint.

If we could only, as the old song goes, "eliminate the negative and latch
on to the affirmative," then we wouldn't be constantly messing mentally
with Mr. Inbetween (the slipper). If we can't do the poor old screwed-up
absentee any good, there's no use to do the whole bunch harm by
hammering hell out of Hiram the hopeless. Sometimes it's just that one
extra bit of patience and brotherly love that does bring our forward
Frankie back into the fold. And how much more harmony we have among
ourselves.

R.H.
Richmond, Indiana