dalin
02-20-2008, 07:35 PM
Chapter Seventeen
MIAMI LITERATURE CONFERENCE
The Miami Literature Conference was held in a small church auditorium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The grounds were beautiful and the white stucco building contained plenty of the tables they would need for the workers. It was to begin just after the World Convention in Miami.
The usual equipment was in place except for one thing, a telephone. While there was a pay phone near, the host committee felt that communication with out of towners was cutting down on the efficiency of the work and wouldn't get a phone despite concerns expressed by attending members.
An odd thing had happened at the World Convention. Roger and Bo met one morning early and were finally talking. Roger apologized for some of the things he had been saying and doing that he felt were out of line. Bo had heard of these things but had not had an opportunity to talk with Roger about them directly. He knew something was wrong. He hoped this early morning talk was the beginning of an easing of difficulties between them. He felt that if they were to disagree openly, it would hurt the Book.
It seemed like they were going to talk it all out when two young women came up and hugged Bo. They were effusive in the N.A. way of things and chatted a moment before going back to work on the registration desk. Bo looked around for Roger and found him sitting in a nearby chair. He walked over and sat down to resume their talk and Roger glared at him. He said, "If I had a gun in Ohio, I would have shot you." He got up and walked away. They never talked as friends again until years later.
Bo tried to renew the talk but it was over. He never did understand this. He tried to get Roger to tell him what it was about and Roger wouldn't talk. In the end, Bo just had to let go of it.
The Lit Conference started up with the usual preliminaries but the difference was that this time attending members knew that they were going to be resuming workshops on familiar drafts. Most had been to preceding lit conferences. The lessening of communication between the WLC and the local literature committees throughout the United States resulted in fewer members but of those who came, the experience and increasing competence was beginning to show in the work. They went into the week's work dedicated, prepared and hopeful that the Book might get done before they left for home.
The center of the large meeting hall was dominated by the now standard long folding tables arranged in a circle. This arrangement permitted a maximum number of members to sit with copies of the material and react to it with full eye contact.
Drafts of the various chapters workshoped in smaller groups were read and discussed point by point, word by word and paragraph by paragraph. While there was tension in the air, it was never allowed to interfere with the work. Any N.A. member in the world who showed up could help and participate in the workshops and the editing. They would come in, be greeted and made to feel welcome and wander around sitting in on different workshops, not knowing what to expect. They listened, received copies of work and used the simple mechanism of raising their hand to be recognized by the group.
Work at the large table involved reading and fine tuning pieces. Next, the pieces went to workshops with recommendations or comments. Specific changes would be made if the material had to be retyped. A workshop could bring a piece into the main group to get help dealing with a specific problem but mainly whole chapters were considered.
As was now the custom, each draft was marked by the name of the conference site and the number of the subsequent drafts produced there. So, we began with Ohio finals and went through Miami 1, Miami 2 and so on through the Miami final draft for each chapter. Sydney R. and Sally E. were in attendance and full participation. Sally was a member of the N.A. World Service Board of Trustees and her presence and support enhanced the effort. She and Sydney had come into the Santa Monica Lit Conference and been a part of the movement ever since. Sydney had continued with the local literature committee in Los Angeles and both were now veteran lit workers proving that addicts in recovery can write.
There were several members from the Miami area who had moved in from New York City. They were very frustrated. A law in New York called the Rockefeller Act forbade the association of known felons, and had the effect of outlawing N.A. recovery in New York.
These members, one of whom was Paul, were making regular trips to New York to pass out N.A. literature including 'Gray Forms'! How N.A.
The lit committee had taken on some aspects of a traveling road show. The Committee files were now contained in three large foot lockers. When regular committee members unloaded the lockers from a pickup truck, you almost expected to see drums sets, guitars and amplifiers come out! Naturally, the members loved this air of mystery but there were no mixed ideas as to who they were and the job they were committed to completing.
Many of the same people had been showing up for each succeeding conference. This lent continuity and allowed some conventions to develop. These general practices helped the group to deal with the extreme conditions of working fifteen, eighteen or more hours at a stretch. Then sleeping six hours only to get up and do it again.
Such was the concentration of this core group that the newer members could pick up on the spirituality and mentality of the work with almost no orientation and very few questions. Many of these were lit workers back home. Many had received the WLC letters for years by now. The group of a hundred or so members had become welded into a spiritual working body. They were working from material gathered from over a thousand members inputting directly to the WLC or through local literature committees. This allowed the committee to go beyond the usual statement that committees don't write books.
At the end of the week, the work still wasn't finished. The material had been taken through several drafts of each chapter. While the group was willing to set another conference date, it also decided to move the Conference to a nearby clubhouse for N.A. meetings in Ft. Lauderdale.
*** *** *** ***
The work resumed and the disagreements were getting fewer and fewer over more specific items out of the general body of the material. There were ten chapters in all which still related to the original chapters from Lincoln but titles had changed and the contents had been through succeeding revolutions. As many as fifty present knew the entire body of material. Many knew the origins or the material and the various versions it had gone through from conference to conference.
While up to the last moment, everyone expected another conference would be necessary, Bo could sense that the material was nearly completed, at least as far as the group currently working on it could take it. He sat in on discussion, watched faces and talked with members outside the main discussion area.
The feeling was growing in him that all was done that could be done for now. After several hours of this, the feeling was so strong that he asked to address the group. You asked, you didn't tell this group anything.
Right at the point were he did this, discussion had broken down and two extremely hard working and hard minded members were squaring off with the words, "I'll see you about this at the next Conference!"
Into this moment, Bo expressed the concern that Joseph had brought up. If some general agreement wasn't reached soon, there would be no time to prepare an approval form before the annual WSC in the Spring. The material had to be out for a considerable time for N.A.'s world wide to look at it before a vote for approval would be feasible or valid at the upcoming WSC. Although it was September, it would take the Committee some time to raise the money and get the material printed.
Brushing off his sleepiness and forcing himself to full attention, Bo appealed to the members present to get real about their feelings and work toward some agreement. If it came down to a few simple points that could be discussed and voted on by attending members, then the material would be ready to approve within the Committee. If they lacked unity as a committee now, how could they expect the Conference to approve the material?
He gently reminded the group that the Committee had never expected to satisfy everyone on every point and issue. Consensus of fact and feeling was their objective.. If more Conferences were really needed, then we could do that. That was not what the members had been saying. They had been saying that they wanted a little more on sponsorship in this one chapter. They were countered by another member who felt that there was enough on that in another chapter. In other words they were discussing the material in terms of finalization.
Bo said, if chapters one through ten met with the Committees approval, they should approve it and let it go. He knew better than to take up much time with all this. They were tired. They had been working all week after attending the four day Miami World Convention. Neither did he want to push them into something they didn't really feel.
Part of the ongoing discussion of the Committee included the careful filing of the successive drafts of the Basic Text chapters. This material, including the variety of ways each statement was addressed in different edits was thought to be a safeguard against permanently loosing anything of importance since the material would be available for later study, after the first Basic Text was done. Additional future works of all types was also a big part of the WLC's vision for the future. First the Book had to be approved and in use for a number of years.
Within the hour, the Basic Text of Narcotics Anonymous was approved for printing an 'Approval Form' by the World Literature Committee of Narcotics Anonymous. The impossible had been done.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Return to Story of the Basic Text - Home Page
Go to Chapter Eighteen - Mid-South Regional Service Conference
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MIAMI LITERATURE CONFERENCE
The Miami Literature Conference was held in a small church auditorium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The grounds were beautiful and the white stucco building contained plenty of the tables they would need for the workers. It was to begin just after the World Convention in Miami.
The usual equipment was in place except for one thing, a telephone. While there was a pay phone near, the host committee felt that communication with out of towners was cutting down on the efficiency of the work and wouldn't get a phone despite concerns expressed by attending members.
An odd thing had happened at the World Convention. Roger and Bo met one morning early and were finally talking. Roger apologized for some of the things he had been saying and doing that he felt were out of line. Bo had heard of these things but had not had an opportunity to talk with Roger about them directly. He knew something was wrong. He hoped this early morning talk was the beginning of an easing of difficulties between them. He felt that if they were to disagree openly, it would hurt the Book.
It seemed like they were going to talk it all out when two young women came up and hugged Bo. They were effusive in the N.A. way of things and chatted a moment before going back to work on the registration desk. Bo looked around for Roger and found him sitting in a nearby chair. He walked over and sat down to resume their talk and Roger glared at him. He said, "If I had a gun in Ohio, I would have shot you." He got up and walked away. They never talked as friends again until years later.
Bo tried to renew the talk but it was over. He never did understand this. He tried to get Roger to tell him what it was about and Roger wouldn't talk. In the end, Bo just had to let go of it.
The Lit Conference started up with the usual preliminaries but the difference was that this time attending members knew that they were going to be resuming workshops on familiar drafts. Most had been to preceding lit conferences. The lessening of communication between the WLC and the local literature committees throughout the United States resulted in fewer members but of those who came, the experience and increasing competence was beginning to show in the work. They went into the week's work dedicated, prepared and hopeful that the Book might get done before they left for home.
The center of the large meeting hall was dominated by the now standard long folding tables arranged in a circle. This arrangement permitted a maximum number of members to sit with copies of the material and react to it with full eye contact.
Drafts of the various chapters workshoped in smaller groups were read and discussed point by point, word by word and paragraph by paragraph. While there was tension in the air, it was never allowed to interfere with the work. Any N.A. member in the world who showed up could help and participate in the workshops and the editing. They would come in, be greeted and made to feel welcome and wander around sitting in on different workshops, not knowing what to expect. They listened, received copies of work and used the simple mechanism of raising their hand to be recognized by the group.
Work at the large table involved reading and fine tuning pieces. Next, the pieces went to workshops with recommendations or comments. Specific changes would be made if the material had to be retyped. A workshop could bring a piece into the main group to get help dealing with a specific problem but mainly whole chapters were considered.
As was now the custom, each draft was marked by the name of the conference site and the number of the subsequent drafts produced there. So, we began with Ohio finals and went through Miami 1, Miami 2 and so on through the Miami final draft for each chapter. Sydney R. and Sally E. were in attendance and full participation. Sally was a member of the N.A. World Service Board of Trustees and her presence and support enhanced the effort. She and Sydney had come into the Santa Monica Lit Conference and been a part of the movement ever since. Sydney had continued with the local literature committee in Los Angeles and both were now veteran lit workers proving that addicts in recovery can write.
There were several members from the Miami area who had moved in from New York City. They were very frustrated. A law in New York called the Rockefeller Act forbade the association of known felons, and had the effect of outlawing N.A. recovery in New York.
These members, one of whom was Paul, were making regular trips to New York to pass out N.A. literature including 'Gray Forms'! How N.A.
The lit committee had taken on some aspects of a traveling road show. The Committee files were now contained in three large foot lockers. When regular committee members unloaded the lockers from a pickup truck, you almost expected to see drums sets, guitars and amplifiers come out! Naturally, the members loved this air of mystery but there were no mixed ideas as to who they were and the job they were committed to completing.
Many of the same people had been showing up for each succeeding conference. This lent continuity and allowed some conventions to develop. These general practices helped the group to deal with the extreme conditions of working fifteen, eighteen or more hours at a stretch. Then sleeping six hours only to get up and do it again.
Such was the concentration of this core group that the newer members could pick up on the spirituality and mentality of the work with almost no orientation and very few questions. Many of these were lit workers back home. Many had received the WLC letters for years by now. The group of a hundred or so members had become welded into a spiritual working body. They were working from material gathered from over a thousand members inputting directly to the WLC or through local literature committees. This allowed the committee to go beyond the usual statement that committees don't write books.
At the end of the week, the work still wasn't finished. The material had been taken through several drafts of each chapter. While the group was willing to set another conference date, it also decided to move the Conference to a nearby clubhouse for N.A. meetings in Ft. Lauderdale.
*** *** *** ***
The work resumed and the disagreements were getting fewer and fewer over more specific items out of the general body of the material. There were ten chapters in all which still related to the original chapters from Lincoln but titles had changed and the contents had been through succeeding revolutions. As many as fifty present knew the entire body of material. Many knew the origins or the material and the various versions it had gone through from conference to conference.
While up to the last moment, everyone expected another conference would be necessary, Bo could sense that the material was nearly completed, at least as far as the group currently working on it could take it. He sat in on discussion, watched faces and talked with members outside the main discussion area.
The feeling was growing in him that all was done that could be done for now. After several hours of this, the feeling was so strong that he asked to address the group. You asked, you didn't tell this group anything.
Right at the point were he did this, discussion had broken down and two extremely hard working and hard minded members were squaring off with the words, "I'll see you about this at the next Conference!"
Into this moment, Bo expressed the concern that Joseph had brought up. If some general agreement wasn't reached soon, there would be no time to prepare an approval form before the annual WSC in the Spring. The material had to be out for a considerable time for N.A.'s world wide to look at it before a vote for approval would be feasible or valid at the upcoming WSC. Although it was September, it would take the Committee some time to raise the money and get the material printed.
Brushing off his sleepiness and forcing himself to full attention, Bo appealed to the members present to get real about their feelings and work toward some agreement. If it came down to a few simple points that could be discussed and voted on by attending members, then the material would be ready to approve within the Committee. If they lacked unity as a committee now, how could they expect the Conference to approve the material?
He gently reminded the group that the Committee had never expected to satisfy everyone on every point and issue. Consensus of fact and feeling was their objective.. If more Conferences were really needed, then we could do that. That was not what the members had been saying. They had been saying that they wanted a little more on sponsorship in this one chapter. They were countered by another member who felt that there was enough on that in another chapter. In other words they were discussing the material in terms of finalization.
Bo said, if chapters one through ten met with the Committees approval, they should approve it and let it go. He knew better than to take up much time with all this. They were tired. They had been working all week after attending the four day Miami World Convention. Neither did he want to push them into something they didn't really feel.
Part of the ongoing discussion of the Committee included the careful filing of the successive drafts of the Basic Text chapters. This material, including the variety of ways each statement was addressed in different edits was thought to be a safeguard against permanently loosing anything of importance since the material would be available for later study, after the first Basic Text was done. Additional future works of all types was also a big part of the WLC's vision for the future. First the Book had to be approved and in use for a number of years.
Within the hour, the Basic Text of Narcotics Anonymous was approved for printing an 'Approval Form' by the World Literature Committee of Narcotics Anonymous. The impossible had been done.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Return to Story of the Basic Text - Home Page
Go to Chapter Eighteen - Mid-South Regional Service Conference
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------