Jimmy K ? Founder of Narcotics Anonymous

[janbear]

Jimmy K – Founder of Narcotics Anonymous
Jimmy K was born on April 5, 1911 in Paisley Scotland. He emigrated to the United states on August 8, 1923, arriving at Ellis Island in New York with his parents. He struggled with his drug addition for many years until he found AA on February 2, 1950.

Starting in 1953, Jimmy and a few other drug addicts who met in AA began holding meetings specifically for drug addicts. The first documented meeting of NA was on October 5, 1953 in Southern California.

He wrote several portions of the Little White Booklet, is the basis of Nan’s book entitled “Narcotics Anonymous� published in 1983. The story “We do Recover� is his biography.

In 1968 Jimmy Kinnon designed the NA Symbol, the diamond and the circle that you see. He was in the hospital, he suffered from emphysema and cancer for many, many years, and often he was in and out of the hospital for periods of time. He felt the need for a logo or symbol.

In 1972 Alcoholics Anonymous told Jimmy not to use an adaptation of their prayer, “I Am Responsible�. Jimmy had taken that prayer and changed the AA to NA and AA didn’t like that. You can use the Steps and you can use the Traditions but you can’t use our name and you can’t use our literature. So Jimmy wrote “The Gratitude Prayer�.
Jimmy’s belief was that no addict seeking recovery should die without the chance to recover. He lived that. He didn’t just talk it and he didn’t just write literature about it, he lived it.

Jimmy died having been clean for more than 35 years on July 9, 1985. Prior to his death he said “If I ever have an epitaph on my headstone it should read something like this:
“All we did was sow some seeds and worked and wrought to make this work, so that we and others could live -- in Peace, in Freedom and in Love."

Since that first documented meeting in 1953, NA has grown to approximately 20,000 registered groups holding over 31,000 weekly meetings in over 100 countries.
(2002 statistics)

[DonnyB]

As someone new to recovery the story of Jimmy K was extremely interesting and important. Thank you so much for taking the time to share it.

[dalin]

Originally Posted by DonnyB

As someone new to recovery the story of Jimmy K was extremely interesting and important. Thank you so much for taking the time to share it.

keep coming back.we need you in our recovery!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[CD BUCKBERRY]

If anyone is the great one it is Jimmy Kinnon,one of the main founders of Narcotics Anonymous.He helped a lot of people learn how to save their lives and help other people save their own.He was a Higher Power himself but he also had a higher power.

[wharfrat2108]

i have the same birthday as NA! 10/5....wowzer.

[shydawg]

I agree, I heard the name & sort of knew that he was a key figure in starting our fellowship but didnt know really to what extent .. I really enjoy learning more about the history of our fellowship