An Evolving Role Has Grave Implications

As the role of the Class A’s changed, so did their interaction with the AA Fellowship. It swung almost 180 degrees from one of recommending us to their friends - to the practice of recommending their friends procedures to us. Even our great benefactor, Bernard Smith, fell victim to this. After attending a conference on alcoholism in Europe, where he was embarrassed by not knowing the demographic makeup of AA, he insisted that GSO begin, and the Conference approve, a tri-annual survey of AA members. A survey that still evokes controversy when it must be approved every three years.

More recently, these non-alcoholic friends have often led the effort to make Alcoholics Anonymous more financially focused. Even Bernard Smith felt the “business” focus was the wrong one for our Society. And yet, he too, was drawn into it as surely as the others.